CHAPTER 9: THIS CHAPTER DOESN'T NEED ANY WORDS….
A strange feeling shook her up. Andrea opened her eyes and realised her head was pounding rather badly. Her sight was slightly hampered and it felt like a pygmy puff was sitting in her mouth.
She groaned and tried to sit up. She closed her eyes and rubbed her hands on her face. She, for the life of her couldn't remember why she drank.
Gingerly she got out of the bed and realised she was stark naked. She was still woozy to realise why she was nude, and she winced and stumbled towards the bathroom and shut the door behind her.
Suddenly the world spun and she quickly made it to the water closet and threw up and kept throwing all the bitter disgusting things. She threw some more and when she realised that her stomach was finally empty and her head felt a tiny bit better; she lay down on the pleasant and cool ground of the loo. Damn, that hurt! After a few moments she got up and flushed the puke and stood in front of the washbasin.
She tried to open the cap of the toothpaste while leaning on the mirror. She so was not going to drink from now on, she vowed. She brushed her teeth and tried not to throw up again. After she successfully brushed her teeth, she went to the shower to wash off that alcohol smell. One thing good that came out of the shower was that it a t least made her a bit less groggy.
Once she was done, she gingerly wrapped the towel around her and left her wet hair about her shoulders. She winced when she closed the bathroom door after she exited. Small sounds were amplified in her brain and it was painful.
She decided to get a sobering potion as soon as she was dressed and she was about to do that when a smooth voice interrupted her.
"Up and about, I see."
The effect was instantaneous. She cricked her neck looking up so fast, her eyes widened when she saw a bare chested Sirius black sitting on the other side of the bed with his impressive arms crossed across an equally impressive chest.
Her feet tripped on something and she slipped and banged her head on a poster of the bed and fell down right on her bum.
Her head actually shook from the impact, or maybe it was the after effects of alcohol.
"Andy" she heard and she groaned. Her head hurt really badly! She felt being scooped up and then being deposited on the bed. She gingerly opened her tearing eyes and blinked the tears away.
Sirius was standing there in his naked glory, his shoulders shaking and his face looked pinched and Andréa realised he was trying not to laugh.
She wanted to die!
Good god. She had just made a spectacle of herself, in front of Sirius. Her eyes widened as she realised he was naked!
What the fu..?
"So do you remember?" he asked in his amused voice and Andréa scooted as he sat down next to her.
"Remember what?" she squeaked willing her sluggish brain to move fast. She gulped and tried to look anywhere but him.
"That you went to some party with Tonks, came home sloshed, stripped for me and did the lap dance and seduced me." He said all that with a straight face and Andréa felt blood draining out of her face. She turned her horror struck eyes to his and saw that he indeed looked solemn.
"Oh God." She groaned and dropped her head in her hands. Her sense of thinking, it seems had taken a flight. She did that! She finally acted on an innocent Sirius?
"Yeah, you actually said 'make love to me'" he said sympathetically and Andréa stopped her miserable tirade. Her brain recognising that line. Gradually, she realised what had transpired and she blushed despite herself. It was good her head was in her hands, because she realised he was having on her. She was mortified earlier but now she was willing to give back what she got.
She looked up at him, and immediately saw his smile disappear and he schooled a very serious look on his face.
"I'm sorry Sirius. I don't know what came over me. I thought…. I thought" for dramatics she gulped, "I thought you were someone else."
She watched with satisfaction as he froze and she couldn't help but grin.
"You minx" he growled and tackled her, she screamed and her head ached. She looked up and found him watching her with serious eyes.
"You do realise what this means, right." Andrea still wanting blood was all for it.
"I don't know. It was good but I don't think it will last. You should know that Mr Black, the king of the morning afters." At first he looked taken aback but then grinned.
"That was a good one." He said and Andréa tucked a strand of hair behind his ear.
"What does this mean?" she asked in a barely audible voice. He smiled down at her and her heart stopped.
"This means real. This means we are together." Andrea never thought that she could actually have a moment like this in her life. She had always thought it was just a Mills and Boon conception and her heart soared when she was proven wrong.
She closed her eyes when he bent his head and kissed her. Andréa was deliriously happy!
"Together sounds good." She said when they broke for air. He grinned roguishly at that.
"But what about Mary?" she asked suddenly with trepidation. She saw him sigh and shake his head.
"What about her?" Andréa widened her eyes.
"You do realise that she is or rather was your ex-fiancée? And why is she here?" she felt bereft as Sirius rolled on the other side and looked down at her.
"Mary is here because she is once again threatened by Voldemort." Andrea blinked.
"Once again?"
"Yes. Her parents were top healers and potioneers. Voldemort tried to recruit them but they refused and it isn't something you do to Voldemort. He killed them personally, but their two daughters were at Hogwarts at the time; Mary and her younger sister Elizabeth. Dumbledore inducted both in the Order and from the seventh year we started going out." He said this all in a matter of fact voice and Andréa thankfully couldn't feel any emotion due to the alcohol.
"So…so…" Sirius chuckled as Andréa stuttered to form a coherent sentence.
"Well, that Halloween changed everything; I lost everything." He said bitterly and Andréa grabbed his hand. He looked down at their joined hands and then back at her, with a very different emotion in his eyes.
"Everyone thought I was the traitor and so did Mary. She went to Ireland for some years and practiced as a healer along with her sister. This time, after Voldemort resurrected, they both received the news and Mary decided to contact Dumbledore. She is the Head for the Department but has taken a few months leave. She will be going to the hospital, in June end when her sister returns from her foreign assignment."
Andrea's head was still spinning. That didn't explain their current status.
"So you both didn't get together after she came to know about your truth?" Andréa asked with fake bravery. Inside her heart was hammering. Sirius looked at her with his big grey eyes and smiled mischievously.
"How could we when I was clearly was hooked to someone else." Andrea was sure her heart failed at that.
"What do you mean?" she asked breathlessly.
"Just that, Mary and I were long gone. We both are changed, and our relationship died before it even had the chance to thrive. We were in war, and that Halloween was the hardest of all nights for everybody. We went different ways, and now we are back to being the friends we initially were, beside Mary could clearly see what had been happening here."
Andrea didn't realise that Sirius had beautifully evaded her questions and she felt giddy at the response. She turned her glassy eyes at him and beamed. Sirius groaned and captured her lips almost desperately.
Andrea was flying high….!
When they broke Sirius' pupils had dilated making the grey iris, only a faint silver lining.
"You don't know what you do to me?" he whispered and Andréa smiled. Her towel was long gone and she could particularly feel him and his need.
"Yeah?" Sirius smiled at her wickedly and proceeded to show her what exactly she did to him.
XOXOXOXO
Two hours later, Andréa made her way to the kitchen to get something to eat. She smiled as she realised what transpired in the last two hours, and felt like her heart was going to burst from happiness. She was happy that Mary was not involved anymore, she was happy that Sirius was hooked to her and she was happy with the world generally.
Her head was still aching but she was happy.
She entered the kitchen and stopped dead in her tracks.
Sitting and grinning like an idiot, looking at particularly nothing was Tonks. Andrea was still smiling but a frown furrowed her eyebrows. She entered and Tonks jumped at her footsteps,
"Merlin, you gave me a heart attack." Tonks breathed, and Andrea smiled at her trying very hard to remember the exact incidents of last night.
They both smiled at each other absurdly and Andréa sat right in front of her.
"Winky, can you please find a headache potion and make some tea?" Andréa asked Winky and the elf quickly bounced about to do the required tasks.
They were still grinning foolishly when Winky gave her the headache potion and Andréa thanked her with a grin mile wide. She threw back her head and gulped the potion.
"Is that a hickey I am seeing?" she heard Tonks gasp and Andréa grinned.
"Funny, I was asking myself the same question." She said nodding towards her collarbone. She grinned as Tonks turned pink, still smiling stupidly.
"Kissing the werewolf…." Tonks wiggled her eyebrows.
"Snogging the felon."
"Making out with a professor…."
"Sucking faces with the Black dog."
"Shagging the good marauder."
"Fucking the naughty one..."
"Ahem ahem" Andréa turned quickly and saw Mary standing there biting her lips and then to both of the girls embarrassment at being caught in their juvenile game, she burst out laughing. Mary crossed the few steps and sat down on the chair still holding her ribs, and Andréa blushed. Tonks had turned very red making her hair look exactly like Ginny's.
"Dear Merlin…. "Mary wheezed and a moment later Andréa laughed. Soon the three of them were laughing rather obnoxiously when the two guys entered looking freshly showered.
"Did we miss something?" she heard Remus speak and tried to reign herself in.
"I think it was for the best that you missed it." Mary said wiping her tears and Andréa felt a surge of affection for the woman. Maybe it had to do with the fact that she no longer was tied to Sirius in a romantic way.
Andrea wiping her own tears stood up and went over to the counter to make breakfast for all of them. She was feeling ridiculously shy in front of Sirius, for when she looked at him he gave her a wink which made her feel all hot and bothered.
Damn, he looked hot with all that wet hair and freshly shaved face. She was trying to look for eggs when she was joined by Tonks. Apparently she too was having the same problems because her hair was still a flaming red.
"This is ridiculous." She heard her mutter and Andrea chuckled nodding her head.
"Didn't think it would come to this." She replied and Tonks nodded and then snorted rather loudly.
"Last night we were so bold and today we can't even face our men." Andrea smiled at the sound of 'our men' and then frowned.
"What happened last night?" she asked abandoning her eggs and turned to look at Tonks who turned to her.
"You mean you don't remember?" she asked incredulously, and Andréa looked at her sullenly.
"I tend to forget the unimportant details." At that Tonks laughed out loud, attracting the attention of other three.
"Why are you guffawing like a baboon, Dora?" Sirius asked and Andréa giggled. She actually giggled! Merlin, she was hopeless. Sirius gave her a crooked smile and Andréa blushed. Dammit!
"Shut up, Padfoot. I was just remembering what happened last night." This had them all interested. Apparently, Tonks could clearly remember everything even after ingesting undiluted form of alcohol.
"What happened yesterday night?" Remus asked wearily and Tonks looked at him very tenderly making Andrea go all 'awww' inside. Andrea turned back to her eggs and started cracking them.
"Well, we were in the muggle London, where Andy introduced me to a very nice drink." Andrea was still trying to remember which drink when Sirius asked the obvious.
"What drink?"
"Sex on the beach." Tonks told and Andréa dropped the egg in her hand. She looked at Tonks, mortified and saw that the other girl was smiling evilly. Her eyes were wide with disbelief but narrowed when she saw the challenge in her amethyst eyes. Her mind started working on its own accord and she smiled vindictively.
"I remember you lamenting that you weren't gonna get some" she said sweetly and Tonks was the one horror struck.
"What about that bar where you jumped up on the counter and sang what song was it again…" Tonks pretended to think with a finger on her lips "…ah yes… 'I wanna fuck you' and 'dirty dancing'. I remember the crowd going mad at your performance."
Andrea didn't hear the rush of fireplace and put a hand on her mouth in horror. She did that? She turned to look at the other three and saw all of them look at her in shock. Shock plus something else was there in Sirius' eyes. She turned in mortification to a smug Tonks.
"Dammit Dora, you don't say things like that about me in front of others."
"Things like what?" Andréa actually squealed and turned. She felt faint when she saw her mother standing there with her father right behind her.
"Oh god…" she whimpered and her eyes looked about to pop out when she saw her mother standing there with her narrowed eyes and hands on hips. When did she come? And how long had she been standing there?
"Ma…" she whispered, gulping and from her peripheral vision saw three shaking sets of shoulders.
"Ma…. What are you doing here?" she squealed and then cleared her throat. Her mind worked furiously and the next thing she realised that her parents would only come here if something must have happened.
From happiness, to shy to raucous, to horror and now into panic.
"Ce qui s'est passé? Pourquoi vous êtes ici, c'est que tout va bien? Lorsque Peter? "(What happened? Why are you here, is everything alright? Where's Peter?) She asked taking urgent steps in her direction, worry evident on her face. Her mother frowned too but then her face smoothed into a calm smile.
"Oh, rien ne s'est produit Cher. Arrêt de panique, nous sommes ici juste pour voir notre petite fille sur sa journée spéciale. Happy birthday Cherie." (Oh, nothing happened dear. stop panicking, we are here just to see our little girl on her special day.)
Andrea's eyebrows shot upwards as she realised that it was her birthday today. Her body relaxed as she realised that her parents were here because of her birthday, not because something happened.
She gave her mother a hug and turned to her father and hugged him.
"Good thing it's your birthday or she would have had your hide." Her father whispered in her ear and Andréa giggled. Her father was always the lenient one, but he too would have balked at what she did. Good thing he didn't hear what she was doing the other night.
"Happy birthday Andrea." Her father said with a smile and Andréa beamed back. She had actually forgotten it was her birthday.
"Hey, why didn't you say it was your birthday?" Tonks asked before Andréa could reply she was crushed by the pink haired witch.
"Happy Birthday Andy. Damn, I'm sorry. You would have been killed on your own birthday by your own mother, it seemed a few minutes ago." She whispered the second part and Andréa was still feeling relieved so she just laughed.
Everyone then got up and wished Andréa giving her a hug and Andrea fought the blush when Sirius hugged her.
"Why didn't you tell it was your birthday?" he asked with a gleam in his eyes and Andréa shrugged. She prayed really hard that her parents didn't pick up anything.
"Forgot myself." She said with a smile and turned as her mother spoke.
"Good thing I brought breakfast." She said looking at the broken eggs on the floor and Andrea saw the others trying not to laugh. She rolled her eyes.
"Thank God Ma. You're life saver. Now, let see the famous Liana Evans nee Blanc breakfast. I'm starving." She said and her mother smiled widely.
In a matter of minutes the table was covered in croissants pain au chocolat, tartines to be spread with a collection of jams that were made by her mother, butter, stuffed French toast, cut strawberries, big blueberry and raisin muffins and coffee and hot chocolate and one very large dish of cherry clafoutis.
"I missed this." Andrea said reminiscing both of her past and realised that this was a common feat. She saw as others murmured their appreciation and her mother swelled up in pride.
"It was amazing Liana." Said Remus liking his lips, putting down his bowl of hot chocolate. Her mother blushed and Andréa grinned at her father.
"When did she get up to make all this?"
"Five in the morning. She prepared the necessary last night. You know how she is." He said rolling his eyes but Andréa saw him looking at her mother tenderly.
"Now, about the birthday gift. Here." Her mother said and gave her a small wicked basket. Andrea looked at it questioningly and then stared as the basket moved.
She gingerly opened the flaps and saw a small dotted puppy snoring adorably. She turned to look at her mother.
"Ma…. Where did it come from?"
"We left Hazel with the neighbours when we came here. They were magical and had a magical Great Dane. She gave birth to nine about one and a half months ago. Do you like it?" her mother asked in her heavily accented English and Andréa beamed as she picked the puppy from the basket.
The girls in the room all 'awwwed' at him and Andréa laughed.
"Makes me feel like a five year old, getting the first dog." She turned to look at Sirius very seriously.
"Do you think I can keep it? I hope you have no problems, it's your house after all." his eyebrows frowned like the others and Andréa kept her face straight.
"Of course I have no problem." He said quickly still frowning.
"I thought it would be better to ask you since there will be two dogs living under the same roof and all… you know alpha male thing." She said sweetly and everybody dissolved into laughter. Andrea winked at Sirius and saw him looking at her smoulderingly, at which she quickly looked away.
The morning progressed very quickly and happily and Andréa got another surprise. Her father gave her a small cottage in the French countryside. She was shocked and tried to refuse but her father was adamant. Andrea accepted defeat when her father pointed out that her brother received the same gift on his 25th birthday and that it wasn't causing any dent in her father's bank account.
They all had lunch together, from another basket that her mother had brought (the woman was a crusader) and sat without any worries.
At some point in the evening her parents left and they all sat down in the parlour and Andréa was extremely happy to see Remus sitting with his hands around Tonks. They both didn't even look conscious of the fact and Andréa realised some things were progressing rather fast.
They all got shock when the Weasley twins joined them looking all windblown and huge grins on their faces. Andrea after a second's shock squealed and got up and hugged them. They sat down and told their story of quitting Hogwarts and the spectacle they left behind.
Andrea had always loved that moment and was exceptionally happy. Molly and Arthur came, all worried and tensed and Andrea reminded herself to do the will stuff.
After Molly and Arthur were assured about the twins they all sat down for a rather, heavy dinner in her honour.
Her little pup was christened Merlin, and he blinked his vibrant blue eyes at that and licked her face, showing his approval.
That night when Andrea finally closed her eyes, she felt at peace. The arm around her waist and the warm body right next to her made her feel at home and she slept with a smile on her face.
XOXOXOXOXOXO
The next day saw her and Sirius in the parlour, locked with a silencing charm.
Sirius looked at her with raised eyebrows when she performed the charms.
"You could have just asked, love." Andrea rolled her eyes.
"You're mighty sure of yourself, loverboy." Sirius grinned and pulled her towards him. Andrea felt her breath hitch as he kissed her without any warning. She groaned as she felt his tongue in her mouth and her hands went to his neck on their own accord.
She broke free and looked at him. Damn, he was irresistible.
"We need to do some work."
"That is exactly what I was thinking." He said and kissed her so passionately that all her thoughts fled her mind.
Sirius lifted her and backed her into the wall. Her eyes opened and she looked at him with need but another thought pierced her sensual fog. Wills!
"Sirius we really need to work."
"I know." He breathed and started unbuttoning her blouse. She groaned as he attacked her breasts fervently and all the work related thoughts took a vacation.
He looked up after a few glorious moments and Andréa had the perfect view of him and his bulging needs.
"Care to make it fast." He grinned at her roguishly.
"Thought you'd never ask." Andrea waved her wand and they were naked within half a second. She pulled down his head and kissed him with the same vigour and her wrapped legs around him tightened.
He entered her and Andréa threw back her head in pleasure. They were fast and rough and they both loved every minute of it.
Andrea bit down on his shoulder as she felt herself explode into million little stars and expelled her fractured breath. A moment later she heard him groan and shoot deep inside her making her close her eyes at the feeling.
They both were panting and their bodies had sheen of perspiration. Sirius lifted her and sat down on the sofa, with Andrea on his lap.
Still breathless, she leaned into his chest and put her head on his heart, feeling the erratic thumping.
"You are a bad man." She breathed and smiled when he laughed.
"Regretting, love?" She swatted him and took a deep breath and got up. She found her wand and muttered a few scourgify's.
She heard Sirius do the same and they both picked up their respective clothes and got dressed. Andrea stood right on front of Sirius and pointed a finger at him.
"Now, you will not touch me or sit near me and I'll kill you if you try it." She quickly moved away and sat on the opposite sofa.
Sirius raised his eyes in amusement and sat down.
"So, I heard something about work." Andrea glared at him and took out some parchments. That immediately got his attention and he became focussed.
"Now, we have five hundred million galleons and this is what I propose to do with it." She gave him her first parchment.
"One hundred galleons for the Weasley family. That is further divided as ten million for each family member and ten in spare. What do you say?"
"That's fine. How do we bequeath them?" he asked and Andréa grinned.
"There was a Septimus Weasley who was said to have a rather large treasure hidden after he discovered some potion or the other. I suggest we make up a will that will automatically distribute that fund ´into the living members of the Weasley line equally and the rest would be for their household expense or whatsoever."
"I doubt Arthur would accept it. He would keep on inquiring till he gets to the root of it." Sirius replied with a frown.
"Then we will have to make sure it is legal and fool proof." She said taking out a goblin made document and tapped her wand and it began to write the bequest.
Sirius gave her an impressed look and she grinned back.
"Now, you will have to seal this with your magic. Checking shouldn't be a problem since your magic and Arthur's family magic is sort of related. Wait a moment." She tapped her wand on the money bag and a small bag with gold came out with W written on it. The bag was made out of crimson velvet and looked rather expensive.
She waved her wand and the bag vanished.
"Now, seal it. The bag will appear once the will is read by Arthur." She said in a pleasant voice and Sirius shook his head and proceeded to chant and wave his wand complicatedly. She watched as the parchment glowed red and then sealed itself. Andrea moved forward and waved her wand and Weasley family crest upon the wax was imbedded in the parchment.
"Damn woman, do you know how sneaky you are?" he said and Andrea just smirked. She produced the next parchment and gave it to him.
"Remus John Lupin and Nymphadora Andromeda Tonks. Fifty each. We can make Remus's money come from James and your uncle Cygnus can become Nymphadora's…. you know."
"You realise we would need Harry to do the Potter's magic?" she looked up and saw him. His eyes were different and Andréa realised how it might have pained him to say so.
She got up and went over to him and sat down.
"Potters and Blacks were related. Your magic will do." She said quietly and produced two more documents and started tapping. When she was about to tap Tonk's parchment Sirius stopped her hand.
She looked at him and he said.
"Make it Alphard Black. Cygnus would have rather killed them than leave them gold." Andrea nodded and did that.
Sirius once again sealed both the parchments and Andréa marked them with Potter and Black family crest.
"Now, I think we should leave twenty five each to Harry and Hermione." Sirius frowned.
"I know Harry will inherit the main Potter vault when he turns seventeen but it was him who actually killed the basilisk, besides it wouldn't hurt to have extra gold."
"Hermione?" Andréa looked pensive at that.
"You know I always felt that Hermione doesn't feel like there is someone for her in this world, other than her friends. She comes from a different world and she had to fight to make a place over here. I just thought…" Sirius took her hand.
"You got me wrong, love. I was saying how we were going to bequeath this to her? She does not have any body from this world." Andrea thought hard and turned to Sirius.
"How do think it would look like if I went to her parents and told them that I want to be her magical guardian?" Sirius raised his eyebrows and a small smile played about his mouth.
"If I were them, I'd say you were completely bonkers, but I think that's a rather intelligent way."
"You think so?" she beamed at him and he chuckled.
"Yeah."
"Very well then. It would have to wait till the summer holidays I guess." She took out two more parchments and tapped them and sealed Hermione's with her own magic and seal.
"Now the final two hundred and fifty million galleons. Here is the plan." She gave him the plan and bit her bottom lip and watched him as he read the parchment.
His eyes grew wide and he looked at her.
"James and Lily Potter Trust for Magical Beings?" he whispered and Andréa got up and paced.
"I know that's a bad name but we can always alter it. Anyways, I thought that it was a rather huge sum and the magical world can use a little bit of help. We can hire people to find cures for the most deadly diseases, craft spells, fund researches, open orphanages, distribute Wolfsbane, and open primary schools for magical kids, help the centaurs and elves, help save endangered magical species, make shelters, you know that sort of thing. We have the money so we could put it to use." She cut off mid rant and looked at him.
Sirius was sitting rather still. She gulped and looked at him worriedly.
"You didn't keep any money for yourself?" he asked with a frown, and Andréa snorted very loudly missing his raised eyebrows.
"I have money. I make loads of it." She shrugged and started when he suddenly got up.
"Are you for real?" Andréa frowned.
"Of course I'm for real. What do you take me for? If you didn't like the plan just say it, no need to go all riddly on me. It took loads of time-"her speech was cut off beautifully when Sirius pressed his lips to her gently.
"I love the plan." He whispered and Andréa saw his eyes glittering with tenderness and her heart swelled with happiness.
"So you think you can do it?" she asked and saw him frown.
"Me? What do you mean?"
"Somebody has to take care of it. If we do all that I have planned, then it is going to be one very huge organisation. There would have to be different departments and their heads, with staff. Somebody will have to see all of it and I think you and Remus are the best for it."
Sirius looked stunned and then looked at her like she had lost it.
"Umm… love, I think you have forgotten that I'm a convict on run. How am I supposed to do this?"
Andrea rolled her eyes and sat down on the sofa.
"Stop making excuses. First of all you are going to be researching. Making plans and researches is the first step, after that you will be doing anything and by that time you will be free. So, you are in?"
"How can you be so sure that I'll be free?" he asked suspiciously.
"You ask so many questions. I'm a seer, remember?" Sirius rolled his eyes and placed the parchment on the table and hauled her right up on his lap. Andrea forgot what she was thinking and looked into the beautiful stormy grey eyes.
"You are one very shrewd woman, you little pixie."
"Hey" she said indignantly squirming to get free but he tightened his hold.
"Stop it." He growled and Andréa froze. She blinked and then blushed prettily as she felt where she was sitting and what her squirming had done.
"Dammit, are you insatiable or what?" she squeaked out and groaned as he suckled on her neck. He stopped and she grabbed his head and looked at him very seriously.
"You'll be the death of me, Sirius Black. Merlin!" And then kissed him senseless, not noticing the sudden arrival of the one and a half month old pup.
XOXOXOXO
The next day was full of events. Arthur got the will and he freaked out. Just like Sirius said Arthur did came to the headquarter all red and breathless, ironically, he asked Sirius to check whether it was authentic or not. Andrea and Sirius kept their faces full of frowns and scowls while trying to verify the will.
The twins were dumbfounded at the amount left to the family and for once Andréa saw them speechless. It took Arthur two whole hours to actually realise that all this money belonged to him and another hour for everyone to convince him to take it. The man really was not acceptable to such deeds.
After Arthur was finally convinced to take the money, two barn owls flew in and gave Remus and Tonks their wills. Andrea looked at Sirius in panic. Their plan was to let things go with breaks but here they were trying to keep the panic from their faces.
Tonks shrieked while Remus looked up straight at Andrea. She took a deep breath and looked back at him shutting her mental drawer. He frowned when he might have felt no emotions and looked back at the parchment.
He questioned Andréa angrily and said that he didn't need charity. He joined the dots and said that she might have given it but Sirius told him that it really didn't have anything to do with her.
Finally, as a proof they disclosed their plans of James and Lily Potter Trust for Magical Beings and the ideas and amount. That put Remus out of the misery and he apologised. Andrea smiled and refused to feel guilty. She was doing some good things and there was no reason for her to feel guilty for making people happy and securing their future.
Everyone was looking much taken by the Trust. They all approved and gave their suggestions. The twins even offered to do experiments for them and Andréa felt happy. The twins had being saving up for their shop but the sudden monetary injection might actually boost them to do much better.
They entered June in a very jolly mood. Everything was looking up. Arthur kept the will a secret as a precaution and the plans for the Trust were already being made up. Remus took up rather happily on helping with the trust, since he now didn't have to worry about earning.
Presently, Andréa was sitting in the parlour with Sirius, Remus, Tonks and Mary waiting for their fellow member to show up.
Andrea was on one hell of a journey. Since she now had the means, she had planned to eradicate each and every problem she felt in the harry Potter books.
The door opened and entered Severus Snape, in all his black glory. Andrea smiled as he glided forward and sat on the armchair by the window. Things were definitely on the mend as neither of the school rivals sneered or snarled in one another's presence.
"Thank you Severus, for coming at such a short notice but I think you might have wanted to get away from your Headmistress's prying eyes."
"You think correctly." He drawled and linked his fingers together. She saw from the corner of her eye that Mary was smiling at Severus. Interesting.
"Pray tell, what calls my presence." He asked silkily and Andréa went down to business. No one knew what she had called all of them for.
"The Cruciatus curse." Everyone looked wary at that. Sirius shared a look with Remus; Mary narrowed her eyes while Severus looked at her closely.
"If you would rather elucidate." Andrea looked at Severus and spoke softly.
"I'll get down to it, if you all tell me what you know about it." She turned to look at the others and caught Sirius' frown. She nodded at him to be patient and he inclined his head in affirmative.
"The Cruciatus Curse is also known as the Torture Curse, and it is one of the three Unforgivable Curses of the wizarding world. It is a curse of torture, inflicting excruciating pain on a victim. Considering the fact that this curse doesn't physically harm the victim, it possibly stimulates pain receptors. Cursing another human with the Cruciatus Curse carries a punishment of a life sentence in Azkaban." Mary relayed and Andréa nodded.
"Stimulates pain receptors?" she asked and saw as Mary went into her Healer mode
"We do have only one brain, but it's got various 'bits'. The part of the brain that controls rational functions, the cerebral cortex, is made up of two halves. These are connected by masses of nerve fibres which allow 'messages' to pass between them. These halves are commonly called the right brain and left brain, but should more correctly be termed 'hemispheres'. For some reason, our right and left hemispheres control the 'opposite' side of our bodies, so the right hemisphere controls our left side while the left hemisphere controls the right side."
Andrea nodded knowing all that but waited for more.
"The left side of our body is "wired" to the right side of our brain, and vice versa. For whatever reason nature did this cross-over, it applies even to our eyes, which process a majority of their sensory data on opposite sides of the brain."
Andrea nodded again.
"Though it is the same in shape, size and matter but the magical beings have magical sparks present in our brain. When the Cruciatus curse is used on a muggle brain, it leaves them incapacitated within seconds while the magical brain has the interceptors in form of our magic to subdue the effect. Though we can easily get unconscious but our magic prevents us from getting the purest form of it."
"You seem quite well informed." Andrea commented and Mary nodded solemnly.
"I was helping Frank and Alice to find the counter spell to Cruciatus." Andrea blinked and her mind whizzed.
"Right. Anyways, is it even remotely possible that the Cruciatus just puts us under the spell that makes an illusion of pain in our mind that it is possible that what our body feels is not real but just a painful illusion?" Mary blinked.
"That is exactly what I'm saying." Andrea closed her eyes and thanked the Lord and Stephanie Meyers for Twilight.
"So there is a way to hide from the pain." She mused and got weird looks.
"Where are you going with it, love?" she looked up and saw Sirius looking at her intensely.
"Think, all of you. If Cruciatus is just an illusion then what happens to us is an illusion too." She looked at them triumphantly and saw blank looks and raised eyebrows.
"Could you be more precise?" Severus drawled and Andréa got up and started pacing.
Could it be? Can it be possible? She turned to look at Severus.
"Cast crucio on me." She said to him and the next second heard Sirius roar.
"NO. Are you bloody out of your mind?" he was in her face within seconds and looked down at her with wide fearful eyes.
"Sirius, I'm testing something.
"If you think I'm going to let you get through it then, you can think again." Dammit, she had not counted on Sirius being pig-headed.
"Just trust me."
"Hell no." she stared at him. Did he just….?
"If you would explain the theory, it might help us all explain." Remus intercepted seeing the maelstrom gathering in front of his eyes.
She nodded and took a deep breath trying not to give Sirius a death glare.
"To successfully perform this curse, the wizard or witch must possess a deep desire to cause the victim pain. Now what is pain?" she asked looking at Severus, Mary and Remus. She was royally pissed at Sirius for saying the last thing.
"Agony?" Mary suggested.
"Or pang or ache or grief." Andrea counted the synonyms and paced. "Now the opposite of these would be pleasure, relief, ecstasy?" She saw as Severus frowned and practically saw his brain working.
"Now, since the Cruciatus gives us an illusion of pain, what will happen if we feel the total opposite of the caster and the desired effects? Will the illusion be strong enough or will it be completely useless?" her eyes sparkled as she proposed her theory and saw as Remus actually nod.
"Why didn't we ever think like this?" he mused and Mary looked deep in her thoughts.
"Maybe because you all grew up to think that Cruciatus could not be counter spelled." She supplied and Mary looked at her with calculating eyes.
"Alice suggested the same thing."
"She did?" Andréa looked at her with wide eyes. If her assumptions were correct then she soon would be making a very vital discovery.
"Curse me." She saw Sirius open his mouth but she gave him the death glare. "Please, if you don't trust me, don't speak." His eyes widened and he blinked. She saw him as he realised the mistake he made.
She turned to Severus.
"Hit me." She saw him hesitate.
"Come on man, hit me. And keep it going for at least a minute." She glared at him.
"As you wish. Crucio."
Andrea was barely ready when the curse hit her. Her bones felt as if they were being scraped with knives. Andrea clenched her teeth and clenched her fists and tried to deny it.
It's just an illusion. Come one girl, throw it. Think of Sirius, think of your first kiss, and think how your heart burst with happiness when he kissed you. Think of the grey eyes and the pleasant voice.
Andrea imagined all that and felt all the agony leave her body. She actually felt like she was floating. Her body felt very light, and it was as if she was in air. Her limbs felt light and she felt like she did after a good massage in a spa. Her eyes felt cool and calm and felt cool air all around her.
She felt like staying here.
Suddenly she was shaken awake and she blinked to look at the clouded grey ones and then she realised what had she been doing prior to that feeling.
"It worked." She said and jumped up, and did a little jig. She looked at all of them looking at her worriedly.
"It actually worked."
"You're scaring me love, what worked?" Sirius asked her and she kissed him full on the mouth, feeling exceptionally giddy.
"What did you do to her Snape?" she heard Sirius growl and she laughed and tried to control it.
"Okay people, nothing is wrong. Now, Mary what happened after Severus hit me with the curse." She asked sitting on the sofa.
"At first your body twitched and turned, you screamed but then suddenly you stopped and your eyes went glassy and your body went slack. It felt like you were dying." Mary shuddered and Andrea nodded, patting the arm of the elder witch.
She turned to the still standing males and nodded.
"I think I've out what happened to the Longbottoms." To say they were shocked would be an understatement. Severus Snape prided on being emotionless man, but the way his eyes bulged out was really comical.
"Please sit down, I'll explain." Once they say Andréa took a deep breath and started.
"When the curse hit me, it was dreadful. Pain, intense pain assaulted me. But then it stopped."
"How did you stop it?" Severus asked and Andréa grinned.
"I thought of good things. Things that made me happy and suddenly instead of pain I felt ecstasy. It was surreal. My whole body felt relaxed and it was so pleasurable. I didn't even want to wake up."
"So?" Remus asked.
"I think Alice and Frank might have discovered it too." Mary whispered and Andréa nodded.
"Yes. Until Sirius shook me awake, I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes. I mean since my eyes were opened, to bring myself back to consciousness and to think it lasted only for a minute. If I'm not mistaken the Longbottoms were tortured for days. "
"You mean the Longbottoms are under the ecstasy spell?" Severus drawled with raised eyebrows.
"Yes. The problem is that I don't know Legilimency, and only you are the only one besides Dumbledore and Voldemort who is proficient at it."
"You want me to go into their minds and drag them out to the real world?" even Severus was looking white faced, along with the others.
"Something like that. Or you can make a potion or spell to revive them, which is why you will work with Mary and discuss the things." Mary looked at her with raised eyebrows.
"Are you not a mind healer?" she asked her pointedly and saw faint pink on her cheeks.
"Yes, of course. But that would take lots of research, and not to mention money for the experiments and ingredients."
"That's where Sirius and Remus come in. They carry out the Trust business, they shall help you, while I go and talk to Lady Augusta Longbottom." Andrea said with a smile.
"What Trust?" Severus asked with suspicious voice and Mary proceeded to tell him all about it. Severus Snape was truly showing emotions, because he looked severely impressed.
"You can always trust the Trust for funding your new experiments Severus, after all you are the best potion Master of the century." She said and saw him incline his head.
"You realise Lady Longbottom is not an easy nut to crack." Sirius reminded her and she smiled.
"If I know my gender, I can bet you all the galleons in my vault that, Lady Longbottom will not refuse at all." Andrea said with a confident smile and saw him raise his brows. She just smirked and turned to Severus and Mary to discuss their plan of recovery.
XOXOXOXOXO
The Longbottom Manor was situated in the beautiful countryside of the Lancashire. The manor was of slate grey stone exterior which had acres of lawns in front of it. A rather large and beautiful greenhouse was situated just beyond and the woods started a few acres from the back.
Andrea had fought with Sirius who had refused to let her go alone. They were nearly at the end of June and finally Severus and Mary had come with a solution after three gruelling weeks.
Andrea was so happy that she hugged a poor and startled Snape. She laughed as she remembered that scene, Sirius almost had a coronary and Remus looked like he was seeing moon for the first time. The best reaction was Snape's though; Andréa swore she heard him groan and mutter "Dammit, Black will kill me."
She looked down at her companion and smiled.
When she said that she would be going alone, Sirius lost it. He simply refused to let her go alone and she could only look at him with her jaw slacked. He didn't even listen to her and the result was that he was sleeping in his old room and Andréa refused to talk to him.
That was three days ago and Andréa was still smarting from all that paranoia. Everyone else was laughing at her expense and that made her more sullen. Remus tried to talk to her but he couldn't stop laughing to form a sentence.
Today in the morning, Sirius had apologised for his overreaction (maybe had to do with the fact that he was made to sleep in his own room) and let her go but with Winky. Andrea relented and kissed him, to tell him that she forgave him.
"Are you ready Winky?" she asked looking at the manor, where the sun was just setting.
"Winky be ready." She nodded and tapped on the large iron gates. An elf apparated and looked at her with its big eyes.
"Who be the Madam to visit the Longbottom Manor." The squeaky voice was very feminine.
"I'm Andrea Evans and I came to meet Lady Longbottom." The elf nodded and disapparated. It appeared almost instantly and snapped its fingers to open the gates.
"Madam be going with Madam's elf to the front door." Winky grabbed her hand and apparated her to the front door.
It was magnificent, Andréa realised as they were shown to the waiting parlour. Gilded family portraits, lacquered furniture and the upholstery reminded her of the Georgian era.
"Madam be following Mindy. Mistress be waiting in the formal drawing room." Andrea nodded and felt excited to meet Augusta Longbottom.
They entered and her gaze immediately went to the tall, intimidating slender form of Lady Longbottom. She was wearing bottle green robes and her hair was pinned up and not a single one was escaping.
They drew closer and Andréa mentally groaned at the absence of the bad and vulture hat.
"I do not expect visitors at such a short notice." She said in a crisp voice and Andréa raised her eyebrow.
"Then I'm glad you made an exception for me." She saw as the stiff lady surveyed her and as if she passed some sort of test, she gestured they sit. Immediately an elf brought tea and crumpets.
"I don't recognise any Andrea Evans." She came straight to the point and Andréa liked her.
"I know. I'm a muggleborn." She saw as the elder lady nodded. "I studied at the Beauxbatons, since I lived in France." She said accepting her tea with a nod.
"And what are you doing here now?"
"Lady Long-"
"Call me Augusta." The elder lady said and for the first time Andréa was surprised.
"Do not be surprised young lady. I can judge a person from a mile." Andrea quit her shocked face and nodded.
"Yes, I certainly believe that. Let's start again, I'm Andrea Evans, first cousin of Lily Potter nee Evans and first cousin once removed, of Harry Potter, and this is Winky our elf." She said and saw that the Longbottom Matriarch looked shocked.
"I wasn't expecting that."
"I'm sure you weren't." she saw as Augusta raise one eyebrow.
"What are you doing here?" beating around the bush wasn't required with this lady.
"Ma'am, I'm a member of the Order of the Phoenix and like others, I'm working to bring down Voldemort."
"That was to be expected if you are related to Lily Potter." She commented and Andréa stifled a grin. She liked her already!
"Thank you. However, I'm here to talk about a very personal thing. A trust was founded recently by a source who wants to stay unnamed. It's called the James and Lily Potter Trust for Magical Beings. It deals in every sphere, like constructing orphanages and primary schools, giving out Wolfsbane to the werewolves, create potions, fund researches, craft spells, all for the betterment of the magical society."
She saw as the elder lady was practically hanging to every syllable of hers.
"Our first and foremost research was the Cruciatus curse." She saw as the elder lady stiffened.
"If you are asking to use my son and daughter-in-law to experiment your research-"
"I never said that." Andrea inserted loudly. Augusta Longbottom was looking like a serpent about to strike, but at that she deflated.
"What do you mean then?"
"Ma'am, my cousin was friends with your children. I'm not asking you to give permission to experiment on them. We started this research keeping Frank and Alice in mind, and believe me, I was the one who was experimented on. All I'm trying to tell you is that we have finally found a way to restore you son and daughter-in-law's mental conditions."
Silence followed this statement and then Augusta Longbottom spoke.
"I have had many a cases where people come and try and raise my and my grandson's spirit but to no avail. How can I believe what you are saying?"
"Because I'm telling the truth. I won't experiment, but I also won't lie. Frank and Alice's condition is unique. Please try to understand what I'm about to tell you. Cruciatus curse is the desire of the caster for the victim to feel immense pain but it's only an illusion."
"Illusion?" she asked with disbelief in her voice.
"Yes, illusion. The spell makes us think that we are being tortured rather painfully and it gets worse as the spell is prolonged. Well, it was daughter-in-law who first thought of it let me tell you, but one day we were sitting with the founders and the researchers and healers when we came across this discovery. We mused the basis of the Cruciatus curse and came to the whole illusion thing. But then we realised that if it was just an illusion then it can be stopped. To be candid, I volunteered myself and the curse was cast on me. At first I felt immense agony, but I tried to think of all the pleasant things and the pain receded. It receded and became pleasurable and mind you the spell was still in its motion."
"You mean the pain changed to pleasure when you thought of pleasant things?" she asked in a blank voice.
"Yes. I didn't let the illusion get to me, and thus the illusion changed. From agony to ecstasy. I was feeling so good and easy that I didn't wanted to wake up. The healer told me that I had wide glassy eyes and my body went slack. There was no movement, like I had died but I remember the feeling of ecstasy."
"Carry on."
"Ma'am, the researchers have carried out extensive experiments where they even kept the volunteers under the curse for three days maximum. The results were same as your children."
"You actually used the curse on people for three days?" she asked white faced.
"Ma'am, it was an experiment. The volunteers were of the age and they really didn't feel any pain. They just kept on feeling very happy, calm and peaceful and the result was that they made a place in their minds and didn't want to come out."
"How did you revive them?" she whispered, and Andrea's heart went out to the women.
"Our legilimens expert entered their thoughts and made them break out of their reverie. Physically, they were acting like mentally retarded because one part of their subconscious was wide awake while the most of them was deep in that calm and happy place. It took less than five minutes, and when they blinked, they were back to normal, joking about the high that they received."
Lady Longbottom looked suddenly, very old and tired.
"Never have I ever been given such a detailed explanation of the cure. I agree but I would like to know the names of the founders, researcher, volunteers and the healers. All of them."
Andrea quickly thought and realised that she really wouldn't rat them out.
"The founders are Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, Severus Snape is the legilimens and researcher, Healer Mary McDonald of the Everynd and Dylys Mental Ailments, and the volunteers were Fred and George Weasley, sons of Arthur and Molly Weasley."
"Sirius Black?" she asked with narrowed eyes.
"Yes Ma'am. The one and only, except he never betrayed my cousin and her husband. They made Peter Pettigrew their Secret Keeper, who turned out to be a Death Eater. Their bluff caused their lives and Sirius had to spend twelve years in Azkaban." She said all this matter-of-factly.
"Merlin!" the elder lady breathed and leaned back on her chair.
"Ma'am, we only want to give you and Neville back your family. James and Lily would have helped their friends and through us they actually are."
"What was your role in this?" she suddenly asked and Andréa smirked.
"Nothing Ma'am. I'm just an errand girl." Minutes passed as Lady Longbottom looked at her very shrewdly making her fidgety.
"Somehow, I don't believe that. But yes, you have my permission to go ahead and give me back Frank and Alice."
Andrea smiled at that, feeling intensely relieved.
"I was very upset when Sirius Black was captured. Such a jolly good lad never believed him to be the backstabber. He and James were ever so close."
Andrea felt her heart swell to hear such things about Sirius.
"He still is. Harry relies entirely on him, he is the father Harry never had." She supplied and saw as Lady Longbottom's lip twitched.
They chatted some more and Andréa realised that Lady Longbottom would really be a great asset to the Order. They talked about France, ministry and then finally O.W.L.S.
"My Neville is a shy lad. Pity he never turned out to be like Frank. He takes interest in Herbology, says makes him feel good. Charms, never was the subject for him. Pish posh I say, defence was alright but he might need loads of practice to get through. History has always been lousy considering Binns has been teaching since my time. Hope he did well, it's their last exam after all."
Andrea just stared at her.
"Umm… what exam?" she asked
"History of magic dear. It's their last exam today, I thought you knew." Andrea's mind was spinning. History of magic?
Oh merlin.
She quickly scrambled to her feet, shocking the old lady, just as a silver light came soaring through and materialised in front of her as a huge shaggy dog.
"Going to Ministry. Harry and his friends are there. Get Dumbledore." Andrea felt fear bubble up in the pit of her stomach as Sirius' voice faded with the patronus.
How could she forget this? How did this happen? Harry had his occlumency up to the par. Oh God, Sirius. How the hell did she forget it?
Because you thought this wouldn't happen, a voice told her and she quickly turned to look at the elder Lady. There was no time.
"Floo Hog's Head and tell the barman to send Dumbledore to the Ministry. Voldemort is coming and Harry is there fighting the Death Eaters with his friends and that Order is already there. Hurry" she said in her authoritative voice and turned to look at Winky.
"Winky, take to the Death Chamber in the Ministry now."
An unexplainable rage was filling her, her fear long forgotten. Maybe it was defence mechanism to suppress the fear and guilt. How dare Voldemort?
Winky took her hand and she was sucked into the black tube of motions and sounds. Her feet touched the ground and she saw the curses and spells flying about.
It was different, her mind noted. All the kids were there and the spells were bouncing off the Order members, making the Death Eaters very angry.
She was standing high above and saw the duels going on. She turned and saw that Ron, Hermione, Luna and Ginny were standing there behind some sort of shield.
Ron had blood coming from a large gash on his cheek, Hermione had her lip split and tears were falling down her eyes, Luna was holding a broken arm and Ginny was sitting down holding a broken ankle, blood running down her nose.
Her rage bubbled up tangibly and Andréa felt air moving around her. These kids were hurt because the big bastard couldn't suck up the courage.
They were hurt, and fighting to save the world because a psychopath was having one of his bloody muses.
People were dying because of some crap about blood!
Andrea saw red. Her eyes darted around and her blood boiled as she saw Dolohov pointing his wand at Neville.
She quickly apparated behind him and cast a non-verbal stupefy and turned to join the fray as he fell forward.
She saw everything in slow motion.
She saw as Tonks fell and Bellatrix smile triumphantly, and then look straight at her.
The mad gleam in her eyes was matching Andrea's rage.
"Avada kedavra" she shrieked and Andréa ducked instinctively, and then it began. Andrea whipped out her wand and started hurling all the deadly curses that Sirius and Remus taught her.
She ducked as another killing curse whizzed past her and it incensed her so much that she shrieked.
"Avada kedavra." Bellatrix Lestrange stepped aside and her mad cackle filled the entire room.
"A mudblood, came to avenge your cousin?" she said in the babyish voice, and Andréa laughed. Bellatrix looked shocked.
"Shut up, bitch." She sent another of her killing curses and once again she ducked. She ducked dodged, jumped, sending curse after curse looking as mad as the Bellatrix.
Her legs hit the stone dais of the chamber and she quickly jumped up, her eyes never leaving the witch.
Bellatrix shrieked like a mad witch when one of Andrea's slicing hex cut open her cheek.
"You mudblood whore." She screamed. Andrea ducked another curse and her foot slipped.
"Look out." She heard someone shout.
Her back slammed down and she rolled over. A killing curse making a crater on the stone where her head was. Her eyes travelled quickly at the surroundings and widened in fear as she saw Sirius duelling Rodolphus right next to the veil and her heart stopped.
Bellatrix suddenly laughed and pointed her wand at Sirius and opened her mouth.
No, Andrea watched with a thumping heart. I will not let this happen.
She took out her wand and pointed at Sirius, and banished him to the place where she saw the kids earlier.
In slow motion she watched as Bellatrix curse missed Sirius by milimeters and hit Rodolphus. He fell into the veil and Bellatrix let out an inhuman shriek.
Andrea quickly stood up and pointed her wand at Bellatrix, but someone grabbed her from behind and forced her face first into the stone floor.
She quickly rolled on to her side and kicked her assaulter. Her foot made contact with his nose and Andrea in a mad rage, she whipped out her wand and banished him to the veil.
A movement caught her eye and she saw Harry breaking free from Remus and running away. She didn't understand but quickly made her way over there.
"Remus." Remus looked at her in horror.
"Andy, Sirius…."
"What Sirius? Take the kids and order member and get back to the headquarters. You all must not be seen. GO"
"But Sirius?"
"Is over there." She pointed to the struggling man, who was held by Kingsley. "Take all of them and get out." She said and ran knowing what to expect.
She apparated to the atrium just in time to see Voldemort appear from thin air, and Andrea felt her rage double. This imbecile was the reason for such destruction and death. She didn't notice the black aura surrounding him.
She didn't notice his bloodless skin and gleaming crimson eyes.
She didn't notice his slit nostrils and sunken face structure and the translucent skin through which veins were visible even at this distance.
She just noticed the way his wand was trained on a wandless Harry, and her mind went awry with anger.
She heard his pathetic snake like voice and sent a patronus to Cornelius Fudge to come and watch Voldemort.
"…you have irked me too often, for too long…" her head snapped as she heard the familiar sentence and without waiting she waved her wand and the magical fountain of the brethren came alive. The centaur ran right in front of Harry when Voldemort shrieked.
"…AVADA KEDAVRA."
The statue splintered into tiny million pieces and Andrea stood there looking like an avenging angel.
"What…. ? Mudblood" he shrieked. His wand whipped out so fast and the next second a killing curse was hurtling towards her.
Voldemort's eyes widened as the curse simply bounced off her and shattered the fireplace opposite.
She saw as the statue of the witch suddenly ran and pinned down Bellatrix who shrieked and sent spells at the witch.
"Dumbledore" she heard Voldemort breathe and suddenly she was standing right next to Harry, and he was holding her arm as if his life depended on it.
"It was foolish to come here tonight, Tom. The aurors are on their way-"
"By which time I shall be gone and you will be dead!" Voldemort cried when he sent a killing curse at Dumbledore who let it simply bounce off his chest, sending Voldemort into hysterical rage.
Andrea saw a moment from the corner of her eye and saw that Bellatrix was pointing her want at Dumbledore.
"Not so fast you whore." She muttered and sent a stunning spell at her. Andrea felt compelled to join the fight but couldn't since they both were fighting so fast.
Suddenly a spell hit hurt from nowhere right at her forehead, and sent sending her whizzing in the air. Her back collided painfully with a wall and she felt spots in her vision and her head felt split. She blinked rapidly and breathed to regain some sort of consciousness.
She got up and coughed blood and looked up just in time to see Voldemort disappear from the cocoon of the water. Her steps slowed as she watched in horror as Harry's eyes flashed crimson even from this distance. Her legs were moving slowly and she watched as Voldemort was speaking from Harry's mouth.
She stopped and watched in horror, as Harry clutched his head suddenly and screamed making her jolt.
She hurried forward and caught a screaming Harry, and felt him lose the control as Voldemort suddenly left his body. She gently laid him down and kept her emotions at bay.
"Harry?" she patted his cheeks and repeated.
"Andy?"
"Yes, Harry. Are you alright?" she asked and he opened his thankfully emerald eyes.
"Yes… where's Voldemort?" he asked and Andrea helped him on his feet.
"Is he alright?" Dumbledore asked, and Andrea nodded. The sudden silence was pierced when a woman shouted.
"He was here. I saw You-Know-Who." Andrea looked up to find the atrium filled with people, Cornelius Fudge amongst them looking pale and shaking.
Dumbledore went to them and Andrea turned and surveyed Harry. His eyes were dull and his face lost all its naturalness and Andrea realised why this was.
"Harry, Sirius is not dead." His head whipped to her so fast that his glasses slipped.
"What?" he whispered.
"What did you see?" she asked and Harry gulped.
"Bellatrix sent a stunning spell at Sirius and he tumbled back into the veil." Andrea coughed some more and felt the metallic taste of blood in her mouth.
"I banished him to the balcony above, near Ron and all. It was Rodolphus." Harry's eyes widened and he grabbed her so tightly that she couldn't even wheeze out.
"Oh, Andy. I'm so sorry." He breathed and Andrea tried to push him away.
"Harry Potter?" she heard and he let go of her. Suddenly, she felt the bulbs of the camera going haywire.
"Yes Cornelius. Once I send Harry and his cousin back to school, then we will talk. Portus" Dumbledore said and looked at them both.
"This will take you directly to the Hospital Wing." Andrea nodded to Harry and looked at the crowd before grabbing the head of the Wizard. She felt the jerk behind her navel and then her feet touched the ground.
Andrea looked around and found the beds occupied but once Harry and she arrived everyone was gathered around them in no time.
"What the hell happened?" Ron asked breathlessly. She held up her hand and thankfully Ron didn't ask other questions.
"As far as I know, two Death Eaters were killed, none of the Order. Voldemort showed up and so did Dumbledore. The Ministry morons showed up right on time and finally saw Voldemort." She looked up at Harry and he nodded.
The kids looked relieved and a very angry nurse made her sudden appearance.
"In your beds. Oh! Mr Potter and Miss?"
"Evans." She supplied and the nurse came to abrupt halt looking at her with wide eyes. Andrea suddenly realised how Mr Potter and Miss Evans must have made her recall the old days, and she smiled sadly at the older lady.
"Please call me Andrea." This seems to snap her out of the funk and she made her sit on the bed and grumbled about.
"I think you should check Harry first."
"Young lady, as far as I see, you face is covered in blood."
"Is it?" she asked feeling her hand but her hand was swatted away. She sat still when the Nurse kept on waving her wand and complied with all her wishes.
When she was done tipping vile potions down her throat, Andrea suddenly was hit with the gravity of the situation. Her head felt airy and she lied down.
She fought them!
She fought the Death Eaters and actually killed one or two if you count the sneakiness. She was so incredulous that she didn't even feel remorse at killing another human being.
She fought them and faced Voldemort, of all the things that's Holy!
All the adrenalin left her body making her feel rather shaky.
"Are you okay Andy?" she opened her eyes and saw Harry and others made their way there, now that the nurse had left. She pushed down her fear and sat up.
"Peachy." She said in a shaken voice. "So, Dumbledore's Army huh?" she asked and saw them gulp and nod. She smiled as she surveyed Luna and Neville.
"You look like hell Andy." Ginny said and Andrea gave her a sad smile.
"I was meeting someone when I received Sirius' patronus. Are you all okay?"
"The armours were awesome." Ron said.
"Yes, the spells just bounced of them." Hermione bit her lip and looked at her worriedly.
"Who put you under the shield?" Andrea suddenly remembered how she found them.
"Professor Lupin." Luna replied in her dreamy voice and Andrea nodded. At least it saved them all. She looked left as the door opened and Dumbledore strode in.
"Is everyone alright?" everyone nodded their assent. Andrea once again thought how different things turned out this time.
"Are you alright Andrea?" Dumbledore asked looking at her closely and she smiled wanly.
"Good. Harry please stay back, while the others can go back to their dormitories." He said in a voice that brooked no argument and she watched as one by one the children left.
Once the door was closed Dumbledore performed some complex secrecy and silence charms, and conjured a chair to sit down while Harry sat near Andrea on the bed.
"Are the others okay?" she asked.
"Alastor and Tonks will have to stay in St. Mungo's for a few hours but the rest are fine." He said and Andrea nodded knowing as much.
"Lady Longbottom flooed in time?" she asked.
"Ah, I wondered. I presume you were visiting, any special reason?" he calmly asked.
"We found a way to recover Alice and Frank Longbottom." Andrea said in a low voice. The guilt of killing another human being catching up to her, making her feel distressed. Both Harry and Dumbledore stared at her in shock and Andrea cleared her throat.
"I will tell both in details but not now."
Dumbledore nodded and turned to Harry.
"What happened last evening?" Harry looked very morose at that.
"I was sitting in the History of magic exam when suddenly my head hurt very badly. I tried to supress it with occlumency but it was very violent. I saw Sirius and Andy being tortured there and I couldn't help it. I'm sorry." He finished in a very low voice and Andrea grabbed his hand tightly.
"No needs to apologize harry. I too would have rushed to save my loved ones." Dumbledore breathed out and the three of them were silent and lost in their own thoughts.
"What's in the prophecy?" Harry asked and Andrea heard Dumbledore sigh.
"Where is the prophecy?" Andrea saw as Harry reached out behind his invisible armour and took out the small crystal ball.
"Bellatrix tried summoning it but the armour protected it." Andrea wondered why then Voldemort couldn't see where the prophecy was.
Dumbledore tapped the prophecy and the misty and ghostly form of Trelawney rose up and spoke:
""The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. … Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies … and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not … and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. … The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…"
"That means…. It means… what does it mean?" Harry stammered.
"Why don't you tell him about the new prophesy?" Andrea suggested and Dumbledore looked at her gravely before nodding. He conjured an orb and placed the tip of his wand at his temple and drew a memory. He placed it in the orb and then tapped it, once again the misty form of Trelawney rose a spoke:
"She, who will help the chosen one, has come at last,
Born in the same kin, she will protect the Chosen One,
Like blood, like magic she possess the strongest,
Unbeknownst to her, she has the magic of the
Hogwarts four, strongest. Save she will the day from doom.
Has knowledge of all four winds,
For she will be the destroyer of gloom."
Harry looked at both of them and just stared.
"How could this be? Is the second prophecy contradicting first?" he asked incredulously. Andrea chuckled despite her mental distress.
"Harry, prophecies are not to be taken that seriously. Sure Trelawney may have predicted but Voldemort was a fool to act on it. Anyways, the first prophecy is somewhat true because Voldemort made horcruxes."
Andrea watched as Dumbledore sat extremely still. She realised that the time had finally come.
"Yes horcruxes. Horcruxes are the objects in which one places a part of their soul, making them immortal. You can rip your soul by performing the supreme act of evil i.e. by killing. Voldemort made seven of them."
"Seven" both of them breathed and Andrea nodded.
"Yes. Seven. Nagini, his snake which I killed; Slytherin's locket which I have; Ravenclaw's Diadem which is in Hogwarts; Hufflepuff's cup which is in Lestrange's vault at Gringotts and the Gaunt's ring which is hidden in the Gaunt shack."
It was hard to surprise Dumbledore but she had yet again managed.
"What's the seventh?" Harry asked.
"Perceptive little brat! I'm still working on it." She said vaguely and saw Dumbledore look at Harry and then her. She closed her eyes for a fraction longer and opened them.
Dumbledore released a deep sigh and Andrea felt for the man.
"You have given us much to do Andy." Andrea didn't even realise that the headmaster had called her Andy, she was too busy thinking.
"Yes. Things are changing rapidly. I can no longer tell when the new events will be taking place. Things are definitely speeding up." Andrea nodded in agreement.
"I think we will have to take a few steps in a hurry."
"I agree completely. The start of the summer holidays sounds good since you will be rather busy with the Wizengamot and the new Minister election." Andrea told the old Headmaster and saw him smile.
"Yes, you are right. I shall be going back to the Ministry once I have visited my office. Harry please meet me before you leave for the holidays." Dumbledore stood up and looked at Andrea.
"You have shown far more courage than anyone I have seen in such a long time. I'm proud to meet you. Go back to the headquarters once you feel well enough to travel, I'm sure Sirius must be going mad with worry. Good day" with that he left cancelling his charms.
Harry was sitting rather silently and Andrea looked at him.
"What's the matter?" she asked fighting her drooping eyelids.
"What if it means I have to kill him?" he whispered and Andrea rolled her eyes.
"What the hell is my use if I can't tell you stuff? No, you don't have to kill him. He will die by his own foolishness, and I will be damned if I let you kill him. Stop wondering and tell me how did your exams go?"
"Fine." He said glumly and Andrea chuckled.
"You gave me the fright of my life today Harry Potter." She said and ruffled his hair.
"Me too. I felt dread when I saw him torturing you and Sirius." He said and Andrea patted his back.
"Yeah, I would feel the same way." She looked out of the window and saw the first rays of sun hitting the room. They both were sitting there looking back on the last nights events and tried to deal with them.
"Who would have thought; I faced Voldemort today. And I killed two people." She muttered and Harry snapped his eyes to her.
"Killed?"
"Yes, I banished Sirius and Rodolphus was hit, then I literally banished Rabastan in the veil." Her voice was scratchy and she gulped. She felt Harry shaking her and broke out of her stupor and looked at him in alarm.
"You listen to me Andy, and you listen clearly. Do. Not. Feel. Remorse. For. Killing. Them." Andrea looked with wide eyes as she saw Harry's green eyes were sparkling brilliantly with conviction.
"You did the world a huge favour. Think, what they did? They killed people without any remorse, they tortured people for fun. Think how many more would have died had they been alive?"
He was right! Dammit!
"But even if it was them, I don't feel good thinking I killed someone." She took her head in her hands and sobbed out.
Harry put and arm around her shoulder and gave her a comforting hug, as she broke down.
"This is what separates us from them Andy. This is what makes us fight. This is what we are fighting for, and I'm sort of glad that you are feeling guilty because this makes us different from them."
Andrea wiped her tears and looked at him.
"When did you become so wise, Scarface?" Harry winced and then grinned.
"I always was smart, shorty." She smiled and hugged him.
"Thank you. Your words actually helped." She told him and chuckled. They both got up from the bed and made their way out of the Hospital Wing.
Andrea stared around feeling happy to see the magical castle. She thought to get the Diadem but her fatigue won and she stalled it to get after a few days.
"I'll walk you to the front gates." She heard Harry and she nodded. They crossed stairs; she jumped when Harry told her to jump and he kept on commenting at the school.
Suddenly he stopped and whipped out his wand and Andrea saw that not two metres away, was standing a tall boy, of Harry's height, hair the colour of blinding sun and pale face with aristocratic features.
Draco Malfoy.
His face was contorted in rage and he too had his wand out. Andrea looked at him carefully and realised how his future was going to change in a matter of hours. How Voldemort was going to punish him and his family.
True, the boy was snotty and obnoxious but nobody has to learn it the hard way. He was not a killer, she often thought while reading the books and she now had an opportunity to actually do something for that.
Maybe, he needed help. Sure his father was a Death Eater but in the end he did chose his own family over Voldemort. Maybe there was a grain of consciousness within that pale exterior.
She put her hand on Harry's wand arm and lowered it and for the first time Draco Malfoy turned his silvery gaze on her. She saw as his eyes widened a fraction as he took in her bloody appearance. Her face may be clean but her clothes sure were bloody.
"Draco Malfoy." She said in a soft voice and saw as his eyes narrowed.
"Who the hell are you?" did she hear the tremor behind that voice? She walked up two steps and was right in front of his face.
"It doesn't matter who I am, but what matters is you. Your father was arrested this morning as he was found in the Ministry, fighting alongside the other escaped Death Eaters."
"My father-"he started in his furious voice and Andrea looked up at him calmly.
"Will be punished by Voldemort." That shut him up good and his pupils dilated in fear.
"Voldemort will definitely punish your father. Since he is not there, it will be you and your mother. It all falls upon you. Your relatives are not the most reliable people. It will be your decision but remember, help is one patronus away. Remember that. Let's go Harry."
She stepped back and looked at Harry who looked at her weirdly but started walking.
Once they were out of the front doors, he asked.
"What was all that about?"
"helping." He stopped and looked at her like she was mad.
"We don't help Death Eaters."
"Yes Harry we don't, but we can always save them from becoming one." Harry looked at her in horror.
"He will become a Death Eater?" and Andrea sighed.
"He did but he never actually was an evil being like Voldemort. His parents instilled in him all the blood mania, but he never was a killer." Harry was still looking at her in shock.
"What's going to happen next?"
"Nothing bad if you promise to listen. Harry, if we can save Draco Malfoy then we will. His parents at the end of the war sided with you, hell; Narcissa Malfoy actually saved your life." Harry turned pale at that.
"Merlin!" he gulped and Andrea rubbed his back consolingly.
The sun was up and about and Andrea could hear the early risers chatting their way to breakfast.
"Yes Harry. Do not bait him or talk to him right now. His father has been arrested and his home is the Death Eater Headquarters so his Mother is in danger. He must be scared shitless." She saw as Harry nod vaguely.
"Please explain that to your friends too." He nodded again and they silently walked to the Gates.
"I'll see at King's Cross and then we'll talk." She said and hugged him.
"Take care." He said and she nodded and tapped the gates. She stepped out as the gates opened and waved at him and disapparated to number twelve.
The apparition took most of her strength and she felt dizzy. She grabbed the handrail and tried to focus, and slowly climbed the steps.
Once she was inside she felt the wall and slowly made her steps towards the kitchen that was the closest. She didn't dare apparate for the fear of splinching.
The house was deathly silent and even her footsteps didn't make noise. She finally made it to the kitchen door and leaned against it and watched the scene.
Kingsley, Severus, Mary, Remus and Sirius were sitting at the table and no one was speaking. She saw the stiff shoulders and wondered what was wrong?
"What's up?" she asked and her voice was barely audible to her own ears. Five sets of eyes snapped to her and she saw as Sirius got up from his chair, let out a sound that was half a sob and half a relieved laugh, and grabbed her in a tight hug.
"Hey" she hugged him back and felt him breathing laboriously. He looked back and his eyes were suspiciously bright.
"Merlin!" he crashed his lips to hers and Andrea felt his desperation and anxiety in that kiss.
"Dear Merlin, I thought…" he once again hugged her and it felt like he was never going to let go.
"Sirius, it okays. I'm fine, although I might faint if I don't sit." She said softly and heard him chuckle and that was the most lovely sound she had heard all day.
She found herself being escorted to a chair and looked at the anxious faces.
"What's wrong?" she asked baffled, and thought hard.
"You disappeared and didn't come back for two hours." Remus said shakily and hugged her and then it dawned on her.
"You thought I was dead?" she asked astonished and felt Sirius grab her hand tightly.
"Andrea, it wasn't a comforting thought." Kingsley said and Andrea felt light headed.
"Fine. What happened? How did this all mess happen?" she asked and Severus cleared his throat.
"Mid Exam Mr Potter felt The Dark Lord entering his brain and saw a vision. The vision was of you and Black being tortured. He tried to call Winky but she was with you so didn't feel it. Nobody was in the kitchen when Mr Potter flooed from Dolores Umbridge's office. She caught him and bound Mr Weasley, Mr Longbottom, Miss Weasley, Miss Lovegood and Miss Granger along with Mr Potter and confiscated their wands."
"What?" Andrea whispered and Severus nodded. She saw and blinked as Mary gripped his hand and he didn't even bat an eyelid.
"Yes. Umbridge called me and asked to give her new veritaserum and Mr Potter told me about the vision, in code words of course."
"What happened to Minerva? Why didn't he go there?" she asked trying to work out. Sirius put an arm around her and rubbed her shoulder.
"Minerva was unfortunately out to meet Dumbledore when this transpired. I contacted Mary and she told me that everyone was her but Mr Potter had already taken off. "
"Bloody hell. Some things simply don't change." She muttered in wonder. Damn!
"What happened at the Ministry?" Severus asked.
"After we all apparated there, we saw the kids making their way to the Death Chamber" Sirius started, "Remus put them under shield and we went ahead and started taking them off but Harry and Neville were down there."
"I saw Andy appear out of nowhere and stun Dolohov just as he was about to curse Neville, but after that Rodolphus came out of nowhere I was duelling him." Sirius supplied.
"I was duelling Thorfinn Rowle. Nasty piece of work." Kingsley spat
"I was duelling Alecto Carrow and Rabastan after that." Remus was looking very bitter.
"I don't what happened but I apparated with Winky, and saw the duel. I stunned Dolohov and duelled Bellatrix Lestrange." Severus and Mary looked shocked at that.
"What happened after you left the chamber?" Remus asked and Andréa gulped.
"I went to the atrium and saw Harry standing there right in front of Voldemort." The air became tensed. "He cast the killing curse at Harry and I sent the magical statue of the Centaur running in front of him. Voldemort was pissed. He looked mad when his killing curse bounced off me." She shuddered as if she suddenly realised how very life threatening the evening was. Sirius' hands around her soothed her somehow and she continued.
"Then Dumbledore came and they both duelled. I was thrown back and got up to see Voldemort had possessed Harry."
"What?" Sirius whispered in shock and the others looked scared.
"He relinquished Harry soon enough, and came back to tis form just in time for the Ministry to see him."
"So the Ministry finally saw him?" Kingsley asked with trepidation.
Everyone took breathes of relief around her as she nodded and Andrea felt the fatigue crashing over her. She was spent and exhausted.
"What happens now?" Mary asked and Andrea chuckled.
"We wait and relax till Amelia is made the Minister." She murmured and the others laughed shakily, still stung from the ordeal.
She leaned heavily into Sirius and inhaled his smell, and smiled.
'At least I didn't let him die, take that J.K.' and she was blissfully taken under the spell of exhaustion.
XOXOXOXOXO
AUTHOR'S NOTE: ONE HELL OF A CHAPTER TO WRITE. 14,600 WORDS, AND IF I DON'T GET REVIEWS I'LL BE PISSED….
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