Calliope made her way up to the third floor later that night. She opened the door to her study and found her father standing in front of the fireplace, his attention on the painting over the mantle. It was a picture of her parents, the first and only portrait in her home. Calliope used her memories and memories from the others to make sure she got her mother's likeness as accurately as possible.

"A little odd seeing myself up there," Tom said.

"It felt weird having one of just her."

Tom turned around and placed his hands behind his back. "You all packed?" he asked.

"I can make do on my own for the night. And then tomorrow, Harry, Ron, and Ginny will pick me up so we can go to Diagon Alley for last-minute supplies."

"Sounds fun."

"Yeah, it will be a real adventure. Especially after the shit at Neville's party."

Tom stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. Calliope relaxed into the embrace for a moment before she pulled away.

"What's your plan this year with Harry?" he asked.

"My usual. Harry is a product of his environment. A part of me refuses to hate him for having that black and white outlook on life. But I also know he has had plenty of time to change and declines to do so. Either way, I will be his friend until I can no longer stomach it."

"You aren't going soft on me, are you?"

Calliope rolled her eyes and said, "The idea I have to be a terror at all times is foolish. I can destroy a man by being kind to him all the same."

"Sure. Have you and Bellatrix planned on announcing your engagement?" he teased.

"No. You see the rings. Why would we have to announce it?"

"Because it is the Black family way to formally announce your engagement. Ancient magic."

Calliope groaned. "Fine. You call the family. I will wake my sleeping fiancée."


The next morning, Moody entered Grimmauld Place, where he found Remus and Sirius waiting for him.

"Good. You're all here. Come with me," Sirius said.

Remus and Moody followed Sirius into the drawing-room. Sirius pointed to the tapestry.

"You called us all here for show and tell?" Moody huffed.

"No. Look at the line that comes from Bellatrix," Sirius instructed.

Remus and Moody huddled close. Remus twitched and rubbed his forehead. Several changes the tapestry accounted for over the years, such as Rodolphus being completely erased from the entire thing. But that wasn't what had Remus and the others worried.

"How is this possible?" Moody asked. "I thought Albus took care of her!"

"Obviously not. This tapestry is old magic. It considers soul bonds as automatic familial connections, whether married or otherwise. That is how it can adjust to the changes," Sirius explained. "Unfortunately, until their bond is acknowledged in the eyes of man and magic, we will not have an image to go along with the name, but the fact her name has appeared tells me Severus was either lying, or he has no idea that 'new lord being a man' crap is just that. Crap."

"If that's the case, then Severus isn't safe anymore," Moody mused. "If You-Know-Who can't even trust him with something like this…."

Sirius grimaced and said, "That's why I called you two. We need to plan this out. As much as I don't like the git, I don't want him going in there without a heads-up."

"So, you haven't told Albus yet?" Remus asked.

"I will at the next meeting."

"No. We can't wait until the next meeting," Moody said. "We all heard that prophecy."

"But what about Harry's prophecy?" Sirius asked. "Does that change now that she's back with her father? Does it even matter if Harry fights You-Know-Who if his daughter and Bellatrix survive?"

"All questions we have to ask Albus. On top of that, we need to know why the hell he didn't tell us she was still in the UK. I thought he said he sent her to the States."

Remus tuned out the argument. He studied the tapestry, trying to see if there was anything that could tie Calliope to Hermione. Thankfully, there was nothing but a vague image of a girl with red eyes and black curls.

"I'll contact Albus and set up an emergency meeting with him at the school," Sirius said.

"Are we telling the cubs?" Remus asked.

"I think we should," Sirius said. "They need to know."

"Let's get to Albus before he goes to the Ministry," Moody ordered.

"Keep me updated," Remus sighed.

"You're not coming with us?" Sirius asked.

Remus shook his head and lied, "I have plans with Ted today. I'll catch up with you later."

Sirius nodded before he and Moody left the room. Remus waited until they were gone before he reached into his pocket and rubbed the coin he kept in his robes.


Bellatrix and Narcissa jumped when Remus appeared in the room.

"Remus!" Bellatrix exclaimed. "Don't do that!"

"Sorry, but did you and Calliope do anything that would show up on the Black family tapestry?"

Narcissa and Bellatrix both paled. Remus got his answer.

"Moody and Sirius are on their way to inform the Headmaster. Apparently, Albus told everyone Calliope was in the States, and Moody is not happy with him. But beyond that, we all know the next step is to find Calliope and Bellatrix. Oh, and can someone tell Ted that he and I are supposed to be at lunch?"

Narcissa snapped her fingers distractedly. A house-elf appeared, and she passed the message along. The elf bowed and disappeared. Remus saw Bellatrix staring off into the distance before she blinked and stood.

"Where are the other Death Eaters?" she asked.

"Upstairs. Why?" Narcissa asked warily.

Bellatrix smirked and apparated from the room. Narcissa stood and brushed down her dress.

"I guess now would be a good time to enact Rayna's backup plan," she said.

"Which is?" Remus asked.

"I will tell you when Tom and I return."

Narcissa left the room, and Remus scratched his jaw. Now, to find a way to warn Calliope.


Calliope slipped her arm into Harry's as they walked. He seemed shocked at the action, and she smirked.

"I may or may not have overreacted at the party," she said.

Harry huffed out a laugh. "You reacted like you should've."

"I do not want this year to be like the shit storm that has been this summer."

"Agreed, but man, it's so weird hearing you curse so much," he joked.

"I stopped denying myself the pleasure."

Harry laughed, and the two talked about nothing as they went from shop to shop. The two were caught up in their conversation about their parents. At that moment, they bonded over death, and Calliope envisioned in a different lifetime, Harry would be her best friend. Maybe he'd be by her side with Draco, Luna, and Bellatrix while they took over the Wizarding World.

"Hermione!"

Calliope turned as Fred jogged up to them. He smiled and hugged them both, but Fred kept a hold on her arm. He was squeezing as if he wanted to pull her away.

"Sorry, mate, but I need to borrow Hermione for her brain."

"Oh! That's fine. She's the best choice," Harry joked.

Fred smiled and lightly dragged Calliope in the direction of his shop. Fred led her through the backdoor, where she found Luna and Draco already there. Calliope rubbed her arm a little and frowned.

"What is going on?" she asked.

"Remember the engagement announcement last night?" Draco asked.

"What of it?"

"It showed up on the tapestry," Draco said. "Sirius saw it, and he and Moody went to the Headmaster. Moody and Sirius thought you were in the States."

"Hold on, the Headmaster saw me leave with Lucius," Calliope said.

"Well. That doesn't make any sense," Fred said. "Why would he lie?"

Luna frowned deeply and said, "Because he didn't want people to know he'd lost her."

"What if he knows who you are?" Fred asked.

"That would imply he's known this entire time," George guessed.

"And once he discovers that you're reunited with Bellatrix-

"He'll do whatever it takes to prevent the prophecy from happening," Calliope gritted out.

"We need to get you out of here," Draco said. "Now."

Calliope was reeling. Reuniting with Bellatrix was a good thing short-term, but long-term? Not so much. Wait, Bellatrix. Where is Bella- Calliope jumped as an explosion shook the building. Then another. And another. The twins went outside first, keeping Calliope hidden as they surveyed the scene. Luna was behind Calliope, with Draco behind Luna. Calliope poked her head around and gaped at the four smoke trails flying over the alley. Spells flew from each one, causing minimum damage but maximum chaos.

"Bella?" Calliope whispered.

"It's a distraction," Draco announced. "They're giving us a chance to escape."

"Tell Harry and Ron this was too much, and I went back to my flat. Make it clear I want to be alone and will see them on the train. Okay?" Calliope said to the twins.

"We understand," they said in unison.

"Come on. We need to get you back to the manor," Draco said to Calliope.

"You guys come by after, okay?" Luna asked.

The twins nodded. Calliope ran down the alley with Luna and Draco. The three made it to the woods before they apparated home. The spells from the Death Eaters kept flying for a few more minutes. When the Aurors arrived, the smoke trails zig-zagged away into the distance.


Calliope and Bellatrix stood in the middle of Rayne Manor with their hands clasped and surrounded by the entire family.

"I cannot believe this is happening," Calliope sighed.

"The tapestry has been in our family for ages," Andromeda said. "How did none of us know an engagement would show?"

"Soul magic is a funny thing," Luna replied. "I believe because Calliope and Bellatrix are fated beyond the norm, the tapestry recognized their connection and deemed it worthy enough to be added."

"And due to the only version being at Grimmauld," Narcissa added, "it was unfortunately bound to catch our cousin's attention."

"This much we know," Remus said. "But how do we stay ahead of the Headmaster?"

"Especially since it seems he has been aware of Calliope this entire time," Ted added.

"What about Dan and Jean?" Andromeda asked. "If he's known this entire time-

"I already sent someone to take care of them," Lucius said. "A friend who owed me a favor. They will be moved, and communication will be scarce."

"As long as they are safe, do what needs to be done," Calliope murmured.

Bellatrix pulled Calliope into her side. Silence fell over the group. Calliope played with the ring around her finger. It'd been disillusioned earlier with Harry and the others. Now it seemed to be the one thing everyone in the room focused on. Tom sighed and stepped forward.

"I have a suggestion that no one is going to like," he said.

Calliope stared at her father warily, and he clasped his hands behind his back.

"I feel it best you and Bellatrix separate. I think you should stay at Malfoy Manor until it is time for you to leave for Hogwarts. Bellatrix will stay here Rayne Manor with the Death Eaters and me."

"You are right. I hate that," Calliope grumbled.

"So do I," Bellatrix huffed.

"I know. But we are in the part of the war where this minor error, something none of us could have predicted, has forced our hand."

"I also think we need to up the timeline," Lucius said.

"Meaning?" Calliope asked.

"We planned on training you all over Christmas break, but with Tom's suggestion, I believe it might be in our best interest to do it now. We need to make sure you and the others are prepared once you get on that train."

Calliope groaned and looked up at the ceiling. "I know you are making a choice for the betterment of the group, but I hate you both so much right now," she whined.

"I know," Tom said. He looked at Bellatrix and added, "As for you, I might not be as strong as I was before, but I can still teach. You and I will restart our training tomorrow. It is time I started treating you less like my future daughter-in-law and more like my protégé."

Bellatrix wasn't happy with it, but she nodded and looked down. Tom then looked at the rest of the Nacht Hexen.

"You all will be joining Calliope for her training. I understand some of you may have familial obligations, but you need to have at least two days set aside for this. Pick a day and be at Malfoy Manor by six a.m. By the time the train leaves, you will see why my wife was a force to be reckoned with," he said.

Mulciber, Avery, Travers, and Rookwood grinned evilly. The Nacht Hexen shared nervous looks with one another. Tom and the adults left the room. After they were alone, Calliope took a deep breath and looked at her friends.

"I apologize," she said. "I hope this does not change your opinion of me nor make you regret your choice to follow me."

"We are not mad at you," Neville said.

"Yeah. Why would we be?" Daphne asked. "This just seems to be an-

"Unforeseen circumstance," Blaise cut in. "When we got the call to be here, we assumed it was for something else, but Luna filled us in and-

"We knew now more than ever you needed us. All of us," Fred said.

"Our choice has not changed," Luna said.

"You and Bellatrix should not be punished for this," Draco sighed. You deserve some happiness, and Bellatrix is your blind spot."

"We all have one," George said.

"Mine is Luna," Draco said.

"Mine is Draco," Luna said.

"Mine is my sister," Daphne said, shrugging.

"Ditto," Astoria joked.

Fred put his arm around George's shoulder and added, "I would do anything for him. Including putting my own life at risk."

"We would all do that for someone," Tonks said.

"We're a unit now, a family. We do this together or not at all. That was the implication when we had the ceremony," Neville said.

Calli ran a hand through her hair and looked up at the ceiling. She screamed in frustration before she huffed and said, "I hate everything about this."

"Unless you plan on rescinding your engagement?"

Calliope glared at Blaise, and he laughed.

"Exactly. There's nothing we can do about it!"

"Love is a terrible price we all must pay at some point," Tonks joked.

"Fuck off," Calliope grumbled.

"Group hug!" Fred announced.

They all groaned but gathered together around Calliope. Bellatrix, who stood off to the side, smiled before she slipped out of the room and found Tom out in the backyard.


"I was wondering when you would come to find me," Tom said without turning around.

"Do you regret picking me as your protégé?" she asked softly.

"Never. Minus my wife and Calliope, you are one of the most important people in my life. You were always the strong one, the powerful one, but you were the one I knew could switch it all off if asked it of you. I saw your potential. I still see it. I just hope you still remember how to do push-ups."

Bellatrix folded her arms and said, "Come on, I don't need-

"Yes, you do. You've been in Azkaban, and I imagine your stamina needs some work. Your dueling might be a little rusty. This is not a punishment. This is to help you," he said.

"And separating Calli and me?"

"That is a precaution. I will let you see Calliope the morning she leaves. I'm not too much a monster."

"Not anymore," she joked.

"Go say goodbye to Calliope so we can leave," he huffed, lightly pushing her away.

Bellatrix went back inside the house and felt something settle in her stomach. She remembers what Tom was like when he was training her. He was ruthless, but she was in the best shape of her life afterward. Rayna's method, however – Bellatrix cringed as she walked through the kitchen. Those poor children were going to be worked until they were unconscious. She hated that he was keeping her from Calliope, but she could see the logic.

There was too much risk at the moment.