Poppy throws her hands up in the air at the two women, "Don't tell me, I don't want to know. But I have no idea how the two of you got pregnant, even including the fact that Tonks is a metamorph. Now I'm going to leave it to you to explain to the Headmistress how we're going to be expecting to babies just as the summer holidays start."
"Wait, July but it's November, so shouldn't it be August at the earliest?" Tonks asks.
"It would be if my spells didn't say that you were both a month and some change along. Now unless you want to be having your babies during the school year, no travelling to the Sanctuary or beyond until they're born."
Tonks roles their eyes at Azaria and they both chorus "Yes Madam Pomphrey."
"Good, and don't you forget it, now get out."
Just as Azaria is about to leave she turns back, "Wait, you said babies!"
Poppy sighs, "Yes, babies, as in one daughter each."
"But it can't be that quick, most women become pregnant during a triple light or triple darkness, and they won't give birth until the second time the opposite one comes round."
"Well, I can't answer that, I can just tell you what my spells tell me. But I would imagine it's something to do with the lower level of magic here. If my spells say the same thing when you two come back for your next check-up in a couple of weeks, then talk to Beth and Septima."
Much to Azaria's frustration, the spells came back with the same date every couple of weeks, even as the winter solstice approached.
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Karen yawns as she looks up from her paperwork. Looking around her home away from home that she's made one step away from the shore of magic she muses that she really needs to get some sort of alarm or scheduler that can adjust to the time differences between earth and here. Though as she only spends a few months here a night there's not much chance of forgetting when she needs to get back to the school, and it only happened the once that she was stuck in the sanctuary while waiting for the rest of the school to become available. On the plus side it made the paperwork and lesson planning easy and non-stressful.
Turning to her diary she checks and notes that the Christmas holidays start tomorrow, so she's got the feast and then she can spend a few days looking for Petunia if she needs that long. She can feel the faint tug on their bond as she's passing through the Sidhe world, so she's fairly sure she can now follow that to it's source.
Sending a quick prayer to Selene that Petunia will be OK during the solstice tomorrow, she packs up her stuff and heads back to earth for some sleep.
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Petunia held Lyasa as they all huddled in the basement of the house they lived in. While it translated to basement it was more like a nuclear bomb-shelter with all the amenities. In theory it was safe to head to the surface and stay in the city, but the fire had been known to eat through the wards surrounding the city. When that happened, the only safe place was somewhere with lots of stone between you and the fire. Even here she could hear the fire dancing and raging outside the city. They'd all watched as it started, as it was a terrifyingly beautiful sight. Much the same way that a forest fire could be beautiful. Considering that's what it was, it's not that surprising.
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Karen smiled as she walked to her Lectern and the hall went quiet. It's amazing how having a simple action like conjuring the lectern translated into a response amongst the whole school.
"Good morning everyone, I hope that you're all looking forward the winter break. For those of you going home the elves have graciously agreed to put your travel bags on the train for you. So leave the bag you want to take on your bed before you go to the train. The train leaves at 9:30 on the dot, so you all have plenty of time. Now, I could give you all 30 minutes to go to your dorms and place your bags now so that you don't have to remember to do it after breakfast. Or I can finish my announcements, speeches, and the like and you can all do it at your leisure. Let's have a show of lights, Purple for go now and green for announcements, speeches, and food now and go later.
A quick count later and it was clear that the Purples had edged out the green. "Everyone, you've got 30 minutes and then we'll resume."
The clattering rush made it clear who had packed already and who hadn't even considered it yet. She glanced over to the Magi table to see that none of them had even moved. Unsurprising really, as they could pretty much come and go as they pleased. The warlock table, on the other hand, had virtually depopulated as they were all heading home. She was also glad to see that the first years were doing the same.
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It was a thoughtful Roberto that made his way to the carriages, deliberately picking the one that Gregory got onto. He endured the childish barbs and witticisms that Malfoy aimed at him and engaged both Vincent and Gregory in conversation. It was fairly easy to ignore Malfoy when he considered that he'd only started to meditate half-heartedly now that Gregory didn't need a wand, he was in fact starting to do better with a sword as a focus. The Headmistress had explained it during one of their recent philosophy classes. It was something to do with the fact that different people thought and learnt in different ways, so why wouldn't the same be true of the styles of magic and focus' that people got on with. That had been eye opening, as he had never considered that other people thought differently to him, had different opinions certainly, but completely different methods of thinking? Though given the way the few third years that had taken her class had being opening and closing doors after one of her lessons, or suddenly spinning around and checking behind them. He had a feeling that there were going to be a lot of mind-bending things they'd be learning if they took her subject next year. From what the third years were going through, he assumed it would be like that lesson, where one of his basic assumptions hadn't just been tested, but also destroyed. That being said, Malfoy had looked shaken for a few days after they'd covered the Just World fallacy.
"You ok there Rob?" Greg's voice cut through his thoughts as he stared out at the moving scenery.
"Yeh, just thinking about the stuff we've learnt this term. How about you?"
"'m OK, just wondering how I'm going to explain the sword to my Father."
"Tell the truth, Hogwarts is teaching the use of different focus' and you've found this one suits you better than your wand did."
"Yeah, but I'm sure that Malfoy or Crabbe can tell you what our fathers are like if we don't behave like proper little wizards."
"I don't suppose that you could point out that the person teaching you is the same person that taught Aurors Bones and Tonks?"
"I don't know. They're not really very understanding about things like that."
"Well, worry about it later, as you can't do nothing about it now."
"I suppose... Cards?"
"Sure, poker, no hands?"
"You know I ain't as good at that as you are."
"That's why it's no hands, you need the practice."
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Celia watched as her husband paced the platform waiting for the train to arrive. His memories of what happened during the summer having faded, probably with the aid of copious amounts of fire whiskey and his 'friends'. She'd been finding it harder to play the dutiful wife in the last month or so, but she was continuing to do so because Astoria couldn't yet look after herself and until she could she was an unwitting hostage. Reaching her hand into her purse, she fingered the new British passports and tickets to Euro Disney that Ambassador Victoria had helped her get along with two keys to a house on Wisteria Walk in Little Whinging. It wasn't connected to the Floo, and if what she'd heard was correct, there weren't going to be many private Floo connections. Instead there's going to be a bank of public Floo's at the old train station. It's funny how that just seemed to happen after Halloween, all she'd wanted was membership to the British Library, instead she got dual nationality with the United Kingdom and so did her daughters. Her library membership was included too, not that she's had time to do more than sign her card.
Getting tired of watching her husband pace she snaps at him, "Duncan, if I need to use a reparo on the platform because you won't stop pacing you'll be sleeping on the couch."
Scowling at her, he stops anyway and gravitates over to a couple of the other pure-blood parents to talk shop. With a sigh Celia draws her wand at the last moment and conjures a comfortable bench seat against the wall before sitting down. It doesn't take long before she's joined by some of the other witches, and they pass the time trading news and trying to work out how much truth is in the latest issue of the Prophet.
Before too long a pillar of smoke became visible in the distance. It only took a few more minutes for the train to pull up at the station and start disgorging excited children. Watching with amusement at the expressions on the faces of the parents as the first year's all came out with bags floating behind them. The flash of a camera did surprise her, as did the presence of a reporter on the platform. Glancing over to the portal she wasn't surprised to see that Karen and Minerva were there in muggle attire. What did surprise her was that Daphne was there too with Harry and Hermione. All three of them were dressed as Christmas fairies and holding a basket with wrapped presents in them. She almost laughed when she saw how uncomfortable Harry was as a boy in that outfit. Her attention was drawn away from the spectacle by Astoria catching her in a bone crushing hug.
"Hello Tori. It's good to see you again, but can I breath now?"
With a cheeky grin Astoria replies "Hey mum, it's been so long, I've missed you."
"I know little one, are you still trying to get into Hogwarts house?"
"Uh huh, I'm going to attempt it for the spring entry."
"Well, if you get in this year, I've got tickets to Euro Disney for the summer holidays. If you do well on your exams I'll even give you an allowance to spend there."
"Really!" Astoria bounces with excitement.
"Yes really, we've also got passports."
"Now you need to remember your mask for the holidays, as your father has decided that he's going to be around."
"Aw Mum, do we have to?"
"You know you do until you can defend yourself the way that Daph can."
"But Mum"
"No buts young lady, I don't want your father getting ideas or desperate until you can do things for yourself. Or do you want to be betrothed to someone like Malfoy or Nott?"
"Ugh! No thanks, I like TV and cinema too much to marry someone like that."
Celia laughs at the reasoning of an eleven-year-old, not that she's wrong, but her priorities might be a little skewed. She then spends a pleasant hour been introduced to Astoria's friends and year mates.