Mimosa stood in the dark watching her new daughters sleep. Azalea was five, almost six. Zinnia was a bit younger, almost four. They were both tow-headed, small boned little girls, one with sky blue eyes, the other with lake blue eyes. Mimosa was excited to see how they might change after the blood adoption. Even now she thought she saw a bit of gold in their white hair.
Arcturus had given them a suite on the fifth floor. Two bedrooms, a family parlor, a nice bathroom. More than enough for her little family.
"You have made two little girls very happy," Xeno spoke softly, standing behind her.
She turned and smiled at him. "I can't believe we are going to be neighbors here on the fifth floor." She poured him a glass of wine, and they sat down on the couch.
"After seeing how Luna has blossomed here, making friends with all her cousins, it was clearly the best thing to do. She's a bright child but I confess her education has been heavy on magical creatures and reporting, and lighter on arithmetic."
"Even my little ones will be in play school."
Xeno nodded. "She'll be here for classes in a safe place. And you will be her defense against the Dark Arts next year. That is a worry off my mind. My child, with such unique gifts, would have trouble in Hogwarts, I fear."
He tapped a ring and a small picture formed above it. Luna and her friend Ginny asleep in Luna's new pink, blue and white lace bedroom, holding stuffed toys. The ring was keyed to Luna and would inform him of her activities.
Mimosa shook her head a bit. "It is hard to believe I am now a mother. And I am able to drink wine out of stemware without spilling!"
"One of the best things that has happened to me since Arcturus did that Black Family Ritual has been meeting you." he squeezed her hand. "Did everything workout with the Azkaban investigation?"
"Yes. They decided that the missing prisoners had been vanished by magic, due to their wickedness."
"Ah."
"Well, I did hear that sometimes the nanny elf has to wake Narcissa in the night to settle them down. So they are little scamps all ready."
"I would expect nothing less."
Arthur sat in the bedroom, watching Molly sleep. He'd viewed Harry's memory of Dumbledore's attempted kidnapping again, along with his children when he'd had the final meeting with Arcturus.
Deciding to stand with Lord Black...Molly might never agree with it. He felt guilty about that. They had always made decisions together. But she practically worshiped Dumbledore.
He knew it was right to join Arcturus. He'd seen the fear and anger in Harry's face when he realized the stranger wanted him. The fury in Milly's and the blond cousin's face.
And Dumbledore. Something was wrong there. That look in his eyes. It was like Ron with a chocolate frog. Possessive, greedy. Childish, which is expected in a ten-year-old who doesn't get many sweets. Not right in an old man.
Almost as if Dumbledore felt he owned little Harry.
Arthur sighed. There had been times in the war when he had thought Dumbledore wasn't a great military leader. Too many risks for a group that wasn't made of Aurors. Asked to do things they weren't trained for…Too many untrained witches and wizards dead.
Molly had never been good at reading people. So he was going to have to give her an ultimatum. She could join him and take her vow. Or she could stay with Aunt Muriel or visit her new Irish estate, and the children would live with him, occasionally visiting their mother. If she chose to stand withDumbledore on this.
He didn't want that, but Molly might push for that. It was why he'dmade his vow while she was asleep. It was final.
Percy and the twins might want to live at Black Towers, anyway. They were accustomed to going away to school.
Percy had surprised him the most. He had never realized Percy had the Black ability to see truths, to understand motivations of others.
"I know I will get a Prefect Badge. I'm number one in my class, not just in Gryffindor," Percy had spoken up when asked his opinion. "But I can't help but feel something isn't right at Hogwarts. Why are we enemies with kids we'll soon be working with at the Ministry or at St Mungo's? Bill and Charley both work with people who were in Slytherin."
He looked down at his white knuckles. "Maybe I should have been in Slytherin, Dad. I've always been ambitious. I can't help but think my Owls and Newts will be better learning here. Potions, Defense. I'll actually be able to learn those subjects from a teacher. History of Magic, too."
Arthur nodded and turned to the twins."What about you two? I have never been happy with your grades, or with all your detentions."
The twins looked at each other. "Potions is a waste of time, but I think we could be really good at it, with areal teacher. Not Snape. History is a waste of time. Defense. So bad, every year." Fred answered. Arthur could always tell them apart up close, because Fred had a freckle in the middle of his right eyelid.
"It makes school seem more like ...babysitting. In so many classes there is no way to learn except study on your own. Classes all day, study all night. Like Percy. That— nope, we aren't going to teach ourselves classes we are supposed to learn from other teachers. Mom actually taught during our school times. So why not have fun?" George said.
Arthur nodded. "Well, I am going to be the father here. I know you made the team, but I have never heard either of you talk about a Quidditch career."
They shrugged in unison. "We know Charley could have gone pro. But he said that players got in trouble when their career ended. Good scores on Newts or family money is needed after Quidditch. We figured we wouldn't have either," Fred said.
"Well, I expect you will have fine Owl and Newts scores, with proper teaching. You two are probably the smartest Weasleys to ever live. I know I would like to guide you and see what skills you develop. I'd like to have the opportunity to help you learn," Lord Black said.
"So you will be attending school here, at Black Towers," Arthur said.
"I'll be upgrading the brooms for my Quidditch Pitch. Maybe you can help me with that." Lord Black winked at them. "I'll owl you. Percy, too. We'll get some samples, try them out." The twins looked at each other, shocked. Even Percy grinned at them.
Arcturus had given Arthur photographs taken from Harry's penseive memory. He hoped they would help Molly understand his decision.
Arthur stretched out in bed. He should get some sleep. Tomorrow would be another very long day.
St Mungo's, Late Afternoon
Head Healer Jurgen examined Dumbledore again. "This counter curse is already weakening. I doubt we can get Dumbledore out of stasis for longer than five minutes before the curse overcomes it."
Dumbledore's eyes fluttered open, the whites were both yellow and bloodshot. "Amelia Bones," he gasped. "Harry Potter captive...Black Towers…" He passed out.
The healer put him back in stasis. "Well, I'll contact Madame Bones."
Amelia Bones received the urgent message from St Mungo's a few moments later. I find it hard to believe Lord Black, on his death bed, kidnapped Harry Potter. I don't want to be a player in one of Dumbledore's schemes.
"Loretta I need you to take this to Marie Hedcoop, head of Family Services and Adoption Records. The file I want she will need to hand deliver to me, so once you personally hand this to her, you may return to your desk." While she spoke she wrote a message and sealed it with her magical wax and stamp. Amelia would know if anyone opened it.
"Yes, Ma'am." Loretta, long term secretary, did not blink an eye. She took the letter and bustled off.
Twenty minutes later Miss Hedcoop was standing at her desk, looking pale and clammy, hair a mess, shirt torn. She was clutching a folder.
"I...I think I've been cursed," Miss Hedcoop gasped. "When I pulled the f-file. It...it fought."
Amelia grabbed the file with a dragonhide cloth she kept for cursed items and locked it in her desk. At the floo she called, "Law enforcement healers to my office, NOW!"
Response was less than thirty seconds, she was pleased to see.
"Touch activated curse." A healer said. "I've applied a counter, but she'll need to go to St Mungo's."Amelia nodded.
"Loretta, memo. Miss Hedcoop may be up for a Commendation."
Amelia called for her senior aurors and explained the situation."So someone got inside her files. Her sensitive files. Lock down Family Services and Adoption Records. Arrest anyone who acts suspicious. Hold all persons who work there in the upper level detention rooms. They could be in danger, or under spells, so do not treat them like criminals, but keep them separated. We can hold them for forty-eight hours before we have to file charges. We will be conducting a full investigation about how a sensitive file was touch-cursed."
When the commotion was over, Amelia pulled out her goblin curse-nullifying crystals and the file. The crystals not only nullified the causes, they also recorded information about them.
Dumbledore's magical signature. Amelia snorted. Dumbledore was behind the times. These crystals had only been invented a few years ago. So clever, the goblins. She opened a new investigation file of her own.
The family was having dinner together in the family dining room. Petunia was glad they were not with the large crowd in the Pavilions. All the people were nice, she had no problem with the guests. There were just so many of them!
The boys were sitting together, with Harry between Neville and Milly. She had made them shower and change into semiformal robes for the meal. They couldn't wear beach clothes all day and night. As she glanced at them Dudley gave a huge yawn.
"Tonight all you children will sleep in your assigned rooms. No sleep over in the schoolroom. You all need your sleep. But we will plan a sleep over before everyone leaves on Saturday."
None of the children objected, just nodded quietly. She smiled a bit and caught Arcturus' eye. The children were half asleep at the table, so their midnight rendezvous would be no problem.
A house elf popped next to Arcturus and whispered. "Family, Amelia Bones is coming through the floo. No doubt is regards to Dumbledore. Twig, would you make a place at the table for her?" Twig did so.
A woman wearing a monocle with short bland hair and red robes came into the dining room. She looked around the table and her eyes stopped on Harry.
"Who's that?" Petunia whispered to Aunt Violetta.
"Madame Amelia Bones. Head of Magical Law Enforcement."
"Lord Black, I've been told you kidnapped Harry Potter? As per Headmaster Dumbledore," Madame Bones said.
Petunia gasped.
Harry made a scoffing sound. "Not hardly. That old Bumbledope tried to get me, but we stopped him good!" He and all his little friends nodded and grinned.
"Harry, you may not like Dumbledore, but you will be respectful and use his correct name," Petunia said.
Harry ducked his head. "Yes, Aunt Petunia." He stabbed a cooked carrot with his fork.
"You are his guardian, Petunia Dursley?" Madame Bones asked.
"Yes," Petunia said. "I would be happy to speak with you but I would prefer to wait until my boys have finished their dinner. They played hard and are exhausted. They need something other than sweets." She spoke a bit snootily, but she wasn't happy the law might blame Arcturus.
Madame Bones accepted a cup of tea and dinner passed quickly enough.
"Tell your friends goodnight boys. We will meet with Madame Bones, then bath and bed." Petunia smiled at the children. "We have surprise planned for all of you tomorrow."
The children, who all appeared to be about Susan's age, grinned. She saw Neville Longbottom, and Lady Longbottom, of course. The girl next to Harry was probably the Bulstrode girl. She recognized Narcissa Malfoy, now a widow, and her Lucius-copy son. Xeno Lovegood and his tiny daughter. How odd they would be here. Though Selene had been a Black on her mother's side.
"Let us retire to my study."
Amelia and her two aurors followed Arcturus, Petunia and the two boys. "Arcturus, I heard you were on your deathbed."
"I was ill, due to a curse. But that has resolved, as you see."
"There have been rumors about the Black Family all summer," she said.
"Indeed. Including a rumor that I kidnapped Harry?"
"Dumbledore is in St Mungo's with terrible curse. He woke briefly and made the accusation."
"Well, we are here as guests of Lord Black, who is Harry's great Uncle. My husband died recently. My son Dudley, who was born premature, had a block on his magic that Cousin Andi diagnosed and cured. Lord Black accepted Dudley into Family Black." She felt no need to explain that she was now magical, too.
Arcturus gave her a dazzling smile.
"I get to learn magic with Harry here at Black Towers," the big blond boy said. The two boys slapped their hands together.
"So, you came here as guests," madame Bones said, a small quill writing on a pad."
"Yes, but we have decided to make own home here, at Arcturus' invitation. The Black Family is opening its own school. I am not comfortable sending my boys to Dumbledore's school."
"Plus Milly and our friends will be here. She's not going to a school with big mean boys hurting her." Harry Potter frowned. Then he yawned.
"Perhaps the boys can head off to their rooms? They had an active day."
"May I?" Madame Bone held up her wand. "A simple check for spells or potions."
Petunia nodded. Madame Bones waved her wand a round the three of them.
"Nothing. All good then. Sorry to have bothered you."
The boys kissed Petunia on the cheek and left. Petunia smiled a little and patted their shoulders. "You are good boys." This was part of the gracious manners Lysandria was teaching them. She appreciated it.
"Perhaps you would like to watch Harry's pensieve memory of Dumbledore's attempted kidnapping of him?" Arcturus lifted his penseive from its locked glass box and placed on his desk.
"This is just one of the reasons my boys won't be going near Dumbledore. I have a whole list of grievances."
Madame Bones left an hour later, with records detailing Petunia's potioned state, Harry's neglected health. The whole sordid story of Dumbledore's influence on the family.
Also, she had rapes of schoolgirls charges to investigate. Susan was due to start Hogwarts soon…
As for the rest, the wizards Lord Black had locked up in his dungeon. Their cells and food were humane. Better than Azkaban. They even had muggle paper books to read. The law couldn't intervene once a Blood Feud was called by a Pureblood. Aberforth Dumbledore was now a Black! As were the Weasleys, the whole brood attending school at Black Towers instead of Hogwarts. Her mind reeled.
This new Black family...they were bringing more change than Voldemort ever did.