A/N: Hello, there! I've been sick. Hence, no new updates until today. Welcome new readers and a special thanks to you if you stuck with me from Chapter 1. Just a comment: a reviewer stated Lily and Snape are gross. A friendship that was on its way to blossom into something else doesn't strike me as gross. Remember that this story is clearly not canon with… many things in the original. Also, I am not a fan of typical literary archetypes. I have always believed that the characters' depth benefits from not fitting boxes all the time. Lily Potter, in canon, is a very straightforward type of character. We don't know much from her youth other than the positive comments people make of her and what we see through Snape's memories. She was smart, kind, and a good mother and wife. That's it. I wanted to give this Lily a more detailed background. The previous chapter was just a start. Back to the shipping, I have never been a fan of that couple (Lily and Snape) because, in canon, their dynamic was unhealthy, especially on his part. However, the Snape I am writing is different from the one in canon. -Lux
Chapter 15: The Black Phoenix
Sharptooth was worried. He had called for a mind healer, but they were still half an hour away. Everyone present, except for Dumbledore, had tried to help Severus in some way. But everything they did was not helping. He seemed to be in an exceptional amount of physical pain. None of the wizards and witches had ever seen so many expressions on his face. He was groaning in pain, his fists balled up, with white knuckles. There was profuse cold sweat on his face an neck. At times his body would start trembling, and suddenly his expression would calm, and he would have a serene smile. None of his symptoms made sense.
He had been moved to a healing chamber in the lower levels after the Grangers suggested he would need to feel safe as well as some peace and quiet. Some general healers were doing diagnostics left and right. They managed to put him in magical stasis. His core was draining dramatically, and his vitals weren't doing better. An induced coma was the only thing they could do to prevent further damage. The Head Healer goblin told Sharptooth that they would keep him updated on Snape's condition, so he went back to his office. The atmosphere inside was gloomy. He had a will to finish reading. Albus had been stunned because he had tried to reach Snape and no one trusted him
"Sharptooth, finally!" McGonagall said. "How is he?"
"They put him in stasis."
"Why? Stasis is usually the last resort…" Sirius said, his eyes widened. The goblin nodded somberly.
"Stasis is like a coma, right?" Mr. Granger asked with a frown.
"Yes, Mr. Granger. Usually, when a wizard or witch is put on stasis is because their magical core-" McGonagall was cut off by Remus.
"Which is like the source of their magic," he added.
"… Is being depleted, and if their core is drained enough, they can lose their magic abilities completely," McGonagall finished. The Grangers blanched.
"If his core is... emptied, does he die?" Emma asked mouthing the last word.
"No, but to many wizards and witches, losing their magic is like losing a limb. They never fully recover," Remus replied.
"Let's enervate this bastard so we can finish this reading," Sirius said. The Grangers were holding the kids and stepped as far away from the old man as they could while remaining in the office. They were language nerds, but they would have to brush off on their Latin coursebook. The doctors had watched in amazement as with one flick of a wand, the man was rendered unconscious. They were equally shocked when he was awakened. They looked at each other and made a silent decision. They would have to learn all they could about magic themselves. It would not do to stay ignorant of the world their kids would be a part of eventually. They needed to talk to Sirius about that.
Madam Bones was given her wand to stun and wake Dumbledore. He looked around frantically.
"Where is he?! Where is Severus?!"
"Far away from you, obviously," Madam Bones replied emphasizing and slowing her last word like Severus would. "We are going to hear the last part of the will that involves you, and after that, you are coming with the Aurors and me to the DMLE to be processed for the crimes we can prove you have committed so far."
Albus fumed. He would have to escape during transfer. Greengrass could probably be imperiused, but Albus had no wand, and he wasn't strong enough at the moment to do it wandlessly. He frowned.
"I have committed no crime, Amelia," Albus said before being stared down by her so hard that he had to look away.
"That will be seen at court, Brian," she shot back with narrowed eyes. She knew he hated his most muggle name. His eye twitched in anger.
"Madam Bones, please stand down. I need to read the last bit of the will."
"Yes, Manager Sharptooth, excuse me," Amelia said, rejoining her Aurors.
Everyone sat down and looked expectantly at the goblin who unrolled the scroll and read:
"To Albus Dumbledore: we leave a cyanide pill and a warning. We will find a way to come back to life if we see you harmed our son. You have seen us both when we are mad. You stand no chance. We will make you pay forever. If you ever feel someone is staring, and yet see no one there, it will be us. All those artifacts in your office will NOT keep you safe. Nothing will. There is a Day of Judgement coming your way, and you and your "greater good" will be decimated. You better keep the cyanide pill on you at all times because you will be begging for death by the time we are done with you if Harry is EVER hurt because of you. You are NOT the Leader of Anything. You are just a usurper. If Harry has been hurt in any way, shape or form due to your senility and stupid decision-making that no one told you to do, and/or if you have taken one inconsequential item from our vaults or even a knut, The Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter declares a Blood Feud with Albus Dumbledore. We leave Aberforth and Ariana Dumbledore out of this, just like Albus left them out of his life and his poisonous quest for glory. May you die a slow and painful death, and may the WW see the real light now. You are another Dark Lord. 3. Finally: all our titles go to Harry's legal guardian: our Lord and Ladyship, our seats at the Wizengamot, and any other Heir or Heiress titles. The guardian will decide what is best to do until Harry's majority."
Dumbledore, who had progressively gotten redder as the goblin read, growled with fury and started spewing so many curse words, so quickly, that Emma and Dan looked at the goblin, bowed their heads and left the room with the scared children. All the other sane adults and goblins inside the room were glad they had left. This 'new' side of Dumbledore was violent and could do something really stupid.
Outside, a goblin introduced herself to the Grangers as Healer Chainmaster. Emma smiled. A female goblin at last!
"Would you like me to give the children a calming infusion?" the goblin was carrying a tray with steaming mugs.
"Um… I'm sorry, my husband and I are not magical, but the children are, and this world is new to us. Could you tell us what is in the infusion?" Emma asked, trying to keep a neutral and respectful tone.
"I understand your concerns. Sharptooth told me you are healers… You do not have to worry. The infusion is made with all-natural herbs. It contains kava root, valerian root, lavender, and chamomile. They are steeped in hot water and sweetened with honey. As I am sure you know, none of them will hurt the children."
To Dan, that sounded lovely even for him and his wife. "That is wonderful. Could we also get one? This has been a long day."
The tray produced another two mugs in the blink of an eye. Emma's eyes widened. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that."
"We made copious amounts. We think it will be helpful to everyone in there," the goblin pointed a hand to Sharptooth's door. She handed the bigger mugs to the adults and the smaller ones to the children. They thanked her and bowed. Harry sat down on the floor, to the left of the door, and Hermione sat down next to him, laying her head on his shoulder. They blew on their drinks and started taking small sips as the goblin told them to. The Grangers took a few sips.
"Healer Chainmaster, how is the man that was put in stasis?" Daniel asked the Healer.
"He is stable, but we are keeping him unconscious. His mind is waging war. It's like a thunderstorm in there."
"Is there anything we can do to help?" asked Emma.
"Perhaps… He is a half-blood after all. Do you have mind healers?"
"We do. My wife and I are… um, children healers. But we have colleagues who specialize in the human brain, and-" Daniel's reply stooped. They heard a loud crash and a loud metallic sound inside the room. Harry and Hermione jumped up and ran to the Grangers. Emma and Dan immediately put one kid behind each of them. The Healer summoned three full-body shields. Dan noticed the shield was very heavy but manageable. Emma positioned her body to make sure she could face whatever was coming while covering herself and staying close to her daughter. She quickly took the handgun from its concealed holster by her calf. She held the shield with her left hand, and the gun was on her right. Dan had taken his knives from their concealed places. He had four of them ready to go. His posture was defensive. His left hand holding the shield. As soon as they held the shields firmly in front of them, the doors blew up off their hinges. They would have been hit by them if Healer Chainmaster hadn't pulled them away with a hit from thick golden chains she was waving expertly.
While the Grangers left, everyone present was enjoying Albus' outrage. However, their satisfaction quickly turned into apprehension and fear. Out of nowhere, there was a flash of blueish light above Dumbledore's head, and a majestic, creepy, black phoenix appeared in the office. The phoenix had some sort of golden choker with tiny runes. Its eyes were pitch black. It sang a horrible song which froze everyone in the room for a few seconds, filling them with dread. While they were frozen, the phoenix freed Albus from the goblin handcuffs and gave him a wand. From that point on, it was pandemonium. Dumbledore could be senile, power-hungry, evil, injured, and crazy, but he was still a very powerful wizard. He made a quick flourish, and golden runes started surrounding him. Sharptooth barely had time to jump behind his shield when Dumbledore blew up his huge wooden desk. Splinters flew in all directions at everyone present.
Padfoot and Moony with their sharpened canine senses were able to jump in front of Professor McGonagall and Lady Longbottom respectively right on time, the blast embedding their backs with splinters. Ted could barely throw his wife on the floor and cover her with his body. Hell hath no fury like goblins attacked in goblin territory, and by wands, no less. As the runes lit up, everyone present started feeling a pull on their magic. The bastard was feeding on their cores to fuel his magic.
The goblins started attacking the cylinder shape the headmaster was within. One of them came at the old wizard with a hatchet, bravely. But as soon as the hatchet impacted the cylinder of runes, the goblin was blown back and hit the far back wall which was adorned with a gong. The sound of the crash was very loud. Amelia had been pulled down by her Aurors, but they were all still partially hit with splinters. All the other goblins growled, bared their teeth, and charged at the cylindrical shape with a vengeance. Their weapons seemed to make cracks an invisible barrier, but a burst of angry energy blew up from it, throwing everyone to the floor and blowing the door off its hinges.
Harry and Hermione held on to the Grangers' pants belt loops as strongly as they could. Emma was suddenly glad she chose a pantsuit instead of a typical business skirt. Amelia had managed to reach the box which contained the wands, but a look from Sharptooth made her retreat. An army of twelve goblin warriors armed to their teeth -literally- were running into action. Anyone they saw with a wand would be taken to Goblin Court if they weren't killed on the spot.
Albus looked like a possessed person in a muggle horror movie starring demons. His eyes were completely black. His expression was sinister and angry. His hair and beard were giving off pulses. He was overcharged. Every witch and wizard present began to feel very tired. It wasn't regular magic exhaustion. It was also physical. Their muscles hurt. Their joints hurt. Their heads were pounding. The blast made things worse. Six of the twelve goblins went in physically while the other half was drawing runes in the air with their spears and swords.
Lady Longbottom was unconscious. She had hit her head when she was protected from the splinters. McGonagall was hurt. She had cuts on the side of her face and an ugly gash I one of her legs. Remus looked like a hedgehog. His entire back was pierced with countless splinters of different lengths and breadths. He was bleeding. So was Sirius. Both were crawling away from the dark energy that Dumbledore was expelling. They wanted to get to Harry.
Suddenly, the phoenix materialized again and began diving at full speed towards Harry -who was still behind Daniel- at Dumbledore's silent orders.
"Padfoot, go!" Remus yelled.
Sirius tried to transform but couldn't. His core was almost drained. "I can't! My core won't let me."
Daniel moved the shield a bit and saw the ugliest bird he had ever seen emit a horrifying sound and dive towards them. Daniel was certain it wanted Harry, not him. The doctor inclined the shield a bit to the left, and with his right arm, he sent his favorite -and sharpest- knife at the bird which was about to pounce. The knife plunged right in the middle of the bird's chest. The bird's evil eyes were widened. It never saw that coming. It lost its speed and crashed against Dan's shield. Daniel lifted his shield to kick the bird away, but all he kicked was a pile of ashes and a big ring with gold hieroglyphics. Harry held on to Daniel and whimpered as the door at the end of the hallway opened violently.
An even larger army of around fifty goblins charged towards Albus. The invisible shield surrounding Albus exploded inwards when an ancient-looking goblin wearing a crown parted the army and ran towards him pointing at the old man with his staff. The wizard who had been suspended in the air by sheer magical power stolen from the other wand-carriers fell to his knees. The shield exploded in glass shards which pierced the old Deceiver who screamed in agony.
"DUMBLEDORE!" King Nagkrat growled. He was wearing his full armor and moved with a speed and agility that was very surprising for his age, whatever that was. All humans who could move jumped out of the way and bowed low. Those who were hurt, inclined their heads, and kept them low. They all felt chills running up and down their spines. That was the voice of the king that ended the war. "You dare to use a wand in goblin territory again!?"
Dumbledore stood up shakily. He had quickly healed his broken bones with a dark spell the moment he got his wand, but he was still tender. He replied in an equally commanding tone: "You dare use your magic against a wizard!?"
Everyone present was in absolute shock. For a few moments, all movement ceased. Even the army froze. No human had seen King Nagkrat for years. Peace between goblins and humans took decades of bloodshed and massacres. Wizarding society almost perished completely. And here was the Leader of most human wand-carriers in the country openly attacking the goblins in their own territory with a wand. He had insulted their leader. This moment would be written in history books.
"You will NOT speak to me in that tone!" The King motioned, and Albus lost his voice and his ability to move. "I have been told of what you did! If the Potters were here, they would allow me to skin you alive. As you now know, they declared a Blood Feud against you, if any harm came to their child at your hands or as a consequence of your meddling. We have proof that the Potter scion has suffered greatly because of you. We request the Head of House Potter to throw you at our… ahem, mercy, for lack of a better word."
"Your Majesty," Sharptooth bowed. "If I may, the Head of House Potter is Sirius Orion Black. He is Harry's godfather by Godfather Ritual and the first guardian mentioned in the Potter will."
"Lord Black, step forward," Nagkrat said, looking around. A bleeding Sirius got up slowly, his legs almost giving up under him.
"I am Lord Black, Your Highness," Sirius tried to bow, but the pain was significant, so he bowed his head only and still, he grimaced.
Harry, who had been too shocked to move before, saw that his godfather was hurt and ran towards him as fast as his little legs would carry him. He wrapped his arms around his Sirius' legs. The goblin King looked at the child's back in shock. The boy had run past him without a second thought. Only when the King cleared his throat did Harry realize he had interrupted.
"S-S-Sorry, sir," Harry bowed then looked up and smiled shyly. The king looked at the boy weirdly.
"No worries, Mr. Potter. Lord Black? What do you want to do?"
Sirius bent and picked Harry up, regardless of the pain.
"I will gladly consider the Blood Feud paid if you take him to Goblin Court, Your Majesty. However, I want to present pensieve memories of myself and a few others as further evidence. We would also like you to look at the evidence that Madam Bones has from the muggle authorities," Sirius said with a neutral tone.
"Consider it done," Nagkrat approached the rogue old man "Dumbledork, I have the perfect cell for you. It is at our deepest level. Guarded by seven of the fiercest dragons we have," Albus looked scared for a minute. "And yes, they know you have been stealing gold for years. I am sure they will make you feel most welcome."
The wizards and witches shuddered at the smile on Nagkrat's face. The King continued.
"Would you like to do the Walk of Shame bound by chains, or would you rather walk yourself willingly to your fate?" the goblin allowed him to speak.
"I will walk myself," Albus said with a fake resigned tone. Albus began walking slowly. He closed his eyes and muttered something under his breath that sounded like "Nunc aut numquam" (now or never). A loud explosion resonated through the hall, and everyone was on defensive mode again. No one thought Dumbledore would dare to attack the actual King of the Goblin Nation himself. However, Albus was in too deep to back out now. He moved quickly and grabbed Nagkrat by the neck from behind. The wizard had pulled out a shard of glass from his thigh and was pressing it against the goblin's neck. Due to their height difference, when Dumbledore pulled the goblin up by the neck, the king covered the tall wizard's chest, abdomen, and hips, down to his mid-thigh. From the main doors to the hall, twenty witches and wizards flew in on brooms and started attacking everyone on sight, human or not.
"I introduce you to the Order of the Black Phoenix, Nagkrat. Any final words?"
"Not today, Dumbledore!" Emma Granger shot at the wizard expertly on both knees. As soon as his feet touched the ground, the King turned around with a spiked club which appeared on his hand and beat the old man's jaw so harshly that several teeth were thrown out and a bit of skin and beard was stuck to the club's spikes. Nagkrat used his most precise magic moves to make all witches and wizards he trusted to get their wands back. Nagkart was about to strike again when he felt Dumbledore begin to raise his wand hand, but before the king could do anything, Emma shot Dumbledore's wand arm's shoulder. The old man couldn't do any more physical confrontation.
One of the cloaked figures on a broom pulled him up, behind him on his broom, and they started flying away towards the entrance. All customers had been evacuated. The goblins started shooting arrows and throwing spears at the cloaked figures. The Goblin King was levitated by other goblins' magic, tellers and managers were chanting and waving their hands to push him faster towards the broom carrying The Deceiver. Other cloaked figures looked at Emma and dove for her, throwing multiple jets of light at her.
When the cloaked figures flew in, Remus knew they were in trouble. They were in a clear disadvantage. They were on the ground and had diminished magic skills. He needed to get to Harry. He ran dodging spells and physically attacking those he could. Sirius had jumped behind a warrior monument and was holding a distraught Harry who was crying without making a sound. Daniel had run by them and threw a scared Hermione into Remus' arms while he ran off to tackle his wife who had shot at the old man just before she was hit with an angry purple shot of light on the chest. He had no idea what any of the colors meant. He just wanted to protect his family. A ray of green light barely missed his head. Remus winced.
Daniel was suddenly in pain. He felt like someone had run a hot iron over his entire arm. Looking down, he realized his sleeve was on fire. His wife took one of his knives and cut the coat off him, using the pieces to try to put off the flames. She moved vigorously, but the flames stayed put. Sirius saw this and made up his mind. Harry and Hermione would be safe with Remus.
"Stay with the kids, Remy," Sirius said, and without waiting for an answer, he ran in the fight throwing stunners and jinxes at the flying figures. He reached the Grangers, countered the incendio, and put them behind him, he started using protective spells to get them out of harm's way. When they were about to reach the statue, Remus joined in from where he was, trying to protect the three.
A cloaked figure with a wild mane of curls dove towards Sirius in her broom and screamed, "Cousin! A welcome back present for you!" She laughed manically and sent a bombarda at the monument.
Bellatrix Lestrange had joined Dumbledore?! That was just impossible! But then, Dumbledore must have joined… Voldemort? All the wizards and witches who heard her were equal parts shocked and confused. The idea of the two most powerful wizards joining each other in a quest for the domination of their world was compelling nightmare fuel.
Remus' shield wasn't strong enough for this. He was hurt. Sirius had tried to join in, but he feared the children would be hurt if he missed. The explosion blinded all of them momentarily. There was smoke everywhere. The Grangers ran towards the smoke as fast as they could. They found Harry and Hermione holding each other tightly. Neesy had her arms wrapped around the kids. She was shaking. They were within a golden bubble that was expanding.
Sirius barely pulled the Grangers back. The bubble blew up, but its energy went directly to Lestrange, who fell off her broom and screamed in pain. Sirius bounded and silencioed her when she reached the ground. A goblin guard wrapped a thick golden rope around her.
Augusta Longbottom had regained consciousness right on time to realize that things were dire. She saw what was happening with horror. She saw in slow motion how Albus Dumbledore did the stupidest thing she ever saw a wizard do to a goblin. She had to do something. She still remembered the fear, the smell of death, and decay from the last battle against the goblins. She was wearing a belt with a holster for her cane. She reached down with her left hand when she realized her right arm couldn't be moved. She had surrendered her wand, but she always carried her son's wand inside her walking cane.
She sent the strongest cutting spell she could towards the broom that was whisking Dumbledore away, making the broom snap in half, sending Albus straight to the floor. She bound him, silencioed him, and threw her son's wand at the feet of the goblin king. She could feel blood dripping down her neck as she bowed. She hoped the king would appreciate that she was never planning on attacking any goblin. She felt faint with the effort. Her robe was moist with blood. Her last conscious thought was that her son would be proud that his wand was used for this.
The other figures had flown away injured to different degrees. The man whisking Dumbledore away turned out to be no other than Lucious Malfoy. He fell on his face when the broom was cut in two. Now, his broken nose made a bloody mess of his face and usually impeccable robes. He was tied up against a fuming Bellatrix who was biting her gag. Silencioing her was not enough. She would bite anyone she could reach to get ahead. Lucious was too disgusted by the creatures present to dare bite or touch anyone.
Harry, Hermione, and Neesy did not stop glowing until the Grangers approached them:
"Harry, Hermione, Neesy?" Emma said softly.
The kids let go of each other slowly. Neesy opened her arms and stood in spot, looking in surprise at her shaking hands. The bubble disappeared, and the children ran into Emma and Dan's arms. The Grangers began checking the kids all over. They were unscathed, albeit, very dusty. The shield kept rocks away, but a bit of powdered debris went through. Sirius went over to Remus to help the man stand up. He had been hit with some rubble from the explosion, and his face was bleeding. He was barely conscious, and he seemed to be in pain from more than just the obvious.
"Moony? Did you hit your head?" Sirius asked.
"I'm fine. My ears are ringing. It hurts."
Sirius nodded in understanding. His own ears were bothering him. However, he could turn down the dog inside him, Remus couldn't. The elf staggered in dizziness. She fainted. She had just been healed. "Neesy!"
Daniel approached her and checked for a pulse. She was still breathing. Her pulse was weak. His wife handed him her blazer, and he wrapped it around Neesy and carried her like a child. Minerva was waving her wand around her own body an then around Augusta. An injured Ted Tonks was carrying his wife whose hair was caked with blood and who seemed to be unconscious. Minerva was soon with them running diagnostic spells on the former witch and her husband.
A team of healers rushed in. They bowed at their king.
"Healers, handle the most hurt, first, no matter the species," the King bellowed. "Slayer! Get me the elders of all the neighboring nations. We will need their support." A warrior goblin nodded. He hit his sword to his shield and disappeared. The King went on: "Madam Bones!"
She dragged herself to a standing position using the wall next to her. She had cuts and bruises all over. Her robe was torn and burnt in different places. Her hair had been charred in one side of her head.
"King Nagkrat"
"Where are your Aurors?"
"Greengrass was taken down, and Voskoboynikov was abducted by those thugs," she said shakily. She was in pain and furious.
"I appreciate your aid to the Goblin Nation. We will need to work together to get all those responsible for this dealt with."
"It was our pleasure and duty."
"We have a floo connection to St. Mungo's. We can handle our injured. You should go."
The healers were still quickly waving their hands, administering potions, and sending the most injured humans to St. Mungo's. All those present at the will reading were taken to the hospital except for Snape who was still in Stasis and Dumbledore who was not leaving goblin territory.
"Mrs. Granger," Nagkrat, approaching her and her husband, who were taking care of the kids.
"Your Majesty," Emma curtseyed, then remember she was supposed to bow, so she did that too. Nagkrat chuckled. Muggles were interesting creatures. The boy called him Sir and this woman curtseyed.
"I want to thank you for saving my life," the goblin said, looking at her with intensity. "You showed great bravery and skill. You can call me Nagkrat. Could you please tell me what was the weapon you used?"
"You are welcome, king Nagkrat. It is a handgun," she said, pulling it out. She locked the gun for safety and showed it to the goblin who looked at it in awe.
"Most fascinating," the goblin transformed his club to a staff and hit the ground once with it. The sound it made got everyone's attention. All movement ceased. "Mr. Granger, your aim at throwing knives is quite impressive. I did not know humans were interested in such pursuits. "
Daniel bowed and approached them, "Thank you, I was in the non magical Army before I became a doc-Healer," Daniel corrected himself.
"Wonderful! We are glad for your assistance. Mrs. Granger, for your and your husband's bravery in aiding of the Goblin Nation, I hereby declare House Granger an ally of the Goblin Nation."
Several gasps were heard. The King went on, "As such, you are under our protection, and in case anyone tries to harm you, in any way, shape, or form, we will come to your aid, no questions asked," the King bowed his head. All Grangers glowed teal for a few seconds.
"Thank you, king Nagkrat. My husband and I are honored. But we are also worried. We know very little about this world, but our kids will grow up as a part of it, and we want to learn about magic. We are aware that we can't do magic, but we want to understand it and help our kids as well. Any chance you can recommend a book? I know being an ally is good and that your warriors are incredibly brave, and we thank you. If we can help you or your Nation in return, we would love to do that," Emma said with a tentative smile.
"Absolutely, Gringotts can help you with that. I am sure Professor McGonagall can help you as well once she feels better. Your offer to help back is most generous. We would like you to teach us about this tach- no, wait, techie, no, don't tell me… Technology?" the king finished with a questioning look. All wizards in there were astonished.
Both Emma and Dan nodded enthusiastically.
"I am told you think it will make us be more… efficient?"
"Oh, you are very efficient already. But there is always room for improvement, right?"
"Right," the goblin replied with a strange grin. "I also declare the following houses to be allies and under the protection of the Goblin Nation: The Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black -excepting anyone allied with Voldemort or Dumbledore, The Most Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom, and The Most Ancient and Noble House of Bones. Also under our protection, as our allies, are House of McGonagall, House of Lupin, House of Tonks, and Neesy the House Elf. Anyone who tries to harm the ones I have mentioned will suffer punishment by the Goblin Nation of England and by Goblin Nations around the world. Make it known to all species."
A scribe, who had appeared when king Nagkrat said the words I hereby declare, finished waving his hands over a parchment which disappeared.
"W-What about H-House of S-Snape, Sir?" asked a timid Harry.
"We will have to see when Mr. Snape wakes, but if things are as we expected, he will be granted the same protection. Provided he swears an oath to never be involved with anyone dark ever again."
Harry nodded. The goblin smiled.
Hours later, Harry and Hermione were tucked in together in a hospital bed. All those emotions in one day were too much to handle for anyone, let alone children. They were fighting to stay awake. Remus had been given the strongest pain-relieving and pepper-up potion the hospital could make. Sirius was given a similar treatment. The Grangers were amazed at what they saw. There was a potion that could grow bones out of nothing, wand movements that could heal first and second-degree burns with the help of a thick plant-based salve. It was amazing!
When Daniel had his arm healed, he could hardly believe it. There would be no scarring whatsoever, and it only took a couple of minutes! If only he could use the same on the kids that came in with burns to his work! Emma only had a few minor scratches and bruises. And yet, she was just as surprised at how they vanished without any pain. She could see now why they didn't bother with technology. However, she thought that, if they combined both things, everything would be even better. Now that the Goblin King had asked for their help, perhaps they could make something out of it that would benefit both worlds. Some people would be scared seeing the power wizards had, but Emma and Dan had seen their amazement at something as simple as a small handgun.
Remus looked at Sirius in a way that sent shivers down his back. The healers had gotten rid of the splinters and closed the wounds. Wordlessly, he followed his friend to a small empty Healer's office and closed the door behind him. Sirius knew there would be some explaining to do.
"Remus," Sirius began looking down.
"Just don't," Moony replied. "I don't think I can forgive you yet."
Sirius sighed. However, the 'yet' gave him a sliver of hope. "I understand."
"No! You don't! You don't have a clue about how horrible it was! To hear you were accused of murder? Of fourteen people!? I know your temper. I knew you were out for Pettigrew's blood! And you left me behind! We had promised to never do that! I have been blaming myself for your incarceration because I knew that if I had been with you when you found Pettigrew, I would have stopped you! But no! You and your bloody hero complex left me tied up in silver alloy chains, just after the full moon too, so I couldn't follow you! I would have never thought you were capable of using your knowledge of my condition against me! Do you know how much pain I was in? How much it burned? I still have scars all over because of that! Sirius, I was out of it for hours! Dumbledore found me and told me what you supposedly did and gave me a portkey to leave Britain before I was named an accomplice to murder! I have spent all these years trying to drown the pain of your betrayal, the pain of you being in prison because of me! and no excuses you give me will make up for that!" Lupin whisper shouted the entire thing. His eyes were full of frustrated tears.
Sirius reached out to put his hand on the other man's shoulder, but Remus took a step back.
"Moony, I spent all those years locked away, regretting all the decisions I made that day. You know, when I revealed myself as Sirius in front of the kids, Hermione told me something that has been haunting me. That girl is sure going to be just like Lily. She said, 'If you had loved Harry enough, you wouldn't have put yourself in a position to lose him.' Can you imagine? I was told off by a five-year-old who sounded just like-"
"Lily Jade" Remus completed with a sigh. He looked at a now calmer Hermione. She was holding Harry's hand and wouldn't let go for any reason. There he goes, like all other Potter men, finding the brightest girl around early on, he thought with melancholy. He missed his Jade.
"The worst part is that she was right, Moony. If I hadn't tied you up, if I hadn't gone after Peter on my own, if I hadn't trusted Dumbledore… If I had trusted my self more… Then Lily and James would be with Harry, and he wouldn't have had to live with those monsters!" Sirius whisper shouted back. Hanging his head low in shame. "I will never forgive myself because all he suffered, he suffered because I was too hot-headed to keep my cool and walk in there hand in hand with you, as I should have. Breaking that promise will always haunt me… I know you don't trust me anymore. Not like you used to. And that is your right. However, if you allow me, I want to work as hard as I need to, to earn back your trust."
The look that went through Padfoot's eyes when he talked about Harry's suffering made Remus feel cold. His poor boy.
"How bad was the abuse?"
Sirius looked deep into Remus' eyes, and he broke down. The images of his emaciated, bruised, burnt, cut, and hypothermic boy filled his memory. He fell to his knees.
Remus knelt in front of him, put his hands on Sirius' cheeks and made him look up into his amber eyes.
"Show me," Remus said softly. Sirius knew it was a command, not a question. Thus, he obeyed. He lowered all his walls and let the man inside his mind. Sirius was no expert at Legilimency, but Remus learned in his youth. Using it, he could control his inner wolf much better. Padfoot showed Moony everything: the horrible, the strange, the criminal, and all the goodness that the Grangers and Father Martin had shown him and Harry. By the end of those memories, Remus was crying silently as well. Moony stood up and pulled Sirius up as well.
"We owe them big time," Remus said. Sirius was immediately reminded of why he fell for the man. He could have said Sirius owed them, but no. To Remus, there was no I. It was always them. Sirius smiled.
"We do. What Dan and Emma did cannot be repaid… and they don't really need money, but I wish there was something we could do. I mean what I said, Remus, I am willing to do whatever it takes to fix this. I don't care how much time it takes…" Sirius trailed into silence.
"We'll figure it out… how to pay them back," he moved towards the door. Sirius' heart sank. Remus turned his face. "Look, I know what you want me to say… but I can't. Not now. It will take time to repair the bridges you destroyed," Remus sighed. "But I am willing to put in the work to fix this if you are too," Sirius smiled a bit. Remus turned around and grabbed Sirius' right hand and squeezed. "One step at a time?"
Sirius squeezed back, holding back from hugging Remus. Only he could bring up such a happy memory with one question. He nodded. "One step at a time."
It was a few hours later that the exhausted Grangers, Harry, and Sirius were taken back home by another goblin. It had taken promises to see everyone again soon for Harry to agree to go home. It was two in the morning when they got there and the kids were already asleep. The adults agreed to just go to bed and talk things over the next day. Luckily, the following day was a Saturday. They all needed to sleep in late. Sirius was grateful that he could work to earn a place back in Moony's life. He made a mental note to visit Augusta. For wizards and witches, the older you are, the longer it takes your bones to heal, and she had broken a rib. A simple episkey wouldn't do to fix it at her age. She had to stay at St. Mungo's to rest her core and asked the Tonks to bring Neville to the hospital.
Remus had taken Neesy to one of the Potter properties so she could heal entirely. The goblins had done as much as they could, and she was going to be okay. However, she needed to sleep for a long time. At Potter manor, she had elven remedies. Her reserves were almost depleted, but they would be enough until she could get things back up to their usual standard. She needed to visit former Potter elves and asked them to come back. Moony felt fatigued. When he crashed on a couch, he was amazed that even though no one lived in the house, it looked pristine. Neesy was an incredible elf. He would have to thank her. The last thoughts that went through his mind as his head hit the pillow was that he needed to thank the Grangers and reconnect with Harry.
