Chapter 38

Daphne walks out of the mist into the hall outside the Apothecary, Airmed following just behind her. Once there, Daphne opens the door and walks in, feeling far more confident with Airmed there than she normally does around her father.

"Father, this is Airmed, the healer I was talking about."

Reginald turns from the cauldron while continuing to stir, "Madam Airmed, thank you for coming. My daughter is on the cot over there. I am almost finished with the poppy draft to help with her pain, and she has had a blood replenishing potion. If you can help, then House Greengrass will be in your debt."

Airmed looks at the man critically, "I am known as Airmed, if you need to use a family name then Danann will suffice. I would like to know why you are preparing poppy seeds, are you seeking to kill her?"

Reginald shakes his head, "No, though if I make a mistake with this potion that's what it would do. The poppy draft is a powerful painkiller, and it's the only thing that seems to help. I have stunned her for the moment as it's a mercy to her than having to suffer through the pain."

"I see, I would like to see your preparation at some point, as we only ever prepared it for those who were given permission to die and chose the chalice."

"Why would you do that?"

"Do you mind if I examine your daughter while I answer your question."

"Go ahead."

Airmed kneels down beside Astoria and lifts her wrist, "Myself and my chosen couldn't be everywhere amongst the clans, and so sometimes people would suffer injuries or illnesses that struck them down and left them feeling helpless. If they felt useless to the clan, then they could petition the Elders to die. This decision would usually take a season to be arrived at. If the request was granted, and they still wanted to die, the Elders would offer them the choice of the knife or chalice. A feast would then be thrown in their honour, and at some point one of the elders would either give them a chalice laced with poppy, or they would slip a sharp knife through their ribs into their heart. Either way, they would die quietly surrounded by their friends and family.

"Your daughter is young enough that her magic hasn't fully formed yet. This is good, as it means I can definitely heal her. Though, as she isn't an orphan or foundling, I would prefer to keep that as a last resort."

Reginald spins around, splashing the incomplete draft everywhere, "You can? What do you mean by keep it as a last resort?"

"I assume you would prefer that I don't make her my daughter by blood?"

"How would that help? The blood adoption potion doesn't work like that."

"Why would I use a potion? She would drink straight from my breast, above my heart. My blood would then become hers, and she would be as much my daughter as if I gave birth to her."

Daphne gasps, "That's what it means! Harry and Morgana keep referring to Harry as her son by blood."

Airmed looks over, "What did you think it meant? It's why I was so surprised when Grandmother brought Marie into the family. Most of my family would just make a cut on their forearm for the mundane chosen, the symbology and magic make them companions rather than children."

Reginald is very much the Slytherin, and so he stays quiet while he vanishes the spoiled poppy draft and starts preparing the ingredients for a new one, while keeping his ears open.

"I thought it was the potion, you occasionally hear stories of children being blood adopted by a godparent so that they have three parents. Some of the older children at the balls and parties, I attended as a child, were like that as an insurance in the war. Father, am I remembering correctly, our law places blood relations above any laws on fostering orphans?"

Reginald nods, "You are correct. The only time a child can be taken from their blood relation is if their carer is sent to Azkaban. You yourself were going to be blood adopted by the Davis, and your mother was going to do the same for Tracey."

Airmed frowns as she continues to examine Astoria, "How strange, though I suppose you are very weak magically, so you've had to come up with other methods."

"I'll have you know that the Greengrass' have always been amongst the stronger magic users in our society."

"While her reserves haven't yet grown to exceed yours, Daphne is already almost as magically strong as you are. Your wands are brilliant for learning spells, however I have noticed that they take all of the effort out of using magic leaving you like the rich merchants that never lift their own wares."

Reginald clamps down on his occlumency to avoid bristling at the insinuation, "I would be very surprised if that was indeed the case, as it would imply she will be more powerful than the likes of Dumbledore, Grindelwald, or even the most recent Dark Lord."

Airmed looks over, "Why do you refer to him by a title while the others you refer to by name?"

"He found a form of immortality, I didn't see it myself. However I have seen reliable reports of him taking lethal spells straight on, and just standing up afterwards laughing. He had delved far deeper into the Dark and Black arts than any other Dark Lord in recent history. One of the spells he discovered we called the Taboo. Anyone who said his name was visited by his followers within moments. If they didn't return, he would appear himself within seconds of them being captured or killed."

"I see, so a survival trait. I think I understand this illness now. The curse is anchored in her bones and it is mimicking a disease that we saw occasionally. I think I could unravel the curse in time, but not here as I will have to carefully weave my magic throughout hers over a few weeks. Once done, I can then eliminate the curse. Frankly, it would be safer for me to just adopt her, as if I miss just one part of the curse it will return, possibly worse than before, by feeding on her magic. By the looks of it, it's a life curse."

Reginald frowns, "I see, what is a life curse?"

"A curse where the caster puts their entire life into it, meaning they will die during the bestowal of the curse."

"I see, we call those death curses. And reportedly, yes it was."

"May I examine you?"

Reginald hesitates for a moment before lifting his hand, "You may."

After several minutes Airmed sighs, "You also have the curse, though it's dormant. If you have any thoughts of having more children, I strongly suggest that you undergo treatment. If it's successful, none of your future children will have this curse. If it fails, it will activate as it spreads back into your body."

Reginald goes down to one knee, "Lady Airmed, if you can treat every member of the Greengrass family, as the head of the house I will pledge our house into your service. If you treat my family I will do anything that you ask of me personally."

Airmed looks skyward, "What is it with your community and promising anything?"

"Lady, I am entirely serious. If you demanded my life I would reluctantly give it."

Airmed throws her hands in the air before waving one in a circle, forming a gate into her own domain.

"Last chance to recant your offer."

"Lady, are you trying to insult me?"

"Very well, before I accept. What is the difference between the Greengrass family and your family?"

"My family are the people you see here plus my wife. The Greengrass family is everyone else that bears our name."

"Very well, I will treat you, your children, and your wife. In return I ask you to become one of my chosen, by magic your offer is accepted, and by magic I am bound. Come, we will complete your part of the deal in my domain."

Daphne watches as her father reluctantly walks through the gateway and it winks out. A few minutes later he returns, ashen faced and shaking. On each hand he has thin black tattoo lines twisting and turning around his fingers, palms, and disappearing into his sleeves. As she looks more intently, the lines twist and change, forming the shapes of different plants as they do.

"Father, are you well?"

With a shuddering breath Reginald answers, "I am well Daphne, I did not appreciate how different Airmed is from the witches and wizards that I'm used to."

Airmed laughs, "You should tell her the rest, as you looked like you were sucking on a gooseberry when you made that oath."

"Part of Airmed's oaths for her chosen is an oath to care for yourself first, to heal all who come to you with no thought of reward, and to protect your patients to the best of your ability."

Daphne looks at her father with a smile, "Father, all this means is that you need to hand off the supply and distribution of the ingredients to a cadet family. You would still deal with the contracts as you have been doing. That way you only need worry about your personal stores of ingredients. And, just think, I'm sure that Airmed is going to teach you how to heal her way."

Airmed inclines her head to Daphne, "Indeed, it would be rather silly of me to send your father out into the world unable to protect himself or even navigate it properly. Let alone feel out the correct herbs needed to treat an affliction. He has a lot of training ahead of him magically before he's even close to what I would consider competent at healing. I will need to learn the art of potion brewing before I pass any judgement on it.

"Reginald, would you find your wife so that I can check to see if she has the curse. While you're doing that, I'll check Daphne here."

Half an hour later, Airmed has checked everyone, "Well, good news and, well, good news. The only person apart from Astoria that I need to treat is Daphne, who is a carrier. I won't start that until she returns to Hogwarts as it will be easy enough for me to arrange to see her every day there, and it won't interfere in your holiday. Reginald, I will start your training at the same time so ensure that your evenings are free after 5pm. Joanne, there will be things to discuss about the long-term consequences of your husband being one of my chosen. Don't worry, your marriage vows are safe."

Joanne turns to her husband, "Reggie, what is she talking about?" Reginald holds his hands up, and she looks at them, "And when did you get magical tattoos?"

"Jo, I will explain what I know later. First of all, Airmed is going to cure the malediction."

Joanne turns around and looks at her unconscious daughter, still occasionally twitching in pain, "Lady, if you can indeed heal my daughter, you will have my eternal gratitude."

Airmed rubs the bridge of her nose, "What is it with you people and making promises like that. Do you not have warnings for dealing with the fae?"

Joanne scoffs, "Of course we do, but you're no fae."

"No, sometimes I can be worse. I am Dannan, I am of the Tuath Dé, I am a goddess. Nearly 2,000 years ago my people were killed or converted by the Christians. All of my Chosen were slaughtered by them. My magic aches for company, to not be alone anymore. Any of my family that you're likely to meet will be the same. Every time you say something that implies unlimited debt between us, our magic pushes us to take advantage of it. Danu forbid that you meet one of my kin that chose exile and apples overstaying to fight and care for our people as a whole. Marianne tells me that you know them as the Sidhe. The leaders of the courts used to be Danann, and their members Celts.

"For the mundane, their words have no weight with me. Though there are sacred traditions that I will not ignore. You, you have magic and your words carry that magic.

"Anyway, would one of you wake up your daughter so that I can treat her please?"

Reginald pulls his wand, "We're going to lose her aren't we."

Airmed shakes her head, "While she will be my daughter by blood, you are her parents. The blood running through her vessels won't change that. She is still a Greengrass by birth, same as Harry is a Potter by birth. One other thing, in our culture we have two names. A Given name and a private name. Our private name is just that, private, only known amongst our family and our closest friends. The only person that is allowed to give out that name is the person who owns it. Wars have broken out when people have betrayed that. You are about to hear my own private name, as I will be using it when I give Astoria her own private name. We will be family through your daughter, do not betray my name otherwise chosen or not, I will kill you and anyone that you told."

Daphne nods while her parents look confused, "Harry's told me about private names. Mum, Dad, consider stories about demon summoning, and how they use the Demon's name. That's what it means for Airmed and her people."

Reginald nods grimly, while Joanne stumbles back against the workbench, "I've heard the church used to use the same thing for angels."

Airmed shakes her head, "I've never seen any evidence of either angels or demons. Also, I know for a fact that there are no gods in the Christian faith. We would have seen at least one of the gods chosen, as we were roaming the world and personally defending our people. Now if you could wake her, as I do not wish to do her harm. Oh, and I'll be unveiling my magic, so brace yourselves."

Daphne drops all of her own concealments, and her parents look at her as the slight prickle of her magic touches them. With a look at her that promises a talk later, Reginald reluctantly pulls his wand and wakes Astoria. Once he does, Airmed releases her own magic and glamours.

It hits all 4 of them like a truck, as it spreads through the house all of the wards first glow visibly and then disappear in shower of lights. In the kitchens, the two house elves feel the magic before sharing a glance. With a pop, the kitchen is empty as they both leave.

In London, the magic detectors near York go berserk before they fizzle out.

In the apothecary, Airmed looks down at Astoria gently and pushes her hair back from her face, "Hello child, I'm known as Airmed and I'm about to adopt you. I do not do this to take you away from your parents, rather it's the only guaranteed way to cure your malediction. I know you're in pain right now, just nod if you understand."

Astoria struggles, but she manages to nod, with a thought Airmed's clothing vanishes, "In a moment I am going to cut my breast open here. When I lift you to it, you must feed and drink as much as you can. Blood and milk. Astoria's eyes widen, but she nods.

Airmed pulls an iron dagger from the mist and uses it to cut her breast, just above the areola. Seeing that it's bleeding deeply enough, she pulls Astoria's head up and cradles her in reach of the nipple. After a couple of false starts, Astoria manages to latch on and, face burning brightly, sucks down as much blood and milk as she can from the seemingly inexhaustible supply. As she drinks, the pain her limbs starts to fade and strength returns to her. This more than anything else causes her to lift her arms up and embrace the woman in front of her so that she has better access to the blood. Eventually Astoria is unable to drink anymore, and pulls away.

Smiling Airmed looks down at her daughter, and with magic in her voice, proclaims, "I Croi, known as Airmed of the Tuath Dé, goddess of healing, herbs, and the wild, name you Imlán and take you as my daughter."

As the word daughter hangs in the air a pulse of magic crosses the country, and in Hogwarts the book of names updates, along with Gringotts and the Ministry of magic. As it was 10 years ago, the people in the Ministry are too busy trying to fix everything that just broke to notice.

Airmed looks up at Reginald and Joanne, "This is my daughter, she will be known as Astoria Greengrass-Danann."