I have not forgotten about you guys! But this has been a very, very long few weeks. Nonetheless, update time. To the new people, wow. Welcome to the chaos show.

Also, to that reviewer, leave me alone. Go bother someone else please. K, thanks.

On with the story!

Rayna stopped behind Calli at the edge of the cliff. Below them, a dark void that seemed to swallow every ounce of light around it. She watched her daughter waver, her eyes focused on the black hole beneath her, and felt her heart clench in sadness. She desired nothing more than to keep her there, to demand the universe to find someone else to correct the wrongdoing of Albus Dumbledore, but it would be unfair to ask. Especially since the universe gave her five years longer than what she was initially ordained to have. She rubbed her stomach, remembering the little flutters of active feet against her skin, and lifted her head to the sky. She'd learned so much about her child in their time together, memories of her time spent with Dan and Jean, with Bellatrix, with Luna and Draco, and so many family events that Rayna missed.

"Mum?"

Rayna looked at her daughter and smiled. "Yes, darling?" she asked.

"Are you okay?"

"I will be, yes." Rayna stepped forward and cupped Calli's cheek. "Do you know that I love you?" she said.

"Yes. You have said it many times," Calli laughed.

"There is nothing on this Earth, both alive and dead, that I love more than you. I have enjoyed hearing about your life, and I know you will have so much more to tell me when I see you again."

"What are you talking about?"

Rayna kissed Calli on the nose and whispered, "Take a deep breath."

"Mum, what-

Rayna pushed Calli backward. Calli lost her balance and fell down into the black void. Her scream echoed in the space, and Rayna rubbed her ears.

"You did the right thing."

"Hush, Jean," Rayna sighed. "I am well aware of that."

"Forgot how snappy she can be."

Rayna twisted around and glared at Dan, who draped his arm over Jean's shoulders. "Why did you two stay in the shadows?" she asked.

"We agreed it would be best if you had the entire time together. There is nothing we can say that Calliope doesn't already know. Plus, we didn't think she should see us this way."

Rayna inclined her head. Unfortunately, the downside of their version of the afterlife was that you came as you died. Rayna had the blessing of dying by a curse. Dan and Jean were quite literally semi-solid piles of ash that were constantly forming and reforming to give the impression of a living being. It was disorienting if you stared too long.

"She will be back when it is her time to be back," Jean said softly.

"I know."

Another being joined them, and Rayna frowned.

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought it was obvious that once I gave Calliope what I did, my purpose on Earth was no longer necessary."

"Does she know?" Jean asked.

"No. I did not think it would matter."

"You should have told her," Rayna scolded.

"And ruin the surprise? Calliope is alive. The details behind why that is possible are irrelevant."

"Why do you look paler than normal?" Dan asked.

"Hogwarts is dying," Morgana sighed. "That man is draining her magic to sustain his own. She will soon be nothing more than an old building. And to answer your question, I wanted to make sure we were all on the same page about her returning to Earth."

"I promised I would."

"You can never trust mothers to keep their word when it comes to their own children."

Rayna grunted and looked over the edge. Her daughter was lost to whatever magic was at the bottom of that void, and soon she would be back on Earth, in her body, but nowhere near where she needed to be. Calli would have a journey of her own before she returned to her family.

Calliope gasped and heaved up a strange liquid onto the sand.

"Welcome to Pembrokeshire, dearie."

Calliope scrambled back with wild eyes at the newcomer. Her hand went out automatically, but then she stared at her hand in confusion, flexing her fingers. She waved it in front of her face a few times. The person, a woman with a sympathetic smile, touched Calliope's knee.

"You have no idea why you did that, do you?"

Calliope cocked her head in confusion, and the woman's smile faded. Calliope had no idea what the woman was saying. She wheezed out a few breaths and looked around. There was the ocean. Sand. Birds. She grimaced at the taste of salt on her tongue. She attempted to stand, but her legs gave out on her. She tried again but continued to fall. Strong arms lifted her off the sand in one fluid motion and set her down. Calliope wavered back and forth but found her balance. She grunted under her breath, and the woman swept her off the ground.

"Sleep."

Bellatrix stiffened and leaned against a tree for support.

"What the hell?" she murmured.

Suddenly, Bellatrix jerked and bent over, vomiting in the dirt. It felt like acid. She groaned and dropped to her knees. The more she tried to breathe, the more it pained her to do so. She continued to throw up black sludge until she dry-heaved ash. She smelled the ocean and sand. She heard birds and tasted salt on her tongue.

"Bellatrix!"

Her eyes opened, and she focused on the face of-

"Luna?" she rasped.

"Tom! Tom!"

He took the stairs three at a time and skidded to a stop near the room where Calli's body remained. He pushed open the door and noticed the empty bed. He stared at Severus and Narcissa.

"Where is she?""

"I have no idea! She was there last night!" Narcissa exclaimed.

"Which is odd considering the bed is cold," Severus said carefully. "Almost like nothing has touched the sheets for months."

"How is that possible? Who would-" He stopped and turned to Narcissa. "Where is Bellatrix?" he asked.

"Tom, she wouldn't-

"Where is she!" he roared.

"She was feeling sick and went for a walk in the backyard. Tom, she didn't- Tom!"

He ran from the room out to the backyard. He knew the path Bellatrix took, as she took it almost all of the time, and he half-expected to find her under the tree. Instead, he nearly stepped in some sort of black sludge.

"Bellatrix?" he called out.

Silence.

Tom frowned and cupped his mouth, shouting, "Bellatrix!"

Nothing.

"Bellatrix!" he called out again.

Tom's anger faded into fear, and he turned back and ran toward the house.

Luna and Bellatrix walked through the clearing. Luna slipped her hands into her pockets and sighed. "First, before I tell you what is going on, you should know I had no idea it would happen the way it did," she said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Calliope dying," Luna confessed.

Bellatrix came to a stop. Luna turned so they faced each other. Luna knew it would take a moment for that news to settle. She avoided the conversation with Draco because she was afraid he wouldn't be able to see past his anger. On the other hand, Bellatrix would work through it from the mindset of someone who has had their life dictated by a larger, less discriminate power.

"How long?" she asked.

"Since the tournament."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I am not allowed to speak on events that have yet to occur," Luna sighed. "And I was never told the details."

"You knew she would die, but not how it would or when it would happen?" Bellatrix clarified.

Luna nodded.

"What does this have to do with what happened to me?"

Luna reached into her pocket and removed a bracelet. "The rules are straightforward. You cannot speak, you cannot touch, and you cannot leave my side. If you do, the magic will falter, and we will cause her more harm than good. Do you understand?" she said.

Bellatrix nodded warily, and Luna held out the bracelet. As soon as Bellatrix's fingers wrapped around the chain, a sensation similar to portkey travel overcame her, but it was different. It was tighter, steeper, and Luna had to grab her by the waist when they came to a stop. Bellatrix, once steady, found herself staring at the ocean.

"Remember what I told you."

Bellatrix turned around to respond but stopped short. Her first instinct was to call out Calliope's name. Luna's warning echoed in her mind, and she bit down on her tongue. Luna squeezed her hand and held on as they watched in silence.

Calliope stumbled barefoot in the sand with an older woman behind her. Bellatrix almost cried. She took in everything she could. Calliope had only been gone a short time, but at that moment, it felt like a lifetime had passed. Her hair was longer, darker, and flowed freely in the wind. She was making weird gestures with her arms, and Bellatrix frowned. She looked at Luna, who held up her finger, telling her to wait. Bellatrix looked back. The older woman picked Calliope off the ground and said something to her. Calliope then went limp in the woman's arms.

"You two should not be here!" the woman called out, glancing directly at them.

"I was given permission," she said. "May we see her?"

The woman grunted and walked over. Bellatrix tapped her fingers anxiously against her thigh.

"Do not touch," Luna warned. "Please do not make me regret vouching for you."

Bellatrix calmed herself down and nodded. The woman grew closer and turned to the side. Bellatrix smiled at the sight of Calliope. She was still so beautiful.

"What is so special about this one they send you here?"

"Le Fay."

"Ah."

Bellatrix was slowly losing hold of her patience, and she figured Luna could tell.

"We shall leave you to it then," Luna said.

The woman bowed and walked off with Calliope. Luna snapped her fingers, and they were back in the clearing. Bellatrix spat out blood from biting her tongue for so long, and she wiped the excess away with her hand. Luna tossed the bracelet off to the side and put her hands back into her pockets.

"In order of what I assume your questions are, yes, Calliope is actually alive. She is currently under a full reset which means over 90% of her memories were blocked or erased until she is deemed stable enough to recall them. And as for who that woman was, I cannot tell you. My mother wrote in her journal that some beings lose their power once their name is spoken."

"So, how do you know her name?"

"I never said I did."

Bellatrix grunted and said, "She looked like a baby learning how to walk again."

"She was."

"Enough cryptic shit, Luna. What am I missing here?" she sighed.

"Many things, but in this instance, Calliope, under this reset, is what we call a 'half-being.' That essentially means she must re-learn the very basics of humanity. That includes walking, eating, drinking, speaking, and understanding her magic. Some people take a few days, others a few months, but it all depends on her. As for the outcome," Luna looked down, "Calliope will not be the person we knew when she returns. It is a small price to pay for a second chance at life."

"You saying she may never remember me?"

Luna's smile was soft as she said, "No, not at all. The relationships Calliope formed before her death have not been erased. She will remember you and everyone else. For you specifically, you will know when her memories return. You will feel it, and your connection with her will be restored."

"Then what did you mean by she won't be the same person?"

"I only meant her sense of morality and emotional cognizance will be altered."

"Can you say that in plain English?" Bellatrix asked flatly.

Luna chuckled and said, "Calliope will be without a moral compass. Instead of contemplating murder, she will perform it without hesitation. Not very different from who she was, but it will be noticeable to those of us who know her."

"That sounds like an awful compromise for life. Why would the powers that be curse her, let alone anyone with that?" she asked.

"Because the powers that be no longer have theirs. Why would they consider it a curse?"

Daphne helped Tonks to bed.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

Tonks grunted and said, "Like someone knocked me on the head with a metal baseball bat."

"A what?"

"Muggle thing," Tonks chuckled.

"Oh." Daphne brushed aside the hair and stared at the bruising above Tonks' eye. "How mad is your Mom?" she asked.

"You should be asking how mad my Dad is. He's the one promising death and despair to the Aurors department. I told him it wasn't a big deal."

"One of the Aurors knocked your head into a brick wall on purpose. That is a very big deal!" Daphne exclaimed.

"You'd be amazed at the kind of shit they get away with over there," Tonks muttered. "Knocking my head into a wall is child's play for them."

"What!" Tonks winced, and Daphne exhaled sharply. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be so loud, but you've been hurt worse than this? By who?"

"I promise it isn't a big deal," Tonks sighed.

Daphne narrowed her eyes and bent down. She gently cupped Tonks' face and whispered, "If you don't tell me names, I will sleep in my own bed for the rest of the year."

"You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?"

Tonks sighed heavily. "Fine. Their names are…"

Andy strolled through the ministry with Narcissa at her side. She loved the way people parted for them. She wished Bella was with them. Then there would be real fun, but her sister was still with Luna. The young witch sent them a letter an hour after Bellatrix went missing to tell them that she and Bellatrix were taking a trip for the day. Andy knew there was more to the story, as did everyone else, but they had no reason to doubt Luna or Bellatrix. Tom decided not to mention Calliope's missing body, choosing to search for his daughter himself.

Plus. Bellatrix was still having moments of her own with the Forthright family nonsense. She finally got written approval to get into all of the vaults, and the goblins were being vague about the entire thing. Add in the bullshit with her daughter? Andy was annoyed, tired, and feeling vengeful.

A terrible combination for a child of Black to have in her bones.

Moody looked up at the sudden magical disturbance in the air. He recognized it immediately.

"Shit," he muttered.

He rose from his desk and hobbled to the door, only to have it blown back. He avoided splinters in his face but unfortunately lost his balance. Thankfully, a chair was close enough he could stumble back into the cushion. Andromeda and Narcissa stood above him like angels. Or demons. He could never tell with them.

"I would like to see the following Aurors i as soon as possible. I do not care if they are out in the field, undercover, or pissing in the alleyway. I want them here." Andromeda pulled out a sheet of paper and read from the list. "Auror Trent Jones. Auror Ulysses Phillips. Auror Reginald Bymanor. Auror Quincy Gorman. Auror Vincent Osbourne. Lastly, Auror Samuel Franklin."

Moody mentally went over those names, wondering what their connection was, and then it hit him. Tonks. He had a pile of unopened complaints about their behavior around her, and he got to his feet. "You two cannot and will not come bursting in here like you own the damn place," he huffed. "I am not bringing those men in from the field, undercover, or pissing in the alleyway, as you so eloquently said. Whatever nonsense this is about can wait. I have bigger things to be concerned about."

"You misunderstand, Alastor," Narcissa said smoothly. "You either produce them now, or we find them ourselves."

Moody waved her off and sat back behind his desk. He picked up his quill and pointed at his door. "You two can leave a few galleons at the front for the damages to my door," he said.

Narcissa and Andromeda smiled in unison, and Moody shivered inwardly.

"Of course," Narcissa said.

"This was merely a formality regardless," Andromeda said. "Though I imagine the stacks of papers hidden behind your desk might attest to the fact for the last four years, my daughter has been hit, kicked, tripped, spat on, assaulted in the bathrooms, stripped naked, and forced to run around the woods while they chased her like a common animal all because she's different. And that's just what we were able to pull out of her before she passed out from the head wound one of those men gave her ON THEIR WAY TO THE HOSPITAL!"

By the end of her statement, Andromeda's eyes had darkened until they were almost black, and she was leaned over on his desk. He cocked an eyebrow at the woman and pointed again to the door.

"I have work to do," he said flatly.

Andromeda twitched. The two sisters headed toward the door. Narcissa waved a hand over the broken pieces. Moody pursed his lips as his door mended itself, looking better than it did before. Narcissa smiled politely at him, though the edges of her smile were tinged with a promise of bloodshed, and she gestured to his files.

"I do hope you have plenty of reserves on hand," she said airily.

Moody didn't flinch when she slammed the door, but he felt it reverberate in his bones. Sighing, Moody sent a Patronus to Kingsley. He knew where those men were, as they were all usually in the same muggle pub that time of day, and he hoped Kingsley got to them in time.

Ted entered the pub. He spotted the men quickly as Andromeda set up a pensieve so he could see their faces. He memorized every freckle, every scar, and every wrinkle. Ted walked straight up to the bar and waved down the barkeep. He put five hundred dollars on the counter, rolled tightly in a band, and a vial of clear liquid.

"Half now, half later if you do it right," he said.

"And what exactly do ya want?"

"You see those men in the corner?"

"Aye."

"They hurt my daughter."

"Hurt, hurt? Or hurt?"

Ted scowled and said, "All of the above."

"Oh, really?" The barkeep took the vial and the money. "Got a little one me'self. Consider it done."

Moody stepped through the fireplace into Albus's office. He glared at the Headmaster and said, "They killed six of my men! When are you going to get off your ass and finish this!"

"What makes you think there is anything left to finish?" Albus asked flatly. "Calliope is dead. Voldemort is dead. The rest will fall."

"Not Bellatrix. Not Narcissa. Not Lucius. They still have too much power, too much sway, and I have reason to believe Andromeda and Tonks are behind their family on this. And what about the Weasley boys? Longbottom? Hell, even the weird blonde child is a threat."

"Come now, without their leader, what harm could they bring?"

"Look, Albus, while you may have cut off two heads, I don't think this is a snake. It's a hydra. They are growing. I can feel it."

Albus waved him off. "Your paranoia is getting the best of you, Alastor. Plus, I knew the men you speak of, and it should be no surprise they drank themselves to death. I warned you keeping them around after that foolishness with Nymphadora."

"You are an old fool," Moody spat. "You are so focused on your own damn power that you can't see the threat right in front of you! You getting rid of the werewolves, killing Calliope, and even going so far as murdering two innocent muggles has shown me you are apathetic, greedy, and sadistic-

"Enough," Albus said sharply. He took a deep breath and stapled his fingers under his chin. "I know you are angry, but I will not be spoken to like some kind of common criminal. I recommend you take a break. Return to me when you are capable of rational thought."

Moody clenched his fists and said, "Remember this moment, Albus. There is something very off about this entire situation. The Forthright estate-

"Is none of your concern. Bellatrix will not be able to access those vaults."

"And if she is?"

"Then I will adjust accordingly. Now," Albus gestured toward the fireplace, "if you do not mind."

Calliope held the spoon between two fingers and copied the motions of the woman in front of her. She brought the strange liquid to her lips and blew. Not too hard because she got scolded for wasting the liquid when she blew too hard the first time. When the woman nodded in satisfaction, Calliope opened her mouth and wrapped it around the spoon. The liquid was sweet, warm, and it reminded her of something. She frowned and looked down at it. It was very, very familiar. Calliope studied the colors. Orange with white streaks. She bent over and inhaled through her nose. A sharp pain went through her head, and she dropped the spoon.

"Swee' tato!"

"Almost, my little one."

"Oh, it was close enough, Rayna. Let her have some more."

"Cissy, she has to learn these things. I didn't tease you for teaching Draco how to say thyme correctly."

"Swee' tay-soup!"

"One more time. Sweet. Po-ta-to. Soup."

"Swee'. Po-ta-to. Soup!"

"Aha! I knew she could do it!"

Calliope blinked and looked back at the bowl.

"Sweet. Po-ta-to. Soup," she said with an effort.

The woman jerked in her seat, but Calliope had moved on. The woman watched as Calliope finished her soup and stood on shaky legs. She slowly made her way to the couch and laid down. The woman pulled out a notebook and flipped to a blank page. She wrote:

Day 1: Learned how to speak? Moving faster than predicted.

The words vanished on the paper. Seconds later, a response came:

Do not interfere. Let it happen.