A/N: Sooo…I wrote far too many scenes about the aftermath. Crikey, so many. Because of this, I'm dividing them up. This chapter is mainly about the Weasleys (and a certain phoenix). There will be much more of a focus on the other survivors, wider wizarding Britain, and Lestrange himself in the following chapter(s). I know things are missing and the time will be a bit wonky for a while. Just assume that everything in the next few chapters is taking place within the first weeks from when the Sweenies were found.
"Nothing's gonna harm you, not while I'm around.
Nothing's gonna harm you, no sir, not while I'm around.
Demons are prowling everywhere, nowadays.
I'll send 'em howling,
I don't care, I got ways."
—Toby to Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney Todd
Hermione hated leaving St. Mungo's. She hated it nearly as much as constantly leaving her children for her job (when had her priorities switched?). Rose and Hugo were at the Burrow; she felt the far-off building pull to her as she looked out over Glen Coe. The Burrow wasn't where she needed to be right now. Nor was it at her husband's side as he doted over the fragile phoenix. She'd kissed them good bye when she'd left. It almost didn't matter who the magical creature truly was.
Hermione shook her head, failing to keep back her windswept hair. Oh, wasn't that the story of her life? "I'm sorry Lisa, my thoughts flew away. What was that?"
Lisa smiled sadly, knowingly. "Ten of them were captured, including Rodolphus Lestrange. Five dead. Serena Rowle got away, though we're questioning them all for being metamorphmaguses."
It was cold out, she could tell, though a warming charm blanketed her. She could feel the phantom phoenix in her arms, radiating heat like an enflamed piece of coal. Did it hurt, the fire? "Don't mistreat any of them, I want the case to be airtight. Keep Lestrange in the highest security cell we have: I'll have no patience for anyone taking revenge." She gazed out at the valley, the stars, the sweeping wind. "Have there been any leaks?"
"Not yet."
'It's only a matter of time,' was left unspoken. Hermione prayed they could get to each of the families first. Which brought her to why she was here. She needed hard proof of identities and this cave held them. She turned to the opening, Lisa following quietly.
They walked past the Hit-Wizards struggling to 'untie' the dragon from the mountain. They saddled past McLaggen loudly telling trainees he'd seen this coming (she sent a quiet tongue-tying charm his way). They criss-crossed enormous cauldrons being levitated out of the large corridor.
"I want every drop of that potion inventoried and contained!" Hermione said sharply, to both Lisa and the Aurors lifting the cauldrons. "If ANY of it goes missing, I'll assume the culprits are in league with the Sweenies."
The Aurors turned even paler at that.
"This will be a nightmare to contain," Hermione muttered to herself, casting her gaze around the chaotic room. Was that a nundo howling in the corner? Just what she needed. She took a breath, focussing on the thing she could make right. "Where are the records you mentioned?"
Lisa waved down the corridor, taking them through a small hallway. "As you ordered, I put up a protective spell. You'll be the first to look at them."
They were in the 'record room' soon enough. Filled with quills and neatly lined cabinets against each wall. Each cabinet was marked by a letter.
"By last names," Lisa said quietly. "The files are alphabetical."
Hermione's gaze leapt ahead, more hungry for information than she had ever been. There was 'B', for 'Bones, Susan'. Or 'F', 'Facwcett, Charlotte' and 'Fudge, Cornelius' amongst others. The list went on. It nearly reminded Hermione of the Sorting Hat, last and first names lined up in a pretty row. She could picture her nervous walk up at 'Granger, Hermione'. Nervous about school, about Houses. About making friends.
The 'P' cabinet was what her hand first opened. Flipping through the tabs (too many tabs), 'Patil, Parvati' and 'Potter, Harry' were still easy to find. Green folders with clear tabs, the names in stark black.
Hermione grabbed the two files before returning to the front to find and pluck up 'Bones, Susan'. "Is there a table I can—oh, yes." There was large one in the centre. She hadn't paid attention; just like she hadn't in the hallway, or even the main room. Because who truly cared? Lisa sat at another chair while Hermione dropped the files to the surface. She hesitated with which to begin with. But no, not his; not yet.
She opened 'Bones, Susan'. It was filled with prim white sheets with neat writing. She stared at the photo in front: Susan stared back at her, fear and anger in her eyes with red hair flopping. There was another photo behind it: a unicorn, throat slit from ear to ear. The papers behind were ignored.
Hermione's hand tightened into a fist as she fought back nausea. She wished her husband was here to wildly curse at the heavens. She didn't trust herself to do it without heaving.
The folder closed itself…or no, Lisa had closed it. "Hermione," she said softly, "don't torture yourself. You don't have to do this."
The thought was nearly laughable. She, not read this? Oh yes, if only Ron was here—he wouldn't like it, but he'd understand.
Hermione ignored the warning and opened the next folder: 'Patil, Parvati'. In this photo, Parvati looked so scared. Her eyes were red from crying and there were cuts around her face and neck. It made Hermione almost feel better that her friend had fought.
Then there was the second photo, of an ape-like creature with long white hair and unseeing eyes.
"It's a Demiguise," Lisa said, gazing at the photo. The confusion must have shown on Hermione's face. "They can turn invisible and see the future. Parvati…she liked Divination, didn't she?"
Hermione brought a shaking hand to her mouth, overcome by everything. It was one thing with Susan, or even Harry; dying was a possibility in their line of work. But Parvati, with her make-up filling their dorm bathroom. Parvati, who'd made them giggle over tarot readings at 3am. Parvati, who'd fought in a war she didn't belong in. Parvati, who was so very innocent. Parvati, who wasn't breathing.
"I'm closer to Padma," Lisa hesitated. "Though it's impossible to share a room for seven years and not be close. I'm so sorry."
She sniffled, pulling herself together. "It's, it's fine. I'm fine."
"You aren't."
"It's fine!" Hermione said harshly. She slapped the file closed and pulled the third hungrily to her.
"Hermione," Lisa grabbed the other woman's hand, "wait a minute. Take a breath. You might not like what's in there."
Hermione nearly laughed. She and Lisa were close, but her best friends would know how humorous this statement was (just like the last). Ron or Harry would understand, even Parvati would have: Hermione needed to know. She always needed to know. And finally, the answers were in her grasp.
The tab of 'Potter, Harry' was opened. She gazed for a time at the top picture. Photo-Harry was distinctly pissed off. He looked ruffled but not horrible, wearing the same formal clothes he'd been kidnapped in. He was yelling what could only be obscenities. Hermione's mouth almost crinkled into a grin.
She turned to the second photo. Her breath hitched. Lisa made a strangled gasp.
Hermione outright giggled and didn't attempt to conceal it. "Hello Harry," she said happily to the phoenix in the photograph. A highly indignant phoenix, who was trying to spit fire at the camera. "Welcome home."
"Hi love," Hermione spoke into her two-way mirror. She and Lisa walked down the corridor, the files minimised in her pocket. "How's everything at hospital?"
"Good," Ron replied, sounding tired. "The little guy's still asleep and five different Healers have tried to poke him. I let them know it wasn't appreciated." There was a pause. "I hexed them, obviously. I shoulda been clearer."
"They're only trying to help."
"He's trying to sleep. Apparently my lap's comfy." There was a yawn. "How's the cave of horrors?"
"Horrific." Hermione looked around. "Ron? You know how you've been racing around and not filling me in on anything properly?"
"Err, yeah?"
"You have definitely been cooing over Harry Potter all night," Hermione said. "Should I be jealous?"
"Wait." There was a scramble on the other end. "Wait! You're telling me you're absolutely, positively—"
"You've been giving Harry belly rubs." Hermione exchanged an amused glance with Lisa. "The phoenix is certainly him, I have proof."
"MERLIN'S LEFT BUTTOCKS, THIS IS THE GREATEST NEWS EV—"
She switched off the connection and pocketed the mirror. Lisa looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Hermione gave an ever-suffering sigh. "Ron has a small crush on Harry. It's been a thing."
"You think?" Lisa snickered.
Hermione shrugged. "If Ron's reaction is over the top, wait until the rest of my family hears. The Weasleys aren't exactly known for being calm about things."
Waking up at 5am to a frantic knocking on her door was never a good sign. Especially when it was Ron knocking; a brother prone to trouble (and where Ginny wasn't sure if they were currently on good terms). But she knew an 'emergency knocking' when she heard it, and so swept on a robe and rushed downstairs.
"Hey! Hi," Ron strode in without asking the moment her door was open. He was beaming, which was incredibly strange to see. Ginny couldn't remember the last time any of them had done that. "I have good news! Things are good. Kind of disturbing too, but that's been the whole last year."
Ginny was tired enough that she let him drag her to her own living room, only giving a thought that she was glad his knocking hadn't woken her kids. "If you're here about some mad theory…"
"Not a mad theory." He stopped in front of a couch and grabbed her shoulders—tightly, but gently. "You should sit."
Ginny didn't want to deal with any of this. So she sat, sighing at having to put up with her siblings. She brushed her hair behind her ear. Merlin, it was tangled. When had she last brushed it? "Why'd you wake me up for 'good news'?"
"Because you'd want to hear it." Ron's grin widened. "There's a couple of things and I'm just gonna rip the plaster off. I found the Sweenies. Rodolphus Lestrange is in custody. They're gone."
The Sweenies were gone.
A shallow relief hit her stomach. She pictured Harry's gravestone, Teddy racing away in tears, how she didn't know what to say to her children…they were upstairs, should she wake them…they were safe, at least…safe…
"Ginny?" Ron said.
The Sweenies were gone. It was too late, far too late. But it was something.
Ginny looked away, trying to catch her breath.
"And I found this." Ron continued softly. "Well, Hermione found it. But it's the same." He handed over a folder. "Besides, I found the Really cool 'thing'."
She took it without looking at it, her hand shaking. They were gone. He was gone. "What?"
"I found the Sweenies," Ron said. "The Invisibility Cloak helped, thanks for that. I snuck in before the Aurors to find a phoenix, because I wanted to make sure he was kept safe. It worked, Gin. The survivors are at St. Mungo's right now."
Her eyes widened, not consciously catching up to the words. "Phoenix? Survivors?"
Ron gave a small smile. "The Sweenies kept records of the victims, that's where this folder came from. You have to look at it."
Ginny suddenly felt exposed. A phoenix. The Sweenies were gone. "This, this is about your crazy theory…"
"Not crazy," Ron said firmly, meeting her tear-stained gaze. Tear-stained? Ginny lifted a hand to her eyes: yes, she'd been crying. "When we found the Sweenies," he continued on, "we found some immortal magical creatures as well. Lestrange kept detailed records on each of the victims; we've been working all night to match them up. Ginny, you really need to see this."
She barely grasped the words, but did grind to a halt when she at last looked down. It was a file: 'Potter, Harry'. "No. Ron I, I can't—"
He put his hand on her's, pulling open the folder. "The Sweenies took a photo of each victim before they drank the potion."
A sob wrenched from her throat. It was her husband. This was the last photograph taken of Harry: all anger, strength, and annoyance. As much as it hurt, it seemed fitting in a way. She gazed at his bright eyes, the light stubble over his chin. The hair that refused to be tamed.
"They also," Ron took away the likeness of Harry, "took a photo after the potion. In most folders its a picture of an animal corpse. But Harry's?"
Ginny stared at the new photograph. Realisation flickered, but it wasn't possible. It was the fantasy Ron had told her: of fire, hope, and life.
Ron nudged his finger around the photo of the grumpy phoenix, voice wistful. "We found him. Harry's alive, he was transformed into a phoenix. He's at St. Mungo's. He's also still a bird."
Ginny gazed at the photograph, hair falling over her eyes.
"It's not all good," Ron admitted. "Harry's asleep, likely drugged. We also don't know how to turn him back into a human. Even when we do, he'll surely be traumatised. But this…it's amazing.
Ginny sat stock-still, staring at the photo. Staring at the phoenix who was trying to light the Sweenies on fire.
Fleur was having an odd day.
Not a bad day. Just a strange one, even by her standards. Even by Weasley standards, which was truly saying something. It had been set off with a floo call, one which went from house to house. Percy had been who'd informed her and Bill. The bespectacled Weasley was confused but nervous, saying he was told to immediately go to St. Mungo's. Without the kids.
After sending a Patronus to Charlie (who, in turn, was confused…but they were all pretty nervous these days, and he said he'd grab an international portkey—laws be damned—and meet them at hospital) and scrambling the kids to a sitter ('Should they be doing this?' Fleur had wondered while gathering her yawning children. 'Though Percy was…'), they high-tailed it to St. Mungo's. They found the lobby already filled with anxious redheads. Not 'filled' physically, but their presence always seemed to be larger than life. Fleur also noted (with vague horror) that the lobby was truly filled with law enforcement officials. Milling around, having coffee, looking alert and wary.
One semi-harassment of the Welcome Witch later (which Molly was wholly apologetic for, too busy being bewildered), and the family had been pushed into an unused examination room. Though crammed, it met their purposes as soon as half a dozen of them cast a sweep of enlarging charms. It was only then that, in glancing around at the assembled bunch, Fleur realised that Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were nowhere to be seen.
It was then that a bundle of Aurors opened the door.
Bill was closest and ranted at them. "OI! What's going on? What's this about—"
"Shove over, will ya Entwhistle?" Ron pushed his way into the room, sending a lopsided grin at his family. "You guys got here quickly. Sorry about this, things are nuts." He waved the other Aurors out. "It's cool, I've got this. Get back to guard duty."
Was Fleur imagining it, or did some of the Aurors send them grins as they exited?
"SO!" Ron hollered when the door closed. "Sorry about the rush job, but yeah, look. The Sweenies were captured yesterday. There's a hell of a lot more news, but first—George, Angelina? Third floor, room 707. He's been asleep but drugged to the gills. If he had gills. But now he's awake and all twitchy. The others are awake too and haven't taken too kindly to humans. So I wouldn't approach him just yet. That's, eh, why I asked to get all the kids sitters. Best they not be around."
Angelina gave a gasp, hand at her mouth. "You, you found them—"
"Him," Ron said apologetically, looking at her with something Fleur couldn't identify. Sadness? Pity? "I'm sorry, I'll give you more details later about everything. But for now, he's a mess."
George took Angelina's frozen hand, leading them out of the room. Though he clasped Ron's shoulder as he did. "Oh!" George turned back to them at the doorway, Angelina already in the hallway. "Everyone, listen to Ron. He's just pulled off the impossible. More importantly: mum, dad? Don't blame me, Ron's the one in charge of this government conspiracy. Ta!"
The door closed behind them.
"Government conspiracy?" Molly Weasley said weakly. "What, what's this about the Sweenies? Ronald, who's ill?"
"Quasi-conspiracy," Ron answered quickly, looking nervous. "If it helps, Hermione's been saying I'm using the term wrong. Anyway! The Sweenies have mostly been captured, including Rodolphus Lestrange. The conspiracy George mentioned? That was me being convinced there were survivors from the potion. And there are! Including Boy Wonder himself."
A few things happened at once. Mostly though, the room exploded with noise.
Half the family was hollering at Ron, the other half was also screaming questions ("THE HELL? YOU FOUND WHO?") though looked faint. Fleur felt off-kilter herself. Everything froze when a loud whistle whirled through the air.
Arthur Weasley stopped whistling as all eyes turned to him. "Ron," he said softly, while tightly supporting his stunned wife, "what precisely are you saying?"
Ron seemed extremely sheepish facing his father (and rapidly paling mother). "Uh, Harry's alive. He's here in hospital."
Arthur kneaded his forehead. "The Ministry has been saying—"
"Harry WAS fed the potion by Lestrange," Ron quickly said (perhaps because Molly was now reddening rather than paling). "Lemme explain this properly. I didn't know Harry was alive. I just sorta remembered that immortal creatures were a thing. So if a wizard took Lestrange's potion and turned into an immortal being…?" He shrugged. "I didn't want the public to know about the idea, and I didn't want to give all of you false hope."
Molly harshly exhaled, gripping her husband back even more tightly (as he held back a wince). "IMMORTAL? HARRY? RONALD!"
"Not actually immortal! Err, maybe. We found dragons," Ron replied very quickly, waving his arms to try to calm her, "a nundo, and others. Specifically, I found a phoenix: who has bright green eyes and feathers that make a scar on his forehead. The creatures tend to match the people's personalities, so I guessed Harry'd be a phoenix. Though, see, he's messed up. Why we thought there was a phoenix in the first place was because the black market's been flooded with…" he hesitated, not able to look at his parents, "with phoenix body parts. The Sweenies' records back up all of this."
Fleur's hands flew to her mouth. "Mon dieu!" She heard other exclamations behind her.
"So I suspected there was a phoenix, and hoped it was Harry, but I couldn't prove anything. I even got George, Luna, and some others into my theory." Ron spoke quickly, as though expelling it all. "Harry's a mess. He's a phoenix, for starters, so that's bad. He's also scared stiff of humans and won't let Healers approach him. BUT phoenixes are supposed to be able to 'sense' their flocks and Harry did react okay to an Auror who's a vampire. So…Fleur. I need a favor."
"What?" Fleur was startled to be addressed. Harry was alive? Body parts?
"We figure," Ron continued hurriedly, "that Harry only reacts well to non-humans and maybe to family, seeing as how he's lost his bleeding mind. I imagine mixing the two would be even better, as he was even freaking out at me when he woke up. So Fleur. Wanna calm down a phoenix?"
Fleur's mouth dropped open. "Excuse me?" Bill said hotly, confused and with his hand on her shoulder. "Fleur's human!"
"I meant that she's a quarter veela," Ron said to her apologetically. "It's a good thing! Blimey Fleur, you can turn into a firey bird. I expect the two of you will get along swell, seeing as how Harry keeps toasting the Healers. And if he doesn't react well to you? I suspect you could fight back better than the rest of us could."
Bill stiffened and Fleur knew the last statement could be misconstrued as…what was the phrase? Throwing her under the bus? But Ron had a point, her powers were fairly similar. She also found it flattering, though it didn't make up for all of the secrecy. Truly…Harry was alive?
"Ronald Bilius Weasley!" Molly Weasley said menacingly, taking a step forward. Fleur decided now was as good a time as ever to meet a traumatised phoenix, whoever he may be.
Ron also seemed pleased to grab her hand and make a quick exit from his fuming mum.
Which was how Fleur found herself in a hospital room, with mounds of Weasleys and Aurors nervously outside. The room was white and clean. It was surreal that a phoenix was by himself on the large bed, somewhat tangled in a white (lightly charred) blanket. The moment she'd entered he'd jerked his stare away from her.
"Hello 'arry," Fleur said as cheerfully as she could, sitting on a bedside seat and crossing her legs. The phoenix took an uncertain hop away, half-way bouncing out of the blanket. "It iz so good to see you."
The bird shivered, remaining silent. His head and neck ducked down, so he was now staring at the bed rather than the wall. She couldn't reconcile this in her mind. Was Ron simply in denial? That this scared and malnourished phoenix was Harry Potter was…laughable, truly.
Not that Ron had been laughing. Nor the ashen faced Hermione. Ginny had simply been sitting in a corner in the hallway right outside, head in her arms. No, there was nothing funny about this.
"You've only had Healers and Aurors here, no?" she continued, not put off. Crouching over she looked at him at eye-level, though he didn't meet her gaze. "Our family cannot wait to see you. But zey are nervous. The other survivors did not react well to their Healers. Or loved ones. None of us want to scare you."
He gave a soft chirp, inclining his head vaguely towards her. Fleur became heartened that he understood. What had even somewhat convinced Fleur and Bill that there might be Some truth to this 'Harry-phoenix-nonsense' had been George. When they'd approached the hospital room, George and Angelina had been looking in, talking quietly and rapidly. There hadn't been a trace of a grin on the usually jovial man's face.
"Ginny, Ron, and Hermione want to see you. Your children, too," she said more quietly still, hoping for any reaction. "But zey thought I was best. Because you are nervous around humans, likely due to Lestrange. But I am not fully human. So ze same might not apply."
The phoenix properly turned his gaze towards her. Green eyes blinked.
Fleur smiled, putting as much reassurance into her words as she could (while trying not to become hysteric—what on Earth was happening today?). "I am a quarter veela through my grandmuzzer. It might not seem like much, but I too can turn into a fiery bird. You can tell that, oui? They told me a phoenix's smell is trés magnifique. You can sense I am not all human, so sniff. You can also tell your family. Your…flock, that is. Which I also am. Not by blood, but you are my brozzer."
She reached out an arm to the bird, slowly extending her fingers. The phoenix took a few cautious steps towards her. Keeping just out of reach, his beak descended towards her stationary palm. He was so tiny.
A minute passed. Then two. The phoenix shook his head, sneezing. He inclined back down to her hand.
Another minute.
"TWEEEEET!" The animal erupted in a chirp, flinging his head up and leaping forward. Before Fleur knew it, she was catching an armful (or closer to a handful) of gleeful phoenix. "Twee twee twee twee TWEEEE!"
"Hello 'arry," Fleur said warmly, putting aside her shock and wonder. She hugged the cooing phoenix to her, careful not to embrace the fragile bird too much. Did she believe this? She wasn't certain. But at least this phoenix was happy. "I 'ave missed you."
"Twee, twee!" The cheerful response was muffled against cloth, the bird pressed against her blouse.
She got the sense he didn't truly recognise her. But that didn't change her response, not when she wanted to keep things light. So she tightened her hug. She realised that maybe, just maybe, she did believe this. "It 'as been dreadful without you. So few of the Weasleys enjoy sarcasm. C'est horrible! Also, dieu merci you are back for the family meetings alone. The Weasley siblings outnumbered us with you away. You cannot imagine what mad things they've passed. But now, c'est bon. You are home. Sain et sauf."
The phoenix had paid no attention to the chatting. Chirping quietly, he'd been enjoying the embrace. Fleur, all too aware of this, simply smiled down with a radiant beam.
After Fleur's success, the Weasleys had intended on slowly easing the 'Harry-trapped-as-a-phoenix' to be comfortable with their presence. But when it became clear the flick had been switched, a bemused Rolf and Luna (who'd come to Mungo's in matching nargle pyjamas) said the family might as well entertain the hyper phoenix.
Still, there were rules. If you could get him to eat food or medicine, do it. Don't let the Healers into the room, or they'd be singed (or barbecued). Finally, try to speak in quiet voices to not ruffle the phoenix.
The final rule was thrown out the window as the floodgates opened.
"Don't ever do this again! EVER! Do you hear me? Never! Don't try to talk, ah, squawk your way out of this. HARRY JAMES POTTER, ARE YOU LISTENING? You had better be! We've all been worried sick and—ugh, how can you do those same puppy dog eyes when you're a phoenix? No, don't you dare try it. You aren't getting out of this. Do you know how worried I've been? You stupid, wonderful, reckless man! Not that I'm blaming you. Though you're getting a bodyguard from now on and—oh, I can't believe you're back! Somewhat, that is. But we'll heal you. Also, don't worry about your family, everything's so much better now. Don't worry about the Aurors, either. Ron's been absolutely wonderful with them. Focus on getting better. But you're here! You're home! It's so good to see you, you have no idea. Everything's been…it's been broken without you. That sounds horrible, doesn't it? I've been, ah, a touch unsociable. Busy with work and the kids, is what I tell everyone. I got tired of explaining that with my best friend missing and presumed dead, I didn't feel much like going out. But oh! The kids! Your kids, obviously, but you also haven't met Hugo. My son. He's the cutest little thing, I have a photo here of him and Lily from last week…Lily! Of course, I should tell you about Lily. Your sons too, and they're incredible little boys. But you don't even know your daughter's name. You do know now, though. It's Lily Luna. She's beautiful, you'll love her. Though I do hope you aren't annoyed with Ginny about the name. She meant the best, she did."
Hermione talked away, not letting the phoenix go from her tight embrace. Not that the animal was trying to escape. The moment she'd entered the room, he'd 'pounced' her (bounced up into her gleeful arms and refused to budge). So now—after tweeting and cawing for a bit—he was falling asleep to her lecturing tone. As the witch was intent on inspecting him for injuries, she'd missed this small fact.
Ron grinned at the large and crowded press room. "I have lots of news. First up, guess who's captured the Sweenies?"
A beat of silence. The reporters crowding the press room erupted. He felt his ear buds churning.
"OI!" He hollered over the shouts and blinding camera flashes. "I'm not even close to being done. Blimey, you people are easy. So we found the Sweenies, Rodolphus Lestrange is under arrest, and—hear me out—some of the victims survived. These people did drink the potion, but they turned into immortal magical creatures. Yes, that's a thing." He hesitated. "To the families I just gave hope to: I'm so sorry, but we've already contacted each of the survivors' families that we know of. They're all at St. Mungo's and there's no way anybody's breaking into the protected wing."
Ron fiddled with the podium. "I can announce most of those who survived, though there are two minors which, obviously, I won't. The six adults are: Cara Blakley, Cameron Blakley, Jacob Lee, Marla Tuttle, Cecilia Tremaine, and…Harry Potter." He waved off the rousing roars and cheers. "Yeah yeah. My sister's been sobbing on me all morning and my family's in shock."
"There's a remaining threat. A Sweeney ringleader, Serena Rowle, is still on the run. She's an American potion mistress and a metamorphmagus to boot. We're considering her armed and very dangerous, but we'll get her."
"That's it for now. I'm not doing questions: bug someone else when they tromp out here. Ta."
"I heard you're all cuddly now, but this is a bit much." George kept a grip on the phoenix as it climbed up onto his head. "Worse than the kids, and those lot use me as a swing—oh no! No no no! Don't you get any ideas. Don't you…fine, whatever." He readjusted his hold as the bird, apparently listening, swooped down to wrap his wings around the human's neck and then gaze up at the Weasley. "Go ahead, strangle me. S'all good. You're a light little bugger, aren't you?"
"Tweet!"
"Out of your mind too. I expected that much," George said with faux grumpiness, not able to keep back a grin at the delightedly chirping bird. "The rest told me you're looney tunes, but none of them thought to check how crazy. I think they're all in shock. So let's get that out of the way. If you can understand me, stop chirping."
The phoenix fell silent, blinking up at him with wide green eyes.
"Fantastic." He smiled down encouragingly. "From here on out, how about you tweet once for 'yes' and twice for 'no'. That okay with you?"
"Tweet!"
"There we go. Do you know you're Harry Potter?"
The bird eyed him, inclining his head. "Tweet tweet?"
George frowned, having hoped for the best. "Do you remember being human?"
"Tweet tweet!"
"Do you remember anything specific, before you were in the cave you were rescued from?"
"Tweet tweet."
"Very not good. I guess I know the answer then, but do you remember me?"
The phoenix's eyes narrowed questioningly. "Twee?"
George stared down at him, confused. "Does that mean maybe or sort of?"
"Tweet!"
"Brilliant," he gave a small sigh. "I don't suppose you can write, eh?"
"Tweet tweet."
"Of course not. I suppose I should be grateful you understand English." George rubbed his head, trying to work out the previous part. "Let me take a stab at this. You don't remember I'm George Weasley?"
"Tweet."
"But you know me?"
"Tweet!"
"You…ah…know I'm your brother?"
"TWEEEET!" The suddenly even more chipper phoenix sang at him, 'swinging' from the wizard's rapidly sore neck. "Twee twee twee, twee twee, twee twee twee, chiiiirrrp."
"Oh. Okay." George supposed he should be happy about this. After all, they'd expected Harry would be even more messed up than he was. But it was disconcerting to hold a playfully clingy phoenix and know it was in actuality his previously cynical brother-in-law. "Good. So you recognise your family. At least somewhat? We can work with that."
"You poor dear! What have they done to you? So thin, practically wilting away. You have an unhealthy glow if I've ever seen one! Isn't this supposed to be a hospital? Arthur, shouldn't St. Mungo's be feeding Harry? Why aren't they feeding him!"
"He's only been here for…well, less than a day. Or a day?"
"That's no excuse! Beyond skin and bones, you poor thing. Drink some more of this lovely milk."
"Tweet?" The phoenix gave an awkward chirp, ruffling his feathers and scrambling in the witch's hold (only a bit of the bottle got into his beak). "Twee twee? Tweet!" The movements became rougher, but Molly Weasley's tight embrace remained impenetrable to the now panicking bird. "TWEET!"
"We'll get you better before you know it, you see if we don't. But Harry, it's really you! I still can't believe it. I couldn't stop crying for ages." Molly snuggled the phoenix closer to her, not noticing the bird's wiggling to escape or her husband's sighs from beside her (or that the milk bottle had fallen). "I always knew what they said was nonsense. Didn't I Arthur? I always said it was utter rubbish, saying you were dead and having that awful funeral. The nerve of the Ministry. You're a phoenix! It does suit you, dear. Such a lovely boy you've always been. Pure of heart. But Harry, you never told me you liked to sing?"
"TWEET!"
"I doubt the transformation was that literal." Arthur coughed, hiding a grin. "I also doubt Harry enjoys being, ah, strangled."
"Strangled? I'm hardly strangling him. This is a hug."
"Which is very nice. But you must remember he's in a smaller body at the moment. He's also, I imagine, recovering from injuries. Best not to squash him, I'd say."
The phoenix nodded furiously along with Arthur, sending the wizard what could only be a grateful look.
"Don't be silly," Molly sniffed, not relinquishing her hold in the slightest. The bird sighed and rested his head against her, giving into the inevitable. "I'm hugging my son. I'm sure he's more than fine with that. It's been a year, after all. Oh, when were you last hugged?"
"I'm sure Harry would be absolutely fine with this," Arthur said. "If it was a hug."
"I'm not strangling him!"
The last statement was accompanied by an even tighter hold on the reluctantly accepting phoenix.
Luna and Rolf kept their distance, seeing what had happened to unlucky Healers and Aurors. Though they truly needed to see the phoenix, so they thought it best if only Luna tried to enter the hospital room at first. Even this failed.
"Don't take it personally," Ron held the terrified phoenix, who was squirming to get far away from the witch. "He's doing this to everyone. If anything, this is good behaviour from him. He about sent a fireball at a Hit-Wizard an hour ago."
Luna smiled sadly. "I'm the one who predicted he'd do this. He'll interact with his family?"
"Yep," Ron tried to stop the bird from scrambling away. "Blimey, calm down! Luna's chill."
"CAAAWK! CAAW CAW!"
She moved to the other side of the room, sitting on the floor. "If you can, turn his head away from me and cover his eyes and nose. Phoenixes don't always have object permanence."
Ron did a double-take. "Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"SQUAWK!"
Ron shook his head but did as he was told, holding his hand over the bird's squirming eyes and nostrils (careful not to cover his beak). Though he felt like he was playing peek-a-boo with his kids, the phoenix did calm down. "Wicked. That worked."
"It doesn't completely muffle my scent, but it helps," Luna said in a tiny whisper. "I just need to judge his overall health. While still holding his head, can you carefully extend his wings? I want to see how his muscles contract."
"Like this?" The bird had become limp in his arms, weirdly relaxed (or stunned, Ron couldn't tell). Though the phoenix winced as his brittle wings were stretched.
"Good good. He's been flying some, yes? Encourage the exercise, but realise his limits. Hold up his feet? We'll need to remember to trim those talons periodically, as well as his feathers, though they look alright for now. I'll tell you how to take his temperature later on. He'll be 'too' hot certainly, it's just a matter of relative normality. For now, I'm not close enough to see, but is there much scaring?"
Ron swallowed. "There's a bunch. It's around his—his neck and upper chest."
"Above his heart?"
He coughed. "Yeah."
Luna fell silent for a long moment. "As horrible as it is," she said finally, "I suspect that will mainly appear as mental trauma. What I'm concerned about right now is his physical well-being. I heard that he's…died while in hospital?"
Ron remembered Hermione's tear-stricken face, her terrified shriek that'd sent them running. "When he first arrived. Then, while Hermione was holding him." The words rushed from his mouth. "He burst into flame, you know? Like, like with ashes, then he was this even tinier bird, and what the hell?" The phoenix rustled in his arms at this outburst. He tried to calm down, failing miserably.
She nodded sadly, unsurprised. "It's expected, unfortunately. While phoenixes rejuvenate, parts of their previous well-being are transferred over. So deeply embedded scars would remain, as would clinical malnutrition. These can all heal over time. But until he regains his health and sustains an average body weight, there might be a few more incidents."
"Incidents?!"
Luna winced, looking away from them. "Sorry. I—sorry. What I meant is that this is likely malnourishment. If enough nutrients get into him, he'll physically get better."
Ron swallowed, so utterly done with all of this. The phoenix was warm against him and was far too still. "He's been bouncing around. He's seemed healthy! He used George as a freaking trampoline!"
"Adrenaline is an interesting thing," she answered simply. "For the time being, I'd let him play. But feed him as much as you can, and be aware of his limitations until he regains more weight. Essentially, don't push him."
"A phoenix?" Charlie groaned. He petted the bird's head as it cooed. The international portkey had taken longer to set up than he'd thought, but he was slightly glad he'd missed the chaos of the past day or two. He was also, obviously, happy that Harry wasn't six feet under. Maybe Ginny would be less inferi-like now. "Like you could be more cliché. Look Harry, don't get me wrong. I'm thrilled you're alive and all. But a phoenix? Bloody obvious, I say. You got the short end of the deal. Y'know another survivor's a Norwegian Ridgeback? That's right, a dragon! Why couldn't you be one of those, eh?"
"Twwweeeeeet," the phoenix gave a chirping murmur, stretching forward so that Charlie could scratch behind his ears.
"An Hungarian Horntail. Now that would've been amazing! I kid you not, if I find out you had a choice about this and didn't become a dragon? I'm never going to forgive you." Charlie's gaze went dreamy. He petted the happy phoenix absentmindedly. "Imagine it, yeah? Flying as a dragon. Flying ON a dragon! Harry, why weren't you a dragon? That would've been so cool."
"Chhhiiirrrp chirp chirp…" the bird cooed, rolling over. Charlie's words were blissfully ignored so long as the petting continued.
"Sure, I guess you're a fiery animal. Also one that flies. But don't you see the irony? You're so close to being a dragon, it hurts. Instead of being an amazing Horntail, you're a midget bird." Charlie frowned at him, though didn't pause the belly rub. "Mate, you were cheated. So I don't care who comes in here and is like, 'Whoo, immortality.' Because no. No, it doesn't compare. At all."
"You cutie little phoenix you, yes you!" Audrey's high voice lowered as she rubbed the delighted bird's stomach, petting vigorously. "Who's a good widdle phoenix? You are, yes you are!"
"Tweeee…" the phoenix gave a drawn-out tweet, lying lazily on his back as his feathers were massaged.
Percy watched the scene, forehead scrunching in consternation. "Ah, Audrey?"
"You precious birdie!"
"Audrey," Percy coughed, fidgeting uncomfortably on his seat, "I'm not sure he appreciates you doing that."
"Of course he 'appreciates it'," she scoffed, making funny faces at the relaxed bird. "He loves it, don't you sweetheart?"
"Twee-eeeeeee…" the phoenix murmured in full agreement, pecking lightly at her hand.
"That may be," Percy reluctantly admitted, unable to deny the clearly tranquil animal. "But he's not actually a phoenix. You do remember that, yes? Though Harry's not in his right mind, we shouldn't treat him any differently."
"Who's a good phoenix, who's a good phoenix?" Audrey tickled the animal, dismissing her husband's protests.
"Tweet!" The bird cheerily replied.
"That's right, you are!"
Percy fidgeted some more. "I know he's behaving like a phoenix, but you can't treat him like a pet. He's really Harry!"
"Charlie said he enjoys belly rubs," Audrey rebuffed, not looking up from where she was playing with the bird. "It's obviously making the phoenix happy. So I'm going to continue to make him comfortable, since Merlin knows he deserves it. When Harry comes to, if he remembers this and is embarrassed? I won't feel a shred of regret, because I figure it evens out."
The wizard considered the argument. He kept his gaze on his wife, who had returned to making baby noises at the phoenix. The bird was chirping, enjoying the attention.
Percy sighed and leaned forward, petting the animal's head. "Who's a, ah, good phoenix?"
"Tweet!"
Audrey beamed at her husband before returning to the belly rub.
"Ignore Audrey," Ron said, scratching behind the phoenix's ears. "She's mental, we've always known that. It's just like her to take Charlie's advice to the extreme. Honestly, what's she on? Treating you like you're a fluffy pet. Ridiculous, s'what it is. She means the best, sure, but still."
The bird didn't respond positively or negatively, content to stay curled up on the wizard's lap.
"I expect this is more like a coma, myself. Y'know, where the Healers tell you it's pointless to talk to an unconscious person, but you do it anyway?" Ron stretched, stiff from sitting in the same chair for an hour. He was careful not to jolt the resting animal. "At worst, it'll be like when Hermione laughed at us for chatting to her while she was petrified. Remember that? After waking up she said we'd been ridiculous and 'of course' she hadn't heard a thing. Still, you could tell she was tickled pink that we'd done it. Well worth it, I think."
"Besides, I'm not taking the chance that you're bored stiff in there. Or that you're plotting against anyone treating you like an invalid. Or that…uh, I hope this isn't the case. But Harry, if you're in pain? If you can hear me, you're going to get out of this soon. I swear it. You're in hospital, you're safe. We're working on patching you up."
"Or look." Ron took a break from the scratching to rub at his own eyes. "Maybe you won't get better. Back to normal, that is. That's fine too. I mean, it's not, but that won't mean you aren't still family. So if you are understanding me, hear this: I'm going to do everything I can to heal you. Until I know how to help you, I'm going to do whatever makes you happy." He thought about his words. "Which, for now, I guess means treating you like you're a ruddy bird."
He sighed, ruffling the feathers as he did so. "Alright, so maybe Charlie and Audrey have the right idea with the belly rubs. But I'm not speaking in baby talk, you got that?"
There was a long silence, only broken by the phoenix's soft tweets as he was petted.
"I'm sorry," Ron breathed after many peaceful minutes, his voice barely audible, "for bothering you about your job. Not that it isn't a stupid job: being stuck as Head Auror proved that much to me. I missed us being partners, so like a royal git I took it out on you. Hah, like any of it mattered! I wouldn't be shocked if you've forgotten about this altogether. But because of it? You were captured while angry at me. That's why I couldn't believe you'd died. For a whole year, it was like when I left you and Hermione in the war. I thought I'd missed the chance to make things right. I don't know if the worry or guilt was worse. I kept wishing, over and over again, that I'd apologised at that gala."
"Hello everyone," a tired Deputy Head Auror silenced the room full of reporters. "We've had an exhausting week here, which was made even better with all of you insisting we release more information about the Sweenies."
"To be clear," Lisa Turpin made no attempt to hide her sigh, "we aren't trying to be secretive or deceptive. We're trying to conduct an investigation, support the survivors, and figure out what's actually going on here. We'll release things as we cement that they're facts relevant to the public. It's as simple as that."
Turpin glanced around, spotting the Wizengamot members scattered throughout the press room. This was possibly the most crammed this room had ever been. She'd picked up a few newspapers, but hadn't read much past the screaming headlines. "The world's media has already told everyone that Rodolphus Lestrange is in custody and is being held at Azkaban. What is new is this: some of his followers are also there, including Marcus Flint. We believe that, in addition to his assorted other crimes, Flint had previously gone by the 'alias' of Benjamin Barker: one of the two who directly kidnapped Harry Potter. The other kidnapper, Serena Rowle, is still at large. Rowle is considered armed and dangerous. We are happy to hear any leads the public might have on her whereabouts, though do not approach her yourself."
"On a different note," Lisa's voice tightened, "rumours are already flying about the victims who survived. None of them are being investigated for having ties with the Sweenies. All of them simply deserve our compassion and sympathy as they heal. So please, be decent will you? Have some general respect for them and their families. Oh, and it's also ridiculous to claim that they're now immortal humans, or not human at all. We're working on transforming them back, we just need time."
The last caused a roar from the room with ever-flashing cameras.
"The potion used on them," she raised her voice over the shouted questions, "was similar enough to one becoming an animagus! Their animal forms might have different powers, but there's no reason to think their human selves were altered, or that they can't all become human again."
"TURPIN, TURPIN!" A particularly bouncy reporter with purple hair managed to cascade over the others. "EXPERTS SAY THEY AREN'T ANIMAGUSES?"
The Auror's lips pierced. "I'd like to see these 'experts'. Everything you hear from outside of this room is pure speculation."
This didn't do anything to quell the screams of questions. They washed over her, words blanketing each other with only snatches getting through:
"—POTTER, ARE YOU SAYING POTTER IS—"
"HOW MANY DEAD—"
"—TO THE GRIEVING FAMILIES—"
"—WHAT ARE THESE ANIMALS?"
"HALF-BREEDS, THEY'RE CALLING THEM—"
"—HOW WERE THE SWEENIES CAPTURED—"
"—WHEN THE TRIAL STARTS—"
"IS FAWCETT AMONG THE—"
"—SPECULATION OF PHOENIX HEADS—"
"—RUMOURS OF A DEMENTOR! HIDING IN HUMAN FORM!"
"—IS POTTER SANE?"
Lisa rubbed her forehead, realising she wasn't taking back control of the room anytime soon. She wondered who she could trick into doing the next press briefing. Certainly not Ron: he'd already hexed five reporters.
Almost every visitor would come bearing myriad tales or idle chatter, each one greeted with the phoenix's happy chirps for merely stepping through the door (or violence or terror if the person in question wasn't a Weasley/Potter). The family was careful to always have someone visiting their long-lost brother, son, or husband (official visiting hours be damned). They'd decided it was too early to have any of the kids visit…they didn't want them confused by why their Godfather/Uncle/Father was a bird. The adults had also realised the Healers were largely clueless when it came to 'treating' this, but they figured that talking and spending time with Harry couldn't hurt. George and Angelina were trying all sorts of medicines, and when those two were concerned, the rest had learned to take a wary step back and let them have at it.
Only one person altered this routine. While the Weasleys fell into a system of visiting shifts, one witch could more often than not be found in Harry's hospital room. If not for her kids, she would have simply threatened the Healers and camped out at St. Mungo's night and day.
There was another way in which Ginny differed from the other visitors—she rarely spoke while at hospital. She would walk into the room, smile sadly as the phoenix noticed her, and catch the excited bird as he flew into her arms. She'd then sink into a seat. Nestling the bird against her, she'd spend the rest of the visit gently hugging the phoenix. An occasional chaste kiss would be pressed against the small forehead.
Often, the phoenix would fall into a peaceful sleep. Ginny never relinquished her hold. But when she saw the animal had drifted off, her tears would fall onto the bright crimson feathers.
~ A/N: If anyone's wondering where all the kids are: so am I. Just ah, assume the parents are taking turns being babysitters, and that they don't want to confuse their children by being all: "Hi sweetie, this is your Uncle Harry. Don't mind that he looks and talks and acts like a bird." The kids will be back in the story soon enough.
Also, I…completely lost track of which reviews I answered months ago. So in case I didn't answer them (or only some of them?) I've put all of my responses below. Thank you so much to everyone! I typically answer each review with a Private Message, it's just been so long since my late update that I thought this would be more appropriate.
~~~ Review Responses:
The Other World: I loved Ron-on-drugs too! I swear, why don't more stories use Felix Felicis? I hope you've liked the reactions this chapter to 'Harry's' reappearance, and I quite agree with you: I'm also very relieved they've finally found the bloke. Merlin knows it took enough chapters to get here!
Parsat: Haha, thank you! And yes, the phoenix is finally here! I hear you, I was doubting I'd actually get to this point too. But yep, the next few chapters will be the aftermath, as well as them seeing if/how the transformation can be reversed.
notsing: I'm thrilled you enjoyed the chapter! I'm on the fence about "Crimes of Grindelwald" myself, though it's certainly an interesting movie. I'm glad you liked the Ron and Andy chat: I wasn't sure how it'd go, until I realised they could easily bond over insane siblings. While I do largely like the Weasley Twins, I've always felt that Ron must have a tumultuous relationship with them. I'm also slowly setting up the Malfoys as characters, so I'm glad you liked that scene too! Also YAY, I'm glad there's others out there familiar with these parts of Scottish history! There's dozens of us, dozens… :)
Artist 111: Oh my gosh, thank you! I'm so flattered you liked the chapter that much. I also worry about bringing in 'new' characters and not making them OOC, so it's a relief to hear that Andromeda and Draco came out okay. I'm very glad you liked the not-action scene as well! I knew I was taking a risk having Ron be drugged during it, but it was too funny not to resist. I love that Aborigine story! I've always been fascinated by how so many stories are similar across the world, and variations on the 'Three Sisters' mountains (wherever they may be) has always been a favourite. I grew up by the Rockies, so stories of mountains and volcanoes was part of my childhood. Anyway: that story is beautiful, thank you for telling me! It nearly reminds me of the myth of Daphne and Apollo, though Apollo turned her into a tree nefariously. Back to the fanfic: I'm nearly as relieved as all the readers for Harry to finally be back home! He will be reunited with everyone soon, though there's a long road of recovery ahead. Thank you for being along on this crazy ride!
ThreeBlackCats: I really liked your suggestion of the Sweenies being at Sirius' childhood home! Glen Coe has been vaguely in my mind since the beginning, but if not for that I certainly would have shifted locations. You also notice far more details than I do! Ron did remember to pick up his wand from the cave (though I'll have to edit that part to make it clear), thank you for that catch. Ron didn't forget anything at the beginning when he took the Felix Felicis: he was going through the 'person repelling' charm and made him think there was "something Massively Important" that he was forgetting…but Felix was more powerful, so he just kept going. I'm sorry, I hadn't meant that to be a clue! It was just a vague description :)
Harrypotter101: Haha, thank you so much! I'm beyond thrilled you liked it so much! Though seriously, a hundred apologies for my slow updates. I know finally posting this doesn't make up for that, but I do hope you still enjoy it!
GumGumOnigiri: I'm glad there are others who dislike the 'easy-animagus-superpower' trope. I always though it could be SO MUCH FUN to have that in a story…but like…the character with power just has to suffer first. Like, suffer a lot. Anywho! Your concept that when a phoenix dies they lose their memories is a great one. I unfortunately don't go that far, but in this chapter I started to describe how a phoenix's death can both 'heal' somewhat, while 'transfer' over the more lingering effects from their previous life. Basically: healing is definitely possible, it just takes time.
nirdoodle: Haha, thank you! I'm with you: I was also worried about bringing Felix Felicis into this story. I believe my entire thought process was, "Do I want to write an action scene? No. Do I want to write Ron high? Weirdly yes. Can I do both? Let's find out!" Anyway, I'm glad you liked the crazy result. As well as the part with Draco's blue hair! I just couldn't resist the idea of Scorpius being adorable, nor of Ron thinking Hermione was holding a baby. There will certainly be consequences for Harry (and all of them) from this. The worst is over, but now all the characters will see what damage has been left behind.
Mists: I'm sorry about the chapter's title! I couldn't resist. Good guess about Ron becoming an animagus! He will chat about that in an upcoming chapter (and damn am I with you about the cuteness of a dog and a phoenix snuggling), but I have other plans for Ron. Fairly evil plans? It all turns out alright, though he won't become a dog. ANYWAY (I should stop giving spoilers) you and I are definitely on the same wavelength with ideas. I'm with you on "Cursed Child": I did enjoy many parts of it, though some are fairly wonky (I have mild plans to change some of those things in this fanfic). And yep, all the "healing friendship moments" are a-coming! I'm so sorry I didn't have this chapter (and far more) out by Christmas, but better late than never?
adictaapotter: Thank you once again, to you and to your friend! I'm so flattered that you both care about my little story this much :D No worries, I'm certainly in love with Ron's character as well. I've lost count of the number of times I've had to 'defend his honour'! He and Hermione are both so selfless to me, though in very different ways. I'm sorry I haven't had more of the kids in this story—I want to include much more of Teddy and the Potter children, I've just been at a loss as to how to do it. There will be cute moments will them coming up, I swear! Harry can't return to human form just yet, though it'll be soon. There'll also be trauma after that, alongside family bonding. Ginny will also have some healing to do—but it's okay, they can be crazy together.
BuzzWeasley: Oh, thank you so much! I'm thrilled you're enjoying this story as both a Ron/Hermione and an Auror fic. I admit, I've never been much of a romance writer, so I'm glad I haven't messed it up too badly :) The absolute best compliment I can get is that I wrote the characters as 'humans' (flaws, strengths, and all), so I can't say thank you enough for that. This story will (eventually) be finished, I promise! And I do have vague plans to write things along this line afterwards. As for whether there will be a confrontation between Ron and Lestrange? Of a sort. Though it might not be the action scene that some readers will want.
kittikatlova: Yep, it's Harry! He's back, safe, and not-exactly sane. But it's cool, his family likes him just the way he is. They will get him to transform back into a human, and after a bit the most dramatic trauma will have passed. Though I am planning on having Harry definitely blank on certain human things. Like, why are wands or opposable thumbs a big deal? It won't be as extreme as him having to relearn how to walk and talk, but he'll certainly forget who he is. Moreover: he's going to have massive doubts over whether he's human or not.
Hinny FTW: I'm so happy you like my writing! I might not be able to quickly string a plot together, but I can make a good sentence of two :D Yeah, I'm kinda on the fence about how Ron will treat the Malfoys from here on out. He'll likely have grudging respect for Draco, but I also quite like the idea of making it his purpose in life to be Scorpius' 'Favourite Uncle' (partly because he likes the kid, and mainly to see Draco's face when it happens). As for Harry: you're right, I can't imagine him dying (permanently) either. I've written the scenes where he meets his daughter, and it's funny—I just couldn't write him as being angry over the name Lily Luna. Sad, or depressed? Sure. But I just couldn't see the anger. Maybe past-me shouldn't have made that an earlier subplot!
barcastaff: Thank you for your review! I likely made a mistake earlier on for emphasising Hermione's racial identity too much. I do like that fanfics can shift her race (just as I like the blind casting in "Cursed Child") though there was a scene that I should likely dial back. However, my reasoning for making Hermione black (which will stay the same in this fanfic)? I feel it further places her as a minority figure (and an activist) in this world where she's already heavily prejudiced against for being muggleborn. …though like, frankly? I preferred Noma Dumezweni's portrayal of Hermione over Emma Watson's, so I just kinda picture the adult Hermione as being black. It's not a 'SJW' thing; I just like Dumezweni, and I think it does well with this story.
Kelly: Hi Kelly, thank you so much! It definitely has been a minute (or eons) since I've updated, but I'm thrilled you're hanging on there. Though I am sorry for my excruciatingly long waits. Harry will return to being human soon, though there will be traces of the phoenix left. Thank you once again for your lovely review!
~~~ And to musingmarauder, iris129, Inconclusive, displayheartcode, Maiden of the Heavens, HeRonLove, abcd-hp, and Guest (1, 2, 3, 4): Thank you all so extremely much for your reviews! To sum up: I love Scorpius as well; I'm very happy they found Harry as well (finally…), though unfortunately, he did feel some pain; and yep, Lestrange is in Azkaban. It's been a joy writing this story, but more importantly: I'm simply thrilled and flattered that all of you are enjoying it. I can promise there will be some semblance of a happy ending, but it's still a journey ahead.