OoSaM, you are an absolute infuriating human being. I do love you though, but you vex me deeply.

And I look forward to when Moody just says 'eff-it' I'll do it myself.

"Tom! Tom!"

He took the stairs three at a time and skidded to a stop near the room where Calliope's body remained. At least, that was what he assumed. When Tom opened the door and noticed the empty bed, his eyes held fury as he spun on Severus and Narcissa.

"Where is she?" he demanded.

"That is why we summoned you, you idiot," Narcissa snapped. "We have no idea where her body is."

"How is that possible? She was just here last night!"

Severus put a hand on Narcissa's arm before she replied, and she took a deep breath before she said, "We are aware of that. Again, that is why we called for you."

"The bed is cold," Severus added carefully. "Almost like nothing has touched the sheets for months."

"But that- wait." Tom turned to Narcissa and frowned. "Where is Bellatrix?" he asked.

"Surely you don't think she had anything to do with this."

"Where is she?" he asked again.

Narcissa sighed and said, "She said she needed fresh air and went for a walk outside. But Tom she'd didn't- Tom!"

Tom ran from the room out to the backyard. He knew the path Bellatrix took, as she took it frequently, and he half-expected to find her under the tree. Instead, Tom stepped in some sort of black sludge. He glanced down in confusion, and he yelped when whatever it was ate through the sole of his shoes. Tom tossed his shoe away from him and hopped backward, using the tree for balance. Tom looked around, searching for his protégé, but he found nothing.

"Bellatrix?" he called out.

Silence.

Tom leaned against the tree and cupped his mouth, shouting, "Bellatrix!"

Nothing.

"Bellatrix!" he called out again.

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

"Bellatrix!"

Luna put her hand on Bellatrix's arm, keeping her from responding to Tom. The further they walked into the woods, the less they heard Tom's frantic calls for Bellatrix. Luna led the witch as deep into the trees as she could, buying time for them both. Luna wasn't technically breaking any rules, but she wasn't supposed to be so lenient with her abilities. But she owed it to Bellatrix and Calliope to at least give them a sense of peace. Luna slipped her hands into her pockets and sighed.

"Before I tell you what is going on, you should know I genuinely had no idea it would happen the way it did," she said. "I know we've had this discussion, but I feel like we need to have it again."

Bellatrix came to a stop. Luna turned so that they faced each other. She'd avoided the conversation with Draco because she was afraid he wouldn't be able to see past his anger, but Bellatrix was already aware that Luna knew. And Luna was aware that Bellatrix kept her promise.

"You said that you had no idea if she was truly dead," Bellatrix said.

"That was the truth. I was not aware of everything, but I know now."

"Are you saying she's alive?"

"I'm saying there's a chance."

"What? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I am not allowed to always speak on events that have yet to occur," Luna gritted out.

"Yes, death and destruction through someone else's eyes," Bellatrix said dismissively. "What does this have to do with what's happening now? Why did I wake up the way that I did?"

Luna reached into her pocket and removed a bracelet. "Here are your rules, and they are pretty 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 asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you understand what I said, Bellatrix?" Luna repeated.

"Yes."

"Good."

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 felt more like she was being compressed into a small package and shipped in the tiniest container known to man. 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 until Luna's warning echoed in her mind. She bit down on her tongue and squeezed the hand in hers as the two of them watched in silence.

Calliope stumbled barefoot in the sand with an older woman trailing behind her. Bellatrix almost cried and 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 cocked her head. There was some sort of red substance around her mouth and throat. Bellatrix looked at Luna, who held up her finger, silently telling her to wait. Bellatrix looked back as the older woman tugged Calliope backward and pressed a finger to her temple. Calliope's eyes rolled back into her head, and she went limp in the woman's arms. The woman swept her off the sand and held her easily, though her eyes were on Luna and Bellatrix.

"You shouldn't be here," the woman said.

"I was given permission," Luna sighed. "May we see her? Closer?"

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

"Remember, you cannot 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 to show Calliope in totality. Bellatrix smiled and memorized everything she could while Luna shoved her hands into her pockets.

"Oy, what is so special about this one, Fate walker?"

"Le Fay," Luna answered flatly.

"Ah? That's a new one."

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

"We will leave you to it then," Luan said, grabbing Bellatrix by arm.

"This one is a challenge in the best way," the woman said, eyeing Bellatrix. "I haven't seen someone so determined to get back to something she doesn't remember."

Bellatrix stiffened, and Luna grimaced. The woman bowed and walked off with Calliope still in her arms. Luna snapped her fingers, and they were back in the woods. Bellatrix spat out the blood from biting her tongue for so long, and she wiped the excess away with the back of her hand. The bracelet in Luna's hand disintegrated, and she licked her lips to get rid of the sand stuck to her mouth.

"In order of what I assume your questions are, yes, Calliope is alive. What happened to her was known as a full reset, which means that over ninety percent of her memories were either blocked or erased until they deem she is stable enough to recall them. Her second life comes from Le Fay, and no, I do not have the answers for that. That is above my knowledge. Lastly, as for the woman we met, I have no idea who she is. My mother wrote in her journal that she is too powerful to name, and some beings lose their lives and their magic if they ever dare speak it."

Bellatrix grunted and said, "Calliope looked like a baby learning how to walk again. And what was that red stuff around her mouth?"

"It was a plant to help restore her vocal cords. As for the baby thing, I guess you can say she is somewhat in the beginning stage of her life."

"Enough cryptic shit, Selene."

"Calliope is what they call a 'half-being.' That essentially means she must re-learn the very basics of humanity, and that includes walking, eating, drinking, speaking, understanding her magic, and determining right from wrong. Some people take a few days, others a few months, but it all depends on the individual. 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."

"Are you saying she won't remember me?"

Luna laughed and said, "No, she will remember you. She will remember all of us, and you heard the woman. She's fighting hard to get back to where she knows she needs to be, even if she can't recall the specifics. Plus, the relationships Calliope formed before her death have not been erased."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I brought you out here to let you know privately that you will be the only one who will know when her memories return. You will feel it, and your connection with her will be restored."

"But?"

"You know what I am going to say," Luna said softly.

"I can't tell anyone," Bellatrix guessed.

"No, you can't. Not even me."

"Why?"

Luna gave her a sad smile and said, "Because my journey might not make it to her return."

Bellatrix frowned, and Luna shrugged.

"I have my orders, my plans, and I have my predictions. Nothing is set in stone, and I would hate to make promises I can't keep."

"Is that why you've been avoiding Draco?"

"Did he say that?"

"No, but Cissy mentioned that he's afraid he's losing you." Luna glanced off to the side without a response. Bellatrix sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "What did you mean by she won't be the same person?" she asked.

"I only meant that 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 – knew - her."

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

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

Luna smiled sadly at Bellatrix and continued their walk. Eventually, Bellatrix caught up with her, and they remained silent, each lost in their thoughts.

Remus helped Tonks to bed at the Manor.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like someone knocked me on the head with a metal baseball bat."

"What?"

"Muggle thing," Tonks chuckled.

"Oh." Remus stared at the bruising above Tonks' eye. "How mad is your Mom?" he asked.

"You should be asking how mad my Dad is. He's the one waging war against the Aurors department. I told him it wasn't a big deal."

"Narcissa told us what she did, and there was no mention of her hitting you on the head."

"Yeah, well. One of the Aurors knocked my head into a brick wall while they were transporting me."

"What!" Remus 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 after the last couple of years."

"Do you mean to tell me you've been bullied?"

"Remus, don't make it a thing. I already got my Dad on my ass about it."

"I want their names."

"Remus-

"Tell me, Tonks." Remus bent down and added, "If you don't, I'll send the Nacht Hexen in here to get it out of you."

"You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?"

Tonks sighed heavily and said, "Their names are…."

Andy strolled through the ministry with Narcissa at her side. She loved the way people parted for them, but she did wish 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. Andy didn't have the heart to mention that Calliope's body going missing the same time Bellatrix and Luna go on their little adventure together wasn't just a coincidence.

Andy rubbed her temples when several things caught up with her at once. Bellatrix finally got the goblins to give her written approval to get into all of the Forthright vaults, but the goblins were being exceptionally vague about certain things. Bellatrix felt like she was missing something, and no one was giving her any answers which meant she took her frustration out on everyone else. Add in the bullshit with her daughter and a few childish Aurors, and 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.

"Ah, shit," he muttered.

Moody rose from his desk and hobbled to the door, only to have it blown back before he could ever get close. 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 in front of him like angels. Or demons. He could never tell with them.

"I would like to see the following Aurors in this office 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 now." 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 from Tonks about their behavior around her, and he swallowed roughly. He coughed and got to his feet.

"You two can't come bursting in here like you own the damn place," he huffed. "I'm not bringing those men in from the field, undercover, or from pissing in the alleyway, as you so eloquently said. Whatever nonsense this is about can wait. I have bigger things to be concerned about. Like the location of a specific threat to Wizarding Society as a whole. Or rather, her body."

"Is that so?"

"Sirius has the wounds and memories to prove your involvement with his kidnapping, something I can't wait to charge you all with. And by all, I mean all of you. Albus was hurt to know that Severus betrayed him, but I can't say I'm surprised. That slimy, piece of shit was never on our side."

"I am not here about the war," Andromeda deadpanned. "If I was, I would be in something a bit more comfortable. I am here for those men and those men alone. We can worry about arrests and accusations at a later day."

"I'm not bringing them in, end of discussion." Moody stood and adjusted his clothes. "Now, you either find your way out of here to get your affairs in order, or I'll have you in chains before you can ever get wands out."

"Is this your final response?" Narcissa asked.

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

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

"Why, yes, of course," Narcissa said. "We do apologize about that."

"Of course. And this was merely a formality regardless," Andromeda added. "As the men have already been located, and we will be handling them accordingly for the long, long list of complaints from my daughter that you never took seriously. Though I imagine the stacks of papers poorly hidden behind your desk might attest to the fact for the last three 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 a little 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!"

"After your sister attacked her," Moody pointed out.

"I have already apologized for my role in what happened," Narcissa sighed. "Nymphadora and I have agreed to put it behind us as she understood my emotional state has been a bit off recently. After all, my husband was murdered. By the way, where are you with that investigation?"

"Ongoing."

"I see."

Moody cocked an eyebrow at the women and pointed again to the door.

"I have work to do," he said. "And if there is a formal complaint by Auror-

"Former," Andromeda corrected. "She no longer works here, which I suspect works better in our favor than yours."

"Regardless, if she has a complaint, tell her to file it with the appropriate office."

Andromeda twitched and said, "Yes, of course. As I said initially, this was merely a formality."

The two sisters headed toward the exit. Narcissa looked over her shoulder and waved a hand over the broken pieces of the door. Moody pursed his lips as his door mended itself, looking better than it did originally. Narcissa smiled politely at him, though the edge of her smile was tinged with a promise of bloodshed.

"As for your warning, when you do arrive, be sure to have the appropriate paperwork. I'd hate for you to get stuck with bureaucratic nonsense. We are a formidable bunch, not to mention the sheer amount of defending you're going to have to do once you submit the names of everyone you plan to drag in here."

"Goodbye, Miss Malfoy."

"It's Black. But you knew that, didn't you?"

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. As for the other shit, Moody rubbed his temples. Sirius' accusations were everything the Order needed to pursue action against them, but Narcissa was correct. He would have to convince a lot of people that a sheer number of individuals from prominent families were working for the Dark Lord.

"Had Dumbledore killed that brat when he first found her, we wouldn't be in this shit," Moody growled under his breath.

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

"I'll give you half now, and the rest later if you do it right," Ted said.

"And exactly do ya want?"

"You see those men in the corner?"

"Aye?"

"They hurt my daughter."

Green eyes darkened just enough, and the barkeep asked, "Hurt, hurt? Or hurt?"

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

"Oh?" The barkeep took the vial and the money. "Got a little one me'self. She's the love of my life, so consider it done."

Moody stepped through the fireplace into Albus' office. He glared at the Headmaster and said, "When are you going to get off your ass and finish this?"

"Hello, Alastor. How may I help you?"

"Enough of the bullshit, Albus. They killed six of my men!"

"Ah. Those wouldn't be the men that had been bothering Nymphadora, would it?"

Moody ground his teeth, and Albus shrugged.

"And what makes you think there is anything left to finish?" Albus asked. "Calliope is dead. Voldemort is dead, and the rest will fall. Narcissa is without a husband, Draco is without a father, and soon, Neville will be without his grandmother. There is nothing for you to concern yourself over anymore."

"Oh? What about Bellatrix? Narcissa? What about Severus? They still have too much power, too much sway, and I have reason to believe Andromeda and Tonks will stand behind their family on this. What about the Weasley boys? Zabini? Greengrass? Hell, even the weird blonde with is a threat."

"Without their leader, what harm could they bring?"

"Listen, with all due respect, while you cut off three heads, I don't think this is a snake. It's a hydra, and they are growing. Something's coming, I can feel it."

Albus waved him off and said, "Your paranoia is getting the best of you, Alastor. Plus, I warned you keeping those men around after that foolishness with Nymphadora would come back to haunt you."

"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! Yeah, you got rid of the werewolves, killed Calliope, and even went so far as murdering a high-ranking Ministry official just to prove a point. But all it's done is show me you are an apathetic, greedy, and sadistic-

"Enough!" Albus took a deep breath. "I know you are angry, but I will not be spoken to in that manner. I recommend you take a break and 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 as I have already paid several goblins to keep her from accessing pertinent information."

"And what if they go behind your back?"

"Then I will adjust accordingly. Now," Albus gestured toward the fireplace, "if you do not mind, I have work to do. We are in the middle of classes."

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 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, and Calliope studied the colors. It was orange with white and yellow streaks. Calliope bent over and inhaled through her nose when a sharp pain went through her head, and she dropped the spoon as she was hit with a memory.

"Do you know what this is? Can you say it for me?"

"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."

"Well. He's different."

"Oh hush."

"Swee' tay-soup!" Calliope babbled.

"One more time, my love. Sweet. Po-ta-to. Soup."

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

"Aha! I knew she could do it!"

Calliope blinked, and the memory was gone. She looked back at the bowl and frowned.

"Sweet. . Soup," she said with an effort.

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

Day 2: The subject made a mental connection and spoke. Moving faster than predicted.

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

Monitor, but do not interfere.

The woman sighed when the conversation was deemed finished, and she glanced back at Calliope. The witch looked back at her with an unnerving stare, like she knew what was happening, but then it was gone. Calliope turned and looked back at the fire, humming the same tune under her breath. The woman frowned as she listened, and her heart lurched in her chest. Despite her exile, the woman knew that melody as if she was in the Hallowed Halls herself. There was more to the witch than she was led to believe, and the woman knew asking too many questions would end badly. Instead, she pretended not to hear it and took the dishes into the kitchen. But as she was gone, the melody grew louder until the same line replayed in her head.

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot.