Author's Note:
Reviews and Comments: To Yusraa Ifthikar: Hope your exams went well! Yes, Fred and George really can joke about anything, can't they? Theo definitely lives to tease and thank you for saying that I didn't let you down with the fantasy shower. I thought it was pretty great myself. Theo reacting to Kane being gay was perfect, followed by him promptly changing the subject. It was fun to write. Sebastian definitely has some great friends in Durant and Jin, we'll see more of them here. Crouch is insanely lucky and yes, he really does need to die. I know! To Katie2001: Thank you for jumping around and screaming at how amazing the chapter is. I appreciate that! To Dianne: Glad you liked my stumped joke and yes, the twins are close and Fred wants George to know that he can't die on him. Theo and Sebastian are both very much idiots lol. We will learn more about Clark and Kenneth later on. Theo is definitely a great wingman for Harry and yes, Fred was like what is this fantasy shower? Yes, Pansy is pregnant again. You don't think Gransy will have a HEA? Thanks for loving K and Crouch's fight and yes, Voldemort met Sebastian. I never said Snape was being held at Crouch's castle so technically, he wasn't there to be rescued. Thank you for loving the chapter so much!
To Nuno Neves: Thank you! I am relieved about George and Angelina myself. Thanks for saying their shower smut was better than after the Quidditch match. Ginny is very lucky and yes, that was definitely one of the best gifts he could have given her — a chance to try out for the Quidditch league. Yes, Pansy is pregnant and Goyle is not with her. Thank you. To Nightwing2013: Yes, you should have expected a pun LOL. Hinny in the shower is definitely hot and steamy (pun intended). Theo looked rather like he'd been thumped on the head. Voldemort does know Sebastian's face, but he wasn't undercover so he had no cover to blow. The dagger was not silver. They want to take the enemy down but not cause needless pain. Misha was helping out, but not active-active duty. To alix33: Happy to make you laugh and cry at "I'm stumped" LOL. Glad you enjoyed Mina and Leo waking up Harry. Yes, lots of great gifts! Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! To the Mandalorian terminator: Thank you for your kind words. Glad you found the shower scene so intense and hot. Thank you for saying them infiltrating the island felt like a spy movie, that's exactly what I was going for!
To Sam: You didn't sign in LOL! Poor Angelina asking if she can fly, I know. I love how much you love Tonks calling Kane her work husband. Theo is definitely very intrigued by Sebastian and finding out he's gay is making him question every conversation they've ever had. Yes, he gave her a box of his jumpers! He knows his woman. I know you're excited for more Gransy babies. Yes, Sebastian totally hates the term Bas-speak which is why his friends use it. Yes, Crouch and Bella are insane. To Bluerain22: Thanks for loving George and his leg joke. Fantasy shower is a great life goal to be honest, I support this. I love that you are completely obsessed with Theo and Bas' personal life! This makes me so happy! To The Booknerds: Z is Misha, yes. Thank you! To loveurficscath: Thank you very much. I love how many people are loving my Theobas! Yes, that very steamy hinny scene!
To ellyann13: As I've said before, I never had a Beta for the first 120 chapters and no matter how many times I go over and re-edit, no one is perfect. There will be mistakes. It's fanfiction, not the Great Canadian Novel. I'm glad you enjoyed Christmas and Angelina being worried about her career. Charlie is definitely a natural father. I'm glad you found the Sebastian discussion so funny. Misha was very impressed by Kane. Yes, Sirius' kids definitely got mini motorbikes and Aydin a dragon. We'll find out more about Daphne soon. Z is right, Barty and Bellatrix may be weaknesses that they can exploit. Thanks! To saucyswimmer: Yes, take that Theo! It will be happening very soon, I can promise you that! It was nice for them all to have a great Christmas together at Clevedon Court. Killing Crouch on sight might have been preferable, but they do want him to bring him in for questioning. Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying getting to see Sebastian's character develop more. To GODMISHA: Ha, KOAMISHA LOL. How can I imagine so much? I'm not sure, it just sort of happens. Thank you! I really have no idea who the most powerful people in all of ASC are.
To notthatchhavi: Of course George is making puns. Nope, the twins are definitely too eager to explore! Theo definitely takes a long time in the shower and to get ready haha. He definitely has a long daily ritual. We all knew it, but now Theo does too, Kane is gay. I'm glad you enjoyed the shower scene. Yay! I'm happy so many people loved D and J and yes, Jin is Korean and a total ass-kicker. Thank you! To Sara: Thank you for saying you thought 313 was one of the best chapters yet. I like that you were skeptical of me making Theo and Ginny best friends and making Theo gay and bringing in so many OCs especially because of how much you've grown to love them. Thank you very much! To Shivani: I love that you will be rereading chapter 313 a lot of times, thank you! People seem to think Snape might be saved, I never said it was a definite. Yes, Harry's fantasy came true and I think they were both very happy with it. Yes, Theo, take notes LOL. Thanks for loving D and J and yes, Durant and Sebastian are VERY tall! I love how many people loved my Bas-speak comment! Thank you very much! To AnonymousHufflepuffWriter: Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying my story so much and I appreciate your kind words. To CrazyWithABook: Thank you!
To sunlitdxys: Thank you. Ginny was definitely totally spent in the shower and yes, Harry sent her to cloud nine and she was not complaining. Yes, they almost had Crouch, but not quick enough. To Slaidback: Ha, 9 chapters seems like a lot, but it's really not lol. Thank you for saying good art takes time, I agree. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and yes, I want Harry's house, too! To puttyman24: Thank for loving my Fred and George scene. Yes, Pansy is pregnant and Greg isn't there with her. Thank you! To Derpdude32: Thank you! I know, we all hope Crouch is caught and killed soon. To Brianna: Thank you! It would be nice if ASC went on forever, but all good things must come to an end at some point. To pix25: Thank you! To Sara: Wow, you started ASC in December and are already caught up! I am impressed! Thank you so much for saying "it's the best parallel universe story for HP." Thanks for the review from India and stay safe! To 1Potterhead: Thank you! Aren't we all curious if Bas is a KofA. To Person: Thank you! Taking a break doesn't mean I will abandon the story. I promise. To Steelcode: I'm glad everyone is all right. Sebastian definitely took care of himself and thanks for loving my heartwarming moments!
To ITHersey: Ha, you could read an entire chapter of Kane getting his balls busted by his friends — well, this chapter has more so enjoy! Thanks for enjoying the fight at the end. I think the final battle will be better, I hope. To oops-cant-say: Thank you for saying what twists and what turns. I'm glad you've enjoyed the fic. I have no idea how many chapters this story will be, but I don't think I will make it to 400. But one never knows. To skyreader_183: Thank you! George and Angelina are starting to recover, yes. Z is Misha. Thank you! To sweetxsavory: Thank you! K and his team are definitely awesome. I did do it on purpose yes, George losing his leg instead of his ear. Harry is getting older and used to calling her Professor after seven years of school. I love Ginny calling Voldemort Tom. It just fits for me. To AnaGPotter: Thank you! Yes, Theo is realizing Bas may be gay LOL. Thank you so much! To Stilly24: Thanks! It was fun to write from Sebastian's POV. To BadWolfKris: Thank you!
To TatiRena: Sebastian definitely doesn't take any shit. Thank you! To briana_t: Thank you! Yes, Harry's fantasy finally came true and he and Ginny are very happy making future plans. To katelyn453: Thank you! Ginny is a very lucky witch! Yes, George lost his leg and not his ear. To CorbanD17: Thank you! Of course George made a leg joke LOL. I'm glad you loved the shirts for the Lupin family! To neumann: Yes, Z as in Zacarias LOL. To HerMadnessMac: Yes, Misha is definitely a really cool Auror! To shuweet: You're welcome for finally giving you the fantasy shower scene. I'm glad you thought Theo finding out that Bas was gay was priceless. Sebastian thinks Theo is too good for him, definitely. Thank you! To AQuickRead91: Thank you! We all wish they had captured Crouch! To GryffindorHealer: Crouch's time is coming, but not yet. To Dramatic_Fish: Thank you! We will see more of Durant and Jin (in this chapter next). Thank you very much! To marauders_mowopapr: Thank you! I do try to incorporate Fred and George's canon personalities as much as I can. Harry is very thoughtful with his gifts. Thank you! To bandhoez9194: Thank you! Yes, it is a bit of a slow and oblivious burn between Theo and Bas. Fred and George will get things going again, though it will not be immediately. Angelina will figure things out as well.
To I_heart_cat: Thank you for taking the time to comment now. I'm excited over how many people have come to love Sebastian Kane and the slow burn with Theo. It was fun to write from his POV and to introduce his friends. We'll see more of them here. We did get to see some of the mission and yes, Z is Misha. Theo is, needless to say, quite confused lol. Thank you very much for your kind words! To Grouchbear: Thank you! I worked very hard to try to make the fistfight realistic. To AmericanDesi: No, George wasn't going to propose, not yet anyway. Yes, Misha is the handler and they do have a lot of common friends without knowing it. I'm glad you enjoyed the mission Chuck Norris style haha. Thank you! To Joyce Foesenek: Yes, Pansy is pregnant again and without her husband. Thank you! I don't plan on stopping, just taking a little break.
To Skidattles: Oh my God! This long review literally made me smile the whole time like a crazy person! Thank you SO MUCH! Your kind words mean so much to me and I appreciate everyone being so understanding about me needing a break. I love writing Arthur being tender and affectionate with his kids (there's another scene coming up in 321 with him). George loves Angelina and cares more about her than himself. The boys are inseparable and saying one twin is unacceptable was very accurate. Thanks for thinking the stumped joke was better than the holy one. Wow, an aunt of 17! That's incredible! I only have one nephew, but tons of little cousins so I know, babies are definitely way more into the packaging! I like writing the friendship between Harry and Ron and Harry and Hermione. Theo is definitely at a crossroads now in terms of K. I thought it was fitting that his first Christmas in his ancestry home is full of his found family — well said. Yeah, he is definitely Sirius' son LOL. Ha, Harry's platonic loverboy is showing by yanking Theo by his hand over to him in a dark wine cellar — LMAO. Thank you so much for loving his gifts to Ginny and how he is looking to his future. Thanks for liking my Pansy (she's surprised me, too). I meant the teams are waiting for the prisoners to be sent out to them. Thank you so much for this incredible review! I couldn't stop smiling the whole time I read it!
To Fanfis01: Thank you very much! I appreciate the kindness and understanding. To Mizfitz22: Thank you! I think Theo and Sebastian are indeed golden. Yes, Snape was not rescued as he was not there. Thank you for being excited about what's to come, I am as well! To Bellmel: Yes, I went there with the one twin is unacceptable LOL. I'm glad you think I'm stumped beats I'm holy. I'm honoured that you could reread this ten times and still laugh every time. Aww, thanks for saying it was an emotional rollercoaster. I love how many people love my Theobas! I'm glad people like Jin and Durant as well, we'll see more of them in this chapter. It's a lot of fun to write them. Yes, Crouch thought Jin was helpless and she just kicked his ass! I love that even though Harry and Ginny are so in love and they know they want to be together, both of them are still a little unsure of their futures and feel the need to ask each other. Thank you so much! To AvatarJedi: Thank you for binging this fic. I can't believe you read it all in one week, that's crazy impressive! Did you sleep? Eat? Live? LOL. Misha is Agent Z yes. As to the endgame, it will go into the aftermath, I just don't know how far yet. Thank you!
To MinervaMcGee: Thank you! Harry got Theo the spa day treatment with Ginny. To Ellieoryan7447: Yes, George and Angelina do have a positive attitude which is all they can have at this point. Yes, Harry was the only man in the kitchen lol. Theo is definitely the best friend ever. And oh yes, Harry definitely wins at being the best boyfriend. He is just the greatest. I am slowly working Astoria into the story, yes. I'm glad you love Durant and Jin so much and yes, Zabini is a pig but we love him. It's nice to know I shocked you with Voldemort showing up and nope, not capturing Crouch just yet! Gotta seep you on your toes! Thank you! To Tia: Thank you! I think four might have been a new record, yes. I'm glad the shower scene made up for any disappointment of them kissing and leading to more in the bed LOL.
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 THREE HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN:
The One With the Gorgeous Eyelashes
The light was blinding when he opened his eyes. He blinked in disorientation, not sure what was going on or where he was. Greg blinked again when someone hovered over him and when the room finally came into focus, he realized that he was in a hospital ward.
"Mr Goyle, can you hear me?"
Greg blinked and nodded. The nodding of his head made his whole temple explode and he winced.
"Do you remember what happened?"
What had happened? He wasn't sure how to answer that. He had trouble keeping his eyes open or focusing when the question was asked again and it wasn't long before the darkness was dragging him under a second time.
The next time he woke, someone was prodding his chest and he winced. The light seemed less disconcerting and he was able to see the healer hovering over him, not to mention feel the pain in his chest. It felt like someone was slicing him open over and over.
"Hospital," he said, his voice hoarse as his chest seemed to split from his groin to his armpit.
"Yes," the healer said. "For quite a while now. How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Three," Greg said, eyes on her short sassy blonde bob. It was the same hairstyle that Pansy wore and his heart clenched. "P-P-Pansy?"
"Someone will be in to speak with you shortly."
She was out the door before he could ask anything else.
Greg shifted and attempted to sit up, but unbelievable pain tore through his chest and stomach and tears were in his eyes by the time he managed to stand. He'd taken two shaky steps forward when the door opened and Auror Proudfoot stood there.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Proudfoot declared. "Savage! Get in here!"
A moment later a second Auror came running in, both taking Greg under an arm and carefully helping him back into the bed. His breath came out in a whoosh when he was tucked back in and the warm stickiness of blood oozing from his chest made a healer rush back in. It was another fifteen minutes before the healer claimed that he needed to rest.
Proudfoot handcuffed Greg to either side of the bed. "Those are for your own good."
Greg glared at him. It took him a full minute to catch his breath and to blink back the pain before he could talk. "What… happened?"
"Savage and I were hoping that you could tell us," Proudfoot said, taking a seat in the chair next to the bed.
"We came to get you for our next talk and found you bleeding out in your cell," Savage replied. "If we'd been five minutes later, you would have died."
Greg closed his eyes.
"And trust me, Goyle. Anyone who hits you with a curse like the one that tore through you… they wanted you dead."
"Will I…" he coughed and Savage carefully gave him some water.
"Will you survive?" Proudfoot asked. "Until you woke up today, we sure as hell didn't think so. You've been in a magically induced coma for almost two weeks."
When he blinked, Savage cleared his throat. "It was a brutal curse, Goyle. Every time the healer sealed your wound, it would open bigger and deeper than before. You've been on blood replenishing potions almost hourly just to keep you alive."
He looked down at his chest where bandages covered it almost entirely.
"Healers removed your spleen," Savage continued. "The curse hit your heart and they had to place a protective shield around it to prevent the wound from cutting into it. That shield has been what's kept you alive. You're on so many pain potions you shouldn't be able to think straight, but the more blood you lose, the less effective the pain potion is."
"Not to mention that every time the wound reopens, it gets bigger and deeper than before," Proudfoot said. "The last one jutted around to your back and down towards your groin. Then yesterday it just… stopped."
"How?" Greg asked.
"The healers aren't sure yet, but when it cut into your liver, it just started clotting. They think it's something to do with the fact that you have giant's blood."
Greg swallowed. "That was always a rumour."
"Well, that rumour has proven to be fact. It's that very antibody in your blood that saved your life," Proudfoot told him. "The healers are working on using it to make an antidote to help rid the curse entirely from your system. They're very optimistic."
"Pansy?"
"K swears that she's safe with your son," Proudfoot said.
Greg nodded.
"Who did this to you?" Savage demanded, his eyes boring into. "We know that someone killed the two officers guarding the entrance to the jail cell. They were in and out in less than five minutes."
"Corban Yaxley," Greg said, his blue eyes wide. "It was Corban Yaxley."
Proudfoot stood up to send a message and Savage leaned in closer.
"I thought that he was the one you trusted. Didn't you say that he's the one who kept you alive? Who gave you second chances and had your back?"
Greg nodded. "Yeah, he was."
Savage frowned. "Looks like he changed his mind." He pointed to the handcuffs. "You're in the healing quarter of the Azkaban Crypt. We moved you here because you weren't safe in the holding cells of the DMLE. You might have made it to the door, but you wouldn't have gotten out. I'm going to take off the cuffs, but you need to keep your arse in this bed before you bleed out all over the floor again. Clear?"
"Yeah," Greg said.
Savage removed the handcuffs as Proudfoot came back over to the bed.
"King's sending Aurors out to arrest Yaxley. They have Conan and the others being held in the holding cells of the MIA until we can interrogate them."
"Conan?" Greg asked, his brow furrowing.
"Yeah, Conan," Proudfoot said. "Thanks to you and the helpful information you gave us about the Isle of Skye, we found Crouch's castle and freed all of the prisoners. It was one hell of a win for us and we owe it to you, Goyle."
Savage carefully passed him some water again. "You'll be in here for a while. The curse is still in your system, but healers are working on it. Once you're healed, you'll stand trial."
Greg slowly sipped on the water, his chest burning. His throat felt better after each sip. "Trial?"
Savage nodded. "Goyle, you have to know that there's going to be a trial. You're a Death Eater. You were caught stalking the Minister of Magic. You admitted to being involved in some nefarious deeds. It may not have been by choice, but you're not an innocent here."
Greg knew that, but on some level he had hoped that his cooperation would have spared him. "I know."
"Your cooperation has been greatly appreciated," Savage continued, "and we're going to have your back on this, I can promise you that. We don't want to see you go away for years. I know that you didn't choose this and you're young, which is in your favour."
"We can't make any promises," Proudfoot told him. "But you've worked with us and you've given us some great leads that have panned out. If more of them pan out, no one is going to see you as a threat to society. We know that you didn't choose this path willingly."
"But I'm still spending time in the crypt," Greg said quietly.
Proudfoot nodded. "Some, yes. But not a decade or two."
Greg closed his eyes. He found that incredibly reassuring. A decade was… his son would be ready to start Hogwarts and he would have missed it all. "Does… does my wife know that I'm…?"
Proudfoot shook his head. "No."
Greg's eyes opened. "You didn't let her know that I was attacked?"
"We don't know her location," Proudfoot explained. "She's under witness protection and only K knows where. When we found you bleeding to death, you were barely coherent, but you did say, don't tell your wife. K thought that was what you wanted."
"It is," Greg said, quickly. "I want her to stay safe and I think she… if she found out, she would want to see me, I think. It's best that she doesn't know. It's safer for her and Grayson if they stay hidden."
Proudfoot nodded. "All right. I don't know if I agree with her not even getting word about you, but it's your call, Goyle. But heads up, as someone who has been married for six years, if I was hurt on the job and didn't tell my wife, she'd make me wish I was dead. You get me?"
Greg nodded. "I don't want her to know."
Proudfoot stared at him before he licked his bottom lip. "All right. Look, healers will be in and out to work on you over the next few hours. They're hoping to have the antidote finished by dinner tonight. We'll be back to see you tomorrow. If you remember anything else, let a healer know and they will contact us."
They thanked him before heading out and Greg leaned back against the pillows, the pain in his chest unbearable. No, it was better that Pansy didn't know. She was safe. Grayson was safe. If he went to prison, it would be the best thing for his wife. She would be safe and she could move on and turn her shop into the amazing place that he knew it could be. Once he was sentenced, he would ask about filing for divorce. Pansy deserved better and he was going to make sure she got it.
~ ASC ~
When Tonks arrived at MIA headquarters in Londonderry with King, Higgins, and Atwell, she knew that something big must have happened on the raid. But seeing Conan in handcuffs in an interrogation room was more than she expected. Not only had they captured Conan, but also his daughter Cami was in another room, along with two of the most dangerous vampires in all of Europe. It definitely hadn't been a bust. She knew that Kane was pissed about losing Crouch, but she thought that he was beating himself up a lot over it. K and his team, D and J, had saved a lot of lives and Tonks thought that they should be pleased with that.
But after hearing details about the raid and seeing the first round of interviews with those rescued, Tonks thought that Sebastian Kane looked anything but pleased. She said goodbye to King, Higgins, and Atwell and headed over to him before she left with a reassuring smile.
"We all wanted to capture him, K. He's insane."
Sebastian glowered. "I was just so damn close."
"And lucky," Tonks insisted. "If that was Voldemort right there, you were lucky he let you go."
Sebastian let out a slow breath. "Yeah, yeah I guess."
"All right, Bas, we're getting you drunk," a tiny woman with long silky black hair exclaimed, coming up around him.
Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Yeona Jin, meet Dora Lupin."
Tonks extended her hand. "Nice to meet you. So, you're the infamous J?"
"Definitely and you're the one he's roped into watching Hidden Passions with him," Jin said. "Does he still sigh whenever Desmond Elliott talks?"
"Every single time," Tonks said with a laugh.
Sebastian glowered. "I'm going home."
"Nope, we're getting you drunk," Jin said. "I'd invite your new friend to join, but it seems that she's unable to drink. Congratulations, by the way."
"Thank you," Tonks said. "And I need to head home to my husband anyway. It was nice to meet you. Oh, K? Before I go, did you like the calendar that I sent you for Christmas?"
The back of his neck flushed.
Jin's smile widened. "Oh, we're definitely getting him drunk. Bas never gets embarrassed."
"I'm not going out to get drunk with you," Sebastian insisted.
"Go," Tonks told him. "I think if anyone could use some time to cut loose, it's you, Auror Arsehole."
"Hey! Don't call me that!" Sebastian exclaimed, but Tonks was already winking at him and hurrying off.
"Drinks it is then," Jin said, wiggling her eyebrows. "Shots. Lots of shots."
"I'm not going out to get drunk with you," Sebastian repeated.
"Who said anything about going out?" Jin asked as Durant appeared behind her and held up the bottle of tequila. "We know where you live."
"I am so not drinking tequila."
"Scotch it is then," Durant said. "We want to hear about the bloke who you won't ask out."
Sebastian sighed. "Can we not?"
"Nope," Jin said.
Fifteen minutes later, Durant had a large pizza, a huge garden salad, and a box of chocolate biscuits sitting on Sebastian's antique coffee table. His long legs were stretched out across the floor as he sat in the chair, a glass of Scotch in one hand.
"What's his name?" Jin asked.
Sebastian ignored them and helped himself to a slice of pizza.
Durant flicked a cherry tomato out of his salad. "It's okay, Yeona, I did some digging. There are only two marquesses in wizarding Britain and since Potter is clearly in love with that redhead according to the papers, my bet's on Nott."
Sebastian frowned, but didn't answer.
"So, when are you going to ask him out?" Jin asked. "When will you see him again?"
"I'm not going to ask him out," Sebastian said. "I don't have time to date."
"Uh-huh. Sounds like a coward's response to me."
"Me not dating doesn't make me a coward."
"Using Clark as an excuse isn't a good answer either."
"I'm not."
Durant reached for another slice of pizza. "I always hated that guy. Most boring man on the planet. I didn't like the way that he never made time for you; like it was an honour when he had time to see you."
"Well, I learned my lesson, didn't I? When your boyfriend is blowing you off, it's because he's got someone else on the side."
"His loss, Bas."
"I thought I loved him. I was wrong, okay? And that was over two years ago. I'm over him. Michaels cheated on him a month later and when Clark came crawling back to me, did I take him back? No."
"Which we applauded you for," Durant replied. "But you've also been avoiding relationships since."
"I just don't want to date right now," Sebastian insisted. "I'm not avoiding anything. I dated Kenneth."
"Who was a prat," Jin said. "And not a real relationship."
"I just have other things on my mind," Sebastian said. "What are you doing?"
The hiss from his left had him turning in time to see Durant point his wand at his cat.
"D!"
"Your cat is a demon, Bas," Durant said. "Keep him away from me or I'll hex him."
"Oliver!"
The cat, who's soft fur was almost a greyish-blue around his chubby cheeks, turned those big blue eyes on him.
"Oliver," Sebastian said again.
Oliver hissed at Durant once more before turning tail and going up the stairs to the bedroom.
"Your cat is a demon," Durant repeated. "I thought he was supposed to be friendly?"
"He is friendly. He sleeps on my pillow."
"Yeah, to you," Durant muttered. "Most spoiled and pampered cat in existence. Who buys their demon cat a velvet and rhinestone collar or gives him a silk pillow to sleep on? You've turned him into a spoiled demon."
"Not my fault if he's protective over me," Sebastian said. "And he's not a demon. Yeona, stop looking under my tree."
Jin ignored him and continued to rummage through the small pile of gifts near his little tree before she stood up with the calendar in her hands. "Ah-ha!"
"Hey!" Sebastian said, jumping to his feet. "That's… give me that!"
Jin jumped out of the way and used her skills to slither out of his grasp, then hopped over the chesterfield to escape. "So, this is the calendar that Lupin sent you for Christmas? I wonder why… what could be in here that you might like? Damn, these blokes do have nice arses."
"Give it over," Sebastian insisted. He summoned it with his wand, but Jin was quicker and took it back.
"Did you say Nott, D?"
"I did," Durant said, snaking an arm around Jin's waist to tug her closer and take a look.
"Then I found him! He's Naughty Norfolk!" Jin said, a huge grin on her face as she held open the calendar to the sprawling spread of Mr October. "Oh, he's a pretty boy all right, D! Look at those eyelashes. Fuck! Wish mine were that long and gorgeous!"
"Mr October?" Durant said, gleefully. "Well, this is gold!"
The calendar flew out of Jin's hands and Sebstian tucked it under his arse as he sat on it.
"The money went to a charity and it was a gift," Sebastian said, his cheeks flushing.
Durant flicked his wand and the calendar began to move under Sebastian who slammed his thigh over it in an attempt to stop it. He wasn't successful and the calendar flew straight into Durant's outstretched hand.
"Merlin! Best Arses of Hogwarts?" Durant said, laughing. "I knew that he must have had a nice arse!"
"He does," Jin agreed. "But those lashes around those brown eyes… he's quite fit."
"He is young," Durant said. "But I always forget how young you are, Bas. Three years isn't a big deal if that's whats worrying you."
"He has kind eyes," Jin said. "He has nice arms, too. And I'm saying it again: I fucking love his eyelashes. Now I'm just jealous. How come men always get gorgeous eyelashes and we get the short end? We're the ones who want them!"
"I agree with this," Durant said. "For a bloke, he does have a nice arse. Very grab-able."
Sebastian's cheeks were red as he reached around and snagged the calendar again. "I'm not asking him out!"
"Give me three reasons," Durant demanded. "Three valid reasons and Jin and I will drop it."
"He's a marquess!"
"Valid, K."
Sebastian dragged a hand through his hair. "He calls me Auror Arsehole."
"Ah, so he's met the grumpy side of you."
"He thinks that I'm demanding and annoying."
"Which you are," Durant retorted.
"Those were three," Sebastian said.
"I call bullshit," Jin said.
Sebastian growled at them. "He used to date Prince Finley of Tara and he fucking died."
Dursnt frowned. "Well, I agree a rebound isn't the kind of relationship you need. How recent?"
"A year ago," Sebastian admitted, "and he mentioned something to one of his friends that he broke up with someone in November."
"So, definitely not a rebound," Jin said, her lips twitching. "So in other words, you have no excuse."
Sebastian opened his mouth to protest before he promptly closed it.
Durant grinned. "Aww, you're worried that he'll say no."
Sebastian finished off his Scotch and chose not to answer.
Jin poured more into his glass. "You have balls of steel and you're afraid to ask this Theodore Nott out on a date?"
"Typical," Durant said. "Ask him out already."
"When will you see him again?" Jin asked.
"He's a member of the Wizengamot and I… er, we usually get lunch when the session is done and…"
"Wait? You've been getting lunch with him regularly and you still haven't asked him out?" Jin demanded. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Bas?"
Sebastian downed the Scotch in his glass in response. "I hate both of you."
Durant helped himself to some more pizza. "So, let's talk about how you can be all romantic and shit."
"I'm not asking him out!"
Jin rolled her eyes. "We can worry about that later. First, Bas here needs to impress him with one hell of a date invite. We can't have Naughty Norfolk thinking it's a friend date."
"We're not friends!" Sebastian hissed.
"Of course you aren't," Durant said. "With you glowering all the time like a bear and treating every conversation like an interrogation, you're lucky that he even lets you take him to lunch."
"Besides, we know that you want to be much more than friends with him," Jin teased. She opened the calendar back up. "Yup, very delectable behind. D's right, absolutely grab-able. The silk really clings to him, doesn't it?"
Sebastian ignored her.
"I agree," Durant said. "Looks like a nice bulge there, which we know you'd appreciate."
"Stop being so fucking crude," Sebastian demanded, taking the calendar from him again. "He's not some poster boy to be ogled at!"
Jin's lips curved. "Interesting how he's getting rather protective over him, don't you think, Durant?"
Durant smirked. "He's a little young for Michaels, but he might go for him if you're not interested. I'll see if Michaels is looking to give anyone new a spin."
Sebastian's eyes narrowed. "Don't you even fucking mention Theo to Michaels!"
Durant's eyes twinkled. "Why? You just said that he's single and you're clearly not going to ask him out."
Sebastian glared at him.
Jin grinned. "I'll get a copy of the calendar to Michaels and see what he thinks. I think this Theo could use a nice big, strong man and Michaels fits all of those requirements. Tall, in shape, great Auror… plus, I know for a fact that he definitely knows how to fuck hard since I walked in on him doing your ex."
Sebastian slammed his glass down on the table. "You two are the worst friends in the history of the world."
"Ask him out," Durant said.
"Fuck you."
"No, fuck him. That's part of the point of asking him out."
"Fine!" Sebastian shouted. "Fine, I'll ask him out!"
Jin clapped her hands together and moved around the table to kiss Sebastian's cheek. "Be sweet and romantic, Bas."
Sebastian rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated breath. "What if he says no?"
"Don't give him a reason to," Durant said. "Or how else are you ever going to get laid, mate?"
Sebastian took another sip of his Scotch and thought that might be easier said than done.
~ ASC ~
It was New Year's Eve when Angelina was finally released from hospital. George had been released two days prior but had only gone home to settle himself before returning to her bedside. Fred had insisted on moving in and George didn't put up a fight. He knew the flat was too damaged to live in at the moment and he knew that they were both going to need some help for the time being. Molly had already loaded his ice box up with home cooked meals and Mr and Mrs Johnson had spent the afternoon arguing with their daughter about moving back home.
"I'll take care of her," George promised.
Mr Johnson didn't look convinced. "She needs constant care, George, and you aren't exactly at your best."
"My brother is moving in with us."
"We'll be fine, Dad," Angelina said, leaning over to kiss his cheek. "You and mum can stop by anytime, you know that."
Mr Johnson nodded. "Angie… I just want to make sure my little girl is going to be okay."
"I will be, Dad. I just want to go home."
Mr Johnson kissed her forehead and insisted on going home with them. It was almost three hours before Angelina's parents and George's parents finally left them alone. Angelina's burns were still healing, but her broken hip and pelvis had been healed. She needed to stay off of her feet for another three days to give her body time to rest, but it was the burns that were extensive.
They had caused nerve damage on her side and that was something they couldn't fix entirely. The burns covered part of her right forearm, the bottom of her right breast, and all down her right side to just above her knee. The ugly purple and redness of them had gone down, but the scarring would be forever. The healers had given her pain potion as well as a paste to put over her skin to help with the scarring. She'd undergone two operations to help deal with the nerve damage and while she would still be able to fly, it meant with increasing clarity, that she would never be able to play professional Quidditch again.
George's leg was already scarring over. The stump under his knee looked ugly and made his leg look small, but his burns had already healed. They were less severe than Angelina's had been and he had next to no scarring. But his leg… he often woke in the night feeling pain in it only to remember that it wasn't there. The healers assured him that this was quite common, but it didn't reassure him. He'd finally let himself grieve the loss of it when Fred took him home, before he went back to the hospital to sit with Angelina. Healers told him that he needed to let it fully heal before they could discuss him getting something to replace the leg.
Magical prosthetics were quite common. They could make them quite lifelike if that's what the patient desired, but George didn't know what he wanted. He knew Moody had chosen a wooden leg, but the old Auror said he could keep weapons hidden in the wood in case he lost his wand and George thought that made him a paranoid old bugger. One healer mentioned another man who charmed himself a new leg and said it worked wonders, but it still meant he couldn't feel anything and often had to be careful as the magic could weaken over time.
It gave him a lot to think about.
He smiled gratefully at his brother when he scooped Angelina up into his arms bridal style to carry her up the stairs.
"You could just levitate me," Angelina said. "I hardly need to be carried."
"Ah, but Angelina, you must be taken extra care of over the next few days and unfortunately my one-legged twin can't carry you in his arms. You'll have to look into my sexy eyes instead."
Angelina rolled her eyes in response.
George used the cane that Arthur had given him, his other hand on the railing as he carefully, and painfully slow, moved up the stairs to their master bedroom. By the time he reached the bedroom, he felt a little winded. Fred had already sat Angelina on their bed and was fussing with the pillows.
"Need some help undressing?"
"No," Angelina growled. "You can leave now."
Fred winked at her. "I promise to only ogle your tits a little bit."
She hit him with a pillow and he grinned.
"Stop trying to see my girlfriend naked," George said, leaning against the doorjamb, slightly winded from his walk.
Fred moved across the room to help him into the room. "You were supposed to stay downstairs and wait for me to help you up them."
"Maybe," George said. "But I didn't trust you alone with Ange."
Fred snorted. "I do have incredible charm. Another minute and she would have been begging me to take her."
"Oh, brother," Angelina said. "Please go away."
Fred helped George to the bed and stood over the two of them. "Okay, time for seriousness now. I will be in the room down the hall. If you two need anything, you are to call me. Angie, that includes help to the bathroom if necessary or I will ship the two of you back to the hospital faster than you can say Quidditch. Clear?"
George nodded. "We'll call for help, Fred."
Fred stared at them a moment before he ruffled George's hair and kissed Angelina's cheek. "Get some sleep. Your potions are lined up on the night table, including Angelina's burn paste. Use it. Unless you need me, I'll see you in the morning."
When he closed their bedroom door behind him, George let out a slow breath and took Angelina's hand in his.
"Do you think that we came home too early?"
"No," she said. "I didn't want to stay in the hospital any longer and I love my parents, but the thought of moving back home and…"
"I know," he agreed. George cupped her cheek and when her head leaned into his hand, his lips curved. "It's you and me, Ange, how do you feel? No lies."
Her brown eyes met his. "I hurt," she whispered. "And I'm scared. All I ever wanted was to play Quidditch and now I can't even do that and… I'm worried."
"You'll find something else you love," George assured her. "There's no one smarter than you."
"I'm not worried about that," she said.
George frowned. "Well, being nicknamed Stumpy wasn't in my plans either."
"Who's calling you that?" Angelina demanded, her hand moving to his leg.
"No one," he said. "So, you don't think that's how I should introduce myself then?"
Angelina rolled her eyes. "Always making jokes. George… it's okay to be upset."
"I know," he whispered. "I had a good cry, but it's not going to bring it back and… I'd make the same choice again even if I knew I'd lose it."
Angelina's hand slowly moved down his thigh, her palm cupping his knee before she lowered it, holding the stump in her hand. "I think it shows how brave you are. I can't believe you ran into a burning building after me."
George covered her hand with his. "I don't want to live in a world without you, Ange."
Tears welled up in her eyes. "But I'm… I'm not pretty anymore."
George's fingers moved to the button-down shirt she wore and carefully began to unbutton it, spreading it wide. He carefully pushed it off of her shoulders as tears rolled down her cheeks. He fumbled with the drawstring on the sweats she wore and slowly pulled them down leaving her naked before him. The pink scars against her dark skin seemed to stand out in the light. George very gently traced his finger around the edge of each scar from her thigh to her breast and then he leaned in and gently kissed the nipple of the breast that was partially scarred.
"You're still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
She swallowed. "George… I'm going to have these ugly scars on my body forever. Do you realize that?"
George kissed her nipple again. "Nothing about you is ugly. When they don't cause you pain anymore, I'm going to kiss every one just to show you how much I love you. Unless of course, you find my stump too revolting?"
"No!" she said, cupping his cheek. "You're perfect. I love you, George."
George captured her mouth with his for a long kiss before he pulled off his own shirt. He wrestled with his trousers until he was just in his boxers and then he reached for the burn paste. She nodded and he carefully applied it to every inch of her burn. He used his wand to put a little shield over it so it wouldn't rub off in her sleep and then he carefully snuggled her into his arms.
"You and me, we're going be just fine, Ange."
Angelina kissed him deeply, her hands in his hair, and it wasn't long before they both drifted off to sleep, tears on their lashes as they held each other close both unsure of what was in store for either of them.
~ ASC ~
Harry felt like once Christmas passed, the rest of the holiday seemed to fly by in the blink of an eye. Despite the rocky start of the holiday with the Diagon Alley disaster, Ginny had still managed to go ahead with her plan to help make Wiltshire Manor fit for the holidays. Dobby had even volunteered to help and brought decorations over along with a load of gifts that Zee and Mrs Weasley had put together that included an abundance of clothing, toys, and supplies for the babies. Theo called Harry on the mirror to thank him and said that Draco and Blaise had really appreciated the help and had a great holiday because of it.
Tonks had told him about the raid they'd done on Crouch's castle and the lives they'd saved. Word of the wolves and vampires caught was good news and Tonks told him that they were hoping to see what they could pull out of them in the coming days of interrogation. They were making them wait a bit while they spoke to the victims first.
But when New Year's Eve came around, Harry was only focused on one thing — Mina and Leo. The twins turned one and Harry couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that they'd been around for a whole year already and he most certainly couldn't believe how much had happened with them in that year. They were walking and saying strange sounds that were almost words. They were eating solid food and drinking and eating some things by themselves. It seemed crazy to him how fast time had gone.
They had a first birthday party for the twins at Black Cottage on New Year's Eve. They made it for the afternoon and between the gifts from the Weasleys and Zee's family alone, the twins were very, very spoiled. McGonagall bought them both toddler broomsticks called Toddlerbolts. They were a bit too young to appreciate them yet, but he had a feeling that by the summer, they would be zipping around on those in no time. They gave them cake and took hundreds of pictures and by the time they put them to bed for the night, Zee said she was even more tired than the twins were. Between the clothing and the toys, Harry had to admit, it looked like a bomb had gone off by the time everyone left.
Harry told Zee that he would clean up and told her to go take a bath. She kissed his cheek and claimed he was the best. Ginny told him that she couldn't stay to help him clean up as Angelina was being released from St Mungo's today and everyone was heading over to help them settle in. Harry knew that George had gone home a few days prior, but according to Ron he had pretty much refused to leave Angelina's bedside as long as she was still in the hospital. He was glad to hear that they were both doing better and would be heading home.
Harry spent his last few days before returning to school just playing with Mina and Leo and talking to Misha about his application to the Auror Academy. He had to write a five inch essay on why he wanted to be an Auror and what he thought he could contribute to the field of law enforcement if he was chosen. He also had to answer a quiz that was all multiple choice questions on what someone should do in different scenarios. Not to mention that even after he submitted it, if his application was accepted he wouldn't find out until May and then he would still need his NEWT scores before it would be finalized that he'd been accepted.
He found the whole idea rather stressful.
He asked Misha questions about his new job in the MIA and Misha told him a little about the raid on the Crouch castle, but wasn't able to give him too many details. Everything the MIA did was highly classified. The only reason Harry was somewhat in the know on any of it was because it was connected to Voldemort and Tonks had promised to keep him informed. But there were still aspects that Misha and Tonks couldn't tell him.
He spent some time at Clevedon Court as well, enjoying some quiet rides on Cloud Dancing and enjoying the peace and tranquillity of a horseback ride and tried not to think of all of the other things he needed to think about. He even ended his day to himself by using the shower in the master bath and having a good wank as he remembered how Ginny had let him pleasure her right there on Christmas Day. In fact, the memory had been so good, he'd had two wanks before washing himself off and taking a long nap.
Harry spent an hour talking to Dobby about the house and thanking the elf again for all of his help with Christmas and for dealing with the deaths of Darby and Rosa. He promised Dobby he would come by again on one of the weekends and the elf hugged him in delight before he hurried off. Harry just shook his head in amusement. Dobby was always very entertaining.
He spent his last few days finishing up his homework and making sure that he had everything to go back to school. He even spent two hours out in the work shed, making sure all of the bikes were in good working condition and changing the oil while Colt told him stories as he worked. It was exactly the much needed break that Harry thought he needed.
When he returned to school, he settled himself into his dorm as his friends piled in. Neville told him about Hannah standing up against her mother and the lovely Christmas they'd had. How Caroline Abbott had apparently written demanding Hannah return home and how she couldn't believe her own daughter would abandon her when Diagon Alley was under attack. Of course, Mrs Abbott wasn't near any of the fires nor was she hurt, but she had still considered it rude of Hannah to not come home. Instead, they had spent the day baking sweets and decorating biscuits. Neville had even made a gingerbread man, but he only had one leg as he didn't space him properly on the pan. Harry laughed as Seamus mentioned something about Neville being smitten.
Dean spoke about spending an afternoon with his father talking and how he'd learned more about his father's family. He'd also spent Christmas Day with Seamus' family, including Seamus' very pregnant sister who was due very soon with their first child. Harry told them about having Christmas dinner with the Weasleys and Zee's family and it was nice to see everyone find some happiness amidst the darkness.
When he crawled into bed that night, listening to Seamus' laugh and Neville's snores, he couldn't help but smile. It was the little moments he needed to appreciate and this was a good start to a new year.
~ ASC ~
When Zee stepped into the Ministry of Magic on her first day back to work, she felt an overwhelming sense of belonging and fear at returning. She was so excited to go back and yet the thought of leaving Mina and Leo every day all day seemed not quite right either. She'd kissed them both endlessly this morning before leaving them with her mother and yet, she still felt guilty. But coming back to work… part of her couldn't wait.
She went through security with Lady Godiva on her heels and headed down to the magical menagerie. When she stepped into the main area, people cheered and congratulated her on returning and on having the babies. She spent the first twenty minutes showing off photos and chatting, thanking those again who had sent gifts. When she finally sat in her office, she looked around at the space with a big smile on her face.
This was exactly where she was supposed to be.
Her eyes fell to the photos on her desk with a smile. There was one of her and Lady Godiva in New Zealand, one of her and Sirius in Barbados, one of Sirius standing by his motorbike, one of Zee, Harry, and Sirius in Georgia, one of her and Harry from the Christmas before, and she added two more of the twins and one she'd taken on Christmas day with Harry, Mina, and Leo.
She looked up when someone tapped on the glass and smiled warmly at Goldwin Oliphant. "Good morning, Goldwin."
"Good morning, Zee," he said. "Welcome back."
"Thank you. I'm excited to be back."
"Even though your desk is covered in files?" he teased.
Zee looked over at the endless stacks of paperwork and nodded. "Even to see that. For now anyway."
He chuckled. "I can agree with that. I'll let you have the morning to go through the files and my secretary has a memo for you with upcoming events and plans. I want you to take some time to read it over and scribble out any ideas or comments. We're going to have a meeting at two this afternoon to catch you up and talk about our plans for the year."
"Sounds like a plan."
"Oh, and I wasn't sure if you heard, but your old boss, Yaxley? He was arrested."
"I did hear that," Zee said. "He always seemed off to me, but I never could quite prove it."
Oliphant nodded. "We'll need to find someone to take over his position. Let me know if you think anyone from your old department might be up to the task."
Zee promised to do so and he left her alone. She let out a slow breath as Lady Godiva rested her head on her knee. "Well, Lady G, looks like we have a lot of work to do, don't we?"
She scratched the panther behind her ears before she opened the first file and thought it felt good to be back. It was almost two hours later before she was interrupted again and her face lit up at the sight of the young wizard at her door.
"Rolf!"
"Hi," he said, beaming at her. "I heard you were back today."
"Two hours down," she said. "How was Canada?"
"Brilliant," Rolf told her. "I had a great time. I met some pretty amazing magizoologists out there and we talked about creatures from all over the world. The country is massive, but I did manage to make it my way around pretty good."
"And the geese?"
"May I?" Rolf asked, pointing to the chair across from her desk.
"Oh, yes, of course!"
Rolf closed the door behind him and stretched his long legs out into the armchair. "Raphael is brilliant, but it's Reagan who really has a soft touch. She's the one who works with the geese and after speaking with their department head, they've agreed to send St Louis and Ouellette to England to assist."
"Really?"
Rolf nodded. "Jo Johns is the Canadian ambassador in the MIA and she's agreed to oversee all Canadian operations. Ouellette, St Louis, and two other agents will be arriving by March. They need time to get the geese into place as they tend to migrate south once the weather gets colder."
"And St Louis really has them trained to attack?"
"Yeah," Rolf said. "And trust me, Cobra Chickens is the right nickname for those beasts. They're not remotely friendly. I think they will scare the hell out of some Death Eaters if they're given the chance."
"I hope so," Zee said. "It seems like things just keep going from bad to worse around here lately. Did you hear about the attacks in Diagon Alley on Christmas Eve?"
"Yes," Rolf said. "I was back in England for the holiday and staying with my grandparents. Grandma thinks that he's still waiting for something to happen before he makes his big move, but she doesn't know what. She said something about egotistical dark lords needing their moment. She didn't elaborate."
"I think your grandmother is a very wise woman," Zee told him. "So, are you back in England for the time being?"
"I don't know yet," Rolf told her. "At least for a few weeks for sure, but Oliphant mentioned something about heading out to the province of Jiangsu in China. They're having some difficulty with people trying to breed miniature dragons with Jiutou Niao. Those are extremely rare nine-headed birds. Not to mention the increase in Pixiu pelts."
"The infamous winged lion with antlers, I remember."
Rolf nodded. "There's a few magizoologists being sent out to talk with the reserves about creature rights and trying to stop them from taking the skins. It's barbaric and needs to be stopped. As to the breeders, it's incredibly dangerous. Apparently some of the results have caused entire villages to burn up as the Jiutou Niao are said to be quite ferocious."
"Sounds like you'll be quite busy."
"I hope so," Rolf told her. "Every new creature gives me something incredible to discover. I look forward to seeing where life takes me next."
Zee smiled. The one thing that she had loved about Rolf Scamander immediately was his friendly smile and winning optimism. He was made for this job of travelling around the world aimlessly, taking the time to learn and write about magical creatures and to teach others how to understand them. She remembered how much she had loved doing that at his age. Sometimes it felt like it was a million years ago.
"I look forward to reading your reports. I'd like you to be here for when the Canadians arrive. I'm sure that they would appreciate a friendly face upon arrival," Zee told him.
"I will be," Rolf promised. "But seeing you will be good for them as well. Reagan is a huge fan. She said she met you once when she was sixteen."
Zee raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yeah. She said that you helped her aunt with this thunderbird situation in Arizona in '92. She'd gone with her to help and you came over. Reagan thought you were the coolest person she'd ever met."
"That's really sweet," Zee said. "Reagan… I do remember her. The last name didn't ring a bell, but her aunt is an amazing lady, Evelynn Garcia, right?"
Rolf nodded. "Yeah, that's her. Reagan said her aunt used to take her on any of her more interesting adventures as she liked to say. But you made an impression on her. In fact, she loved you and Lady Godiva so much, she trained her own animal to be with her while she worked. She's brilliant and her polar bear is amazing. His name is Gus and he's as gentle as a lamb unless you threaten Reagan."
"She has a pet polar bear?" Zee said in amazement.
"She's pretty cool," Rolf said. "You'll like her."
Zee had a feeling she already did. "So, tell me more about Canada. What else did you see?"
Rolf told her about visiting Kanata School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, one of the five Canadian schools of magic. It was a huge Gothic castle hidden on the outskirts of Yellowknife right under the Northern Lights. It was made entirely out of ice with the colours from the Northern Lights reflecting and mirroring on the castle in the most breathtaking colours.
"It's kind of amazing," Rolf said. "The whole castle is made of ice, but once you get inside, it's warm and inviting. Their school uniforms are all fur lined cloaks and these bright rainbow toques with a bright blue pom on the top. The school is actually guarded by polar bears. Silvanius is the head polar bear and he tells amazing stories."
"Wait — talking polar bears?"
Rolf nodded. "Some of them. The ancient ones talk, but only certain people are able to truly listen. There are polar bears and then there are the Nanook. Silvanius is the leader of the Nanook and he speaks to the other polar bears to give them direction in keeping Kanata safe. Reagan said that the Nanook can read the future in the Northern Lights. The Chief of Kanata claims that they are often almost always correct and students must learn to study with them."
"Wow," Zee said, her eyes twinkling. "The Chief?"
"Yeah, that's what they call the Headmaster in Kanata. He's been the school's leader for forty-five years. He's only the third Chief since the school wasn't established until 1899. Reagan said that they decided to build a school of magic there when the population increased due to the gold rush. It's the newest school of magic in North America."
"Did you visit all of the Canadian magic schools?" Zee asked.
"Yes. We headed to the western provinces next and visited the Care of Magical Creatures teacher in British Columbia. His name is Wayra Okanagan and he specializes in birds," Rolf explained. "The school out there is hidden somewhere on Vancouver Island. Rumour is that no one knows the exact location as it moves around the island and to get there you have to take a boat. They call it the Hollow Academy of Magic and it was founded in 1866, again after a gold rush caused an increase in settlers in the west."
"Is the school on a boat?" Zee asked.
Rolf shook his head. "No, it's actually inside of a mountain."
"Inside of a… really?"
"Yes. I'm not too sure of the logistics, but you take a boat to get there and then this bridge appears and when you get to the end, these beautiful carved totems of animal spirits bring you through and into this hollow… It seems to be endless and Okanagan hinted that you can travel through every mountain in British Columbia from the academy. It's full of hidden passages and portals that take you all over the province. He teaches inside of what the Muggles call Golden Hinde Mountain, but he says that History of Magic is taught in the Canadian Rockies which is on the other side of the province and the mountains don't connect. It's like the stairs at Hogwarts, you cross a bridge and suddenly you're brought somewhere else," Rolf explained. "At the end of each bridge is a mirror and you can travel right through it."
"Amazing," Zee said. "I find it fascinating how every school has its own quirks."
"Yeah, they do," Rolf said. "Académie de Magie Château de D'aureville is right on the shorelines of old Québec City in this French stone castle with gargoyles like Notre Dame. It's the oldest school of magic in North America. I was given the grand tour and informed that Samuel de D'aureville built it in 1605 as a military fort, but by 1650, they had established it as a school of magic for the growing population. It's situated right next to Fairmont Le Château Frontenac and it's incredibly well protected in such a way that the Muggles simply see it as part of Frontenac while in reality, it's the Académie de Magie Château de D'aureville and Frontenac is merely a front for the school."
"Why did you go to Québec?"
"It's where Ouellette went to school and he wanted us to talk to the château's Directeur, Monsieur Agard."
"Dax Agard? The magizoologist known for discovering the herd of Akhlut?"
"One in the same," Rolf said. "The Merpeople tribes of the Great Lakes keep Akhluts as pets and ride them like the Merpeople ride kelpies here."
"I've always wanted to see one," Zee admitted. "Half-whale and half-wolf, but the size of a whale… they are said to be very dangerous."
"They can be," Rolf admitted. "But if they are treated with respect, they show respect back. Agard even has one who visits him at the school. He calls him Albért."
Zee chuckled. "That's incredible."
Rolf nodded. "I agree. He rather likes it when you rub his belly."
Zee's smile widened when Rolf showed the photo of him rubbing the huge whale-like creature's stomach. It was amazing.
"From Québec, we travelled by boat down the St Lawrence to the shores of Lake Ontario and went to the Shining Waters School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Rolf told her. "It was built in 1784 and became Canada's second magic school. The principle claims that the school was built due to an influx of loyalists who were arriving in Canada and fleeing from America. It was the most interesting school because it wasn't one building, but a series of longhouses built on the shore of Lake Ontario in this strange circular pattern. Shining Waters has four tribes that you're sorted into and each tribe has their own longhouse. Plus their classes are in the longhouses and on the shore and they have magical boats that allow them to travel around the lake and have classes in different areas of the shore. Some of the students even take classes at the Académie de Magie Château de D'aureville. It's part of the seventh year curriculum to help practice their French speaking skills."
Zee thought it sounded amazing and the photos he'd taken were just beautiful. She pointed to the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean. "And here?
"That's Prince Edward Island, home of Beacon Hill, the Maritimes Academy of Magic. It was my last stop before returning to England. The school there is in a working lighthouse on the island and was established in 1867, a few months before confederation."
"I did hear that it was inside of a lighthouse, but that doesn't seem very logistical."
Rolf nodded. "Yes and because it's a working lighthouse, there are no visitors which makes it easier to keep the school concealed."
"Lighthouses aren't big enough to house a school. Is it underground?"
"Some of it," Rolf told her. "And part of it is even under the water. It's all glass so you can see right out into the Atlantic Ocean. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. They have classes underwater and inside the lighthouse. They study Astronomy outside and at the top of the lighthouse, climbing the spiral staircase and moving through windows. It's really well set up as Muggles can only see fog if they look up. The Astronomy classroom is like being on the roof of the lighthouse, you can't see the walls and there's a barrier to prevent people from falling off. The magic is beautiful in itself, how it hides and illuminates in an illusionary way to fit the students needs."
"I'm insanely jealous," Zee admitted. "Visiting different schools of magic was always the most interesting thing. To watch students taking the same classes as we did but in different variations depending on where they live in the world… we can really learn amazing things from each other."
Rolf slid more photos across the desk for her to look at. "I felt like I learned a lot and getting to go around and talk to their Care of Magical Creatures professors from all five Canadian magical schools was really awesome. They each specialize in different areas as Canada is such a vast country and there are different animals all over it. Professor Knight from Beacon Hill has an entire colony of beavers. They adore him and have built this massive dam… it was very cool. Professor Knight also has befriended two sea dragons. They guard the underwater part of the school."
Zee nodded eagerly as she looked at more photos. "So, what are you going to write an article about?"
"I have about eight different ones in the works," Rolf admitted. "I spoke to Oliphant and he thinks that I should do a series on Canadian magical creatures for Nature's Magic since I interviewed some really great magizoologists while working over there."
"I think that sounds like a great idea. You'll use your photos, of course?"
Rolf nodded. "Oh, definitely. I'll just have to choose the best ones. As you can see, I have hundreds."
They spent another half hour going over his photos and his reports before Zee wished him luck and to let her know if he needed any help with anything. When he left, she leaned back in her chair, a smile on her face. The excitement on Rolf's face as he had spoken about the different magical creatures, the magizoologists he met, and the schools he visited had excited her. It was what she loved about her job, sharing a love of magical creatures. A love of learning and the joy of seeing something so amazing appear before her eyes.
Yeah, she was glad to be back at work.
~ ASC ~
Snape was physically and emotionally exhausted. It had been four weeks since he'd first been taken as a prisoner and two weeks now since Voldemort had declared him to be Crouch's little pet. Needless to say, Snape was hardly having a holiday.
Crouch started off just as slow as he'd promised. He'd returned Snape to his chains, arms above his head, toes trailing along the floor of the dungeon in Avery Castle. A few quick bouts of the Cruciatus to watch him twitch before he'd settled in his little delights.
Snape refused to speak, to give Crouch any reason to go against him even more than he already was. The man undressed him completely and he was left shivering, hanging naked from the ceiling by shackles in the cold dungeon. Dominic Pucey came in to heal his leg and to help him get rid of the infection. The lack of torture actually made him much more nervous for his fate.
It wasn't until his fever broke did Crouch even return.
The first thing that the wizard did was drag his tongue over Snape's ribs. "Mmm, I love the taste of salted fear. It's absolutely delightful." Crouch walked his fingers over Snape's torso, counting every rib. "So… you betrayed our master. Again."
Snape hissed when Crouch's wand slid a shallow cut along his stomach. "Again?"
"You told them about my present," Crouch said. "You told them about the beautiful gift I was making the Dark Lord. The castle I was building him with his beautiful throne and his beautiful dungeons."
Snape smirked. "I didn't. But I guess they found it anyway. You must not have hidden it as well as you thought."
Another shallow slice mere inches above the first.
"Betrayal isn't becoming of you, Severus," Crouch continued.
"What makes you think it was me?" Snape demanded.
Crouch brought his wand to his lips to lick the blood. "You're right. It doesn't seem like something you would do. In fact, we already know that it was young Goyle, but don't worry, Corban took care of him. It's too bad we can't find his whore and his brat. I think I'd really enjoy fucking her in every possible orifice."
Snape grimaced. He hoped for Pansy's sake that she was somewhere safe.
"Oh? You don't think that she'd enjoy being with a real man," Crouch said. "She'd beg me for more."
When Snape didn't answer, another shallow cut slid across his stomach.
"Hmm, you prepared yourself for the pain. I admire that," Crouch said. "I can see you expected me to slice and dice. We can't have that…"
He waved his wand and Snape slowly slid down to his knees, his arms feeling relief from the chains. Crouch knelt down in front of him and cupped his face in both of his hands.
"What is it you fear most, Severus? Death? Torture? I don't think either of those are something that overly bothers you, is it?"
Snape didn't answer.
Crouch licked his cheek, his smile wide. "No… that's not it. Don't worry, dearie. I will break you. Just give me time."
Snape was afraid to find out exactly how he planned on breaking him, but he was given that answer when Voldemort came in. The assault on his mind was painful. It felt like bolts of shockwaves were hitting his temple from every direction and he was too weak to hold off the attack. He tried to block out the information he could, about the Order, about Ted and Andromeda, but to his surprise, Voldemort merely breezed right past those.
The assault lasted hours, over and over and over again until Snape vomited. Crouch cleaned him up with his wand and then let Voldemort take over again and again. It was like he was reliving his life in slow motion. The images of Tobias Snape raising his hand to him, the way he beat his mother, the way he beat him… watching Lily make flowers bloom in the park, watching her kiss James Potter, Lily hugging him after their first class together and telling him how much she loved magic, to Lily telling him she never wanted to see him again.
He lost track of the time. He didn't know if hours had passed or if it had been days. But the more he saw of his past, the more he wished it would stop. He watched himself save Potter from falling off his broomstick, to the memory of Sirius setting him up to find Remus in the shrieking shack. Dumbledore demanding he choose a side and Snape promising to be there for Harry, to protect him and to help him if Dumbledore would only grant him amnesty. Kneeling before Voldemort and promising to follow him, to do anything he asked. The Dark Mark being burned into his skin and the pride he felt at that moment to the revulsion he felt a decade later when he felt it darkening on his arm…
"I've seen enough," Voldemort said as Snape sagged in the shackles.
His memories seemed to all be on the surface of his brain, he could feel them on the edge, fleeting images that didn't make sense and he couldn't stop or fight back as Voldemort pulled them from his mind one by one in long silver strands. They fell into the container Crouch was holding and Voldemort gripped Snape's greasy hair tightly, pulling his head back.
"Pathetic, insolent fool. You made the wrong choice."
Then he left and Crouch was cackling. It was the last sound Snape heard before he passed out with vomit on his lips and chin. His head was pounding and his stomach churning as he wondered how much longer they were going to allow him to live.
End Author's Notes:
Thank you to the amazing celtics534 for helping me with my Sebastian, Durant, and Yeona scene. Specifically the "no, fuck him" line — you're the best!
Thanks to GryffindorHealer for being such an amazing sounding board as I decided to create an entire world of magic in Canada. After our discussion, we agreed that America only having one magic school was stupid and since Canada is one of the largest countries in the world, it makes sense that we would not only have our own magic schools, but multitudes of them. So, we decided on five. Based on Canadian and North American history, I decided this timeline:
1. Académie de Magie Château de D'aureville, 1605: The school is right on the shorelines of old Québec City in a French stone castle with gargoyles like Notre Dame. It's the oldest school of magic in North America. Samuel de D'aureville built it in 1605 as a military fort, but by 1650, they had established it as a school of magic for the growing population. It's situated right next to Fairmont Le Château Frontenac and it's incredibly well protected in such a way that Muggles simply see it as part of Frontenac while in reality, it's Château de D'aureville and Frontenac is merely a front for the school. Directeur Monsieur Dax Agard, the renowned magizoologist known for discovering the herd of Akhlut (Inuit mythological beast of half-whale and half-wolf). The Merpeople tribes of the Great Lakes keep Akhluts as pets and ride them. Agard has one who visits him at the school. He calls him Albért and he likes it when you rub his belly.
2. Shining Waters School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, 1784: Founded by an Iroquois witch and a Scottish wizard in 1784 making it the second school of magic in Canada after an influx of loyalists arrived in Canada fleeing the United States. The school sits right on the shore of Lake Ontario where the St Lawrence River travels through. The school is a series of longhouses built on the shore in a circular pattern. There are four tribes to be sorted into it and each tribe shares their own longhouse on the outer edge of the circle. Classes are in different longhouses in the middle of the circle or right on the shores. There are magical boats that take students up the St Lawrence where they can visit the neighbouring magical school in old Québec City.
3. Hollow Academy of Magic, 1866: School is hidden somewhere on Vancouver Island inside of a mountain. Founded in 1866 after the discovery of gold made settlers rush out west. You can only access it through a boat until a bridge appears and when you get to the end, these beautiful carved totems of animal spirits bring you through and into the school. It seems to be endless and one can travel through every mountain in British Columbia from the academy. It's full of hidden passages and portals that take you all over the province. Care of Magical Creatures class is taught inside of Golden Hinde Mountain; History of Magic is taught in the Canadian Rockies. One follows the bridges inside the mountains and suddenly you're brought somewhere else. At the end of each bridge is a mirror and you can travel right through it like a magical looking glass to bring you to each mountain. Boats are taken to get to dormitories and classes are also taught right on the water and shorelines.
4. Beacon Hill, the Maritimes Academy of Magic, 1867: Founded in 1867 right before Confederation was established by the Muggles. The school is inside of a working lighthouse on the island so there are no visitors which makes it easy to keep the school concealed. Some of the school is underground and part of it is even under the water. It's all glass so you can see right out into the Atlantic Ocean. They have classes underwater and inside of the lighthouse. They study Astronomy outside and at the top of the lighthouse, climbing the spiral staircase and moving through windows. It's really well set up as Muggles only see fog if they look up. The Astronomy classroom is like being on the roof of the lighthouse, you can't see the walls and there's a barrier to prevent people from falling off. The magic is beautiful in itself, how it hides and illuminates in an illusionary way to fit the students needs. Professor Knight has an entire colony of beavers. They adore him and have built this massive dam. Professor Knight also has befriended two sea dragons. They guard underwater part of the school.
5. Kanata School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, 1899: Founded in 1899 a year after gold was discovered in Yellowknife. Gothic castle made of ice under the Northern Lights. The colours of the lights make the castle reflect and mirror across the ice in breathtaking colours. It's guarded by polar bears. Uniforms include fur lines capes and rainbow toques with a bright blue pom on the top. Silvanius is the head polar bear, a Nanook (Inuit mythology, god of bears, ancient polar bear with powers to speak to the other polar bears to give them direction and can read the future in the Northern Lights). Students study with them. The principle of the school is called The Chief. Students travel on flying sleds.
It was really fun to invent all of this! Thanks to GryffindorHealer for the help!
Thanks for reading and please review!