Chapter Thirty: Aven

Aven Potter looked at Albus Dumbledore, studying his features. It had been years since she had laid eyes on him, but he had not changed one bit. He was looking at her, completely bewildered, unable to grasp what was happening before him.

Aven smiled at him once again 'Albus, it is good to see you after all this time.' Albus smiled back at her and sat down beside her. The healers were watching what was unfolding in front of them carefully. 'Aven, how is this possible?' he asked as he watched her carefully.

Aven sighed and diverted her eyes back out the window 'It is a long story.' Albus reached forward and took her hand in his 'I will listen to it all without interruption.' She looked back at him and smiled weakly. 'To tell you, I have to relive the worst night of my life.


Oliver had arrived back after ensuring his daughter's safety. Aven stood beside her husband, her wand at the ready. Her heart broken at the prospect of losing her daughter, of her daughter growing up without her.

She pushed those thoughts out of her head, there was no time to mourn for what could have been as it still could be. The alarms Oliver and Robert had set had been triggered, which meant it was only a matter of minutes until those who were after her brother-in-law and his family would reach their house.

It was quiet, too quiet. Until they heard a loud crack in the kitchen. Aven sent a stunning spell in that direction as two more Death Eaters appeared in the living room. Oliver and Robert were duelling them, flashes of blue, red and green illuminated the otherwise dark house.

Curses were flying, and as Aven returned with a spell of her own she saw Robert get hit with a killing curse, his body crumpled on the floor 'NO!' she cried out as she returned fire at the one who had killed him.

She spun around and saw her husband duelling two others as she took on the two Robert had been duelling. Pure rage and grief fuelled her duelling, but it made her become more unsteady and unpredictable.

In an instant, the Death Eaters had stunned Aven and disarmed Oliver. 'Tell us where they are and maybe we will give you a quick death' sneered the one with a rough voice. 'We will never tell you where they are Selwyn' roared Oliver. The other Death Eater laughed. 'Crucio' spat the man Oliver identified as Selwyn.

Oliver's screams echoed around the room as the torture curse was used on him repeatedly. Aven lay on the ground stunned, unable to move. Her heart breaking for her husband listening to his tortured screams and his ragged breath once Selwyn ceased using the curse.

She lay there willing herself to move, when she felt the stun spell beginning to wane. She moved her head slowly, to look at her husband while the Death Eaters were talking amongst themselves. His breathing was uneven, he looked dazed and there was blood running from his nose. He looked at her, his eyes boring into hers and she let her guard down.

Aven felt his presence in her mind, she could see the fractured images he was portraying into her mind. Images of their wedding, when they first met, when Emalia was born. The last one was a message.

'I love you, no matter what happens that will never change' his voice echoed in her mind 'Aven, if you get the opportunity to run, take it. Save yourself, go to Albus and find Emalia.' Aven looked at her husband, her blue eyes shining with tears and nodded gently.

'Maybe if we torture her it might loosen his tongue?' muttered the dark-haired Death Eater. Selwyn laughed dryly 'That's not a bad idea Rabastian.'

Selwyn turned to Oliver 'Ollie, Ollie Ollie, now I know I should have some semblance of respect for you seeing as you were in the same year as me. However, your beautiful wife here is going to suffer unless you tell me where your brother is hiding.'

Oliver stayed silent. 'Well, I have to admit, I am not disappointed with your choice' taunted Selwyn. He turned to face Aven, pointed his wand at her and said 'Crucio.' Aven tried not to scream, she did not want to give this awful man what he wanted, which seemed to enrage him. 'I will make you scream bitch.' He seethed. He summoned the two other Death Eaters either side of him. 'Curse her.'

'No' whispered Oliver. Rabastian shoved his wand into the soft flesh of Oliver's neck 'Shut it Potter or else you both die.' Oliver looked up at the men standing in front of him with loathing. 'Crucio' shouted the three men. Aven's screams filled the quiet night as she was hit with three simultaneous torture curses.

'NO' roared Oliver as he launched himself at Rabastian Lestrange. The sudden movements startled the other three Death Eaters as they turned to face Oliver. 'AVEN GO' he shouted. Selwyn sighed as he walked over to Oliver, pointed his wand 'Avada Kedavra' and with a flash of green light Oliver Potter's body hit the floor with a thud, lifeless.

Aven cried out in pain and heartbreak, her body shifting to that of a creature that resided inside her. She grew long talons at the end of each hand and slashed at the neck of the nearest unidentified Death Eater who crumpled on the floor, blood pumping out of him. A terrible gurgling scream came from his throat as he drowned on his own blood.

Aven, unable to focus turned on the spot and disappeared just before three flashes of green light hit the spot that she was standing on. Seconds later she appeared near white cliffs, unaware of her surroundings. It was far from where she needed to be, but it was as far as she could get in her current condition.

She wandered aimlessly dazed and injured for hours. It was seven am before she was noticed. She had wandered into the wizarding community of Folkenstone, an elderly witch with fuzzy grey hair approached her with an alarmed look on her face. 'Are you ok my dear?' Aven looked at her, without really seeing her and opened her mouth and screamed silently before collapsing on the ground.

Hours later she woke up in a strange and unfamiliar place, aware of her surroundings but unable to communicate. She could hear people asking her questions, but she retreated further into herself, the grief over what she had lost consuming her.


Aven relayed all this information to Albus, he listened on intently, processing what she was sharing with him. He only spoke when she had finished talking. 'Well that certainly explains a lot' mused Albus.

'When Fabian and Gideon Prewett arrived at your home with Sirius Black and Remus Lupin they found the bodies of Oliver and Robert in your house. You were nowhere to be found. It seems though that I have finally solved that mystery.' He smiled sadly.

Aven shuddered, as if a gust of wind had blown through her. Albus quickly summoned an extra blanket to wrap around her but Aven pushed it off. 'What is happening?' she asked wide-eyed. Albus looked at her curiously. 'Emalia. Bring me to my daughter immediately' she demanded as she jumped to her feet unsteadily.

Albus rose from his seat and took a firm hold of Aven's arm and started to guide her to where her daughter was lying. The walk from the closed ward to Emalia's room took longer than usual. Aven was more than a little unsteady on her feet, but she was adamant that she would walk there.

Albus was trying to figure out how to explain what she was about to see but realised there were no words to describe what had happened. He had failed Oliver and Aven, he had failed his goddaughter.

When Albus opened the door to Emalia's door, he heard Aven take a sharp and sudden breath when her eyes settled on her daughter. She pulled free of Albus's support and wobbled over to the bed and sat on the side of it. 'Who?' she asked hoarsely. Albus was shocked into silence, that was not the question he expected. 'Who did this Albus?' she asked this time with anger in her voice, but her eyes never left Emalia's face.

Albus walked over to the other side of the bed and settled himself into the chair. He looked up at Aven, his blue eyes solemn and serious before answering the question that hung in the air. 'Corisande Guinevere.'

That answer was enough to shock Aven that she tore her eyes away from her daughter's face to focus her attention on Albus. She gently shook her head repetitively 'No. No, she would not- No Cori could never- not my child' she whispered, betrayal and heartbreak playing in her eyes.

Albus sighed 'When Robert died, Corisande lost a part of herself and was consumed by grief. It took a hold of her and changed her. You know more than I do about the emotions of Veela, how intense they are. It broke her and she cursed Emalia thinking it was you.'

Tears were streaming down Aven's face, as she listened to what Albus had to say. Her best friend, partner in crime, her confident had suffered because of her. It broke her heart to know that Corisande had suffered all these years in silence. 'I can save her' whispered Aven 'I know this curse, I was studying it, before..' she trailed off her eyes glazed over momentarily.

She shook her head as if trying to ground herself in the present moment. 'I need time to remember. There are parts of my memory that is clouded.'Aven reached out and gently placed her palm against the cheek of her child and smiled sadly. 'I will save you mon trésor.'

Emalia opened her eyes, for the first time in weeks. The first thing she saw was a haggard looking but beautiful woman with almond shaped blue eyes watching her intently. Her white hair was fine and hung loosely at her shoulders. Tears filled Emalia's eyes. She was seeing a ghost, there was no way this was even remotely possible.

'Mum?' she croaked, her throat was dry, and it hurt to talk. Aven looked at her daughter and enveloped her into a warm and tight hug. 'I am here Emalia, I am here.' She cried into her daughter's shoulder.

Albus wiped away the tear that had escaped his eye, he was rejoicing that Emalia had her mother back, but there was that dread in the back of his mind nagging at him. For how long would Aven be in Emalia's life, this curse could be transferred and if that happened then it would mean that Aven would end up in Emalia's place.


The more time Aven spent with Emalia, the more Emalia recovered. She was receiving a reprieve from the curse, as if the magic was confused about what it should be doing and to whom.

Aven had been in contact with the Veela council who had sent over the information they had found in the hopes it would jog her memory. Aven had been catatonic all these years, her mind and memories withering from lack of use.

It took her four days to read through the material that had been sent to her. She tried to balance her time between reading and spending time with her daughter. The time they had been given together was a blessing and Aven wanted to take advantage of it as much as possible.

When she was not reading or being with Emalia, she was writing. She had requested a blank notebook, a quill and some ink from a healer, who she had come to know as Bonnie. Bonnie gladly obliged. Aven spent her time writing all that she knew into this journal, her knowledge on alchemy, her knowledge on Veela and the particular bloodline that her and Emalia belonged to, and various other bits of advice and information she thought Emalia may find useful.

Aven may not have found the cure for her daughter just yet but she knew it would greatly restrict the amount of time they could spend together. 'Mum?' Aven looked up from her writing, smiling when she noticed her daughter was awake.

'What are you writing?' asked Emalia watching as her mother gently closed the book and put it to one side. 'Writing helps me remember, and I am hoping that this will help jog my memories to help get rid of this curse' she replied softly, avoiding the truth.

There was a commotion outside of the room, causing both Emalia and Aven to divert their attention to the door. 'Boys. BOYS' roared a voice as laughter and footsteps drew closer. The door flung open with such force that Aven thought it may fly off its hinges. In ran two identical red headed boys with mischievous grins on each of their faces. Moments later a very angry looking witch with red hair followed in.

'Molly?'

Molly Weasley looked in the direction of Aven, her brows furrowed as if she was trying to recall who the woman sitting in front of her was.

'Aven?' she whispered as recognition flooded her face. Aven rushed to her feet and embraced the other woman into a hug. 'Eh Mum?' asked Fred confusion on his face, he turned to Emalia for clarification. 'Fred. George. Meet my Mum' smiled Emalia happily.

'Wait. Your Mum?' asked George confused.

'WAIT YOU ARE AWAKE?' roared Fred and George simultaneously as they pounced on Emalia, shaking her, laughing joyfully. Emalia joined in on the laughter as Aven and Molly looked on smiling.

The room was filled with laughter and chatter as the twins and Emalia caught up. Molly and Aven watched on, holding their own conversation. Aven had spent the last fifteen minutes explaining what had happened to Molly, how she was still alive.

Aven watched her daughter interact with her friends, she noticed the particular attention that one of the boys gave to Emalia and how she in turn responded to that. As realisation hit her, a warm smile spread across her face. She looked at Molly who was also smiling at their children.

'I think we may, one day end up being a lot closer than we are now Molly' Aven spoke softly looking for the other woman's reaction as she said these words. Molly turned to face Aven the smile still on her face 'From the moment Emalia stepped into our home a couple of weeks ago, I could see the connection that her and Fred have, so I would be inclined to agree with you Aven.'

Aven fell quiet for a few minutes before speaking again, her voice lowered so that only Molly would be able to hear her 'If anything should happen to me, Molly can I ask you to keep an eye on my daughter?'

Molly looked at Aven the shock apparent on her face. Aven continued before Molly could ask any questions 'I do not know what will happen once we remove this curse from Emalia, but it could limit my time here with her. I do not mean to put this pressure on you Molly, but I can see that you do care about my daughter and it would bring me, and Oliver comfort knowing that she has capable and loving people by her side when times get tough.'

Aven tore her eyes from Molly to focus on the face of her daughter, laughter lighting up her face 'I know you have your own family Molly but I just-' she faltered emotion heavy in her voice.

Molly placed her hand on Aven's own 'I promise you; I will look out for her. You have my word, mother to mother' she said resolutely.


The days flew by with Aven and Emalia becoming incredibly close. Albus watched on, overjoyed that both of them got to spend time with each other, but secretly he was worried about what would happen if removing the curse from Emalia would cause her to lose her mother again after so recently reuniting with her.

He was mulling over this a frown set on his face when Aven wandered over to him. She stood beside him and motioned for him to follow her. With a final look at a sleeping Emalia the two of them made their way to the tearoom. They ordered a cauldron cake each and a pot of tea.

Once it was settled in front of them Aven spoke 'I know what is bothering you Albus. I know the possibility of taking Emalia's place in this curse is high and the odds of us curing the curse are slim. I know you are worried that if she loses me that it will be too much for her.' She trailed off as if trying to push the idea of losing her daughter again out of her head.

Albus could see the emotion warring behind her eyes as she tried to exude a sense of calm on the outside.

'She is stronger than you think she is, Albus. Even if she does lose me, she will find a way to continue. She is resilient, headstrong and stubborn; something she gets from her Veela side, but she also gets it from her father. I know she will be an amazing woman, she is already amazing' Aven smiles at Albus, placing her hand on his folded ones

'You raised her to be curious, to be strong, to be steadfast and to stand up for what she believes in. You raised her to be everything Oliver and I could have hoped for and more; and for that we will be forever in your debt.'

Albus smiled back at Aven 'I love her as if she is my own blood. I wanted her to be her own person, to discover who she is on her own; but I also wanted to raise her in a way that you and Oliver would be proud of.' Albus sighed 'Oftentimes I have questioned whether I have chosen the right path for her. I admit I have never given her that vial you and Oliver left for her, which often keeps me awake.'

Aven processed this information, she had thought that Albus would have given that vial to Emalia at this stage. Her eyebrows knit together as she mulled over the information, she could feel Albus's eyes watching her.

She looked back at him 'Although I wish you would have given the vial to her sooner, I think it would probably be best to give it to her when she needs it most.'

'I never once looked in it, although sometimes my curiosity would push me to open it' admitted Albus, as he took a sip of his tea. Aven smiled as her fingers played with the handle of her teacup as she cast her mind back to when her and Oliver made that vial. It was one of those 'in case we don't make it' type of contingencies, that Emalia would know how much her parents love her.

Aven looked into Albus's eyes, emotion filling her own 'I need you to promise me that you will give Emalia that vial if I die.'

Albus looked at her with a solemn look set on his face 'You have my word Aven.'

Aven nodded curtly, her expression unreadable, but inside a hurricane of emotion tore through her as she realised that Emalia would receive that vial sooner than either of them had hoped.


Emalia was content, she could not move much but she was awake, she could talk and spend time with her mother. She was still drained though, her energy did not last long which meant she had to take frequent naps, and Emalia had a sinking feeling that this state she was in wouldn't last long. Emalia was terrified of slipping back into that waking sleep.

'Are you ok my dear?' asked her mother looking at her worriedly. Emalia fixed the anxious look on her face 'Yes Mum, I'm fine' she said shrugging her shoulders in an effort to seem nonchalant.

Aven sighed 'Emalia. I am your mother; I can tell when something is bothering you.' Emalia looked at her, fear in her eyes 'I don't want to go back to the way I was' she whispered hoarsely.

Aven sat on the bed and pulled her daughter into warm hug 'I promise you I will not let that happen to you. I will keep you save; you are my everything my beautiful daughter' she whispered to her daughter as tears fell down Emalia's face.


Aven was sitting in her room writing in her notebook when there was a soft knock against the door. She looked up pure joy etched into her face 'Celeste!' she exclaimed as she jumped to her feet and pulled her friend into her room. Aven took on a more youthful spirit, seeming more like her old self than she had in years.

Celeste broke out into a radiant smile, a look of disbelief mixed with joy on her face 'I did not think I would ever see you again' she said in a whisper, as if saying it any louder would cause Aven to spontaneously combust. Celeste placed her two hands either side of Aven's face, taking in her visage before sitting down beside her. The two women spent the next hour catching up with each other as if the last decade.

'Aven-' trailed off Celeste. Aven looked at her, her eyebrow cocked with curiosity. 'The Council have requested your presence… I tried to stop it, but they insisted on having you back where they can protect you.' Celeste avoided Aven's eyes.

Aven looked at her furious 'I will not go Celeste! My place is here, near my daughter trying to save her life.' Celeste avoided Aven's gaze, she kept her eyes on her hands that rested in her lap. 'The Council were supposed to protect me and my daughter, they were supposed to look out for her. Yet they abandoned her. They left her alone to fight this curse.'

Celeste looked up at her, tears in her eyes 'I tried Aven. I cannot go against them; I do not have the same status as you or Emalia do. I have to stay in my place.' Aven raged silently, she knew none of this was Celeste's fault, but she was let down by those who were supposed to care for her and her descendants.

'Aven. If you do not come with me, I have been ordered to bring you' she said quietly her eyes diverted to the floor. Aven sighed, trying to swallow her anger and nodded stiffly. No other words were shared between the two women as Aven grabbed a hold of Celeste's arm. Together they turned on the spot and disapparated.

Moments later they arrived in a dark room, dimly lit by candles. In front of them was a table, seated at the table were the Council of Veela. On the left-hand side sat the three representatives of witches and wizards who have Veela blood, on the right-hand side sat the three representatives of full blooded Veela. Seated in the centre was a woman with white hair and emerald green eyes.

Aven nodded curtly 'Lada.' The eyes of the woman sitting in the centre narrowed slightly, a dark shadow formed briefly in them before she pulled a bright smile onto her face. 'Miss Vauclain..' she began.

'Mrs Potter' corrected Aven icily. The Veela sitting to the right of Lada hissed at her tone 'You will show your elder respect' hissed one her eyes flashing ruby red in rage.

'I will show respect when that respect is earned' responded Aven, fury in her eyes.

Lada laid her hand on the arm of the enraged Veela. There were no words needed, that small gesture was enough to silence the woman, but her rage was still there, simmering under the surface. Aven did not care, she was enraged at how those she had trusted once had turned their back on one of their own.

'We welcome you back Mrs Potter, and now that your miraculous re-emergence into the wizarding world has taken place, we would be honoured if you would take a place on the Council. Your father held great importance here, and as you are descended from him the last male Veela we have record of, you too hold great importance' Lada paused eyeing the woman in front of her cautiously a smarmy look on her face.

'As well as that, we welcome your daughter also. We want to extend our helping hand and teach her our ways and customs as we have done with you and all others of Veela blood.'

Aven scoffed loudly, causing the enraged Veela's eyes to flash a murderous red. Aven looked at her, a challenge in her eyes, taunting the Veela to try something.

'You did not help my daughter when she needed it. You know, as well as I do, that there was information here that could help her' Aven fumed her eyes boring into Lada's, whose eyes remained impassive.

'It is required that all those that have substantial Veela blood and those from prestigious lines, come here to learn how to utilise their gifts and learn about our traditions. There is no getting away from that Aven' replied Lada, a sickly sweet but forced smile on her face.

'No.'

Lada's peaceful and passive façade broke for a moment as the rage at Aven's defiance broke to the surface. The Veela sitting either side of her muttered angrily, some of them even began to shift into their harpy-like forms.

'I may be wandless at present Lada, but I do not need that to stop you as you are acutely aware' said Aven as she watched the Council in front of her grapple with control.

They were not used to being openly defied like this. It was accepted by all that the Veela Council were the upholders of tradition and heritage and were revered amongst many that had Veela blood. Very few defied them, and even fewer lived to share their triumph over the Council.

Lada studied the fierce woman in front of her. Although the defiance enraged her, she was also impressed with Aven. She raised an eyebrow, there was one of two ways this could go, and she wanted to choose the way that would avoid any unnecessary bloodshed or worse – scandal.

Lada sighed audibly. 'I see that we have broken your trust Aven. So, I would like to rebuild it. I will open up everything to you and those you trust to help you find a way to save your dear child' Aven eyed Lada suspiciously. 'If you decide to take us up on your help, we will require your daughter to attend here to learn about her heritage as you once did. Those are the terms.'

Lada and Aven locked eyes, each woman building contingencies and arguments for what was to come.

'I agree, to your terms' Aven said after a long silence 'But Emalia, will only spend a total of two weeks here, when she is fourteen, and it will not interfere with her education at Hogwarts'

The woman to Lada's right opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced when Lada raised her hand, her gaze still firmly fixed on Aven. 'Agreed.'

Aven nodded curtly and keeping her eyes placed firmly on the Council, backed away and left the room. Lada watched her, conflicted about what had happened. She had not gotten her way which left her unimpressed, but she had managed to get Aven to agree to let Emalia attend here to learn about her heritage, which was a win in her eyes. She sighed and dismissed the rest of the table before leaving herself.

Aven walked back to Celeste 'Bring me back to St Mungo's' was all she said to the woman. Celeste nodded and brought her back and left immediately. Aven walked to inform Albus that she had struck a rather tenuous deal with the Council of Veela.

The next day, with the help of Bonnie and Albus, Aven and Emalia travelled to the palace where the Council of Veela were situated. They were shown to adjoining rooms, Aven was adamant that Emalia would not be left alone while she researched. Bonnie and Albus were welcomed to rooms adjacent to that of Aven and her daughter.

The next morning, Aven left Emalia in the trusted hands of Bonnie and together with Albus, made her way to the library. When she reached the library, she was surprised to see Lada there, searching various volumes of books about Veela magic. Aven eyed her suspiciously, untrusting of her motives. She had known Lada before and had heard rumours of her ruthlessness, she wanted the power and prestige that came with being the head of The Council.

Lada glanced up from her work to see Aven enter the library accompanied by Albus Dumbledore, she nodded politely and returned to her research. She wanted to show Aven that she was serious about saving her daughter. She had not been the head of the Council for long, but she was determined to put right the wrongs they had committed, and it started with rebuilding Aven's trust in them.


It was now nearing the middle of August, Albus had returned back as he had much to organise for the coming term at Hogwarts, which would hopefully include a rested and curse free Emalia.

Aven was beginning to lose hope, until Celeste ran over holding a book that was in ancient Macedonian. Aven sighed deeply, this was not a language she was even remotely familiar with which meant that she would have to rely on Celeste to translate it.

Celeste worked alongside her, translating the pages as needed. Aven took a sharp intake of breath. She had it, she found a way to save her daughter. Aven rushed to the ballroom to use the floo network, leaving Celeste to read through the book for any more useful information.

'Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts' spoke Aven clearly as she stepped into the fireplace and was soon engulfed by green flames. Moments later she arrived at her destination, Albus looked up from what he was reading, a worried look crossed his face. 'I found it' she said, 'I found a way to remove the curse from Emalia.'

Albus dropped his quill, his mouth fell open, he was dumbfounded he had all but given up hope. Aven walked over and sat in the chair that lay in front of his desk, she took deep heaving breaths. Eventually emotion began to overtake her, and her breaths turned to sobs.

Albus walked from his seat and lay his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. His worst fears confirmed, he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. The only thing that was running through his mind at this moment was 'How will I explain this to Emalia?'

The very next day Aven and Emalia returned home. From there Aven and Albus discussed how best to break the news to Emalia. Aven sat beside her daughter's bed, Emalia was telling her all about how she loved charms and that she seemed to have a natural ability for potions. A smile played on the corners of Aven's mouth, potions was where she herself had excelled.

When Albus returned that evening he found mother and daughter laughing and talking together and he felt a small twang of pain shoot through his heart. He walked over to Aven and gave her a small nod, Aven sighed and a pained look replaced the laughter that had lit up her face just moments before.

Emalia was looking between Albus and her mother, puzzled about the change in the emotion in the room, but she was sure that this was going to be something unpleasant. Emalia steadied herself, whatever it was she would face it head on, even if it meant there was no cure for her curse; even if it meant that she would die.

'Who died?' she joked trying to ease the tension in the room. Aven and Albus exchanged a look which Emalia could not name, but she knew her joke had made whatever they wanted to talk about more serious.

Aven spoke, after what seemed like an age, she managed to find the words. 'Emalia, my dearest child. I love you, more than anything in this world. When you were born, Oliver and I became complete, you were our world and we made a solemn promise that we would do everything in our power to keep you safe from the horrors of the world.'

Emalia watched her mother, seeing the depth of emotions flicker through her face at an astonishing rate – grief, anger, disappointment, joy, love. She opened her mouth to speak but Aven continued talking.

'We failed where we should have succeeded and for years you have suffered because of our arrogance. We believed that we would be enough to protect you, that no one would be able to get past us or our defences, and because of that arrogance, you grew up without your parents. I fully intend to protect you now, in the only way I can. The only way I know how.' Albus looked at Emalia, a deep sense of sadness washed over him.

'I can remove the curse from you' Aven said softly as she smiled gently. Emalia beamed 'That's great!' she looked at her guardians expecting to see happiness but when that did not happen the smile and happiness she had felt began to dissipate. 'There is a but..' she trailed off as she saw Albus nod stiffly.

'I cannot cure the curse' began her mother 'but I can take it from you and transfer it to its intended bearer.' Emalia blinked as the realisation hit her, tears began to fill her eyes 'No.' Albus walked over to her and took her hand, trying to soothe her

'You cannot take it. I won't let you!' she exclaimed. Aven watched her daughter, fighting the flood of tears that were building in her own eyes. 'Emalia-'

'NO' roared Emalia tears streaming down her face once more 'I JUST FOUND YOU AGAIN, I WILL NOT LOSE YOU AGAIN' her crying became sobs as she heaved in each breath shakily.

Aven sat on her daughter's bed and pulled her close, wrapping her arms around the sobbing girl. Aven rest her chin on the top of Emalia's head, a single tear escaped from her eye.

'No matter what happens Emalia, I will always be with you. Even when I am no longer on this earth, I will always be with you. You are so precious to me, and many many others, you have just begun to live your life.'

Emalia sobbed harder as her mother spoke, she did not want to lose her, not after finding her again. 'Emalia' spoke her mother softly 'When you are older and you have children of your own you will understand. I will do anything to see you safe, even if that means I have to forfeit my life in place of yours. I would do it in a heartbeat, without any hesitation, over and over.' Aven paused as she looked at Albus and smiled sadly 'I love you Emalia, and I am so proud of the incredible young woman you are becoming. Your father would be so proud of you.'

Aven kissed the top of Emalia's silvery blonde head. She hated seeing Emalia in pain, but she knew that her daughter was strong enough to withstand anything that life would throw at her. 'I will always be with you' whispered Aven.


Albus had tied up most of the loose ends before the new school term began. He had tasked Professor McGonagall and Hagrid with overseeing the last few remaining things that had to be done. He trusted the two of them beyond words, and between them they would ensure that everything would be completed while he turned his attention to Emalia.

'Is everything ready?' asked Albus quietly as he walked into the kitchen. Aven turned, her face had become more sullen in the passing days. Albus touched her arm 'Are you ok?' he asked gently.

Aven smiled at him 'Yes, I am. I am not afraid, I just-' she trailed off and her eyes unfocused for a nanosecond 'I just wish that taking this curse from Emalia meant that we wouldn't be taken away from each other once again.'

Albus squeezed her arm gently 'I also wish that was not the case.' Aven spun around to look at him 'Albus, promise me that when the inevitable happens, you will give Emalia that vial. It is important and she deserves to know how deeply her father and I love her.' Albus nodded 'I promise' he said solemnly.

Aven swallowed and turned to the living room, her jaw tightened as she walked towards Emalia who was lying asleep on the couch. Minutes later the fire roared to life and out of the green flames stepped Lada, Celeste, Adhira and the Veela woman from the council the other day, grave looks on each of their faces.

Aven nodded at them, acknowledging their presence but no words were exchanged. What they were about to do was save Emalia Potter, and they all knew it would cost Aven her life.

Aven lovingly stroked her sleeping daughter's hair. They had said their goodbyes earlier in the day, and Emalia had taken a sleeping draught so she would not be traumatised by anything that may happen.

Aven kissed Emalia's forehead, a few tears fell from her eyes 'I love you my dear child, never forget that you are loved. I will always be with you' she whispered.

Aven rose and turned to the four others in the room, she walked towards the table, a small silver knife with a heavy handle sat on top of it. She carefully made a small cut in the palm of her hand. Closing her hand into a fist she watched at her blood trickled into a large golden goblet.

Inside the goblet was an array of different magical essences, some were difficult to track down. Mixed together it formed a salve, that would be placed on Emalia's forehead, her chest, both of her wrists and both of her feet.

As Aven prepared that goblet, Albus made a small incision on Emalia's palm, letting her blood trickle into another goblet. When that was done her turned to Aven and handed her the goblet, and she then added her own blood to that goblet. She then began to place the contents of the golden goblet on Emalia and proceeded to do the same with the contents of the other goblet on herself.

Aven lay down beside her daughter and took a hold of her hand. Her heart was thumping in her chest so loud that she could hear it in her ears. The room was quiet, no one spoke, there was nothing they could say that would change the outcome of this.

Aven cast her mind back to the happy memories she had made with Oliver and Emalia, choosing to focus on what brought her love and joy. The four women took their places at the head and foot of the couch, and at either side of Aven and Emalia. This would take a combination of witch and wizard magic and Veela magic.

Aven closed her eyes and took a firm hold of her daughter's hand. 'No matter what happens Emalia, I will always be with you' she whispered to herself.

The four women began the enchantment, an old spell in ancient Macedonian which moved the curse from Emalia's blood to Aven's. At first Aven felt nothing, it was as if she was floating, then all of a sudden, a writhing pain shot through her, eliciting a shriek. Her eyes shot open, pain and fear reflected in them.

'Is this what Emalia was feeling?' she thought to herself horrified.

Pain seared through her body as the women continued with the spell. It was becoming too much; the pain was overwhelming her. Her vision was failing, black and red spots were appearing. She cried out once more before passing out.

When Emalia awoke, she felt lighter, clearer as if a weight had been taken off her shoulders. She opened her eyes and sat up, the first thing she saw was Albus and she broke out into a huge smile. Seeing him reassured her that everything was going to be ok, and when he returned her smile with a genuine one of his own, she was certain her mother had saved her.

Emalia looked to her right, there lay her mother, conscious but barely. Aven smiled weakly at her daughter 'I love you Emalia' she said quietly. Emalia moved closer to her mother, her eyes filling with tears 'I love you too Mum' she whispered as if speaking louder would reduce the time they had left.

Aven smiled at her daughter before closing her eyes. Her breathing became more laboured, but the smile stayed on her face. Tears were now streaming down Emalia's face as she told her mother that she would do everything to make her and Oliver proud. 'You already have made us proud Emalia' she said breathlessly her eyes still closed.

After a few minutes Aven fell unconscious. Albus tried to move Emalia out of the room. 'No' she said sternly a furious look on her face 'I am not leaving my Mum. She would not leave me so I will not leave her. She deserves to be surrounded by people she loves'

Emalia's voice broke saying this and seeing her in pain broke Albus's heart, but he allowed her to stay. Ten minutes passed, Aven's breathing slowed considerably, until it stopped altogether.

Emalia cried silently as she held on to her mother's hand. The Veela around her bowed their heads in silence for their fallen sister.


The funeral was held four days later and Aven was finally laid to rest beside her husband. Kind words were shared by those who knew her. Emalia had spent the day talking to those who knew her mother.

The Weasley family had attended the funeral, Fred pulled Emalia into a hug as soon as he saw her, and she let the tears she had held back fall as she rested her head against his chest. When he let go of her, she was engulfed by Mrs Weasley who sympathised with her and told her if she ever needed anything to remember that The Burrow would always welcome her. Emalia smiled and thanked each of them for their kindness.

She had put on a brave face all day, but when she returned home the façade crumbled. She broke down into tears, crying on her bed. Albus knocked on her door and as always, waited for a response before entering. 'Come in' came a muffled and choked voice.

Albus opened the door and saw the red puffy face of his goddaughter. He sat down on her bed and gave her a hug 'Your mother left this in my possession before she died' he said softly, and he handed her a journal and a small vial.

Emalia took them, sniffling. 'What is this?' she asked turning the vial over in her hands. 'It is a memory' replied Albus 'and to look at it you will need a pensieve.' With a wave of his wand, a small bowl-like structure appeared on Emalia's desk.

She looked at him perplexed. He smiled gently 'Pour the memory into the pensieve, the rest will happen.' She nodded mutely. Albus walked out of the room, giving her privacy to view the memory.

Emalia poured the memory into the bowl and took a few deep breaths to steady herself before she was pulled into the memory.

Her mother stood in front of her, holding a small child in her arms, rocking and singing quietly. Aven's face was alight with a bright smile, she looked up and began to speak softly. 'I better put her to bed Ollie. I could hold her forever, she is perfect.'

Oliver laughed lightly 'She is perfect' he agreed. Oliver watched as his wife climbed the stairs. He sighed to himself and walked towards a mirror that was hanging on the wall.

When he looked into it, he smiled brightly 'I hope you never have to see this Emalia, but if you do then your mother and I are no longer with you. We decided that we would share this memory with you, to let you know how loved you are. How much we love and adore you. I can tell already that you are going to be extremely intelligent, those beautiful eyes of yours are already so inquisitive' he paused as he heard Aven sing softly upstairs and smiled once again.

'I hope our time together is long and I get to see you grow into an incredible woman, but if I don't I want you to know how proud I am of you. Our lives have been more complete with you in it. You are my world Emalia, and I will fight to ensure that you grow up safe.

I have a bit of fatherly advice for you, follow your dreams and passions, they will lead you to find everything you need in life. It was how I found your mother. Love is important, but no boyfriends before you are twenty-one' he stopped and tried to look stern, but a laugh erupted from him instead.

'Always follow your heart Emalia and know that even if your mother and I are not around you, we are always with you.'

Oliver closed his eyes, and in that moment memories of his wedding day, Aven pregnant and Emalia as a small child laughing with her father played out in his mind. He opened his eyes once more, a few tears had begun to form there 'I love you Emalia, my precious child.'

Emalia withdrew from the memory, speechless. She had never heard her father speak before and somehow those words he spoke had started to heal the pain she felt in her heart. She would grieve for her parents, but she promised herself that she would do everything she could to make them proud.