A/N: Since last updating I've gotten married (yay for Prop 8 going away in California!), so things have been slightly hectic the last few weeks…but I hope this chapter makes up for the wait.
As Voldemort walked through the woods he stopped for a moment, surrounded by ancient oak trees. He breathed in deeply, smelling the wet soil and grass, hearing an owl hooting in the distance. Nagini seemed to swim through the brush, affectionately rubbing against his leg. He looked down, a shimmer of affection flashed along his face before he continued walking towards the clearing in the distance.
A flicker of light was seen in the empty meadow, a lone torch stuck in the ground. Voldemort saw the tall figure illuminated by the fire, and walked towards his trusted right hand man. Ares McGonagall. Calmly stepping next to him, Voldemort placed a pale hand upon the strong shoulder.
"How does the evening find our…guest?" Voldemort asked. Ares did not move, though a small hitch in his breath let the Dark Lord know Ares was aware of his presence. They both looked at the huddled figure before them, dark liquid smeared across its clothing.
Ted Tonks, Andromeda's husband, father of Nymphadora, was in pain. Beyond pain. He was fairly sure his arm was dislocated, bone possibly sticking through. He could barely breath, having broken more than one rib coughing up blood. He tried to remain focused on thoughts of his beautiful wife and talented daughter, hoping the memories would keep him warm because it was getting cold in the winter night.
"He has proven himself quite a nuisance, refusing to scream, holding out hope someone will come to rescue him. If only I had a bit of Andromeda's hair, I would kill him so the last thing he saw was his wife." Ares let out a deep sigh, his breath so visible in the frigid air he looked like a dragon breathing iced fire. Voldemort grinned, knowing Ares' enjoyment of the psychological torture he derived from using polyjuice potion. Voldemort kneeled down in front of the filthy mudblood, moving his wand to force Ted to look up at him.
"Tonks. Your wife is going to be quite upset when you don't come home to her, isn't she?" Voldemort asked with a patronizing lilt. Ted felt a tear wind its way down his face, as his fear seemed to become his fate. "Your wife, Andromeda, is the sister of my former trusted servant, Bellatrix, and Lucius' wife Narcissa. How do you think she will react to those two once she finds out the Dark Lord tortured her weak sniveling husband to death?" Ted refused to speak. He gritted his teeth, inhaled as best he could, and spit his blood at Voldemort's face.
Enraged at this act of defiance, Voldemort stood back to his full height, and jammed his wand into Ted's eye. Ares kept him immobile wordlessly, watching his friend and lord. A shiver of arousal swept through the dark McGonagall.
"Crucio." Ted's mind exploded as pain engulfed him. He was pain. There was no more Ted Tonks. No more father. No more husband. There was only pain. Ares felt himself climax softly as he watched Voldemort's face contort in pleasure and anger.
Miles and miles away, Andromeda arrived at Hogwarts, embracing her daughter and meeting Remus Lupin for the first time, smiling.
"Mum! I'm so glad you could make it. I was going spare thinking of you anywhere but Hogwarts. There have been a lot of…changes lately. Probably best to go and visit some of the biggest changes first, it'll be easier to explain." Tonks greeted her mother with a nearly bone-crushing hug. Andromeda smiled, holding her close.
"Nymphadora, I am happy to be here with you! Things have been…unpleasant lately. I am just glad I can spend Christmas with you here." Tonks released her mother, introducing Remus. "Ah yes, you are the charming wizard who has swept my daughter off her feet." Lupin blushed and stuttered while rebuffing the compliment. Nymphadora simply groaned "Mother" before grabbing her hand and pulling her along much to a flustered Lupin's amusement. Andromeda followed Tonks to the infirmary, still confused as to what could be there that her daughter would want her to see immediately.
Though strange to be back in her childhood school and home, Andromeda was more at ease within Hogwarts after minutes than she had been while at home the past year. Given her family's involvement with both sides of the looming war, it was an anxious time for her, uncertainty reigning supreme at all hours of the day and night. Ted, her husband, had been gone for a number of weeks on business related travels. Even though their relationship had been on the rocky side of things the past six months to due their daughter's job and Andromeda's family, she still missed his presence. The house felt large and lonely as of late.
Tonks felt her mother's curious eyes upon her, and gave a sideways glance. "Mum, when was the last time you spoke with your sisters?"
Bellatrix was finally beginning to rouse from her lengthy slumber. Before her eyes opened she could already feel the soft candle light around her. Slightly disoriented, her eyelids fluttered open.
"Bella!" hearing Narcissa's voice helped her focus her eyes on the tired face of the blonde witch above her. The dark witch frowned slightly.
"Cissy, you look like shite." Narcissa let out a sound that was half laugh and half sob, but all relief.
"For the love of Merlin…Bellatrix Black do not ever, and I mean ever scare me like that again! I've lost you once before, never again." Narcissa carefully sat on the edge of the bed Bellatrix currently inhabited. The dark witch, while still pale, had a bit more color in her cheeks than the previous days. She looked to her younger sister and smiled slightly, fingers entwined.
"Where are we? I can't remember much after…" Bellatrix asked trying to sit up and look around. She groaned in pain and frustration. "Hogwarts? What the bloody hell are we doing here? What happened?" Narcissa squeezed her lover's hand. So much had come to light after Madame Pomfrey's diagnostic spells upon Bellatrix confirmed her own suspicions, and conversations with the Headmaster cemented her decision to reveal to Bellatrix what was discovered.
"Remember Helios, McGonagall's brother? He brought us to Hogwarts after rescuing us from Ares.
Since coming here, Madame Pomfrey, the Medi-witch was able to perform several tests upon your body and mind as part of the healing process, and I'm not quite sure how to say what she found, what I've thought…
You've…you've been in a fog, Bella." Bellatrix looked confused. Narcissa sobbed and ran an angry hand through her hair. "For years- decades! It's all the Dark Lord's fault. While you certainly are not an innocent, you are not a monster, Bellatrix. He made you into that. The Dark Lord demanded all from you, and in return he gave you pain, and loneliness, and madness."
The dark witch looked incredulous. "But, why?" Her voice was small, heartbroken. Narcissa grimly smiled around the tears.
"He…he knew if he could control you, place you, the Black beauty, by his side others would follow. The purebloods on the fence between war and their own safety. He twisted you, made you a sick caricature of yourself. I knew, for the longest time I knew something wasn't right. But he made sure to keep us separate, knowing of our closeness, so I could not fully investigate my suspicions," Narcissa explained. "Madame Pomfrey and Dumbledore had the means to perform the tests I could not."
"What did she find?" Seeing her sister hesitate, Bella's voice grew, still hoarse from disuse. "Cissy, what did she find?"
"He was using you, even as he praised you. He drugged you, giving you potions that fed the darkness within you, poisoning your beautiful mind with aspirations of murder and blood lust. He tapped into what was there and grew it into a mutated, unnatural form of itself. Yes, you are aggressive and yes, you hold to the ideals of blood purity…but growing up, before your marriage to Rodolphus and forced initiation into the Death Eaters it would never manifest itself so violently. You must know that, Bella, deep down where even the Dark Lord could not reach, you are ultimately not what they made you," Narcissa was speaking passionately, fire in her eyes for the first time in ages.
Bellatrix laid her head back down, eyes closing against the tears threatening to break through. She did not want to believe the person she had been for most of her life was not really her. She felt anger, confusion, but below those emotions, she could feel the smallest hints of relief. Her actions and thoughts, which had seemed so disjointed for so long, what she had attributed to her long stay in Azkaban were not her own. Her life was finally hers to lead again. But what would she do? What could she do?
She squeezed Narcissa's hand, bringing it to her full lips and kissing it. "Cissy, what happens now? I don't know how to live without pain, either from my hand or another's. What if I am broken…and cannot be repaired?" Bellatrix voiced her concerns, eyes still closed. She felt Narcissa shift on the bed, bringing their foreheads together.
"Now, my love, we heal. I need to get Draco out from his father's influence. I want to protect us, secure a safe place for us to live and stay. The Dark Lord will not be pleased about this, he is undoubtedly already up in arms with you and I defecting," Narcissa practically spat out the last word. "I'd even like to try and make amends with Andromeda. I would like us to be a family, the family we were. The Black sisters were inseparable, but the influence from mother and father, your forced marriage to Rodolphus, all of it has driven us further apart. I can even forgive Androme- Andi for running off with that muggle-born. I just want my family back, the way it should be." Narcissa's tears fell onto Bellatrix's face, providing the tears Bellatrix refused to allow herself.
She did not know if she could forgive Andi as readily as Narcissa seemed to. Then again, she was uncertain whether that was from the forced potions regimen that had apparently been administered to her, or her own feelings. A desire to pull her hair out washed over her; she could not tell whether what she felt was real or not. The inability to trust her thoughts and emotions frustrated her beyond words. The only thing she could truly say she knew for certain was her love for the blonde, exhausted witch whose hand was interlaced with her own.
The door to the infirmary opened. Narcissa did not bother turning, assuming it was a visitor for the Deputy Headmistress. She had spent an afternoon sitting by the venerable woman, trying to make sense of the sudden appearance of not only one "lost" brother but two, and how to reconcile the differences between Ares, a sadistic wizard and Minerva, a stern but compassionate and selfless witch. And they were twins? Narcissa Black knew something was amiss, that the impending war was only just beginning to unfold. She was morbidly curious to see how the McGonagall's would play a role in the fight.
"Narcissa?" a surprised female voice queried from the doorway. The witch in question looked up, eyes wide and tears falling afresh.
"Andromeda?" She asked. Tonks entered behind her mother, as did Lupin. "What are you doing here?" Narcissa gripped Bellatrix's hand tighter. The dark witch's eyes had opened upon hearing her lover's question.
Andromeda gasped, seeing the tell-tale marks of fading bruises along Narcissa's elegant cheekbone. She was undoubtedly the prettiest of the three sisters, looking like a fairy from a Muggle children's book. This made the ugly marring of her skin all the more shocking. Andromeda quickly walked to her sister, stopping when she saw exactly who lay in the bed. "B-Bellatrix…" The middle Black sister could hardly believe her older sister was before her, in a bed at Hogwarts' infirmary. Coming closer slowly, she saw similar markings on her skin to that of Narcissa, darker though, and more numerous.
Hesitating, unsure what to do, Narcissa reached a tentative hand to her estranged sister. Andromeda too seemed uncertain momentarily, but reached out and embraced the lighter haired witch. "My sister…" Andromeda whispered. Narcissa began sobbing, deep body-wrenching cries escaping her. She had given in to tears before, and had indeed cried over Bellatrix, had cried for her son and his future, but she had not afforded herself the cathartic release of such sobs and tears for herself until now. Andromeda for her part seemed surprised by her normally stoic younger sister's actions. She looked to Bellatrix, who was struggling to sit up. Tonks hurried forward to assist her aunt. Bellatrix looked startled to receive help from the young witch, but nodded her appreciation. Lupin charmed the pillows to a larger size, better able to support Bellatrix while she sat up.
"Andromeda," Bellatrix said before stopping. The witch in question sat lightly on the edge of the bed, still holding their younger sister. The hazel eyes of the middle Black sister looked into the violet ones of Bellatrix, and in that moment Bellatrix knew she wanted her sister back. She wanted her family, the one that had not poisoned her body and mind for decades. "Andi, so much has happened." She did not know if Andromeda wanted her, and knew the healing and forgiveness would take a long time, but this was the first step. She very slowly reached out a shaking hand to Andromeda's free one. If Andromeda was surprised by this she did not let it show. With a sure, steady hand she entwined their fingers.
"Tell me."
"Minerva, you never slept this much as a child, now is not the time to start." Minerva McGonagall arched from the ground, eyes flying open and mouth gasping for air. She ran shaking hands through her hair.
"W-where a-a-am I?" her teeth were chattering. She looked around slowly, as her body would not let her move faster, as though she were stuck in molasses. There was nothing visible near her, only a large swirling mist stretching as far as she could see. Standing up on unsteady legs was hard, but not impossible. She wanted to be as alert and ready to fight as possible.
"You are within your mind, daughter." That voice, which was so familiar and yet unknown spoke from all places around her with a warmth that was unexpected. Minerva blinked and tried to shake the feeling of slowness from her.
"Whoever you are, show yourself. I am not afraid!" she yelled into the expanse.
"We know. You never were afraid of anything; that was the problem." The amused voice was behind her, less than five feet away. She spun, intending to attack with her bare hands, but stopped in her tracks.
Within reaching distance was a tall man with dark brown hair and a beard streaked with silver. His eyes looked her over appraisingly. He wore a kilt, with a familiar tartan pattern. Next to him was a shorter woman. Her hair was inky black, with a shock of silver cutting through the dark tresses. She wore an elegantly simple dress of midnight blue with an ornate silver belt hung around her hips. Minerva felt her stomach drop as identical emerald eyes met her own.
"Athair , Máthair…" the Deputy Headmistress felt she would pass out in a moment, so confused and disoriented by what she saw. Her father and mother, dead for years but now before her. Questions flew through her head at such speed it began to pound. As she felt herself falling forward the solid presence of her father stopped her from hitting the ground. He put his arms around her waist, steadying her even as she embraced him in return, tears of happiness and frustration falling from tired eyes. "What is happening? Am I dead?"
"Nay, daughter. You are very much alive. We are here to help you, though briefly, as our allotted time with you is sparse; the time we have with you is a gift from Gray. Quickly, then, walk with us to the lake," her father spoke softly to her, his Scottish brogue awakening memories within her. She looked to her mother, a kind smile gracing her lips. The elder witch stepped to Minerva's other side, linking arms with her daughter.
"You have a long, difficult task ahead of you. But we hope what we have to offer will be of help." They walked through the mist, Minerva struggling to comprehend what was happening and more importantly to her, why.
Minerva could sense the unstated urgency in her mother and father's words, and pushed the surreal nature of the situation from her mind; there was too much at stake for her to wallow in self-pity.
"Ares has given himself to the allure of power, a tenuous relationship at best. To make matters worse, he is choosing to use that power to malevolent ends, causing pain and suffering throughout the lives he touches," Davina McGonagall told her daughter, pain evident in her words. For all the horrors Ares had inflicted upon the world, he was still her son. "He has dedicated his life to strengthening his magic and resolve, removing any trace of the adventurous, loving young boy he once was.
He views such memories and emotions as a weakness, to the point of having had those memories blocked, pushed to the deepest recesses of his mind." Baird frowned.
"While he is our son, he has also chosen a path dedicated to darkness. You, my daughter, have chosen light. Some things in life are gray, in fact I'd hazard a guess and say most things are gray. But this, Ares actions and hatred, are not gray." Davina nodded her agreement.
"Aye, Baird speaks the truth. Our love for our child is true but not blind. He must be stopped. And you, daughter, descendant of Gray Hawthros, have been called upon to stand forth as this generation's Breaker, inheriting the knowledge, power, and all rights accompanying your position," Davina intoned gravely while gesturing ahead. The trio stood before a lake, the mist seemingly boiling up from its surface.
Minerva looked over at the still surface and gasped. She looked…not young, but noticeably younger. Gone were the streaks of gray from her hair, the lines that had begun to cut across her forehead and along her eyes. Her skin was tighter, and her body, from what she could tell, was more toned than it had been in decades. While she was still obviously an adult (thank Merlin) she looked and admittedly felt as fit as she had been in her thirties.
"How is this possible?" she asked, a shivering hand reaching her smooth cheek. Davina smiled at her daughter's reaction.
"Your ancestry. Breakers are to age at a slower pace, allowing them more time to serve and protect their world. Given the barriers placed to prevent you from realizing your true powers, along with several charms designed to prevent suspicion, your body had aged as a normal witch would. Now, though, there is no more need for subterfuge. You must take on the mantle of Breaker." Baird practically snarled.
"Start by giving those dementor bastards a sound thrashin'. They were crafted by brilliant dark wizards and witches many a century ago to oppose the work of the Breakers. I always hated them with a special passion, for all they stood for. Now, daughter, though it pains me to say this," Baird began.
"…it is time for me to leave, right?" Minerva finished for him. He paused for a moment before smiling.
"I always knew you were a wise girl. I'm glad to see it has carried on." Minerva lowered her head, an unexpected sadness breaking through her. "Now now lass, no tears. When you awake you must go to Gringotts, ask for Gray Hawthros' vault – it has no number. Our portraits are in there, and we will reunite." Davina reached for her eldest child and hugged her, laughing lightly at how much taller Minerva was.
"You've grown since I last held you," she remarked. Minerva returned the embrace tightly.
"We are so proud of you, daughter. You have done remarkable things in your life; now, you will do even more greatness." Baird's deep voice reverberated through Minerva as he embraced her. She remained calm on the outside, while on the inside she wept for the parent's she had not known nearly as long as she should have.
"Now then, off with ye. And do try and give Albus a wee bit of a break – he did what we asked him and what he had to," Davina said to her child. Minerva nodded, then looked around.
"How do I get back?" Baird grinned mischievously before pushing her into the lake. Minerva opened her mouth to gasp before remembering she was now surrounded by icy water. Expecting a mouthful of water
she inhaled the warm air of Hogwarts' infirmary, sitting up in her bed and blinking rapidly. She looked around, noting she was the only one there. A glance to the clock showed her it was seven in the evening.
Dinner time in the Great Hall. She stood up on shaking legs, unsure of how long she had been there, but obviously, she scowled, too long. Noting a pair of clean pants and a pullover jumper in her size in the drawer next to her bed, she quickly got changed, with a pair of black boots finished her outfit. She waved her hand towards her hair, putting it up in a bun and affixing it with hairpins. She did not need her wand for that, luckily.
Glancing in a mirror located near Poppy's office, she took in her younger appearance, hoping it would not cause too much of an uproar. Her lips set in a determined line, she walked towards the doors, opened them, and shifted to her cat form before hurrying silently to the Great Hall.