Author's Notes: The penultimate chapter is here! Merry Christmas!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is Jo's, not mine. I'm just borrowing Albus and the rest of her characters that've appeared in this story, which you undoubtedly know by now.
Chapter Twelve
"Here, Mum, let me finish those for you," Minerva said upon entering the kitchen of her He childhood home. She indicated to the pile of dishes that her mother was washing.
"Don't worry about it, dear," Minerva's mother, Aileana, replied, "I'm nearly finished, and there is oddly relaxing about washing dishes the muggle way. But you can dry them off as I hand them to you, if you wish."
"Alright," Minerva began doing her task.
"You know, considering that all of your uncles were there, I was pleasantly surprised that there were no feuds at the funeral."
"Mum, I didn't even know he was sick," Minerva said.
"It was so sudden," Aileana replied, her voice shaking, "It started as a harmless cold...but then it escalated to pneumonia."
"Oh, Mum," Minerva said sadly.
"He led a good, long, successful life. He was a renowned aruor for so many years," Aileana said of William, "He was so proud of you, and your three little ones."
Minerva nodded; she and her mother finished washing and drying the dishes, the memory of William still alive in both of their minds.
Bartholomew was reading The Daily Prophet when he came across an article about the death of William McGonagall. The article mentioned that the Dumbledore family had traveled to Scotland for the funeral and would be there for a few days. Bartholomew had an idea. He had worked so hard on the curse for so many years; perhaps he could go to Scotland, spy on the Dumbledore's, and see the effects of the curse first hand. Yes, it was a grand idea! He could have a neighbor look after Aunt Bathilda, and he would be able to see the effects of his handiwork first hand. He smiled, because things truly seemed to be going his way as of late.
Minerva stepped into the backyard to find Albus there. He took her hand in his.
"How are you feeling, love?" he asked sincerely.
Minerva sighed, "Better than I was before, but I still miss him."
"That's understandable."
Minerva nodded, "Let's go for a walk."
Albus and Minerva walked through the huge, beautiful backyard, their fingers intertwined. They stepped in silence, but it was it wasn't an awkward one. After seventeen years of marriage, sometimes they didn't need to talk. Sometimes they needed to just be. Awhile later, however, Minerva spoke.
"This whole experience of loosing him has made me value you and the children a thousand times more. Family is such a wonderful, precious thing."
Albus nodded, "Min, I couldn't agree with you more. And, we've all been rather distant lately."
"Yes. We've all been busy, and distant, but that's no excuse, Albus."
"I know," he continued, "So let's take a holiday. No work involved. Just us and the children."
"I like that idea."
While their parents were walking in the backyard, Jacob and Alice sat in the library of their grandmother's house; they both were reading. Alice looked up from her book.
"How're things with The Quill?" she asked her brother.
"It's fine," Jacob replied.
"No more Musidora trouble?"
"She dropped out awhile ago," Jacob said shortly, "Which you would've known if you and Duke hadn't been spending every second of the day together."
"I'm just trying to make conversation, Jacob," Alice replied exasperatedly.
"Have you seen Katherine anywhere?" Jacob asked a few minutes later.
"How would I know where she is?" Alice shot back, "The only person I care about is Duke, remember?"
"Don't put words in my mouth, Alice!" Jacob threw his book down in anger.
"That's essentially what you've been going on about for the past three weeks!"
"I won't lie: you do spend an excessive amount of time with him! And it seems like he's all you care about."
"Jacob Dumbledore, you are nothing but an immature, self centered -"
"Children!" their grandmother Aileana interrupted.
"Sorry, Grandma," Jacob said. Alice glared at him.
"What on earth is going on?"
"Nothing," Alice said sullenly.
"My ears tell me otherwise," Aileana said, but didn't press the issue, "Where's your sister at?"
"Here I am," Katherine said, joining them in the library.
"Katherine!" Aileana exclaimed upon seeing her youngest grandchild, "You're as pale as a sheet."
"You are," Jacob agreed.
Alice looked at her sister worriedly.
"I do feel kind of sick," Katherine said, "My stomach hurts."
"You should go lie down for awhile," her grandmother suggested, and Katherine complied.
Later, Alice returned to the library. She looked through her grandparents books, trying to find something to do. She came across one about ancient curses and began to read.
"What's that you're reading?" her grandmother asked as she joined Alice in the library.
"A book about ancient curses," Alice replied.
Aileana glanced at the book, "Bazagra, hmm. Hopefully no one will ever curse us with that."
"It sounds positively awful," Alice agreed.
"The accursed will be forever miserable and ill," Aileana read what the book said and stood up, "Well, I'm going to go check on your sister."
Jacob glanced at his younger sister. She was lying on the bed in the room that she was staying in and he was sitting next to her.
"Do you feel any better?" he asked.
She shook her head.
"Jacob?"
"Yeah?"
"Why do you and Alice hate each other?"
Jacob sighed, "We don't. We're just arguing about some things."
Katherine had tears in her eyes.
"Well, I wish you would stop," she snapped.
"We will, eventually. Don't worr-"
"Go away," Katherine ordered, "Go away and leave me alone."
"Kath-"
"I said go away!"
Jacob exited the room and frowned. That had been quite unlike his typically kind and sweet sister. He worried about Katherine. He stepped out into the hallway and saw his grandmother.
"Jacob," she said, "How is she?"
"Not herself," Jacob replied, "Miserable and ill."
"Miserable and ill," Aileana repeated Jacob's words, trying to remember where she had heard them before. Then she remembered. Her face went white.
"Grandma? What is it?"
She turned around and practically flew to the library, with a concerned Jacob at her heals.
"Alice," she said upon entering the book-filled room, "Where is that book on curses that you had earlier?"
"Here it is," Alice handed it to her, "What's wrong?"
Aileana opened the book. The curses were listed alphabetically; she flipped to the B's.
"Here it is," she read, "Bazagra will make the accursed forever sick and miserable. Shortly after the curse is preformed, the accursed will have horrible stomach pains and will often be in ill-humor."
"That's Katherine," Jacob confirmed, "But who would curse her? She's done nothing to anyone."
"We should focus on counter curses rather than reasons right now," Alice said.
"This book doesn't mention a cure, but I know there is one," Aileana said, "I read it in one of these books here in the library. Merlin, I wish I could remember what it is! You two start looking; I'll check on Katherine and then join you."
"Right," Jacob was already frantically looking through another book. Alice followed suit.
"There's nothing about Bazagra in anything I've read so far," Alice said in frustration a half an hour later. Her hair was pulled back out of her eyes, which were framed by her glasses as she continued to frantically read.
"All I have is that it's incredibly ancient," Jacob replied.
"We have to find something. Katherine's our sister."
"Don't give up," Jacob reassured her, "We will."
"Here's something!" Alice exclaimed seconds later, "There is a period of six days during which the Bazagra curse can be reversed…I wonder how long she's been cursed for?"
"I don't know. Keep reading."
"In order to rid the accursed of Bazagra's effects, give them a single strand of unicorn hair and - Darn it! The text is illegible; it's as if something was spilt on it."
"The core of her wand is unicorn hair," Jacob said, "If worse comes to worse, we could get it from there. What could the other thing be, though?"
"What's this you're saying about Bazagra?" Albus asked sharply as he and Minerva entered the room.
"Katherine's been cursed. Grandma figured it out; she's showing all the signs," Alice continued her frantic reading and searching form the other things that would dispell the curse.
"Merlin, no," Minerva said, paling.
"In order to perform the counter curse, we need a strand of unicorn of hair and a Bezoar. Jacob, take the portkey to Hogwarts and have Professor Slughorn give you both."
Jacob did so, and the process of dispelling the curse was in motion.
They all stood around Katherine's bed. There was a distinct ambiance of fear and tension in the room. Albus had given Katherine the mixture of unicorn hair and a Bezoar, but it had yet effect her. She was unconscious now.
Albus looked at his youngest child worriedly. What if he had been too late? What if the curse was permanent? What if it killed her? The thought of loosing Katherine was almost too much to bear. Whose smile would cause his face to light up when he was having a hard day? Who would be the sweetest one in the family?
Who would be his innocent rose?
She had to be okay. She had to be okay. He couldn't loose her. He had already lost Ariana; he couldn't loose her again.
"Dad?" Katherine asked uncertainly as she opened her eyes.
"Katherine!" Minerva exclaimed, her voice full of relief.
"You're alright," Albus said with a smile, "You're alright."
The fear in the room dissolved and was replaced with relief and love. Even somebody who did not know the Dumbledore family or Aileana at all would have been able to sense the happy scene in the room. Everyone was crowded around Katherine's bed with smiles on their faces. Even a stranger could sense the strong bond between these people.
And indeed, Bartholomew Bagshot did.
