Author's Note: I know I said Thursday, I lied. Enjoy. MNF
Chapter 25:
Shake the Disease
April 18, 1986
Kitty sat at her desk in the DMLE, reviewing photographs taken from another memory file from their embedded spy at the Mulciber home in Yugoslavia. This one showed a whole slew of new potion ingredients. The department's Potions Masters could only identify a third of them on sight, and they'd gone so far as to bring a former Department of Mysteries Potion's Master in to work on the case. Whoever was mixing their potions had an incredible knowledge. She suspected it was Severus Snape, but she'd not seen him in any pictures. Yet. It was a Death Eater during the first war. Unfortunately, until they had proof he'd left the UK and was in Yugoslavia, there wasn't anything they could do. There was a not-so-secret spy within the walls of Hogwarts, however. Minerva McGonagall kept Amelia posted on Snape's activities.
"Nothing good is going to come from these things," Kitty said ruefully to the air, her eyes still raking over the various stills. Ailill had identified one of the things they'd never seen before as wings from Fire Elves. The elves they were taken from would have died a horrible, painful death as they could not get to any other elves to staunch the bleeding. The elves were unaccustomed to walking long distances; their legs were not built for it. Kitty was repulsed by the idea of stealing something from a sentient being and just leaving them to die in the wild. Ailill also explained that once the wings were ground and mixed with purified water, the paste could paralyze any bipedal being. The antidote had to be administered quickly, or the person would be in a persistent vegetative state. Whatever these four families were up to, it reeked of the first war with Voldemort. It was a time Kitty didn't want to return to.
More troubling than the strange collection of items was the disappearance of "the baby." Kitty knew it physically looked like an infant, but the features were barely human. While she had never come face-to-face with Voldemort, he was the only other being she knew of to have glowing, red eyes. This thing also resembled the creature James, Lily, Sirius, and various Aurors had described to her.
Although she was too frightened to raise it with anyone other than Amelia and Kingsley, who had reluctantly agreed it could be what was left after his spell backfired on Harry, Kitty had a theory. Only one person might have some information that they lacked, and that was Albus Dumbledore. Kitty was hesitant to suggest seeing him, even to Amelia, because she did not want him around Harry.
Before her death, Lily had confided in Kitty there was a prophecy about Harry, something about a child born as July ended. She hadn't really paid attention, considering Divination was such an imprecise art. However, she wanted to know what it said, mostly if it really was about her son.
Kitty was trying to place the exact time that she and Sirius began referring to Harry as their boy, rather than James and Lily's. They would always be his biological parents, but after both adoptions were complete, there was a feeling of protectiveness and kinship which had grown in her heart. Sirius had said as much to her as well. She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear Rufus Scrimgeour, her actual supervising boss, come in and put a cup of tea on her desk.
"I hope your head was on your work and not on your imminent arrival," he said, looking at Kitty's belly to see if it had grown any.
"I see the inter-office gossip machine still works overtime," Kitty said with a laugh. "I'm not due until October, and no, I'm not showing either. I considered what and where this 'baby' we saw on our spy's memories might be. Do you think they're moving it between houses? Who gave birth to it? Narcissa Malfoy is in the UK, I saw her a week ago buy clothes for Draco while shopping for Harry. Nott's wife hasn't been seen since she gave birth to Theo six years ago, and the wives of Abraxas Malfoy and Cuthbert Avery are ancient. Maybe one of the younger generations has a mistress stowed away somewhere?"
"If she was hidden in the Mulciber house, she was hidden well. Our spy found no trace of a woman of childbearing years being there," Scrimgeour said.
"That leaves the possibility of young Stirling Avery being the father, or maybe Edwin Mulciber, but we were certain he was gay when we were in school," Kitty said. "Of course, he could have been forced to impregnate someone."
"Ms. Fawley, do you really suppose that is an infant?" Scrimgeour asked, and Kitty shook her head.
"No, but don't ask me what my hypothesis is yet," she quickly interjected before he could ask. "I need to do more research."
"Very well," he said. "Use whatever resources you need, just get me answers. Minister Bagnold isn't going to believe us without concrete proof." Kitty nodded, thanked him for the tea, and the Head Auror left. Bagnold was going to step down soon, and most believed that Scrimgeour would be elected in her place. Kitty supposed that was why she and Kingsley were in the positions they were. They'd break apart their Auror department into domestic and international, much like the Muggles MI5 and MI6. She hoped their departments got along better than the two Muggle branches did. Spies were notoriously cagy around other spies, but with the possibility of new dark times coming upon them, unity was going to be imperative.
Before she could delve back into the memory file, Kingsley came in looking like the cat that swallowed the canary. "What has you so happy?" Kitty asked.
"The Wizengamot is asking Dumbledore to step down," he said. Kitty looked at him, waiting for the rest of his news.
"That can't be the only thing which has you excited," Kitty said drolly. "Come on, who are they recommending to take his place?"
"Amelia."
"Brilliant choice, but if we lose Rufus and Amelia at the same time, we as a department are going to suffer."
"They could make you the new head of the DMLE," he suggested. Kitty laughed.
"Thank you for the compliment, but no," Kitty said resoundingly. "I'm going to be too busy raising my children soon. I'm not sure I even want to be working as it is."
"You just got back here? You can't quit now!" Kingsley appeared personally affronted by this idea.
"You know I work because I love it, not because I need to work. If it weren't for the strange activities in Yugoslavia, I don't know that I'd be working at all." Kingsley wasn't happy with her statement, but also knew it was true. He sat down at his desk to go through reports, and she continued to compare potion ingredients from pictures to the ancient Potions compendium Sirius had found at Grimmauld Place for her.
The sudden arrival of an owl dropping a message from St. Mungo's onto her desk broke Kitty away from her work. The distinctive red parchment wasn't something Auors waned to see. After reading the note, she stood, grabbed her cape, and looked at Kingsley.
"Something has happened to Sirius. He and Harry are both in St. Mungo's." He stood and grabbed his cape as well.
"I'm coming with you. I'll let Ailill know where we are going. Wait for me at the departmental Floo." Kitty nodded and went toward the private fireplace for the Aurors. He joined her, and soon they were headed to the hospital. Arriving in the A & E department, Kitty thought the second visit wasn't a good sign in less than a year.
"I'm Kitty Fawley, my fiancé and son were brought in; Sirius Black and Harry Potter."
"Lord Black is in bay six. Harry has been taken to the pediatric floor," the medi-witch who was on duty at the information desk told her, and Kitty bid a hasty thank you before running toward bay six. It was, unfortunately, the same bay she'd been in when poisoned.
Entering the room, she was surprised to find Cheery sitting in the corner on a small stool. Sirius was covered with bandages that had been soaked in Murtlap Essence, going by the pungent odor the room reeked of. His face, neck, chest, and arms were carefully wrapped. At the noise of her entering, Sirius cracked open his one good eye.
"Katie," he said with effort before closing his eye again.
"What happened?" she asked, but Sirius remained silent. Cheery instead answered.
"They were outside, my Lady, when I felt the ground rumble something fierce. We, Rumple, and I, ran out to find Harry shaking and Lord Sirius on the ground, bleeding. Mr. Remus said Harry had a fit, and his magic had struck out against Lord Sirius. We helped Mr. Remus bring them here. Rumple is with little Harry."
Kitty took Sirius' good hand in hers and leaned close. "Squeeze my hand to say yes," she directed him. "Was it accidental magic?" Kitty felt nothing. "Okay, I'm going to check on Harry. Cheery will take care of you until I'm back." Kitty kissed his crown and then turned to face her friend and co-worker.
"Can you stay here, at least until I get back?"
"Of course," Kingsley answered, and Kitty went to the lifts to be taken to the pediatric floor. When she exited the carriage, she immediately found Remus in the hallway.
"What happened?" she asked after he hugged her tightly.
"We were outside, Harry and Sirius on their brooms, tossing the Quaffle about when Harry became stock still. He fell from his broom, which was only about six feet off the ground, and then he started the shake. When the shaking stopped, he looked at Sirius and yelled at him. Then a wave of magic ripped free of him. Then Harry started to shake again. The only reason I wasn't torn to shreds like Sirius was that I was on the patio and had a second to put up a shield. He's still unconscious."
"What did he yell?" Kitty asked hesitantly. She had a feeling in her gut that it was going to be awful.
"I'm sorry, but all I heard was something about returning to power," Remus said, and Kitty plopped into the empty chair. "What aren't you telling me?"
"Not here," Kitty said. "Can I go see him?"
"They wouldn't let me in because I'm not a parent. I'm sure you'll be fine. Your elf is in there with him, although I can't see him."
"Cheery told me Rumple was here," Kitty said. "Kingsley is down with Sirius. Why don't you let him know he can go back to the Ministry? Ask him to tell Amelia to be at our house at eight, and then contact Minerva. I need to bring you up to speed on something we've discovered at work."
"You think it's related."
"I know it is." Remus nodded and walked down the hallway Kitty had just come through. Kitty entered the room and wanted to cry at what she saw. Harry looked horribly pale, and they had his arms and legs magically restrained. A Healer was carefully scribing notes into Harry's chart. She watched the different spells monitoring Harry's breathing, heart rate, brain waves, and a few other signs Kitty didn't know what they were.
"Hello, I'm Kitty Fawley, Harry's mother," Kitty said, offering her hand.
"I'm Healer Mae Tinker," the woman said gently. She was a slight woman, only five-foot-two at the most. Her hair was so pale it was nearly white, although her skin was a lovely, warm brown that reminded Kitty of freshly baked bread. However, her eyes were the most striking thing about her, for they were a violet-blue Kitty didn't think she'd ever seen before.
"I was at work when all this happened," Kitty explained. "What's wrong with Harry?"
"Sit down, please." Healer Tinker said. "I heard you speaking outside the door. Did Mr. Lupin relay the story of what happened before Harry's arrival?"
"As best as he could," Kitty confirmed. "There are still a few holes that I'm hoping Sirius will be able to confirm when his injuries have healed." Healer Tinker nodded.
"Harry arrived here in an unconscious state," the healer said. "We were able to rouse him, but when we did, he became combative, asking for you, Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin. The latter came in, but in the ensuing chaos, Harry accidentally hit one medi-witch with his hand and sent an electrical charge through an orderly. Because of this, we sedated him. Now that he's calmer, and you're here with him, we can bring him out of his sleeping state."
"Okay, hopefully, I can keep him calm."
"Before we proceed, I need to speak with you about something rather indelicate," she said, and Kitty braced herself. "Did you know there is a mass inside your son's skull? It is located behind his scar."
Kitty looked at the Healer as if she were no longer human, before swaying and slumping into unconsciousness.