Author's Note:
This is the start of Part Nine which is essentially, seventh year. I know, I can't believe it either!
Part I — Chapters 1-49: Harry's first year with his dads
Part II — Chapters 50-61: Harry growing up with a family, ages 7-11
Part III — Chapters 62-73: First year
Part IV — Chapters 74-105: Second year
Part V — Chapters 106-143: Third year
Part VI — Chapters 144-179: Fourth year
Part VII — Chapters 180-222: Fifth year
Part VIII — Chapters 223-276: Sixth year
Part IX — Chapters 277-present: Seventh year
Reviews and Comments: To AQuickRead91: Thank you! Hermione is very smart, but this might be too much of a task, even for her. We'll have to see. Molly does see that, but sometimes it takes people a while to see through their own prejudices. To briana_t: Thank you! Tonks was somewhat calm, more confused, but yes, she trusts her parents. To Steelcode: Haha, the fan was on high! Things will get better, eventually. To Seriously Sam: Ha, your hatred of Anthony just because of his connection with Mandy makes me laugh every time. Dumbles is definitely calm, cool, and collected. To disasterslytherin: Thank you! I agree, it's about time we get to see Ginny's badass self! To EbonyRivers: Does Dumbledore have a plan? Well, we will have to see. And yes, I love having an excuse to hate Lockhart, he's a monster. Slughorn had a heart attack, but no one was really sure until he was properly examined so there were mixed definitions amidst the chaos. To marauders_mowopapr: Thank you! Why would they want Harry distracted… hmm? As to Snape, we'll have to see what his next move is. As to the Vane Sisters, they did not join Voldemort, as they weren't "evil" just made some terrible mistakes.
To annagardner11: You're welcome for not leaving you on that cliffhanger too long. To tanuskagina11: Ginny can never catch a break, indeed. To DeadFish37: Greg is in too deep, but he's also doing the best he can. Snape's plan was clever and I like to think he knew Flitwick would save him (or hoped). To Lady Scribat: Will Harry and Ginny be separated until the Battle of Hogwarts? Hmm, we shall have to see. And yes, the bloodlust potion is going to cause turmoil. To alix33: Thank you. To Alexfleener24: Thank you very much! I think having the Tonkses do more is important. To Chintan: Wow, Carthaginian has earned Crouch levels of hatred? I didn't think that was possible, LOL. As to the Bill scene, I wanted to make it a little worse for him than just the scars and yes, Lockhart is disgusting. To Nightwing2013: As mentioned above, it was a heart attack, but amidst all the chaos of the evening, not all of the information is accurate. I felt that it made the situation more real.
To Wolf's scream: Thank you for saying I couldn't omit the Molly/Fleur scene, I agree. It was needed. As to Pansy's curiosity, you're right, it might be more dangerous for her. To scrappy8: Thank you and we'll have to see how long it will be until we have our Ginny back. To Mutt N. Feathers: As to why not send the potion to St Mungo's or the Ministry, that will be answered later. And you're right, we don't want Dumbledore to be a martyr, but Voldemort has his reasons. To jbrowne26: Thank you for that incredible review! I love all of the questions! To Obscure-Reference-Girl: Thank you! And as to Dumbles, we'll see. To akshutalankar: Been reading since chapter 51, thanks for sticking it out. It's a crazy long journey I'm still amazed at myself. To Speedyconzalis: Thank you! And yes, I know it's evil, but Hinny gets separated sometimes. To xXMizz Alec VolturiXx: Thank you! To WinkingSkeever: Thank you!
To Rusty-malla-Hayek: Thank you! Sometimes, I feel the need to drop a bonus chapter. Thank you for saying I'm one of your favourite fanfic authors, that means a lot. To Dianne: Sometimes I don't know what I have planned as I go along, LOL. To tim2604: Thank you! Flitwick is fast with his spells, so in this Astronomy Tower battle, someone fell, but they were saved. Yes, Harry will be training more. To Arctoid32: No shattering hearts, and haha, thanks for not throwing your computer out the window. To coloredwords: I think Dumbledore would definitely be sassy and cool in the face of danger. To Hinny64777936: I don't plan on writing a Dark Harry trope no, as that's not something I like to read or write about. To Bumlewis: Thank you! And omg, what an image of Snape's leg kicking him to death in lieu of Peter's hand strangling him if he betrays Voldemort haha. Also the Dark Turd, nice haha. To CorbanD17: Me too. To TNT: Thank you! There will be more after the end of Voldemort, but I don't know how much. If you're interested in future Hinny and next generation related stories I highly recommend Seriously Sam's Moments in Time series which covers some amazing badass Harry and Ron as Aurors and parental Hinny along with FloreatCastellum's Slice of Life One-Shots and Wood for the Trees, which covers next-generation. At this point, these authors have written canon future Hinny for me.
To Guest: Thank you for saying my story gets better every day! To willabeth123: Thank you! I like to show the different POVs and diversities of characters. To Yuna: Thank you for catching up and nope, definitely not done LOL. To pix25: Thank you, it has a been a journey indeed. To dessalee: In ASC, (not yet). In canon, oh yes, I'm sure it happened at least once either before or after they married LOL. To ITHersey: Thanks for catching up! And thank you for saying you "find this far superior to the originals." What a compliment! I like your theory, but I won't confirm or deny it either haha. To sygt: Thank you! To notthatchhavi: Minnie is a goddess and Voldemort assumes everyone would want to read his book, he is a legend (obviously) LOL. We will learn more about the bloodlust potion as we go on and Dumbledore was in pain, he was just trying not to make a sound, which as you saw, didn't last very long. As to the Weasley siblings, I so head canon that they are there to support each other in every way! To GatorLHA2: You're welcome! To GerardStreet: Thank you!
My posting schedule: Weekly.
Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER TWO-HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SEVEN:
When Ginny opened her eyes the next morning, it was to find herself in an unfamiliar room. The big bed was wide and comfortable with silk sheets, surprising her. She rolled over, burrowing closer into the comfortable warmth before she felt eyes on her. Her gaze found the familiar brown eyes of her brother sitting in a chair by the window.
"George?"
"Good morning, Nevra."
She blinked and sat up. "Why am I in your bed? And since when do you have silk sheets?"
He chuckled. "Because business is booming and my woman likes silk sheets. How are you feeling?"
"Fine. A little confused. Why am I here?"
George watched her carefully for a moment before he stood up. "What do you remember?"
Ginny frowned. She felt like that was an odd question to ask, but given that she didn't remember coming to her brothers' flat in the first place, it was one that she needed to consider.
"What do I... oh, Merlin! The castle! It was under attack! George, is everyone all right? Where's Theo? He was with me!"
"Theo's fine," George assured her. "He's at Hogwarts and perfectly safe. I brought you home because the castle wasn't safe for you."
"Why is the castle safe for Theo and not for me?" Ginny demanded.
George sighed before he stood up to stand next to the bed. "Harry."
Ginny's eyes narrowed. "I don't want to hear that name."
"Why?"
She shook her head, grabbing the pillow near her and clutching it tightly. "Stop it! I don't want to hear anything to do with bloody Potter!"
George stared at her a moment before he bent down to kiss the top of her head. "Grab whatever clothes you want and take a shower. I'll get breakfast started and we'll talk. Luna sent your Hogwarts stuff to the Burrow."
When he left her alone, she frowned not sure why she felt so confused. She remembered the attack on the castle. She and Theo had run into Ron and... him. He was… Just thinking about him made her burn up and her heart feel so full of of a rage that she couldn't put the emotions into words. It was strange. She didn't know why she hated him so much. She really didn't think that she even knew him well enough to hate him. It wasn't like he had ever been nice to her. But she did.
She hated him. She hated him so much that her heart raced just thinking about him.
But why?
She remembered that they used to be friends when they were kids, but then he had become best friends with Ron. Suddenly he didn't have time for her anymore and would only hang out with Ron and Neville. He called her a silly, stupid little girl. He always invited her brothers over to Black Cottage, but never her. One of the rare few times that she had even been allowed go and to play in his treehouse, he had been nothing but unkind to her.
"Harry, Ron, look!" seven-year-old-Ginny cried, grabbing tightly to the steering wheel of the pirate ship. "I'm the captain!"
Ron rolled his eyes. "Whoopee."
Ron jumped towards the fireman's pole, sliding down to the grass and when Ginny made to follow, Harry grabbed her arm.
"No, you stay up here. No girls allowed," Harry exclaimed, sticking his tongue out at her.
Ginny jumped to follow him, but he pushed her away and she stumbled backwards, falling over the edge of the ship. She hit the ground hard, despite the little bounce her magic had given her, and the sharp jab of pain that rushed through her arm.
Potter had pushed her off of the treehouse and broken her arm.
Potter had called her a stupid girl and she hadn't even cried when her arm snapped.
She remembered how Sirius had come out running, bundled her into his arms and yelled for Andy, who was having tea with him. Andromeda had healed her arm in about a minute, but when Sirius had asked what had happened, Potter had told him that she'd jumped. He'd claimed that she was trying to get attention. Ginny remembered she'd contradicted him and told Sirius that Potter had pushed her and Ron had… Ron had taken Potter's side, she remembered. Ron had always taken Potter's side over hers.
It was little things like that. He always picked on her and when it came to the chamber...
Merlin, he'd blamed her for it. He told the whole school that she was the Heir of Slytherin. He told her… he told her that she'd asked for Tom to do those things to her…
Harry Potter was not a nice man. People called him the Chosen One, the one who was going to save them from Voldemort, but she knew better. He wasn't going to save them. He only cared about himself.
By the time she showered and was dressed in jeans she borrowed from Angelina that were much too long in the leg (and a little too big in the butt), and in one of George's old tee shirts, she felt a little better. She found George making scrambled eggs and bacon in the kitchen.
"I thought that you and Angelina were moving out?" Ginny said as she took a seat at the small kitchen table under the window. "Didn't you get that house you wanted just down the way?"
"Yes, we did and we are," he said. "But we can't move into the place for another week, and yes, I know, I haven't even started packing yet, don't say it. Angie's been all over me about it, but I hate packing."
"Where are Fred and Angelina?"
"Angie had an early morning practice and Fred's still at the hospital with Bill."
"Bill?" Ginny exclaimed, her gaze shooting to her brother's face. "What happened to Bill?"
"He's going to be okay, Ginny, but he has a bit of a recovery to go through."
He served them both up a full plate of breakfast as he explained to her what had happened to Bill, the attack on the causeway, the army of the dead, and the attempt to kill Slughorn on the Astronomy Tower.
"So, Dumbledore is missing?"
George nodded. "Yes. Hermione is trying to figure out what the potion is that they gave you as well. Until we learn more about the ingredients, we can't give you any kind of cure."
"Cure? I feel fine. They didn't give me anything up there."
George gave her a queer look. "What happened up there, Ginny?"
"Lestrange, Crouch, and Selwyn brought me up there. It took three of them to take me," she added, making George grin.
"Good girl."
"They stunned me and when I came to, there was this big cauldron and Slughorn was acting weird. They said that it was for Snape."
George frowned. "For Snape?"
Ginny nodded. "To help him do… something. They weren't clear on that."
"Then what?"
"Well, they cut my hand. Said they needed my blood."
"Why yours?"
"Because I'm a pureblood? They didn't say."
"Lestrange, Crouch, and Selwyn are all purebloods."
Ginny looked pensive. "I don't know. They said it was… vital to the potion. My blood, that is, and…"
"What is it?" George asked, eyeing her carefully.
"They needed Potter's blood, too. They took it from Bellatrix. Her hands were covered in it."
"Why do you keep calling your boyfriend Potter?" George asked, his eyes watching her warily.
Ginny's eyes narrowed. "Potter is not my boyfriend! I would never! George, how could you even — ugh! You know that I love Michael! Don't even joke about me and Potter like that!"
"Right, Michael," George said, crinkling his brow. "Wait — Michael Corner? Why are you dating that git?"
"Really, George? We've been together since I was in third year, can't you just accept him in my life already. He took me to the Yule Ball, remember?"
"Right," George repeated as if he was trying to make sense of her words. "I thought you went with Neville?"
"No, I just danced with Neville. When did you get so forgetful?"
George tapped his fingers on the table before he reached for his glass of orange juice. "Sorry. Let's get back to this potion for Snape. So, you didn't drink it?"
Ginny shook her head. "No. I already told you I didn't."
"Right, so did Snape drink it?"
"No, he didn't have time… I don't think, well, maybe he did… It's kind of blurry, but then Potter showed up with with Neville and Theo and… then he stunned me."
"Who did?"
"Potter. He turned his wand on me and… then I don't remember."
George was watching her wearily before he nodded. "We'll help you get those memories back, Ginny. Hermione is examining the potion. She thinks that maybe you did ingest it or it touched you or something. It might take a while, but we'll take care of it. I promise."
"But I didn't take the potion," Ginny said, looking up when the door to the flat opened and Fred stumbled in. "Fred!"
Fred moved to hug his sister. "Hey, Gem, how are you feeling?"
"Fine. I think you two are overreacting. How's Bill?"
Fred pursed his lips. "Bill is… he looks bloody awful, Ginny. I haven't seen him without the bandages, but Greyback did a number on his face, his throat, and his shoulder. He's all covered up. Fleur said that he's badly cut and he's going to scar. Mum's all in a dither about how he was so handsome. I think it's her way of trying to deal with it to be honest."
"George said that he can't talk?"
Fred nodded. "The healers are working on it. It's a slow procedure as they have to do it in stages so as not to hurt his larynx even more. He'll be able to talk again soon, the healers are hopeful. On the plus side, Mum and Fleur are getting along infamously now as if they've been best friends this whole time. It's weird. Dad took Fleur to Shell Cottage to shower and change and Mum and Percy were staying with him until they returned. Mum wants us to bring you home as well."
"I'm really fine," Ginny insisted. "I was only stunned. I don't know why everyone is so worried."
George exchanged a look with Fred before he stood up. "We're your brothers, Ginny. It's our job to worry. Come on. Let's get back to the Burrow before Mum has kittens and then we'll go see Bill."
"And you'll keep me away from that arse Potter, right?"
Fred looked puzzled. "What?"
"Promise," George said quickly. "Go get your stuff from my room." When she disappeared he turned to his twin. "She wants to hurt Harry, seems to hate him. We don't know what happened outside of her being given a bloodlust potion and from talking to her this morning, it did more than just make her hate him. It seems to have rewritten some of her memories of him. She thinks that she's still dating Michael Corner."
"Bloody hell," Fred muttered. "That prat doesn't even deserve her attention in this fake little world of hers! What are we supposed to do? There's no way that Harry is going to stay away from her. The two of them are practically joined at the hip!"
"He's going to have to," George told him. "At least we until we figure out what the hell is going on. You didn't see her, Fred, she tore into him like a dragon eating fresh meat. She was practically feral."
Fred looked over towards his brother's bedroom as he dragged his hand over his tired face. "Let me take a shower and then we'll bring her back to the Burrow. I have a feeling the day just got a hell of a lot longer."
George could do nothing but agree with that statement. He just hoped that Hermione was having luck with the potion because listening to the lies his sister had spouted were almost as painful as watching her want to hurt the man she loved.
They had a lot of work to do.
~ ASC ~
Hermione groaned in frustration as she lowered her head to the table in the dungeons. Anthony Goldstein reached out to touch her arm.
"We can't give up."
"I'm not giving up, I just… I wish that we could do this faster," Hermione said.
He nodded as he carefully measured out another bit of the potion. "It's slow and painful, on that we can agree. But we've made a list of ingredients which I think is a pretty great start."
Hermione had to agree with that as she looked over her notes. So far the two of them had managed to dissect ninety percent of the potion ingredients. There was frog spleen, bloodflower seeds, nettles, rose petals, adder's tongue, the entrails of a dog, Harry's blood, Ginny's blood, coconut water, and something that she suspiciously thought was venom, but she didn't know what kind. Anthony was convinced that milk of the poppy was also present and she was inclined to believe him. There was some kind of bile, but they couldn't figure out what and she swore there was a fruity scent, but it wasn't something that they could distinguish by smell alone. And there was definitely an opiate of some kind. But they didn't know how much of each ingredient was added nor did they know what kind of base the potion used.
"We need someone better than us," Hermione admitted. "An actual potioneer."
Anthony stopped what he was doing and rubbed his hands over his tired eyes. The two of them had been at it all night and after the heat of the battle, adrenaline had kept them going, but now he was starting to drag his feet.
"Slughorn's incapacitated, Snape's AWOL, and you're the smartest witch in the school. The only other person I would ever trust when it comes to Potions is Draco Malfoy and he's not exactly around anymore, is he? So, any other ideas?"
"Malfoy?" Hermione scoffed. "That's a joke. Snape played favouritism to him."
"Yes," Anthony agreed. "But he was also brilliant at Potions. He tutored the younger students in his house all the time."
Hermione stared at the Ravenclaw in surprise. "Well, a fat lot of good that's going to do us." She dragged her fingers through her bushy hair. The steam from the potion had only made it worse. "Bloody hell!"
"Hermione Granger, have I had a bad influence on you?" Ron asked as he leaned casually against the doorway.
Hermione's cheeks flushed as she looked over at her boyfriend. His tee shirt was torn on the shoulder revealing a patch of freckled skin and dried blood over a toned arm, and dirt still covered a good portion of his shirt from the rubble of the castle. He had a cut over his left eye, rough ginger stubble over his face, and his jeans had a hole in the knee. His hair was a dishevelled mess and despite the fact that he looked as tired as she felt, she still thought he looked completely sexy.
"I don't know what you're implying."
Anthony chuckled. "We're just frustrated, Weasley. How are things going up there?"
"As good as you can expect. My brother took Ginny home. We figured it's better to keep her far away from Harry for the time being. Harry's healing and Madam Pomfrey said that he should be good to leave the hospital wing after lunch today. Flitwick's called for the train to take everyone home tomorrow," Ron said.
Anthony nodded. "And McGonagall?"
"At St Mungo's," Ron told them. "They expect her to make a full recovery, but she'll be there for a few more days at least as will Slughorn. The Aurors took the three Death Eaters back to the DMLE and now we're just waiting on news."
"How did the Death Eaters get in?" Hermione asked, giving her boyfriend a grateful look when his large hands began to knead her shoulders.
"Someone let them in through a doorway that we thought was sealed off. They took the time to deal with a collapsed tunnel and they came in through there. There's a rumour floating around the school that it was Professor Carthaginian."
"Carthaginian!" Hermione exclaimed in shock. "Why?"
"Because she's missing for one," Ron told them. "And for another, apparently Delta Carthaginian doesn't really exist."
Anthony stared at him. "It's a stolen identity?"
Ron nodded. "That's the rumour. No one seems to know who Carthaginian really is, but a lot of her 'connections' for international magical relations don't exist. The woman from the French Ministry had her memory wiped. She remembers coming to Hogwarts to speak about British-French relations, but Léandre claims that she doesn't know anyone named Carthaginian. And her fiancé, Fannucci, he's engaged to another woman. Lupin thinks the woman Fannucci is engaged to, might be Carthaginian's real identity, but it's all just conjecture right now. Until they find her, we won't know."
Hermione closed her eyes as Ron continued to knead her shoulders. "Why? Why would she teach here for three years under a false identity?"
"She was spying for You Know Who," Anthony said. "Merlin, it seems like everyone is following that maniac nowadays!"
Ron nodded. "Other than making Hermione swear —"
"— I wasn't —"
"How are you two coming along with the potion?" Ron asked.
Anthony smirked at Hermione's annoyed look. "We're doing okay. We were just saying that we could use an expert at Potions to help us out. With Slughorn and Snape gone, it doesn't leave many options."
"There has to be someone at the Ministry who can take a look?" Hermione suggested. "Zee or Tonks might know of someone?"
Ron shrugged. "I don't know. Anything containing both the blood of Harry and of my sister isn't exactly something that we want getting into the wrong hands, either."
Hermione pursed her lips. "That's true. Harry will want to know what it is as well. He might be able to get help from Misha."
"I don't know how good Misha is at Potions," Ron told her.
"Aurors need to be able to identify potions," Hermione said.
"But not to this degree," Anthony replied.
Hermione frowned. "What about his grandfather? Doesn't he have a portrait at Clevedon Court? I thought Harry mentioned that."
Ron nodded. "He does! I bet Harry will bring what you've come up with straight to him! Fleamont Potter was a potions genius!"
Hermione relaxed a little at those words. Having the help of someone like that would definitely be beneficial and she felt like the pressure was taken off of her. She and Anthony were doing well, but neither of them planned on being Potioneers outside of getting a NEWT in the subject.
Anthony stretched his arms up over his head. "Let's seal up what we have, Hermione. We'll get our list to Professor Lupin and hand him the potion. I don't think there's anything else that we can do here."
Hermione was forced to agree with him on that. Ron helped them clean up, taking the small cauldron of the potion and closing the lid. They thanked Anthony for his help and he headed back to Ravenclaw, yawning as he went.
"Goldstein turned out to be actually helpful, eh?" Ron asked once they were alone.
Hermione gave him a look. "Anthony is a very nice man. He's intelligent. One of the smartest in our year."
"Yeah, but no one's brighter than you."
Hermione's cheeks flushed. "My point is, having him help me was a great help. I wouldn't have gotten this far without him. He mentioned that Malfoy would have been helpful."
Ron grimaced. "That git? I doubt it."
Hermione looked pensive. "I don't know. He did bring up a good point. Snape may have showed him favouritism, but Malfoy was surprisingly good at Potions. Maybe he could have helped or maybe he would have known something."
"No way Malfoy knows anything more than you and Goldstein. Without Slughorn or Snape, I don't think you'll get much more than you did. Besides, no one even knows where he ran off to. He's a bloody coward."
Hermione frowned. "Ron, you have to admit, it was brave of him to do what he did."
"Doesn't mean he's still not a selfish git, Mione. If he wouldn't have brought that bloody dagger into Hogsmeade to begin with, Theo wouldn't have lost Finn. Then he just ran off without a word. His mother was killed not even knowing if he was still alive — if he's still alive. Nothing would ever make me abandon my family like that."
Hermione stood on her toes, linking her arms around his neck. "One never knows how one would react in a situation like that."
"I sure as hell wouldn't run and hide," Ron said, bitterly. "I wouldn't abandon my friends and family to save myself."
"Well, not everyone is such a noble git, Ron Weasley. Most eleven-year-olds would have run away at the sight of a mountain troll, but not you. No, you decided to hit it over the head with its own club instead."
He grinned sheepishly. "That was a long time ago when I was young and stupid."
"Now you're old and wise, is that it?"
Ron brushed his lips against hers. "Shut it."
She chuckled before she moved out his arms. "Come on. Let's get this to Professor Lupin. I need a shower and to pack if we're heading home tomorrow. And definitely a small nap."
Ron picked up the cauldron as she grabbed the parchment with their notes on it. They found Remus in his office and he thanked them for the potion. He said that Harry was still in the hospital wing but that Madam Pomfrey was releasing him after lunch as long as he behaved. As it was only ten, Ron took his girlfriend's hand as they headed back up to Gryffindor Tower.
He tugged her up the stairs to the boys dormitory, ignoring her protests about wanting to clean up, and tugged her down into his bed. The dorm was empty, but he still closed his curtains, wrapping them both up in the blankets.
"I'm dirty," she said, sighing when his arms came around her.
"So am I," Ron told her. "But we fought Death Eaters and we were up all bloody night. I was trapped under some rubble. I think I have dust in my ears. I don't care. I'm bloody tired and I want to hold you."
Hermione snuggled into him, one hand sliding under his tee shirt to rest over his chest. "Ron?"
"Hmm?" he said, sounding half asleep already.
"What are we going to do without Dumbledore?"
Ron's long nose burrowed into her bushy hair. "I don't know. Dumbledore was always the one wizard who stopped him from doing… well, everything. He was afraid of him and now…"
"He's going to kill him, isn't he?" she whispered.
Ron was quiet for a long moment before he kissed her forehead. "For his sake, I hope he's already dead."
Hermione shivered at the connotations of those words before she yawned. Despite the many thoughts running through her brain, the hundreds of questions and worries, exhaustion took over. It was only once he heard her quiet breathing against his chest, did Ron close his own eyes and let himself sleep.
~ ASC ~
Tonks looked up from her desk as Scrimgeour marched across the bullpen and straight to Kingsley's office. She knew that everyone around her was wondering the same thing. If Scrimgeour, the new Deputy Minister to the Minister of Magic, was coming down here back to the DMLE, something was up.
The attack on Hogwarts last night, the debacle that was the talk with the giants, and the great Albus Dumbledore missing, left everyone in a tizzy. Tonks had been at the Ministry since last night as had her coworkers. Belby had been interrogated for hours, but other than sobbing, he hadn't said much. He told them about going to Croatia to look for potion ingredients. Tonks and Atwell had taken notes.
Belby mentioned the horn of an ice dragon, degenia velebitica seeds, and roots, but he didn't know what potion they were needed for. Ledbury had been taken to St Mungo's as both of his legs had been crushed in the rubble. The healers had done what they could to salvage them, but he would be in the hospital for a while yet. Higgins and Baxter had gone to stay with him and to get some answers, but he was too out of it to give them anything. The last Death Eater, who had been so badly burned that his death mask burned to his face, had finally been identified as Augustus Rookwood. He had been one of the DE's to be broken out of Azkaban in the mass breakout and the burns to his face were so severe that the healers warned it would be a miracle if he survived them. They were doing what they could to make him comfortable.
Tonks stood up, taking the time to stretch her tired body before she headed near the door to King's office which was left ajar. She stared at the bulletin board, taking her time adjusting some of the papers, pretending to look busy, when she heard Scrimgeour's gruff voice.
"I called in the KofAs."
Kingsley looked up at Scrimgeour in surprise. "You... why?"
Tonks snuck a look through the blinds in the window, her eyes on Kingsley as he took in the news. The Knights of the Aurors were a big deal. In fact, it was so secretive that rumours circulated that they didn't even exist. Hearing Scrimgeour utter the words increased her curiosity. She inched towards the glass near Kingsley's office, pretending to look busy as she eavesdropped by the door.
"I know that I overstepped, not being head of the department anymore, but we need someone, Shacklebolt. We need someone to help oversee all of this shit. And if anyone can figure out where Dumbledore is, it's a Knight of the Aurors."
Kingsley nodded, his hands behind his back as he stared at Scrimgeour. "Calling in the MIA is smart, Rufus, I'll give you that, but the CDS is… they aren't even confirmed to be a real agency. The KofAs are legends and nothing more."
Scrimgeour stared at him. "The MIA will send their best."
Kingsley seemed to accept this. "How long do you think that he'll be kept alive?"
Scrimgeour's bushy brows knitted together. "As long as Voldemort wishes to keep him alive, which in itself is worrisome. We know that he's alive because if he killed Albus Dumbledore, he would proclaim that for all the world to know and to bow down to him. He would want the world to know that. It would only make us fear him more."
"We're in agreement on that. Who are they sending and how many?"
"Just Kane."
"Just Kane? He's still green behind the ears!" Kingsley exclaimed. "If I wanted a damn boot, I would let my trainees do it!"
"He has five years of experience," Scrimgeour declared. "He's one of their top rated knights, age not withstanding."
Kingsley pursed his lips. "I want to assign the team to work with him."
"Figured you would, that's why I'm giving you the heads up that he's coming."
"Lupin needs in on this. She's been hunting Crouch since the beginning. That sly SOB is slicker than an eel in the water. She has a sharp mind and she's one of my best A3s." Kingsley declared, making warmth shoot through Tonks. "She's trained her partner well and I expect him to pass the A3 test with flying colours because of her skill."
Tonks knew she was good, but hearing her superior say it so strongly when he didn't know that she was within earshot, made pride beam through her.
"Agreed. I also suggest Proudfoot," Scrimgeour said.
"Yes," Kingsley agreed. "Proudfoot has a good head on his shoulders. Atwell is resourceful and thinks outside the box. Baxter and Higgins will go where their partners do and trust me, Lupin and Atwell have trained them well. Savage would be a great asset and Robards can run it."
"Kane is going to take charge."
"Like hell he is!" Kingsley exclaimed. "Robards will run it and Kane can be his second. If we're using a knight, my Aurors are still running the show. I won't pass it off to some young up and comer who doesn't know my team."
Scrimgeour pursed his lips. "You and Robards can take that up with Kane and his superiors when he arrives here."
"Rufus, are they sending us Kane because he finally figured out how to lead a team?"
Scrimgeour scratched his head. "He may be a hothead, King, but he's one of the best agents that we've seen in decades. You remember him at the Academy? He ran circles around the others."
"Yeah, and he had a smart mouth and a hothead," Kingsley muttered. "I still don't know why the hell the MIA took him."
Scrimgeour ignored this. "He's one of the most recommended KofAs and the youngest to be promoted in over a century. Let him take charge, King."
Scrimgeour left the office as Kingsley swore under his breath and Tonks tripped over the trash can.
"Lupin, get in here."
Tonks' face flushed as she slipped into his office, closing the door behind her at his gesture. "I'm sorry, Sir."
Kingsley stood in front of his desk, his arms still behind his back. "I imagine your curiosity was peaked at the mentioning of the MIA?"
She nodded. "I still had no right to listen in on a private conversation, Sir."
"Noted," Kingsley said, his hand running over his bald head. "But we did leave the door ajar so that one's on me. Any word?"
"No, Sir. There's been no Death Eater activity or any sign of Dumbledore since the attack on the causeway and at Hogwarts last night."
"But you have a list of who was present?"
"Yes. The usual suspects, but a few others as well. Some of the missing Hogwarts students seem to have become Death Eaters. The healers don't think Rookwood is going to make it. Ledbury is still too out of it to attempt to get information from and Belby is singing like a canary, but he doesn't know much."
Kingsley nodded as if he had suspected as much. "And the others?"
"The others have been identified as Bellatrix Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, Crouch, Woodrow Selwyn, Abel Rowle, Bellarosa Zabini, and Adrian Pucey. Gregory Goyle and Lucian Bole were seen sneaking around Snape's potions supply, but both were absent from the fighting. Malcolm Baddock and Graham Pritchard were there, but as we know, not part of the fight," Tonks explained.
Kingsley scratched his chin before putting his hands back behind his back. "We've officially declared Baddock and Pritchard dead. It's safer for them and for your parents. Ted wouldn't say who, but he swears that they have a spy on the inside who is trying to get the young ones out. We're working on finding safe houses for them in the meantime."
"Yes, Sir."
"Lupin, you know how dangerous this is. The fact that Voldemort has managed to kidnap Albus Dumbledore is a great feat. The man may be old, but he's still a brilliant wizard. We have to assume that he can hold his own against him until we can find him."
"Sir, with all due respect, we've been hunting them for years. He moves locations. He's under protection and frankly, we have no idea where he could be hiding Dumbledore."
"Actually, we do," Kingsley said, grabbing the red folder from his desk and handing it to her. "Ever heard of Avery Castle?"
Tonks shook her head as she looked down at the photo in her hands of a rather run-down medieval castle. "No."
"Twelfth century castle. It was built with a large underground dungeon and used as a prison for many years. It seems that the Avery family won it in a gamble a few centuries before and it seems to be one of Voldemort's headquarters. The MIA thinks it's a good place to start looking. The problem of course, is that if it is what we're looking for, it's extremely well protected and under a Fidelius." He cleared his throat. "It seems Malcolm Baddock and Graham Pritchard are more than willing to talk about what's been happening in the castle since they were brought there and your father agrees that it sounds like it could be Avery Castle."
"They saved them," Tonks said.
"They did," Kingsley agreed. "And now, they're talking to us. The boys are fourteen and scared shitless. With their Marks gone, they're willing to give us anything they can. Unfortunately, because they're only fourteen, they don't know much. But they do know that they were stationed at an old castle."
"But there's no way to get past a Fidelius unless one is the Secret Keeper," Tonks said, looking up at him.
Kingsley tapped his fingers on his desk. "Yes, and no. It's different when you know someone who has the ability to get inside the location."
Tonks' eyes widened. She had heard that. If someone who could get inside a location, took them there, they had the ability to get into a charmed location, but it was still tricky. The location was still kept a secret and it wouldn't be compromised if they were taken there, but if they left, they would never be able to find it again. Not to mention, they had no idea what they could in fact be walking into if they were taken there. It was a very dangerous thing to attempt. Depending on what kind of wards and charms were implemented, it could also be potentially deadly.
"And Kane, Sir?"
Kingsley's eyes narrowed. "He'll be transferring in to work with us on finding Dumbledore. He's the best that the MIA has to offer. I'd like you to keep that part a secret, if you could. He will be coming in as a transfer from the French Auror Department and a MIA agent and nothing more. There will be no mention of him as a KofA. Understood?"
"But the MIA is in Ireland, Sir?"
"Yes, but Kane's been working in the French Auror Department. Am I clear, Lupin?"
"Yes, Sir."
Kingsley waved her off and she hurried back to her desk. The Knights of the Aurors were one of the most elite forces in the world. They ran as much on legend as on secrecy. When she'd been in the boot camp, there had been rumours of it; hints that some of them would be chosen for this elite force, but she'd figured it had mostly been codswallop. One wizard had been chosen to work in the Magical Intelligence Agency in Ireland instead of the DMLE, but it had been an intelligence job, no secret legendary knight. No one from her class had left mysteriously to join some secret operation.
But hearing Kingsley discuss it peaked her curiosity once more.
Legend claimed that the Knights of the Aurors had been around for centuries. Secret warriors who fought battles for kings and queens, who helped keep the magical world safe. They were rumoured to be incredible duellists, warriors, and wizard extraordinaries. It had all started in the eighth century when a woman named Lady Aurora formed a secret guard. Her husband was a dark wizard and he was known to be violent. She fell in love with his best friend, a man named Bennett, who stood and protected her from her husband's wrath; together they formed a group of six warriors to help overthrow her husband. They called themselves the Cloak and Daggers.
Lady Aurora's husband was defeated and put to death for his crimes and the Cloak and Daggers became Lady Aurora's personal elite guardians. They were the Knights of Aurora, with their golden cloaks, golden handled daggers, and golden shafted wands. They were sent off to help in battles, to save damsels, and to restore order in the community. Lady Aurora and Bennett married, but Bennett was still the head of the knights, and he worked to train new recruits once the warriors began to age.
A hundred years later, no one even remembered the names of the original six.
But by the tenth century, rumours began to float around again and again about them. They were the greatest warriors to ever live. They were the ones to inspire the Knights of Templar. They were the ones who helped save the witches and wizards from discovery from the Muggles.
But it was all rumours.
Myths and legends, stories and tales. No proof.
No one had ever claimed to have actually met a member of the Cloak and Daggers. It was all a friend of a friend of a friend. By the sixteenth century, the Knights of Aurora were known as the Knights of the Aurors because of their golden handled daggers and sense of mystery, yet still, no one would confirm that they were anything more than a myth.
It was because of their legendary status that the term 'Auror' was used for the elite dark wizard catchers of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in the eighteenth century and the term had stuck to this day.
When the First World War broke out in 1914, rumours had spread again that despite the Wizengamot claiming there would be no magical involvement in the Muggle war, that the Cloak and Daggers were present. By the 1950s, there were legends of an actual Cloak and Dagger Service otherwise known as the CDS that worked out of the Magical Intelligence Agency (MIA) based in Londonderry, Ireland.
But no one would confirm this.
If one entered the MIA, there was no location of the CDS.
No office.
No records.
No employees.
If Kane really was a KofA, he had to be good. A Knight of the Aurors was rumoured to be one of the top agents of the CDS under the MIA. The fact that they were nothing more than a myth said exactly that.
Tonks definitely wanted to know more about him.
It took exactly two hours for the gossip to start to spread around the office. She was filling out paperwork on her latest arrest (a low level witch who was fooling around with the dark arts in an attempt to look cool and instead blasted her right leg off), when Higgins opened up the conversation.
"Hey," Higgins said, plopping his butt on her desk. "I heard that we're getting a new Auror."
Tonks shifted Higgins off of the file she needed. "Really? Where did you hear that from?"
"Proudfoot and Savage were gossiping in the break room."
Tonks snorted. Those two were the biggest gossips in the department and she swore that they knew everything about everyone. After over a decade in the department, she figured they were allowed to be nosy. She wondered what they had heard. "Must be true then."
"Yeah, but he's not green or anything. He's not even a boot."
Tonks raised an eyebrow. "You mean like a transfer?"
Higgins shrugged. "Do we take transfers?"
"Of course we take transfers, Rex," Tonks said. "If you wanted to move to France you could transfer to their Auror Department."
Higgins nodded. "Huh, guess so. So, where do you think he's from?"
"Are you sure it's a he?"
"Proudfoot used the 'he' pronoun, so I'm banking on a he."
"I don't know," Tonks told him. "You seem to be the one full of the information here."
Higgins grinned tapping his fingers against his thigh. "Maybe."
He looked thoughtful and Tonks touched his arm. "Hey, stop letting your mind wander. You're going to do great tomorrow."
He swallowed, his cheeks flushing. "The A3 test is a big deal, Lupin. What if I don't do great?"
"Then you'll take it again in six months, but I have every faith in you. You're one hell of a partner."
Higgins beamed at her. "Ledbury is still out of it and the healer said that we won't be able to talk to him until at least tomorrow. Baxter sent some officers down to guard him in the meantime. I finished my report."
"Good," Tonks said, taking it from him. "Don't be like me. I'm still finishing my paperwork from the arrest I did three days ago."
He chuckled. "Noted."
"Go home, Rex. Have a good meal, a hot shower, and get some sleep. I want you fully rested for that test in the morning."
"I can stay later. With everything that's going on, you might need me."
Tonks smiled. "Go home. That's an order."
Higgins nodded and bid her goodnight as he took off. Tonks finished her report and stretched her arms up over her head. A look at the clock told her that it was already half past three. She could use some sleep herself. She pinched her cheeks to give herself some colour before she stood up to tell Atwell she was taking off for a few hours. She'd just grabbed her things and was walking by the break room when she saw Proudfoot and Savage sitting at one of the tables. Changing her mind, she veered into the room and made herself comfortable between them.
"Ever heard of a private conversation, Lupin?" Proudfoot asked, picking up half of his turkey sandwich.
"Sure have, but I know that you two gossips haven't," she said. "I'm heading home for the night, but tell me what you two know first."
Savage snorted. "We don't know anything. What makes you think we know stuff?"
Tonks rolled her eyes. "Please. Kingsley has one meeting with Scrimgeour and suddenly rumours are flying. What do you know about this Kane bloke?"
Proudfoot leaned into her. "Look, it's all hearsay, we don't know how much of it is true."
"Well, if he really is a KofA, that goes without saying, doesn't it?" Savage asked, looking thoughtful.
Tonks tapped her fingers on the table. "Do they really exist? We all grew up on the stories. Secret agents, magical intelligence, heroes that existed to help the Aurors behind the scenes…"
Savage shrugged. "Why are there so many rumours and myths if they don't really exist?"
Proudfoot ate his sandwich as he spoke. "I heard that Kane helped take down the dark witch who rose up last year in Spain. You know, the one who was trying to convince all of the wizards to swear complete obedience and loyalty to the witches?"
"I thought she had some interesting points about men being conceited knobs," Tonks said, making Savage roll his eyes.
"Kane was part of the force that helped contain her before the Aurors arrived," Proudfoot continued. "I also heard that Kane learned Krav Maga from an Israeli tutor and learned how to fight in King Taliesan's royal guard."
"Rumour is that Kane can speak eight languages and took down the champion duellist from Japan last year."
"Why would he fight a champion duellist?" Tonks asked.
"That doesn't matter," Savage said. "The point is that he did it and won."
Proudfoot nodded. "I heard that he even worked in the Italian Mafia and undercover in the Russian Mafia at the same time, playing both sides against each other. He was part of that major take down on magical creature trafficking two years ago because of his mafia connections."
"Not to mention that he can fight wandlessly just as well as with his wand."
"He personally took down the murderer in Galway."
Tonks looked between them. "He's the King of all Men then?"
Proudfoot shrugged. "You don't get to be a of KofA without having a few adventures under your belt."
"How old is he?"
"Twenty-two," Savage said. "And according to Shacklebolt, a bit of a hothead. He doesn't trust anyone."
"I thought the KofAs were about brotherhood," Proudfoot said.
"Well, yeah," Savage agreed. "But outside of the other knights, he doesn't trust anyone."
Tonks sipped her coffee as she looked between the two men. "Do you two really believe that one man can do all of that?"
Proudfoot leaned back in his chair. "If trained properly and taught from an early age, yes. You don't find it suspicious that the Spook Squad has been ignored in the proceedings of the Defence Department? I'd bet good money that they're being trained by the MIA. I wouldn't be surprised if the CDS is part of it. Intelligence keeps coming in and we get a step closer… if anyone can get on the inside of Voldemort's inner circle without actually joining the Death Eaters, it would be a KofA."
"But how would they do that?" Tonks asked. "Voldemort doesn't let people into his inner circle unless they bear the Dark Mark."
Savage crossed his arms in front of him. "That's what you think."
Tonks shook her head as she stood up. Myths, legends, and rumours. That's all it was. If Kane was anything he was a good agent and right now, she would take the help of someone good to help her find Dumbledore. Finding Dumbledore would lead her one step closer to getting her hands on Crouch.
"Well, we'll see when we meet him. He's supposed to arrive tomorrow afternoon," Tonks told them. "And I don't think King likes him."
Proudfoot grinned. "King likes people to fall in order and when they don't, he grumbles about it. We'll see."
Tonks left Savage and Proudfoot to their gossip and headed to the lifts. She didn't know if any of it was true. All she did know was that Kane was a good agent who Kingsley knew of and who Scrimgeour trusted. That was good enough for her.
And if her mind wandered to the mythical Knights of the Aurors, well, who could blame her? It was all very interesting.
~ ASC ~
Remus was tired.
He'd spent the last twenty-four hours trying to keep himself busy. The fight with Greyback, fighting the Inferi, storming Hogwarts to try to find Harry, and everything in between. He'd spent the night alternating between his son's bedside in the hospital and helping Flitwick run the school. The two of them had dealt with the secret passageway, sealing it completely and getting rid of the rubble. They'd roped off the walls that had crumbled as they worked on rebuilding.
It had taken them three hours of endless charm work to get it right. They collected the portraits that had been damaged and destroyed to be shipped off to a portrait restorer and had a meeting with the Head Boy and Girl as well as the prefects to check on the students. A few students had been injured, but most had been smart enough to go back to the dorms when news of Death Eaters being in the school had spread. The prefects and the Head Boy and Girl had taken charge and kept people safe.
McGonagall and Slughorn were both recovering at St Mungo's and Remus and Flitwick were doing what they could to take care of Hogwarts. All of the professors had stepped up. Hagrid took care of Fawkes while the Aurors searched the castle for evidence. Dumbledore's office had sealed itself from everyone in the meantime and Carthaginian was still nowhere to be found.
Remus explained the situation to the other professors and all of them were equally as shocked to learn that Carthaginian was a fake identity. The name Brambilla gave a few of them pause and more than one person commented on her mentioning on more than one occasion of having a half-sister whom she was close to. No one remembered if they'd seen her speaking to Blaise Zabini any more than normal and no one had ever once heard Zabini call her auntie which made Remus wonder if he was wrong or if Blaise had even known. But if the woman was close to her sister, it would mean she would also be close to her nephew, wouldn't it?
He only had more questions than answers.
Ron and Hermione brought him the cauldron with the bloodlust potion and the list of their ingredients. He agreed with them that it was the furthest they could go for the time being and thanked them for it. He gave both Hermione and Anthony house points for their work and watched Ron and Hermione stumble tiredly away. He wasn't the only one who was exhausted.
It was after six that night when he finally made it home, promising Flitwick to be back early to see the students off on the train. He dragged his feet into the shower, letting the hot water beat down on him from all directions. The last twenty-four hours felt like a dream.
Mitchell Hoffman was dead. One giant was dead. Dumbledore was missing. Slughorn and McGonagall were still in the hospital. Snape could be anywhere. And Greyback was still alive.
He grimaced. He'd been so close. He had almost defeated him last night and then… Merlin, the sight of his wife beneath the wolf had sent sheer terror through him. Even now just imagining it… he'd made the right choice to go to her, he knew that. But at what cost?
Bill Weasley was still recovering at St Mungo's. Arthur had sent word that he was to undergoing another procedure in the morning to heal his larynx. The cuts on his face were healing well, but he would have horrid scars from Greyback's nails for the rest of his life. Five members of the Terra Troops had been killed on the causeway. Two killed by vampires, one crushed by a giant, and three eaten alive by the Inferi. Two wolves had been killed by Death Eaters and Greyback had lost four of his own.
The bloodbath did nothing to bring the end closer. Instead, he felt like they'd taken three steps back.
Snape was missing and Remus didn't know what side he was on anymore. Dumbledore had been kidnapped by Voldemort. And Harry… Harry was devastated over this potion fiasco with Ginny.
The bloodlust potion was another thing. Why bother with something like this? Why bother giving a potion to Ginny? But even as he asked the question, he knew the answer. Because it would distract Harry. The longer that Harry was distracted, the longer they had to deal with Dumbledore, which meant that Voldemort was really seeing Harry for what he was: A real adversary.
The thought sent shivers down Remus' spine despite the hot water.
If Voldemort considered it dangerous for Harry to be helping in the hunt for Dumbledore, that meant that he was taking the Chosen One idea a lot more seriously. It meant that he had deliberately found a way to distract Harry, to keep him busy. And he'd done it in a way that Harry wouldn't be able to resist. He'd gone after the one person who Harry cared for most.
Every time Remus had seen Harry today, he'd been depressed, asking for news of Ginny and Remus didn't have any to share. Remus had instead told him of the good work that Hermione and Anthony did in procuring the potion ingredients. He explained how they still needed to learn more about the ingredients used and why they were used, but that it was a good start. He told Harry about Hermione and Ron's idea of speaking to Fleamont and Harry had perked up a little at that.
Harry listened with half an ear as Remus told him what other things he'd learned, but he hadn't been giving him as much attention as he normally would have. He was distracted and Remus hated that it was working as much as he hated watching his son's heart break.
Voldemort may not understand love, but he certainly understood how to use love as a weakness.
When the water started to turn cold, Remus turned it off and dried off. He tossed his towel in the hamper before he walked naked into his bedroom. The sight of his wife sleeping on top of the blankets in nothing but white and purple polka dot knickers and a purple vest made him smile. He crawled onto the bed next to her, planting a kiss to her shoulder before he wrapped his arms around her. She let out a small snore, her pink hair changing to it's natural brown as she snuggled into him.
And it was only when Tonks' warm breath brushed his chest as she lightly snored did he finally close his eyes and allow himself to sleep.
~ ASC ~
Harry was quiet the whole train ride home. Ron, Hermione, and Neville attempted to bring him into the conversation, but he ignored them, pretending to sleep. Luna and Theo had come in to do the same, but he'd continued to pretend to be sleeping. But they all knew that he wasn't really sleeping. Fred had mirror-called him when he tried to mirror-call Ginny for the tenth time to no avail and told him they all agreed that it would be best if he didn't see or speak to Ginny for a while. They were to have no contact of any kind for the foreseeable future.
It was like a dagger straight to his heart.
Ginny couldn't even say his name without getting angry. She thought that she was still dating Michael Bloody Corner. The potion had messed with her memories; made him out to be some kind of villain in her mind. Fred told him something about him pushing her out of his treehouse and breaking her arm. He would never have pushed her out of his treehouse!
He remembered the day that she broke her arm clearly. Ginny had just turned seven and she and Ron had come to Black Cottage to play.
"Harry, Ron, look!" Ginny cried, grabbing tightly to the steering wheel of the pirate ship. "I'm the captain!"
Ron rolled his eyes. "Whoopee."
Harry laughed and hoisted the sails. "Where to, Captain Weasley?"
"Atlantis!" she cried, making them both laugh.
"Ginny, Atlantis is under the water!" Ron exclaimed.
Harry grinned. "And this boat can sail under the water! It can do anything!"
"Yay!" Ginny exclaimed. "Harry, you're my first mate and Ron, you can be… the one who cleans the privy."
She and Harry giggled again.
"Haha," Ron said. "Let me steer."
Ginny moved to give her brother the wheel, grabbing the fireman's pole and swinging herself around it.
"Watch it," Harry warned. "If you fall off, Uncle Siri will have a heart attack."
She wiggled near the edge, laughing before she tripped and fell back. Harry and Ron both lunged for her, but it was too late. She fell off the side and landed on her arm on the grass.
Harry and Ron slid down the fireman's pole, running as fast as they could and yelling for Sirius as Marauder barked loudly. Ron made it to his sister first with his long legs and she whimpered.
"I hurt my arm."
Sirius ran out of the house with Andromeda on his heels. "Shit! Shit! What happened?"
"She fell," Harry said. "Uncle Siri, her arm!"
Sirius knelt down beside Ginny, taking her hand in his as Andromeda examined her arm. "It's okay, love. Andy will fix you right up. She's used to dealing with trouble considering who her daughter is."
"Haha," Andromeda said, as she used her wand to examine Ginny's arm. "Hold tight to Sirius' hand, love. It's going to hurt for a moment, but then I promise it will be better."
Ginny nodded, unshed tears in her eyes as she bit her bottom lip. "Okay."
"On three," Sirius said, cupping her hand in both of his. "One. Two. Three."
The sound of her bone snapping back into place made Sirius pale, but to Ginny's credit, she didn't let a single tear fall despite them welling up in her eyes. Sirius bundled her up into his arms.
"You brave little spitfire. You okay?"
Ginny nodded solemnly, snuggling herself into his arms. "I want my Daddy."
"Of course, pumpkin," Sirius said, standing up with her in his arms. "Harry, I think that it's time for Ron and Ginny to go home."
Harry nodded as he and Ron walked behind them with their heads bowed. When they reached the back patio, Harry brightened and hurried towards the little garden Sirius had started, ripping out three of the red zinnias that bloomed there. Ron followed suit and pulled out three of the purple pansies. The two of them thrusted them up towards Ginny.
Her face brightened.
"We're sorry you broke your arm, Ginny," Harry said.
Ron nodded. "We tried to catch you, you know."
Ginny buried her nose in the flowers with a smile before she turned to look up at Sirius. "Do we have to go home, Sirius?"
Sirius grinned and kissed the top of her head. "How about we have ice cream instead?"
The three of them cheered as Ginny jumped down from Sirius' arms and they ran into the house.
Andromeda put her hand on Sirius' shoulder. "Ice cream and flowers, you boys sure know how to charm a girl."
The memory made him smile. Ginny had mooned over the flowers for the rest of the afternoon. They'd had fun and now she thought he had pushed her? Fred said that there was more from her memories that were equally as distorted, but he hadn't shared them. The lack of information was only making Harry think the worst.
By the time the train arrived at King's Cross, Harry felt a little lost. He muttered a quick goodbye to his friends as Hermione hugged him tightly, promising him that they would help him get Ginny back. Misha was waiting for him and he let his grandfather lead him off and Apparate back to Black Cottage.
When he walked into the house, the twins were crying. Zee was doing her best to console them and Harry found himself just staring, not sure what to do. Zee passed him Mina in response. He held the tiny girl against his heart and rocked back and forth. She stopped crying, her big eyes staring up at him in Sirius' grey and tears welled up, blurring his vision.
Misha squeezed his shoulder in assurance. Harry cuddled Mina close and closed his eyes.
He didn't know what else to do.
End Author's Notes:
Been wanting to add the MIA stuff for a while. I thought it would be fun to give the Ministry a special elite Auror task force. Thanks to gryffindorhealer for letting me bounce ideas.
Cloak and Dagger Service (CDS) of Magical Intelligence Agency (MIA) of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Knights of the Aurors (KofAs)
Thanks to katie-with-the-tea and secretkeeper13 for help with my potion ingredients.
Thanks to Seriously Sam for help with the memory.
Thank you for reading and please review.