Disclaimer: All portions of the HP universe/worlds/characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies. All portions of the Hunter x Hunter universe/worlds/characters are the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and Shueisha Inc. (publisher). This story is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written for my own enjoyment. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites.
Warnings: Mild to moderate violence, character death, alternate universe (i.e. kiss canon goodbye – as if that wasn't already obvious since I swapped a few genders), angst, drama, some mild character bashing, and who knows what else.
AN: This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance.
Chapter Thirty-Four: Spirits x of the x Past
Azalea ended up in her bedroom once more without any recollection of how she got there. Her mind was still fully preoccupied with what she'd learned about the Deathly Hallows though and her feet carried her to the chair beside her bed where her book bag innocently hung from the back of the wooden chair. She reached into the bag and after several minutes, pulled out her father's old invisibility cloak and let the gossamer material flow through her fingers as she recalled Kurapika teasing her about trying to collect the Hallows several weeks ago after he'd first read the story about the Three Brothers.
Still holding the cloak in her left hand, Azalea reached into her pocket and withdrew the wand that Ollivander claimed was the Elder Wand from the legend and the moment the handle slipped into her palm, she felt the cold magic that had touched her briefly the moment she first bonded to the wand wrap around her once more. She swallowed thickly when her eyes were drawn to the cloak in her left hand as the fabric shimmered brightly when the magic in the cloth resonated with the same cold magic as that in the wand. And then she felt the coldness seeping across her chest as the ring she'd found hidden inside the snitch Dumbledore had left her began resonating with the other two objects.
Fishing the ring out from under her shirt with her left hand, Azalea watched with grim fascination as the cracked stone set in the gold band mended itself as black and gold tendrils of magic twined around all three items. Once the stone was repaired, the magic twined around her soul briefly before it withdrew once more and Azalea was left holding the three objects as they lightly pulsed with cold magic. She swallowed thickly and wondered what being the owner of all three Hallows actually meant. No one that had spoken of the Hallows within Azalea's hearing had ever mentioned what would happen if someone were to gain possession of all three items.
Setting her cloak and the wand on the bed, Azalea took a closer look at the only Hallow she'd never used. Unlike the cloak and the wand, there was no obvious way to use the stone. And while as a ring it was obviously meant to be worn, the Stone of Resurrection hadn't always been part of a ring according to the tale; so logically that meant that wearing the ring didn't mean you were using the Hallow. As she absently flipped the ring over in her hands she thought about what the stone was meant to do; how it was supposed to call the dead back from beyond the grave. That led to thoughts about the people she'd like to see if she ever used to the Stone.
Her parents were a given; she'd seen them in the Mirror of Erised, she'd heard them in her memories, dreams, and nightmares, and their echoes had spoken to her briefly in the graveyard but she had never really spoken to them. Did they still love her? Were they proud of her? Would they approve of the choices she'd made over the past year? Would they have approved of Kurapika? Or would they be disappointed in her? Would they be ashamed or disgusted by the fact that she was pregnant out of wedlock?
And while she knew Sirius had told he'd be proud of her no matter what, would he still feel the same way now? Would he still be accepting of her decision knowing she'd not only gone ahead and slept with Kurapika but that she'd allowed herself to become pregnant? Would he think she'd gone dark like more than half of the original Order members had because she didn't hesitate to kill the Death Eaters she defeated? Could he still love her knowing she had blood on her hands?
Lastly, she thought about her great-grandfather. Would the man be pleased that one of his grandchildren had followed in his footsteps to become a Hunter? Or would he see her as nothing but a foolish little girl? Would he look down on her because she'd not actually passed the Hunter's Exam on her own merits but by a fluke due to her own death? Would he think her weak?
"Is the child always this pensive?" an unfamiliar man's voice inquired from behind her and Azalea froze before she let out a soft whine of fear at the thought of some strange man sneaking up on her in her bedroom.
"Sadly, yes; she's always thinking far too much," another achingly familiar voice declared with more than a little exasperation and a hint of teasing.
"She gets it from her mother," a third voice added sagely before yelping. "Ow, what'd you hit me for? I was only stating the truth!"
"I will hex you in tender places if you insist upon being immature, dear," a woman threatened in a stern voice that was laced with suppressed amusement.
Swallowing thickly, Azalea slowly glanced over her shoulder to stare at the four ghostly figures that had appeared in her bedroom and felt her mouth grow dry as she recognized all four of them. Sirius looked much as he had the day she'd briefly died; young and carefree as he laughed unashamedly over her father's current predicament. Her parents were just as young as her godfather and currently focused entirely on each other; her father rubbing his arm and cringing slightly while her mother had a slight scowl on her face and her hands on her hip as she tapped her foot impatiently. And Gregory Evans appeared just as he had in the photo she had of him as he stood off to one side with that self-satisfied half-smile tugging at his lips while he watched Lily and James with undisguised amusement.
"Are you really here or am I dreaming?"
"We're really here, little fawn," Sirius replied as all four ghostly figures returned their attention to her the moment they heard her voice. "And, no, you don't have to quiz each of us with trick questions to make us prove it. You called us here through the Stone, after all, and no other spirit would dare answer the summons of another least they suffer the Stone's wrath; especially not when the Stone is held by the hand that has reunited and mastered all three Hallows."
Azalea tightened her hand around the Resurrection Stone as she stared at the four of them with wide eyes before she turned around so that she was facing them. She then smiled as she drank in the sight of her parents, reveled in seeing her godfather once more, and avidly studied the man whose footsteps she'd unknowingly followed in. She then recalled the part of the story that said those spirits that were called back suffered because they did not belong in the world of the living.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to call you here and make you suffer," Azalea apologized as she briefly glanced down at the ring clutched in her fist. "I'm not even sure how I did it."
"There is no harm in answering the call of the Stone," Lily assured her as she smiled at Azalea. "We will only suffer if you attempt to keep us here after we have answered your questions; after all, it is not a crime to seek guidance from beyond the veil."
"That was your cue to ask your questions," James stage whispered when Azalea didn't say anything for several minutes.
"Don't be so impatient, dear," Lily ordered as she smacked him on the arm again. She then glanced towards Azalea once more and added, "Your father was correct though; the longer you delay in asking your questions, the harder it will be for you to let us go when we have fulfilled the task for which you called us to you."
"Are there rules as to what I'm allowed to ask?"
"No, but there are rules as to what we are allowed to answer," Sirius explained. "So, no asking for the secrets of the universe or anything like that; which includes asking us questions about the Deathly Hallows and what it means to hold all three of them – there is only one being that can answer any questions you have about them."
"Are there any penalties for me asking questions you're not supposed to answer? And is there a limit to how many questions I can ask?"
"No, no penalties for asking and no limit on the number of questions," James answered as he adjusted his glasses. "But remember, the longer you keep us here, the harder it will be for you to let us go and we'd prefer not to see you torment yourself by trying to hold onto what has already been lost because that is when our being here becomes painful for us as well as you."
"Oh. I… how much do you know about what is happening now?"
"That's one of those questions we can't answer," Lily gently replied after she exchanged a glance with James and Sirius.
"I wasn't asking you to tell me what you know… I… I just wanted to know if you knew about… about Kurapika. If you knew about the decisions I've made in the last year or if I'd have to explain things in order to ask you what I wanted to ask you. I guess what I really wanted to know was if you've watched over me all this time. Sirius didn't really seem to know what was going on in my life when I briefly died so I don't really know how much you know about my life."
"Padfoot was trapped in limbo at the time of your temporary death; a place between the world of the living and the afterlife and a place of waiting that has no true connections to either realm. That was why he didn't know what had happened after he died and before you spoke with him when the child assassin killed you," James explained. "He was not allowed to move on until you let him go."
"So… so does that mean that all four of you know everything now? That… that you know…?"
"That we know you are pregnant with our first grandchildren?" Lily finished for Azalea when the younger witch trailed off without actually voicing her question; her mother's question actually answering her own.
"Are you angry?"
"No. Nor are we disappointed in the decisions you've made regarding your life," Lily assured her as she stepped forward to gently touch Azalea's cheek; her touch feather soft and ice cold against Azalea's skin.
"And Kurapika? Do you approve of him?"
"So long as he makes you happy, then we are satisfied with your choice," James stated as he stepped up behind Lily and wrapped his arms around his wife. "That he obviously cares deeply for you certainly helps."
"The fact that he's got a decent sense of humor and the heart of a prankster beneath his serious exterior doesn't hurt either," Sirius added with a grin. "I'd have been disappointed if you'd struck up with some old boring stick in the mud incapable of laughing."
"He is quite the catch; handsome, intelligent, passionate, patient, and strong," Lily pointed out next. "It doesn't hurt that he's headstrong enough to be a match for your temper without being overly confrontational; meaning he won't let you walk all over him but he also won't seek to crush your spirit. I'd have to say he compliments your personality quite nicely."
Azalea felt a huge weight lifted from her shoulders knowing that both her parents and her godfather approved of her relationship with Kurapika and that they were not disappointed with her for giving herself to him or for being more than a little irresponsible in getting pregnant. She beamed at all three spirits over their ready acceptance of her lover.
"Was there anything else you wished to ask us?" James asked when Azalea didn't immediately ask another question.
Azalea's smiled slipped off her face as her thoughts turned towards the lives she'd taken over the past month. After a couple of uncomfortable seconds she hesitantly asked, "Do you think I am taking things too far? That I am going dark because I refuse to give the Death Eaters a second chance?"
"We can't answer those questions; the dead can not judge the living," Sirius replied regretfully. "All we can say is that we love you and we are proud of you for standing up for your beliefs."
"Oh. I guess that means this is goodbye then."
"There will come a day when we will see one another again, sweetheart," Lily assured her as she touched her face again while smiling sadly. "Please don't call us back again unless there is a great need for you to speak with us; for it will only be even harder to let us go next time."
"Know that we will always love you and that we are proud of you," James murmured next as he leaned forward to kiss Azalea on the forehead; his touch just as frozen and as fleeting as Lily's had been. "Don't be afraid to trust your heart."
"Stay strong, little fawn, and believe in yourself," Sirius added as he cupped her face gently with his ghostly hands. "And I fully expect you to raise the little ones as right proper Marauders."
Azalea laughed even as tears well up in her eyes as all three spirits stepped back and faded out of sight. It hurt to watch them go and she almost wished that she'd had a hundred more questions to ask them but she knew she couldn't just keep them here indefinitely. It would have been no different then sitting and wasting away in front of the Mirror of Erised.
"You let them go far easier than I thought you would, child."
Azalea whipped around to stare at the spirit of her great-grandfather; she'd completely forgotten he was there. She was actually surprised that he hadn't left the moment she'd focused on her parents and Sirius. She took the time to study him again; noting again that he looked much like he had in the picture that Chairman Netero had given to her.
"Will you introduce yourself to me, granddaughter?"
"Harriet Azalea Potter also known as James, the Dark Wizard Hunter, at your service," Azalea rattled off as she stood up a little straighter before giving him a cheeky little curtsy. "So, should I call you Grandpa Gregory or would you prefer Grandpa Firebrand?"
"If I could hex Isaac from beyond the grave, I would hit the old brick wall in unmentionable places for giving you my old Hunter's License with that deplorable nickname on it," Gregory groused good-naturedly even as he grimaced over the nickname. "Annoyances aside, you are free to call me what you wish. Now, what is it you wished to ask of me?"
"Why did you become a Hunter?"
"Would you believe that I took the Exam on a dare?"
"A dare, really?"
"Yes, Isaac dared me to take the Exam when I met him on the ship that was taking me back to the continent as I was returning to Germany with my father after we'd spent two months visiting my grandmother in Ireland. I was fifteen at the time and set to return to Durmstrang for my fourth year. I hadn't wanted to return; Grindelwald was just starting to gather a following and he was constantly seeking out young male students from Durmstrang and I did not wish to be recruited."
"Isaac had overheard me arguing with my father and he brought me a tankard of ale later that night as I sulked in the crow's nest. We chatted for a while and he admitted to overhearing the argument. An hour later, after we were both giddy with grog, he dared me to ditch my father and join him in taking the Hunter's Exam. I accepted and the two of us were thick as thieves ever since."
"Did you ever regret running away and becoming a Hunter?"
"No."
"Did you ever go back to the magical world?"
"Yes, I returned eighteen years later when I learned that Grindelwald had killed both my father and younger brother when my brother refused to join his cause. I became part of the underground movement not long after that; helping to hunt down those wizards and witches that were part of Grindelwald's army. I made a name for myself over the next six years and soon drew the attention of Grindelwald. During that time I met and married your great-grandmother and three months after our boys were born, Grindelwald came for me and my family and I sent your great-grandmother and my boys to Isaac via emergency portkey before I dueled him to the death."
"Did you kill those witches and wizards you hunted?"
"Some of them, yes. I also helped those that had been drummed into service against their will to escape."
"Does the guilt ever fade?"
"No; and pray that it never does, for the day you can no longer feel remorse for the lives you have taken is the day you have crossed the line and become that which you were fighting in the first place. At the same time, don't let the guilt consume you and drive you mad and never regret stopping those that seek to harm the innocent. War and death go hand in hand and the thing you have to keep in mind is that for every dark witch or wizard you put down, you are saving at least one innocent life; you are saving the life of their next victim."
"I try but it's not always easy. When it comes to those Death Eaters that I know did terrible things, it's easy to think of all of the terrible things they've done but it breaks something inside of me each time I kill someone that I went to school with for one to five years. It's hard to forget that those other teens were boys and girls that rode the Hogwarts Express with me, that ate their meals in the Great Hall with me, and that sat through the same classes with me."
"And did any of those that you killed ever surrender?"
"No, but I also didn't give them a chance to surrender because I killed them while they were unconscious the moment I verified they had allowed themselves to be branded with the Dark Mark."
"How did they end up unconscious?"
"Either one of the people with me knocked them out or I knocked them out during the fighting."
"And did they ever drop their wands and attempt to surrender before you knocked them out or were they actively fighting and you and your allies?"
"Fighting… but…"
"No buts; they made their choice. They could have surrendered or fled the moment you defended yourself from their attack. Do you kill those that were not branded with the mark of the man you are fighting?"
"No."
"Then you have nothing to be ashamed of and anyone that tells you otherwise is a fool," Gregory insisted in a stern tone that reminded Azalea of professor McGonagall. The man then softened his expression as he asked, "Was there anything else you wanted to know?"
"Do I have any other relatives still out there aside from the Dursleys?"
"No; we've always been a small family with no more than one or two children per generation."
"I was afraid of that but I always hoped… I guess the only other thing I wanted to ask you was what is so special about the color of our eyes? Chairman Netero said he'd recognized me as your great-granddaughter because he'd recognized my eyes and he told me that you'd told him that only a magical with Evans blood would ever have green eyes like ours."
"Ah, so the old brick-wall remembered that little tidbit, did he? Figures, I suppose; he always did remember the oddest little facts. To answer your question, it is not the color of our eyes that marks us as Evanses though green does tend to be the most prominent color in our line. What marks you as my great-granddaughter is your ability to use your blood as a living magical focus; giving you the ability to use your magic wandlessly above and beyond what other witches and wizards are normally capable of doing."
"Each time you pull your magic from your core without linking it to the magic of a focus, it infuses your very blood with magic and that magic will be reflected in your eyes and cause them to glitter with specks of gold under certain conditions; such as when you are actively casting wandlessly. They will also reflect the light like the eyes of a cat and give the appearance of glowing in the dark due to the magic flowing through your blood. The more magic your blood holds, the more noticeable the effect on your eyes will be when you use your wandless magic until they will eventually turn completely gold."
"Oh, Kurapika had brought up my eyes turning gold months ago but I never knew what was causing it. Are there any other abilities I might have inherited from the Evans family? Come to think of it, I still haven't found any information on the third ability that I inherited from the Potter side of the family; I probably should have asked my father while he was here but it didn't even cross my mind at the time."
"Yes, family inheritances are always grouped in threes; though it should be impossible for a child to be blessed with the magical inheritances from both parents. Normally, the parent that is considered magically dominant in ability will pass on their family's inheritance to all of their children while the other parent's magical inheritance is completely discarded because it is considered magically inferior. Otherwise the family inheritances would be cumulative and each successive generation would have doubled or tripled the number of abilities they possessed within a given family. If that were the case, then the wizarding world would not have lost so many talents over the years. You are certain that you inherited the abilities of your father's family?"
"Yes, I know I was born with both the Potter Luck and the Potter's dual inner nature," Azalea replied pensively. "Maybe I only inherited those two traits from my father and the last trait was the one I inherited from mum."
"That would not be possible; all three family traits are inherently linked and usually dependent upon one another to fully function, meaning that all three abilities must be present to use any of them. Take the Evans Inheritance for example; the first ability allows us to charge our blood with magic, the second ability is that our emotions boost our magical potential exponentially during times of great stress, and the third ability allows us to manipulate time and space under special circumstances."
"Oh, you're talking about the Flash-Step thing! That's how I was able to throw myself between Killua's attack and the man he was attacking; I must have traveled through time as I moved across the room so that I was where I needed to be when I needed to be there instead of just crossing the room really fast."
"Yes. So, you obviously inherited all three of the Evans abilities and if you inherited two of the Potter abilities, then you most likely inherited the third one as well. I suspect that your Potter Inheritance must compliment the Evens Inheritance in some way; it would be the only explanation as to why you inherited both sets of abilities and why you are able to use them to the extent you do."
"I will have to see if the answer can be found in the stuff Dumbledore left for me after he died or I can always call on the spirit of another Potter in order to get my answers."
"Be wary of the Hallows, child; they are not without cost," Gregory warned sternly.
"I know, Papa Greg; but with the prophecy hanging over my head and the lives of my unborn children on the line, I can't afford to limit my potential resources. The Hallows are tools just the same as my bokken and I won't allow myself to get caught up in the power they represent and forget that any tool can be dangerous if wielded carelessly."
"You truly are a Hunter at heart, granddaughter."
"It means a lot to me that you think so."
"It was truly an honor and a pleasure meeting you at last. I will leave you with one final piece of advice; never lose sight of your heart while you hunt, Harriet Azalea, you need your heart to tell you when it is time to go home least you lose what you love the most. Oh, and do me the favor of calling Isaac a brick wall at least once! If he complains, you can tell him I said it was only fair after he gave you my old nickname."
Azalea watched her great-grandfather fade out of sight and she sighed sadly even as she smiled. It had been wonderful to speak with all four spirits even as it hurt to let them go. And as tempting as it was to call them back again, she knew she wouldn't; just like she'd never again sought out the Mirror of Erised after her first year. It helped that she was no longer as alone as she had been during her first year. Sighing again, Azalea tucked the ring back beneath her shirt, tucked her wand into her pocket, and returned her cloak to her book bag as she put the power of the Hallows out of her mind.
She then crawled into bed in order to get some rest; it'd been a long day and she was beyond exhausted. She was woken up around five in the evening by all four of her elves so that she could eat supper and assign them all proper chores. Minky, as the only female elf, was assigned to personally attend Azalea (to clean her rooms, monitor her and her babies' health, and take care of her things) and keep the second floor clean while the three male elves would each take turns cooking for her each day (so they didn't get jealous of Minky personally serving her).
Dobby, as the elf bonded to Azalea the longest (by counting the years of his partial bond), became Azalea's secretary of sorts. He'd be responsible for taking care of Hedwig and Fawkes, making purchases and deliveries on her behalf, taking care of her mail (checking the things sent to her for harmful curses or potions, throwing out the junk, and making certain her replies were sent out in a timely manner), cleaning out the War Room, answering Kurapika's summons if the blond called him, and cooking one third of the meals for the Order.
Kreacher, as the Black Family elf, was responsible for taking care of all the portraits and valuables in the house, caring for any guests, cooking one third of the meals for the Order, and keeping the attic, most of the ground floor, and all of the first floor clean. And Tanker would be responsible for taking care of the Library, cleaning the basement, taking care of the grounds, cooking one third of the meals for the Order, and collecting the non-harmful books from her vaults at Gringotts that had already been checked for dark magic so they could be added to the library.
All four elves were mostly satisfied that she'd divided up the chores evenly and her promise that she'd try to spread any special assignments out between all four of them (such as keeping an eye on Pomfrey for five hours each time she made an appearance at Grimmauld place and stripping valuables from any mansions she raided). Both of the new elves were also given the standard orders of never punish themselves, never speak of her secrets to anyone associated with the Dark Lord of his Death Eaters, never insult muggleborns or muggles, to call her James and refer to her as a boy when she dealt with Hunter issues outside of the wizarding world, and to never fight with the other elves.
All of which were pretty much the same orders she'd given both Dobby and Kreacher the day she'd let Dobby join her family; bar the final order as that one was a new one she'd given to all four of them after recalling Kreacher's comment about having to be vigilant against the others least his work be stolen.
Once the elves were dealt with and her supper had been eaten, Azalea spent the rest of the evening sorting through the documents she'd purchased from the goblins the night before. Her next chosen target was the Lestrange Mansion but she wouldn't dare attack it until she was certain that Voldemort had moved onto the Nott properties. Tanker was given the dangerous task of monitoring the Lestrange properties so she'd know the moment the place was vacated (the elf ordered to abandon his watch the moment his life was in danger).
Dobby delivered a copy of her memories of defeating all three Malfoys (Draco's defeat being from the night he killed Dumbledore and from the failed Diagon Alley attack) and all three Lestranges to Bill's goblin supervisor along with a written oath that the memories were accurate and unaltered. She'd personally visit the bank first thing in the morning to discuss the expected vaults from those conquests since she knew that Bellatrix and Narcissa both had living family in Nymphadora Tonks and her mother Andromeda; who she'd need to meet with to discuss the distribution of her sisters' valuables.
The last thing Azalea did that night was to have an anonymous tip delivered to the Daily Prophet regarding the deaths of the Malfoys and the Lestranges and arrange for the payment and delivery of the next day's Prophet to one Tom Riddle to insure the Dark Lord got the news.
After a light breakfast of dry toast, chicken broth, and a nutrient potion (after yet another bout of morning sickness) first thing the next morning, Azalea headed to the bank. Tonks and Remus had been sent off to ask Tonks' parents to join her so that they could sit down to discuss the Malfoy, Lestrange, and Black fortunes and properties. Fleur and Bill were both escorting Azalea to the bank since they still had more vaults to search and inventory (a side effect of the growing number of witches and wizards that the Order had defeated).
The rest of the Order would once again be guarding the Alley and the bank from an attack in addition to monitoring the muggle news in an effort to deal with any Death Eater attacks in other parts of the country (in case Voldemort attempted to draw them away from Diagon Alley by attacking another location).
The seventeen year old witch stepped into the bank behind Fleur as Bill followed them both and immediately spotted Remus and Tonks waiting to one side of the lobby with a stately witch that reminded Azalea of Bellatrix; only far more beautiful since she'd not spent a decade and a half in prison. The mousy brown color of Tonks' hair let Azalea know that the metamorphmagus was worried or grieving and Azalea hoped the absence of Mr. Tonks didn't mean that the man had been killed by Death Eaters recently.
Locking away all of her insecurities, Azalea approached the trio and asked them to follow her as a goblin appeared to lead her to the conference room she'd rented for this meeting; Fleur stuck to her side while Bill went to check in with his supervisor. They'd barely stepped inside of the rented room before Andromeda Tonks (formerly Andromeda Black) rounded on Azalea and slapped her hard across the face.
Fleur, Remus, and Tonks drew their wands and placed themselves between the angry older witch and the younger witch an instant later; all three of them angry on Azalea's behalf for the sudden attack. Azalea was only half shocked by the attack as she'd expected the woman to be angry that both of her sisters were now dead (they had been her family after all, even if she wasn't on speaking terms with them) but while she'd expected the woman to attack her verbally, she'd not expected to be attacked physically.
"What the hell are you doing, mother?" Tonks hissed as her hair turned bright red with anger and embarrassment.
"It's fine, Tonks," Azalea stated quietly. "And Mrs. Tonks, while your anger is understandable and your grief justifiable; I will warn you now not to touch me again because I will defend myself."
"You killed both of my sisters and while Bellatrix may have been irredeemable, there was no cause for you to murder Cissy," Andromeda ground out in a haughty tone that was filled with barely suppressed rage.
"Tell me, Mrs. Tonks, do you know what it takes for a Death Eater to earn their Dark Mark?"
"What does that have to do with you killing off both of my sisters?"
"Everything; the Dark Mark can not be given to the unwilling. In order for a person to receive the Dark Mark, they must demonstrate their proficiency in all three of the Unforgivables to their master. They must first capture a muggle or muggleborn family with at least one child under the age of eleven and bring their prisoners to their master where they cast each of the three Unforgivables on the family as all of the gathered Death Eaters and their master watch in order to demonstrate their proficiency with those spells; a sick and twisted show for sick and twisted people."
"Your dearest little sister picked a mixed muggle and magical family of three with a little girl no more than five years old. Your sister willingly forced the father to do unspeakable things to his own daughter while forcing the mother, who was a witch, to watch. She then tortured all three members of the family before she ordered the father to kill his wife while the daughter was given to Fenrir Greyback. Your sister killed the father using the Killing Curse after she lifted the Imperius Curse so that he could see and remember what she'd just made him do."
"That was after she watched her husband do something similar with another family. And at the end of Draco's fifth year, she stood and watched as her son carried on the family tradition of murder, torture, rape, and depravity. All three of them eagerly and willingly pledged their lives and their souls to the Dark Lord for all eternity before he bound them physically and magically to him as he branded them like cattle. Can you still stand there and condone what your sister did and what she allowed her son to do knowing what she was willing to do in her desire to prostrate herself in front of a monster?"
"How do you know…?" Andromeda demanded weakly even as she struggled not to reveal just how ill that revelation had made her.
"I viewed the memories of all three Malfoys before I killed them or in Draco's case, sent him to his death. I have no wish to take lives indiscriminately and have therefore always sought to verify that the individuals that I capture are truly guilty of both being a Death Eater and of despicable crimes before I deliver justice for their victims. The other Death Eaters I have killed to date have all had similar memories."
"I had no idea…"
"I don't think anyone truly knew aside from those that wear the Dark Mark and those that were marked were ordered to never speak of how they earned their Mark, so it is possible that not even Professor Dumbledore knew of what was required of those who had been marked."
"I apologize for my unwarranted attack, Miss Potter."
"It's already forgotten, Mrs. Tonks; you were understandably distraught and did not know," Azalea countered as the group relaxed and wands were put away. "If you don't mind me asking, where is your husband? I expected him to be here as well."
"Dad's been on the run since the Ministry fell last month; Umbridge attempted to arrest him under the new Muggleborn Registration Act when he failed to register himself," Tonks answered in her mother's place as her hair faded back to mousy brown.
"Of all the stupid; Tonks, why didn't you just bring both of your parents to Headquarters!?" Azalea demanded as she rounded on the auror. "Even if they aren't in the Order, they are family! Merlin above please save me from the illogical thought process of magicals! Fawkes!" Remus and Fleur both hid their smirks at the gob smacked expression on the two other witches' faces over Azalea's short rant as the phoenix appeared in a burst of flames. "Thank you for answering friend, can you please find Mr. Tonks and bring him here? We need to make certain he's safe."
The phoenix returned ten minutes later with a worse for wear Ted Tonks and a second passenger in the form of a badly bleeding Dean Thomas. Apparently, the phoenix had turned up just in time to save the pair from a group of corrupted aurors that had been trying to capture them. Dean was handed over to one of the bank's Healers while the rest of the group sat down to discuss the distribution of the Malfoy and Lestrange vaults with Bill's supervisor. When Azalea left bank three hours later, she had three new Order members and guests that joined her at Grimmauld Place; with Kreacher enthusiastically welcoming Andromeda back into the Black Family.
One week later, Bill and his team of curse breakers would locate and destroy Hufflepuff's Cup inside of Bellatrix Lestrange's personal vault after verifying that the cup was indeed a horcrux.
Notes:
Splitting Hairs – Now, some of you might see discrepancies or contradictions in the conversations that Azalea had with the spirits of the dead and I wanted to make my thoughts clear to avoid being chastised in reviews. Specifically, I'm speaking about the fact that Gregory Evans had answered Azalea's harder questions when it appears as if Sirius had told her they couldn't answer those types of questions. I'd like to point out that Azalea wasn't asking the same questions though.
When she spoke to her parents and godfather, she was asking them if they thought she was doing the right thing or if they thought she was going dark and as Sirius said, the dead cannot judge the living. The questions she asked of her great-grandfather were different though, in that she was asking about his feelings and experiences, not asking him to judge her actions or feelings. A small difference, for sure, but it is enough of a difference to allow him to answer; at least in my mind. The same holds true of the questions Azalea asked her parents and Sirius about their feelings in regards to her pregnancy and Kurapika.
It is like the difference between asking 'may I' as opposed to 'can I' when asking for permission. It doesn't sound like all that big of a difference but there is a difference none-the-less. And I see the differences in wording and intent as being enough to make a difference between the two instances in this case, since magic is just as much about intent and belief as it is about power, know how, skill, and will.
11-01-15: Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes.