October 10th, 1995
St. Mungos
"She was subjected to the Cruciatus Curse," Amelia Bones spoke calmly, her voice quiet. She couldn't even remember how many healers she had spoken to in just the last hour alone. "Not for more than a couple of minutes, but it was still brutal regardless. Is she going to regain consciousness?"
"She should, soon enough," The young healer replied. "By all means, she seems to be quite healthy. But I won't deny that she was still severely impacted by this. I would not expect her to be able to regain her full abilities quickly. Certainly she shouldn't be apparating. It was a good thing you were present, however, Madame Bones."
"Yes, of course," Amelia frowned. "The Department of Magical Law Enforcement was able to apprehend one of the perpetrators. With any luck, they will give away the other two, and perhaps even explain what has been happening there to begin with."
The healer nodded. "Of course," He agreed. "That would be most -"
They both fell silent upon the door to the room opening. Amelia and the healer both stepped aside, letting Fudge in. Amelia sighed, watching him sit down beside where his wife was still unconscious. He lightly wrapped a hand around hers, closing his eyes and resisting the urge to cry again. Hearing what had happened was bad enough. Seeing it was worse. The healer began to explain the situation, though he barely heard the words, and Amelia's heels lightly clicked against the floor while she began to pace. The words of Kingsley Shacklebolt were still more than fresh in his mind. She was tortured, Minister. The Cruciatus Curse, according to Madame Bones. I have nothing else I can say at the present time. Without thinking, Cornelius briefly tightened his hand around his wife's. Delia was still breathing, he reminded himself; she wasn't cold, and she was going to be alright. She had to be.
Suffice is to say this wasn't the first time since he had heard what happened that Cornelius had repressed the thought of what had happened to Frank and Alice Longbottom under similar circumstances.
"I'm so sorry, Minister," Amelia said quietly. "I can't imagine what you must be feeling."
"Grief is a difficult thing," The healer told her in a hushed tone. "She is likely to survive and come to eventually, but she may not be the same, or even remember what happened."
Amelia glanced to Cornelius before turning back to the healer.
"But she shouldn't be completely unaware, right?" She murmured. "Surely it wasn't strong enough to do that, was it?"
The healer hesitated. "From what we have been able to gather," He said cautiously. "That is not the case. As I said, she will probably have difficulties with her magic and, of course, severe trauma from the incident but she will be able to recall everything before that."
Amelia raised an eyebrow. "But why not during the -"
"As muggles describe it," The healer said calmly. "The brain can purposefully shut down in severely traumatic moments to protect the person from the absolute worst impact of the event. That is why it can be hard to recall specific details even shortly after such a thing occurs."
Amelia pursed her lips but said nothing for what felt to be the longest time.
"Cornelius," She finally said, coming over to him and removing Delia's wand from her bag. "You should keep this until she wakes up. I have to leave to speak to a few people in my office very soon."
He delicately took his wife's wand, holding it in his hands for a minute before setting it down on the small table beside her and where he was sat.
"Thank you, Amelia," He said tiredly. "I appreciate it."
She sympathetically patted his shoulder. "I'm sure she'll be alright," She said as she began to leave. "As for the perpetrators, things will not be so kind for them."
Without another word, the door slammed behind her with a snap, followed by the distinctive crack of apparating. Then, there was only heavy silence again.
October 10th, 1995
Hogwarts
The headmaster's office was dim, lit primarily by a myriad of candles. Albus Dumbledore stood in front of his desk, Lily Potter on one side and McGonagall on the other. In the room with them were Lex, Cat, and Eddie Fudge, as well as Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Lily looked rather uncomfortable, her foot tapping impatiently against the floor. Every so often she glanced between her son and her godson, waiting for someone to say something - anything, really. It was maddening to wait. Dumbledore had been quiet, shuffling through several letters and, rather conspicuously, hiding the morning's early copy of the Daily Prophet. It was five in the morning, and everyone still looked half asleep. McGonagall sighed, seeing how Cat kept craning her neck to try and see the copy of the Prophet that Dumbledore seemed so eager to hide, for the time being. Lex seemed curious too, standing up every so often and trying to catch even the faintest bit of a hint as to what was going on. She had a sinking feeling that it couldn't be good. Eddie, however, seemed to feel this most of all, considering that he threw up just as they entered the Headmaster's office. He still looked ill, and was the closest to Lily, who had wrapped a blanket around him and sat him down.
"Are we in trouble?" Lex finally asked, frowning. "I don't think -"
"No one is in trouble," Dumbledore said, deftly raising a hand to silence her. She looked immediately to her sister, who shook her head. Dumbledore allowed this silence to remain for a moment, but quickly broke it again. "But, at the very least, the three of you will be escorted, by Lily, to St. Mungos."
Eddie looked about ready to throw up again. "I swear I didn't eat anything suspicious," He muttered.
Dumbledore sighed. "It is much more serious than what trouble any of you could have incurred," He sharply eyed all of them before adopting a much more quiet tone. "Late last night, Cordelia Fudge was in Coventry with Amelia Bones, on work for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. There, from what Madame Bones has said, they were attacked by at least three Death Eaters, one of whom cast the Dark Mark."
Harry buried his head in his hands, squeezing his eyes shut, his head and scar searing. Lily sat down between her son and Eddie, rubbing Harry's back.
"I know it's hard, dear," Lily said gently. "But you will get through this, as will anyone."
"When you say attacked," Lex began, her voice shaking. "What do you mean?"
"What happened to mommy -" Cat demanded, standing up, her fists clenched and her entire body shaking, her glasses askew and her wand sparking in one hand.
"Miss Fudge, calm down," McGonagall sternly grabbed Cat by the shoulders, steadying her and sitting her down again though the fifteen year old flinched with every touch. "Emotions can grant you strength," McGonagall told her. "But to let them overpower you is the last thing you need."
Silence befell them again, hanging heavily over the room. Ron and Hermione kept exchanging glances and he awkwardly patted her hands. She raised an eyebrow but did not object either. Out of the corner of his eyes, Harry could have sworn he saw his mother smile at this.
"Cordelia Fudge," Dumbledore finally went on. "Was tortured using the Cruciatus Curse -"
"No!" Lex, Cat, and Eddie all exclaimed at nearly the same moment.
"Are you fucking kidding?" Cat's eyes were starting to brim with tears.
"Is this some kind of twisted joke?" Lex snapped, her eyes flaring.
"What the hell?" Eddie broke down in sobs, curling into himself.
"Shush!" McGonagall snapped, cutting into the noise. Once there was silence again, she softened her tone, offering them a sympathetic gaze. "The Minister is with her already. For obvious reasons -"
"Fudge should be here," Hermione said under her breath. "If he doesn't think his kids are traumatised as well, then he -"
She stopped upon Ron pointedly elbowing her before anyone could hear.
"The three of you may go with Lily," Dumbledore offered the Floo powder with a rueful look. "Good luck."
In less than a minute, they were all gone, arriving in London in no more than two minutes.
October 10th, 1995
St. Mungos
"Are you all alright?"
Cornelius Fudge did not attempt to hide his relief upon seeing his three children burst into the room. Almost immediately, he stood up and embraced them, his brow furrowing in concern when he saw the state Eddie was in. Lex said something incoherent about her brother being sensitive, only to have to steady her sister a few seconds later when she began crying. Eddie was quickly taken by a healer to be checked, and Cornelius immediately turned to his younger daughter, embracing her much as he had when she had been a small child. Lex began shaking when she approached where her mother was still unconscious, struggling to remain strong. It was no use, she realised, as she collapsed to her knees and curled up in a ball against the wall, not crying but panicking and rocking herself. Feeling dizzy herself and unable to cry anymore, Cat all but ran over to her sister and hugged her, shaking too. Cornelius swallowed hard, the fear for his wife washing over him in torrents still but compounded by this. It was all too much, he realised as he sat down beside their mother again, probing his forehead, guilt rising sharply in his chest again.
I could have stopped her from going, his thoughts reminded him. There was no need for this, no need for her or Amelia to be in danger. It was a wild goose chase…...and if she never...if she cannot recover -
"No…"
Cornelius looked up, startled upon feeling Delia's hand tighten fiercely around his. Their daughters looked up too. Cat was about ready to start sobbing again and Lex felt sick when she saw their mother, still unconscious, flinch and jolt.
"Mommy…." Cat whimpered. "Don't die…"
"She won't," Lex whispered, holding her sister steady the best she could. "She can't."
Cornelius looked to them, brushing away tears with his free hand, not wanting to speak but still forcing himself to.
"No matter what happens," He said quietly. "She loves you and your brother more than anything. I don't imagine there's anything or anyone she wouldn't sacrifice if it would mean protecting the three of you."
Between them and her, Delia could take my heart and heal it or break it all apart…...and I would still choose her happiness over mine every time. She and them are the best things in this life.
The door opened again, and a healer stepped in, looking both uncomfortable and anxious.
'Your son is going to be fine, Minister, just seems to be a bit taken hard by what has happened, as I'm sure you all are," She paused, seeing Fudge weakly nod. "But you should know that…..well, um, there are several reporters from the Daily Prophet waiting. I've never seen anyone look so ravenous but, of course, Death Eaters attacking the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and a MACUSA official is….unnerving, to say the very least."
Fudge sighed. "There is no escaping it anymore, is there?"
The healer shook her head. "I don't imagine so, Minister. Just thought it best that everyone be….forewarned."
There was silence until the healer left the room again, closing the door behind herself.
"I know it's their job," Cornelius finally said heavily. "And that this is serious….but it feels cheap, to twist this. It's….it's too familiar, especially in the sense of being similar to your mother's family."
Lex let out a short, angered sound that was almost a hiss.
"Reisinger and Bella aren't going to give a damn about this," She said, incensed. "Lily said they were trying to manipulate her into coming back to deflect suspicion about Bella murdering six people!"
Cornelius paled. "How on earth would she know about that?"
"Mum's brother," Lex said bitterly. "At least he's honest, though."
Cornelius looked between them and Delia. Feeling her shift roughly again, he lightly squeezed her hand though not knowing if it would help.
"Please live, m'dear," He whispered. "Please. I need you."