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Seven Scions

The eastern sky was darkening into a deep blue as the sun set, orange, fading over the edge of the world.
The western skyline was full of clouds still afire in the orbs waning minutes.
Remus, Luna and Sirius looked upon Pandora's Valley as the Phaedran were dancing their courtship, lighting up the ground below them in
streams of yellow, drawing pictures in their wake.
Pictures of symbols that etched in the eyes, only to fade into memory before the next one awakened.
They landed in the field just outside the cabin, and were met by a short greyish character with long ears and bright eyes.
"Welcome home Miss Luna, Mister Sirius." he said as he bowed.
"Hello Wizzen." the two intoned before bowing back themselves.
"Is this the friend you meant to free?" he asked
"Wizzen this is Remus Lupin. Our very good friend indeed." Luna Replied.
"It's a pleasure to meet more friends, Mister Remus Lupin, Welcome."
"Thank you kind sir, but please it's just Remus." He flourished, returning the others respectful courtesies.
"You've been busy I see." Luna noted, looking at a round wall of stones about three feet high with wood the perfect size for cooking placed neatly in it.
"Wizzen thought Miss Luna and Mister Sirius would like to be warm when they sit outside, Whizzen made a place for Mister Remus to sleep,
in the cabin, Wizzen new you'd be back with him."
"Oh we have something for you." Sirius said, handing the elf a wooden crate like box.
"FIGS." he joyously yelled.
He handed the three travelers a share and the four friend's mouths went wet from the sticky sweet fruit.
They sat by the fire chatting about the journey and the battle, when their story was told, the conversation turned toward Remus,
and they informed him of what they had learned back at Hagrid's Cabin.

"So basically what you're telling me is, that I no longer have to lock myself in a cell to protect the people around me from the beast that I become?"
"Became, Moony, became." Sirius explained, "What you become now, is you in animal form, just like you were in the lab after I bit you,
the moon has no effect on you anymore, it's as if you're a regular plain old animagus, who just happens to be more were-shaped."
"I wish I could believe that," Remus replied "but how can I take that chance."
"Lock your fuzzy little ass up in the shack next moon and find out." Luna chimed.
"See, my fuzzy bottomed friend, that's why I love her." Sirius joked.
"Listen here Cuddles, you're butt is far fuzzier than mine."
"He's got a point My sweet. You do have quite the hairy tail."
The three friends joked and laughed through the next few hours until, weary from his years of captivity, the experiments and incessant abuse,
Remus Lupin nodded off in his chair.

Luna retrieved a blanket from the closet and wrapped him up in it, Sirius put another log on the fire.
They left him there once they were sure he was in a peaceful sleep and went out by the lake to take a swim.
They undressed and transformed into their animal bodies, "Hey," Luna thought, quizzically, "I'm clean."

A few hours into his nap, Remus woke, and for a very brief moment a panic set in him, but the quiet warmth of the fire,
the pin pricks of light in the sky and the clean cool scent of a fresh autumn breeze,
quickly settled the adrenaline that had fueled his heart rate.
He considered settling back into unconsciousness but fought the thought off, for fear of losing anymore time to the place that had stolen his days.
He stood from his chair, to stretch his legs and get some much needed exercise, wondering to himself,
if the stench of that place would ever get out of his skin.
He walked down a path, across a gently babbling stream, then through an opening in the wood.

Sirius and Luna were staring at the sky, watching the stars strain to be seen against the misty air above,
that drifted through the night sky, like heat on a smoldering road.
They were on their backs side by side, her head on his chest, bodies slightly askew, his arm pressed into hers, framing her into him,
her arm across her stomach holding his hand against her belly.

The recently rescued wizard, was lost in the scenery and openness and noticed them just before he stepped on his friends arm.
"Sorry!" he said, "I'll leave you two alone"

"Don't be goosey," the half sleepy woman replied, "go for a dip it'll be good for your brain."

He modestly removed only his shoes, socks and shirt, then walked into the water, cool and clear, feeling it washing away the filth from his mind,
and healing the aches in his fibers.
He laid himself back on the gradual slope near the shore with only his head out of the lakes cool embrace.
He stared at the sky feeling remarkably alive again.
It wasn't long before the melodious lapping, of the waves against him, hypnotically entranced him to sleep.

The two lovers gave in to the teasing of the sky on their flesh and made love while watching over their now resting friend.

Hagrid and Myrtle arrived back at the cave with the Sorelle*, a little after dawn the next morning.
They examined the children and found them to be in many different stages of grotesque mutilation.
The Sorelle were dressed in what could be considered very religious garments.
Their raiment, tailored to conceal their reptilian appearance and lend them an air of imposing grace, complimented their aloof and cold demeanor.
They were anything but.
Their hearts burst at the sight before them, though their countenance remained icy and scientific.
If they had the ability to shed tears they might not have seemed so stoic.
The Sorelle took the worst of them, those that couldn't feed themselves or were very dangerous or dying.
They put them into their wagons and returned to their enclave, where they could keep them alive, with all the dignity they could provide,
They would heal all they could as best as was attainable and allow those, whose lives are past the point of return, to pass comfortably from this plane.

"Very interesting group." Myrtle commented as the last of the wagons departed.
"Too quiet fer my likin." Hagrid responded, "I ope Minerva know what she doing."
As the last of the horse-drawns disappeared around a bend, the wizards went back, to keep the last of their charges company,
as they waited the transport to Hogwarts.

The day was breaking a new dawns seal, when Luna and Sirius took to the sky to return the bones of her comrade back to his families care.
"We'll be back by nightfall Ree."
"Have a safe trip you two and give Friar's family my condolences"
"We will my friend."

Remus watched as they soared over the treeline.
He heard the plodding of the other transplanted resident of the green vale walking up the path.
"Hello Wizzen" he greeted the elf with a smile.
"Mister Remus," he bowed, "Miss Luna and Mister Sirius, have gone to return their friend?" the elf asked.
"Mmmh hmm." the other affirmed, bowing politely, then asked, "What can I do to keep busy around here?"
"Wizzen is going to tend to the pumpkins."
"Teach me?" Remus asked.
"Be Wizzen's honor." the servant of the woods responded.

By dusk, the children had arrived at the castle, by nightfall most were adopted.
The affluent and benevolent families that had been called to this service rose to the challenge with pride.
Minerva and Helena had found all but the last child a home, this one proved to be a bit more difficult to place.
For one thing he was a lot bigger than his fellow affected, for a bigger reason still was his will.
He was wild eyed with a disposition to match and scared almost everyone away with his growling, barking and mock biting.
Unlike the others he seemed to retain some sense of self reliance, often jumping away to retrieve a piece of food he spied loose on a table or climb effortlessly
up a tree to pick a fruit.
He hated being closed in, getting agitated in any confinement where he could touch both walls in three jumps or less.
He seemed more comfortable in bigger rooms if they had lots of windows, but still showed a little anxiety.
Hagrid and Helena had discussed keeping him themselves but neither had the time, nor the place big enough to house the child.
They considered expanding the cabin and arranging their workloads and were still discussing this possibility when there was a knock at the cabin door.
Minerva McGonagall stood in the doorway, drenched from the torrential rains that were still raging on the castle grounds.
Hagrid looked on the poor woman and started to speak but before he could usher her inside she said, "Come with me you two.", hopped on her broom and headed for the dark forest.
Helena shifted and followed the woman, Hagrid lumbered behind shaking the earth with each giant step.
They stopped abruptly as the elder woman dismounted and motioned for the others to be quiet.
When they peered through the thickets, concealing a well worn clearing, Hagrid and Helena looked at Minerva with puzzled gazes.
Grawp and the last affected boy were huddled together under a makeshift tarp.

"Well 'ere's a site i ne'er thought ta see." Hagrid amused.
"The boy just got away from me," Minerva whispered, "I saw him running into the woods. When I found him, your, brother was sharing his food with him
and the boy was giving him fruit in return. They were playing together when I went to come get you."
"I'll check on em ery day," Hagrid said as hushed as he could, and the three agreed the monster child was home.
"I didn't know Grawp was back, Hagrid." Minerva commented.
"Aye, he ne'er left since that night. Guessin he feel he need ta be 'ere jus in case."
"I know how he feels, and I'm glad for the child that he did." she responded.
"Gonna need a name 'e is."

The hippogriff landed gently on the grass just outside the cabin, his charges dismounted and he happily made his way back to the wood.

Sirius and Luna stretched their legs to gather their land feet and heard a distinct chatter of conversation and laughter.
Curious, they walked to the noise and passing the cabins edge saw Remus and Wizzen, on hands and knees, in the pumpkin patch pulling weeds and shifting dirt.

Remus looked more content than Luna could remember or Sirius either for that matter and he had known the man for a lot longer.
"I wonder, if it's the relief of his condition, or this place?" Sirius surmised.
"A little of both I think." Luna replied.

They were standing there, amused by the two odd gardeners, her shoulder nestled up against him, his arm down her side,
she was holding his arm in both of her own hands across her chest.

Remus saw them looked at his new friend and joked "Look at them two you'd swear they were born conjoined."
Wizzen laughed and added, "Sometimes they are, A LOT".

Remus chuckled loud, "Come, help you two," he bellowed, "something to do with your clothes on."
"He's your friend.'' Luna smiled, then skipped her way to the garden.

It was later that night, after dinner was done, Wizzen had gone back to the little nook he had made into a cozy abode,
and the three were discussing what to do next.

"It's well over a couple of days, I think it's time I get going. It's not that I feel like I'm putting you out or being ungrateful, because I am grateful.
You're companionship and patience has been more than one could ask for,
but I need to thank the others and get back to living." Remus told them, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"We get it, but are you sure you're healed enough to face out there again?" Luna asked.
"I've felt good enough for that, since I fell a sleep in that pond." he replied.

"We'll leave in the morning then, should be there shortly after nightfall." Sirius stated, matter-of-fact.
"If your up to it, you can help us find the Weasley." Luna said, "he seems to have gone twiddly ."
"It would feel good to be on the right side of a rescue again, then I'll visit Harry and Ginny and see my son." he half said and half thought to himself.

Thordor took flight, the message he carried was short as usual, the less said, the less known,
should things go awry on a sensitive matter, it was best to practice even with mundane news.

Picked the dog up from the vet.
Be home for a late dinner.

Hagrid's cabin was getting too small to accommodate their growing little clan, but no one seemed to mind.
They were too busy enjoying each others company.
A habit they had taken to, as only those who know how quick you can lose those you love and trust truly can.
They ate, with light hearts, shared news of the children and grilled their rescued friend on his condition.
They finished dinner casually, each one helping to clean the table and set the room up for more serious concerns.
Minerva started talks about rumors of dark practices, scattered across Europe, "they're just that, so far," she maintained, and "until they're confirmed..."
They all agreed to wait for validity to them.
When it was Helena's turn she suggested, to Remus, that she would like him to fill his old teachers position.
He thanked her warmly, asking her if he could have some time, not to think about it, but to help an old friend first,
see his child and see what the next full moon brings.
She agreed.
Myrtle and Neville informed them of things she discovered in the in between library.
Hagrid inquired, "Since we're now eight, should we change the name of our lil group?"

It was Remus who replied with an insistent "No!".
"It's not that I don't want to be a part of this, I do and will, but a name is just a name and this name
will keep them guessing as to just how many we have."

Luna and Sirius only had one thing on their agenda.
One they had reasoned, waited long enough,

"We need to find Ron," Luna said, "he thinks things are as they are most certainly not."
"I'm pretty sure you all realize what his demon is, but we think it's deeper than just thinking he killed Luna.' Sirius explained,
"He thinks he's the lone survivor of Ziano, he doesn't know he inadvertently saved Sirius and that Remus was kidnapped and not dead."
''at's a lot for the poor boy to digest." Hagrid said sadly, "no wonder is 'ead cracked."

Sirius filled them in more, "When we returned Friar's remains to his family, they told us that he sent them a message to them for help.
He was going to track down Remus and he'd meet them at a hotel in Ziano.
He never showed.
We think he found the cave and tried to rescue Remus and the children himself.
He had told his family in the letter he thought Ron and Luna were dead, but he knew that either Remus was still alive or they had taken his body,
for some purpose, because he could see drag marks and one of his shoes."

"So Ron thinks he killed Luna, which is what we were starting to figure, but also because of that,
he thinks that he lead to the death of the others because he failed?" asked Helena.
"Yes, that's what we think." Luna said "So what do we know? What do you know?"

What they knew was, he was sometimes seen, by Hermione, outside their house, maybe.

"Well Lu, do we set out tonight or wait til morning?"
"Mornings fine, rise and shine." she said.
"Mr Lupin yer can stay wit me if yer like," Hagrid offered.
"Thank You Hagrid, I'll take the couch." Remus replied.

"We come to this shack so often it's starting to feel like we're cheating on someone."
"I won't tell me if you don't tell you."

. -. -.. / -.-. ... .- .-. - . .-.

Sorelle: An order of Italian witches, descendants of a were-lizard, dedicated to the care of the incurable. They are 13 in number, and each one well over a millennia old.
Though they are known in the area they reside, the locals have such a respect for them they help them live in secrecy, some of them serving as go-betweens
for anyone needing their special assistance. They tend and care to the magically as well as physically maligned.