You Broke Him, You Fix Him
By Teacherbev
AN: Thank you for all your kind reviews, I agree with everyone who expressed horror over the mental images of Umbridge and Filch. I promise no graphic amorous scenes between the two. I would have to change the story category to Horror if I did!
AN: Sorry for the lack of a timely update. We had to make an emergency trip to my mother's house. She is 82 and didn't realize that when the computer asks you 'Do you really want to format your hard drive?' the answer should be NO! She had almost 15 years worth of genealogy on that computer. Luckily I had made her a hard data back up only a month ago, but it took time to reload all of her programs and data. I cannot update from there. She lives in Huntubby, OK. A place so small that in 1996 it got a stop sign and in 1997 it got a GAS STATION, woo-who getting big there. So of course nothing but slow and very unreliable dial up. BTW is being a pain, I've been trying for two days to update this before it accepted it.
From Chapter 13:
Harry had been lounging all morning, intent upon studying the raging torrent just visible from where he sat at the edge of the green forest overlooking the deep crevasse. Several times the flood had swirled, obvious agitation making the spray higher and stronger; and with each surge of mist, the feelings of anger and hatred had surged correspondingly in Harry's mind and his scar would flare with pain. There seemed to be a direct correlation between the mist and his emotions, particularly negative emotions. His forehead furrowed, his lips twisted in thought, he didn't notice the appearance of another being at the edge of the greenery; but the low agonized moaning did catch his attention and he twirled, wand at the ready. He stood up from his defensive crouch in sudden shock and lowered his wand, stunned at the sight in front of him.
Professor Snape lay on the ground, trapped in some kind of strap-y thing with bandages all around his chest and his right leg. He had a large almost healed bruise spreading across his entire cheek that disappeared up into his greasy hair. His eyes were closed and he was moaning softly in pain.
Harry held his wand in front of him and walked slowly over until he was standing less than two feet away from his apparently gravely injured potions professor. He waited for several moments, realizing that the bound wizard could not voluntarily move and thus was no danger to him, at least not immediately. He stowed his wand in his back pocket and sat down beside the still oblivious man.
"Professor Snape? What are you doing here? What happened to you?" Harry's curiosity was well known to overwhelm his common sense at times.
Chapter 14: The Truth and Nothing But the Truth
Harry sat down beside the comatose body of his most hated tormenter and stared at him. What could have happened to him and why was he here? As Snape remained unconscious, Harry took the time to study him, secure in the knowledge that the man wouldn't know he was being scrutinized so intently. Snape appeared much younger when he didn't have the trademark scowl and he wasn't snarling and insulting him. With his emotions dampened by being in his own mind, Harry could really look at the man who had made what should have been a delightful sojourn at a wonderfully magical school into an almost daily nightmare.
Snape groaned and his head shuddered, his lips were twitching as he mumbled something over and over. Curious as always, Harry leaned over to listen, his face registering surprise that quickly changed to horror as the man's mumblings became clearer. "No Father, I'll be good…please don't hurt me…please Father…it hurts too much…I promise…no more…please…no more…."
A single tear leaked out of the corner of Harry's eye as he realized that Snape sounded remarkably like what he would say to his Uncle every time he was being punished for some real or imagined transgression, or even just for continuing to exist. Almost unconsciously Harry reached down and patted Snape's head while telling him, "You're okay, no one will hurt you here. You are safe." As he repeated the mantra over and over, the distress left Professor Snape's face and he sunk back down into unknowing darkness.
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Filch pulled Umbridge close to him as they ducked behind a large statue of troll holding an oversized bunch of flowers. "Hush, my precious, hush, now." After only a moment, the sound of leather soles hitting the age worn stones of the castle sounded, several some ones were coming their way and from the cadence of the synchronized beat of their footsteps, they were well trained aurors. Only the flash of several crimson cloaks and flashes of their shiny patent leather dress shoes were visible as the troop of four aurors passed back toward Umbridge's quarters.
They two crouched behind the large statue for several long minutes, barely breathing wishing they could make their hearts beat softer before Argus was satisfied and pulled Dolores out by one pudgy hand clasped tightly to his calloused sweaty palm. "Come, they will not find us, my love. Just keep silent and follow me."
Dolores thanked Merlin that this squib was infatuated with her. That was too close for comfort. She knew she could use him to get free and then when the heat died down, she could dump the ugly squib and build a new life in some other country, preferably one a long way away from Britain.
She shrugged her knapsack up on her sloping shoulder once more and followed Filch through dark corridors and dank rooms until they reached a very small wooden door that might have been painted red some time many centuries ago. The iron bands that crisscrossed and reinforced the top and bottom were rusted with neglect and the huge iron padlock looked too rusty to even work any more. As she stood in the shadows and watched, Argus pulled out a huge ring of keys and painstakingly turned each one over, looking for something only he could identify.
His face twisted into a grimace that was the closest thing to a smile that had graced those thin lips in years as he held up a key in triumph. He spit on the ornate iron key and inserted it into the oversized rusty lock. With a loud squeal of protest, he turned the key to the right and pulled the hasp down, flakes of dirt and red rust littering the floor below.
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Auror Reynolds called through the floo in Umbridge's office to the floo in the Great Hall. "Madame Bones, Umbridge is no longer in her quarters, there are signs that she packed hastily and the traces of magic tell us it has only been a few minutes ago. My tracking spells indicate she is still in the castle; below and to the north of my location."
Albus snapped his fingers loudly to summon a house elf. "How can Middy help, Headmaster, sir?" the elf said as she bowed low, her ears flapping.
"Madame Umbridge is not to be allowed to leave the castle. She is to be brought here at once, and anyone with her is to be brought with her." Middy nodded her understanding and with a loud pop, she disappeared. Just as Dumbledore was turning to talk to Amelia, the Bloody Baron appeared and bowed, the silvery blood stains on his robes glistening in the morning sun shining from the enchanted ceiling. "Filch and Umbridge are down past Professor Snape's quarters at the north end of the dungeons. Somehow, Filch has possession of Hagrid's keys and is attempting to leave through a door that has not been opened for over five centuries. Do you wish him to leave, Headmaster?"
"No, there is an arrest warrant issued for Dolores Umbridge for crimes against the students of Hogwarts as well as multiple crimes against the magical citizens of Britain. Please detain them for us." Dumbledore spoke emphatically as Madame Bones pulled a blank warrant from her robe pocket and began filling it out in the name of Argus Filch for knowingly helping a criminal to escape, obstruction of the lawful serving of an arrest warrant and theft of Hagrid's keys.
The Baron nodded solemnly and disappeared from view while calling "Peeves!"
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The four Weasley boys sat on the two couches in the Dursley's living room and looked down upon the four 'creatures' in smug satisfaction. George had produced a wizarding camera and he and Fred were taking turns snapping pictures as the walrus, the miniature horse, the bull dog and the squealing pink pig tried desperately to escape their cages and attack the four that were munching popcorn and making snide but witty remarks about them. Charlie and Bill were casually flicking a bolt of mild electricity at the rear ends of the four, causing them to leap and jump about trying to escape from the stinging hexes the brothers were expertly casting at them.
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Remus dragged himself into the living room and leaned heavily against the doorframe, the deep weariness and pain of his unrelieved transformation still evident upon his slightly grey face. He looked over at where Sirius was sleeping beside Harry; the boy spooned with his back against Sirius' chest in peaceful sleep. Ginny and Hermione were sitting together, their heads bowed over the morning copy of the Daily Prophet, their whispered conversation showing their barely suppressed glee at the stories they were reading. Ron was slumped in the corner of the old couch; his head slumped sideways on one arm, a soft snore issuing from his slack mouth as he slept.
Remus walked softly over to sit beside Molly as she carefully dribbled spoonfuls of warm fortified mush into Snape's mouth, waiting patiently as he slowly swallowed the small amounts she was feeding him each time. "How are they doing, Molly? Any progress?" Remus leaned back, rubbing his tired and itching eyes; he really hated transformation without Wolfsbane, he supposed he was getting spoiled.
Molly looked up, spoon stopped in mid air as she answered. "About the same, Remus. Severus has woken several times but he started running a fever last night and he doesn't appear to know where he is. Poor man just tries to escape as he begs his father not to beat him anymore. I swear, between what has happened to Harry and what apparently happened to Severus as a boy I am going to be sending a howler to Albus demanding he do something about keeping his students safe from their parents. After all, how much would it take to just cast a screening charm on every new first year for unexplained healed injuries? That man takes on too many duties; he should just stick to being a Headmaster and give up all of his other duties. If he doesn't stop spreading himself so thin I swear I'm going to be taking my wooden spoon to his backside!"
Remus was impressed at how much emotion and venom she could put into a whisper without disturbing the other occupants of the room. He reached over and patted her shoulder, "And I'll help hold him down for you. But I think you might have to stand in line with Sirius, Poppy, and Minerva…and a whole lot of others, me included." He took the now empty bowl from her hand and watched as she stroked the dark hair of the man in the bizarre torture device before leaving the room to tiredly trudge up the stairs to sleep.
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Voldemort looked down at the four quivering death eaters lying in their own vomit and blood. He kicked the fifth body but got no satisfaction, the man that had brought him this morning's Daily Prophet had not survived his Lord's displeasure for very long at all. Voldemort hissed his rage and fury but didn't dare cast any more spells, new recruits were becoming harder and harder to find and the ones that were consenting to be marked were more along the lines of the imbeciles Crabbe and Goyle and less and less like Lucius and Severus; intelligent, resourceful and useful for more than following orders. He ran his skeletal fingers across the glistening pate of his bald head and blasted the offending paper into ashes, watching in satisfaction as the picture of that witch Amelia Bones curled up and disappeared. He reached down and grabbed the still quivering arm of that useless lump of a human he had to tolerate and pushed his wand onto Wormtail's exposed dark mark, calling his remaining loyal death eaters to his side.
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Albus sat at breakfast between Minerva and Filius, satisfaction making his bright blue eyes twinkle. The Daily Prophet spread out over his used plate, the double size dark black headline making him smile.
36 Arrested in Massive Clean-Up
In a sweeping clean-up of the Ministry for Magic, the Wizengamot and the Hogwarts Board of Governors; 36 wizards and witches were arrested in a well coordinated and orchestrated move yesterday. All 36 were attending a purported press conference called by ex-Minister Cornelius Fudge, who was the first one arrested in a lightening strike led by the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones.
Cornelius Fudge, Dolores Umbridge, seventeen other Ministry employees, eleven high ranking members of the Wizengamot and six of the ten Hogwarts Board of Governors were arrested and taken to the Ministry holding cells while Madame Bones highlighted and detailed a most impressive catalog of well documented atrocities and crimes ranging from the misuse of power, the accepting and giving bribes; to the slander and attempted murder of Harry Potter admitted to by Fudge and Umbridge.
Lucius Malfoy was exposed as the major player in most of the bribery both at the Ministry and at Hogwarts, with Fudge channeling bribes to the Wizengamot for him. Under Veritaserum, all of those arrested have confirmed their guilt of all charges and have been scheduled for sentencing trials within the next week. Malfoy and 17 others are also confirmed to have been and continue to be followers of You-Know-Who and confirm not only his return last year but deny their former claims of being under the Imperious Curse, the means by which most escaped imprisonment after He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was defeated fourteen years ago. They will all receive the Dementors Kiss as well as forfeiture of real properties and their personal wealth as it was gained through criminal activities.
Only money from dowries, trust funds for children and some funds that can be proven to have existed before the first rise of the Dark Lord will be exempt from seizure for penalties and fines, as well as personal property of spouses and children. Madame Bones has verified that a large portion of the funds seized will be used to pay restitution and support for victims of the Death Eaters and their Master as well as the hiring and accelerated training of a substantial increase in the auror force.
In an unprecedented move late yesterday afternoon by the Goblin nation, all Gringotts vaults and real properties of the 36 were seized and frozen pending individual trial outcomes, thus denying those accused the opportunity to transfer and hide moneys subject to fines and seizures as illegal gain.
(See following pages for a complete list of accused and their admitted crimes. More stories to follow as your Daily Prophet continues to investigate and report on these most shocking events.)
Minerva buttered her muffin and continued to read over Albus' shoulder, noises of great satisfaction her only comment.
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All employees of the Ministry for Magic had been called in early for an important all staff meeting before the early edition of the Daily Prophet had been circulated. The atrium had been expanded and the crack team of 40 hand selected aurors had cast simple truth spells on each and every employee before they were allowed to continue on to their jobs. Another six employees had been found to be followers of Voldemort, two had been found to be embezzling funds, and one had confessed to misuse of power by allowing witches to escape charges in return for sexual favors. Those nine had been whisked down to Ministry holding cells to join the other thirty-six from last night.
The Wizengamot would be meeting after a similar sweep through its members in just two hours; after all, they would need to replace the eleven corrupt members as well as any more that were found during their loyalty sweep. The simple truth spell was cast followed by just a single question, 'Are you currently or have you previously engaged in illegal activities that impede or interfere with your duties as a member of the Ministry of Magic or the Wizengamot?' Any one answering no was released, a positive answer led to more detailed questioning and possible interrogation and charges being filed.
The nineteen arrests had led to a spate of people being promoted and congratulated by their fellows. The security council of the Wizengamot and the uncorrupted heads of the departments at the Ministry had met for many long hours over the previous weeks and then again last night to select those people to be advanced into the positions both of those being arrested and the openings caused by those promotions themselves. There had never been such a massive and yet well coordinated house cleaning but with the threat of Voldemort, a state of emergency had been called that allowed for the appointments rather than the long drawn out turmoil of special elections that would leave many key positions open for too long during their current crisis.
By five p.m. all vacancies in the Wizengamot, the Ministry and the Hogwarts Board of Governors had been filled with new very qualified people and the total shake up and reconfiguration of the British wizarding world had been accomplished in a massive bloodless coup. Hopefully, they had accomplished the house cleaning without creating any weakness that Voldemort would be able to exploit and in fact by replacing those who impeded the fight against the dark lord either through ideology or corruption, the fight had just been made a whole lot easier.
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Harry knelt by the side of his injured potions master and contemplated what he would do now. He certainly wouldn't be hexing the helpless man, it would hardly be the Gryffindor thing to do but he wasn't sure how to deal with the changed circumstances between them. He was very curious about several things, number one being how did Snape get so injured…had Voldemort attacked? And why was he strapped into something that Harry vaguely recognized as some sort of traction device? And how had he come to be in Harry's mind since he was obviously unconscious and hadn't performed the 'legilimens' spell to gain access.
Harry just sat on the grass, contemplating what he was going to do when Snape started to stir, his low moans of pain resonating with Harry's deeply ingrained sense of justice. As much as he hated when Hermione complained about his tendencies toward 'saving people' he had to admit that after the way he had been raised, he couldn't stand to see anyone being bullied, tormented or even in pain without doing everything he could to ameliorate their situation.
Snape's eyes popped open, their usual glossy black now dulled to a dark gray with pain. He looked around as much as he was able, the blasted straps kept him from moving his head at all, so most of what he could see was clear blue sky directly overhead with just the tips of tall green trees visible peripherally.
Snape groaned, not particularly with pain but with annoyance as a dark head leaned over him, the face scrunched up in concern. "What happened to you, Professor? Is there anything I can do to help you?" Harry's face showed genuine concern and caring which surprised Snape as he had believed Potter hated him almost as much as the foolish Gryffindor hated the Dark Lord.
Snape licked his dry, cracked lips and tried to answer but all he managed was a croak. Potter' head disappeared before returning shortly. A plastic straw was placed against his lips and he grudgingly accepted the drink of icy cold and refreshing water that the boy offered. He swallowed convulsively several times, relishing the relief the liquid spread down his dry throat. He closed his lips to let the boy know he was satiated and then began to speak, his voice unusually calm and non-threatening. "The castle had to be emptied because of another blasted edict from Umbridge. The headmaster didn't want anyone to find out about your…absence…so he sent me under a glamour spell to your house to stay for Easter break. Let's just say I didn't…enjoy…the introduction to your Muggle relatives as much as I had anticipated."
Harry sat back so that Snape could no longer see his face. He ran his hands through his messy hair before taking a deep breath and leaning forward once more so that Snape could see his face. "I'm sorry sir; it's all my fault that you were injured." His face was white and his distress was plainly visible as he trembled with guilt.
Snape snarled at the idiot. "Blasted boy, why didn't you tell anyone what was going on? That whale of an oaf almost killed me thinking it was you. How long has he been abusing you?" Unfortunately for Snape, its very hard to be intimidating while lying on your back strapped onto a back board and Harry just stood up and walked away, leaving the upset and frustrated man to debate how he could have handled that confrontation better.
Harry sat down heavily on the grass, just past Snape's vision and contemplated this new information. He had vowed to himself that he would tell Dumbledore, Poppy and eventually Sirius what his home life was like, but he hadn't anticipated them finding out and Snape being the one to confront him, especially as there would be no denying the severity of the abuse after what Uncle Vernon had apparently done to Snape. But Harry was confused, his Uncle and Aunt hadn't ever injured him so badly, usually a few bruises and the occasional broken bone was the most he suffered, especially since he had started at Hogwarts. It was almost choreographed, his Aunt would swing a frying pan or other object at his head or upper body, but he would just duck and she would be satisfied with denying him meals and locking him in his room or giving endless backbreaking chores.
His Uncle could be rather physical especially if he had been drinking, but Harry knew to just hide at those times. Uncle Vernon's great bulk made him running after Harry an exercise in futility and his temper was legendary but if Harry stayed out of his sight long enough Uncle Vernon would be satisfied with just screaming and an endless tirade of verbal and emotional abuse. Now Dudley and his gang of morons were dangerous but Snape had said that Uncle Vernon had done this not Dudley.
Harry had sat in silence for almost twenty minutes, his thoughts churning and plans and counter-plans that played themselves out in his mind before he decided that his plan of action from before would just have to continue, even if he had to tell Snape first. He stood up, running a hand over the top of his head in a vain attempt at flattening his hair down and strode back to sit beside the still figure of Professor Snape once more.
"Okay, sir what do you want to know?" Harry's face was resolute and his voice was firm and steady with his strong conviction to take control of his life and his destiny and never again allow anyone to have that much power over him again.
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Tonks, Kingsley, Minerva, Albus and Amelia Bones had apperated into the kitchen at Number 4 Privet Drive after a very long day of reorganizing the Ministry, the Wizengamot and the Board. They headed for the living room where they could hear the four Weasley boys talking over a strange collection of animal sounds. Tonks was first and stopped abruptly, bending over in laughter so that the ones behind her could see the wonderful spell work that had been used on the Dursley family. Albus pulled his wand and conjured several more chairs before sitting down in an oversized purple flowered monstrosity and congratulating Charlie and Bill on their excellent spell work.
The nine witches and wizards sat comfortably discussing the events of the last few days and the very satisfactory results that had been achieved so quickly for almost an hour and a half; before Amelia insisted that the boys restore the Dursley family so that they could be arrested and processed into Ministry custody. It had been decided that the length and severity of Dudley's reaction to the casting of the 'righteous judgment' spell clearly exposed his culpability in the abuse and torment of his cousin and that he would be charged and tried with the three others.
After all the others had apperated out, Albus flicked his wand to gather all of Harry's belongings, somewhat surprised that they seemed to be all packed and in the cupboard under the stairs. He bent down and forced himself into the small space after the trunk was removed. With a shaking hand he pulled the slanted door shut, sitting hunched over on the small cot and contemplating the hell he had sentenced little Harry to. Silent tears streamed down his face as he let his guilt overwhelm him. As he sat in the oppressive dark, he wondered if he would ever be forgiven for what he had unknowingly done in his arrogance and overconfidence in his own decisions. He hadn't known about the physical and emotional abuse but he could no longer deny that if he had really looked he should have seen it, all the signs were there for anyone to see if they had bothered to look. The boy had always been too small and the reports from Arabella and then Molly should have been enough for him to fight for the boy, especially backed by Poppy's ongoing suspicions.
His heart breaking, he admitted he had been almost as guilty in the ongoing torment and abuse that the Dursleys had committed. He should have removed the boy when Hagrid reported the lengths that they had gone to, to deny the boy any knowledge of his heritage. Every poor decision, every careless action came back to haunt the old man as he sat in the cramped and smelly dark cupboard, his guilt weighing so heavy on his heart that he was having difficulty breathing past it. 'Perhaps I am getting to old, it might be better for everyone if I step down and let younger people take over? But who could I task with my many duties?' Albus sat in the utter stillness of the empty house, feeling the dark presence of the evil that permeated the very walls and thought long into the night before resolving to do everything he could to correct his mistakes as best he could.
He pushed open the small door, banging his head painfully as he didn't duck quite enough while leaving the dark cubby. He rubbed his head before using his wand to cast a history recording spell for evidence. He stretched out his magic to pull down the blood wards he had cast so long ago only to stop, too shocked at what he found to speak. They didn't exist! The only wards he could sense were the layer upon layer of wards cast over the years by the Ministry. 'How could that be? As long as Petunia and Harry resided under the same roof, the blood wards I erected utilizing the remains of the protection spells cast by Lily Potter should still exist.' He sat in the dark living room, sifting through the information he had just found out. Could he have been mistaken all these years? Could there actually have been no blood wards all these years? He had never been allowed inside the anti-magic wards, in fact no one who could actively use magic had been allowed access to the house until after Harry turned eleven and only those denied active magic because they were underage or someone specifically intent upon returning Harry to Hogwarts could enter after that without setting off massive alarms at the Ministry.
The Ministry wards had completely enveloped the older wards he had cast and made his own virtually invisible from the outside so he had never been able to check them. He based the time that Harry had to spend each summer here on the total strength of the wards, not the individual strength of a single ward. Could Harry's own magic be strong enough to unconsciously strengthen the outer wards just by his presence? Could he have been so wrong for so many years…sentencing Harry to a hellish life for absolutely no reason? Had the knowledge that there had been ancient blood wards cast been enough to keep anyone from even testing that those wards actually existed?
Vowing to investigate fully, Albus finally stood up, exhausted and apperated back to his quarters were he spent a long sleepless night tossing and turning, his past decisions weighing heavy upon his guilt ridden ancient mind.
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Ginny, Ron and Hermione were sitting in their usual spots, talking to each other over Harry's head as the adults were discussing politics in the corner over by Snape's bed. Everyone looked up as the rest of the Weasley clan, minus Percy; all trudged in, tired but well satisfied that night.
Molly even let the trio stay up late as the four returning boys regaled the satisfied and laughing group all of their exploits from the last two days of Dursley guarding. Over hot chocolate and biscuits all around, the group's loud peals of laughter sounded through the old dark house. Unseen and unknown to the group enjoying their fellowship and loving companionship in the living room, the dark shadows of the house lightened, the closed drapes hiding the portrait of old Mrs. Black shivered and fell from the wall as the portrait burst into flames, the ashes of the vicious evil matriarch destroyed by the love and laughter radiating from the living room. With the destruction of the portrait the multiple rows of dead house elf heads fell to the floor and a surge of bright light and wind swept through the entire mansion.
Laughter ceasing suddenly at the sudden swirl of powerful white light and magic that was not only visible but palpable, the adults stood, wands ready as they exited the room, spreading out automatically to minimize attack. Everyone stood in the formerly dark and depressing hallway, too shocked to even shut their mouths as the entire huge structure shimmered and glowed. Light penetrated every dark corner, purging centuries of dark magic and evil and leaving behind a clean and light house. Doors that had been hidden reappeared, portraits changed subjects, walls, carpets and woodwork glistened with cleanliness. Dobby and Winky popped into existence, their excitement showing clearly as they literally bounced in joy. "Master Sirius' house is now being light! No more nasty evil! Oh, we's is so happy, dark magics is banished forever!"
With a loud barking laugh, Sirius grabbed Ginny by the waist and swung her through the air as the others paired up and thumped each other on the back, shaking hands, hugging and kissing in happiness. As soon as Sirius let her down, Ginny staggered, somewhat dizzy still from the twirling and ran back to snatch Harry up in a bone crushing hug of happiness. She held him so tightly she failed to notice the crooked grin that spread across his face as he was held tightly against her shoulder.
No one even bothered to go to bed until the early hours of the morning and Molly even let the three teens to stretch out on beds in the living room, reluctant to deny them the joy and happiness that surged through them all at the overwhelming sense of peace and home that now permeated the most noble and ancient house of Black.
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AN: A nice long chapter to make up for making you wait for a whole week. Now I really must go grocery shopping or we will have to call out for pizza and neither one of us actually like the stuff. Thanks for all of those who continue to read and support my weird addictions. The capture of Filch and Umbridge will be detailed as a flashback in the next chapter, never fear.