Blood and Magic Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at /works/29626944.
Rating: Mature Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage Category: F/F, F/M, Other Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Relationship: Sirius Black/Original Female Character(s), James Potter/Lily Evans
Potter, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy, Charlus Potter/Dorea Black Potter, Andromeda Black Tonks/Ted Tonks, Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
Character: Harry Potter, Sirius Black, Original Female Character(s), James Potter, Lily Evans Potter, Original Male Character(s), Tom Riddle Voldemort, Albus Dumbledore, Goblins (Harry Potter), Bellatrix Black Lestrange, Luna Lovegood, Fleur Delacour, Susan Bones, Hermione Granger, Daphne Greengrass, Nymphadora Tonks, Draco Malfoy, Helena Ravenclaw, Amelia Bones, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody
Additional Tags: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied Sexual Content, Female Harry Potter, Wrong Boy-Who-Lived (Harry Potter), Blood Adoption (Harry Potter), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Master of Death (Harry Potter), Death, Minor Character Death, Necromancy, Pureblood Politics (Harry Potter), The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Heir of Hogwarts Founders, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Heir of Ravenclaw Harry Potter, Harry Potter is the Heir to the House of Black, Harry Potter is the Heir to the House of Peverell
Language: English Series: Part 1 of Blood and Magic: Stories and One Shots Stats: Published: 2021-02-22 Completed: 2021-05-14 Chapters: 44/44 Words:
286841
Blood and Magic by L0sts0uls
Summary
On Samhain night of 1981, the Potter Cottage was attacked by the Dark Lord Voldemort. Charlus and Dorea Potter died protecting their grandchildren, who seemed to have miraculously survived, leaving a young Henry James Potter with a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. Unnoticed by the adults, little Halley Lily Potter was also marked, hers right above her heart in the form of the rune (Norse/Younger Futhark for "Yew"). Dumbledore saw the seemingly dark magic on the girl and proceeded to cut her off from Magical Britain, convincing the Potters that she had no magic and would be happier with the Dursleys. The Potters and all of Britain rejoiced at the apparent death of Voldemort, while a little girl's life would soon be turned into a living hell for 7 long years, until one night, when her world changes for the better./users/L0sts0uls/pseuds/L0sts0uls
Notes
What follows is a thank you to all the authors who have made this last year bearable. This is an AU, which means changes are likely intentional. Asume apperances match the movies or the books, unless I describe as otherwise. I am not an expert in Harry Potter or the lore, I am American and not British, no I am not looking for historical or canon accuracy. This is mainly for fun and to gauge interest. As of posting this I am at 21,500 words, writing on a tablet, with no beta or editor, nor am I looking for any currently. Don't expect a steady release schedule, my mental health isn't the best, I haven't written anything resembling in over 3 years and my free time is limited. Please be respectful in the comments. I may crosspost this eventually in FNN, or not. Please don't repost anywhere else. SFW Fan art of my story is welcome. As always I don't own Harry Potter. Harry Potter is the Property of JK Rowling.
Author's note: I have received several comments so I am adding this note here. The format of my stories will not change. I am writing them this way as a personal choice. I am a lone writer sharing my stories in the hopes of entertaining others and improving my writing. Formating is not my focus. I will happy accept spellchecking and any other comment but the format stays the way it is.
In the Dead of Night
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
Sabrina Prasinos was not having the best of Samhains. Ever since she moved to England in December of 1981, life had been a veritable roller coaster ride of highs and lows. Not that many of the local wixen even knew what a roller coaster was, with how utterly archaic British Wixen tended to be. "Backwards racist pigs" became a phrase she was often heard saying, usually when she was beyond earshot of anyone who would actually be offended by said words, though the fact she tended to curse in Greek tended to limit other's ability to figure out how really angry she was. She had moved to England as word of the local terrorist activity came to an end, though how the locals tended to call it a war really made her question why she decided to stay in the first place. She arrived safe in the knowledge that the locals would need every potions expert available to help with reconstruction. She brought her ICW credentials with her and applied to get the local certification and licensing to start selling potions in the magical community and helping out the locals. But things just couldn't go as planned, could they?
Just before she received her license as a potions mistress and authorization to run an apothecary either in Diagon Alley, any of it branching streets, or any other of the scattered wixen enclave in Britain, the bloody Wizengamot had to pass a legislation banning foreigners from running businesses in said areas, without having the backing of a Noble House or higher. The entire history of the Wizengamot and its houses only goes as far back as 1200 years, while her family, The Prasinos, are one of the oldest unbroken line of wixen in the history of Europe, stretching back to the city-states of Ancient Greece. Though sure, the name has changed with the evolution of the spoken and written word, but their blood has held magic longer than any of the so called "blood purists." As a foreigner she was initially unfamiliar with any of the members of the Wizengamot and while she did look up who was who, she wasn't going to put herself in a precarious position that could get her indebted to, or worse, forced to marry any of the less than "noble" members of society, no matter what their family's title says. Regardless, her initial plans were amended and instead of running a legitimate apothecary in any of the wixen only areas, Sabrina was now running a borderline, questionable "herbal medicine" shop in non-magical London, though the fact that wixen could come in and "acquire" potions was certainly never overtly broadcasted.
The shop was more than just her business, of course. It was home. A 3 floor, brick and mortar house, its color and size indistinguishable from the other half a dozen houses that were wall to wall against each other in the narrow slip of a street. Her shop, "Natural Herbs and Ointments'' (Sabrina blames her father for her less than perfect track record on naming...well...anything) took up half of the lowest floor, the other half being her lab and workstation in the back. The second floor was just your typical family room, dining room and kitchen packed as tightly together as possible, with the third and final floor being her bedroom, a guest room that acts more as a storage room, a laundry room and a bathroom, with just a sloped attic rounding out the place. Sure, she could spell her home to be bigger on the inside, but the fact that she tended to both magical and none magical clients (and the fact that the building, while heavily warded, is registered with the none magical government) meant she needed to be as careful as possible so as to not run a mock of the Statute of Secrecy. Her notice-me-not enchantments on the shop being the only thing keeping none magical eyes off of her more "exotic" wares.
Of course, if she were always careful, she wouldn't be walking the dark streets near her home on Samhain, of all the bloody nights. The area, while not as dangerous as the more rundown sections of London, was still quite...nerve wracking at night, especially with quite a few street lights needing replacing. She had had the distinct pleasure of playing midwife to a less than financially stable wixen couple and managed to safely deliver them their baby boy a few hours after sundown. Sabrina let out a deep sigh, her breath visible in the very cold night, letting the warming charm she hastily applied to her coat chase some of the cold away. Noting the thin layer of snow on the ground, an oddity this soon in the year and deep in the city, she changed directions, taking a more roundabout route home in order to be in the more well lit streets just before home. Her careful steps did little to stop her mind from returning to the happy couple and their little boy.
Sabrina knew she would never experience the horror yet absolute miracle that was childbirth. Her family, while long standing and blessed with many branches of healthy sons and daughters, also had a habit of producing sterile members. Unlike the racist pigs of Britain, the Prasinos almost never intermarried specific magical families, constantly mixing themselves all across Europe with those their members fell in love with. Unlike most Ancient Houses, and the Prasinos could call themselves The Most Ancient of Ancients if the Family Head ever grew too prideful, her Family never really held a single Ancestral Home. Sure, there are some really massive and old properties across all of Europe and North Africa, but the family itself was scattered throughout most of their lives, only having gatherings when changes were made to who was Head of Family, who would be Heir and a few when new members were added through marriage or birth, mostly both. Her own mother, Selene Prasinos, had jokingly called them the Roma of the magical community (though Sabrina had met some magical Roma and their reaction to said statement was...loaded, to say the least). Still, despite the fact that the family was genetically as diverse as possible on continental Europe, there were a few cases of sterility among its members, herself included.
Sabrina gently runs her hand over her abdomen and sighs, thoughts of bronze haired, blue eyed children that would never be dredging up years worth of pain and loneliness as she approached a small park just a few blocks away from home. She looks across the street and smiles slightly, remembering her own childhood in West Germany, the snow covered ground and trees reminding her of many a Yule morning with her parents, both presently sharing a grave long before she ever crossed the English Channel. Her next step stilled as something caught her eye in the park. In a few quick movements she crossed the street and looked closer, her heart all but frozen in terror. There in the park, on a field of fresh snow was a small body, its hair as black as fresh ink, its clothes tattered and ripped. What made her dash across the park and straight to the body, faster than she thought herself possible, even with the aid of magic, wasn't the state of the clothes or the odd hour of night, but what she saw pooling into the ground around it. There, in one of the innumerable parks doting the city of London, a child's body laid still on the ground, the snow around it stained crimson with its blood.
- -
Sabrina smashed her shop's door open after unlocking it with her wand, her control over the wards being the only reason the door closes itself behind her as she cradles the body of a little girl
against her chest. She did everything she could with her wand at the park, stabilizing the girl's life before rushing her home and the aid of her potions. She delved deep into her Occlumency, desperate to bury her emotions while she did everything to save the little girl's life. Her healer's diagnostic spell had shown her a glimpse of every mother's deepest nightmare; a body rife with scars new and old, an unholy number of broken and poorly healed bones, severe malnutrition and internal bleeding, including deep vaginal and anal tearing. Had the girl been a normal child she would have long since been dead. Even as she ran across her lab, picking and gathering every potion she needed to save her life, she could feel the girls magic. It felt feral, wild and desperate. Instinctually her magic was doing its best to keep her alive, even with the girl's mind being inactive. Sabrina wasn't sure if the girl being unconscious was a good thing or not. She hoped the girl wouldn't freak out as soon as she woke. She had seen and read enough descriptions about the damage an Obscurial could do and she desperately hoped that the girl would be spared such a fate.
The next few hours became a blur in Sabrina's mind as she finished her last bout of dry heaving. Hours of diagnostic and healing spells, countless potions that she had to carefully select and feed the unconscious girl in the correct order, lest she ended up poisoning her. She washes her face safe in the knowledge that the girl would live. Though in what state her mind would be was another question. She thought about taking her to St. Mungos but quickly dismissed it. When she saw the girl was magical, she did what any healer worth their salt should do (not that she had a healers license in Britain, only back in West Germany, and running the shop for almost seven years wasn't the best way to study to update it again) and ran magical trace spells. What she found made any thought of taking her to any official magical healers mute. Traces of parasitic magic in what appeared to be a cursed scar on her chest, an uneven and tattered magical core that suggests someone tried to strip her of her magic and failed, traces of monitoring spells tied to her blood. Someone magical had gone through a lot of trouble to keep the girl away from magic and had clearly known she was living in danger for her life but did nothing. How all the foreign elements of magic were purged out of the girl was a mystery she was happy to leave alone, the traces on the cursed scar alone were enough to make her feel ill. Now all she needed to do was figure ou-
The sound of a whimper and some breaking vials snap Sabrina's attention back to the little girl as she opens the washroom door tied to her lab. Her eyes take in the room until she spots the little girl underneath her desk, her side facing out, hands loose, ready to cover any attempts at hurting her. Sabrina's heart broke further at the obvious signs of abuse. She did her best to bury any signs of anger, she couldn't add more fear to her. "It's ok, I am not going to hurt you little one. You have nothing to be scared of here", Sabrina finally managed to say as calm and gentle as she could.
The girls eyes, a very vivid shade of green, looked straight at Sabrina's eyes, clearly looking for any sign of deceit. The eyes then turned to look at something away from Sabrina and she herself turned to see what was bothering the girl. She sees the broken glass on the floor and understands. She turns back to the girl and smiles, "nothing to worry about. I can clean it up right quick. You mind?" The last words she says as she pulls out her wand, making extra sure to keep it pointed away from her and as non threatening as possible. The girl looks at the wand, concern written on her face as well as curiosity. As Sabrina guessed, this was the first wand the girl has ever seen. With a gentle flick, Sabrina silently vanishes the broken vials on the floor.
The little girl's eyes are full of wonder, though the fear remains. Sabrina smiles at her, "See, all gone." She puts the wand away, so as not to make the girl any more worried. "You can come out now. There are no bad people here and I promise, I won't hurt, yell or punish you for anything you have or haven't done." Sabrina can see the girl's eyes studying her again. She could see that the girl wanted to believe her, but her fear of whatever those monsters did to her kept her from accepting. Sabrina runs through her mind what she knows about how to show care and affection but most are physical contact, which this girl has likely never known and would probably respond badly to. Maybe…
Sabrina stretches out with her magic, keeping it as warm and gentle as possible. She sees when the girl feels it as it touches her and her own magic. At first the girls magic seems to coil inwards, seeking to keep itself, and the girl, safe. But as more time passes and Sabrina's magic remains pleasant and comforting, both the girl's magic and the girl herself seem to open up, as two bright green eyes, now clearly filled with the presence of magic look into a pair of equally bright blue eyes. Sabrina keeps her voice gentle, letting her magic act through it as well making her feelings clear to the girl, letting her feel the truth through the magic. "I promise, you are safe here with me, no one will hurt you."
The seconds turn to minutes as Sabrina waits, keeping her magic wrapped gently though loosely around the girl. Then, something breaks the silence. Something that all but melts Sabrina's heart. "Promise?" Softly spoken, as if she hasn't spoken in a very long time, but filled with equal parts hope and resignation. Sabrina looks at the girl deep in the eyes, "Promise." The next thing Sabrina knows is that a tiny body launched itself at her, her arms hugging the little girl back as the child cries herself hoarse on her shoulder. From that moment on Sabrina knew that her once impossible dream was now all too real. She had a daughter. Their magic wrapped around each other and came to the same conclusion, binding the two lives together. The child was hers now and Sabrina would do everything in her power to give her a better life. Sabrina began searching through her memories for everything her own mother had done for her when she was young, storing her version of "The Talk" away for much, much later, as she carried the little girl up the stairs towards her bedroom. The guest bedroom is going to need a thorough cleaning.
Chapter End Notes
No, I am neither a sadist nor the type to enjoy cliffhangers. I could have ended the chapter before the scene break. I didn't. You are welcome. And it should be said I dont condone violence or abuse against children, ever.
Getting Aquainted
Chapter Notes
Since Chapter 1 is a bit short, I decided to post Chapter 2. Also, I realize I forgot to mention that my version of a female Harry Potter would not be keeping her birth name. Lastly, I hope you all like this chapter. I am going to go with a policy of show, not tell. I tend to go heavy in world building so this is my attempt to fight my habit. Yes, there is some "tell" in the chapter, but there wont be any massive info dumps. You will learn about what everything means as the information becomes relevant. Perfect example; I won't be touching about how the girl got to the one park she would be found by Sabrina. It will become clear much, much later, but it wasn't accidental.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
The next few weeks proved to be a stressful time for Sabrina and the little girl. Getting her home to be more child friendly wasn't too hard. Magic is a procrastinator's best friend, with the guest bedroom cleared of everything except for the bed, cabinets, a set of shelves, desk and a chair. Clothes were a bit more complicated, since transfigured clothing didn't last long and was never as comfortable as a well made set. Which meant shopping. The tug of war between potentially letting a girl stay home alone and going through a number of reasons to suffer an anxiety attack without adult supervision or Sabrina bringing her along to get clothes that fit her well and that she liked, while having entirely new reasons to panic over being surrounded by strangers. Eventually Sabrina's mothering instincts won out and the two both got clothes, bed sheets and other things she would need. That day the confundus charm became Sabrina's most practiced spell, if only to keep people's eyes from looking at the girl too closely.
The next big hurdle came with the continued treatment of the young girl. Erasing the scars would only be a matter of time, as all but the cursed one, which seemed to have healed over but refuses to fade away, would only need a bit of ointment application over time. Said instances actually seemed to help the new mother and daughter get over the latter's issues with physical contact, as she would soon stop flinching away from her touch and eventually looking forward to it from her mother. Fixing her bones, however, proved to be a more...involved affair for both, as she had to spend a bit of time explaining what she needed to do and what the girl should expect. Eventually the little girl would spend a few nights stunned (via a medical variant, as Sabrina felt ill even contemplating using the stupefy spell on her daughter), the first few nights tested Sabrina's nerves and the girls faith in her new mother as the pain of regrowing bones was still there, stunned or otherwise. The girl's malnutrition would prove to be the hardest to counter, even with potions. Building her body back up to what a girl of 8 years of age should be was going to take a lot of exercise (the park where the two met would become their favorite place for short jogs), an exceedingly precise diet that neither were too good at following to the letter (blueberry and cherry pastries quickly became a favorite of both) and a lot of nutrition potions that were horribly expensive, even as ingredients alone.
Breaking the girl's habits was equally as challenging. The very first morning after the girl was
feeling better, Sabrina woke up and found her in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. What followed was the first debate between mother and daughter, with the end result being that the two would share the chores of the house, with neither doing any of them entirely on their own. Getting her to be less panicked around sudden loud noises proved to be difficult, as Sabrina didn't want to impede her daughter's sense of awareness by desensitizing her to sudden sound changes. While Sabrina didn't want to make her daughter paranoid, she absolutely refused to let her be vulnerable to the same type of people who made her suffer. It wasn't paranoia, she mused to herself, if there were actually people out for her daughter.
Lastly, Sabrina had to deal with the girl's past and not only gain legal custody of her, but also giving her a name. While everyone can say that Sabrina cheated, she herself refuses to concede that using Legilimency to learn about her daughter's past, while avoiding traumatizing the girl over having to relive her torture is, in anyway, an improper use of said magic. She made sure she was gentle, and did her best to dull the emotional feedback from the viewing of the memories, proving to be an effective solution as the little girl was barely affected by her first experience with mind magics, while Sabrina only had to delve into a dozen occlumency exercises to refrain from dedicating herself into studying Necromancy, lack of affinity be damned, so that she could raise the monsters back from the dead and kill them over and over again. Not that there were nights when the thought kept clawing back into her head again, especially when said nights were with an eight year old wraped in her arms as she tried to calm her down from one of her many repeating nightmares. For the first month, the little one could easily be found more in her mother's bed than her own, the sound of multiple lullabies in Greek or English became a staple of said nights.
- -
Sabrina drank down her second cup of coffee as she looked on as her daughter finished the last of her blueberry pancakes. Last night she had looked through her daughter's memories and seen how depraved a family of humans can possibly be, no matter how mundane they can appear. It did give her something to work with towards finding the girl's name. Though it also made it clear why she reacted so poorly when she called her "Girl" that one time. The name she was born with, however, would probably be just as bad to use, if it was even her real name. She reached out towards the little girl and touched her hand gently. She was happy that she no longer flinched at her touch, but she was still tense from it. "I know that it's a bit early to deal with some heavy stuff, but I want to resolve the matter of your name. Especially before we go through with registering you as my daughter. You ok to talk about this?"
The girl looked at her mother and nodded, too scared to speak. Sabrina noticed this and slowly pulled the girl into a hug, her hand gently rubbing the girl's back, as the tension left her body. Sabrina summons a page of parchment and a potion vial. She put the vial in the girl's hand. "This is a potion used to identify a person's name, parentage and family magicks. I know we haven't covered much about magic this last week, but one of the important things about magic is that names have a magical aspect to them. Giving someone your full name is a sign of great trust, while calling someone by a name they have discarded is a grave insult. While one can magically change their names, it is still possible to find someone's parentage through their blood, though a blood adoption can erase any such traces if done correctly. I want to ask if you're willing to do the test so
we know what your full name is so that, if you ever choose to do so, you can decide whether to change it magically or eventually through blood adoption. What do you say?"
The girl looks at the vial in her hand and back at her mom's blue eyes, they seem to be full of kindness and warmth, which make her feel happy inside. She smiles and nods, a soft "kay'' slips out of her lips. Sabrina nods and kisses her on her head. She then describes how the potion works and that it does need a bit of her blood. A ritual needle that she keeps for certain potions and other magics is used and while the girl feels the prick, she finds her mothers warmth against her back more important than that small bit of pain. Her mom drips the blood into the potion vile and then proceeds to shake it, before she takes a small brush, dips it into the potion and uses it as ink. After writing a few words in Greek with the brush, the magic of the potion begins to spread, as more of the parchment is filled in.
αίµα, πες το όνοµά σου
(Blood, tell your name)
Name: Halley Lily Evans-[disowned]
Born: July 31st 1980
Father: [disowned]
Mother: Lily Evans-[disowned] (bond dissolved by Magic)
Mother: Sabrina Selene Prasinos (bond accepted by Magic)
Sibling: [bond severed]
Family Magicks:
Peverell
Ravenclaw
Black
[Disowned]
The little girl looked up at her mother, who wore a frown on her face and asked, "what does it all mean?" The mother rubbed her face with her hand, sighed and turned to her daughter. "It means that your biological father went through the trouble of disowning you from the family, hence his name being absent and his family name removed from your name and hers (there was no hiding the venom in her voice when referring to the woman who abandoned a child to hell on earth). Regardless, what really matters is if you'd like to keep your name or if you'd prefer to change it via magic. Eventually we can do a blood adoption, but it would be better if we had a guy do it with us
to erase any trace of your birth parents, so we can preempt any attempts to reclaim you."
She looked at her mom and smiled, a little mischief poking out, "Does that mean I will be getting a Dad?" Her mothers face at her comment made her laugh, her heart growing warm at the sight of her mother's smile. "If I can manage it then yes, one day you will have a dad too. Now, about your name?"
The little girl pouts, "I don't want to keep it. They didn't care to keep me or check up on me, so I don't feel like it. Besides, you're my mother now and I don't want to forget that. Ever." The little girl felt herself getting gently squeezed in one of her mothers hugs. She was really starting to like those hugs. Her mother hummed against her, the sound always melting away any tension in the girl. "Like I said, names have magic and it's best to have a name you can shorten or alter as a way of introducing yourself to others, while keeping your full name to family and the most trusted. So any preferences?"
She thinks for a moment, "I don't think I will mind you picking, as long as it's not related to a flower." She relaxes into her mothers embrace. Sabrina thinks out loud, "I could name you after a famous witch. My father named me after a fictional witch from a comic series in America. My mom wasn't amused until she learned that my name was tied to that of a river and since my mom grew up on said river, she eventually agreed." The girl thinks, shakes her head. "Please no." Sabrina smiles and kisses the girl on her head, "Ok, ok, no funny stuff and no flowers." Sabrina hums for a second. "I don't know much about the Ravenclaw family, and the Peverells are much a mystery now as they were when around, the Blacks, however, are known for using the name of celestial bodies for their given names."
Mother and daughter spend a few minutes in silence, thinking about names and their meanings, until Sabrina breaks the silence. "How about Rhea, short for Rheannon. It's a name with a magical background and its short form matches the Blacks habit of names, as I am pretty sure it's the name of one the moons of Saturn." The girl spends a few moments feeling out the name, saying both under her breath. Finally she squeezes her mother's arms, which are still wrapped around her. "I like it." A few minutes later, after Sabrina gives her daughter a few instructions and lends her her wand, Rheannon "Rhea" Prasinos begins her new life.
- -
Sabrina was many things; impulsive, vicious when provoked and stubborn to a fault. However, she didn't earn her Potions Mastery and her ICW healers license at a young age for nothing. She wasn't stupid. There is a certain Lily Evans in the British Magical Community, who is married to a man who would certainly be capable of disowning a child from his "Noble" family. The fact that Rhea's birthday matches that of their son, one Henry Potter, dubbed by the political rag that is the Daily Prophet as the Boy Who Lived, and that Rhea's original Blood identification test mentioned that a sibling bond had once existed but was severed, meant that she couldn't use either legal
magical or mundane means of getting legal guardianship over Rhea. That meant no Health Services, no school and no paper trail. As a Magical in non-magical London, that wasn't the most difficult of things to do. It just meant that Rhea would miss out on a lot of what made up a childhood. Though to be fair, the last 7 years of her life weren't that much of a childhood either. Rhea was surprisingly ok with not going to school, though she agreed to being homeschooled in both magical and non-magical education.
Rhea was, as far as Sabrina was concerned, a very capable learner. She studied diligently, asked why things were as established and went through the process of testing things out and learning by experience. Most of it was in mathematics and basic sciences, but she did read a few history texts that made for some disturbingly mature discussions, though Rhea's smile and laugh whenever Sabrina got decidedly crass with her language, which she always made sure to highlight that she should never repeat in "polite" company, though the warning always came after said language lessons (her parents would be both turning and laughing in their graves at their daughter's antics.) She even started helping out with her on the creation of both herbal medicines and potions, with only a single melted cauldron in her record prior to advanced Potions (melting a cauldron while experimenting is a right of passage as far as Sabrina is concerned). So of course, after a few months of the two living together, 2 inevitable things came to pass.
The first was Rhea's first Yule celebration. Sabrina refused to deny Rhea's heritage and made sure she knew the differences between Yule and Christmas and why it's important to celebrate them seperate, from Yules cleansing effects among participants, to its place of importance in Magical society, as well as Christmas' place in non-magical society. Sure, Sabrina would have to be physically dragged into a Yule Ball, but that didn't mean she didn't know that this was a time for the "elite" to socialize and build alliances. She specifically stressed how Christmas has become a celebration followed by Light Families (like a certain one that will remain unnamed), with many abandoning Yule rituals entirely. Yule, on the other hand, is practiced by both Neutral Families as well as Dark Families, with full focus given to the rituals and how these connect the family together. The giving of presents, however, was embraced by all wixen.
Sabrina smiled at her daughter as Rhea gently opened the presents, revealing a good mix of items, few in number but, in standard Prasinos fashion, full of intent and sentimental value. Her presents consisted of a bracelet that perfectly replicated the moon's cycle that had belonged to Sabrina's mother (perfect for lunar based rituals), three books, each one about the Families that she saw on the blood test's Family Magicks section, a Runes Carving Set since she had shown an impressive proficiency in Runes and finally a stuffed animal. Sabrina had noticed that Rhea would stop and look at a specific stuffed animal at a corner children's shop, but she would always shake her head and ignore it. Sabrina knew that Rhea didn't want to seem too childish by asking for a toy. So, Sabrina made sure to order it and retrieve it quickly.
Sabrina had a smug smile on her face when she heard Rhea's very childlike squeal and saw the absolute joy in her eyes as she held the stuffed toy, a pitch black dog with gold eyes, its teeth a pale white and its tongue a deep red. Rhea pulled the dog to her into a fierce hug, before lunging at her mom and hugging her as well. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Sabrina laughed and hugged her daughter back warmly. "You are 8 years old, so no you don't need to feel bad if you want to buy a toy. And as everyone who goes to amusement parks and town fairs can attest, you are never too old for a stuffed animal either." Sabrina pulled back and saw a gentle blush on her little girl, as she kept hugging the blag dog. "You got a name for it?"
Rhea took a few moments before she looked down and gently rubbed the dog down its back, "I was thinking of calling him Padfoot."
- -
The second eventuality was that Rhea wanted to learn magic. While at 8 years old Rhea couldn't exactly buy a wand at Olivanders, or any of the other legal shops in Britain, but she could study it at home, with some practice using Sabrina's wand. After getting her a blank wand, so that she could practice wand movements, Sabrina finally decided that New Years Eve was the best time to get Rhea to take a certain Prasinos family test. She led Rhea back into her work shop, where she had cleared the area, a large runic circle marked on the floor with chalk and certain bronze dishes containing a variety of magical materials within.
"This is known to our family as our Ritual of Affinity. Every magical is born with one or more affinities, be they to specific elements or even whole branches of magic. Every child born to the Prasinos family is tested on their seventh birthday, but New Years Eve works just as well as a promise to learn and grow in these fields of magic. You ready?"
Rhea nods and steps into the circle and before the raised pillar, where a bronze bowl sits, empty. Rhea takes the ritual needle and gently jabs her palm. She holds her hand over the bowl and closes her fist, blood drops trickling into the bowl. With each drop that touches the bowl, one of each of the satellite bowls with their materials catches a light, until all seven bowls are a blaze, each with a flame of a different color; red, blue, gray, green, brown, white and black. Rhea opens her hand and uses the back of the ritual needle to heal the puncture, making sure all excess blood remains in the bowl, before using a cleansing cloth to remove the blood from her hand. Eventually the Ritual concludes, the 7 satellite bowls empty and flameless, the runic circles lines losing their indigo glow as they fade back into their dule chalk outlines.
Sabrina steps forward and gently hugs Rhea with one arm as they peer into the raised bowl. Inside lie three ritual items. Rhea turns to her mom, "So, what do they mean?" Rhea notices that her Mom's face doesn't register that she heard her and repeats a little louder, her hand squeezing hard on her mom's hand that rests on Rhea's waist. "Mom?"
Sabrina shakes her head, as if waking up from a dream. "Sorry Rhea, my mind just wandered away. There are three items, so three affinites, though this doesn't mean you can't use other magic,
just that these will come easily to you and require less effort and energy to maintain." She points at an object that looks like an eye made of shiny dirt. "That is golem's clay, meaning you will have an affinity for Earth Magic, with some bleedover into possibly plant magic and magical creatures, if you work hard for them." She turns to a reddish crystal spiked ball, "That is a crystalized mixture of animal, human and creature blood, meaning you have an affinity towards Blood Magic, which again bleeds over into magical creatures and uniquely healing. You should be better able to tell when something is wrong with someone else. Should mention that Blood Magic is frowned upon by the British Ministry of Magic and considered illegal, though the ICW disagrees. I personally share an affinity for Blood Magic, though I also have another for Plant Magic"
Rhea nods, "Cool. Sucks about the Blood Magic ban, though." Sabrina gives her a smirk, which Rhea replies with a light punch on the shoulder. "What about the third one?" Sabrina sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. "That is the bone of a Thestral, meaning an affinity to a very exclusive form of magic. Unlike the rest, this one needs affinity as a requirement to practice it and learn it accordingly." Sabrina takes a moment and looks at Rhea in the eyes. "You have an affinity for Death Magic."
Chapter End Notes
Rheannon's name is both by design, with the short form of Rhea being the point as to allude to her future family, and a slight homage. As a hint Rheannon/Rhiannon tends to refer to a mythical queen. A big thank you to SilentlyWatches of FFN for the awesome read. And for those who read the hinted at series, no I am not going to match the tone or nature of their work. This piece will focus more on healthy healing and less violence and gore.
If you decide to keep reading, well, next chapter will feature a certain dog animagus. Hope you all look forward to it.
What the Dog dragged in
Chapter Notes
Here is another chapter. The Muse has been merciful and I decided to share.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
"The Wizengamot herby finds Sirius Orion Black innocent of the thriteen counts of murder, including that of Peter Pettigrew, recently found to be alive. A date will be set later to discuss reparations for the 8 1/2 years worth of unlawful imprisonment with the Black Family Solicitor, though your status as an unregistered animagus will be counted against a full restitution, though I am sure the Wizengamot will be more than happy to help pay for your full recovery. This extraordinary session of the Wizengamot on the 3rd of August is hereby concluded." The loud banging of the gavel ends Director Amelia Bones' reading of the court's conclusion. While at any other moment in his life, Sirius would have been hitting on the still quite attractive Regent of the House of Bones, only a single thought keeps repeating in his head, drowning all others. "I am free. Free!"
The Aurors quickly escort him out of the courtroom, taking him to one of the many waiting areas adjoining the main chamber. The moment he opens the door, he finds himself the recipient of a decently painful hug, courtesy of a certain werewolf. "I am so sorry I doubted you Sirius! We were all so exhausted after Halloween and when we heard what happened, we thought that the Black Madness had finally caught up to you!"
For a moment Sirius felt very irritated with the scruffy werewolf, but decided to bury the feeling for now. He was free of Azkaban and the Dementors, he really didn't want to get into a fight at the moment. "It's fine Remus, we were all a bit loopy those last few days." Sirius then looks around the room and spots his brother in all but blood (second cousins sure, but James had always been a brother to him. "Prongs!"
James Potter's response to Sirius is a softer hug. "Happy to see you too, Padfoot. Lily is wondering when you would like to visit. Wormtail getting caught in our wards during the kids birthday sorta spoiled the mood and Alice wants to get the kids settled after the shock." Sirius takes a moment to think and says,"I would love to come over soon and see Lily and the kids. How is my little goddaughter doing, she a bookworm like Lily or is she and Henry the new generation of Marauders?" Sirius planned to go further, joking about how they would finally make Minnie's hair go completely white, but James' reaction caught him off guard. The moment Sirius mentioned Halley, James tensed up into the hug. Sirius pulls away, feeling a new dredge cut deep into his heart. "James?"
"Sirius, there is a lot that happened that you-" James response was cut off by a very loud
Sirius. Maybe there was something to the Black Madness, since his mind had shut out every other thought. "WHAT HAPPENED? Where is my goddaughter?" Something James saw on Sirius' face made any thoughts of delaying the inevitable just vanish. He sighed. "Something happened that night on Halloween. Dumbledore thinks that Voldermort wanted to steal Henry and Halley's magic before killing them. He...succeeded with Halley, but failed with Henry and then vanished. You saw how the cottage looked that night. Dumbledore checked Halley over and said there was nothing we could do. She lost her magic."
Sirius listened to him, but refused to believe it. He remembers his little pup, her magic was strong and controlled, more mature than Henry's, there was no way she could have lost it all. She loved to change his hair into some of the most awful colors when he got stuck with babysitting duty. He never missed a single day. "So what if she's without magic? You wouldn't be the first family to raise a squib. So tell me...tell me why I feel that she isn't home with Lily and her twin?!"
Remus cuts in, trying to keep Sirius away from James, fearing that the recent resident of Azkaban might decide to come to blows with his best friend. "Sirius, the war was still going on, Death Eater raids were crazy. Your cousin and the Lestranges went after the Longbottoms and managed to kill Frank. If James and I hadn't been there, who knows what would have happened to Neville and Alicia." James took over from there. "Halley wasn't safe at home and she wasn't going to be able to keep up with the other kids. We thought it best she was raised by muggles. She's living with some relatives and we're sure she is perfectly fine."
Sirius stared into James' eyes and his heart broke. He believed. He fucking believed his pup was better away from her family. He...this wasn't the brother he left behind. He doesn't know what happened but James would never have done this. Did he forget what Dorea kept stressing over and over, the one family motto of the Blacks he actually agreed with. How could James fail at putting Family First. Sirius sighed and felt that those 9 years in Azkaban felt more like 20. "I...tell Lily I need to take some time to myself. I can only imagine the mess my dear mother left of the Black accounts and…I need to take care of a few pressing matters, my health especially."
James and Remus looked relieved, having expected to get into a far more heated argument. Eventually, James spoke yp, a soft smile on his face, "Take your time Pads, we aren't going anywhere." Sirius looked at the man he had but a moment before called a brother and smiled gently. His dear mother would be proud of how sincere he made it look. "See you around, James." Sirius did his best to leave the Ministry in as a controlled and dignified way as possible. He wasn't going to find his little pup, left behind by her family like some discarded trash, by being a bloody Gryfindor. This time he would follow the Sorting Hat's advice to be the bloody Slytherin he was born to be. Halley was all that mattered. His pride as a Lion be damned.
- -
The next two weeks were exhausting for the newly appointed Lord Black. Finding out his
Grandfather, good ol Artucus Black had kept him as his designated Heir had been a happy surprise. He still didn't have the nerve to go to Black Castle and talk to his portrait, though he knew that it was probably going to be a better conversation than the one had at Grimmauld Place with his mother. His ears were still ringing and his voice was rough two days later. At least he got the proof he needed. In the family tapestry, under both Dorea's and James' marks (the latter now nothing more than a black patch of tapestry) were two marks. Henry's was exactly as he remembered, though the boy in the picture looked exactly his age. Halley's, however, was a pleasant surprise. When a squib is born into the Family the Tapestry knows and the edges of the picture become wilted. Where once was Halley's portrait was a perfectly healthy frame of a person in shadow, the edges showing leaves in full bloom. Even the name was missing. Wherever Halley was right now, she was alive, protected and with magic of her own. "Kreacher!"
A muttering old house elf popped into existence right in front him. " What can Kreacher do for the mut Lord Black?" Sirius sighed at the old elf and decided to ignore the slight. It was the least insulting response in two weeks, though he spent his first week meeting up with his favorite cousin Andromeda, her husband and now his solicitor Ted Tonks, and the Goblins. They discussed everything they had to cover, from fixing the Black Family investments (no more Black gold would go to Death Eaters, especially those who claimed to have been Imperioused), bringing the Tonks into the family fully (Andromeda had been overjoyed and Ted had been very amused) and sorting out what to do with most Black Properties (stasis for now). Lastly he talked about retrieving his missing Heiress, getting the issue covered under family magic to prevent the Potters from hearing about it. Andromeda cheekily said it was about time he embraced his inner snake.
"Kreacher, as elf to the house of Black you are connected to all those of the Black blood. From this moment onwards I, Lord of House Black, forbid you from answering the calls of Bellatrix Lestrange née Black, Narcissa Malfoy née Black, Draco Malfoy, James Potter and Henry Potter. You are to alert me if any of them call out to you. Now, for the main reason I called you here. As the family elf, do you sense a bond to a little girl, the one who sits here, on the family tree?" Sirius finished, feeling more like his father in the last few minutes than in the whole of his life, as he pointed at the shadowed image. The Elf looked between Sirius and the Tapestry, before answering, "Yes, Kreacher feels a bond to a child of Black."
Sirius looked at the elf and sighed, hoping the next bit would make him more agreeable. "Kreacher, said Child of Black is my Heiress and thanks to Azkaban, the future Lady Black. She is currently missing, hidden by unknown magicals. If I am to fulfill my duties to the House and Family, she must be taught how to be a Black. So please, can you locate your future Lady?"
Kreacher stared at Sirius, his face clearly surprised, his blooming smile being the sign that Sirius' words may have worked too well. "New Mistress. Kreacher would be happy to care for the future Lady Black!" His face scrunches in concentration, Sirius committing it to memory since he had never seen the like on the old bats face. Finally, Kreacher shakes his head, his voice heavy with sadness. "Heiress Black behind heavy wards, even Elf repelling wards. Kreacher cannot reach Child of Black. Kreacher has failed Lord Black." The elf looked around, clearly looking for a means to punish himself. "Wait, Kreacher."
The elf stopped and Sirius continued. "Can you take me to the closest place, outside the wards. I can do the rest to get my goddaughter home. Just make sure we are beyond any detection wards and out view of people, magical or otherwise." The elf looked at Sirius and smiled, a new memory Sirius would preserve for later. "Mutt Lord Black is cunning, Mistress would be proud. Kreacher can take him close to the Child of Black." Sirius pulled out his new wand, but kept it hidden in his sleeve. Good thing he wore a decidedly muggle attire, though a bit more classy than a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. He would look formal out amongst muggles, but not out of place. "Lead on," were Sirius' last words as he vanished into a pop of Apparition.
- -
Sirius found himself on a dark street in the middle of muggle London. He settled himself and began to walk forward. The sun was beginning to set over the horizon, the brick and mortar houses around him bathed in a deep orange light. He moved along the streets, looking for any signs of magic, careful not to trip on any wards along the way. In a few of the houses he felt the brush of wards, but these felt weak, most anchored to an apartment. Too weak to hide his goddaughter from him and Kreacher. He meandered through several streets, getting scattered traces of magic, but none were what he was looking for. The sun had already set and he was preparing to call Kreacher in order to pick up the search after sunrise tomorrow when he spotted a peculiar shop.
The sign read "Natural Herbs and Ointments'', its green neon light illuminating the first floor landing of the three floored, brick and mortar building. As he approached the place, he thought best to just move on until he spotted a very specific emblem. It's Ministry policy that all apothecaries, healer clinics and other businesses, carry specific symbols on the front of the biilding, making them easy to identify for any Wixen out and about. While the shop didn't have any of the "recognized" emblems, that didn't mean that he was unaware of what this one meant. During the war, many muggleborn and half bloods hid their business in plain sight, just hidden from magical eyes. The cup of Aescelpos was less common than the double snakes and staff, but the version with the snake looking at a bird sitting on the cup was something that the muggleborns came up with as a way to conceal their presence. As he approached the front door, he felt his hairs stand on end. The wards here were like nothing he had ever felt before. He could almost feel a presence in them, judging his intent. Apparently satisfied, the presence passed on, but the weight of the wards fealt ever present as he walked up the steps and opened the front door.
The shop was both neat and tidy, yet warm and inviting. The electric lights were a soft and warm color, lines upon lines of jars full of leaves, powders and mushrooms filled the walls. His observation of the shop was momentarily interrupted by a gentle and femenine voice calling out, "be there in a minute! Just don't break anything!" Sirius bit back a sigh, the voice having stirred his old playwizard instincts. 9 years was a long time without female company, and the way that voice made him feel was a bad sign. He needed to get his mind out of the gutter. He was here for his goddaughter, not for getting his libido satisfied. He turned back to the racks of materials and knew he was at a witch's shop, between the jars of powders and plants were what appeared to be glass covered advertisements, but he could feel and ignore the weak notice-me-not charms and spot real apothecary grade materials. He even saw a bit of wolfsbane with a mention on providing the potion on a monthly basis for those in need.
The shop made him smile. Places like this were the Order's saving grace back in the day. No one asked what happened, only what they needed. Almost always no names were shared, no oaths taken. Hell, a few of them worked as makeshift clinics, saving the lives of some of his friends, Mad-Eye specifically owed his life to one shop like this. Sirius wonders if they are still there and if Mad-Eye still visits. He'd have to find the old fossil and ask. He kept looking around and was surprised to see some simple rune stones. While Transfiguration had been his best subject at Hogwarts, runes was a close second. The markings on the stones were easy enough to read and the experiences across the area now made sense. These were for warding, cheap, weak and inexpensive, but likely to save a witch or wizard's life with the benefit of an early warning that something was wrong.
"Welcome to "Natural Herbs and Ointments," what can we get you?" Sirius was about to reply but his mouth just decided to hang open, all other conscious thought ceased. The woman in front of him was beautiful. Scratch that, he can't even remember someone as beautiful and he had the pleasure of meeting, only meeting, veela. The woman's hair as a breathtaking bronze, her skin pale but with a definitive Mediterrenean tone. Her clothes, clearly muggle, seemed to delight in showing every curve of her body, a clearly fit and lean body. It was when his eyes finally returned to her face that his brain decided to work again. He could spend the rest of life looking unto her sapphire blue eyes, if only said eyes weren't glowing and filled with clear irritation. Sirius' … evidence of physical arousal went down faster than under a cold shower.
Her voice, once pleasant to the ear, now carried a very clear warning tone, "Anything I can help you with, sir ?" Sirius winced, coughing into his hand, "Apologies, my lady. Didn't mean to be a bother. I recently got out of a less than hospitable living arrangement and was wondering if you have some nutrition potions, and maybe some Dreamless Sleep?" Sirius brain experienced some whiplash as the bothered tone from earlier vanished, replaced by a bedside manner that would put Pompfrey to shame. "Nutrition potions have been a pain to make lately, the prices remaining high for ingredients. If you're willing to pay a higher than usual upfront cost, it shouldn't be an issue. How long were you under the effects of malnutrition?"
Sirius looked on as she pulled up a notepad and pen and began writing something down. "Uhm, I suppose it's been more than 8 years. I think Halloween would make 9." Sirius noticed the woman tense when he mentioned Halloween. She kept her voice steady but was clear she was on edge, his own fingers rubbing his wand, his old Auror training beginning to kick in. "That Dreamless Sleep is easy enough, but if it's something chronic, it won't help. It is notoriously addictive and you build up an immunity. You'll end up taking enough to need a trip to St. Mungos."
Sirius kept his eye on her, but she seemed to have settled down. He decided that an honest answer would probably be best. "I haven't had the best getting to sleep now, let alone the last 8 years, so I suppose chronic would be accurate." The woman keeps writing away in her notepad. "I have a few things that could help you out, but I am going to need a good idea as to why you have trouble sleeping. Chemical imbalance doesn't get the same treatment as an everwake curse, insomnia from physical pain, or just plain old nightmares. Hell, even those need to be treated separately since a few are from traumatic memories, while others are just overactive imagination.
So, what's your excuse?"
Had Sirius been a bit more cautious, he would have picked his words more carefully. Instead, his Gryffindor traits kicked in and went with blunt truth. "Got anything to help with Dementor Exposure?" Both Sirius and the woman froze and in a second their eyes met. Sirius, running on instincts, raised his wand and went for a stunner, only to suddenly feel the weight of the wards come crashing down on him, slowing his movement to a crawl. The last thing he saw was two glowing blue eyes looking at him as a flash of red filled the room.
Chapter End Notes
Ok, so one cliffhanger. But at least nothing an old dog can't walk off. Right?
Next Chapter could be out in a day or two, depending how merciful the Muse remains. At 33,000 total and working on Chapter 8.
The Start of Something Beautiful
Chapter Notes
I am glad so many are enjoying my work. This is one of my favorite chapters so far. Hope you all enjoy and come back for more. Little warning, my weeks are going to be a bit more busy, especially Monday, Wednesday and Friday. So far the Muse has answered, despite the insomnia haze. No promises in the future.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
While Sirius remembered some very wild parties and awkward mornings, this was the first time he found himself strapped to a chair. For a second he thought he was naked, seeing as his clothes were neatly stacked up on the table in front of him, a transparent case keeping his wand out of reach. He looked down at his body and noticed he was wearing some transfigured clothes, and funny enough, his hands were both trapped in some wood contraptions attached to the chair. His first thought was that Moody would be over the moon over how thoroughly paranoid his captor was, right after he lectures him about getting through in the first place. He was taking stock of his surroundings, a magical workshop and potions lab apparently, when his beautiful captor entered the room, closing the door behind her.
Sirius, still slipping into old habits, went first. "Usually I spend a bit of time with the ladies, dinner and wine, before stuff gets kinky. Personally, I don't mind getting to it early, but some prepwork is my usual cup of te-eeeee!" Sirius ended up needing a minute to recover his bearings, as a stinging hex to his privates had certainly stopped any more snarky remarks from his part. He just knew he was going to be sore for days, ointment be damned. The woman then came up to him and lifted his chin with her wand, the tip warm and clearing waiting let loose another spell. "Now, I usually don't mind some verbal jousting myself, but time is not a factor I am about to rely on so let's get down to business. The runic circle at your feet is a variant of a truth compulsion. It will break through anything, save a Fidelus, to dig the truth out of you, so if you currently have an unbreakable bow and any oaths on your magic, I would mention what you can safely say about them now, before I get digging."
Sirius racked his brain, trying to think of anything that would count as such. "No unbreakable vows and what oaths I swore to the Order of the Phoenix and the Aurors are now released, minus the Godfather Oath I swore. Only secrets I am keeping are under family magicks." The woman gave him a very predatory smile at his answer, "well, it's a good thing you're the Head of House, aren't you, Sirius Black, since such secrets can only be freely spoken by you." Sirius was starting to sweat as the ramifications of what she just said filled his mind, until she asked her next question. "To whom did you swear your Godfather oath to?" Sirius wanted to refuse to answer but the words slipped out of his mouth on their own, "Halley Lily Potter."
The woman seemed stunned by his answer. "What were you doing in this part of non-magical London and why?" Sirius tried to fight it again but finally decided to just let it out. "I am looking
for my goddaughter. I was told by her birth parents that she was given over to muggles to raise. I named her my Heiress and sought to take her back and bring her home." The heat from her wand went up a bit and Sirius began to think there would be burn marks on his skin, that is if he didn't end up dead. Her next words were clipped, filled with barely contained rage, "Did you intend to return her to her biological parents?" Sirius didn't fight his violent response, "No!"
"What were your intentions in retrieving your goddaughter?" Her voice was guarded now. Sirius sighed, "Take her in as my family, maybe blood adopt her if she was willing. Raise her as she should have been raised, by family among magic, loved and cherished instead of casted out and set aside." The woman got quiet, her wand no longer burning a hole in his neck. He looked at her and she seemed ...conflicted. "If your goddaughter magically changed her name, would your oath still stand?" That question certainly threw him for a loop, though the answer was clear enough, "the oath was taken mid ritual, the oath is tied to her magic, not even a blood adoption would break it." His captor, dare he say it, seemed...happy about his answer. "If your goddaughter is happy and being raised by a wixen, taught magic, customs and etiquette befitting her state as your Heiress, what would you do?"
Sirius really had to think about her question, since it wasn't something he had considered. "I would ask to be a part of her life, to be able to teach her the family magicks and to be given a chance to be a part of her family, something denied to us both for almost 9 years." His words seemed to weigh heavy in the air, as neither of them spoke. The woman sighed, summoned a small table and chair from the other end of the room and placed them both in the still active runic circle. She positioned everything so that the table was now in the center. Then, much to Sirius' surprise, she unlocked the boxes trapping his hands, though his arms were still bound to the chair. As she sat down, her eyes met his, and for some stupid reason he found them beautiful again.
"My name is Sabrina Selene Prasinos, mother of one Rhea Sabrina Prasinos, your goddaughter and Heiress. The runic circles magic is still active and will remain as such until we both leave it. We will remain here as long as it takes to hammer down what happens next. I will make this clear, anyone trying to seperate my daughter and I will meet a bloody and violent end. We clear, Lord Black?" Sirius swallowed at the vehemence behind her words. "Crystal." The moment his words leave his mouth, the tension seems to leave her body. "Were you aware that someone tried to strip Rhea of her magic, someone who then proceeded to place a blood tracker and health monitors on her?" Sirius looks at her and pales, "Wait, that can't be right. James-," the growl that escaped her throat made his hackles rise. "Uhm, they said that Voldermort took her magic and then tried to do it to Henry, then everything went to shit."
"I can tell you that the traces of magic I found show that the same person who tried to strip her magic was the same who cast the other spells. The only magical trace that was different was what was left in her cursed scar, which I would bet matched that of Voldemort." Sirius was mulling everything over, when her words fully sunk in, "Wait, she had a cursed scar too? I thought it was only Henry." Her blue eyes looked into his gray and she shook her head. "Don't know if it's the exact same kind of scar for him, but whatever magic led her to me also cleansed her from foreign magic, so her cursed scar is now healed and closed."
Sirius sighed in relief, happy that she won't be carrying a permanently open wound from old snake face… "what do you mean that magic led her to you?" Sirius barely had a seconds warning before her wand pointed at his face and a soft legilimens was spoken before his mind was inundated with everything Halley went through up till she met Sabrina. Why it cut off there lingered in his mind for a split second, but first he needed to down a shot of firewhiskey. Or maybe twenty.
Their conversation went on for a few hours, from brainstorming ideas onto who was responsible for what happened to Halley, how they would go about protecting her and how often they were going to meet so that Rhea would spend some time with him. A knock on the door made Sirius and Sabrina stop. Sirius' heart leaped to his throat as the door opened and a shy, innocent looking little girl peered in. Her hair wasn't the ink black he remembered, as now it sported some bronze highlights. Her skin was pale but not in the unhealthy variety some purebloods had, as it clearly saw some sun. She was thin, but not the emaciated thin he saw in the memories. "Should I be fetching a body bag or you keeping this one?"
Ok, maybe not so innocent. The smirk on her face made him smile, knowing that there just might be a Marauder in her yet. Sabrina smiled and padded him on the back, "Can't say about a keeper, but he will be sticking around." Sirius frowned when Sabrina's words didn't seem to have the desired effect. Even Sabrina noticed and she quickly explained, "This is Sirius Orion Black, your godfather. He had no part to play in what happened to you and wants to help. I already showed him everything that happened and he is willing to stay and help us out." That seemed to make Rhea smile, chasing away any lingering doubts she had. Her eyes looked down but he wasn't sure if she was looking at the rest of him or at something else. Of course her next words made him choke on his own spit. "So, how long before you start planning to have him in your room with the silencing charms up?"
"In a month or two." It took Sirius a few seconds to realize that yes, both of them were still inside the runic circle, that Sabrina had actually found him attractive enough to have considered bedding and was possibly planning it and that his goddaughter was observant enough to take advantage of the situation both of them were in. Rhea's giggling voice seemed to echo across the house as she ran away, as Sirius slowly turned to look at a decided red faced Sabrina. Wishing to defuse the tension, and take advantage of the circle before they both left it, Sirius asked the question that had been on his mind since the impromptu memory dump. "So, care to tell me why you stopped the memory when you found her in the snow?" Sabrina's face went from embarrassed to playful, "Because, everything before that day was what you needed to know Halley. Now, you have to get to know Rhea the old fashioned way."
Sirius couldn't help but smile at that answer, as both stepped out of the circle. His last words to Sabrina were both truthful and straight from the heart. "Thank you. I can't wait to get to know her better."
- -
Sirius would be the first to guiltily admit he expected to see some trace of James and Lily in the little girl. Sure she had James' hair, but her's wasn't as bad as the eternal mess that the Potters were famous for, and he would admit that the bronze highlights really looked good on her and could only imagine how many hearts she would break once she hit puberty. He had already asked Andromeda to have a selection of Black family curses ready to teach Rhea as soon as she rejoined the wider magic community. Though, to be honest, he knew his little pup was far from defenseless.
As soon as September was about to start, the shop got surprisingly busy. Sabrina explained that the local wixen who had children at Hogwarts or who were homeschooled would come by her place and buy the potions ingredients and supplies they would need. Hers tended to be of higher quality and lower prize, not to mention she wasn't as dreadful as the guy running the Apothecary in Diagon Alley. Sirius agreed. The guy gave him the creeps too and Sabrina was easy on the eyes. As much as he tried not to think of Hal-Rhea's mother that way. So unlike all of August, the shop's wares needed to be constantly restoked. He had been about to offer them Kreacher's services in helping out, only for said words to suddenly get stuck in his throat, as he watched 10 year old Rhea using wandless magic to restock all the shelves. Wandless and silent magic!
Sabrina smiled at his stupefied expression and explained, "She has several affinities to magic where a wand is a bit of a disadvantage, so I tried teaching her how to do magic wandlessly. She took it like a fish to water and can now do a few spells silently too. I tried to keep up with her but the best I can do is basic summoning and a soft lumos charm." Sirius shook his head as he looked on as the shelves were already sorted and restocked, just as a new family of wixen stepped in. He stood back at the door that led upstairs to the actual living quarters of the building as he watched Sabrina sort out the supplies for the couple, while Rhea chatted with the couple's little girl, who looked very much of Hogwarts age, apparently giving her some tips in potion making. When the woman, who seemed to be in her fifties looked over at him and frowned, he got worried.
The woman turned to Sabrina and gave her a questioning look, "You sure this man is worth keeping around? We don't want to see you or Rhea getting hurt." Sabrina looked at him, the devilish grin that graced her face forced a decidedly dog whine out of his throat. "Oh, I am sure he won't be too much trouble. He absolutely adores Rhea and would never let anything happen to her. As for me, I am sure I can get a decent leash to wrap around his neck, good enough to keep him away from the proper ladies in the area. At worst, I could always use him as potions ingredients." The cackle the old witch let out made Sirius relax, despite reminding him of Bella. As soon as the family was set to leave the witch walked over to him, a stern look on her face. "Sabrina has been good to us here, away from the troubles in the Ministry and the Wizengamot. You treat her and little Rhea good, you hear?"
Sirius smiled and gave her a soft bow, "I would never dream of treating them as anything but the proper and lovely ladies that they are. Besides, Sabrina's stinging hexes have a decidedly cruel aim." The witch smiled at him. "As they should," were her parting words as she and her family left the store. Watching as all the witches and wizards visited the store prior to September 1st made him feel as close to normal as he could remember, even as he began to make plans to protect this
peaceful life before next July comes around.
- -
Samhein came around and Sirius found himself a bit conflicted. He remembered all the same Samhein celebrations back at Grimmauld Place and he wasn't very fond of them. He remembered celebrating Halloween at Hogwarts with James, Remus and …, well he remembered all the pranks they made and how disgustingly full of sweets they would get. He remembered the night that every other witch or wizard would celebrate the disappearance of Voldermort and the supposed end of the war. He knew of two witches that would not be celebrating with cheers. The early morning appearance of an osprey messenger Patronus made sure of that. "Tonight isn't a good night for Rhea. I need you here and you will be staying over. Whether you sleep as a dog on the floor or not is up to you."
When he arrived at the living room on the second floor, he found his goddaughter on the sofa, a throw blanket wrapped around her lower body and a stuffed black dog hugged to her side as she read a large book on her lap. She looked up and gave him a smile, though he could see it failing to reach her eyes. Sirius smiled as he sat down on the sofa beside her. "Hey sweetheart. What book are you reading today?"
Rhea kept her eyes on the book, ""Goblins: Traditions and Etiquette." Mom said that I should get started on getting to know goblins, especially since we will be going to Gringotts next year. This seemed to be the least biased book I could find." Sirius looked at the book and nodded. "Probably. I have read a few others, since Blacks are also expected to have cordial relations with the goblins and this is the best one I found."
His goddaughter turned the page. "I looked at the owl mail order catalog and couldn't find a book on learning their language. Anything in the Black library on it?" Sirius thought for a moment and shook his head, "Not that I remember. Why?" Rhea looked at him as if the answer was obvious, "We are going to need them to do a lot for us, keeping me and mom safe for starters. Not to mention they run your Family's finances. I want to show them proper respect and speaking to them in their own tongue, following their own traditions, seems like the right thing to do."
Sirius conceded the point. "I will look around and see what I can find." Rhea smiled at him and said "Thanks!", before getting back to reading. Sirius looked at the stuffed dog on her arm and gently touched it. "Does it have a name?" Rhea looked at the dog and touched its head lovingly. He could see how much she loved the toy. "This is Padfoot." Sirius stilled and tried to wrap his brain around that. He knew Sabrina was aware he was an Animagus that resembled a Grim and that he called it Padfoot, but Rhea's behavior makes it clear that the toy has been around a bit more than 3 months. So how... "Nice name. I think I remember it from somewhere."
The girl flipped the page again and he was always amazed how she could divide her attention so well. Probably why Sabrina called him over, since she probably couldn't get her to not think about the night while she made the ritual preparations and everything. "Padfoot is a Grim. Most people are scared of them, but I think they're cool. I remembered the name from … somewhere and it felt right when Mom got him for me. Later I read how people see them in a book. It felt … wrong." Sirius smiled, hoping that maybe she remembered his animagus name from when she was a toddler. She was always asking for rides on him as a dog and he could never say no. "Then I saw one in the graveyard. He was so sweet. His tail was wagging happily and he kept licking my cheek."
Sirius was sure his heart stopped for a second as he tried to … well, nothing really comes to his mind when his 10 year old goddaughter admits to having not only seen but touched an omen of death. "When and where was this?" Rhea looked up and was a bit in thought when she answered, "Almost a year ago, just before Yule, at Kensal Green Cemetery. One of mom's friends died and was buried there. I saw the Grim while the funeral was going on, but no one else did. Mom didn't see it either, but she wasn't mad at me. Said that Grim's are very picky about who they interact with." She went back to her book as Sirius was left in thought. While he wasn't exactly happy that Rhea met a Grim, she clearly wasn't marked for death, so there doesn't seem to be much for him to worry about. "Did your Mom tell you I was an Animagus?"
- -
Sabrina was trying to concentrate on the runic circle for their Samhain ritual. Most who follow the Olde Ways hardly ever set one up, usually just an altar with offerings and photos of the departed, some carved turnips for traditional protection and a few kept more modern protection runic stones in their pockets. Most people of course didn't have a budding Necromancer in their home, and they certainly didn't have to worry about an excess of Death Magic in the ritual making it a more … involved experience. The first time they both went through the Samhain ritual, it was an unmitigated disaster. The entire neighborhood felt heavy with Death Magic for a few days, until a cleansing ritual she had Rhea lead successfully defused the magic. While she didn't see any Ministry personnel in the area, she did see a single Unspeakable walking disillusioned through the neighboring streets. Thank the Goddess for Mage Sight.
The runic circle in front of her was one of the most complicated she had ever made. Instead of the typical pentagram or heptagram, this one was a heavy 12 pointed dodecagram. While Abrahamics would associate it with either the tribes of Israel or the Apostles, older mages had a different story. The Greeks tied it with the Ancient Gods, who held Authority over all the great powers, death included. Sabrina hoped that it, with ritual materials tieing into each realm of Authority, would be enough to keep Rhea's Death Magic anchored into the ritual. Finishing up with the Altar and the plates, Sabrina was already on her way upstairs when a definite childish squeal reached her ears.
There, on the living room floor, was Rhea playing with Sirius in his Animagus form. Sabrina had been marginally worried when Rhea decided to pet the invisible Grim at the graveyard, but the magical creature clearly meant no ill will. When she took Rhea to an area she knew had Thestrals and the girl could not only see them but actually interact with the then very happy winged horses, Sabrina knew that Rhea's affinity towards Death Magic was why the Grim wasn't a threat. She really doubted any of Death's creatures on Earth would ever even consider harming one of their own. So she made the very educated guess that Sirius and his Grim like Animagus form would be just the thing to keep her girl happy and distracted. Samhain and Yule would always be powerful days for the nascent Necromancer, but the tragedies surrounding Rhea on Samhain would always be a concern.
- -
Sirius stared at the ceiling above him, his head replaying the events surrounding the Samhain ritual over and over in his mind. He had never been in a ritual like that. Ever. Rituals in Samhain were meant to allow a person to feel the thoughts and feelings of their dearly departed loved ones. It was always supposed to be vague but reassuring. So when he suddenly found himself standing inside his Grandfather's office in Black Castle, he knew something else was at play. "Sirius."
There, sitting in the armchair next to the fire was Arcturus Black, looking no older than the last time Sirius was in this same office, when he was but 12 years old. He certainly felt like he was twelve again. "I must admit, this wasn't what I had in mind for tonight." A smirk on his grandfather's eternally stoic face certainly added to that feeling. "No, I don't suppose it was. But the Veil isn't known to waste anyone's time, so why not take advantage of the moment? So, Lord Black, is there something an old soul like mine can help you with?" Sirius was about to take him up on that when he remembered the stories about how not to behave on Samhain among the dead.
"Arcturus Black, I can't thank you enough for the honor you have bestowed upon a wayward son of the House of Black. I can only ask that you grant me your blessing going forward so that I may do my best for our Family and our Blood." Sirius felt a great weight lift of his back as his Grandfather smiled at him, a genuine smile! He was left with the sudden desire to cry as the old man pulled him into his arms and hugged him. "My grandson, there was never a moment I doubted your place in our family. No matter what world, what time, you would always strive for the best for our family, even if many of ours were blinded by a madman's words. You have my blessing now and always as you lead the House of Black. I do, however, have two things to ask of you, though one I can already guess the answer."
Sirius pulled back and nodded at Arcturus, who looked at him fondly. "The first is one you already are doing. Take great care of Dorea's granddaughter. Her place in the world will invite allies and enemies easily and her gifts will only confuse and scare the unprepared. Pave the way for her, restore the Olde Ways among the fools of the Wizengamot so that her gift to you on this night finds its way into the hearts of all who believe and those who have yet to learn about Magics hidden truths." Sirius swallowed, now understanding more about Rhea's magic. Even her story of the Grim seems to make all the senses in the world. "For my goddaughter, my heir and if Magic,
and her mother willing, my daughter, I will."
Arcturus nodded, "The second and last thing I ask of you, my heir, is that you do what you can for Bellatrix. Forces beyond her control have stripped her of not only the freedom of her body but also of her mind and heart. Believe that the cousin that you loved as a sister still lingers beneath the puppet strings. There will be a chance for the House of Black to reclaim its last wayward child and your Heir holds Bellatrix' fate in her hands. Believe in them both, Sirius Orion Black III." Sirius burns his grandfather's words in his heart, hoping to one day see his cousin restored to the bright witch she once was. "I will."
The walls of the room then began to fade to black, a grey mist rising from the ground. Before Arcturus vanished, Sirius had to ask one last thing. "Grandfather. Do I have your blessing to Court Sabrina Selene Prasinos, in hopes that she honors our family as my Lady Black?" By that time the room had dissolved into a black void but his heart jumped as he saw his Grandmother Melania appear from the void, her arm linked with his Grandfather's just like he remembered seeing when they were alive together. His Grandfather turns to his wife who smiles and nods at him. Arcturus turns back one last time, a smile on his face. "You have our blessing."
Sirius feels a soft hand touch his chest. He knows he is in Sabrina's bed, which she expanded so that both he and Rhea could rest together. Death Magic, which he now knew his daughter had in spades, tended to leave a person cold, hence the shared sleeping arrangement. He feels a soft charm descend on his goddaughter's sleeping figure. He turns to look at Sabrina's wide open eyes, the glow of magic still illuminating them in the dead of night. "Feeling better?" Sirius nods.
After a few silent minutes, "I saw my grandfather, the previous Lord Black. I asked for his blessing, which he gave and he asked me to do some things for the sake of our House. I agreed." Sabrina hums, the sound a delight to his ears. "I may have also asked him for his blessing with a courtship. He and my grandmother gave it." He feels Sabrina tense at that. "Sirius, I am sterile. You know this. I won't be able to continue your family line." Sirius kept his eyes staring at Sabrina, a silver glow also lingering. "I know that. But we discussed Blood Adopting Rhea. Together. She is already your daughter and I would be honored if she saw me as her father. But I certainly wouldn't want to do that if the single most beautiful woman in my life wasn't willing to share. So, Sabrina Selene Prasinos, would you do me the great honor of allowing me to Court you?"
The room is silent as Sabrina stares at him, looking for anything out of place. She eventually sighs. "Fine! But you better make sure your family's place at Grimmauld is restored to its full strength. I am not bringing Rhea into a house where she could one day be vulnerable, and I am not just talking about Voldemort and his terrorists. You know who is going to come after her. After tonight, you know what she is and that anyone who tries to kill her will be receiving the full weight of my fury. You better do your part, Sirius." Sirius pulls Sabrina's hand up from his chest and up to his lips. The sight of her blushing face will keep him warm as he begins to plan a long courtship. "I promise, you and Rhea will have me at my best. The House of Black will protect its own. No matter what."
- -
There were a lot of reasons for Sirius to be thankful on his first Yule out of Azkaban. He could have never asked for a better mother for his goddaughter than Sabrina. Over the months since she captured him, Sirius had become exceedingly fond of her, especially now that they began a proper courtship. He loved making jokes about how they met, which seem to delight Rhea to no end, though Sabrina's promises of retribution made him feel...conflicted, especially when she talks about how creative she can be with restraints. Sabrina, aside from just delighting him with her company (and featuring prominently in his more pleasant dreams) really showed her stripes as a healer and a potions mistress. His Dementor induced night terrors had gone from a nightly occurrence to now once every two weeks or so. Part of spending time with his two favorite girls was exercising with them, though it did wound his pride when Rhea was able to do a few more laps around the park, after he was already laid out on the floor, Sabrina passing by just as effortlessly. Though he did enjoy the sight of the latter in her jogging clothes, at least when it was warmer.
Sirius would often be found watching as the two ladies went about their day, from Rhea helping Sabrina with some really advanced potions, including a steady supply of their version of wolfsbane potion for a werewolf that had family nearby. Sabrina had apparently been the protege of one of her Great-Aunts, one Chantal Prasinos. The fact that Sirius had known her name surprised Sabrina, as she wasn't sure how much of her works actually survived, since her own copies of many of her Great-Aunt's journals were lost in a fire. The look on her face at the mention of the fire made it clear that she had lost something more than just books, but he kept that to himself. He also forgot to mention to her that he owned several copies of said journals, many of them now sitting comfortably as presents under the Yule Tree on the second floor.
Rhea continued to just be a delight all around. She was studious, but not as obsessed as Lily had been, reading everything from death and funeral rituals from across the world, the responsibilities and decorum expected of an Heiress and even several scientific books, some surprisingly on medicine. He would never, ever admit to being a bit creeped out by her interest in death (yes, she had Death Magic but still), but it was clearly out of a respectful approach. She had actually gone back to Kensal Green Cemetery on November the 2nd, and proceeded to spend hours playing with the Grim. Of course, Sirius couldn't see the Grim, but he knew it was there. His goddaughter was knocked down by what he assumed was a very playful hound. Sabrina had told him it was best to let her have her fun. The fact the graveyard felt lighter by the time they left made Sirius agree that she had a point. Rhea's joyous face certainly seemed to lighten the mood, wherever she went.
Not surprisingly, Rhea's studious nature meant she was getting surprisingly good with other languages. She had a near perfect grasp of English, only stumbling with regional variants and words, was able to hold a conversation in French and Greek, and could interpret Latin well enough. She had been a little put out on not having found any books on Goblin speak (she refused to call it by the name wizards had for it since it was clearly meant as an insult) but it only drove her to study their customs more closely, so as to be as respectful as possible. Sirius, of course, decided that the
book he obtained from very deep in the Black Library would be the perfect Yule present for his little bibliophile. Though he was sure he was going to get an earful for keeping it quiet for so long.
- -
Sabrina couldn't help but smile as Sirius and Rhea gathered around the Yule Tree, picking up the presents and passing them around. The last few months since Samhain had been wonderful. Rhea adored Sirius and Sabrina could see why. He was playful, but never excessive or cruel. He always made sure that both Rhea and Sabrina were satisfied with whatever little plan he made before committing to it. His idea of taking Rhea to a town fair in rural Britain had been perfect, since they didn't have to worry about ID checks or overusing the confundus charm. Rhea had a great time on the machines, and both had spent extra time terrorizing the locals on the bumper cars. The smile on her daughter's face remained there all night, even while she slept, her arms wrapped around Padfoot. She had been very clear that she wasn't getting another stuffed toy, and Sabrina conceded not to buy one this year. Besides, she was likely going to get a living pet in a year. Sabrina just hoped it wasn't a Grim or a Thestral. Nothing short of Black Castle would be suitable for them.
She also had to give it to Sirius. For someone who spent most of his life in either Azkaban or fighting his family, the man had gone to all the stops to be as formal as possible. He always curtsied kissing her hand, always was the one to open the door for her and Rhea. He even pulled the chair out for her at their own dining room. Rhea was absolutely giddy with all of it, always asking him when he would spend the night over. His blushes were well worth the teasing.
"Mom! Can we start?" Sabrina stepped out of her thoughts, and looked at the clock. It read 9 am. "Sure, youngest first." Rhea reached out and pulled out a present the size of a jewelry box. She found a necklace with three charms on it; a shaggy dog, an osprey and a waxing moon. Rhea loved her grandmother's bracelet and had associated herself with the waxing moon, Sabrina being the full moon and Selene, may she rest in peace, the waning moon. "It's perfect." Sabrina then opened a similarly sized box and swallowed a curse that she really didn't want Rhea to overhear from her. A platinum chain and locket rested on black felt. The locket showed a large round sapphire moon in the center with a waxing moon and a waning moon, both in cream colored gold wrapping around the edges towards the back. When open, the cover would split, replicating the symbol of the triple goddess, with space for a single photo inside. It was perfect and Sabrina wanted to smack Sirius for the obviously expensive gift. A soft "Thank you" was all she said, carefully putting the locket away.
Sirius' gift was from both of them. He looked surprised at the two gold embroidered black fountain pens, the case sporting the House of Black's coat of arms. "I remembered L- a friend showing me one of these, though obviously it didn't look as good as these." Sabrina smirked, "While not as prevalent now as a few years ago, pens like these are seen as a sign of status. As Lord Black, it seemed appropriate. I bought them, but Rhea went through the trouble of enchanting them." Sirius then turned at his goddaughter, who blushed. "They won't run out of ink, and you can
easily change the ink color without issue. They are also charmed to not wear down and break. At least for a few years, I think." Sirius then proceeded to scoop up Rhea into a hug, who squealed at getting caught. Sirius beamed.
The rest of the presents went as expected. Sirius smiled as Rhea sputtered when she found his book that taught Goblin Speech (the closest and least demening English name for the Goblin's natural language). He himself laughed at receiving a book on Modern and Equitable Laws for Magicals from around the world, something Sabrina felt would be best after Sirius told her about what his grandfather wanted him to do. She did get a near second heart attack when she found two of her Auntie Chantal's potions journals, copies that she had lost. She proceeded to hug Sirius, propriety be damned, as happy tears fell from her eyes.
After cleaning up and lighting the Yule log in the chimney, she found herself unable to move from the doorway, with Sirius right next to her. "What did you do?" Sirius looked at her, some indignation in his face, "While normally blame should fall on me on any pranks, this isn't one of mine." A giggle coming from the stairs leading to the third floor captured both their attention. There was Rhea, her face sporting a very mischievous smile as she pointed above their heads, before rushing up the stairs to her room.
Right above their heads was a decidedly well hidden, at least from inside the family room, mistletoe. Sabrina looked at Sirius, her face getting flushed. Sirius gave her one of his roguish smiles before sighing, "Look, I am sure this isn't what you had planned, but I supposed I could just kiss you on th-" was as far as Sabrina let him say, her hand wrapped tightly around his tie as she brought her lips against his, her other hand losing itself in his long curly hair. Despite some hesitation, Sirius did spend the night, and Sabrina made sure to apply the silencing charms on the room and door. She also needed to thank her daughter come morning.
Chapter End Notes
Hope you are all enjoying the new family dynamic. They are an absolute joy to write.
Next Chapter is a bit shorter than this one but has a scene that made me cry as I wrote it. Need to give it a longer look to make sure it does what I want it to do.
Joining the Family
Chapter Notes
Here is the New Chapter, which does expand a bit on what has been setup. We also meet some new players who will be working to help our little Family flourish. Hope you enjoy!
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Sirius was a ball of nerves as he walked up the steps of Gringotts, with Ted Tonks at his side. After welcoming Ted into the family, he had placed the 1st generation (both Sabrina and Rhea were nagging him to drop the word muggle) as his Proxy for the Black Family Seat on the Wizengamot. Both his appointment and Sirius' decision to align the House of Black with the Neutral Faction had left some very disgruntled traditionalists and reformists in his wake. Sirius knew that for all intentions Rhea was going to be a traditionalist, though far more open minded than the typical members of the Dark Faction. Unfortunately, Voldermort's ghost still haunted the Wizengamot, with the Light and Dark Factions constantly bickering and fighting over legislation, some submissions being highly important and others questionable at best. Since the end of the war the Potters, with Dumbledore's backing, solidified a bloc in the Light Faction. Sirius thought that Charlus and Dorea were fortunate to not see how far James had dragged the once Neutral House of Potter so far up Dumbledore's rear. Charlus had hated the man.
Ted had being doing a good job of representing the House of Black, usually siding with the Neutrals, which lead to quite a few requests for Sirius to help solidify a Neutral bloc, something he would be working towards as soon as his goddaughter's safety and future was completely removed from James's shadow. Both Andromeda and Ted knew about Rhea, under the Black Family's vow of course, but they hadn't met her or Sabrina. The latter had been adamant that Rhea should remain away from anyone tied heavily with Mainstream Magical Britain, and the Proxy to the Black Family and his wife known for being a healer in St. Mungos made them both too high profile to risk exposing Rhea just yet. Which is why Sirius and Ted entered Gringotts first, since the sight of a Lord and his Proxy together at the Bank wouldn't draw too much attention. They had called on one of Teller Goblins, who had let Sharpfang, the House of Black's Goblin Account Manager, know that they were there waiting for two other people needed to begin their business. Sharpfang was aware that Sirius and Sabrina were Blood Adopting his goddaughter today and should be making all the preparations.
Apparently the thought of his two ladies summoned them, as both just walked into the bank's lobby, the Goblin guards holding the doors open wearing some very surprised expressions. Of course his mind lost some traction as he saw Sabrina's clothes. A tight dark blue turtlenecked, long sleeved shirt and black dress pants certainly made her look like a non-magical. He would have loved to see his locket on her neck, but Sabrina refused to do so, saying that the locket was too ostentatious for regular wear. She did wear it when they were in private though, especially behind closed doors and silencing charms. His little girl also wore non-magical clothing, her long hair braided and hanging forward from her left shoulder. He saw them take the line waiting for a
Goblin Teller, a smirk on his face knowing what was about to happen. He didn't have to wait long to see his little Marauder prank everyone in the lobby, Goblins included.
" Good morning Teller Mors'hook. May your vaults grow as your enemies falter before your blade. Would you inform Account Manager Sharpfang at your earliest convenience that The Prasinos are here and wish to meet him along with Lord Black and his Solicitor. We do not wish to impose on your time and gold. " Sirius had to bite his cheek, trying his best not to laugh at the sight of every Goblin in hearing range, which for Goblins meant the whole damned lobby, stopped what they were doing and stared at Rhea in dumbfounded silence. His little girl had not only shown them the proper respect and traditional greeting, but did it all in Goblin Speech, which he could now understand but not speak. The fact that no other wixen could understand what had been requested made it the perfect cover. Mors'hook eventually recovered his voice and with a smile spoke back to his girl in Goblin Speech, " May your enemies fall before you, youngling. I will send word to Account Manager Sharpfang immediately. Please stand in the waiting area for one of our fetchers to collect you. "
" We thank you for your prompt service, Teller Mors'hook. May your day be profitable, in blood and gold. " Rhea bowed as she and her beaming mother stepped out of the queue and into the waiting area, close to where Sirius and Ted were standing, the eyes of every Goblin following their steps until the moment ended and everyone went back to work. Before Ted could say anything, a Goblin reaches them, "Lord Black, Solicitor Tonks, your account manager is ready to receive you. This way please."
As soon as they enter Sharpfang's office, which was oddly empty, Ted turned towards him. "Sirius, was that …", "... your future niece who just left everyone gobsmacked. I do believe it was."
The look on Ted's face was all Sirus needed to burst out laughing, only stopping when Sabrina and Rhea stepped into the office. Instantly, Rhea's eyes were everywhere in the office. The Goblin that had gone to fetch his ladies, whom Sirius now recognized, rounded the desk, which caused Rhea to still before bowing deeply, "You honor us, Elder Sharpfang, Troll Slayer. May your ventures bring you gold beyond measure." What followed was the first time Sirius had ever seen his Account Manager laugh heartily. Sharpfang waved his hand, turning to English, "Think nothing of it. To hear a youngling of the wand wavers speak to us with honor and respect is enough reason for me to take some extra steps. You learned well, especially your notice of my full title. I imagine it was the club?" Rhea nodded as Sirius noted the massive Troll Club held in a stand at the edge of the room. Sharpfang turned to Sirius, "I take it this is the youngling you wish to bring into your family by blood and magic. I can say Gringotts will be delighted on the day she assumes your status as Head of House."
Sirius smiled fondly, "You will forgive me if I wish that said day is far into the future?" Sharpfang nodded, "of course. Now let's begin. Before we go through the Blood Adoption, it is wise to do a full inheritance test. Should she have some claims to other houses, it is best to secure them before the change takes effect. Please take the knife and pierce the skin, youngling. Let us see what more you have to offer to Gringotts." Rhea took the ritual knife and did a soft bow of her head, earning a soft chuckle from Sharpfang. She cut into her palm, not reacting to the pain and let
her blood flow freely into the Goblin made bowl until he waved her off. He caught a bit of surprise as Rhea effortlessly healed her hand, silent and wandless. Regardless, everyone turned their eyes to the parchment on the desk.
Gringotts Inheritance Test
Name: Rheannon Sabrina Prasinos (formerly Halley Lily Potter)
Born: July 31st, 1980
Father by Birth: James Charlus Potter (disowned)
Mother by Birth: Lily Potter née Evans (bond severed)
Sibling by Birth: Henry James Potter (bond severed)
Mother by Magic: Sabrina Selene Prasinos (bonded)
Father by Magic: Sirius Orion Black III (incomplete bonding)
Godfather: Sirius Orion Black III (oathbound)
Godmother: Marlene Ariana McKinnon (deceased)
Inheritances:
Heiress to the Most Noble and Most Ancient House of Black (by will and paternal line)
Heiress to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Ravenclaw (by maternal line)
Lady* to the Most Noble and Most Ancient House of Peverell (by paternal line)
Member of the Ancient Prasinos Family (by maternal bond)
The room was silent for a moment. Rhea looked over at her mother, who nodded. "Elder Sharpfang, we were aware of the likelihood I would have multiple inheritances, but why is the Peverell one different?" Sharpfang looked at the parchment and went over the rules for inheritances. "It's likely a condition for the House of Peverell was met, resulting in your magical ascension. As the Houses of Perverell and Ravenclaw have been dormant for over two centuries, the Goblins account managers for them were reassigned. One moment, I need to contact the Director in order to get the other family rings." Sharpfang stood and left the office.
Sirius barked up a laugh as Rhea curtsied at Ted. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Theodore Tonks of the House of Black. Allow me to properly introduce myself, I am Rheannon Prasinos and this is my mother Sabrina Prasinos." Ted shot a bemused look at a smiling Sirius, before softly bowing at Rhea, " A pleasure to meet such lovely ladies. I look forward to getting to know you both …properly." The last he said teasingly at Sirius, causing Rhea to giggle. A few moments later after light conversation, where Ted was affronted that both Rhea and Sabrina weren't fans of Quidditch (Sirius already gave up trying to convert them), Sharpfang returned, followed by a much older but intense looking Goblin. Rhea saw the emblem on his shoulder and bowed, " We apologize for any inconvenience we may have presented to you, Chieftain Ragnok, Head of Gringotts Albion, Manticore Slayer. May your people ever prosper and your vaults ever fill. "
"And may our business be ever profitable, youngling. Word of you has spread among the Goblins and many look forward to what tales will follow. Let us get to business." The Ancient Goblin placed two ring boxes on the table and pulled out a stack of parchments. "As Elder Sharpfang has informed you, the Ravenclaw and Peverell Houses had gone dormant, but as our Goblin magic confirmed, not extinct. The vaults for both remain intact, despite the Ministry and Houses with False Claims making several attempts to acquire them. Now, there seems to be an issue with the Peverell claim, with you being a Lady and not Heiress, is that correct?" Rhea nodded.
"Lets see. Of the lines capable of inheriting the Peverell family magic, only the Potters and Gaunts had the means to do so, though the Potters have held Proxy over the Peverell Seat in the Wizengamot since Iolanthe Peverell married into the family. However, according to the same marriage contract, should a Head of House Peverell successfully hold the family ring, said Head can regain control of the Proxy Seat and the Heirlooms left to the two mentioned families, and a few lost. These Heirlooms include a Cloak of Invisibility originating from one Ignotus Peverell, a Ring carrying an Onyx stone carved with the emblem of the Peverells originating from Cadmus Peverell and a wand originating from one Antioch Peverell, 15 inches of Elder Wood and a Thestral Tail Hair Core. Lastly, the Headship for the Family can be acquired via certain conditions. Firstly, a descendant of a Peverell must manifest Death Magic. Second, said descendant must participate in a ritual either requiring the use or adding the use of said Death Magic. Third and final, the descendant must have been touched by Death and brought Death into the world. The completion of all three conditions in any order will result in the ascension of said descendant to Headship of House Peverell."
…
…
"You Freak!"
"You are here because your parents knew what a monster you were!"
"I didn't do anything! Please, stop! It hurts!"
"You feel that, Girl! That pain is what you deserve!" "No, please stop!"
"Freaks like you don't deserve to eat. Now finish making dinner!"
"Please, my stomach hurts!"
"Remember that pain, Girl. It's the least you owe me for putting up with you!"
"Mom…Dad…where are you? Please… take me home… "
"How dare you bring trouble to us, you little freak. After we bothered to send you to school. I think some time with my husband's belt will fix you up."
"Please, I never said anything! Please no! Ahhhhhh!"
"She ran this way, let's get her Big D!" "Mom, Dad! Help Me!!!!!"
"You stay in the cupboard and pray we let you out early!" "Please … just let me die… I want to die..."
…
…
"Rhea"
Sabrina held her daughter, softly singing words of comfort into head ear as her daughter fell straight into a panic attack. Had she known what Ragnok would have said she would have stopped him. Part of the reason Sabrina had allowed Rhea to delve into her Death Magic and the many international rituals associated with it was to get her comfortable with the subject. Sure she needed to control her Death Magic, but she also needed to heal. And she did heal. Partly. The moment she is reminded about the Dursleys, Rhea's young Occlumency barriers around her traumatic memories tend to collapse. She hadn't had a single episode since Sirius arrived in their lives and Sabrina had been hoping to ask Andromeda to help Rhea with some Mind Healing, after the adoption. "It's ok little one, I am here. The monsters are long gone. You have healed. You're ok. I promise."
Her words cut through the memories and Rhea's magic settles, the air growing lighter. Sabrina sighs, thankful that the episode was the shortest yet. She turns towards the Goblins. "Our apologies, Chieftain Ragnok, Elder Sharpfang. Certain topics have a habit of dredging up memories best left behind. If we could take a small break, perhaps some food, it would allow my daughter to be well enough to claim her birthrights and follow through with the Blood Adoption."
- -
Ragnok sat at his desk, deep in Gringotts London. The day had certainly been illuminating. A disowned daughter to the Potters was now the Heir to the House of Black and the Lady to the Houses of Peverell and Ravenclaw. As the youngling was made the Blood Adopted daughter of Lord Black and Miss Prasinos, he had happily handed over control of the two formerly dormant accounts to Sharpfang. While the Peverell family wealth had long diminished, much spent in the dowries to the Potters and Gaunts, their vaults were still sizable, not to mention the many grimoires stored there, let alone the ones stored in Ravenclaw's vault. He could only smile as he thought of how much the little Necromancer would grow.
Necromancers had all but vanished in Europe, hunted down and slaughtered by Light zealots. He scoffed at how England, France, Spain and Italy had banned the practice of Necromancy, calling it "black magic." The Goblins knew better. Even in that instance when the girl panicked and Death Magic began to saturate the room, he could tell. No malice, no thirst, no violence. The magic was pure magic, untouched by intent. Intent and intent alone dictated how a spell would behave, from the most powerful healing spells to the most vile killing curses. Goblins were no strangers to death and in their history no Necromancer has ever treated them with anything less than respect. The irony seemed to be lost under the zealotry of the so-called Light. Of all the beings in the world, only Necromancers truly understand the value of life. All life.
He told Sharpfang to keep a close eye on the new family. Goblins could feel a change in the times like animals could a change in the weather, and the times were changing. He already signalled all of Gringotts that he was considering a wand waver as a Friend to the Goblin Nation.
The last one had been a certain witch, whose legacy remains as divided now as it was in her own time. He hoped that with Gringotts' help, the young Rhea Black would grow into her full power, politically and magically. He had no doubt that with her in the world, Goblins could only flourish. Now, all he could do was wait and prepare.
- -
Rhea slowly opened her eyes, the ceiling of the Goblin's ritual chamber high above her. She could tell why blood adoptions tended to be used for babies. For those with more mature and powerful cores, the process would be more painful. Case in point the fact her whole body felt like she had decided to run for 24 hours straight, rather than her usual 2 hours. Movement to her left caught her attention and she could only smile. "Hi Mom, hi Dad."
She knew the reaction it would have on Sirius. She had wanted to call him Dad since Beltane, when he had gone all out and prepared an extravagant day for Mom. While most Beltane celebrations tended to be communal and involve activities no child of 10 years should be familiar with, she also knew that other, more private individuals tended to celebrate it at home. Mom's store had been thoroughly decorated with May flowers. When some of the neighborhood wixen came in for some last minute supplies and noticed, they complimented mom, who revealed it had been Sirius' work. The ladies gave her some knowing looks before they left. Pretty sure mom sported a blush up all the way up to dinner. After that they vanished up to their room. Rhea would like to say she didn't know what happened next, but the silencing charm dropping at 1 am and her mother's highly descriptive screams were more than enough evidence. Rhea's swift wandless silencing charm lasted all the way to lunch, where she made sure her mom and soon to be dad were "aware" that she heard. Mom and Sirius had a blush all day long, though mom's smile lasted for over a month.
After checking in with the healers, while Sirius sported a derpy grin in the corner, Rhea was allowed to look in front of the mirror. Her hair now sported more curls like dad's, her skin now was closer to mom's and her sense of smell felt more acute. The last change was decidedly more welcomed. Her eyes stopped being the bright emerald green and were now cyan, a perfect blend of mom's and hers. The three spent a moment hugging each other, with Rhea thanking them profusely. They left the bank some 2 hours later.
While Rhea can admit that she remembers those hours perfectly, she can say that it boiled down to a lot of legalease. The Peverell Ancestral Home would be serviced and cleaned, but otherwise left in stasis, same as Black Castle. Grimmauld Place would serve as the Black Family home as soon as the renovations were complete and Sabrina managed to hire some staff for the shop. Sabrina herself was now fully sponsored by the Black Family, so she could technically expand, but she was too attached to her shop right now. Rhea could relate. Sure, Sirius was her dad now and they would eventually have to move in together. But Rhea had to admit, it would take a lot of time to get used to the idea that one day she would be saying goodbye to the only place she called home. For now, she wasn't going to think about it.
- -
Two weeks. Two blissful, quiet weeks passed for Sabrina as she and Rhea dealt with the rush that tended to happen after the close of the school year. Some of Rhea's acquaintances, mostly the kids whose parents come to Sabrina for supplies, were saddened to know that Rhea would not be joining them at Hogwarts. She made it clear that with Sirius now officially in their lives, they didn't want a boarding school to interfere with it. The kids were surprisingly mature about it and her customers… well, they were more interested in when she'd be spotting a ring on her finger. Sirius tried to cut in on the conversation until Sabrina put her foot down and said that she would say no to ANY marriage proposal or betrothal agreement until she was 100% sure. Sirius wisely kept quiet. He then, also wisely, left her quite sore for the following morning, not that she was complaining about that.
No, her complaints poured in when two weeks after Rhea's Blood Adoption, she received a very recognizable letter courtesy of a Long-eared Owl named Hermes. Sirius had been concerned, thinking it must be a missive about someone dying or her accounts in Germany getting frozen. When she told him it was a summons to the Prasinos Family home in France, he looked at her as if she was crazy. "You are panicking over an invitation to a family gathering, really?"
Sabrina counted to ten in English, then in Greek. "Usually you'd be right. If the letter didn't say I was "specially'' invited, along with my blood adopted daughter." Sirius froze. "Uhm, how bad is it, really." Rhea just stared at him, "Well, considering that Rhea's name is listed in the letter as "Black," that there is also a tentative invitation to a "Mr. Black'' and that the handwriting and signature are those of my other Great Aunt, who just so happens to be the Head of the Family, I think we're currently in a lifeboat waiting to see if we spring a leak before we are rescued. So not terrible, but still bad!" Sirius wisely went quiet after that, made sure to get his best dress robes, proceeded to buy both Sabrina and Rhea some new and expensive clothes, despite Sabrina's half- hearted attempts at saying no (she knew what he was trying to do), though Rhea refused to wear either a regular dress or robes and Sabrina joined in.
While Sirius looked like a good mix of magical and non-magical fashion, both Rhea and Sabrina went wearing dress pants, dress shirts and jackets. Sabrina's colors were full Prasinos colors, with a dark forest green jacket and pants and a cream colored dress shirt, Sirius' Christmas gift standing out on her chest for all to see. Sirius' went all out with dark colors: black long coat (after Sabrina pushed him back in his closet and told him to put away the trench coat), black Vest, gray striped shirt and black pants, the gold chain of his Black Family pocket watch visible over his vest. Lastly Rhea, decided to mix both their styles, with a black jacket and dress pants, dark green dress shirt, with her charmed necklace on the outside.
The family of three took a portkey from Gringotts London to Gringotts Paris, before portkeying with the invitation to the arrival point on the outskirts of Chateau Landes, an unplotable Prasinos property on the west of France. Sirius looks on the stretch of land, most of it covered in
trees, the large building sitting up the trail, hidden over a hill, when someone up the trail calls out Sabrina's name. Sabrina smiles and hugs the man on reaching him. "It's so good to see you, Jacques. How are the grandkids?" The old man, smiles, "getting up to mischief in Beauxbatons. Seraphina loves them as much as me, but I think by the time they are making babies of their own, Seraphina will be glad to hand over the reins to Jeanne." His eyes turn to Sirius and Sabrina wraps her arm around his.
"Jacques, this is Sirius Black, father to my daughter and the man Courting me. Sirius, this is Jacques Prasinos my Great Uncle and co-owner of the property." She could feel Sirius tense up under Jaques scrutiny. "Are you treating my niece well, boy?" Sirius visibly swallowed, "I treat her as much as she lets me sir. Haven't ever seen a woman harder to buy clothes or jewelry for." The heartfelt laugh from Jacques and Rheas giggles made Sirius relax completely. "Prasinos ladies have never been one for shiny things. Only way to earn their hearts is through respect. And this little one must be my new great-great niece?" Rea curtsies at Jacques. "Rheannon Black née Prasinos. It's a pleasure to meet you sir. Mom says you made her wand?"
Rhea and Jacques hold a long conversation on wand crafting as they enter the property. Sabrina takes Sirius' hand as they go inside, his eyes taking in the sight of the old home. She knew what he would see based on her own visits to Grimmauld Place. The place was beautiful and ornate, but not austentatious. Every once in a while he would spot an item that seemed out of place and Sabrina would explain that they belonged to particular family members. The family was massive, so little nick nacks, furniture and paintings became their currency. Sentimental value was more important to her family than outright value. Hence why she smacked Sirius after Yule for her necklace, since she knew she would never be able to let it go. She loved it and if she was honest to herself, she loved the man too. Didn't mean she'd stop smacking him whenever he reverts back to being a neanderthal.
"Do try to make it out alive. I doubt your ladies would ever forgive my wife for killing you and I quite like them." Sirius seemed to take a double take at the man as he opened the door into a small dining room and walked away, chuckling. "Sabrina, do bring your family in. We got some wonderful tea from Yu in Hong Kong who wants every one of us to give it a try." Sabrina laughed, "Sure. Do let her know I am still waiting for a copy on her Chinese Potions Manual." The old woman lets out a quiet "of course" as Sirius takes his seat next to Sabrina, who is the closest on the left to the Matriarch, while Sabrina points Rea to sit opposite of herself, to the right of the woman. Setting her cup of tea down, the woman's eyes focus on him, she has the same sapphire blue as Sabrina, but these don't calm his heart or warm up his soul. It feels as if in a room with his Grandfather when he did something wrong. "And you are?"
"Sirius Orion Black, ma'am. I am the lucky soul your great niece agreed to be courted by." The old woman hum approvingly. "Well met Lord Black, Head of House Black. I am Seraphina Lourdes Prasinos. Head of the Prasinos Family. I take it our Sabrina has been educating you on what it means to be a Prasinos." Sirius smiled, "Everyday and not with words." The woman smiled. "Good. Words are not needed. There is no manual or rulebook for courting a member of the family. You either succeed or you fail. Understand?" Sirius nods. "Now, usually I stay out of my family's relationships, baring my own line of course. But when my beloved Chantal's favorite great niece
not only became a mother via Blood Adoption, without prior warning…" she turns and looks at a clearly chastised Sabrina, whose soft "sorry" made Rhea giggle and made Seraphina smile, before turning stern again, "... and said child appears in our family trees as a Black, well I hope you can understand why we needed to meet. Now, I will be clear. Do you intend to one day marry Sabrina, daughter of Selene and have her take your family name?"
Sirius shakes his head. "I intend to one day ask for her hand in marriage and to share her life with me. Whether she agrees to marry me and if so agrees to take my family name, those are her choices alone." Sirius feels Seraphina's magic weighing down on him, before receding. "We haven't had a Prasinos take another's name in nearly a century. However, like you mentioned the choice will be Sabrina's." Seraphinas eyes switch to staring at Sabrina now, who squirms in her chair. "You have been very quiet in the years since your parents passed away. Were it not for your curt replies, you would have found Jacques or even Marcel at your door." Sabrina blushes and Seraphina sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. "Both Chantal and Selene were quick to call you one our most independent relations, but that doesn't mean you can't come and ask for aid."
Sabrina sighs. "I know Great Aunt Serah, but… this was something I had to do. It wasn't pride or stubbornness. I felt it in my bones. I won't apologize for that." Seraphina nods her head. "No, I wouldn't either." She turns to Rhea, who had been surreptitiously feeling the magic in the house. "And you are Sabrina's little miracle, yes?" Rhea kooks over at her blushing mom and Seraphina elaborates. "When Sabrina was diagnosed as sterile, there were many in our family who offered to carry a child for her. It's a common practice with us. But she refused them all saying that the day she was a mother would be because of a miracle." Seraphina chuckles at the memory, "Everyone who knew her knew she said it a bit out of pride, but quite a few said that she would probably get her wish."
Rhea smiles, "and here I am." Seraphina nods. "And here you are indeed. Magic runs deep in you. While I did my best to scare your father…", Rhea giggles, "... your magic reached out. You found two things of interest across the property. Care to share?" Rhea's smile dropped. "You won't like what I say." The old woman's hands cover Rhea's and she tenses for a second before relaxing. "Maybe, but I would like to hear it." Rhea fidgets. "One of your horses out in the stables is weakening. She won't see the New Year…", Seraphina's face goes still, "... and Jacques should probably see a doctor, not a healer. He isn't fading yet, but he could if he sticks to magic alone. It's not working. Even then..." Rhea shakes her head. "I don't know." Seraphina sighs but gently squeezes Rhea's hand, "Thank you for telling me. Why don't you finish your tea and go down stairs? My daughter Jeanne is currently trying to keep her kids from burning the house down. Sirius, do go with her. You should ask Jeanne about her man, Rene. Might help you better know how to deal with a Prasinos."
Sabrina waits a few moments after Sirius and Rhea leave the room. "You didn't know Jacques was sick." Seraphina shakes her head. "He has been tired lately, but nothing I thought was out of place at our age." Seraphina looks at Sabrina. "Her magic is not of a healer's touch, yet she feels illness. It is not the wildness of a Seer's eyes, though she has Mage Sight. I have never come across the like." Sabrina sighs and decides to take Saraphina's advice. "She has Death Magic. Death's
creatures adore her and she is studying Necromancy." Seraphina stills and for a second Sabrina thought she made a mistake. "It will take some time… to tear down the Necromancy bans. Sadly she will need to be in the open to succeed, as no one will change a law if it does nothing of consequence." Sabrina's eyes begin to tear up as Seraphina smiles at her. "She may not carry our name, but she is our blood. And I will be damned if I let the latest Necromancer in our family fall. We didn't fail the others in the past and we won't fail her."
Chapter End Notes
If you like it, please leave a comment.
The next chapter will deal with Years 1 and 2 in a condensed way. You will understand when you read it. Regardless, Henry isn't a MC exactly, Rhea and her growing Family are. But don't worry, there will be a big reveal within the recap of Years 1 and 2.
As mentioned before, a main theme of the series will be trauma and healing. Rhea's trauma isn't something that 2 years of love and support can magically fix. It will take time and action. There probably won't be anymore panic attacks, but there are other, more violent ways for trauma to manifest.
Of Stones, Rites and Chambers
Chapter Notes
I was hoping to never make a note like this. I dedicate this chapter to my aunt, who died suddenly this morning. Her last words to my mother was that she should get well, so now I have to spend more time with my mom. For comfort and to help her with survivors guilt. For everyone out there losing loved ones or who still have their families whole, remember to tell your family how much you love them.
Putting this chapter up because I don't know how well I can write for the next few days. And a scene in it feels appropriate.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Sirius breathed in the cool Scotish air. Even in summer, cold days could linger on the Hogwarts grounds. When he first crossed the front doors of the castle, it had felt like home. Even after running away to Charlus and Dorea's Manor, Hogwarts still felt special. Now…now home felt like people. At the time it was Charlus, Dorea, James and Remus. Marlene had almost been a home. Now it was Andy and Ted, young Nymphadora, but more than anything it was Rhea and Sabrina. What magic the castle had in welcoming the orphans and misfits of the magical world was nothing compared to the fire that now burned in him. He would keep his family safe.
From memory he navigated the castle's hallways, quick and quiet, he moved through the halls full of memories of adventures, pranks and bullying. He was a parent now, so he had to admit it to himself. He had bullied other students. Many had become Death Eaters, even a few before they graduated. A part of him wondered if he had some blame to carry. He knows he is partly responsible for Snape. Remus had almost killed him and nothing came of it. Detention and house point loses, sure, but nothing that mattered. Except his innocence. He lost it that day in 5th year. He almost ended up with blood in his hands a full 5 years before he was fighting Death Eaters out on the streets.
He was afraid of what another war would do to children like Rhea. He could see the signs. The Dark Faction was getting bolder, testing the boundaries of what they could get away with. The Light, on the other hand, was like a chained dog, ready for someone to let go of the leash. The last war had come at a terrible cost and for all the healing and celebrating after the end, certain people were gearing up for the next. He could see echoes of the past repeating itself. Slytherins waiting to be attacked, ready to defend their own. Children would come here, a "sanctuary" and lose any innocence they might have had. Rhea doesn't have that luxury. Hers was taken too early and too often.
He could still see the blind panic in her face while in Sharpfang's office. Her magic, usually controlled and gentle, had gone haggard and sharp. It wasn't violent or dangerous, but it had waited. Her body and magic knew pain and it would always remember. Andy had confirmed as
much. She would eventually outgrow the panic attacks, her mind would heal. But the innocence he remembered as he held a green eyed little girl had been snuffed out, by monsters who worked with flesh and blood, and by monsters who hid behind pretty words and lies. So he was here, to make sure he had the time. They would never hurt her again.
He knocked on the all too familiar door and opened after he heard an accented "Enter." He smiled at Mcgonagall's surprised expression. "Good morning Minerva. How are the Lion's treating you." The Transfiguration teacher walked around the desk and hugged him. "My Lions are perfectly fine. Except for the Weasley twins. That pair of Jokers seem to be following in your footsteps." Sirius laughed, "Ah, then perhaps I should meet them." She slapped his shoulder. "Absolutely not! I am already getting a Potter this year and I don't need you giving them any more ideas."
"Speaking about the second coming of the Marauders, I don't suppose you read these?" Sirius held up a Hogwarts acceptance letter. McGonagall frowns and takes the letter to see the name on the back. Sirius was happy he was here, the reaction was priceless. "You… you… I suppose congratulations are a bit late." A few seconds later she pales, "No, no! I refuse to have to teach a Potter and a Black again." Sirius gives her a mischievous smile, "Then I supposed it's a good thing the letter isn't a confirmation, otherwise Dumbledore would have to take up teaching again." Minerva stares at Sirius before opening the letter and reading. "I don't understand. I mean a part of me is relieved, but why?"
"First, I don't want this getting back to Dumbledore. This is a private matter between the House of Black and you, Deputy Headmistress. Second, can't you guess? I haven't exactly been around for 9 of the last 11 years." Minerva expression saddens. "Yes, I imagine being away for that long didn't do you or your daughter any favors. Is this a permanent refusal or will we see her here eventually?" Sirius sighs. "Right now her mother and I are in agreement that Rhea will be homeschooled with us for 2 more years. Everything else depends on her. We are keeping her out of everyone's reach, making sure she is ready to deal with a less than pleasant reality. I don't have to tell you the trouble that will be coming as soon as word spreads about an Heiress Black."
"No, you do not. I will keep this quiet, though I hope she does eventually come to Hogwarts, Marauders or not." The last she says with a cheeky grin. Sirius smiles and makes for the door, disabling the privacy wards he had quietly set up on entering. But not before saying, "Oh and don't worry. Pretty sure my girl will be Fillius' problem. I am sure nothing can go wrong with a Marauder in Ravenclaw."
It takes a moment for Minerva to register Sirius' last words. A Black with Fillius as head of … "The Morrigan have mercy on us all!"
- -
"Silence! This meeting of the Wizengamot on the 21st of June 1991 will now commence. Chief Scribe, is there any outstanding business before we begin the session?" Dumbledore looked towards the Scribe who was reviewing the day's itinerary as Sirius looked on from the Black Family Seat, Ted Tonks at his side. "There is Chief Warlock. A change in representation will take effect. Theodore Tonks, Proxy of House Black, please stand." Ted stands up, "Thank you Chief Scribe, Chief Warlock. Members of the Wizengamot, I offer my best wishes as I stand down from my position as Proxy, though I will remain as my family's Solicitor, so do expect to see me around some more." A smattering of chuckles echoes in the chamber. "I turn over to my Head of House, Lord Sirius Orion Black, who will represent our Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black directly." Ted steps aside as Sirius descends to the floor of the Chamber.
After taking the non-binding oath in front of the Wizengamot, Sirius is not surprised when Dumbledore sticks his nose where it doesn't belong. "Sirius, my boy, have you given much thought as to realigning your House?" Sirius gives the old man a mischievous smile, "Not that it's any of your business Albus , but I have. The House of Black shall remain Neutral. And if you ask me that question again, Chief Warlock, I would be more than happy to restore my House back into the Dark Faction in a moment's notice." The laughter that filled the chamber from the Dark and Neutral members warmed his heart, as did the look on Dumbledore's face as he walked back to his seat. Once seated he caught sight of James Potter's disapproving look, which he promptly ignored. Augusta Longbottom at least looked bemused. She had never been fond of the Headmaster.
The session went as expected, filled with budget concerns, bans on certain foreign items (he voted along with the Neutrals mostly) until the Light Faction, led by James, introduced a bill to ban all rituals. The Dark were obviously outraged, while the Neutral sat back and watched. Sirius, having heard enough, motions that he wishes to speak. Dumbledore looks at him questioningly, "The chamber recognizes Lord Black as willing to speak on the matter. For or Against the proposed law?" Sirius smiles, "Against the proposed law." Both the Light and Dark go quiet, with the Neutrals looking at him approvingly. "While I can understand Potter's concern over the use of certain rituals, I as Head of House Black cannot in good conscience allow an intricate part of Magical society be washed away by ignorance and misrepresentation." Sirius took a moment to organize his thoughts as the Light raised their voices, until the Chief Warlock brought them back to order.
"Though I can certainly understand why the ignorance has manifested, seeing as the NEWT course on Ritual Magics was discontinued without Wizengamot approval prior to my own education. I imagine the more wisen members of this body remember the elective or took part in it. Not to mention I believe many of my fellow Head of Houses have carried a few out themselves, as is customary in the process of assuming heirship." Many Heads of Houses nodded at his words, while those in the Light Faction seem to squirm in their seats. "I also know for a fact that rituals play an important part in a Healers duties, especially in the spell damage wards, as it's often the case that a cleansing ritual is the only means of removing the effects of spells and curses of unknown make and origin. I know for a fact the Potter family practiced rituals up to the previous generation, as I was invited during my stay in Potter Manor. I also vividly remember you, Lord Potter being invited to said rituals, most of which you decided to ignore. So please don't sit here spouting nonsense about the dangers of Ritual Magic, as I am sure Charlus Potter would have been
deeply against such a law."
The claps that resounded across the chamber made Sirius smile, as he could see the Light's support for the measure crumble. Before he sat down he looked at a disappointed Dumbledore, "Chief Warlock, when this motion is defeated, don't assume this is the end of the matter. I will be bringing the absence of several elective courses from the curriculum of Hogwarts before the Board of Governors. I as Lord Black won't have any Children of Black Blood receiving an incomplete education and I am sure that other Heads of Houses and Governors will not stand for it concerning their children either." Suffice to say, the proposed ban was defeated and several Neutral and Dark Faction Heads personally thanked him and discussed the matter of suppar education.
Speaking of the Board of Governors. "Lord Black", Sirius turned around and gave a soft bow of his head. "Lord Malfoy. How are my cousin and her son? Anxious about him going off to Hogwarts I assume?" Lucius clearly wasn't expecting such a fond interaction. "Indeed. Our Draco is currently reading up on several potions texts. He wants to impress his godfather and future Head of House." Sirius nods his head. "I thought as much. I hear Snape is quite the exacting teacher." Lucius walks at pace with Sirius through the halls of the Ministry. "He is. At least the students who pass know how to brew properly. And speaking of proper education, are you serious about going to the Governors concerning the Hogwarts coursework?" Lucius' face seemed to freeze for a second, and Sirius smiled.
"As much as I would love to answer with a pun, the matters are important enough for me to behave, Lord Malfoy. And I can assure you, I will be bringing the missing courses to the Board personally. There is no reason Hogwarts should not be teaching Alchemy, Dueling, Ritual Magic, Spell Creation, Healing and Magical Crafting. Beauxbatons has no problem teaching them along with a few others, and I imagine that no Malfoy would allow the French to out match one of his own." Lucius' indignant "certainly not!" made Sirius nod. "I have no problem with us working together on this matter Malfoy. Narcissa has gone a long way in repairing the divide between our houses. I would certainly like to see her work bear fruit." Lucius looked him in the eye and bowed his head a bit. "Then I will do my part as well."
- -
"Hey Dad?" Rhea saw Sirius put his papers down. "Yes?" The Lord Black office now resembled a proper office and not an abandoned museum exhibit. Fixing the Ancient wards had taken well over a year's time, though much of the proper work had been done in the last two months. Seraphina had been adamant that no Prasinos' child would ever grow up in a substandard environment, no matter what last name she wore. So of course the first thing she did was send a Wardmaster from the States, a member of the offshoot Greene family. Apparently managing a family in four continents took too much out of Seraphina's predecessor and so the family was divided along the Atlantic. Didn't stop the Matriarch from getting a relative to cross the pond and do a rush order. The best Galleons Sirius had spent, minus the ones that went to Sabrina's necklace. Rhea could see the dopey smile on his face whenever her mom wore it for him to see.
Bloody Neanderthal.
"Chieftain Ragnok sent me a letter. They hit a wall on the Break-in at Gringotts and, while they would rather keep the issue in house, they want to know if you would be willing to help." Sirius taps his fountain pen to his lips, Rhea smiling since he now exclusively uses her and mom's gifts. She was already working on a few sets to pass along to the rest of the family. Though the ones for the Malfoy's would definitely have to wait. At least Andromeda was chipper now after having two luncheons with Narcissa. "Hmm, I wouldn't be against it, but I don't know what I could do about it. It isn't Wizengamot business and while Amelia and her Aurors would do the arrest, they can't do it without a clue as to who it was."
Rhea nodded, "Chieftain Ragnok said something similar. He asked since you recently got the ear of the Hogwarts Board. Since the item was in a vault co-owned by Dumbledore and Flamel, they think Dumbledore might use the school to store the item." Sirius frowned, "I could definitely see that. I think I remember reading a Board notice about Dumbledore requesting permission to alter the wards somewhere in the castle, "for the students safety" it read." Rhea shrugged, "That would be my guess. The Flamels told Chieftain Ragnok not to worry about the item, since they already have that covered and to focus on the thief."
Sirius pulled out a bit of parchment, "I will let Amelia know that the thief is likely to target Hogwarts and that Dumbledore might try to interfere. That should get the old goat's whiskers in a twist. With the Board pressuring him on the restoring courses, it could help keep him of balance." He was a few words in on the page when he suddenly stopped and looked at Rhea. "Wait, why is the Director of Gringotts London sending you letters?" Rhea smiled, "Well how else was he going to ask me to take part in the Goblin's Samhain rites?" Rhea giggled and ran off, a black dog chasing after her as Sabrina laughed nearby.
- -
Lucius Malfoy, Cyrus Greengrass and Augusta Longbottom all sat in the conference room Sirius had rented from the Goblins. Ever since the Samhain rites, the Goblins have become all but guiddy in their interactions with him, Rhea and Sabrina. So when he offhandedly mentioned in front of Rhea that he really needed to find a safe place to hold a meeting with several members of the Board of Governors, his little Marauder sent out a missive to the Goblins. They had the room ready less than 2 days later, just in time for the Easter Break holidays. Sirius was sure that by the time his girl graduated from Hogwarts, she would likely own half of Wizarding Britain, and no one would be the wiser.
"Amelia has told me that Dumbledore has refused all attempts at having the school inspected. Even with the reports of Unicorns of all things dying in larger numbers in the Forbidden Forest. Ordinarily I wouldn't be concerned, until Lord Malfoy mentioned an incident with a Troll inside of the halls of Hogwarts itself. So, have either of you been informed by the Headmaster about this
breach of the school wards." By the look on both Augusta and Cyrus' face he would say no. Lucius coughed dramatically, "I myself was not informed either by the staff. Instead it was my own son, Draco who informed me of it. Apparently he had written a letter informing me, but no such letter arrived."
Augusta looked appalled, "Are you saying someone is interfering with mail out of Hogwarts?" Cyrus stepped in, "No, I think he is saying that Dumbledore is interfering with the mail our children are sending home. This is something that can't be allowed to continue. It's likely that other information has been filtered out and we haven't been aware of it." Sirius looked over at Lucius and invited him to add his two knuts. "I am certain there is. Draco also mentioned that Professor Quirrell's performance as DADA instructor has been subpar at best, useless at the worst." When both Augusta and Cyrus looked at him questionably he added, "As my Heir, I saw fit to give Draco some advanced tutoring in dueling and defense, something I know your wife did for young Daphne and don't think about complaining Augusta, since I am certain young Neville has been getting tutoring a long with Potter's Heir."
After seeing the two Governor suitably chastised, Sirius gets to the heart of the matter "Regardless of the extra curricular studies all the students from Noble Families are taking, the danger of having a teacher instructing a core subject poorly, let alone Defense, cannot be estimated. Students taking their OWLs and NEWTs this year are likely to suffer from this worst of all and many of the core Ministry jobs require an above average score in Defense. I asked you all here because these matters fall under the purview of the Board of Governors. The least I am asking is that the Board approves an Inspection of the Castle and its wards. While we are here, we can also discuss the matter of the missing electives."
3 hours and a luncheon later, the meeting disbanded. Sirius was actually happy to see Lucius take such an active role in his son's education. Part of him wishes that his own father, Orion, had done as well. But for now, this is the best he can manage.
- -
The inspection of Hogwarts didn't start up until after the academic year had ended. Sirius and his Faction on the Board had been disgusted with the more Light leaning members allowing Dumbledore to stall the matter until it stopped, quite literally, from being a concern. Because Quirrell was declared dead, the Third Floor Corridor had been scrubbed clean and the incident had been all but ignored. Except Dumbledore awarded points, well past the cut-off date, to Gryffindor House for whatever had happened with Quirrell and the Philosopher's Stone. If Rhea had been at school, Sirius would probably have challenged Dumbledore to a duel. Sabrina herself admitted that she wouldn't have even bothered. She knew of quite a few ways to kill a man without any trace whatsoever, prompting Sirius to consider taking her somewhere lovely this summer. Probably Spain, since he was already making a pit stop in France.
Not only had Rhea properly guessed that the item in the Vault at Gringotts was supposed to be Flamel's Philosopher Stone, but she had persuaded him to mail the Flamels after the whole incident had been reported to the Board. The Flamels had been decidedly annoyed with Dumbledore, who somehow failed to realise the stone he received was an incomplete Philosopher Stone, utterly worthless, but the man assumed it was the only one in creation. Rhea actually laughed at that, saying that if the Flamels had made the original within their own natural lifespan, it meant they had more than enough time to make several more. His quote of his daughter's deduction in his letter apparently endeared her to them. So now he, Sabrina and Rhea were going to meet the famous Alchemists in France for the summer. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea, putting a Necromancer in the same room as an Immortal Alchemist, but Sirius decided to just leave it alone. At the very least, if shit went down at Hogwarts, they had the best references for Beauxbatons.
Regardless, Dumbledore's stunt had lost him some points with the Board, he could no longer bring any Magical Artifacts into the school. The Board was going to reinstate the missing electives in a year or two, depending how hard it is to find adequate instructors, though how Dumbledore retained the right to higher the DADA professor was something he still had to wrap his head around. For the moment Sirius, with some help from Lucius, would put pressure on some of the less enthusiastic members of the Board to see if anyone would vacate their seat. He could have technically asked Rhea to invoke Founders Heir Privilege, but Sirius didn't want to use that yet. Dumbledore held one to many posts in the magical world, but his position at Hogwarts was probably the most important to him and whatever his plans were. Sabrina had agreed that the best way to remove Dumbledore as an issue was to strip him of his status as Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump. After that, getting him out of Hogwarts would be too easy.
- -
Rhea could tell Sirius wanted to run. He was probably itching to change into Padfoot and run for the woods. Of course, being in the Prasinos Family property meant he wouldn't get far. The wards were heavy. Even she could tell they were strong, stronger than they were when her parents had brought her here the first time. And if Rhea was honest with herself, she wanted to run too. One thousand pairs of eyes focused on her as she prepared to lead the Samhain ritual in front of the combined presence of the Greene and Prasinos Families. When Seraphina said she would "help" her and her family get ready for when her skillset as a Necromancer was revealed to the world, Rhea had assumed it meant surreptitious changes to laws, bribery, blackmail. Hell, maybe some assassinations. It wasn't her fault Seraphina reminded her of Al Pacino in The Godfather , the woman was scary when she got excited about something.
Rhea rubbed the bridge of her nose as she straightened her back. At least Jacques was fine. He was bald now, but that wrongness she felt in him is gone. Maybe that's why Seraphina decided to become her official grandmother. Mom had been happy about that but Dad looked like he sucked a lemon. Well, Grandma Sarah does like her tea with lemon, so maybe there was too much lemon in his tea. Or it could just be the fact that she had asked them to visit atleast once a year. Yeah, that
feels right. Speaking about Grandmothers, Rhea looked over to the Altar. She had talked to Selene the year before while she performed the rites with the Albion Goblins. She was happy that Rhea wore her bracelet and gave her some cool stories about mom as a kid. This year… she wanted to call Dorea.
Sirius hated talking about her sperm and egg donors (mom's idea) and had instead talked about Charlus and Dorea. She refused to ever call up a Potter. She didn't want to have anything to do with them. But Dorea had been a Black. She was Sirius' Great Aunt, like Chantal had been to Mom. And she had died keeping her alive. Henry too, but if the papers are anything to go by he was a prat. Rhea steeled herself. She was going to do it. She took her place at the center of the gathering.
The people gathered for the ceremony each gave their own version of the prayer for the departed, a multitude of languages, gods and goddesses stretching across the distant lands of four continents. As Rhea uttered the celtic words of calling, she felt the world go cold. Her Death Magic now covered the clearing. So many lives, so many souls. Some were fading which made her heart clench and eyes water with unshed tears, but so many were bright. She felt an echo. At least, it felt like an echo. Thousands of whispers moved around her, seeking the loved ones who spoke their name. So, as the Ritual Call of the Spirits reached its end, Rhea spoke her own prayer. "Oh Persephone, on this night of Samhain I wish to commune with the spirit of one of my blood twice over. Oh Persephone, goddess of the realm beyond the Veil, allow a speaker for the grave the chance to speak with one from within your domain. Oh Persephone, filled with love and compassion for the departed souls, grant me a night's watch in which to speak to one who died in my stead. Dorea Violetta Potter née Black."
- -
Sabrina woke up, one of the last it seemed. All around here she could see her relatives, Greene and Prasinos alike making their way back to Manor, many with tearful but grateful eyes. She knew why Seraphina and her cousin Cassandra Greene had called this gathering. After tonight, there was no going back. The Greene and Prasinos Families would live the magic that was Rhea, and they would defend her to the end. She may be a Black, but the blessing of a moment's heart to heart with the departed may as well make her an honorary member for every single person here. But right now none of that mattered. Only Rhea did. She weaved her way through the few who were still out cold as she neared the altar. There, at its center, was Rhea, her mind still within the Veil. Sabrina nealt beside her, casting warming and cushioning charms on and around her 12 year old girl.
She felt Sirius slip in behind her, joining her quiet vigil, his arms wrapped around her waist, his chest to her back. Though both of them were cold the contact of their magics would help chase the cold of the grave away. There would be a lot of physical closeness among the two families, though no true intimacy. It wasn't forbidden or taboo, but anyone who went through the ritual would know. It just wasn't proper. Tonight was a day for the living and the dead to meet. Acts of the living alone would come later.
As the sun began to set the horizon ablaze, Sabrina was getting worried. Rhea was the last to wake. Everyone else was already inside, except for herself and Sirius. She was about to voice her concern when Rhea took a deep breath and her eyes opened. She went straight into Sabrina's arms and cried. She had held her daughter as she cried, many, many times. These tears were coming from deep inside her daughter, deeper than the terrors of the past. It felt as if she were crying from her very soul. Sirius, bless her man, moved a bit and pulled both of them into a hug, his head pressed against Rhea's. Eventually she calmed down, but she refused to let go of Sabrina.
"I was with Dorea." Her words were soft, as if confessing a sin. "She told me. How she had been there that night. How she kept us safe." Rhea got choked up, needing a bit of time before continuing. "Her spell worked. But something went weird. She got stuck to me." She moved her head and pressed herself against Sirius' shoulder. "She was with me Dad. Everyday. She saw everything ." Sirius stilled at that, and Sabrina could understand. To know that a woman who had been more of a mother to him than the one who bore him had been forced to watch her own granddaughter be abused, raped and practically left for dead and could do nothing … she could scarcely imagine her pain. Rhea seemed to pull herself out of a memory, a sign that she had definitely healed since that moment in Gringotts. She hoped it got easier.
Rhea looked over at her and smiled, her eyes red and tear tracks across her cheeks, "She brought me to you Mom. My magic …" hic, "…that night…" hic, " …it woke up. Like our first Samhain. She was able to hold me. Pulled me through the Veil. She took me to … you." Rhea then buried her head in Sabrina's shoulder, who proceeded to gently rub her daughters back. She couldn't bear to look at Sirius right now. She would break down too. As soon as Rhea was asleep in her arms she strengthened her occlumency barriers and her body. She carried her daughter in her arms, Sirius quietly walking behind her. She had a lot to think about that day. But sleep would come first. And then a bloody altar for Dorea Black. The woman's spirit deserved as much.
- -
Rhea refused to go to Dorea's grave on the Day of the Dead. She promised that one day she would, but not right now. Rhea eventually confessed that she didn't leave the Veil sooner because she had been unraveling the tether between her Grandmother and her. She succeeded just as the light of the sun breached her space. Dorea was free now to be with her husband and siblings in the grave. Rhea wouldn't interrupt them, even if time was weird on the other side. It just didn't feel right. Seraphina and Cassandra took her family's somber mood well. They knew not to press. Cassandra could tell that none of them wanted to go home, but staying wasn't any better. She offered to take them in at a family vacation home in the States. Mom didn't fight it, nor did Dad.
Rhea had to admit, the place was great. A small Southern Style home in Louisiana. The air felt rich with wild, untouched magic, and that was ignoring the wards. The house was on a bayou, far away from the bustle of people. They arrived at night and they all went straight to bed. The sound of the insects and river had lulled her to sleep. The moment they all got up, everyone was
just standing in the kitchen. The weird feeling broke when Rhea hugged her parents and said she loved them. At lunch, a lovely lady by the name of Josephine Greene came by and took them out to experience the sights. The beach they visited was really nice, the water still warm, though Josephine said it would get cold soon.
Rhea gave Josephine a necklace made of shells she had been collecting all day. When Josephine asked why, Rhea pointed at her parents. Josephine had taken her Mom and Dad separately to get their swimwear, so when Mom took off her shirt and pants, Dad had gone mute. He followed her like a puppy all day, getting all lovey with her. Rhea prayed to the Goddess that she didn't take after her dad when it came to love. She didn't want to look like an idiot, no matter how loveable. That night Rhea had personally set the silencing charms everywhere in the house. Their first Beltane had been mortifying enough. They spent two more nights in the vacation home before heading back to Britain. Rhea hoped her new Familiar didn't mind portkeys (it did!).
- -
Sirius was sure the other half of the Board of Governors were just plain stupid. How was it ok to ignore a monster petrifying students just because Dumbledore said so? Sure, ignoring the cat that was petrified on Samhain could maybe be excused, but the fact something was capable of paralyzing a cat beyond a healers skill to fix it on the spot should have been a big clue that something bad was going to happen. About a month later a First Generation Wizard (Rhea had kicked his chin when he said muggleborn) had been petrified. Sirius would have loved to have stepped in, called the Aurors and let them settle the matter. But Dumbledore had to skirt the rules, again!
He had been required to notify the Board of Governors about the incident, but the bastard only notified one of his close friends and told him everything was under control and that he didn't need to inform the rest. He also told the students that the Hoard had been notified the morning after the incident. So Sirius and Lucius only became aware that things were getting worse when a Half- blood Prefect got petrified, along with a first gen witch friend of Henry's. They managed to catch the lie and got Dumbledore suspended, and his friend on the board of Governors was dismissed. Sirius applied for the open seat, as did James Potter, but thanks to his work with the Board and his strong position on improving the education of the school, coupled with the Black Family having held a seat since the Board's inception, Sirius obtained the seat without much difficulty.
Word of the change of the guard must have reached the school because whoever had been responsible quickly took one Ginny Weasley hostage into the so-called Chamber of Secrets. Henry, displaying the infamous Potter luck, managed to rescue the girl and kill the monster. Dumbledore managed to convince the Board to return, but Sirius was about to make him wish he had taken his leave all the way to the end of term.
"So, we now have established that the culprit of all the petrifications as a shade of a person stored in a book." Sirius noted that Malfoy looked ill at the mention of the book. "As the matter has been handled, at least in your own words, Headmaster, you feel it that the Board should close its investigations entirely." Dumbledore nodded, "That is correct."
Sirius leafed through the report and stopped on a certain interview. "And you say that all depositions as established in this report are truthful?" Dumbledore looked confused as to why he was asking, "as far as I know they are entirely truthful." Sirius sighed, "What of the matter of Gilderoy Lockhart?" Dumbledore looked unconcerned, "Lockhart is currently held at St. Mungos. They don't expect his memory to return. As such there is no way of charging him for his crimes prior to Hogwarts." Sirius was looking at Dumbledore with murder in his eyes. "My concern is with potential victims inside the school. Your report states that he was an accomplished obliviator. So did it ever cross your mind that you may have students suffering memory loss who could be the victims of molestation or rape!"
The sudden intakes of breath in the room made it clear that no one else had even considered that. Dumbledore, ever the apologist, tried to calm everyone, "I am sure that Gilderoy wouldn't have dared to…", "attempt the obliviation of minors, with the intent that they suffer physical harm or death. I believe you provided the evidence that he did just that. I move for immediate examinations of the student body and staff by St. Mungos healers for any sign of obliviation and sexual assault, and I swear, if the next words out of your mouth aren't "I concur" Albus, I will personally see you charged with obstruction into possible criminal offenses against minors! I am sure Madam Bones would love to add her own experiences to the case!"
Dumbledore wisely kept his mouth shut. The healers did eventually arrive and much to the shock of the Board and staff, three 7th year girls were found with signs of rape and obliviation. The story broke on the Daily Prophet, though they kept the identity and years of the victims quiet. The incident drove a massive wedge between the Neutral leaning Light members and the rest of the Light Faction. Dumbledore's ability to hire teachers without Board approval was also revoked, as was any warding on the school grounds that could block or redirect mail. From now on, Hogwarts would be watched very closely.
Sirius did manage to corner Lucius Malfoy after the last meeting of the Board of Governors. After raising the strongest privacy wards he could, Sirius turned on Lucius, "On the life of your son, tell me you didn't know about that book!" Lucius looked like he was about to protest but he just… deflated in front of him. "I knew the book existed but I had no idea the book made its way to the school. I swear on my magic." Sirius stared at Lucius, "I imagine it belonged to the former Dark Lord." Lucius nodded. "Then are you prepared to see your own son branded like you should he rise again?!" Lucius clearly wanted to say something, any but his words just failed him as he collapsed on the floor. "I have tried everything to get it off. I looked everywhere, called in curse- breakers and wardmasters from all of Europe. None could help me!"
Sirius stared at his cousin-in-law, "If I could find someone to remove the Mark from you and more like minded repentant Death Eaters, what would you do?" Lucius gaped at the man, not believing what he was hearing. "Believe me Lucius, a part of me would wish I could drop you, Snape and Nott in Azkaban and throw away the key. But you made a life for yourself, you have a son! I know exactly what goes in your head the moment he is in danger. If I can get the bloody Mark off your and your friend's arms, will you help me bury Voldemort and Dumbledore?"
Lucius stands up and stares right at Sirius' eyes, "Why?" Sirius's struggles for a moment but decides that now is as good a time as any. "Because I don't want my daughter to live through what we lived through. Dumbledore and Voldemort are not the type of wizards to let things go. For my daughter, for your son, I am willing to let go and do everything in my power to leave our society better than when we were kids. Are you?" Lucius stares at Sirius for a moment. "For them… yes. I will help you. What do you need?"
Chapter End Notes
Hoped you liked what I did with Dorea's story. More on her and her past will be revealed later. Yes there is a new Familiar for Rhea. No it isn't Hedwig, as Hedwig feels more appropriate to Henry in the irony of the name refering to his orphaned sister he never knew he had. Also the sweet irony that Saint Hedwig of Silesia was married to a Henry was too much of a coincidence to look past. I had originally wanted Rhea's familiar to join her at the end of the Samhain ritual but her moment with Dorea and the effect it would have on the family took a life of its own. Oddly enough, the familiar joining her in a place full of wild magic felt more natural.
As for Rhea's prayer, I had originally wanted to use a Celtic deity but none felt right, despite the awesome stories others have writen with them. Persephone was one of my first introductions into myths and gods of old and while we tend to associate her more with Demeter, she is also Hades' Queen. Couldn't pass on a deity so full of contradictions and so beloved. Her being Greek in origin only ties her better as Sabrina was Rhea's introduction to her.
Next Chapter is Summer before 3rd Year. Hope you look forward to it. Leave comments if you liked the chapter.
Summer Days and Meetings on a Train
Chapter Notes
A big thank you to everyone who has liked and commented my story so far. It really helps in keeping one motivated, though sleep sounds so good right now. The Black- Prasinos Family gets ready for the new normal and everyone has to do their part. Hope you enjoy, even if its a bit short.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Sirius was in a tough spot. Dumbledore went through the proper channels and submitted Remus Lupin's resume at the first Board Meeting of the summer. Everything was in order, exactly as it should be, minus one glaring omission. There was no mention of Moony's furry little problem. Were it any other job and were he in any other position, he would have let it slide. But he was a member of the Board and if he signed off on it without saying a word and something happened to a student, he would never forgive himself. He thought of Rhea, finally entering Hogwarts. He thought of his own 5th year and almost getting Snape and Remus killed. There was no choice.
"Headmaster, why has your candidate for the DADA position failed to list his status as a victim of Lycanthropy?" Sirius could tell that both Dumbledore and McGonagall were surprised by his action, Dumbledore cleared his throat, "I didn't think you would bring it up. You yourself struck down a bill aimed at hampering their ability to find work." Sirius didn't take the bait, "I helped defeat a discriminatory law that made no provision to give victims of Lycanthropy the necessary safeguards in order to do their work at no harm to others. I am a member of the Board of Governors and securing the students safety is one of my duties. The absence of his condition on the document also shows an absence of documentation on any safety measures you as Headmaster would take to safeguard the student population during the full moon, in an environment where your professor can't head home to lock himself away with or without a dose of wolfsbane."
While Dumbledore looked annoyed, Minerva looked ashamed. It seemed she didn't know about Albus' attempt to hide the truth from the Board. Sirius pressed on, "Based on past experiences, I believe Mr. Lupin would make a suitable instructor for Defense against the Dark Arts and I would personally be happy to sign his application, but only if you provide a solid plan that ensures both Mr. Lupin's and the school's wellbeing." The meeting ended soon afterwards, with Sirius feeling a little sick but not regretting his choice in the least. When he described the meeting to Rhea and Sabrina the two hugged him warmly, Sabrina going as far as kissing him in a surprisingly tender moment.
That night he received two very strongly worded letters from James and Moony. Sabrina didn't leave his side for a week. Dumbledore submitted a safety plan to allow Remus to teach at Hogwarts safely. Sirius made him write a second one before he signed it. Wards on the Shrieking
Shack alone didn't stop him from almost getting Snape killed years ago when he was a student and it is not likely to do much better now, especially when who knew what was going on with Voldemort and Dumbledore still playing with the lives of innocents. Informing the students and having Moony locked up in a Reinforced Silver Cage until sunrise in the Dungeons under Snape's supervision should hopefully make sure everyone goes home in one piece. He wasn't one of Mad- eye's best students for nothing.
- -
Seraphina didn't have a Parseltongue curse-breaker as a member of the family, but they did have one working for them in India. While Sabrina would have loved to quiz him on Subcontinental rituals, he was sadly pressed for time and refused to speak his real name. It was a safety measure among Indian curse-breakers apparently. So Sabrina decided to focus on the next pressing matter; Rhea spending 10 months of the year away from home. They had already made plans for all Hogsmeade weekends and for Yule and Easter Breaks. Sirius had even prepared to get her dispensation to leave Hogwarts for Samhain, Imbolc and Beltaine. The added bonus of communications mirrors and Rhea's red eyed, pitch black owl familiar, Nyx, would certainly make sure there wasn't any chance of losing touch with her.
That didn't mean Sabrina didn't get anxious. The ladies back at the shop said she was getting the symptoms of "empty nest syndrome." She didn't disagree and while their suggestion of having her way with Sirius as often as possible wasn't unpleasant, it didn't make her anxiety go down any less. Rhea had been the focus of her attention for 4 years now. A part of her couldn't remember a time when Rhea wasn't in her life, and she was happy for that. Sabrina sighed. She knew she was likely to get back to more potions experiments, but her life now also included being by Sirius's side, as his potential Lady Black. She was not looking forward to all the socializing that would entail. So she decided to start small. While Lucius was getting poked and prodded by their Indian friend, she was going to meet Andromeda's sister and Lucius' wife, Narcissa.
She found her at "Twilfitt and Tattings", picking up some packages. "Lady Malfoy." She could feel Narcissa's scrutinizing gaze rove her body. Apparently it is a Black trait. "Yes?" Sabrina curtsied, "Pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'm Sabrina Prasinos. Your husband is currently being serviced by an employee of my family and I felt it prudent to meet you." Narcissa lifted her eyebrow. "I thought he was meeting with someone else." Sabrina smiled, recognizing an attempt to catch her in a lie. "As fun as playing who can outsmart whom can be, I personally prefer a more upfront approach. You didn't think your cousin was vanishing every month for nothing, right?"
Ahh, there was the patented "are you good enough for family" scrutiny. She was so happy Andromeda had skipped that phase. Then again, telling her how she had stunned, bound and pulled the truth out of Sirius' mouth had probably earned her that repreve. Narcissa, however, wasn't impressed. "I feel like I have heard the name Prasinos, but I can't be certain. Continental?" Sabrina smiled, "Born and raised. Been in Britain for a bit over a decade now, but decided to have some quiet time for myself and my daughter." Narcissa nodded, "how old?" Sabrina had a bittersweet
smile, "13 next week. Left her home with Kreacher. Don't ask me how she got on his good side, even Sirius is too scared to get it out of Kreacher, orders or not."
Narcissa pointed towards a café nearby and they both sat down and ordered some coffee. "That reminds me of my sister, Bella. She got on well with Kreacher and the elf would always get her some extra pastries after dessert." Sabrina laughed, "Don't I know it. Kreacher has been doing the same with Rhea. At least Rhea has the good sense of letting me know when she gets them." Narcissa took a sip of her coffee, "My Draco would often order extra dessert from the elves in his room. I don't think he knows I am aware and that I gave them instructions on how much he can eat." The two enjoy their time together and plan to meet up again, with Andy getting an invite. As they are about to stand up and leave, a voice cuts into their pleasant time, "Must admit, I didn't expect to run into you out here, Narcissa." Narcissa's eyes narrow as she turns towards the redhead. "Nor I you, Lily . Running errands for your husband?"
The redhead keeps her eyes on Narcissa, who certainly takes notice of a change in the magic around them. Before Lady Potter gets another word in, Sabrina addresses Narcissa directly, "Well, it's been a pleasure Narcissa. I look forward to spending more time with your family. I'll let you pick when we should meet and see if Andy is free to join us. Good afternoon." Sabrina bows softly at Narcissa before steadily walking away, her magic barely controlled. She certainly loses control when someone grabs her arm, a zap of magic forcing the person to let go. "A bit of advice? The Malfoy's aren't the best people to get to know." Sabrina turns towards the redhead, giving her a very condescending smile. "Ah, then allow me to give you some advice back, Lady Potter . Best not to assume who is and isn't the best to talk to here. The most dangerous people tend to be the ones you have never heard of." With that Sabrina leaves Lily Evans-Potter behind, the latter feeling as if she just had a run in with death.
Rhea could tell that something had bothered her mom when she returned home and went straight to the Master Bedroom. She had Kreacher make some of her favorite foods when she isn't feeling the best, pushed her Dad straight to their Room, told him about Kreacher's preparations and told him she'd see him in the morning. The Silencing spells took a beating that night, but they held, while Rhea kept practicing some magic with her familiar. Rhea had been giddy with excitement when she could align her magic with Nyx' perfectly. The two would often be seen staring at each other, the latter giggling every once in a while. Sirius had at first called it creepy, before he found the owl seemingly stalking him wherever he went. He eventually apologized to Rhea, who hugged him warmly.
- -
Dad had said that Diagon Alley got full around August when the students started preparing for school. He wasn't kidding and she could now understand why so many wixen would buy their potions supplies at her mom's shop. While her mom and Lady Malfoy had wanted to introduce her to her cousin Draco in the summer, Rhea had simply said that she'd meet him on the train or at Hogwarts. She wanted to meet him where he didn't need to put a mask for his parents. Narcissa
begrudgingly agreed, though they did agree to a Black Family get together after Yule.
After spending some time getting school robes (Rhea thanked her goddess she could get them modified slightly, no way she was wearing a skirt without some leggings underneath. Or without her boots), Sabrina led Rhea to the one shop they had to visit that day. Pushing in the door, they could feel the magic in the air, thousands of wands stored away in boxes littered the whole shop. "Ah, I must admit, you are not my usual customers." Stepping up to his side of the desk came a man with white hair and piercing eyes. Those eyes focused on Sabrina first. "I don't believe I had the pleasure of selling you the wand you carry. May I see it?" Sabrina nodded and took out her wand from her wrist holster. Olivander held the wand in his palms reverently and brought the wand to his ear. "Olive wood, 13 inches. Firm. The core is … oh my. A Harpy's feather. Haven't seen such a wand since my last visit to Spain. May I ask who is the wandmaker?"
Sabrina took back her wand. "I wish I could say. The one who made it is family and none are sold to outsiders. I am sure you understand." Olivander nods. "My daughter here had been tested by them to see if they could find or make her wand. They found that none of theirs would match. We are wondering if you might have one that would match her." Olivander smiled. "Ah, a tricky customer. Lets see, which is your wand arm young lady?" Rhea shook her head, "Both, sir." After the wandmaker's measurements were done he spent some time looking at her. "I must admit, young lady, I am hesitant to give you a wand to try. I imagine many would react poorly to you. But I do have a few that I thought I would never sell. Perhaps they would suit you better." He brought many close to her, but before placing it in her hands he would put it away. He brought out a box he held tightly and pulled out a wand. "Vinewood, 11 inches. Phoenix tail feather."
He placed it in her hand and for a few seconds, nothing happened. Then the sound of a bird's cry was heard, the wood caught on fire and quickly burned to ash. Olivander looked at the former wand now turned to ash and then back at a shocked Rhea's face. "Not to worry, dear. That wand had been made as three of a set. I had expected it's rightful owner to walk through those doors one day soon. But perhaps it is better it saw its end. Now lets see." He went back into his rows of wands and remained missing for close to half an hour. He then came out, holding a gray wand box, covered in dust. "This wand is not one of mine, but instead it is my fathers. His last wand before he passed away. He worked long and hard to get it right. Perhaps it is time it sees the light of day."
The wand he took out was beautiful, a gray color, wrapped in celtic symbols and runes, the carvings heavier in the base before smoothing out towards the tip. He presented the wand to Rhea who took it gently into her hand. The air grew cold and still as magic poured into the wand. Then a howl was heard, sounding far away, yet close at hand. Olivander gave her a sad smile, "Yew, 12 inches. Grim's tail hair. Unwieldable to all but you, I am afraid. A Grim never gives it loyalty but to one. It will not tolerate another's magic. Take good care of it young lady, unless you should take up wand making, I doubt you'd see the like again." After buying a wand holster and service kit, Rhea and Sabrina were about to leave the store, whe Rhea turned back to Olivander.
"Sir. Your father, did he by chance see the Grim at Kensal Green Cemetery in London?" Olivander nodded, "That he did. He was burying his old friend Charles Babbage. He thought it odd
for a Grim to let itself be touched. As soon as he took the tail hair, the Grim vanished. I take it you yourself are familiar with it?" Rhea nodded. "Yes, sir. He is my friend." Olivander looked at her straight in the eyes. "Take good care of all your friends and family, my Lady Peverell. But most importantly, take good care of yourself."
- -
On a lone island in the North Sea a solitary shadow moved through the mostly empty passageways. The sound of mad wizards and witches would often echo from cell to cell, leading to long nights of endless noise and madness. The night guards themselves were always quiet, their shadowy forms melding into the walls in the low light. The only way any of the inmates knew the guards were about was the cold. The prison and its cells were always cold but never as cold as when the guards gaze was upon you. On that night she felt their gaze upon her almost constantly, as if they knew she was planning to escape. Perhaps they did. They eventually moved on and she sighed.
12 Years. She had been in the cursed prison beyond the shores of Britain for 12 long years. In that time she had waited for death, even welcomed it, but it never answered. Not once. She remembered the last orders her husband had given her. How could she not? They would repeat themselves in her head over and over again, even as she never saw him again when they were both sentenced to life imprisonment. She wished the voice would go silent. The only times it did was when she meditated. She had to thank her beloved cousin for teaching her the meditations when they were both students at Hogwarts. It was the only thing that kept her sane in her cell.
What had surprised her was actually achieving the purpose the meditation was designed for. Her cousin had given up and used a potion, getting his form early. She had no means of getting the potion, but the meditations helped and she had been surprised where they led her. The trees, the plants and the noises of the night were all unfamiliar. They reminded her of books she had read as a teen, written by muggles. They told tales of far off jungles in Africa and the Americas. Places full of life and wonder, but also predators and death. She had felt dead leaves and wood underneath her hands and feet. Her body was longer, leaner, more graceful. Her ears picked up every sound around her.
It was her eyes though that had given her the greatest delight. Here, in the place where she could dwell in peace and quiet, her eyes would show her a beautiful night sky. Once she was out of the dense trees and plants she could see the starry night. She could look up and see the stars whose names were shared with her Most Noble and Most Ancient Family. She could see the ones whose names matched those of her beloved cousin and sisters. In her mind she could hear their voices and see their smiles. It felt like home. The illusion would break every morning when the human guards would check the cells and bring the food. She hated these guards most. The shadowy creatures may force her to relive her worst memories, but these bastards kept adding whole new ones. She had never hated herself as much as she did now, but she hated the human guards more.
So, one night late into July, the woman forgot she was a woman. Her body took on the graceful form of the beast that gave her freedom in her meditations. Her emaciated body allowed her to squeeze through the bars of her home of 13 years. She walked the corridors of the prison and all but panicked when she felt the cold against her skin. The living shadows that were guards saw her. They stared at her with empty eyes and she thought that perhaps death would finally take her in tonight. Just as she felt the cold linger it soon left. The guards left her alone. Her graceful body rushed through halls of stone and bars of steel. Then she found a set of bars that carried a different smell behind them. It smelled of salt and fresh air. She squeezed through these bars and tumbled. The floor would eventually catch up to her and her arms and legs stung in pain, but the scent of stone was mixed with water and salt filled her lungs.
She followed the paths of stone, both shaped by nature and man, until she reached a pier. There was no boat and she would likely be caught if she waited for one. So she took the direction of the pier as her own and threw herself into the water. She felt the bite of the cold but didn't mind it, the night guards felt colder. Breathing was hard, keeping her head above the water, but she refused to concede. She had welcomed death in a cage but she would fight to live in the wilds of an open world. The feline lost track of time, her muscles aching, her lungs coughing up water, but eventually she got her wish. She didn't know where she was but her paws were now on sand and the air smelled of dirt and grass. Her body shifted and the feline remembered she was a woman. She fell on her back and began to laugh and cry. She was free!
It wasn't long before the incessant voice of her husband shattered her peace. She had ignored it before but she was free now. She could hunt the brat down and kill him. Then the voice could finally go quiet and leave her alone. Her mind resolved, she took on her feline form once more. The night was too cold for a woman's skin and her stomach was too empty. Time to find something to eat.
- -
Rhea sat down in the empty train compartment, watching other Hogwarts students and their parents milling about, and saying their goodbyes. Rhea herself had said her goodbyes much earlier, not wanting to be caught with unpleasant company. Her mom really took it hard and she had begged her dad to take care of her. Especially out of the bedroom. That had made them all laugh, which is what they needed. She had sent Nyx ahead on her own and had already shrunk her own trunk. All that was left was to wait and see what happened at Hogwarts.
Someone opened the door and looked inside. "Excuse me, do you mind if I joined you. You have the least amount of Wrackspurts floating around your head. I wondered if you could share with me how you made them leave you alone." Rhea looked at the blonde girl wearing Ravenclaw colors and shrugged. "Your welcome to join me. Can't promise I will be a good conversationalist."
The girl seemed to have trouble pulling in her trunk, so Rhea casted a feather weight spell and a shrinking spell. Luna looked at her much lighter and smaller trunk and back at Rhea. "Thank you."
After placing her trunk above her head the young witch turned back and curtsied. "Merry met. I am Luna Lovegood, of the Lovegoods of Ottery St. Catchpole." Rhea smiled and bowed her head. "Merry met. I am Rhea Black, Heiress of House Black. Pleasure to meet you." Luna looked as if she were thinking of something far away. "Oh, was that your cousin who broke out of Azkaban?" Rhea sighed and softly banged her head against the headrest. Of all the things her dad had planned for, his cousin's escape from Azkaban had not been on the list. When the press asked him about it he made sure to reference the law stating that if, and a very big if, she requested asylum, it would be dad's choice to give it and that any member of the House of Black wasn't obligated to aid the Ministry in her retrieval. Head Auror Potter had not been amused. "Yeah, that caught us all by surprise." Luna nodded, pulled out a magazine called "The Quibbler" and started reading.
A few minutes before the train started to move, the door opened again. This time there were two girls, both wearing Hufflepuff colors, one had nice dirty blonde hair while the other had pretty strawberry blonde hair in a ponytail. "Mind if we join you? The upper years are all hunkering together and the Slytherins and Gryffindors seem to be trying to see who can get the other house to go negative by the Starting Feast." For a second Rhea was looking at the girls speechless, until her occlumency barriers came down hard and she was able to respond clearly, though Luna did give her a weird look. "Sure…," Rhea looked at Luna who shook her head, "... we don't mind." After helping them get their trunks up on the racks, the blonde sat besides Rhea while the redhead sat by Luna.
Rhea could tell the redhead was checking her out, unsure what to say until she spotted the heiress ring on her hand. She kicked her friend who yelped as she stood up and gave Rhea a respectful bow. "Merry met, Heiress. I am Susan Bones, Heiress of House Bones. My friend here is Hannah Abbott, Heiress of House Abbott." Rhea smiled and bowed her head softly, "Merry met, Heiress Bones and Heiress Abbott, I am Rhea Black, Heiress of House Black. I am unsure if you're acquainted with my companion here, Luna Lovegood." Luna looked at her oddly, apparently surprised to be brought into the discussion. "I wish to offer some apologies to you Heiress Bones. I believe my father, Lord Black, has been keeping your Aunt quite busy since taking his Seat. Not to mention the trouble my cousin is making since she fled Azkaban."
Susan shook her head, "I appreciate the gesture but my Aunt Amelia loves her job. As for your cousin, well, there won't be a lot of people happy with that, especially with the Dementors at Hogwarts." Rhea stilled. "What do you mean the Dementors will be at Hogwarts?" Susan looked sad, "Because of Bellatrix Lestrange, Minister Fudge decided to post Dementors in and around Hogwarts, despite my Auntie saying that her Aurors can handle it. Dumbledore wanted to keep both of them out, but the Minister overruled him." Rhea took the time to count to ten in her head, in both English and Greek before she pulled out her communication mirror. She said "Dogfather" and a few seconds later Sirius' face appeared in the mirror. "Pup, we weren't expecting you to call till after the Feast."
Rhea sighed "Sorry to bother you early Dad but Heiress Bones has informed me that the Minister is planning to have Dementors at Hogwarts. I am guessing neither he nor Dumbledore decided to inform the Governors." A few choice expletives were heard from the other side. "Also, do pass on an apology to Madam Bones, Lady Abbott and Mr. Lovegood. Pretty sure you just scandalized their daughters with your vocabulary." Sirius coughed dramatically, "Uhm, sorry young ladies. I didn't realize you were there. I will be sure to apologize for this. Rhea, do you mind looking after them? I am sure they are good kids and could use your help should the Dementors pay a visit to the train."
"Sure! Have fun ripping Fudge and Dumbledore a new one. Grimpup off." The compartment is quiet as she puts her mirror away. Susan breaks the silence, "You and your Dad seem to have an interesting way with words." Rhea shrugged, "Dad has been having a hard time dealing with the bureaucrats since he came home. Mom taught me how to behave in public but that doesn't mean I don't take after her either. She can probably swear my Dad into the ground….if she wanted to." Susan shakes her head at her. "What did your dad mean by looking after us? And what year are you joining in, since I don't see any colors on your uniform." Rhea was about to answer when the door slammed open again. This time there was a blonde boy and two larger kids with him, almost like bodyguards. His eyes scanned the compartment and didn't find what he was looking for. Rhea did recognize him from a photo though and stood up and curtsied. "Merry met Heir Malfoy. I am Heiress Rhea Black. A pleasure to finally meet you, cousin."
It took a moment for Draco's brain to register before he gave her a bow. "The pleasure is mine cousin. Mom and Dad have been debating which house you would join. You wouldn't happen to want to join me in Slytherin?" Rhea smiled, "Oh, I am sure I would look great in green and silver. The portraits in Grimmauld would love it too. Sadly, I think I will be wearing blue and bronze. Pretty sure it's safer that way too. From what I hear my Dad and your Godfather have some bad blood between them." Draco looked a bit disappointed but nodded. Before he could leave though, Rhea pulled him into the compartment. "You mind if your friends wait outside? My Dad asked me to look after the Ladies here and your Mom would probably be crass with me if I didn't offer you the same." Draco shrugged and gestured for his guards to wait in the hallway before closing the door.
Rhea wandlessly and silently casted privacy charms on the compartment and pointed at Susan. "Heiress Bones informed us that the Minister in his limited wisdom sent Dementors to Hogwarts. While I doubt they will be in the school proper, they may search the train. I have a way of warding the effects off you, but for it to work I need an unenchanted item that you would wear on your person, preferably against skin." Everyone begins to pull out something she could use, in the case of Draco, Susan and Hannah it was necklaces with charms on them. Luna took out a locket, but she hesitated. Rhea could tell it meant something to her and left her for last. "What I am about to do stays between us. Don't inform anyone except your parents and they aren't to share it with anyone except between each other and with Lord Black, got it?" Everyone was a bit unsure but all agreed.
Rhea conjured a table in the middle of the compartment, startling everyone as they didn't see a wand or hear an incantation. She set the three necklaces on the table and pulled out her wand from her holster, pushing the tip against her index finger and letting magic poke a hole in her skin. She
muttered two frases as her blood came in contact with the chains. "The blood was a medium, not the focus of the enchantment, so it's not exactly Blood Magic. The chains will now award you immunity from the effects of Dementors and the benefit of a warming charm, since they do have an environmental effect. They should hold up to a year, as long as they are with you. Your magic will help sustain them." She returned the items to everyone else and then looked to Luna.
Luna begrudgingly gave her the necklace and locket. Rhea allowed a bit more of her blood to bond with the chain, while letting two drops touch the locket itself as she muttered several frases no one could understand. She vanished the table and turned to Luna, placing the locket gently in her hands. "Aside from the warding and warming charms, I made it mostly invulnerable and applied a notice-me-not charm on it. They will hold for a year as well, unless you ask me to bind it to you, which will require your blood. Your magic will then protect it indefinitely and only you or I will be able to see it." For a second Rhea thought she had read her wrong. The girl just kept looking back between her and the locket. Next thing Rhea knows is that her head has made contact with the floor and a blonde little Ravenclaw is hugging her, whispering "Thank you!" over and over again.
Chapter End Notes
To be honest, the chapter had been shorter as of this morning but I felt we all needed something more. So I added a scene. Its the one that hints as to what the main plot point of the year is for both Rhea and Hogwarts. Hope you all like it. I loved writing it!
Next Chapter continues where we left off and gives us a good idea what a Year with Rhea at Hogwarts is like. Do expect it late night Tuesday or Wednesday. Sleep calls and I must eventually answer!
Please leave a comment if you like and wish to discuss something from the chapter or story so far. How was my wand scene and choices for mother and daughter?
Making Friends, Acquaintances (and Enemies)
Chapter Notes
Here it is, Chapter 8. Hope you all like it. Chapter 9 will probably be out tomorrow, the latest on Friday. The Muse was kind up to a chapter and I had to literally force my way through it. Now she's back and wants me to get started on the next one. To keep you all in the loop, I am starting Ch 14 (with an outline), and its halfway through summer before Year 4. That's a full year of Hogwarts for all of you to look forward too! Enjoy!
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Most of the trainride had been pleasant enough. Draco offered his thanks and went out the door, saying something about putting some Gryffindors in their place. Rhea, guessing at who he meant, wished him luck. Most of the time she spent talking to Susan and Hannah, the discussion ranged from haircare (Hannah kept asking about Rhea's unusual hair color) to what electives they were all taking. Susan, Hannah and Rhea were taking Runes together, while Susan and Rhea were taking Dueling and Arithmancy, Hannah was taking Divination and Muggle Studies. Rhea admitted she was going to be taking NEWT Healing, as she already qualified for the course.
When Luna mentioned she would like to take Care of Magical Creatures, Rhea asked about the Wrackspurts she had mentioned earlier. Neither Hannah or Susan seemed interested. In fact… they seemed to not believe the magical creatures Luna mentioned existed. But something felt off to Rhea. Some of the descriptions matched a memory. Rhea's hands cupped Luna's face, earning an eep out of Luna's mouth. Later Hannah and Susan would bug her about how close she brought her face to Luna's, who had been blushing up a storm. Rhea would admit much later that she might have gotten carried away. But her eyes never left Luna's. Deep in Luna's silvery eyes she could see something familiar yet different. It reminded her of Mom and her… "Oh!"
Rhea pulled back and smiled at a deep red Luna. "You have Fae Sight." Luna's blush went down as Susan coughed, "and what is Fae Sight?" Rhea tapped her chin, "Do you know what Mage Sight is?" Susan thought for a second, "I've heard Auntie mention it. The best Curse-breakers and Wardmasters have it. It lets you see ambient magic that is otherwise invisible." Rhea nodded, "Technically they can see all magic that tends to be hidden, with a few exceptions. I have Mage Sight and I had to learn how to turn it off because it can get overwhelming. The older Ancestral Homes like my Dad's can be quite painful to the untrained." She then looked at Luna. "Fae Sight is similar, but it's tied to the specific magic of the Fae. An example would be your typical house elf. They could clean a room completely out of sight of normal mages but those with Fae Sight can still see them even when hidden."
Rhea sat back, "Fae come in all shapes and sizes. What Luna calls a Wrackspurt could be a
type of fae insect that tends to feed on magic. Considering we magicals tend to leak out magic, especially when angry, scared or confused, it makes sense that they would follow certain people." Rhea focused on her Death Magic, slowly bringing it to the surface and wrapping herself in it. Susan and Hannah seemed to shudder for a second, but Rhea's eyes were on Luna. "Any Wrackspurts on me now?" Luna squinted at her and gasped, "They're gone." She looks at Susan and Hannah, "you two have a few but they seem to be as far away from Rhea as possible." Rhea laughed and hid her magic, the cabin seemingly getting warmer.
"That confirms it. My family magic isn't exactly pleasant for most people. Apparently the Fae agree. Since I will be in Ravenclaw and have some practice with Mage Sight, I can try and teach you to control it… if you want to." Rhea looked at a beaming Luna who nodded. Susan and Hannah started to ask Luna some questions, now that they knew she wasn't making stuff up. Much of what Luna mentioned matched her reading on Fae… except for the Nargles. Fae don't mind stealing, but they do it to challenge others. To prove they are better. For a Fae to steal and not reveal themselves…that doesn't sound like a Fae. It sounds like something a… kid would do. Before she could ask Luna, however, the train stopped abruptly. They could hear the students nearby complain. Rhea felt them then.
Rhea can never forget the cold of the grave. It's with her whenever she uses Death Magic. It buries itself deep in her bones on Samhain. The Peverell Grimoires had been able to explain a lot of what Rhea now recognized as traces of Death Magic. The Dementors were like Thestrals and Grim, though each species holds their own mysterious connection to Death. They were all Death's creatures, though the Dementors couldn't hide from magicals in the Veil as the Grim could, but their presence was always there, magical person or not. Regardless, they were on the train looking for her cousin and Rhea had made a promise to herself. She would look after her family, no matter what. She stood up and waited, telling the others to stay behind her. In the dim light of the sun passing through cloud and rain, a dark shape stood behind the pane of glass. A long, bony hand reached out and pulled the door open. The girls behind her started to whimper. Rhea began to feel the effects, as she refused to shield herself against them.
There weren't any images, voices or memories this time, but the feelings… those lingered. They would always linger. The pain across her back, the sensation of blood dripping slowly across her body, staining her nightwear red. The feel of her skin being tight, unwilling to yield under her scabbed scars. How those same often opened up as her fingers bled from the thorny plants, the hot summer sun burning its own reminder into her skin. The feel of uneven skin on her arm as broken bones would leave her useless and helpless, stuck waiting until her hand could grip something, anything again. They hadn't cared that she was unable to use an arm. She learned to use both. A blessing and a curse. Worst of all was the feeling between her legs. The weight of a man on her, forcing himself upon her. How he wouldn't care if she was hurting, would even delight himself when she screamed in pain or groaned in agony. Her face would be swollen from his hands many times after he had his way with her, leaving her unable to speak. Not that she could have spoken, even if she had wanted to speak. Her throat would either be hoarse or her jaw would be hurt. She had been practically mute by the time she was found.
Even in her hell, she had found peace. It had always come on the roughest nights. These
moments were when all other thought simply vanished. She could forget her broken arms, her bleeding back, her empty stomach and her torn insides. She could forget she existed in a house that delighted in her pain and suffering. She would even forget the cupboard under the stairs. She would forget the names she had; Girl, Freak. Other names too, but not worth repeating. Mom had been mad when she did. She even forgot she was supposed to be called Halley. She had liked that name at first, when her first teacher spoke it. She came to hate it as even speaking it made her nights worse. In her peace filled nights she would simply be herself. A thought, a moment. Nothing more. She would always wake up though. She had hated waking up. Not because of the cold, that had always felt like home. Like peace. The cold never really lasted and it wasn't until she had her Mom that she finally stopped wishing for those moments of peace. Peace had been replaced by happiness, the cold of her peace by the warmth of her mother's love.
She knew what that cold in her memories was now. She was sure her mom knew too. They only spoke of it once after the first Samhain, when the cold filled the houses and streets nearby. That was when she learned what had been with her every moment of her previous life. She didn't mind it but others did. Most people did. It's why they hated the Dementors. The cold was always there, a constant reminder. The cold of the grave. The Veil's eternal and unforgettable proof. No one who lived wanted to be reminded of death. She had once upon a time, but not now. Now she had a reason to live. The cold was peace to her, but she will always clamour for the warmth. The cold, however, would never be a source of pain for her. The Dementors, a source of pain and fear for all Wixen of Great Britain simply could not harm her. She was, like them, tied to death after all.
"Creatures of death that walk amongst the living, you will restrain your aura in the presence of the innocent. Only the vile and depraved deserve your touch." Her strange language cut through the still air and the cold withdrew from the children behind her. "Mistress." That one word made Rhea's head spin. These creatures not only recognized her…they saw her as a superior. This… could work. "I know the one you hunt. She is a child of my House. You will tell the others. Her soul must face MY judgement first. If you find her, restrain her for the other wand wavers to hold. Or seek to inform me without harming another. Now go. The one you seek isn't here." The creature bowed to her. "As you wish, Mistress." The cold followed the creature out. Within moments the train was moving again. "And I thought Potter speaking Parseltongue was creepy." Rhea groaned.
She spent the rest of the ride explaining that she had inherited the magical language from an ancestor, that it's not dark magic but grey and that yes, it sounds creepy. They did appreciate that Rhea had asked the Dementors not to get too overzealous around the innocent, so that definitely earned her some goodwill again. She stepped off the train and joined the girls in the carriage leading to the castle. After she and Luna spent some time petting the Thestral, who kept licking at Rhea's hand, making Rhea giggle. Once at the castle she bade the others farewell and moved towards where Sirius had mentioned McGonagall would wait for her and the first years. She smiled as she saw a cat waiting at the center of the room, carrying too much magic to be a familiar.
She bent down and petted the cat, getting it to purr. "Sorry to burst your bubble, professor, but I have been with my dad for 3 years now, much of which he spent as a dog. I know how to spot an Animagus the moment I see them." The cat grew still under her touch and proceeded to swipe at
her hand with her paw, getting a chuckle out of Rhea. A fully human McGonagall huffed at her. "I sincerely hope your father decided not to teach you how to become an Animagus." Silence filled the chamber and Rhea smiled at the professor's dawning face of horror. "Oh he did teach me, professor. I simply decided to use the meditation method instead of the potion. A much slower process but ultimately more rewarding. Dad places me as an Animagus by the end of 5th year. Mom places me at the Yule Break of 4th year. Either way, no animagus from me for about 2 more years."
The scottish woman just stared at her. "The absence of your own opinion on when you believe you will become an Animagus doesn't fill me with confidence." McGonagall shook her head, "When you enter the adjoining Chamber with the first years please remain behind. You are welcome to wait outside of the Great Hall until the doors open again. Your father spoke highly of you and your scores are at the top of your year group. Please, don't make me regret this." Rhea smiled, "Not to worry professor, any pranks on my part will be in 7th year. Wouldn't want you to put the blame on Dad." Rhea walked towards the wall as Hagrid brought the first years up. Seeing a few of the kids are wet and most are shivering, Rhea approaches them and silently casts drying and warming spells, which earn her thankful looks from both the students and the Deputy Headmistress.
While she waits with the kids she cuts off their weird ideas on the Sorting, simply telling them to focus on the things they value most and to enjoy themselves. This is their night. The ghosts enter the chamber and have their fun scaring and playing with the little kids until they spot her. Rhea feeds them a bit of her magic, which seems to ease their concerns. The ghost of a young woman with dark hair and wearing a silvery dress keeps stealing glances at her. Alone at last Rhea lets her magic connect with the castle's but frowns at what she finds. The castle is unhappy. The wards are an absolute mess that would make Aunt Catherine faint, especially after her reaction to Grimmauld's wards. As Lady Ravenclaw she had a lot of work to do.
The doors to the Great Hall opens and Rhea can spot the students divided along four massive tables. They hardly cover half the space. McGonagall's voice made her focus on the Sorting again. "Our next student spent the last two years homeschooled due to family matters. She tested as the highest scorer for the end of year exams in both first and second year courses. So please welcome our newest 3rd year, Miss Rhea Black." Rhea walked steadily forward, Occlumency held as strong as possible. She could hear a few words as she walked to the front; "The heiress?" … "she really looks like a pureblood"… "her hair is so pretty"… "bet you she's a slimy snake." As soon as she sat on the chair and the hat was placed on her head, she could feel the magic try and connect to her. I can't sort you if you don't lower your barriers. Rhea shrugged, As long as you remember your oaths and they remain safely in place, Laris. She could feel the Hat grow still at his name. My oaths remain from the time the Founders shaped me. They are unbroken. Rhea opens her barriers but keeps them ready against sudden attacks.
Ah, it has been long since two of your lines graced these halls aware of your heritage. While Godric, Salazar and Helga's lines ceded their influence and authority, yours remains whole and even strengthened. Hogwarts will have great need of you in the following years. While we both know where you will reside, let me see what more there is in you. You have lived through a hell like
no other and conquered many of your demons. Godric would have welcomed you at his side. Your loyalty to the family that loved you is as feverish as a Dragon's need to protect its young. Helga would have loved to see you care and nurture her badgers. Your eyes never go still, your ears ever listening. You would use all opportunities available to you. Salazar would weep at seeing you in another's house. But your mind isn't driven by ambition, courage or loyalty. All these are tempered by your knowledge and its pursuit excites you. Rowena would be proud to see you in - "RAVENCLAW!" Do give Helena a kick in the ass for me, Necromancer. She has wallowed in her own self pity long enough . Rhea laughed Gladly. See you about, Laris.
Rhea reverently returns the hat to McGonagall as the Eagles cheer for their new member. Rhea, her tie now matching the house colors, walks a bit and sits down next to Luna, making many of the older Ravenclaws look at her oddly. She looks to the staff table and can see two… no, make that three people besides Dumbledore who might be a problem. Severus Snape had refused Lucius invitation to have his Dark Mark removed. He mentioned that he needed it to keep his cover at Hogwarts from the two who claim to be his Master. Meaning he could take her relationship to her Dad as a means of cementing his cover. Remus Lupin had made his bed with Dumbledore and Potter, and Sirius had made his position on the werewolf clear. The announcement of his condition during the feast drew many whispers and discussions, regardless of Dumbledore's empty assurances. Rhea could feel many eyes on her as she ate. No, the biggest problem for her was the Muggle Studies teacher.
Sure, she wasn't taking the class, not that she even needed it, and would therefore not have any reason to be near her. But that didn't mean their paths could not cross. That she would likely seek her out to help James mend fences with Sirius. So Rhea needed to keep herself as far away from Lily Evans-Potter before her rage drove her to quite literally strip her soul from her body. She knew she could do it. She refused to test it, but she did learn how to grasp a soul and bind it in place, the ultimate form of paralysis. Laris had told the truth, most of her demons were gone. She only had a bone to pick with Dumbledore, which she delegated to her dad (he was having too much fun), James Potter (he is lucky that as Head Auror he won't have a reason to be near her) and Lily bloody Potter. So Rhea controlled her magic and ate her meal, trying her best to keep her thoughts away from murder. Now if only thoughts of Susan's hair and Luna's lips could also vacate her mind, she could claim a measure of peace.
After the Feast, she followed the other Ravenclaws to their common room and listened to Professor Flitwick welcome the first years to the House before he turned towards her. "Miss Black, a moment of your time. As I mentioned to the first year students, our dorm rooms are for two students each. This does present an issue when we get an uneven number of students in a year. Currently, Miss Lovegood is the only student without an assigned roommate. I assume, based on your seating arrangement at the feast, that you wouldn't have an issue sharing a room with her, yes?"
Rhea shook her head, "Not at all sir, though I am wondering as to your policy for warding one's trunk in their rooms with intent wards and a stun defense." Flitwick looks at Rhea carefully, "Usually I would say that they would be discouraged, but your specifications make me wonder what it is you are expecting to find." Rhea smiled, "Well, I had a pleasant conversation with Luna
on the train, where I properly diagnosed her with Fae Sight, something Hogwarts should have checked on her arrival at school. Many of the creatures she names have a Fae counterpart and I was able to categorize them. All except one. To Luna, Nargles seem to be a mischievous bunch of thieves that steal her things. She would later find said items scattered through Hogwarts. No Fae will steal without being spotted, as there is no sport if their challenge is ignored and no Fae would discard a stolen item, as they are all known to be hoarders. The behaviour is completely against Fae nature… but entirely consistent with children bullying other children." Rhea lets her words sink into the mind of her Head of House. He sighed, "If you keep the ward to stunning only, with no other debilitating physical or mental effects, then I see no issue if you apply it to Miss Lovegood's trunk. Should it trigger, please inform me at your earliest opportunity."
Safe to say that Rhea successfully convinced Luna into applying the ward to the trunk and showed her how to charge it. She also got Luna to add her blood to the enchantments on Luna's necklace. The little blonde would never have any trouble with her mom's pendant.
- -
The first week at Hogwarts had been a mixed bag for Rhea. Sure, much of her coursework was ridiculously easy to do, so much so she did most of her work wandlessly. She really didn't understand why so many of the students looked stunned by it. A wand is a foci, not the real source of magic. British magicals were weird. She had been happy to see her schedule full of classes with Hufflepuff as she ended up having some nice conversations with Susan and Hannah, even if the latter was more focused on gossip and appearance. Yes, her black hair now had natural bronze highlights and wasn't a mess to brush. How was this so important? Of course, she would put it in a braid when it was necessary. Like in potions.
The moment Snape did his attendance check, she knew she had to have a private conversation with him. No one saying her family name with that much venom in their voice should be of the opinion that she wouldn't do something about it. Though she had to settle for asking the man to have a meeting in his office. She wasn't going to miss her classes over one man's schoolyard feud. Even if History was dreadfully boring. She was going to let Binns have one more week. If the extra Death Magic she was feeding him wasn't enough to get him to teach properly, a visit from a Necromancer with the ability to exorcise him should settle the matter. One way or the other.
Defense Against the Dark Arts had been more annoying than anything. Lupin clearly knew his stuff and tried to make the class interesting. For everyone but her. His blatant favouritism towards Gryffindor was appalling to see, especially when directed at his godson, Henry Potter. It was clear that Potter, and Longbottom, had received some instruction outside of school, if the level of skill in the other students is anything to go by, but rather than helping his housemates, he just refused to pass it along. He just basked in the praise heaped on him and left everyone else struggling. He really was a prat. She hated that the dueling class was co-taught by Lupin and
Flitwick, though she hoped Flitwick's professionalism kept Lupin in line. At least that class met at a less regular schedule.
She did feel sorry for Flitwick though. One week in term and Ravenclaw was already in the negative for House Points. Of course the only people the eagles could blame were themselves. How did they think allowing six students, one being a Prefect for a second time, to repeatedly bully a first year, now second year girl, wouldn't get them in trouble with the diminutive professor. Hell, his Goblin lineage was easy enough to see if you knew what to look for, so of course he himself was subject to bullying when he was a kid. Of course he was going to blow a gasket! Rhea did smile at the memory of the Professor walking into her dorm room on Monday night.
"Miss Black, why are there six students slumped in front of Miss Lovegood's trunk?" Rhe had simply cocked her head at the professor, "I imagine for the exact reason we stipulated when you gave me permission to ward the trunk." Flitwick pulled off his glasses, rubbed his eyes and went to check the trunk. A few waves of his wand and he squeaked. He squeaked! Rhea had to share that memory with her dad! "Miss Black, this ward is far more complex than the one we discussed!" Rhea shrugged, "Your last instructions had been and I quote, "... no other debilitating physical or mental effects." This one does qualify. Sure, it has a setting that upon stunning a target it placed them under a notice-me-not charm and a targeted confundus with the aim of making a person temporarily forget if they entered the room alone or not, but nothing that could hurt them or impede their ability to leave should they have no ulterior motive for being here. The intent based ward wouldn't trigger anything if the person didn't mean to steal an item from within said trunk. I didn't even put a good concealment spell on the ward so you can verify what I just said."
Flitwick did a few more waves of his wand and sighed. "I suppose I did set the restrictions and you followed them to the letter, if not the intention. I assume you waited to be certain there were no other people bullying Miss Lovegood left in the dorms?" Rhea smiled, "I imagine there are a few more, but these were the first to try it and they did it in mass. I'm hoping your punishments act as a proper deterrent. If not, the ward won't be going anywhere." Flitwick just looked at her, "You best be on your way Miss Black." Rhea turned to leave but remembered something, "Out of curiosity, how would you like me to address you in private, Profesor? Via wizard tradition or Goblin?" Her head of House closed his eyes and Rhea could tell he was counting. "Wizarding Tradition, Miss Black." Rhea smiled and switched to Goblin Speech, " Of course, Champion Wand Waver. " He squeaked again!
Eventually, her meeting with Snape came up. His office sat right next to the potions lab and was just as dark and gloomy. "You wished to see me, Black ?" Rhea just stared at him, as she willed privacy charms to cover the entire room. "Potions Master Snape. I am not in Slytherin and I am not afraid to admit I inherited a certain bluntness for answers from BOTH my parents, so I will get to the point. I am aware of your meeting with Lord Malfoy and your decision and reason behind keeping a certain tattoo. I am aware of the low and vile expectations both your masters have with regards to your behaviour towards certain members of the student body. I am not going to address your behaviour to the others, they can fight their own battles. I will address your problems with me." Rhea took a deep breath.
"My father confessed his deepest regret to me. He regretted bringing danger to your life and Lupin's, all out of a misguided sense of self-righteousness. He has expressed a willingness to mend matters with you, sir, but you must be willing to participate as well. As to your behaviour towards me, I don't expect you to suddenly proclaim me as your top student or to award me perfect grades, even if my work deserves said mark. If you wish to create the illusion of punishing me for my father's sins, I would be more than willing to aid you in preparing more difficult potions. You can claim you are trying to get me to fail by intentionally making me take on higher difficulty brewing and you are welcome to deduct points or grades for my failures. But don't insult my intelligence or my proficiency with a cauldron."
Rhea could tell he was surprised with her words, and that a few times he wanted to interrupt,but he ultimately chose to listen. Her offer of more difficult potions seem to be of interest to him. "You sir have my respect as the youngest Potions master in England in a century. My mother may not have much claim to fame, but she also achieved an early potions mastery and has retained her skills in the matter. She personally instructed me for four years in the fine art of potioneering and I won't let the work ethic she instilled in me to be lost due to a charade you must uphold for your own reasons. So, how do you wish to proceed, Potions Master?"
Snape stared into her eyes and the gentle brush of a passive Legilimency scan smashed right into her barriers. "If you're concerned about my ability to keep my end of the charade, I can assure you, the Headmaster himself would suffer a brain hemorrhage long before my Occlumency defenses bulk." Snape lowered his eyes and sighed. "Your suggestion has merit and would serve well in both the matter of continuing hostility between me and your family. I will place a night's detention on you for this meeting, so as to keep up appearances, and on said detention I will test your skill with a cauldron. I will then assign you potions that will test your capability and your grade will be reflected from these rather than your yearmates work. You may go now." Rhea bowed and left the dungeons.
- -
Fillius Flitwick took a seat at the staff table and waited for the rest of the staff to arrive as he pondered what to say about his House's current state. The six students he found in Miss Lovegood and Miss Black's dorm room had quickly changed their tune when he made it clear how the ward worked. There was no need for Veritaserum or anything, the proof was tied to the trap, which was Miss Black's intention all along. There was no doubt his newest 3rd year was a proper Ravenclaw, as her written work and casting in class showed that she not only studied the subject, but sought to master it. Of course, the fact that she favored wandless magic didn't hide how deeply committed she was to magic. He had spoken with her about using her wand and she had agreed to do so in matters that required concentration. When prodded further she merely mentioned that her magical affinities tie closely to wandless magic and she refuses to diminish her capacity. He couldn't exactly fault her for that.
Eventually the staff table was full and Albus began the discussion, beginning with the 1st years and then moving upwards. When they got to 3rd years, Albus decided to get specific. This
particular year of students seems to attract too much of his attention. Lupin was the first to speak about them, "So far I have been doing some review work, covering material from last year. Most, with a few notable exceptions, weren't able to keep up with the expected level of education. I have assigned some remedial lessons to them to get them back up to standards. I also found a bogart in one of the other staff rooms and intend to use it to test everyone on its counter spell."
Albus nodded his head, "Good, good. And about these students that did well, I imagine Mr Potter and his friends are among them?" Remus beamed, "Mr. Potter, Mr. Longbottom and Miss Granger all passed, while Mr. Weasley needs a bit more remedial work to be at the expected level." Remus seemed to be ready to continue when Pomona Sprout spoke up, "... and in the other Houses, any other 3rd years up to standard?" Remus seemed to catch himself and blushed in embarrassment, at least up until the last name he mentioned, "in Hufflepuff, Miss Bones, Miss Abbott, Mr. Smith and Miss Perks all did well and won't need any remedial lessons. The same can be said of Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Nott, Miss Greengrass and Mr. Zabini in Slytherin, though Miss Davis needs only a little remedial work. As for the Ravenclaws, none need to complete remedial work, though it did appear that most needed some last minute pointers to complete the evaluation."
McGonagall looks at him questioningly, "Explain." Remus sighed. "There seemed to be some difficulty with their casting of the disarming spell, until Miss Black went to each of her fellow Ravenclaws and explained a few things. All Ravenclaws were then able to cast it successfully, though their aim could use improvement." Albus looked at Remus, "I take it Miss Black had no difficulties." Remus seemed to say his next words begrudgingly, "None, though I had her repeat the spell after she refrained from using a verbal incantation the first time." Albus turned to the rest of the staff, "Has Miss Black been difficult in her other courses?" McGonagall actually seemed to be offended. "Certainly not. While Miss Black's magical skills are certainly impressive, she spends most of the time explaining the finer points to her fellow students who have difficulty in the subject. While she clearly favors her House, I have seen her helping Miss Bones, Miss Abbott and Miss Perks in my own class, all of whom have shown improvement in their work for it."
Sprout and Sinastra both cover Rhea's proper performance in their courses, though they make it clear she doesn't favor the classes with them. It's when it gets to Runes and Potions that the discussion turns interesting to Flitwick. Professor Bathsheda Babbling was practically giddy. "I have had to find her some more difficult runes to work with. She has already mastered both Elder Futhark and Younger Futhark and has a good grasp of Ancient Greek and Egytian Hieroglyphics. I was only able to stump her with Mesopotamian Cuneiform. For now, I have her working on the former two but I imagine she will be capable of taking her Runes NEWT in 2 years!" Everyone then turned to Snape who seemed to have been struggling with what to say. "Miss Black's skill with a cauldron seems to be adequate. I did give her a detention for cheek and she will likely be seated separately. If she is anything like her father I expect a few melted cauldrons, if not outright explosions. I will not be endangering any other student by seating them next to her."
Fillius is surprised. Severus may have sounded like his typical self, especially when he lambasts Mr. Potter and his potions skills (or lack thereof) yet Fillius swears that he was covering for something. Fillius does notice everyone looking at him, expecting his own assessment. "Miss Black, as far as I can see, is exceptional at charms. I have no problem with her silent casting and
like with Lupin and Minerva I have seen her come to her fellow students' aid and help them improve their casting. All of them do. I am pleased to hear about her performance out of my class and look forward to seeing her progress. I am particularly curious about your assessment of her, Poppy."
A good portion of the staff looks over at Madam Pomfrey, who looks a little sheepish. Albus seems confused, "Has Miss Black been admitted to the Hospital Wing already?" McGonagall looks guiddy and Pompfrey looks insulted. "I believe that Professor Flitwick is referring to the fact that Miss Black is currently studying Healing under me, Headmaster. She is the only student who took the elective." Albus looked like he choked on one of his lemon drops. Perhaps he did. "Miss Black is a 3rd year student and the Healing elective is NEWT level. It is unwise to-..." Pomfrey raised her voice and spoke over him, "Miss Black has both a Ministry and an ICW certification of having completed the Early Healers evaluation. She is capable of taking Advanced Healing and is on her way in becoming the youngest certified healer since Grindelwald's War." Albus visibly flinched at the mention of Grindelwald's name.
Pomfrey continued, "I can assure you Headmaster, I personally evaluated her in our first session. Her diagnostic charms are thorough and her attention to detail is perfect for a Healer. Had she been a certified Healer in the last war, Alastor Moody himself would likely have had fewer scars maring his body. I look forward to seeing her as she practices on the lesser injuries one can often find in my Hospital Wing. But if you'd prefer to keep her from learning properly, I can at least keep her from healing Mr. Potter when he inevitably graces me with his company." Fillius smiled. His newest student was indeed someone to look after if even Poppy takes a liking to her. His good mood only soured when he had to explain the massive point drop his house suffered. Pomona looked giddy at the thought her badgers could break ahead and snatch the House Cup.
- -
"Is this seat taken?" Draco was about to refuse out of principle, as he knew he was now at the age when many of his father's acquaintances would be approaching him with possible courtships, pushing their daughters practically in his lap (Pansy Parkinson was already making a nuisance of herself), when he turned and saw… his cousin, Rhea. Draco genuinely smiles, "Not at all, cousin. Please, join us for lunch." Rhea nodded and sat down with all the grace of a proper Heiress. His mom would be proud. "As my only close family member in Slytherin, would you do the honor of introducing me to your classmates?"
Draco nodded and began, "the gentleman to my left is Theodore Nott, Heir of House Nott, the one sitting opposite of him is Blaise Zabini, Heir of House Zabini, the lovely ladies in front of you are Heiress Daphne Greengrass of House Greengrass on the left and Tracy Davis, of House Davis on the right." Rhea bowed her head, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I would personally have liked to share more classes with you, but the schedule seems to put Slytherin House and Gryffindor House together more often than not." A smattering of complaints of the matter filled the table as she served herself some food.
Rhea turned to Nott, who was looking at her carefully, "Heir Nott, was your Grandfather's meeting with my Dad productive? I was aware of it but was too distracted by my preparations for Hogwarts to ask my Dad how it went." Nott actually beamed at her, "Grandfather was quite pleased with it and has spoken with Lord Black and Lord Malfoy since. I believe he even shared some of his experiences with Lord Arcturus Black with your father." Rhea smiled fondly, "Please pass on my gratitude to your Grandfather. My dad hardly got to meet Great Grandfather Arcturus and sharing such memories with him must have meant a lot to him." Nott nodded and returned to his plate as Rhea asked Draco about how he is enjoying his electives and if he was looking forward to the duelling class.
Rhea eventually turned to Daphne, "How about you Heiress Greengrass? How are you enjoying the electives? I do want to apologize for any extra work my father brought to yours. As Neutrals serving together in both the Wizengamot and in the Board of Governors, I hear they have been spending a lot of work hours together. My apologies to your mother, Lady Greengrass, if this has made him spend more time away from home than she would have liked." Daphne gave her an expressionless look before she giggled. Everyone at the table looked at her with quiet surprise. "The sentiment is appreciated and I would be more than happy to share it with my mother. My father has made no complaints yet of his new work hours and has actually been pleased with the changes yours has brought to the Wizengamot and the Board. Perhaps we should organize a get together for our families?"
"The House of Black would be happy to arrange a get together with the House of Greengrass. Though please be aware we have plans for a get together this Yule Recess to meet with the rest of our family as well as House Malfoy. Perhaps over Easter Break? The get together with the Prasinos Family on Yule will be quite exhausting as is and we would like to have a quiet time for the rest of Yule. Are you alright, Heir Zabini?" Everyone nearby turned to Blaise Zabini as he seemed to have spit out the pumpkin juice he had been drinking. He took out a handkerchief and cleaned his face before cleaning the table in front of him with his wand. "My apologies, Heiress Black. Did you say you were having a get together with the Prasinos Family?"
Rhea looked at him, "Of course. They are my mother's family. Mom kind of went off on her own and now they want to make sure all is good with us by meeting once a year. This is our first Yule with them and I can't wait to see the Chateau in winter." Rhea's eyes grew unfocused for a second, "Oh Heir Zabini, have you heard from your Grandfather, Lord Zabini in Italy? Grandma Seraphina was having a chat with him last time she owled me and I forgot to ask. Did the negotiations go well?" Blaise looked at her with an odd expression. Rhea wasn't sure what that was. It did remind her of something though. "Uhm, from what I hear everything went great. Mom was actually quite happy with Grandfather's last letter." Rhea beamed, "Oh I am so glad. Grandma was so interested in getting what she asked of your Grandfather. She had been working some long hours getting the details right." Rhea spotted Susan and Hannah waving her down. "My apologies for cutting this short but I have a prior engagement. A good afternoon to you all ladies, gentlemen, cousin." The entire table watched her leave.
Draco was about to comment on Blaise's eyes staying glued to his cousin until she left the
Great Hall but was interrupted by the panicked expression on his face. "Draco, talk to the other Year Heads, Prefects and to Gemma. We need a House Gathering tonight!" Draco looked at him as if he had gone crazy, "Blaise, what exactly is so important that we need to call the entire house for?" He watched Blaise write a quick letter that he pocketed, probably to take to the Owlery. "Draco, House Slytherin needs to declare your cousin "off limits," completely. If something happens and one of the upper years is responsible, we will all be up shit's creek." The entire table near him was looking at Blaise as if he was insane. Blaise looked around and frowned. "Do none of you know about the Prasinos Family?" Everyone shakes their head except Draco. "I know Uncle Sirius is courting Rhea's mother and that she is a Prasinos and that they are a Magical family from the Continent. That's about it."
Blaise looked even more panicked. "Ok, we need to send letters home. Have them all contact Lord Malfoy and my mother! I don't want to imagine what could happen if something were to happen." Draco snapped, "Blaise, stop panicking and tell us why the Prasinos are so important." Blaise sighed, "The Prasino's family is old. Stupid old. Ancient Greece type of old. The family is mostly well liked and quiet and everyone just sort of writes them off. Like the Hufflepuffs. But every once in a while something happens, a member of the family gets hurt or killed and shit happens. Last time it happened it was 15 years ago. Two German Magical Families my Grandfather had dealings with vanished. No ruins, no vaults, no corpses, no trace. And the old Families refuse to talk about it. They will only ever say, "If you see a Prasinos, ignore them, if you meet a Prasinos, make friends. But under no circumstances are you to insult, hurt or kill a Prasinos." So please, stop asking me about this, send the letters home and get everyone on the same page. Rhea Black is to stay safe. Hell, make her an honorary Slytherin if you have to. Just for the love of all Magic, don't piss off her Family!"
- -
"You know, I thought Uncle Sirius was supposed to be a good guy. Went to Azkaban because of a mistake and all. I didn't think he and his family would turn out to be friends with Death Eaters. Guess he actually deserved it." Rhea had been around insults before. Dudley had enjoyed insulting her for everything under the sun. Rhea won't even touch the rest of the Dursleys. She knew insults well enough. But the cold feeling that settled in her bones, the sharpening of her hearing and the darkening of her vision? That was new. She didn't like it. Not. One. Bit.
"Don't sweat it, Henry. I bet you she misled the Hat like her Dad did. Both are Snakes hiding in other Houses. Bet you that's how they know who to hurt and how." The feeling in her stomach grew colder. Another voice cut in, "That doesn't sound right, Ron. The Hat is old, I'd doubt anyone could just fool it. Besides, she seems nice. She even spends time with Luna and Sally. Just because she sat with her cousin for lunch doesn't mean she's as bad as Malfoy." The cold feeling simmers down, until the voices return. "Come of it, Hermione, you see the way she walks around and talks to others. Even Remus doesn't like her. Said she smelled wrong. If a werewolf tells you there is something wrong with someone, then it can't be a good thing." The feeling spreads across her body, her legs feel heavy and her fingers… why can't she feel her fingers?
"Ron's right Mione. You heard how they made Remus admit he was a werewolf. He will be stuck in a cage with Snape come the full moon. Even with wolfsbane being used! Bet you Sirius is the reason Bellatrix got out. He must have told her how. Now Black's here at Hogwarts, so she can help her Psychotic Aunt get in. We need to keep an eye on her, before she gets one of the other students hurt. Ron, maybe we can ask your brothers abou-"
CRACK
A few of the girls screamed as a loud noise shook the Library. Everyone's eyes though were fixed on the candlestick in front of Henry Potter. What had once been Pewter and wax was now a jagged stick of warped metal and ash. Even Madam Price was shocked. Rhea was shocked. She hadn't willed that to happen. Yet it did. She didn't have to act surprised when she hunched over to Susan, Hannah and Sally. "Maybe we should head for our common rooms. Let Madam Price figure out what happened." They all nodded. Much of the library emptied out. Once she was alone, she disillusioned herself and silenced her footsteps. She wanted to go to Ravenclaw Tower and sleep, maybe call mom and dad. But the magic in her veins wanted to be let out. She needed to let it out.
"This way, quickly." She looked up and saw Helena. Her translucent body seemed to grow more opaque as Rhea followed her. They reach the 7th Floor. "Walk back and forward in front of this wall. Think of a safe place to release your magic without anyone noticing. Quickly." Rhea did as instructed and a door appeared. She walked in and watched the Ghost of her Ancestor's Daughter physically close the door. She might as well be physical. Maybe she was. "The room is safe, you cannot hurt me. Let it out. The magic, the rage. Let it out now!" And so she did.
The scream of rage out her mouth would have chilled anyone's blood. The living didn't feel anything but the castle grew colder. But the Dead knew, the Children of Death knew. The Dementors grew agitated, the Thestral neighed and stomped the ground. A lone howl was heard in the forest. A black owl headed for her Mistresses Room to await her return. For a single moment the Room of Requirement was beyond the reach of anything. Only Death. The rats, bugs and creatures in the Room of Hidden Things all dropped dead. A Diadem, tainted by a man's poor attempt at immortality, was cleansed of any trace of a soul. The Silence in the Room of Requirement was finally broken as a song spoken in Old English echoed across the chamber.
Rhea opened her eyes, her heart feeling warm as the last lyrics of the Old English song ended in Helena's lips. Helena in life had been beautiful. Despite the centuries, Rhea could see the family resemblance between them. She looked like how Rhea thought she might have looked before the Blood adoption. She went to speak and her voice cracked. Helena chuckled. "Typsy!" A house elf popped into the room, "Yes Miss … Mistress Helena! How?" Helena cuts her off, "The how is the young girl in front of me, who is probably in need of water. She might need something for her throat but best to wait on that. This will probably be temporary. You are to keep what has happened to me and about the girl's gift from being spoken or revealed to the Headmaster. The Ghosts already know and understand. The Portraits cannot be made to comply against the will of Hogwarts. Make sure the elves know and bring her the water. Warm and cold." The elf looks at the girl, her eyes as big as possible. "Typsy understand. Elves will know and not speak. Keep the new
Mistress safe!" A pop and the elf is gone.
" How did you know. About me and I guess about the ring I carry? " Helena looks down and blinks, "An interesting idea, switching to the language of Death." Typsy places the water pitchers next to Helena and a cup. She lets Rhea drink from the warm water first. "As for you, all ghosts could feel your gift. You giving us a trace of your magic was much appreciated. And your warning of Binns will likely sink in tonight. Those of Death's realm will not have missed your rage as it thundered through the Veil. As for the ring...," Helena stares into the distance, "You are like her. My aunt. She was a Necromancer too but hid it from all. Probably for the best. They would have hunted her harder if they knew. She had a child, loved and cared for her before the hunting parties grew close. My mother raised my cousin after my death and made her Heiress to all that was hers. The rest is lost to time. A thousand lives, a thousand births, a thousand dreams. All leading to you, Rhea of Ravenclaw."
Rhea smiled. "Pleasure to meet you, Helena of Ravenclaw. By the way, Laris sends his love and asked me to kick your ass. While I feel like I could currently, how about we just say I did and call it settled?" Helena laughed, a beautiful sound unheard in millenia. Rhea swore she would find a way to record it. It was too beautiful to be lost to time once more. A soul whose life ended far too soon connects with one made old by the horrors of the living, and in a night shaken when death visited the world but for a second, normality is restored all too soon.
Chapter End Notes
How was the Dementor scene? I didn't want to make a panic attack scene, but Dementors do tend to dreadge up some unpleasantness and you all were looking forward to the scene, so I went halfway and gave a taste of both Halley's horrors and a little something more.
The name for the Hat is Latin for cheerful, considering he sings to the school that one day a year he is let out of the Headmaster's office. Poor dusty old hat. How do you like Rhea's interactions with the Professors? Did you enjoy the scene with Draco and the Slytherins? How about Rhea's introduction to Henry and his group? Share and ask away in the comments!
Next Chapter? More classes and Quidditch. Oh, and Samhain.
Echoes of the Dead linger in the Living
Chapter Notes
Here is Chapter 9 as Rhea gets further into her time at Hogwarts. I got hit hard by my Muse last night which leaves me with a Chapter by Chapter outline of Year 4. Also said Muse left me with a night's dose of Insomnia.
A 2 day period between releases should be the norm, as it gives me time to hammer out a proper chapter and review the ones I am posting properly. Should that change, I will make sure to let you all know. Enjoy!
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See the end of the chapter for more notes
Classes settled into a routine at Hogwarts for Rhea. Snape took her up on her suggestion and her Potion's class experience dramatically improved. Sure he was grading her work on NEWT and Mastery Potions as if they were part of the 3rd year curriculum, but as far as Rhea was concerned she was essentially in a self study class under the watchful eyes of a Potions Master who could rival her mother. Despite some snide remarks, it was actually a lot of fun. Certainly more fun than Herbology. With all due respect to Professor Sprout (She had to have some dryad genes with a name like that, right?) she really didn't need to supply her own potions stock from a garden, especially when said garden magical plants either refused to let themselves be touched by her or simply seemed to go dead limp in her hands until she left them alone. Plants and Death, despite her affinity to Earth Magic, don't mix.
Binns, as Helena predicted, became more like your typical history teacher and actually followed a proper syllabus rather than droning on about Goblin Rebellions. The other students were stunned by the change and some even grumbled about losing their nap time, but Rhea was really enjoying the class, the way she expected when she heard a ghost was teaching. Arithmancy was just mathematics with numbers having magical significance and Runes with Babbling was both self study and refresher. At least Babbling just had her read a book on Hieroglyphics. She'd be able to read an original tablet of the Egyptian Book of the Dead by next year. Sweet! Maybe she could convince Mom and Dad to go vacation on the Nile. She heard it was quite beautiful.
DADA kept being a bit of a disappointment. Sure she got the work done and her classmates and friends were passing with some tips from her but Lupin's problem with her seemed to just get worse. Especially after the Boggart incident. When Lupin said they would be facing a Boggart, Rhea pulled the Ravenclaws aside and warned them that they could refuse. One's greatest fear was a private matter and the school was not required to force a student to face their fears without parental authorization, and Flitwick wasn't there to give his support either. Many of them agreed and the Ravenclaws stood their ground. Even Susan and Hannah joined the protest, though Sally did decide to face it. Her's ended up being a vicious dog that rushed her and would have hurt her if
Rhea hadden't raised a barrier. Sally eventually gathered the courage and casted the counter on the Boggart (a poodle with pink bows and no teeth was decidedly funny).
Lupin left her for last and probably expected her to refuse, but Rhea wasn't a Marauder's daughter for nothing. She put her Occlumency Barriers on high and focused on a single thought she would let slip. After the Boggart went crazy trying to find out anything from her mind and failing, it latched onto the thought and the result was exactly as planned. She thought that the scariest thing in the world was nonexistence. Lo and behold the Boggart willed itself into nonexistence. The absolute silence of the class and the dumbfounded look on Lupin made it worth the wait. She was so sending that memory to mom and dad!
Eventually the day she dreaded came. Dueling class with Lupin and Flitwick. She didn't dread the course, Dad had been thorough in his instructions and mom was decidedly mean and cruel and Rhea loved her tips. Dad had refused to practice dueling on Mom and she had just smiled at him. Wise man, for occasionally being a Neanderthal. No, what she dreaded was being near Henry. He was supposed to have been her twin brother, but the Potters and Dumbledore ruined that. She would look at the Patils and the Weasleys and would almost ask them. But there would be no point. The link between them was severed beyond repair. Helena did a good job helping her deal with the rage the prat tended to inspire in her when he badmouth her family. She now wondered if she should add a figurine of a little brother to her Samhain altar, since it would seem her brother had indeed died the day she had been sentenced to hell on earth.
She watched as the 3rd year students moved into the Great Hall, dueling platforms set up at intervals in the room. She noticed that Snape accompanied the Slytherins and stood in the back, watching. How odd. She managed to get some friendly words with Daphne and Draco before Lupin and Flitwick called the class to order and started setting up the students in duels to gauge their reflexes and spell repertoire. Apparently the class would be divided among skill groups. Neat! She hears pairs of students called up. Susan was put up against Granger, who Rhea would admit knew a good variety of spells. Not much help against a girl trained by Auror tutors. The fight lasted 2 minutes and was Susan's from the start.
She noticed some disagreement between the Professors until Lupin called out. "Black vs Zabini." She was heading towards the platform when Blaise spoke up, "I withdraw." Silence spread through the Hall. Lupin sighed. "Miss Greengrass vs Black then." Snape cuts in, "as interesting as it would be to see Miss Black fight against a member of my House, I am afraid that no Slytherin will be raising their wand at Miss Black." Rhea turned and looked at Profesor Snape. Wait… he didn't say the third years wouldn't, he said no Slytherin would. Snape was blunt but he always measured his words. Which means he really meant it. She eyed Draco, who blushed and looked away from her. Is this what having an overprotective brother was like? It felt…warm.
"I'll take on Black if the snakes won't!" And now she felt cold. She started doing the mental exercises that Helena and Mom suggested as she stepped up the platform and stood opposite of Henry Potter. Mustn't kill the prat, Mustn't kill the prat, Mustn't kill … "Miss Black, wands out." She eyed Lupin. "I will be keeping my wand holstered until required, Professor." Both Potter and
Lupin sputtered, but the Slytherins, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs laughed. "As mentioned, none harmfuls spell only and please vocalize the spells. Ready? Start!" "Expelliarmus!" Rhea just stared at her brother and didn't even bother to move. The spell hit and nothing happened. She raised her arms and twittled her fingers, "Please tell me you understand what that spell does Potter. Sort of useless when your opponent isn't currently armed."
The entire Hall burst out laughing at the embarrassed look on Potter's face. And was that… was Snape smirking? Damn it! She needs to buy more memory vials. "Incarcerous!" Ropes snap towards her and she just dodges out of the way. "Stupefy!" A quick turn of her body and it sails straight past. "Locomotor Mortis!" Rhea jumps up and the spell just hits the floor. On and on he repeats the same spells, except the disarming spell, and he misses every single one. Getting bored and already having enjoyed her makeshift duelling practice she summoned her wand from her holster. Potter didn't even hesitate, "Expelliarmus!" Rhea smiled, moved her body slightly and aimed her wand. "Protego!"
Silence filled the room as Potter went sailing out and landed at the edge of the platform, his wand tossed out into the throng of students. Potter's spell didn't hit a shield as expected, nor did it bounce off one. No shield manifested from Rhea's wand and she simply let the expelliarmus sail past her. "Miss Black, I said all spells must be verbalised, 10 points from Ravenclaw." Rhea turned to Professor Lupin, clearly pissed at her. "Perhaps you should amend your rules then, Professor. You said all spells should be verbalized, you didn't say they should be verbalized accurately. Its standard practice in Dueling circuits for opponents that verbalize their spells to cast anything other than the spell spoken." Lupin looked like he wanted to curse her. Rhea holstered her wand and walked off the platform.
The class continued on for an hour and 30 minutes more but she wasn't called again. She did get a surprise as she left the Hall though. "Miss Black, 20 points to Ravenclaw." She turned and looked at Professor Snape, "Whatever for, Sir?" Snape smirked and Rhea made a new tally in her head, next to McGonagall's Huffs and Flitwick's Squeaks. "Displaying proper dueling posture, providing entertainment to your fellow students and for putting an attention seeking prat in his place." He turned, his robes billowing behind him dramatically. Rhea had a spring in her step the rest of the day. Maybe Duelling class wouldn't be as bad as she thought.
Everything seemed to be going fine until October 31st. She had just let her friends know during lunch that she would be stepping out of the castle and heading home to take part in her family's Samhain preparations when one of the people she was trying to avoid decided to stick his nose into her business. "Miss Black, I regret to inform you that you won't be permitted to leave the castle." She pulled her shoulder bag up and turned to look at the Headmaster who was standing next to her. She could see her Head of House coming towards them. "Headmaster, I assume you are intimately familiar with the Hogwarts Charter, correct?"
The old man brushed his waist length beard and seemed to preen. "Of course my dear. I am…" Rhea cuts him off, "Then that means you are aware that the Founders themselves expressly forbid anyone, themselves, their Heirs and the staff, including the Headmaster from impeding a
student's needs to celebrate their established days of worship, regardless of religion? And that said rule prevents any amendments from overriding this directive? Which would mean that one of your previously spoken sentences is a lie. So which is it, the blatant attempt to impede a student's established religious and magical rights or lying about knowing the Hogwarts Charter?"
Rhea mentally wonders if she should make a tally for making entire rooms go silent. You could hear a pin drop in the Great Hall. Dumbledore's ego apparently couldn't take it for long. "I believe a 15 points deduction and a night of detention are in order, Ms. Black." Rhea lifted her eyebrow at him. "If that is how Hogwarts' Headmaster handles himself when a student reminds him of his duties and restrictions them it's no wonder that my father has been so busy since getting on the Board of Governors. Now excuse me Headmaster, I have a ritual to prepare for." That seemed to make the Headmaster's skin pale, "Miss Black, rituals at your age are extremely dangerous. Via my authority as in loco parentis I…" Rhea snapped, "Do nothing. My Head of House signed all the necessary documents banning ANY staff member from possessing in loco parentis powers over me. Professor Flitwick, could you escort me to your office? I would rather not play host to the deceased in any more of a foul mood. Good Day Headmaster. Enjoy your Feast."
Rhea spent the next few minutes running through mental exercises while walking through the halls of the school towards her Head of House's Office. She sighed, "My apologies for not being pleasant conversation Professor, it is never wise to have one's magic overly active due to anger, and the Headmaster's blatant disregard for the rules and my rights did a number on my emotional state." Flitwick nodded. "Not a problem my dear and it's perfectly understandable. Though I doubt going to my office will do you much good. I imagine the Headmaster has closed of floo access." Rhea enters the office and turns around towards her professor. She makes a silencing motion with her finger on her lips. "Care to learn a secret Professor?" Rhea then opens the window and calls her familiar.
Flitwick looks between his student and her black owl curiously. "What secret would you share?" Rhea grinned mischievously and switched to Goblin Speech, " You can't ward against that which you don't know about. " With those final words, Rhea vanished without any noise, except that of a gust of wind, leaving behind a properly startled Professor.
- -
Sirius wrapped his arms around Sabrina's waist as she finished preparing the altar. "Sirius, behave. Our daughter will be here soon." Sirius kissed her shoulder, earning him a moan and a playful slap. Sirius grinned. "Come now love, it's been a while and we always behave on Samhain." Sabrina was about to respond when someone else did. "I didn't need to hear that." Sirius jumped as a wandless stinging hex (one of the few new spells Sabrina could do wandlessly) hit him in the inner thigh. Sabrina looked towards her daughter, whose vision was obscured by the black owl's outstretched wing. Sabrina shivered at the owl's judgemental eyes. "Nyx, is it safe to look
now?"
A soft hoot and a lowered wing and the next thing she knows is that her 13 year old daughter is hugging her. Sabrina hugged her back and sighed. How she had missed this. "Welcome home, Rhea. Have you decided who to call tonight?" While Sabrina hardly ever asked, the last Samhain was still fresh in her mind. Rhea nodded. "I was going to call Cygnus." Sirius hissed and Rhea pulled away and hugged him too. "I know you hate your uncle Dad, but we need to know what happened to Bella and he is the only one who can tell us." Sirius sighed and hugged his daughter tightly. "Ok, just be safe, please?" Rhea nodded into his chest and pulled away. Sirius smiled sheepishly, "Though there has been a small change in plans." Rhea cocked her head and Sirius pulled her towards the sitting room on the first floor and Sabrina finished working on the basement.
Two hours later and Rhea was excited. Andromeda, Ted and her cousin Nymphadora were joining them! This would be Ted and Nymphadora's first Samhain ritual and Andromeda's first in 20 years. The floo flared and Rhea quickly took a soft bow. "Welcome to Grimmauld Place Lord Malfoy, Aunt Narcissa. We thank you for joining our ritual tonight and hope it may become a more common occurrence." Lucius smiled and bowed his head, "It is good to be amongst family this night and I am honored to be invited, Heiress Black. Draco has been speaking highly of you."
Rhea beamed, "Draco and his friends have been most kind. Daphne Greengrass has been of great help in Herbology. While I am good with processed plants, I am dismal with living ones. Daphne, Tracey and I have been partnering together a lot." Rhea suddenly gets a thought, "Oh, was Draco responsible for Slytherin not practicing dueling with me? I haven't had a chance to ask but he did look a little guilty after Snape mentioned it in the first meeting of our class." Lucius coughs dramatically, "While the reason is a bit more complicated, Draco was part of it. No need to worry about it my dear, it just means that Slytherin considers you family and we never harm our own." Lucius relaxed on seeing Rhea beam at him before she led them to the dining room. Only two members of the House of Black didn't attend that night, with Draco wishing to spend the night among friends.
A few hours after sundown and the ritual chamber in Grimmauld Place began to settle, as members of the House of Black awoke. There wasn't a dry eye in sight. Lucius moved towards his wife and hugged her. Sirius, the first to wake amongst his immediate family went to him. Lucuius looked at him carefully, "You knew." Sirius smiled softly, "I have been in a Samhain ritual with my family for the last 4 years. Each one has been the same. So yes. Do you regret it?" Lucius shook his head as he took a deep breath. "No. Seeing my father again, hearing his voice. Seeing my mother as I left. I could never regret this. But how?" Sirius turned to his daughter as Sabrina woke, her own face covered in tears. "My little girl is a Necromancer." Both Lucius and Narcissa take in a sharp breath of air. "This isn't something we want out. Not yet. But you are family and have proven it in the last few years. Sabrina and I agreed to invite you and Rhea couldn't be happier."
Lucius looked at the little girl still out from the ritual. So much change and all because of her. "I can see why you have done what you have. Educating the students about rituals, teaching them
the values of the Olde Ways. Dumbledore and his Light sycophants won't like a Necromancer reshaping Wizarding Britain." He looked down at his wife who nodded at him. Lucius turned to Sirius. "Your daughter's gift is safe with us. At least until you order otherwise." Sirius smiled and was about to reply when a string of Greek and Goblin expletives were said by his now awake daughter. "Language!"
Rhea looked at everyone and blushed, "Sorry Dad!" She moved closer to her mom and rested her head on her mother's shoulder. "Cygnus Black was mad after Andromeda escaped the marriage contract he had planned for her. He knew he had nothing to worry about with Narcissa but Bellatrix didn't like LeStrange, so he forced her." Rhea looked up and stared into her fathers eyes, rage simering inside of her. "He used a slave contract on her!"
- -
Rhea popped back into Hogwarts during breakfast, though she already ate. She went to Slytherin's table first. "Morning Cousin." Draco looked at her. "Morning Cousin. You missed the excitement last night." Rhea sat down to his right and passed him a package. "What excitement? If it's the Halloween Feast I was quite happy to miss it. This is a care package from home. Mom, Aunt Andy and your mom worked on it together. There are also some letters from your parents, Cousin Dora and Dad." Draco took the package and opened it, noting some tasty smelling pastries and cookies. "Wow, did my parents stay till morning?" Rhea nodded. "They did. The ritual last night left them a little winded and it would have been bad manners to let them go back home like that. Our fathers had some coffee in the office and everyone else just gathered in the kitchen. Kreacher was quite put out by the ladies deciding to bake without him." Draco laughed.
"You'll have to do better than that Black if you want to get me killed!" Rhea's blood went cold again as she sighed. "I don't know what you are talking about Potter. I was home with my family." Potter seemed to glare at her. "So last night you disappear and all of a sudden your crazy Aunt Bellatrix decides to break into the castle. Not buying it Black!" Rhea really wanted to smack him but decided to look at Draco. "This the excitement you mentioned?" Draco nodded. "Bellatrix somehow made it onto school grounds, dodged the Dementors, reached the entrance to Gryffindor Tower and tried to break in. Burned the Fat Lady's portrait all the way. Good thing she fled into other frames or the castle would be missing a painting."
Rhea hummed and turned to Potter, "So since I was nowhere to be found, you just assume I let her in. If your Dad makes the same leaps of logic, no wonder he has pissed off so many of the old Houses." Potter's face reddened. "Don't you dare talk about my father like that, you snake. I know you're working with her to get me killed and Dad will drag you and your crazy aunt to Azkaban himself." He spun on his heels and left. Rhea looked over at her cousin, "Is he always that dim and dramatic?" Daphne snorted, and the others nearby looked at her, "Sorry, it's just Draco is the worst
person to ask that to. He is the most dramatic of our year, barring Potter." Rhea laughed full heartedly at Draco's "Oi, I resent that!"
Ignoring Potter's glares, Rhea had a great week. Luna's exercises were getting her improved control over her Fae Sight and she loved the book on Fae Rhea brought back from her own library. That and the fact the Ravenclaws now knew not to bother her had resulted in her smiling much more. Rhea loved her smile. While most of the school was gearing up to watch the upcoming Quidditch game, which changed from Gryffindor vs Slyrherin to the Lions taking on the Badgers, Rhea focused more on her Healers studies. Madam Pompfrey said that it's highly likely they would be getting some injured Quidditch players, so Rhea focused on treating falls, blunt force trauma and splinter removal.
The night before the Quidditch match Rhea had been reading her non-magical medical book when she noticed her detection spells catch something in the food. She stopped Luna from eating before telling her it was tampered. She sent an animated paper message to Susan in Hufflepuff and Draco in Slytherin before passing on her observations to the rest of Ravenclaw. Half an hour later and the thing she noticed became evident. Everyone besides a bunch of Ravenclaws, most of Slytherin and half of Hufflepuff had their skin and hair changed to match their house's color. Funny enough, almost all of the Gryffindors were affected. "Messers Weasley!"
Rhea looked towards the Gryffindor table again and spotted the Weasley Twins standing up and taking a bow, proudly showing that they too had taken the potion ingredients. Rhea shook her head as she went back to eating her now inert meal until someone tapped her shoulder. She looked over and saw an older Hufflepuff boy with a Quidditch Captain's pin and Hufflepuff colors smiling at her. "Susan said you warned her about the prank. Thanks for that. We are all for house pride, but I don't think I would look good on the pitch with bright yellow skin. We managed to keep the team clear of it so thanks. Oh, I am Cedric Diggory, Team Captain and Prefect."
Ahh, this was the boy most the girls in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were crushing over. Don't see why. He is nice enough though. "Not a problem. Though you don't stand much on tradition, do you Heir Diggory?" He blushed and Rhea could swear she heard half the girls swoon. Really? "Sorry, my family is of the Noble Lines but we haven't kept up with tradition as much. Being Light and all." Rhea looked at him and sighed, "No, I don't suppose there are many Light Family's sticking with tradition. Hope they had good chroniclers. I'd offer your team a prayer or luck if I didn't think my Head of House would take it poorly. For an intellectual, he certainly enjoys Quidditch a bit too much for my tastes. See you around, Heir Diggory." Diggory nodded and left. Rhea went back to eating but stopped when she noticed half the girls in Ravenclaw staring at her. "What?"
Pomfrey's prediction came true as the doors of the Hospital Wing flew open as soon as the Quidditch game was over. 4 girls and 3 boys from both teams were helped in, some on stretchers. One of the guys, the one on the stretcher, had a familiar mop of messy hair. "Rhea, the ladies are yours, I'll handle the boys. Make sure you document everything." Rhea took her notepad and a dictaquill. She asked her patients questions as she did her scans. "You have broken ribs, some
bruising, but no internal injuries. You are showing signs of shock, exhaustion and early stages of hypothermia. All should be easy to care for and you should be out by tomorrow. Please stay flat on the bed, I will be back with your medication."
Rhea went about her work, Pompfrey looking over at her from time to time. Rhea brought each of the diagnostics to the Madam who confirmed her treatment selection and allowed her to administer the potions and balms. Of the four girls, 3 shared the same symptoms and would be out by morning. The third, a Hufflepuff, had a concussion as a complication. Rhea called the Matron over, showed her the scan and asked her if she could verify before proceeding with the treatment. Rhea looked at the girl, "You took a nasty hit to the head and it's why you're having trouble keeping your eyes open. I will be administering a potion to relieve the swelling and another so you can sleep through the night. Your cracked ribs will have to wait for tomorrow as it's not safe to mix the potions. We will check on you in the morning and administer more potions, but it's likely you will be here till Monday morning to make sure you're right as rain. Ok?"
Most of the ladies were out like a light, the girl with the concussion thanks to the Dreamless Sleep potion. Rhea would occasionally cast diagnostic spells from time to time and revise their state in her notes. A few minutes later and the doors of the Hospital Wing burst open. Rhea, operating on instinct casted a strong noise dampening spell on her patients and a silencing spell on the newcomers. The Matron came out of her office, "What do you think you're doing?" Noting that the people in front of her were silenced she looked over at Rhea, "Miss Black, please cast noise canceling spells on the rest of the patients." Rhea agreed and did so, smiling as she saw the Matron try to lift the silencing spell on the students and failing. "Miss Black, would you please lift your spell from the intruders." Rhea smiled, "I was planning to do so, after you reminded them that this is a Hospital Wing with patients, not a Quidditch pitch."
Madam Pomfrey had an amused smirk on her face. "I appreciate the sentiment but I can handle them myself." Rhea shrugged, dispelled the students and went back to work. The rowdy students spent most of their time around Potter, at least until the two people she never wanted to see walked through the doors and went to their son. Madam Pompfrey went to the Potters but noticed Rhea tensing up. She also noticed the girl casted a spell on herself. "Mr. and Mrs. Potter, your son, as you saw, took a nasty fall and suffered some Dementor Exposure. I have already given him all the necessary medication. He will be staying here overnight but will likely be up by morning. I can wake him now for you but he will be taking Dreamless Sleep for tonight."
The boy talked happily with his parents about the game and his father promised to replace the broom he lost. It wasn't until the boy noticed who else was in the room that the mood in the Hospital Wing soured. "What's she doing here?" James Potter looked at Rhea and frowned. Madam Pomfrey clarified, "Miss Black is a certified Advanced Healing student and has been here with me caring for the injured students from the game." James looked her over, "She can't be over 15." Lily chimed in, "She's in Henry's year." Pomfrey eyed James carefully, "She performed her work perfectly, with a bedside manner that many in St. Mungos would be envious of. She made sure to confer with me all her diagnostic results and had me verify one since it was a head injury. She's currently monitoring to make sure the medication is doing its job."
Henry didn't seem to care. "It doesn't matter. She's a Black. She spends a lot of her time with Malfoy and his ilk. I swear she's helping Lestrange get into the castle." "Mr. Potter!" Henry cringed at Pomfrey's tone while James' eyes were glued on the girl. "It would probably be wise to ask her a few questions." Pomfrey stopped him from approaching her. "Ms. Black's parents have blocked anyone from having any authority over her in the school beyond academic reasons. You and Black are already in a bad place. If you interrogate her without his permission you will be bringing hell on your head."
James bristled. "I can't just ignore a potential lead on Lestrange. She already broke in here and went for Henry. There is nothing stopping her from trying again." Pomfrey pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can ask her if she's willing to be interviewed by you but I can't force her and If you try to I will personally toss you off the school grounds, Mr. Potter." His jaw was set but he nodded. Pomfrey went to Rhea and moved in front of her. She was surprised to see her with her eyes closed, muttering under her breath. It sounded like Greek. A memory flashed of a Healer in World War II; bronze hair, blue eyes, a stubborn streak and would constantly switch to Greek when agitated. Rhea's hair had streaks in it of bronze that matched her memories, and as she listened closely, the muttering was actually counting.
Pomfrey wasn't a Mind Healer but she was trained to spot the signs. The girl was doing everything in her power to not lose control; Distraction, Sensory Deprivation, more than likely Occlumency exercises. Poppy thought back to when the change in the behaviour started. The girl had been fine with the patients. She didn't flinch with Henry Potter in the room. She handled Potter's teammates perfectly. But when James and Lily Potter stepped in she tensed. Moments later she turned around. Followed by the sound canceling spell on herself. The Potters precipitated the change and if she talked to them directly, it would probably be catastrophic. But she still needed to get her denial. She used a soft diagnostic spell on her and her hunch was right. The girl recognized it and her magic and didn't panic, but she was now very aware. The deafening spell drops, "Yes Madam Pomfrey?"
Pomfrey sighed, "I know you would like to be left alone but I still needed to ask. Mr Potter of the Aurors wishes to interview you about LeStrange's activities. I assume you aren't willing?" No flinching, but no relaxing of her body. Eyes blink in a controlled and steady manner. Her breathing is even. Too even. She is occluding her emotions hard. "You would assume correctly." She turned her eyes away and began to cast diagnostics again, writing down her observations. Mr Potter had not liked being denied but Pomfrey controlled the wards in the Hospital Wing and he could do nothing. He and his wife left after she administered Dreamless Sleep to their son.
She brewed a fresh cup of tea and placed it in Rhea's hand. She didn't draw her wand, only opened her eyes. "Calming Draught in the tea." Pomfrey smiled and led her to her office. She felt the sudden casting of privacy wards. The girl knew. "I assume you wish to know why I just closed myself off in their presence?" Pomfrey shook her head, "I only wish to know if there is anything I can help you with. A reaction like that means there is a problem that needs addressing." Rhea drank the tea, but her shoulders remained stiff. "I have enough training in both the mind and body arts to know you can't fix everything. Even time has the limit of a person's lifespan. Some hurts are too private, too deep and too overwhelming."
Pomfrey drank her own tea, her mind thinking of how the Potters could have hurt this 13 year old. "You remind me of someone. From Grindelwald's War. I was a Healer Trainee helping out wounded witches and wizards of the Coalition. One of the Healers had some similar mannerisms to you. Her name was Selene. Can't remember her family name. She was a close friend of another healer, at least they became friends later, one of your relatives actually. Dorea Black." "Prasinos. My Grandmother. She died before my time. My Mom learned medicine from her. She taught me what Grandma taught her." Rhea smiled, a genuine smile and pulled up her sleeve, revealing a Lunar Bracelet, her fingers brushing against it gently. Pomfrey remembered seeing it on Selene. "Your Grandmother's." Rhea nodded. "Mom gave it to me 4 Yules ago. Haven't taken it off since. I can feel Grandma's magic from it, makes me feel closer to her even though I never really got to be with her." Pomfrey nodded and smiled fondly.
The next few hours, with breaks to check on their patients, were spent with Pomfrey reminiscing about her Healer days with Dorea and Selene. Rhea's smile never left her face. There was no doubt in her mind the girl loved her family. She never mentioned James or his relationship to Dorea, though she was sure Rhea knew. Best leave the source of the wound alone for now. For now, the old Healer focused on seeing her student heal, a few words at a time.
- -
A few days after the near meltdown in the Hospital Wing, Rhea was packing up after completing the Wolfsbane potion for Professor Lupin under Snape's careful eyes. She could have made the improved version her mom developed but she didn't. Lupin was still being a git. He could use the pain. "I must admit Miss Black, despite my best attempts, your brewing skills are indeed those of a professional. Your mother's influence, I take it?" Rhea nodded. "Mom and I had an impasse about chores in the house. We settled on dividing all the work, which meant I got to help brewing. It was fun. Though I had to pick up the reaction table quickly. So far my record stands at one melted cauldron." Snape hummed, "A fine record indeed. Keep it up."
She spent a few minutes cleaning up her workstation and taking the textbook he leant her with the old wolfsbane recipe. She slid it back in place and was turning to leave when she saw a familiar name on the spine of a book. "Professor, how many books do you have from Chantal Prasinos works?" Snape looked towards the bookshelf and saw the book she spotted. "That one and five others I keep in my office. Why?" Rhea pulled the book out and opened it. The edges were covered in hand written notes. "My Mother's Family are the Prasinos. Chantal was her Great Aunt and her Instructor in Potions. Mom lost most of her own copies of Grandmother's journals and notes to a fire. Dad got her some of the copies she was missing, but not all of them. I was curious if you had the ones she was missing. I would pay of course, for a copy of the original text, not your notes and annotations."
Snape noticed she skimmed the book, avoiding his notes. "Which are the Journals she is missing?" Rhea raised her head and bit her lip. Her mannerisms reminded him of someone. He wasn't sure who. "I believe she is missing the Third and Fourth Journals. She had her copies of the First, Sixth and Seventh, and dad got her the ones from his family's library of the Second and Fifth." Snape nodded. "I have the set of the First through Fifth journals. They are all annotated but I can bring them up to Madam Pince and she can make a proper copy without my additions." Rhea beamed, "That would be great, sir. Thank you!" Out of habit she hugged the man, causing him to tense up before patting her back. "Best leave it there, Black. I have a reputation to maintain." The girl giggled and let him go. She grabbed her bag and was heading for the door. "Miss Black." Rhea turned and he pointed. She blushed when she noted she was still holding the book she pulled from the bookshelf. She sent it to the bookshelf and gently pushed it in its place before skipping out of the room. Snape stared at the door and the blatant use of advanced magic.
He stepped into his office and pulled out the discussed books, placing them on the table. He also pulled out a photo album. He knew she reminded him of someone and the thought was nagging at the back of his mind. He leafed through the pages, going back years. He was about to turn the page when he saw a picture of himself and Lily working on homework at the library in 5th year. Before their friendship imploded with a history of bad decisions and one blasted word. He was about to close the book when he saw it. In the picture, Lily had the same mannerism. Rhea looked like Lily in that moment. Snape wracked his brain. Lily didn't have any relatives beyond Petunia and there was no way that was her daughter. The similarities were there, but it wasn't enough. The girl looked like Lily but with bronze highlights and black hair…
A thought smashed right through his mind and he flipped the album all the way to 1980. Lily had been mad at him for years by then but she had sent him a letter, forgiving him for his actions at school. The letter had come with a photo, Lily holding a little girl while James held a boy. Snape closed his eyes. Halley. The girl had been all but erased after that night on Halloween. Dumbledore and the Potter's officially declared her dead days later, but Snape hadn't seen them mourn as if their daughter had died. He remembered hearing about the boy crying for months afterwards, but neither of the parents seemed too concerned. As if she hadn't really died. He ran through all the memories of Rhea. Her hair was black, but not messy, streaks of bronze cutting in every once in a while. Curls were visible the few times he saw it out of a braid, looking decidedly like Black. Her eyes, they were cyan, not green. But the shape felt right. Her skin was tanner, more Mediterranean than Lily's pale complexion, but still close.
Blood adoption. The girl had been Blood Adopted by Black and her mother. The small changes matched what a Blood Adoption would do. Blood Adoptions weren't common, usually only done if there were no more possible Heirs. Halley was a Black through Dorea, meaning a Blood adoption wasn't necessary. But they had done it with both parents, erasing all trace of James and Lily. The girl hadn't died, but she might as well have. She wasn't raised by her birth family, but she deeply loves Black and her mother. He remembered seeing her dueling Henry Potter, not an ounce of restraint beyond what the rules called for. She had been reserved but brutally efficient. She didn't care. Not for Henry or James. Not even for Lily. He closed his eyes and sighed, his words coming out in a soft whisper, "Oh Lily, what did you do to your own daughter?"
Chapter End Notes
Oh boy, the secret's not so easy to hide from a spy's discerning eyes. Hope you all like the chapter as we move forward. Please leave a comment if you liked the chapter and ask away.
Next Chapter? Yule and a whole lot of family drama. The good kind. ;)
I do need to say that I have begun to settle some ideas for my story's endgame. I had initially been planning either no romance or some romance for Rhea, before leaving it and the character with minimal interactions. I had originally planned the romantic interest being an OFC (there is a reason there is an F/F tag on the story), but after writting a scene with a canon character, I suddenly found myself with a suitable romantic interest and one that would go through a story arc along with Rhea while also covering an element that needs exposure. I had initially dismissed this character because its really common in fanfiction, though I personally enjoy the stories with her. But the story took a life of its own and now its fitting. So, yes there is romantic character, the seeds are being sown in Year 4 and Year 5 will be the realization and relationship.
Not Everyone goes Home for Yule
Chapter Notes
Here is Chapter 10! Hope you all like it!
Next chapter will be out by tuesday as the Muse has been super kind and I have managed to advance further into the story and want to keep going. For the eagle eyed readers you may notice some changes in the tags, a lot is just filling out the details I hadn't gotten too at first.
Feel free to comment and see you all soon.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Rhea yawns as she heads through the castle's outer courtyard well past curfew. She had just spent some time with the Thestrals as she would be heading home soon for Yule. Well, Yule would be in France at the Prasinos Chateau, but still she'd be with her mom and dad. She really missed them a lot. Pomfrey and Snape are good at what they do and hearing about both her Grandmothers was great, but they could never hold a candle to mom. She loved her and dad so much. She was going to head inside when she spotted movement in the courtyard. A black panther was drinking from the fountain, its body taught and emaciated. The winter had frozen much of the Black Lake over, but the fountain was enchanted to remain unfrozen. As Rhea approached she could feel the magic coming from the panther.
She used some of her magic to pin the animagus down, dropping her Disillusionment spell and gently rubbing its back. She could feel the panic in the animagus but Rhea needed to help them. "I know what you are. You are starving and likely suffering from goddess knows what. Please, let me get you some food and ease some of the pain. I promise, I will let you go on your way." The Animagus panther felt her magic and slowly began to relax. "Typsy." The little elf popped in and startled at the large feline. "Yes, I know Typsy. Think you could get a basket of food prepared, maybe a month or three's worth placed in stasis charms?" The elf nodded and popped away.
Rhea turned to the panther, its violet eyes looking at her with careful interest. They were very pretty eyes. "I have Healer training and can help you out with your pain, but I can't do it while you're in animal form. I'd need to take a veterinarian course for that. I need you to switch back. I know that you'd rather not, and that you probably hate feeling weak and vulnerable, but please, let me help you." The Animagus stared at her eyes and Rhea felt a passive touch of Legillimancy. "I wish I could trust you enough to show you that I mean it but I am not letting anyone in my head. I can give you a temporary oath." She felt the probe of her mind end and saw the Animagus dip its head. Rhea pulled out her wand.
"I, Rheannon Black, swear on my life and magic that I will heal the person who is the Animagus in front of me to the best of my abilities in the given circumstances. I swear I will take no action to impede their escape from Hogwarts grounds and will refrain from informing anyone within the school or with intention to notify the Aurors of an intruder capable of the Animagus transformation, is or was on the grounds till an hour has passed from them leaving the Boundary Lines a single time. I swear all this on the condition that the person in question takes no further violent action on this night via physical, magical or mental means against myself, other students or faculty members. Any such action is to render my previous oaths null and void. So swear I so mote it be." The point of her wand flashed and the oath was set. Typsy popped in and placed a basket with a handle the panther could hold in its mouth next to Rhea. Rhea smiled, "Thank you Typsy. Don't mention any of this to anyone until I say otherwise. Good night." The elf nodded and popped away, leaving Rhea with an emaciated woman as she took her original form.
Rhea cast some strong notice-me-not charms in a wardline and then cleared the flat stone bench of snow and warmed it. "Please lie down on the bench. This is going to take a lot of work." The woman looked at her but kept her mouth closed as Rhea began to cast diagnostic spells. She was in really bad shape. Usually Rhea would tell the patient what she intended to do but she knew the woman wouldn't be up to any small talk. So she went at it, healing spell after healing spell, from bone realignment to cleaning out infections, from extending her stomach to handle a bit more food, to cleaning as much of her body as she could. Rhea noted a reading on the woman's abdomen and stilled. "I know you'd rather I work quietly, but for this I need your consent. You have severe signs of sexual abuse, vaginal infection as well as tearing of both your lower cavities. Any spells I cast here you will feel. May I heal your lower body?"
The woman let out a choked groan and Rhea moved her hand and gripped hers. She looked into her pained violet eyes. "I was where you are now. I needed someone to care and heal me. They did so. Let me return the favor. Let me heal you." The woman shivered (and not from the cold) and sobbed but nodded her head. Rhea began to cast, her wand movements as gentle and light as possible. She felt the woman tense and shake but she pushed on. Eventually her lower body was healed, though the pain and memories would be with her for years. Rhea would know, the nightmares are gone but the pain would come and go. She did her best to heal what she could with spells and eventually ended. Rhea then pulled a notepad from her bag and began to write instructions as she summoned potion vials from her bag, placed them in a cloth and added them to Typsy's basket with the note. "Those were some healing potions. I wrote down which to take and when and which not to mix. They are all properly labeled. Please follow the instructions."
Rhea took off her coat and transfigured it to the right size before wrapping it around the woman. Those violet eyes stared at her. "Why?" Rhea smiled. "Because you were hurt and I could help. Besides, you are family and while others may cast their family aside, I will always care for mine." The woman closed her eyes and cried, wrapping the coat tightly around her. Rhea hugged her. "I have an idea as to why you are here and what makes you do it. I will have a means of freeing you close to May or June ready, maybe a little earlier. I imagine you are compelled not to seek sanctuary and to kill a certain boy. Can you restrain the compulsion from harming anyone for a bit? The more time you give us the better we can help you."
Bella choked out a response. "I can delay it while I recover, after that I have to try again. It won't let me stop until he is dead." Rhea kissed her on her forehead. "Oh Persephone, give this child of my house your mercy. Oh Persephone, ye who hold all souls equal, offer this child of our blood a blessing of peace for the coming months. Oh Persephone, daughter of Demeter, bringer of spring, keep this child safe till the spring rains bless the earth. This your speaker asks now in place of her Yule prayer." Bella stills as magic fills her body, a warm glow settling into her stomach. "Go Bella. Take your panther form and the food and run to safety. I have done what I can for you now. I hope I can do more come May. The Goddess' blessing be with you."
Bella didn't think twice. She shifted, grabbed the food and headed for the edge of the boundary lines. She saw the Dementors and was about to change direction when they parted, leaving a path for her to take. She looked back and saw the little witch with glowing cyan eyes waving at her. Her heart ached to turn back and be with what she now knew was a Black, one who cared enough for her to risk so much to help her, but the compulsion kept her from turning back. Bella rushed into the trees beyond the wards, shifted back and Aparated away.
- -
"I am telling you, she had to have helped her! There is no way she got away from us without help!" Flitwick really wanted this term to end, but the appearance of Bellatrix Lestrange in the wards derailed all hope for an early Yule break. "Let me get this right, the four of you have access to a map of the school which shows everyone who is on the grounds, saw Bellatrix Lestrange's name on it, went out looking for her and only notified the staff after you failed to find her and she had already vanished from the map? Am I missing anything children?" The four Gryffindors looked properly chastised. Sadly, the former Gryffindor behind them didn't seem to care.
"Regardless of their poor decision making skills, they do have a point. Both Bellatrix Lestrange's name and Rhea Black's were missing at the same time. It is enough justification for me to interrogate her." Flitwick could feel a migraine building. He could technically let him talk to her but he refused to let her get interrogated. Especially after Pomfrey had warned him about both Henry and James Potter's fixation on her. That was a conflict of interest disaster waiting to happen. He was about to respond when the fireplace lit up, "Filius! Keep everyone's wand aimed away from me! I am coming through."
Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody stepped out into his office and looked around. Flitwick was the first at his side, "What was my comment on your OWL Charm evaluation?" Moody bared his teeth, "My Confrigo was as likely to blast my legs out from under me as much as the enemy's if I didn't get my wand half rotation down right. Good to see you keeping up, Fillius." Flitwick nodded. "Always, now, before you say anything I need to ask something from two students outside." Flitwick watched as the two Weasley Twins entered his office.
"Messers Weasley, young Mr. Potter here mentioned that the map had been in your possession and that he used it to try and track Bellatrix Lestrange. Now, Mr. Potter claims that Ms. Black has been helping Lestrange enter the castle. Have you seen Ms. Black do anything suspicious on the map?" Both shook their heads, "No sir…" "we've never…" "seen…" "scary Ms. Black…" on the map." The adults looked at each other, Remus cuts in first, "But the map can't lie! How could she be absent from it?" Fillius throws his two knuts worth of wisdom, "Miss Black's father clearly helped in the creation of the map. It's possible he taught her how to avoid being on it."
James raises his voice, "That doesn't change the fact that Rhea Black could be helping Lestrange get into Hogwarts." Moody growls, "That is why I am here Potter. Lord Black has agreed I may interview Ms. Black with only Flitwick at her side. You are staying out of it." James was furious but couldn't go against Bones' orders. Both Flitwick and Moody entered the old assistant's office where Rhea had been waiting, both men surprised to see her playing a type of game with her owl familiar, both hiding their eyes behind their hands and feathers before revealing an odd expression. "Ms. Black, this is Alastair Moody. He will be asking some questions about last night." The owl jumped on her shoulder and stayed there as she sat down on the table, its red eyes giving the gruff old Auror the chills. "Sure. A pleasure to meet you sir. Dad talks a lot about you and your safety habits. Learned a few of them myself. What can I do for you?"
"Where were you after 10pm last night?" Rhea cocked her head. "Heading back to the dorms after spending time with the Thestrals. I usually spend an hour with them every week but since I was going home, I decided to spend more time with them." Moody watched the dictaquill continue writing. "And did you see anyone on the way back to the dorms." Rhea smiled. "Sure, ran into my cousin looking bad and decided to treat them." Moody stared at her, "which cousin?" Rhea hummed "The one James Potter seems to be looking for. Must be a bad time for Lady Potter, having her man so focused on another woman." Moody couldn't help himself, he snorted. "Have you been assisting Bellatrix Lestrage in entering the castle." Rhea shook her head, "Nope. Last night was our first meeting. Family prerogative and Healers training meant I had to help her. She was in a bad way. Your DMLE should really check out what the guards are up to in Azkaban."
Flitwick intervened, "Ms. Black, you are claiming Family's Prerogative in letting Lestrange leave school grounds." Rhea nodded. "Yup. I am not a moron though. We worked out a temporary oath that kept myself, the students and staff safe last night while I healed her. Once I got done with what I could she left via the Forbidden Forest. Haven't heard from or seen her since." Moody sighed. "Do you intend to aid her in breaking into the school in the future to harm Henry Potter, any other student or staff member?" Rhea tapped her fingers and looked as if she were considering the question. "While Potter is a prat and probably deserves a curse or three, I won't be helping Bellatrix Lestrange enter the castle to hurt any member of the student body or staff."
The interview didn't help ease any tension between Rhea Black and the Potters, but at least Flitwick came out of it getting to know more about his student. The Aurors and the Ministry may be after Lestrange, but she and the rest of House Black see it differently. They are only interested in Bellatrix's well being, and if Miss Black's comment about Azkaban bares fruit then they do have reason to worry. Though why Bellatrix hadn't gone to Sirius Black to seek asylum was a mystery he couldn't quite solve. But then again, odd things and mysteries seemed to be part of the course
with Rhea Black as a student of his. At Least with her out for Yule, the castle should be relatively quiet and relaxing. Right?
- -
Of all the people to appear in the Hospital Wing, Severus Snape was by far the most common and the least unusual. He did keep her potions restocked. The unusual part of his visit today was that he arrived without any potions in hand, which made Madam Pomfrey look at him questionably. "What can I do for you, Severus?" Severus looked at her and then her office door. "A word, in private." Pomfrey placed the warning ward up at the main door and had Snape follow her into the office. Considering how early in the morning it was she served him a drink of coffee, which he downed rather quickly. "Long night?" Severus grimaced, "Most nights in a castle full of dunderheads are long nights. Aside from some of my OWL and NEWT students, Slytherin's dorms are utterly empty and I am very much looking forward to a week of rest."
Pomfrey hummed, silently agreeing with his sentiment. "I know you didn't escape the peace and quiet of the Dungeons just to drink my coffee, even if the Hogwarts elves can't get theirs to taste as good. What brings you here?" Severus grimaced behind his cup. "I may have run into some uncomfortable information. Stop looking at me like that Poppy, the only head I was in was my own." Pomfrey's glare subsided, "and?" Severus closed his eyes, "Have you noticed any worrying behaviour from your student?" Pomfrey eyes narrowed on the man and he squirmed in his seat. "Tread carefully Severus, she is one of the best Healers I have worked with and a bright young girl. You do anything to hamper her future because of your feud with Black…"
"Whatever issues Black and I have, they do not involve his daughter. We have exchanged a few letters and the child and I came to an arrangement that doesn't reveal my hand while also minimising any poor interactions. Believe me, there is joy in having another proper potioneer in the school and I won't risk that either." Severus takes a drink from his mug and sighs. "While in my classes I began to notice certain mannerisms on her that were familiar, though she had a few completely foreign. Before the last full moon I had her work on Lupin's Wolfsbane potion." Pomfrey raises an eye at him. "Believe me, she made it to standards. Regardless, after she brewed it we had a small discussion and her mannerisms seemed to trigger a memory. The memory was of Lily."
Pomfrey stilled and Severus noticed. He just stared at her and Pomfrey shared her own thoughts. "Lily Potter and her husband understandably entered the Hospital Wing after Mr. Potter's fall during the first Quidditch match. Ms. Black had been there, attending half the other patients when they entered and she just froze up. She casted a noise canceling spell on herself and proceeded to run through any number of exercises to keep her emotions in control. I didn't have the heart to ask why. So, what are you saying exactly, Severus?" Snape really wanted to let it go but if this issue wasn't addressed, there was no telling how the girl would react if the situation was forced on her. Black had outmaneuvered Potter after Bellatrix's second breach of the school grounds but
there was no way of keeping him away from her forever. "I believe that Rhea Black was born Halley Potter and that between Halloween of 81 and now she had been all but abandoned by James and Lily. Black and the girl's mother raised her and Blood Adopted her sometime around his release."
The silence in the office would certainly have felt awkward to Snape if he couldn't see Pomfrey's face. The woman had gone through several emotions, including confusion, anger and horror. She rested her cup down and stared. "I imagine that whatever happened between the time she was abandoned and the time Black and Miss Prasinos took her in the girl didn't have a proper living environment. I can't tell you her medical history, but your conclusion does make a lot of questions I had make sense." Poppy sighed, "I can certainly do my best to limit her interactions with Mr. and Mrs. Potter and young Henry by extension, though aside from his blatant dislike of the girl, she hasn't shown any reaction whatsoever to the boy. I also imagine that you not only came here to me to verify your conclusion but to also enlist me in notifying her Head of House?" Severus's nod was all the confirmation she needed. She went ahead and served Severus a second cup of coffee while also preparing a cup for Fillius.
- -
Fillius stared into the cup of coffee Pomfrey brought to him. So much for a peaceful start to his Yule Break. He looked at the Matron and the Potions Master. "Your speculation certainly holds a lot of merit. It also explains as to why Lord Black took every possible measure to ensure that none of the Heads of Houses or the Headmaster had any capacity to affect her life within or outside the castle's wall beyond that of academic matters. I also share your concern that both Mr. Potters won't leave the girl well enough alone. I just don't know what we could do to mitigate this fiasco in the making." Pomfrey seemed to deflate in front of him. Snape does keep his head. "Personally I would say that the next thing to do would be to ask Ms. Black. If our hunch is correct, Sirius Black has been doing a surprisingly good job of keeping it quiet. The best approach would be to coordinate within him on this matter."
Fillius stares at Snape, "I don't know what to focus on in that statement of yours. Not only did you complement Sirius Black but you also suggested working with him. The last part I can give you the credit that at least it would be me dealing with Black and not you. I can only imagine what a day you would be having if she had gone to Slytherin." Snape seemed to shiver in his seat, "Either she would have taken over as queen or killed a large share of them. Can't decide which is worst." Pomfrey cuts in, "Yes, we should all be glad that Rhea's ambitions are tied to her studies. I am assuming that we will be organizing ourselves in conjunction with Black should they agree?" Fillius nodded but Severus stayed still. "Have the two of you fully realized what aiding Black in this matter entails, beyond keeping a gifted 13 year old girl from having a breakdown?" Both turned to him and waited. He sighed.
"Black, as you are aware, has been solidifying a block of Neutral Faction members since he claimed his Family's seat. He has already courted more Neutral oriented members of the Light and
Dark Factions, including Malfoy. His maneuvers and actions seem to lead to a return of traditions while also catering to some more progressive ideas. This has squarely placed him in opposition not only to Potter but to our dear Headmaster. If you two decide to aid Black and his daughter, you will be turning your back on Dumbledore. Can you two live with that?" The office went silent. Fillius drank from his coffee. Pomfrey broke the silence first. "Had this been 4 years ago I would have remained by Dumbledore's side. But these last few years have broken whatever faith I had in the man. A troll in the halls. A Cerberus guarding a magical item. A Basilisk running free without alerting the Ministry? And now Dementors wrapping around the school as an escaped felon stalks a student. Albus could use his influence and deal with all of this in a second but he doesn't. What's next, dragons in the forest? I can't bear to see what other horrors may visit our school like this."
Fillius looked over at his clearly rattled colleague. "Your right Poppy. These last few years show that something else is at foot. Mr. Potter is right in the thick of it and Dumbledore seems to be playing his chess games with students' lives." He turns to Severus, "The only time he behaved in such a way that I was here for was during Voldemort's war. Is it safe to say that he isn't as dead as we've been led to believe?" Severus shook his head. "Then it's likely things will only get worse. Albus will always focus on his bigger picture and the students will only be a minor role in that vision. Even with one as important as Mr. Potter is just as likely to throw him to the wolves if he thinks the boy would grow into the tool he needs. Severus, is Black aware that Voldemort isn't dead?"
Severus' mouth thinned into a line. "I am not entirely certain, but I believe he is. He has amassed a considerable force of the Wizengamot that includes elements that kept out of the war or even funded the Dark Lord merely because he wasn't Dumbledore or the progressives. He has likely already stripped a good portion of the Dark Lord's financial support with both Malfoy and potentially Nott. Between Dumbledore or Black, I would say Black is in a better position to counter the Dark Lord, should he return. That and Black has already taken steps to safeguard the school and its students. I don't see the man being as careless with collateral damage as Albus has been so far." Flitwick looked at Pomfrey who nodded her head.
He looked over to Snape again, "I imagine your own position won't allow you to make your support of Black as active as our own?" The amused look on Snape's face said it all. "Then Pomfrey and I will take point on this and approach Miss Black and her father once they return from their Yule celebrations. I will leave to you, Severus, how you'd like to inform us of anything that we and Black should take notice of, though your supply runs to the Hospital Wing should be a good enough cover. For now, I think we should all take these next few days to rest up. I imagine the next few years will be anything but dull."
- -
"Gotcha!" Sirius had to remove a decently sized ball of snow from his face. Yule at the Prasinos was turning out to be a great idea. He got to meet so many members of Sabrina's family
and Rhea could literally be just one more of the kids. Said kids and their parents had decided to go for a snowball fight in the Chateau's massive grounds, which reminded him of many wonderful winters in Hogwarts. There was only one complication with the snowball fight. His 13 year girl was too good at the Disillusionment Spell. She was quite literally a ghost and the kids were using her perfectly. They would do a good push of thrown snowballs with the adults dodging and throwing back, only for Rhea to just smack them all either in the face or on the back of the head. And he couldn't even see any bloody tracks on the ground!
The snowball fight went on for an hour, ending when Seraphina called them all inside. The cheer from the victorious kids was heard throughout the house. Sabrina brought him a towel and a cup of hot chocolate. He could only smile. "She really did a number on all of you, huh?" Sirius chuckled, "It might have been more fair if you had joined us, Mage Sight and all." Sabrina smiled and it warmed his body more than the hot drink. "True, but all of us with Mage Sight did get a visit from the kids and bribed to stay out. Besides, I didn't want to spoil Rhea's fun. Or her surprise." Sirius raised his eyebrows, "Surprise?" Sabrina smiled and pointed at his shoulder.
He looked and froze. There on his shoulder was a little owl, deep black plumage with streaks of bronze running horizontally on its chest and it was looking at him with deep cyan eyes. It let out a musical call and Sirius smiled. "So much for calling you pup." The owl made its kyoot like noise again before taking flight and landed on the floor in front of her parents. A few seconds later Sirius' jaw needed to be manually lifted up by Sabrina as Rhea switched from an Owl to a smallish canine. It looked like a scarier form of a wolf and it took Sirius a second to realize what it was. Before he could voice it, Rhea had shifted back to human form and hugged him. "I'll always be pup to you, Dad." So Sirius followed his family into the large room with so many other families scattered around. He decided to just not talk about his little girl having a Grim as an Animagus form, especially when it was still a cute looking puppy.
The gathering was wonderful as he kept chatting with so many people from all walks of life. A few were even non-magical, who were taught the secret and used their knowledge of the non- magical world to help hide any potential evidence. Cameras and electronics were becoming more widespread and hard enough to counter with magical means alone. After a few moments he spotted Sabrina mear Seraphina and he knew his moment had come. He moved towards her as their eyes met and me gave her his most heartfelt smile as he began to kneel in front of her. Chatter around him ended as he pulled out a small ring box. He knew she would yell and smack him later for how expensive the ring was and he just couldn't care. He opened the box and looked at Sabrina's sapphire eyes.
"Sabrina Selene Prasinos. Four years ago you became a part of my life. You are the most beautiful woman in the world to me and the mother of my daughter. By your side I have known a joy that I never expected to ever find. When I am near you I can only ever feel happiness and when you smile at me I can honestly say I could die happy. Would you honor me, Sirius Orion Black, by accepting me as your fiance and future husband?" The silence is deafening in his ears and he can hear his blood pumping. Her eyes go to the ring, beautifully shaped platinum with waning and waxing moons down the sides and a sapphire rimmed by smaller diamonds in the center. He can tell she loves it and wants to smack him for it.
"Sirius Orion Black! I should just say no to you and smack you on the head for what I know to be a truly expensive ring! You waited until I was surrounded by family knowing full well what my response would be!" Sirius swore he saw smoke coming out of her ears but all thought in his mind abruptly stopped when she grabbed him by the tie, pulled him up to stand and smashed her lips against his. He could taste some blood as her teeth pulled and nipped at his lips. Eventually he broke the kiss and if his higher brain was working he would have noticed a few adults covering their children's faces, though Rhea kept her eyes on them and Seraphina just couldn't deny her granddaughter the sight of her parents getting engaged. Sabrina did notice his brain had stopped working and playfully slapped the back of his head.
"My answer to you Sirius Orion Black is, yes." Their next kiss is loving and tender as the chamber suddenly filled with cheers and whoops. A black and bronze haired missile launched itself at them and hugged them for dear life. Seraphina was already beginning to make a few plans for the future wedding and the Prasinos family descended on the fiances, Sabrina sporting an embarrassed blush and Sirius the biggest grin of his life. Rhea made sure to check around and ask every person in the room with a camera to send her photos of tonight. In the morning presents would be opened and families would laugh, smile and enjoy the Yule season. For three people though, they didn't have to wait till morning. They already had the best Yule present they could ever ask for.
- -
In a cave overlooking the valley where Hogwarts Castle stood, a lone woman could be found eating from a basket full of food, much of it still under stasis spells. When the beautiful girl had pinned her down with magic, she had thought that she was done for. She would certainly get the Dementor's Kiss. Instead the girl had turned out to be family; Family! She made her an oath that didn't conflict with her orders and Bella had been healed. She was still weak and frail but the potions and food were helping and soon she'd be healthy again. She honestly couldn't remember feeling like this. It was in this happy mindset that a pitch black owl landed in front of her carrying a note and a brightly colored box.
Hi Bella!
We hope this note finds you safe and recovering. Dad wanted to personally retrieve you as soon as I told him about seeing you but we both know the compulsions would have forced you to flee or kill him and we really need him. My promise to you is still going and we should have a remedy by late April. I know you are likely to go out and hunt a Potter again but if you can work it to keep your hunts at a minimum and stay safe then everything should work out. Oh, and the present should come in handy. Azkaban slacks and the clothes you nicked don't do you justice. I know you won't be able to send letters back but do keep an eye out for Nyx here, she will find you no matter where
you are. By the time we meet again could you tell me if you prefer me to call you Cousin or Aunt Bella. Andy and Cissa already gave their votes to Aunt so that leaves you. See you soon!
With Love,
from House Black
Bella couldn't help but cry as she finished reading the note. She thought she had lost her family when her father sold her off to a man she hated. She thought she would die in Azkaban and for the longest time that had been her wish. For the pain to end and just be done with it. But her family was still there. Her sisters were waiting to bring her home! Switching into the runed stitched clothing Bella slipped into a dream, tears streaking down her cheeks. For the first time in years they were tears of joy.
- -
This year was Nyx' first as a delivery owl and she made sure to deliver her packages where her Mistress specified. The woman in the cave's smile would please her Mistress, it was the one package she had worked hard to find someone to get it ready. Mistress was only good at poking holes in her fingers with needles. Best keep her away from the warm cloth that makes clothes. Her next delivery required her to navigate the castle where Mistress studied and reach the dark place beneath the earth. She found the door belonging to the man with greasy hair. His face made Nyx squawk with pleasure as she dropped off the two books Mistress had sent for him. She then found the office high in the towers where the part goblin who Mistress studied under was. Mistress sent him some books on enchanting parchment and ink. She said the part goblin wanted to copy something and needed a helping hand.
The rest of her day she traveled across the British isle, dropping off gifts to family and acquaintances alike. She let the Black with the weird hair colors pet her feathers and drank from her water. The owl treats were nice! Mistress had sent her some boots made of firebreather scales inscribed with some balance and anti magic runes. Mistress wanted her family safe and she would make sure of it. The men and women behind the heavy wards were surprised to see Nyx drop off gifts to their elves. Most of the old houses would be getting enchanted and engraved fountain pens with different inks for them to write on their papers. When Nyx returned to the Grandmother's place in the continent she spotted her Mistress on the roof, her owl calls making Nyx happy. The two owls would fly the darkening sky as Nyx taught her Mistress to fly with wings. She only hit two tree branches and a closed window, the last making Nyx squawk with laughter. Mistress still had much to learn.
- -
Draco found himself on the receiving end of a hug. Usually he would mind but Rhea was an exception. He liked when she hugged him. "Hello Cousin, did you and your family have a good Yule night?" Draco smiled at her. "We did. Thank you and your Family for the gifts. Father has been trying out the fountain pens and likes them. Mom loved the photos you found at Grimmauld Place of her and her sisters and the gloves and pads for Quidditch feel great!" Rhea laughed, the sound warming him inside, "I am glad you liked your gift and thank you for the hair pins." Rhea noted the appearance of his parents. "Lord Malfoy, Aunt Narcissa, Happy New Years Eve. Thank you for inviting the family into your home." Narcissa pulled the polite girl into a hug. "You and your family are always welcomed here, my dear. Nymphadora is already inside and Andy and her husband should be here soon. Please make yourself comfortable."
Rhea lets Draco lead her to the Family Room in Malfoy Manor where they would all be gathering. Dora barely has a second before her cousin tackles her but she keeps balance. "Where's the fire, cousin?" Rhea beamed, "Yes! You're wearing my present!" Dora blinked at her and smiled. "I have had them on every day and haven't tripped since. Even that cursed Troll Leg at Grimmauld Place left me alone." Rhea stilled and Dora noticed, "What?" Rhea squirmed, "I don't think I should say." Dora just stared at her and Rhea relented. "The Troll leg wasn't cursed, it was Kreacher putting it in your way. He sorta blamed you for making Bella cry when your mom left the house. I had to sit him down and get him to tell me about any other thing he was doing. You shouldn't have any issues at Grimmauld from now on, unless you take the boots off." The last she said with a bit of cheek.
Dora hugs Rhea. "Thanks for that. I guess I should probably spend some time talking to Kreacher. Oh, did you get the book? Any other changes?" Rhea shook her head and Draco frowned. "Changes?" Dora let go of Rhea and he saw her close her eyes and focus. Her Black and Bronze hair became blonde then red before reverting to her two tones. Draco stared, "You're a Metamorphmagus too?" Rhea shook her head, "Not like Dora. I can't change shape at all, or skin tone or eye color. Mom mentioned how my hair never really needed a haircut and Dora said I could have some trace skills. My hair can change color and length but I have to focus hard. Probably doesn't help that I like how I look so I am not really motivated to shift."
Dora gave her a wicked grin. "Any changes in plumbing yet?" Draco didn't get what she said and based on Rhea's reaction, he probably didn't want to know. Rhea's face turned bright red and she proceeded to chase Dora across the large family room, cursing in what he assumed was Greek and casting wandless stinging hexes at her pink haired and laughing cousin. When the adults arrived they all had a chuckle at seeing the two chasing each other. He had no idea how neither had knocked anything over or why his parents didn't stop them. But he was glad they were there. His house really hadn't felt like a home like that until New Year's Eve. It felt right.
Chapter End Notes
I had debated writing a scene between Rhea and Bella this early. My initial idea had been a running duel that ended just out of the ward line, but I realized that I wanted something more intimate for my two ladies. The addition of the earlier Bella scene at Azkaban fed perfectly into this and I couldn't be happier at the result. Dora is still Dora, but having someone like a little sister to her brings out more of her devilish side.
Next Chapter: The fallout of the discussion in Yule, and Rhea being Rhea.
Hard Truths and Messy Relations
Chapter Notes
Most Chapters will be posted around 4pm UTC, noon for me as its when I can safely say I have done the proper review before posting. As stated before, these Chapters will continue to be posted approx 1 every 2 days, for my sanity, the quality of work and letting the Muse run wild. Any changes to this will be posted on here ahead of time. Said Muse has apparently taken recidence in my head, as I have just completed the chapter covering the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament.
This is a short Chapter but it does setup much in it and shows more of Rhea in her element. Hope you all enjoy.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
A week after her return to Hogwarts, Rhea got a summons from her Head of House. She tried going over anything she might have done to get his attention. She hadn't cursed or jinxed any Ravenclaws since they teased her about Cedric. Cho Chang apparently has dibs on the boy and was planning something for their game against Hufflepuff. Not that Rhea really cared about Quidditch or Cedric, he was a nice enough boy. She got on great with the Slytherins. While most of Gryffindor left her alone, some of Henry's fan club tended to get on her nerves. She hadn't cursed any of them yet. And the Weasley Twins were nice once she gave them a few brewing tips, a lesson on what was funny and what was bullying, and to leave her Luna and the 1st and 2nd years alone.
So Rhea had no idea why she was getting a call to Flitwick's office. The door opened and she saw her Head of House. "You wanted to see me professor?" He nodded his head and motioned for her to take a seat. "Yes, Miss Black. Last year's little excitement before Yule simply brought a few things into perspective. Now let me say that I find your commitment to family to be admirable beyond reproach and as long as no lives are threatened I cannot in good conscience impede you from helping out your cousin Bellatrix, should she return to the castle. All I ask is that you try to be more discreet. Young Mister Potter and his friends already look poorly on you and are likely to continue chasing you in hopes of catching your cousin in a trap. Do be careful."
Rhea nodded, "I thank you for the warning Professor. I had guessed that Potter and his group would probably continue to be a problem. While I had no plans on personally getting together with my cousin, I suppose caution on who is around me at any given is a good policy to follow. Constant Vigilance and all that." The last she said with a smirk and Fillius laughed. "I sincerely wish Moody doesn't end up giving you any personal lessons. Who knows what paranoid ideas you could come up with together." Fillius looked sad and Rhea wasn't sure why. "Some of my colleagues came to me over the break and we discussed some difficult subjects and I wanted to be the one to ask. Miss Black, were you born Halley Potter?"
Fillius wanted to regret ever asking her that. Because the sheer terror that went down his spine as soon as the words registered wasn't normal. Nothing in the office had moved, there was no reason to be scared. Yet he was absolutely petrified. Though his fear seemed to ease as his mind caught back up to him and he noticed one thing had changed. The Gray Lady was in his office and was holding Rhea Black down, speaking to her in whispers. Rhea was not very still in the seat. At times she seemed a statue, rigid and motionless yet in a split second her body would tremble as if her emotions were barely in check. Probably because they were. It took a few minutes of the Gray Lady's care before Rhea finally calmed down, though it was only as the Grey Lady released the girl that he realized that the ghost was able to physically hold Rhea down.
Rhea took deep breaths, "Thank you Helena." The Gray Lady nodded her head as Rhea fixed her gaze on the Professor and now Fillius could understand where the fear came from. Those weren't the eyes of a 13 year old girl. So much anger and pain. "Professor, please tell me that there is no way this information is making its way to the Headmaster." He shook his head and her eyes softened. The anger was gone, but the pain lingered. "Who knows and why?" Fillus didn't have to lie. "Only myself, Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape. None of us intend to reveal the information to the Headmaster or to the Potters. Snape was the first to make any sort of connection but until he heard about your run in with the Potters in the Hospital Wing, it was merely conjecture."
Rhea lets out an exacerbated laugh. "Leave it to the spy to see through everything, though to be fair he is intimately aware with all who were involved." Rhea leans down and cups her face with her hands. Helena gently rubs her back. Fillius is surprised by the close bond between the Hogwarts Ghost and his student but decides to err on the side of caution. One intimate question at a time. "Professor Snape has mentioned that your father is making alliances and friends, many in the interest of protecting the students of the school, especially from the machinations of a Headmaster that forgets that any lives lost are a travesty. Snape is unable to take any obvious position and we are limited in our positions but we are willing to join the effort."
Rhea pulled up and her cyan eyes looked at him and a part of his mind felt as if his soul was being judged. The feeling passed and all that he saw in front of him was a tired 13 year old. A part of him regretted the part he played in getting her into such a state. "I would suggest you send an owl to my father, asking to see him regarding my academic performance. You are even welcome to have said discussion. I will let him know about what you said. Can you …" Rhea seemed to shudder " … can you inform Madam Pomfrey that I won't be able to join her today in the Hospital Wing? It isn't wise to use Healing Magic when one's magic is out of focus." Flitwick nodded, "I will Miss Black and please know that the three of us will try our best to keep the elder Potters away from you." Rhea nodded, "That … would be greatly appreciated."
Once the girl waa out of the room Fliwick turned to the Grey Lady. Her eyes bore into his, "There is a reason our school motto is what it is Professor. Everything can be as smooth and comfortable as one can want, until someone decides to wake a sleeping dragon. Godric had the unfortunate fate of doing just that and it took all the Founders to keep the dragon at bay. Dragon's may not be as prevalent now as in the past, but magical forces of nature still exist and can be found in the most unlikely of forms. Make no mistake, there is a "dragon" in the school, Professor." The
ghost walked towards the office door and slipped right through. Flitwick shivered at the warning. He had a letter to write and a meeting to organize.
- -
Rhea was in a foul mood all day. She did the tasks and spells but anyone could tell her mind was elsewhere. Most of the students gave her a wide berth, especially Ravenclaw and Slytherin. They had benefited from her impromptu study sessions greatly and didn't want to set her off. Sadly not everyone could take a hint. Rhea could feel them behind her. Her eyes could see nothing but the sound of the stone underneath their feet. And of course there were these spells woven into the fabric. Rhea and Sabrina could easily see through most Disillusionment charms and invisibility cloaks because of Mage Sight, but this one would be impossible to see, except for the spells someone wove into the fabric. Someone wanted to be able to see this cloak.
Rhea would typically have made a more elaborate plan to deal with this situation, but simplicity wasn't overrated. She turned a corner, disillusioned herself and waited. The people under the cloak stopped, hurried across the hallway and looked everywhere. Eventually they pulled the cloak of their bodies, revealing the forms of Henry Potter and Neville Longbottom, the former cursing, "Blast. She's gone. Where could she have gone?" Neville shook his head, "No clue and your Dad's map apparently doesn't show her, even if we still had it." Henry growled. "I know she must be up to something. She was mad all day. Bet you one of her plans with Bellatrix didn't work out. Let's head up to Ravenclaw Tower and wait her out. She's bound to turn up there."
Rhea trailed behind the two third year Gryffindors as they moved around the castle, the cloak held in their hand. Are they really this dense? Scratch that, they are somehow convinced that a 13 year old was planning to kill them when they had barely said anything to each other. They really are that dense. She waited for a corner that would put them close to each of the common rooms without any portraits around before stunning them all silently from the back, too close for either to do anything other than crumple onto the stone. She casted some notice-me-not spells and then bent down to inspect her brother. His hair was as messy as hers had been before Mom and those glasses really didn't do him any favors. That scar though. Dorea had mentioned what the scar was supposed to do. It was meant to connect to hers and transfer her protection to him.
She really wanted to hurt her birth family. Had they left things well enough alone they would have shared so much together. She would have kept him safe. Now the tether was broken and she really couldn't care. He was a self righteous bully, like both their dad's had been. Sirius outgrew his need to bully with the weight of fatherhood on his shoulders while James found an outlet for his problem. Could Henry outgrow it? Maybe. But she didn't care. Her family is her Mom and Dad, Draco was like the brother she always wanted and Nymphadora was the crazy but cool sister. She didn't need anything more. She was happy. Feeling her mood lift, she turned her attention to the cloak. Taking it into her hand she felt an instant connection.
The cloak had a will of sorts. Primitive but still there. A desire to protect its owner but to also guarantee succession. Rhea now understood. Peverell's Cloak of Invisibility. Designed to aid their masters until they produce an heir and the cloak is passed on. Rinse and repeat. As she felt the cloak in her hands she debated whether to take it or leave it with the bumbling duo. Or was it quartet? It clearly wanted to stay with Rhea, its magic had literally melded with hers. But if she kept it, Potter would just blame her for his missing cloak (even if a student owning one was illegal), this time being correct in his accusations. Rhea decided to test something first. She opened the cloak and covered her brother's body with it. She smiled. The Cloak was hers . It knew that now. She could see it as clear as day on his body, even without the woven spells. Rhea made her choice. Henry could keep it for now. She still had a few heirlooms to find, but she knew she could get this one easily enough.
Rather than just leave the two Gryffindors napping, Rhea made the smart decision to build a cover they could believe. A long bit of transfigured piano wire, an upside down transfigured bucket high over their heads and traces of dreamless sleep potion in said bucket. The perfect trap for two Gryffindors to trigger, with nothing missing on their persons and no need for anyone to have been lurking for it to hit someone. Their injured pride alone will keep them quiet. Rhea lifted the notice-me-not charm on them and left, silent and disillusioned, with a bit more spring in her step. Her dreams that night were more restful, even as she dreaded her next Healer's class. Pomfrey liked to talk and Rhea had an idea what her next subject was going to be.
- -
Rhea wanted to groan. Pomfrey had been the perfect picture of quiet efficiency. Until the third game of Quidditch in the season where Slytherin played Gryffindor. The Hospital Wing saw 8 injured players, including her cousin Draco. She had actually been at the game because Draco had asked her to come watch him play. So she did. Slytherin won the game, but just barely and Draco had followed Henry Potter into a dive. Both of them hit the ground hard but Henry skidded off while Draco had a head on collision. Henry caught the snitch but the Slytherin team had made one last throw through the hoops. It was enough for them to beat Gryffindor by ten points. Rhea would have celebrated if her attention had been on anything other than Draco.
Cracked skull, injured forearms and knees, some bruised ribs from a Bludger impact and a concussion. Rhea had conjured a stretcher, placed him in a full body bind and levitated him to the Hospital Wing. Safe to say, neither Rhea or Pomfrey had been amused that day. Rhea worked on Draco and the Gryffindor Chasers, all the girls were sporting bruised ribs, cracked arms and exhaustion, with the youngest, Katie Bell, joining Draco on concussion watch. The Gryffindor keeper, one of their beaters, a Slytherin Chaser and Henry rounded out the injured. Pomfeey took the rest of the boys after Rhea refused to leave Draco unattended.
Of course, the fact that both a Malfoy and a Potter were injured enough for the Hospital Wing meant only one thing: two sets of parents entering almost at the same time. Rhea had the good sense of casting noise dampening spells on all the patients, including Draco but excluding Potter. Of the two he'd be out before nightfall so she couldn't really care less. She kept out of the ensuing noise for as long as she could. When Pomfrey looked like she was going to blow a gasket, Rhea had enough.
Rhea silenced everyone and let off a cannon shot blast from her wand. She glared at both sets of parents, the opposing effect of their presences making her emotions go haywire. She settled on angry. "Lord and Lady Malfoy, as the one who was literally at your son's side from the moment he hit the ground, I can tell you he will be perfectly fine if he is allowed to rest for the weekend. Lord and Lady Potter, Madam Pomfrey has already provided you with your son's prognosis, of which I am not privy. I know from our family reunions that you can behave yourself with decorum Lord Malfoy, despite my own Father's childlike antics. As for you, Lord Potter, I am not above stunning you and placing you on a medical gurney if it gives this Hospital Wing the peace and quiet it requires. Professor Potter, if your husband can't behave himself, I expect more from you as a staff member. Get him under control before I do!"
Rhea turned back to her diagnostics before she remembered something. She dispelled the silencing spells on the Malfoys and Pomfrey. "Lord and Lady Potter, the silencing charms on your person will expire in 30 minutes. You are welcome to try and fail in dispelling them. Lord and Lady Malfoy, I have your son's latest reading and will happily provide you with the full list of injuries and prognosis but in short he will likely be leaving the Hospital Wing by Monday morning in time for class." The next 30 minutes were the single most blissful moments of her entire time as a part time Healer. Yes, she was riding the high of hexing her sperm and egg donors and getting away with it, even with a seriously skulking James Potter. Lily Potter looked positively embarrassed by the whole mess. Eventually the two sets of parents left, with Rhea promising the Malfoy's daily and nightly reports.
Rhea relaxed into the seat in Pomfrey's office and enjoyed the smell of the offered tea. Not as good as Grandma Seraphina's but still nice. Pomfrey chuckled to herself after sealing the door and raising the privacy wards, "If I ever needed a moment to prove you were Dorea's granddaughter, that was clearly it. She did follow through on her threats a few times when some hit wizards got too rowdy around her charges. I believe she personally dropped Charlus three times for annoying her while she worked." Rhea snorted at that. "I think Sirius mentioned Dorea threatening him and… James with stunners if they kept sneaking into the kitchen at night. Sirius says it never happened, but them being kids I wouldn't be surprised. Kids aren't supposed to know better, adults are. Plus I imagine motherhood rounded out some of the rough edges we Blacks have."
Pomfrey nodded. "I imagine it does indeed." She stared at Rhea who just stared back. "I have gone several years living as an entirely different person, so don't expect me to broach the subject first. I would very much rather the world kept on forgetting there was a girl born to the Potters. It didn't care for her after Samhain of 81 and it never did again." Pomfrey sighed, "Your parents cared." Rhea nodded, "Mom found me and got me back to health. Things I should have lived through from the moment I was born, I was only introduced to them so many years later. Dad came
around and did the same. By that moment I was Rhea. As far as I am concerned there is only Rhea." She looked into the tea and the reflection of the light in it. "Halley Potter died in 1981. It just took her 7 years for her body and mind to register that fact." Pomfrey winced at the tone.
The rest of the night went quietly, with neither talking except about the condition of the patients. Eventually the two would go back to the old normal, talking about medicine, magical and non-magical, Selene and Dorea and the headaches of running a Hospital Wing where Quidditch was the most common source of injury. Pomfrey never broached the subject again. Rhea's tone held a finality to her words. While Pomfrey cared for her student she could see that the girl was sure who she was and where she belonged. She hoped no one ever tried to lump her together with the Potters. It would probably be their funeral.
- -
"Miss Black." Rhea signed as she corked her last vial from a batch of the Skele Gro Potion she had been working on. Pomfrey's supply had taken a hit after the Gryffindor and Slytherin game and not just because of the players. The Gryffindors had felt cheated, despite Hooch's doing a fine job calling out fouls, of which there had been several that game. So kids not caring about what the adults said decided to show their displeasure by shoving or hexing the Slytherin's near the stairs. Quite a few students were injured, many seriously and in need of medical attention. Dumbledore had tried to dismiss it as "kids being kids'' but as many of the kids were from Noble families and one, Daphne Greengrass, was the daughter of a Governor, the Board came in and passed out its own punishments.
The points for Gryffindor were frozen at zero and would remain that way till the new academic year, the students caught, including Ronald Weasley, were given detention till the end of the year and a permanent note attached to their file. Any further displays of violence without justifiable (to the Board) cause would earn them an immediate expulsion from the school. If too young, they would be allowed to sit their OWLs, but not their NEWTs except for outside of Britain. Dumbledore had tried to ease it all down but the Board wasn't having it. The school is supposed to be a safe place for ALL students. Injuries in sport are expected, life threatening bullying would not be.
"Yes Potions Master?" Snape looked over and nodded. "I believe this is enough to restock Madam Pomfrey's supplies. I have been planning to test your ability in pre-mixing potions into single doses, as one would find among Auror supplies. Do you feel up to it?" Rhea beamed but began to worry. "If they are mixed without the need for Alchemy I should be fine. I…found out that I don't have the talent for Alchemy." Snape looked at her, an eyebrow raised, "And how exactly did you evaluate your proficiency with Alchemy?" Rhea had a fond smile on her face,"Nicholas and Perenelle had me stirr in some of my magic into a Nigredo mixture for a Philosopher Stone. My magic sorta … turned the entire alchemic mixture magically inert. Nicholas
was distraught while Perenelle laughed."
Snape just stared at her. "I imagine you are referring to the Flamels?" Rhea nodded, "They were really nice! Showed me a lot of books and notes they accumulated over the years. Mom had a near heart attack when Perenelle gave her some of her own Potioneering notes. Nicholas was sad I couldn't take after them in Alchemy but he was nice about it. Left me some notes I could use for my family magic. Did warn me off to steer clear of Alchemy. Something about "sparing the world the horror of knowing someone capable of erasing all his works with but a stir of an Alchemist's rod." Whatever that means." Snape shook his head. "Well, while I am glad to know there won't be any explosions and melted cauldrons in your future as my student, the idea of you erasing a month's work with your poor alchemic skills is more than enough reason to keep all alchemic projects off your desk."
The two began to pour over a book on potion mixtures and selected the ones they wanted to work with. Rhea began putting everything away and was ready to leave when she looked at the Professor. "I know that Pomfrey and Fillius have at least tried to talk to me about my past. Why not you?" Snape stared at her and then past her, as if entering a memory. "I am probably the least capable person to deal with aiding another in moving past their worst moments. I am certainly hounded by both my past and my mistakes." His eyes focused on her again, "I believe you have found something more important than what you lost and understand just how valuable it is. While your past may one day make things difficult for you, Miss Black, I believe you are already equipped with everything you need to move beyond it. There is nothing else for me to say."
Rhea and Snape just stared at each other before Snape found himself receiving a hug. "You might not like being a teacher, but you make a great Head of House. The Slytherins are lucky to have you, Potions Master." It took a moment for the man to realize she was already gone from his lab. He had received a few shows of gratitude before by his students and he hated to admit it but the young Miss Black was right. Perhaps there was more for him to do, beyond just keeping dunderheads from exploding his potions lab.
- -
The months came and went and April was turning into May. Dumbledore had tried to prevent her from leaving for Imbolc but he didn't put as much effort into it as he did Samhain. The Greengrass family had invited several of the Neutral Bloc Families, as well as some more Neutral leaning Houses, like the Malfoys, the Notts, Bones, Davis, Abbotts, and even the Longbottoms and the Diggory's. The last two declined the invitation, though Madam Longbottom was more remorseful in her reply. The families that did arrive all gathered outside at a massive tent and feast table, the bonfires being handled and prepared by the Lords and boys of the invited Houses under Lord Greengrass' supervision.
Rhea had enjoyed meeting little Astoria, who would be joining them at Hogwarts the following year. She did hate that she saw a blood curse inside of the young blonde. It was deep and well rooted, but Blood Magic was a specialty of hers. Maybe it was for the best the Light families weren't here. They would certainly not approve. Rhea stuck to Astoria like glue and the girls took notice of it. Daphne kept a sharp eye on her, worried over her sister. They all worked hard making Bridgid crosses for everyone and a few Bridgid dolls. Rhea may have snuck some of Astoria's hair into hers. By the setting sun, the whole group of wixen gathered under the tent and celebrated. Mom and Dad's engagement was officially announced to the group, leading to the Ladies of the Houses dragging Sabrina to the side and tying Spring Flowers into her hair.
The celebrations turned to the bone fires and the Members of each House intermixed with the others. Rhea approached Lord Greengrass and sat by his side. "You and your family are worried about Astoria's health, aren't you?" He stared at the 13 year old girl who refused to waver. "I can understand your concern and your fears sir. A maledictus this deep and violent has probably taken many of your family from you. Would you allow us the chance to cleanse it from Astoria tonight in a time of healing and renewal?" Cyrus Greengrass just stared, old pain making his eyes shine with magic. "What would you know of a maledictus?" Rhea looked at her mom and bit her lip. She hoped she didn't make her and dad mad.
"My mother is a Blood Mage, properly taught and skilled from the Continent. She's been teaching me the craft as I share an Affinity to it. I don't have her expertise or practice but I have a deeper connection to the magics. I can see the maledictus as it's anchored to Astoria. If you allow us to use your ritual chamber on this night, and to use what materials you have available, I believe we can cleanse her of it permanently. The maledictus attached to your family, as all maledictus are, is an affront to Blood Mages. For us, blood is magic, to be shed when needed and cleansed when tainted. This is a taint all Blood Mages would be willing to counter in the hopes of easing the pain one of our own has inflicted on others. Would you allow us the chance to correct the great disservice done to your family?"
The next half an hour was spent by the guests gathering all the necessary materials. Sabrina improvised and chose to use charcoal from the Imbolc fires instead of chalk. She made a giant Brigid Cross instead of a Pentagram. At the outer points, offerings of Bridgid crosses, dolls, spring flowers and water blessed ribbons were placed. On the dais, surrounding Astoria, was a collection of spring flowers, tied together with water blessed ribbons and in Astoria's hands was the Bridgid doll made by Rhea, marked with Astoria's hair and blood. The children were all left with Lord and Lady Abbott as the rest took their place around the ritual circle.
The ritual took 30 minutes to carry out. The maledictus was strong and resistant, made with great anger and hate. Sabrina would have collapsed if Rhea hadn't shared her magic through the bond they possess. By the time the ritual was complete, all the offerings had burned out, the flowers around the dais turned red and black, and the doll reeked of cursed magic. All the tainted remnants of the ritual were burned together in one last bonfire. Sirius held his little girl in his arms as Sabrina rested on his shoulder as Lady Abbott diagnosed Astoria. Her gasp of surprise and the Greengrasses joyous cheers were all the proof he needed of the success of his beautiful ladies.
Come morning Rhea found herself the recipient of a rib crushing hug courtesy of Daphne, with the Slytherins nearby swearing to never reveal the fact that the Ice Queen of Slytherin did indeed have a heart. All it took for it to be seen by others was a little girl who couldn't bear to see another's sister suffer. The Greengrass family would never forget the gift of a future that the Blacks returned to them, nore would the others dismiss the merit of having Blood Mages on their side. While one girl found her future freed from a centuries old curse, the Noble Houses found common ground as the bonds that tie them become all the stronger. The Neutral bloc had found its core.
Chapter End Notes
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Next Chapter: Rhea has a job to do. ;)
Breaking the Unbreakable
Chapter Notes
Here is the next chapter. A bit short, but I simply couldn't fit more in to it without detracting from what I wanted. Hope you all like it and please leave a comment.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
The days after Imbolc marked a change among the students of Hogwarts and the Members of the Wizengamot. Many Houses from the edges of the Light and Dark Factions officially entered into an alliance with House Black and the rest of the Neutrals, marking the official beginning of the Neutral Bloc. The Light and Dark Factions now found any and all of their legislations requiring the Neutrals input or approval to even have the chance to pass. The Light was hit the hardest, as the Neutrals began to strip away bans against practices, restrictions on certain books and the lifting of gag orders against certain debate topics. A new balance of power would begin to settle in the Chambers of the Wizengamot, and the more radical changes were yet to be brought to their attention.
In Hogwarts, Rhea's position became strengthened amongst 3 of the 4 Houses. As finals would soon become the focus of teachers and students alike, Rhea found herself the centerpoint for a lot of impromptu tutoring lessons. Rhea eventually gave in and with help from her friends they began a proper study group, with tutoring shared along the more capable students and an abandoned classroom as their meeting point. Rhea begrudgingly took a more flexible position, as she was too advanced in most subjects to actively lead the students from the subject matter they were covering. She did join Draco in leading the potions study sessions. Her cousin knew how to get her to cave in. Bloody peacock!
The year came to a head as soon as April was close to turning to May. Flitwick and Rhea had been discussing how many courses she could technically get the OWLs for during next year, when they both spotted a name on his completed version of the castle map (he had been right crass with her when Rhea's name still refused to appear on the page). Rhea was heading to the door when Flitwick called out to her. "Miss Black. Do be careful. Auror Potter is likely to arrive soon because of his own map and while Family Privilege allows you to ignore Aurors when they come after you because of Bellatrix, it doesn't give you the right to attack them outright." Rhea huffed, "And here I thought I had the perfect reason to curse James Potter in the back." Fillius' raised eyebrow made her laugh as she rushed out the door.
Rhea took advantage of not appearing on the map and called Nyx to her, the two popping out in the hallway and reappearing disillusioned on one of the stone slabs near the path towards Hagrid's Hut and the Forbidden Forest. She could see the shapes of Potter and his men scattering across the clearing, trying to surround Bella, who was lying low to the ground in her panther form. Rhea needed to remember getting her a gift with a panther on it. Bella's form when she now had some weight and muscle was beautiful. She was about to jump down when she heard a howl. Rhea
spotted something ill shaped as it tore through the clearing, straight for Bella. The glow of the moon on her skin turned from comforting to scalding.
"Damn it Bella, why did you attack on the night of the full moon! Of course Potter would let his friend loose despite the Board's ruling!" Taking down a werewolf, half a dozen Aurors while not exposing herself wasn't going to be easy. Then she heard another voice. "Dad, Moony and his Aurors have her surrounded, come on let's make sure she doesn't get away!" Rhea wanted to scream as she saw the 3 Gryffindor boys and 1 girl move down the path underneath her. "Of all the rotten…" Rhea's mind stopped as she thought about it. James and Remus might be hunting Bella right now, but if Henry was endangered, they would assuredly go to save him. It was underhanded and mean. Salazar would be proud.
Rhea and Nyx found themselves deep in the woods as she called on her Earth and Blood Magic. She had only ever really used her connection with Death's Creatures but she technically could influence the wills of others. Using Dementors would tip off the Ministry that there could be a Necromancer up and about and they just weren't ready to be adults about it. Rhea smiled. "But there is no way of telling why a pack of wolves found the Hogwarts grounds so inviting. Maybe the werewolf drew them in." She felt the wolves close in on her as she focused her mind. Wielding her own blood was the easiest thing for a Blood Mage, but affecting another's still inside their body was another matter. Still… she smiled as she felt the connection but stumbled as she linked herself to the minds of the pack. There were a lot more complex thoughts than she expected.
A few minutes later, after applying magical resistances and other short term magical benefits to the wolves, Rhea set them loose. They would attack the kids and Aurors but keep their distance when it became too dangerous, stalking their faux prey. She and the Hogwarts elves would be having a lot of words. These wolves will be needing a lot of meat to repay them for this service. Shifting into her owl animagus form, she and Nyx watched the altercation. Her guess had been on the nose. Remus dropped his fight with Bella and went straight for the kids when he heard the howls and the screams, James and 3 other Aurors soon left with him. That left 2 Aurors and one injured but angry Panther. Rhea decided to even the odds and hit the ground as her Grim animagus. She was still small and not as imposing, but her Death Magic tied perfectly with her form. She could produce the terror that Grims were infamous for and get them to leave Bella alone.
With two terrified Aurors running back to join their teammates, Rhea could finally focus on Bella. Goddess! Remus and those bastards did a number on her as the damage became apparent once Bella shifted back to human form. The skin tight leather clothes Rhea commissioned for her were practically shredded, just barely keeping her modesty intact. Rhea didn't take any chances, she created a black cloud surrounding them both and shifted to human, placing herself against Bella's body. "Lean on me Bella. I got you. Let's get you out of the wards so we can get you treated." Bella just grunted as Rhea pulled her further into the Forbidden Forest. A few minutes into the Forest and Rhea sighed in relief as she felt the wards slip over their heads. One Portkey keychain later and the two Blacks were gone in a puff of smoke.
- -
"Mom, Dad get Andy and Cissa quick! The Blasted Aurors did a number on Bella and I can't heal her and cleanse her at the same time!" The sound of their daughter's voice echoing through the house woke the two of them up from their restful sleep. Sabrina made a few Transfigurations to keep themselves decent as they got down to the ground floor. Sabrina's breath got stuck in her throat. Rhea hadn't been kidding, it's a bloody miracle Bella's alive. She helped her daughter lower Bella down and Levitate her body towards the ritual chamber. It tended to double as a medical ward in emergencies and this certainly qualified. In the chamber mother and daughter were forced to strip Bella down completely to get to work on her without obstruction, Rhea peeling away layers of cursed damage from Remus' werewolf claws and Sabrina using spells to knit back the skin, arteries and veins. They hardly noticed as Andy joined them in the chamber, the latter getting out the potions they would need to get her sister back to health.
Nymphadora was the last to arrive, having been called in her Auror capacity to comb the school. The Ministry at that point didn't care if the Black's got her, they just wanted to make sure Hogwarts was safe. She walked to the back of a tired Sirius sitting down in the family room. "How are they?" Sirius turned and smiled, "Aside from dead tired after 9 hours of healing, potions and diagnostics? They are good. Bella will have a few thin scars, but all will heal and there won't be any traces of Lycanthropy in her system. She's probably on some Dreamless Sleep as all our beloved ladies rest up. How was Hogwarts?"
Dora shrugged. "Henry, Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom are all in the Hospital Wing with bites on their ankles and scratches on their backs. Remus is confined to his cell in the Dungeons with a pissed off Snape as his jailor. James and most of the Aurors were sent to St. Mungos with deep scratches and bites, nothing major. 2 of the Aurors will need to spend time with a mind healer though. Something they encountered has got them spooked, leaping at shadows and everything. Last but not least, Dumbledore has called for calm. Lucius, with your vote, called for classes to be postponed for the next few days, with parents given permission to see their families. That should keep everyone busy while we get Aunt Bella up to snuff."
Sirius nodded. "All in all it could have been worse. Surprised about the wolves though. Rhea didn't say anything about how she got Bella out of the grounds." Sirius turned to her, "Anyone trying to blame the mess on Rhea?" Dora shook her head. "None of the investigators are. No one saw her be anywhere near the whole mess. Flitwick mentioned that he had informed Rhea that Bellatrix had been spotted in the premises and that she should go see her family in case something happened. That is the official notice on Rhea's whereabouts by her Head of House. I heard Henry blaming her for all that happened to them from the Hospital Wing, but that's all. Pomfrey then proceeded to feed Henry some Dreamless Sleep, to the relief of everyone stuck there."
Sirius chuckled, "Then Rhea did a spectacular job. Sure, we will eventually say Bella's with us but hopefully by then she won't be a Lestrange, but no one can pin this mess on anything Rhea did." Sirius' mood soured, "Though we will probably have to sack Remus. His contract made it
clear he would be staying in his cage in every full moon, so tonight he broke contract, even if he wasn't a threat to anyone with the Wolfsbane Potion in his system." He sighed and Dora rubbed his back. "I know he was your friend, but he made his choices. Last night he made another one, and it will cost him. He can't say he wasn't warned."
They hear the ritual chamber door open and see Andromeda walk out. She smiles at them. "Bella is still on the mend but we have confirmation on the contract being active. Sabrina had wanted to get the Ritual off on Beltane but no chance in the time we have her, she will start fighting us as soon as her body can try. Both Sabrina and Rhea are out for the rest of the day, so we need to be on shifts watching over Bella until we can get her cleaned out." Dora rushes over her mom to make sure she is okay as Sirius watches on. "We got Bella home, Arcturus. Just gotta make sure she stays home. Please, watch over her."
- -
The ritual chamber settles, but Rhea doesn't stop staring at the raised dais where Bella remains chained down. She sighs, "That's every single cleansing ritual we know. How did they all fail to break the slave contract?" Sabrina comes around and hugs her from behind. "We've been at this for hours Rhea, let's get some rest and see if we can think of something else." Rhea nods begrudgingly and the two step out of the chamber and head for the kitchen. Kreacher places hot chocolate in front of both of them as they sit down, their thoughts still on Bella. When Bella had physically recovered, they had woken her up. Only, that had been a mistake.
Bella being in poor physical condition had been a factor for how the contract behaved. If she was weak and injured, the contract would relax it's terms, but once she was at tip top shape, it was all or nothing. It took Andromeda, Narcissa and Nymphadora all using overpowered stunners to knock her down. Rhea had felt disgusting when she tied Bella to the dais with magic dampening chains but it proved to be the only way to keep her contained. 4 days after she had been captured and fully healed and they still had only managed to remove her Dark Mark. Rhea settled her thoughts and drank from the hot chocolate.
At least the Ministry had backed off. They had tried to play some twisted logical loops to get Bella out of their custody. Thankfully having Amelia Bones, Alastor Moody and Lady Abbott, who held a high position in St. Mungos, pay a visit and confirm the existence of the slave contract on Bella had made the Wizengamot and the Ministry leave Bella as a House Black problem. Of course, not everyone wanted to let it go. James Potter was still calling for her head, as was Alice Longbottom. Augusta had been part of the initial moves against Bella's current custody, but Amelia deposited the diagnostics that confirmed the slave contract, as well as Rhea's diagnostic of the state Bella had been in just before Yule. The horror written down on the parchment was enough to make Madam Longbottom cool off.
Sirius and much of the House of Black had wanted to use the health scan Rhea had done to investigate what was happening behind the walls of Azkaban but Rhea had told them all to wait. Bella had been the victim and it was her choice if she wanted to bring the criminals masquerading as guards to justice. She just had to get herself free of the contract to do that. At least Rhea's classmates and teachers were really supportive. She was getting notes on all the assignments she was missing in class and about news from the school, while Pomfrey got the health scan Rhea took once Bella was safely behind Grimmauld's wards. Andromeda was keeping Pomfrey updated on Rhea's continued work as a Healer. Though there was one class she currently didn't have to worry about.
DADA had been postponed indefinitely until a proper replacement for their professor had been found. The Board, including Sirius, had not taken Remus' moonlit jaunt well, regardless of the circumstances or James Potter's attempts to get his friend out of trouble. While he was in control of his faculties under the effects of the Wolfsbane Potion, he did break the contract he had agreed to by not being in his cell during the full moon. While Remus wouldn't suffer any other consequences for his actions, his employment at Hogwarts, or current lack of employment, was not negotiable. Also, there still remained some debate as to whether Lupin's presence had been the motivating factor for the wolf pack visiting the grounds that night. Had Lupin behaved like a professional towards Rhea and the other houses, she would have felt some guilt about that. Oh well.
Rhea and Sabrina's latest brainstorming session came to a screeching halt when Sirius barreled into the kitchen. "I found it! Bellatrix is no longer a Lestrange and we got the dowry back plus interest, and in the midst of the Lestrange Vault, the Goblins finally found the Slave Contract." He placed the parchment on the table. Rhea wrinkled her nose. Not parchment. This felt…wrong. "I think I am going to be sick!" She went straight to the sink and emptied out her stomach. Sirius, on the other hand, received a hard whack to the back of the head. "Dammit Sirius, we already discussed how these things are made! Rhea didn't need to have human leather and blood shoved in front of her face!" Sirius looked apologetic as Rhea heaved again.
The few who were able to stomach being near the thing deciphered the legalese. Lucius huffed, "I knew Cygnus could be a bastard but to leave no exit clauses? For the first time I am glad my father was able to get me and Narcissa betrothed. This… is vile, even by Dark Faction standards." Sirius and the rest of the Black family looked on dejected. "So there is no way out for Bella?" Lucius sighed, "The contract binds her to Rodolphus Lestrange till death." Everyone else hung their head, until Rhea shot up from her seat. "That's it! That's how you break it!" Sirius looked at his daughter, "What do you mean? It's unbreakable! If you're thinking about temporarily killing Bella, trust me, it's been tried. It doesn't break like that."
Rhea looked insulted, "Of course that doesn't work, because the soul is still attached to the body. But if the soul enters the Veil, it should break the contract!" Everyone looked at her as if trying to figure out how that would even work. Sabrina catches on first. "True, that could work, but you haven't crossed the Veil on any night other than Samhain. We can't keep Bella chained in the basement till then!" Rhea looked smug until Sabrina's eyes narrowed at her. "Rhea, what did you do?" Rhea turns shy all of a sudden. Sabrina, fearing what could happen to her girl, snaps, "Rheannon, what did you do?"
"Yaip!" Rhea suddenly shifts into her small Grim form and jumps into her dad's lap. Sabrina slaps her hand to her mouth. Sirius pets his daughter's quacking body. "It's ok pup, your mom is just worried that you could be hurting yourself. You need to understand, we aren't supposed to cross the Veil until we die. Don't be scared. She didn't mean to yell." Sabrina walks up to Sirius and Rhea and sits on her knees. "Rhea honey, I'm so sorry. I…don't know what came over me. I promise I won't yell again, but you can't keep secrets like that from us. For those who aren't Necromancers what you do can be terrifying. So please, tell me you weren't hurting yourself." The pup shot from Sirius' lap and shifted into Rhea before hugging her mom.
"I'm sorry. It was just something I'd do without realizing it. I didn't think it was all that important!" It takes a few moments for Rhea to settle down, though the moment does remind the family that while Rhea is mature for her age, she is still only 13 years old. For all the Healing she can do and the advanced magic she can cast without so much of a thought, she still has a lot to learn about people. Rhea steels her back and continues on. "I can make trips into the Veil. Usually it's in passing, like a Necromancer's apparition. It's unblockable and I can technically be anywhere I have seen. But I can also go through but not have a point of exit in mind. When I do that, I am very much in the Veil."
She looks around the room who are all stunned by what she just admitted to. "I've never taken anyone with me, so I don't know exactly what can happen, but I think that as long as I hold onto them they should be fine and if they're in the Veil with me for too long, anything tied to their life should snap. I think I can break Bella out of her contract, if I take her with me through to the Veil."
- -
Hugging her parents dearly, Rhea prepared to take Bella into the void. Despite how her mom got so scary in her eyes, she couldn't stop loving her. That thought really bothered her and it was something she'd have to talk to both Mom and Andy about, but that could wait. Bella needs her right now. Despite everyone being nervous about it, they all thought about giving Rhea's plan a try. Mom had taken Nyx with her for a moment, which really made her worried, but Nyx assured her everything was fine. Her Mom really loved her and was just worried about her. Eventually they pulled the chains from Bella's body, gave her a potion that would wake her slowly and all stood back as Rhea hugged Bella from behind. She looked at her parents in the eyes, "love you Mom, love you Dad. I'll be back soon." With those words, Rhea and Bella vanished from Grimmauld Place.
Rhea had to breathe harder now. She looked around at the endless black void filled with a rushing wind, her eyes wide. Was this the Veil? But she'd never been to a place like this. Everytime she crossed the Veil, it looked … Rhea closed her eyes. Everytime Rhea crossed the Veil before
she did it alone. Maybe her view of the Veil would always be different from everyone elses and what she saw now was the Veil as it is for others. Rhea sighed. She probably won't be here then. Rhea noticed that Bella began to wake up, and started to fight. "Please Bella, just hold a bit here with me. I promise, Andy, Cissa and Siri are waiting for you." Bella stilled and looked around, "Did I…am I dead?"
Choosing her words carefully, Rhea answered her, "Yes and no? This is the Veil, or at least I think it is. We failed at breaking your contract the old fashioned way and this looked the most promising. Oh, I suppose I should introduce myself properly. Rheannon Sabrina Black, burgeoning Necromancer at your service! A pleasure to meet you Bella. Would you prefer Cousin Bella or Aunt Bella?" A few seconds ticked in the void before Bella snickered and then started laughing. "We are supposedly in the Veil between the world of the living and the dead and you're worried about what to call me?" Rhea smiled into her curly hair. "Of course!" Bella shook her head, "Aunt Bella then." She looked around the black void. "I thought about death a lot the last 12 years. I welcomed it then."
Rhea hugged her tighter, "So did I. For 7 years, it felt like the one thing that would finally give me what I wanted." The two slipped into silence and Rhea could feel the contract tethers snapping from within Bella. She'd be free soon. "But then I met Mom and Dad, Aunt Andi, Aunt Cissa, Cousin Dora and Cousin Draco. That's when I realized that Death could give me a lot of things. But not this. Never this." Rhea felt tears land on her arms wrapped around Bella's waist. Bella spoke after a while, "They are all back there? Waiting for me?" Rhea nodded against her head as she felt the last piece of the contract snap apart. Bella must have felt it too. "So, home?" Rhea smiled, "Yeah, let's go home."
Bella closed her eyes as she felt the magic swirl around her. It felt cold like the Dementors, but not suffocating or terrifying. It felt peaceful. Bella wondered how much that was her mind's twisted views on death or her newly named niece's presence behind her. From the moment she had met the girl, it had been one surprise after the other. She had known what was done to her in Azkaban but she hadn't pitied her. Rhea had focused on her wellbeing. And here they were now, leaving the Veil between the realms of the Living and the Dead because the girl wouldn't keep her secret of being a Necromancer from getting in the way of helping her family. Bella believed the Black's were fortunate for such a kind soul being amongst their ranks.
Eventually the magic that brought a feeling of cold numbness into her body began to fade away and Bella dared to open her eyes. Tears began to flood them instantly. "Cissy, Andy!" Bella threw herself into her sister's open arms and hugged them back. She could hear her sisters crying with her. She didn't know how long they just sat there, safe in the knowledge they were together again. Bella didn't want it to end. Only her stomach decided to remind her it's probably been a few days since she ate. The laughter it drew from her family warmed her heart. Her sisters pulled back and she looked around the room, recognizing it as the ritual chamber in Grimmauld Place. She saw a man she felt was probably Andy's husband standing back with a girl whose hair kept shifting through a myriad of bright colors and standing just besides them was a man who could only be Lucius Malfoy. No one else but a Malfoy could manage blonde hair like that.
Her eyes finally settled on a couple clearly trying to hug the stuffing out of their daughter. The woman's bronze hair was beautiful, her olive skin a distinct shade and she had the prettiest sapphire eyes. But it was the man hugging her and her newly named niece that caught her attention. No other Black could sport that much of a mane of curly hair and make it look as good. The energy around him and swirling around his ladies made it clear who he was. No Black could miss it. "My Lord Black, a daughter of House Black seeks Sanctuary amongst the Family." Sirius smiled, "It's Sirius or Siri to you, cousin. The Lord…" he looks at his fiancée who smiles and kisses him on the cheek, "… and future Lady Black both happily grant you Sanctuary. Welcome home, Bellatrix Black. You are amongst family again." Bella watched Sirius stand in front of her and pull her into a hug. She hugged him back as she felt the Family Magicks settle back into her. She was home. After 12 long years, she was finally home.
Chapter End Notes
And the Blacks are all finally together. Did you like it? The scenes of the Veil will become more frequent as Rhea stretches out her wings. Hope you all are still with me and looking forward to what's next.
Next Chapter? The fallout, last days of Year 3, and some family business.
Home is with Family
Chapter Notes
Here is the next chapter! Hope you all like it. As mentioned, chapters will be released every two days, until something forces my hand. For now, no need to change that, though sleep is always asking for more. The Muse has been graceful enough to allow it. For those keeping track, I have written most of Year 4 ahead of schedule and will soon be tackling summer and Year 5, which now has a major outline in place.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
"Noble members of the Wizengamot, on this day's extraordinary session, we hereby find Bellatrix Black, formerly Lestrange, exonerated of all charges, due to the irrefutable evidence of a slave contract signed in her blood binding her to Rodolphos Lestrange having been the driving force behind her actions as part of the terrorist group known as the Death Eaters. It is this governing body's decision that the only restitution we can provide as of this moment is that of her medical expenses, at least until such a time as the investigation into the criminal allegations against the staff of Azkaban has been concluded. This session is now adjourned!" The reverberations of Amelia Bones smashing the gavel down reached the ears of everyone except for the Black family. They all move to embrace a smiling Bella, her eyes wet with unshed tears.
After Rhea returned with a free Bella, confirmed later by Lady Abbott, Bella had been interviewed by Bones and Moody, with the added bonus of her taking Veritaserum voluntarily. Madam Bones was able to confirm that the Bellatrix Lestrange everyone knew was the product of the contract and orders given to her and a date had been set to review her case before the Wizengamot. The verdict, however, wasn't as clear cut as Sirius' had been. Many in the Light faction still refused to believe in her. For them, Bellatrix had to have some complacency for all the supposed horrors she had taken part in, despite her Veritaserum testimony to the contrary. James Potter was strongly opposed to it, holding a grudge over the escapes that took place under his guard and the death of his friend, Frank Longbottom. To the surprise of all the Factions, Augusta broke ranks and sided with Bella's exoneration.
The fractures in the Dark Faction had been even more obvious. Many of the Dark Lord Voldemort's supporters were more than happy to send Bellatrix back to Azkaban for no longer aligning herself with his vision. Lucius, however, had been methodical and was able to garner the support of the Families who had nominally supported Voldemort but not been active in his campaign. The narrow victory helped Sirius see how much work was still left to do, with a bitter Dark Faction seeking retribution in anyone and a Light Faction so sure of their cause that they won't even listen to reason and truth. His work in the Wizengamot was far from over.
For now though, all thoughts of politics would have to take a back seat. Sirius could hardly stop smiling at the smile on his daughter's face as she hugged her Aunt Bella. The two had formed a strong bond, sharing trauma and trust, which meant Rhea had been practically inseparable from
Bella. Not to say his daughter smothered his cousin. Rhea was intuitive as hell with Bella and would go from mindless academic chatter, to deeply meaningful conversations that kept resetting his mind's image of how mature his girl was, to respectful silence. He would have worried about Sabrina being jealous of her daughter's new focus of attention if Rhea didn't also spend time with her mom, discussing the upcoming wedding. His daughter's brain made Sirius' own have a headache on principle alone.
He knew though that in a few days Rhea would be back at Hogwarts, which is why Sabrina and Bella were monopolizing her attention. She wanted to help Bella as much as she could and after the scare with Sabrina, Rhea refuses to leave anything unsaid between them. Sirius moved up and hugged his cousin. "You have your pick of Narcissa, Andromeda or me. Where would you like to go for the next few days." Bella's eyes danced with mirth, "Thank you for the last week. I hope you and Sabrina don't mind if I take some time with Andy. Would love Ted to work on all the bloody paperwork I have, plus there is another niece I need to get to know." She looked down at a pouting Rhea, though the girl's eyes showed she was actually happy for her aunt. The Black Family left in mass, the last member safely brought home. Sirius hoped old Arctucus and Melania were watching. The smiles on the three sisters were enough to light up all of Grimmauld.
With the trial over with, the Blacks would now have another major event to focus on; his wedding. There has never been a wedding for a sitting Lord Black for quite a long time, especially one that would normally be a quiet affair. Seraphina had made it clear that while it wouldn't be a small and quiet ceremony, it would be a family only one, which didn't settle Sirius' nerves. The Prasino's alone numbered in the thousands and Cassandra Greene and her family were likely to be invited. He did owe them for the wonderful impromptu vacation after the large Samhain ritual they all celebrated. Still, negotiating with Rhea's self appointed Grandmother was something he wasn't looking forward to. Good thing he had his family back together. Maybe he could delegate.
- -
Rhea went along with the rest of the 3rd years to the last Dueling Class. It took the Board and the Headmaster a while to agree on having Senior Auror Rufus Scrimgeour as interim Defense and co Dueling instructor, at least until term ended. In Defense, the man clearly knew his spells and had gone with a good mix of theoretical and practical work. Unlike Lupin, he was fair to all students and surprisingly liked to make sure they all understood the lesson before they left class. The man wasn't just behind James Potter in the leadership of the Aurors for nothing, though he was certainly more agreeable than Potter. However, it was in the Dueling class that the man really stood out. He and Flitwick made the class both fun and instructive, and since the students weren't really powerhouses yet, they did focus a lot on form.
The class today, however, was going to be a mini tournament, having the students duel members in their own skill level and maybe the ones above, if the Professors felt they could handle it. Rhea did find the dueling list for her skill bracket hilarious. Draco, Daphne and Theo were all in
it and all had expressly refused to duel her, making Scrimgeour look at her with some fascination. It also made the rest of her fights predictable. Longbottom had been delegated to the lower skill bracket after he failed to keep up his shielding work, which left Rhea with only Bones, Granger and Potter as her opponents. Rhea dueled Susah first and while Susan is a great duelist, she knew Rhea had her beat, so the two merely focused on warming up and getting their forms correct before Rhea's disarming charm ended the duel. She watched bemused as Draco beat Henry by tripping him, though Henry's banishing spell sent Theo hard against the wall. Rhea had to do some Healer's work on her friend and took him to Madam Pomfrey, missing out on Daphne's turn against Henry and Draco's against Granger. She did get to see Daphne duel Granger earlier though.
For a first gen witch, she was well studied, and her friendship with Henry likely helped her along. She had clearly improved since Susan mopped the floor with her, but not enough to beat either Susan or Daphne in the end. Rhea took her place opposite Granger and could see the Gryffindor was nervous. Rhea had to wonder what nightmare stories Henry had made of her to his fellow Lions. "Wands out!" Regardless, the girl had always been more fair to Rhea, so Granger was spared any humiliations or disrespect, hence why Rhea actually drew her wand. She could see Henry's scowl a mile away. "Begin!" Granger proceeds to go through the typical Aurors kit of skills, going for consistency and speed. She should have known by now that those don't work on Rhea, and likely never will. Rhea wasn't just standing and dodging, she had been casting, forcing the lioness to use her feet more. She could see Scrimgeour's approving look, knowing that Rhea was giving Granger the workout she needed to improve.
Once Granger showed signs of exhaustion, Rhea took pity on her, casting a cushioning charm on the ground around Hermione before teaching all the students a lesson. The spell that took down Granger was an Accio, aimed right at her shoes. The girls' startled "eep" and cushioned fall made the students laugh, but no one tried to humiliate her. She had done great. Professor Flitwick came up to the center of the platform. "Please do keep in mind that there are other ways to take your opponents feet off the floor, Ms. Black's example being quite literal in that statement." The students nodded and everyone took their places. Hermione gave her a small smile and a nod before stepping off, leaving Henry to take her place. Rhea could tell the prat was looking to beat her. Rhea snorted.
Rhea decided to humor him by keeping her wand out. At Scrimgeour's "Begin!," Potter went through the typical Aurors kit, only in a different order than Hermione's, but to the same failed results. It wasn't until a yellow colored spell raced by her head that Rhea began to lose her temper. "Time out! Mr Potter, if I see another Bone Breaking Curse or something more dangerous, you will find yourself with a Troll on your score and detention till the last day! You've been warned." Scrimgeour then turned to Rhea, "I've yet to see you use any but I am familiar with the sort of spells the Blacks teach their kids. Please refrain from using them against Mr Potter or the same punishment will be applied." Rhea nodded and tried to look through her memories to see which Black could have cursed Scrmgeour. Rhea smirked, putting her guess on Andy. The woman was scary when pissed.
The match restarted and Rhea casted several silent spells at Henry, all landing on the platform around him. Exactly as planned. A few minutes later and Rhea shot out the last spell, triggering the
ward she had magically carved around his feet. The ward's effect was instantaneous as Henry's body was pulled down aggressively, leaving the Gryffindor pinned to the floor of the platform. Scrimgeour looked impressed while Fillius squeaked. Yes! "As a final example of abnormal means of defeating an opponent, Ms. Black seems to have created a ward scheme mid duel! While duels tend to be in a limited area, do remember to move around, as clever opponents can use your laziness against you. Match goes to Black!" The Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and Slytherins cheered and Rhea bit back a laugh. If Henry wanted to showboat, she'd be more than happy to crush his ego.
Her friends settled around her and they all headed out to dinner at the Great Hall. She could see the Gryffindors, especially Henry and his posse, eyeing the growing group of friends with distaste as they all sat down together at the Ravenclaw table. Susan, Hannah and Sally had started the call for them to sometimes sit together, though they suggested doing it at the Hufflepuff table. Instead, their group of friends would pick which table they would sit at on the day. Mostly it was the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables, though they did sit at the Slytherin table a few times. They had cleared it with Gemma Farley, the current Queen of the Slytherin Court who had been all too happy to do it out of spite against the Gryffindors. No Gryffindors in the group, no need to sit at their table. What a shame.
Susan jostled Rhea's shoulder as they sat down, "Word around the Neutrals is that your parents will be married on the Continent in a family oriented ceremony? No chance of an invite?" Rhea shook her head. "Matriarch Seraphina and Dad are being very set on that. Family only. Which for the Prasinos doesn't exactly mean a small ceremony, hence why Dad is being fuzzy about it staying family. Adding invited guests will probably see the entire Neutral Family Heads, several members of the Ministry and ICW and more than likely members of the French Ministry all showing up. Best leave the political crowd out of it." Susan nodded, "I see your point. Are you taking any pointers for yours?" Susan smirked as she watched her friend choke on her drink. She timed it perfectly. The group around them all started laughing, which only grew louder at Rhea's choked out reply of, "definitely family only now!" Rhea's face didn't lose her smile though. It was nice, having friends.
- -
The train cabin Rhea sat in on her way home became a frequent stop for most of her friends, though only Luna stayed with her. She didn't begrudge the others for sitting with more lively colleagues. At least it was nice of them to stop by. The door opened and Rhea was actually surprised. Hermione Granger was the 4th to last person she'd ever expect to come see her. "Do you mind if we have a talk, Heiress Black?" Rhea lifted her eyebrow at the clear attempt at following etiquette. Luna stood up and went for the door, "I'll be back. Don't scare too many of the wrackspurts on her head." Rhea smiled at her roommate, "no promises." Rhea motioned for Granger to sit opposite from her, "What can I do for you Miss Granger? Oh and congratulations on your score. 3rd in the year group is quite good."
Granger looked at her, seemingly unsure how to take the comment. "I…thank you. I must admit, I thought I would hold 1st but 3rd is quite fine. You and Miss Greengrass must study a lot." Rhea hummed, "The two of use share an inter house study group where everyone helps each other out. We don't just copy each other but those more informed share the important points and the group then uses that to make our own answers. It certainly helps our scores, but it also cuts down on study time. Though knowing Daphne, she probably still did extra study. I imagine she will be more driven to take first place next year." Granger clearly was surprised about what Rhea said. "But, doesn't an inter house study group defeat the purpose of House points?"
Rhea laughed, "Of course, but House points shouldn't come at the expense of a student's education, just like which House you're sorted into shouldn't stop you from making friends outside of yours. I think learning and friendships are more important than Pride." Hermione clearly seemed to agree but chose not to voice it. "I hope it's not presumptuous of me, Heiress Black but do you have a problem with Henry Potter?" Ahh, so she noticed. "That depends, are we talking about the Henry Potter that saved your life from a troll or the one who insulted me and my family for who I happen to be related to." Hermione bit her lip, "I…you need to understand Heiress, Malfoy and the other Slytherin's have always been confrontational to Henry, not to mentioned some of the bigoted things they have said."
Rhea nodded, "That's understandable and all but did you ever ask why? Why do the Slytherin's feel threatened by Henry and by you?" Hermione stared at Rhea, "Me? They are scared of me?" Rhea shook her head, "Not scared, though I think Mr. Nott and Ms. Davis might have a crush on you…" The brown haired girl flushed and Rhea could see why her friends found her a bit cute, "Threatened. If you read about what's been going on in the Wizengamot for the last 5 to 7 years, you would understand that a first generation witch like you represents a threat to the more Traditionalists families. And no it has nothing to do with your blood, your studies or your place in our society. " Rhea organized her thoughts before continuing.
"You came into this cabin and asked to speak with me using my Family name and position. That is something all traditionalists would see as a great sign of your sense of character. You knew there is a way of interacting that is different and you learned it. However, because you associate yourself with Potter and Weasley, this causes concern over your future behavior. I am sure my cousin Draco has referred to Weasley as a Blood Traitor, and a few are now saying the same of the Potters. If I told you the term has nothing to do with the two families' associations with 1st gen wixen, would you believe me?" Hermione gaped at her, "But if it's not because of mugg-" Rhea cuts her off "Don't use that name! The people here might say it's the proper term, but it's derogatory to you and your family, not to mention all non-magicals."
Rhea took a breath after stunning Hermione, "The Weasley's and now the Potter's are being addressed as Blood Traitors because to the magical community it looks as if they are betraying their Families. The Weasleys are an Old Family, which once held and celebrated the rites and traditions of their house and of Magical Britain, but for the last 2 generations have not done so. There is concern that the Family Magicks, a gift passed from parent to child, spouse to spouse, might have or will abandon them. The same goes for Potter. To the Old and Ancient Families, Family Magick is a treasure unlike any other and to see others willingly cast it aside, it's considered
a betrayal. Hence the name. When traditionalists see you with them, they fear you will adopt their ways and dismiss our traditions, our magic. They think you ignore their right to their family magicks and as such many take the stance that you wish to take it away from them." Rhea sighs, "Concern turns to fear, fear turns to hate and hate leads to … well, you know why your friend Potter carries that silly moniker."
Hermione spends a moment digesting what she said. She had a lot to look up. "How does this relate to you and Henry?" Rhea clicked her tongue, "I knew I lost my train of thought. Essentially Henry is mad at me because my Dad, who was like a brother to his, seemingly broke ties with the Potters and got together with the Malfoys. Except from what I hear Henry's dad did something that my father considers unforgivable. What that is will likely never come up in conversation and even asking the two about it could set them off, so best leave it to the adults to settle. Anyways, I got friendly to Draco because he is family. That means more to me than fame or monikers." Rhea smiles at Hermione, "want to know an open secret? Henry is technically Draco's cousin and mine. His grandmother was a Black who married a Potter. I would have been happy to have made friends with him and called him cousin, but when he insulted my family, his grandmother's family, I saw no point."
Hermione mulls on what Rhea said, "I can see how that could sour your relations. I just… you seem like a nice person but whenever Henry talks about you, it's always like when he talks about Malfoy. Like you are out to get him." Rhea hummed, "I think Draco started annoying him because both of them have overly inflated egos. Draco has mellowed out though and I think of him like an overprotective brother. Henry… I think Wizarding Britain did a disservice to him and his Grandmother. While people heap all this praise on an infant in his diapers and kept at it for over a decade, they ignore the likelihood that Dorea Potter née Black and her husband could have been the masterminds behind his survival. A witch who should be celebrated as the pinnacle of loyalty to family is ignored while a kid spends years with his ego being fed."
Rhea sighed, "I imagine you came here hoping to get an answer that would just fix this mess, but things aren't simple. I don't hate Henry, I hate what others have made of him and what he fashions himself as. His family and mine aren't at war with each other but one wrong word and we could be. My suggestion to you Miss Granger is try to be a better friend and see what happens. He might surprise you and me, or he won't. Think over what I said, look for the truth with your own eyes and make your choices. That's all anyone can do." Granger left soon after, leaving Rhea tired but sure of herself. She wasn't going to waste any time hoping her brother changes for the better, but she would welcome it. In the end he didn't matter. Her family were the Blacks and the Prasinos and they were whole now. She smiled at the horizon. She had a wedding to look forward to.
- -
"Wow!" Sabrina turned around and smiled at her daughter. She agreed with her statement. The
wedding dress the Blacks and the Prasinos had agreed on was stunning. A deep forest green of deeply embroidered cloth that exposed her arms but hid her legs completely, with Bronze trimmings and highlights, though the locket Sirius got her remained on her chest, unchanged. Even the veil was a soft shade of green with a bronze colored wreath of flowers as a crown. Rhea herself was not wearing a dress. They tried, boy did both the families try, but dresses and Rhea were like oil and water. It was a good thing that Sirius and the Blacks decided to let her break tradition in a big way, as she was her Dad's Best "Man." The irony was lost in how decidedly unmasculine she looked. The forest green corset-like dress shirt she wore under her black dress jack and her black pants (Rhea made it clear she wanted to represent both families with her colors) would one day make men and women follow her in droves. At least she would be amongst family today, so a low chance of anyone learning what two powerful families would do to keep Rhea from being chased by suitors.
The Families, Narcissa and Andromeda taking over Sirius' duties as Head of House for the wedding, agreed to have the wedding at the Black Family Chateau in France. The place had been in stasis for years but would be used on special occasions. As a nod to tradition, Sabriba spent a week sequestered at the Prasinos Chateau while Sirius was sequestered at the wedding location, with Rhea doing double duty and spending a day in each before switching over. This was one of the few times Sabrina saw Rhea truly happy around her birthday. From the moment Rhea entered Sabrina's life, she had hated her original birthday. She didn't want to celebrate on July 31st at all, which led to Sabrina getting creative. They would take small trips out to the countryside, even once going to Ireland and enjoying the local culture. Sirius' arrival didn't change Rhea's opinion, so any presents that Sirius and Sabrina wanted to give the girl would be saved for Yule.
Rhea had been a bit cross with her parents when they arranged their wedding around her birthday, especially when she made it clear why she hated the day. For Rhea, July 31st was Halley's birthday, the one day the Potters should have remembered they had another child and never checked on her. For Rhea, Samhain was her real birthday, though she happily celebrated it like normal. So Sirius and Sabrina agreed that while the wedding preparations would overlap her birthday, the wedding itself would be on the festival of Lughnasadh. While a tradition of the Scotts and the Irish, the day did hold some magical and symbolic significance and was deemed perfect so that Rhea could join the married couple on their honeymoon trip, though in a separate suite. Rhea didn't want to be casting silencing spells on the walls or a deafening spell on herself every day for the near month they had planned to be away for and Sabrina couldn't blame her.
Rhea moved up and hugged her mom. "How many whacks to the back of the head is Dad going to need to keep his brain working today?" Sabrina laughed, "Too many. I'll leave it in your capable hands." She kissed her daughter on the cheek before the girl rushed away to get her Dad ready. The Black sisters walked in afterwards and proceeded to get Sabrina ready, tying flowers and strings into her hair before placing the veil over her face. Now all Sabrina had to do was decide on her name. She could keep her name, but the British snobs would take it as an insult, even if her own family would cheer, or she could take Sirius' name and have her family be a little bothered but fine. Seraphina had made it clear she would accept either.
In less time than she though had passed she found herself at the altar. Her eyes had been glued
on Sirius, a smile permanently stuck to her face. The Blacks had worked their magic and made him look absolutely stunning, curly hair and all. She also laughed a few times when she saw her daughter standing by his side giving him a few zaps to get his mind working. Goddess tonight was going to be long and worth it. Sabrina and Sirius made the traditional magical exchange of vows, expressing their commitment to each other till death and even beyond. The vows ended as both Sirius and Sabrina said "So says I, So mote it be," and the golden band tying their hands together glowed with the vow made before vanishing, confirming it's acceptance. The priest looked to her, "Have you decided on the name?" She nodded and whispered it to the priest who turned to the witnesses. "Allow me to officially introduce to you all Lord Sirius Orion Black and Lady Sabrina Selene Black-Prasinos!"
The applause made her ears ring as she saw her family start fishing galleons out of their pockets. A lot of bets would be settled tonight. She had an idea that her Great Aunt had won due to the smile on her face. While it's not uncommon for a bride to merge her last names, it isn't all that practiced by Wixen, even less by her family. Rhea technically had five last names and had settled on Black for both simplicity and to avoid drawing too much attention. Sabrina smiled as she received congratulations from both the Blacks and the Prasinos. Eventually once the feast was concluded and all responsibilities taken care off, Sirius smiled at her, took her in her arms Bridal style and rushed up the stairs, with Sabrina laughing all the way. Yes, the man was a Neanderthal. The size of her engagement ring and the locket on her chest proved it every day. But tonight and until the end of time he was hers . She'd make sure to remind him of that multiple times this night.
- -
Rhea laid quietly on her bed in the Prasinos Chateau. Her Mom and Dad were going to be spending a few days traveling the Black Family properties, tying Mom to the wards and getting her acquainted to the Black Family magick. Rhea could feel it beneath her skin most of the time. What others would term as the "Black Madness," Rhea called it something else. Devotion. The Black Family were many things; traditionalists, ambitious and driven. All that paled to their Devotion to the Family. Like the Prasinos, the Blacks held family first and would do everything to protect the family. Dorea may have married a Potter but she never stopped being a Black. Not on the day she took the Godmother Oath for Sabrina Prasinos, not when she married Charlus Potter and not when she faced Voldemort for her grandchildren.
A smile graced Rhea's lips as she hoped Dorea and Selene enjoyed the wedding from the other side. The two had met under a Healer's tent in France, caring for Hit Wizards from all Allied countries. Selene proved her skills and empathy while Dorea was the firm hand that kept the Healers working and the patients in line. The two had been best friends. Maybe more. Rhea hadn't had a chance to ask them about each other yet, though she wondered if she could call them together. What Rhea did know was how devoted to their families the two women had been and as the two planned ahead, they had decided to make a final means of tying the families they loved together. The initial idea had been for Selene to be James' Godmother, but that honor went to Minerva McGonagall née Ross. Best decision ever in Rhea's mind. Now Sabrina, Dorea's goddaughter, was married to Sirius Black, Dorea's second son in all but name.
Rhea allows some of her Death Magic to coalesce, enough that a prayer or a whisper may reach the other side of the Veil. "Thank you Grandma Dorea, for taking me to Sabrina's arms. Thank you for raising Sirius the right way. Thank you for getting our family together. Love you Grandma Dorea, love you Grandma Selene. Please look after us as we live our lives, together."
Chapter End Notes
I hope you liked the idea of the wedding i made, as I wanted it to be more than just the typical ceremony but for it also not to be blown out of proportions.
Hermione will be making more apperances throughout the year, as she becomes the window into the issues surrounding the Potters, especially as she tries to understand the landmines that her friend's family had set off without her knowing. Plus, being challenged intelectually by Daphne and Rhea will pull her a bit more out of her shell.
Next Chapter: Part 2 of the summer before Year 4, Rhea stumbles into more of her legacy, someone gets curious and two chess player prepare for the upcoming year.
Please leave a comment and I hope you all stick around.
Encounters, Near and Far
Chapter Notes
Here is the next chapter, covering the last events of summer before Year 4. A few more points of view to show what is going on. Hope you all enjoy it! All of Year 4 is technically written down, just in need of some TLC, while I am getting started in Year 5. The 1 chapter every 2 days rule remains in effect.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Being out under the sun had never been much of a pleasant experience for Rhea. Before her parents, the sun was nothing more than a source of pain and a reminder that she would be forced to work on the plants outside, most of which had thorns. Britain at least was good to her, as most of her time in London was under overcast skies and cool winters, especially when the snow came and made everything so much nicer! Hogwarts had been just as good weather wise, though she could tell she was the exception. So many of her friends hated the cold, but Rhea absolutely loved it. She and Luna took advantage of the free periods before Yule to have fun in the snow covered castle and it had been wonderful.
So the fact Rhea was enjoying her time out under the sun on the River Nile was a surprise to her. Sure she was cheating, having a cooling charm enchanted into a chain on her neck, maybe she was letting a little of her Death Magic leak out and stay just on her skin (no point scaring the locals and tourists!) and said skin was suitably covered in magical Sunscreen ointments that held for 15 hours a dose, but she hadn't expected to have so much fun! The magical community in Egypt was decidedly friendly and seemed to delight in mixing ancient concepts with modern touches. Like the boat she was on. The rooms were all very close to what one expects from a non-magical cruise ship in their utilities, but the aesthetics and the furnishings were all Egyptian, as in Egypt prior to the Arabian influences.
Professor Babbling's attempts at keeping her attentive in class had left her with a near perfect understanding of Hieroglyphics which made reading the Egyptian Book of the Dead both easy and appropriate for the vacation. The magical variant of the Book held quite a bit more than Rhea expected. While there weren't any real Necromantic elements in it, the book felt like it was written by either a Necromancer or someone who learned through experiences with them. The parting rituals for family members were thoughtful and poignant, the last rites rituals were beautifully heartbreaking and the funeral processions were thorough. The Ancient Egyptians didn't treat Death as a thing to fear, it was an inevitable but important part of their lives. Death was as natural to them as the Sun setting over the horizon.
Aside from lounging on the veranda that gave her an exclusive window into the natural and manmade nature of the Nile and the endless dunes of sand beyond, Rhea had several chances to step out of the cruise boat and stretch her legs. The boat was strictly magical and would dock at magical ports both on the banks of the Nile and a few islands on the river. These places were a
delight for Rhea and her parents. The food was exquisite, the ancient limestone temples literally hummed with magic like nothing Rhea or Sabrina had ever experienced, and the quiet evening really left them all feeling refreshed in the morning. Well, morning for Rhea, lunchtime for her parents. They were taking their honeymoon quite seriously if her Mom's uneven gait was anything to go by. The smiles permanently etched on their faces at least made any mortifying thoughts worth living through. Mostly.
Rhea stretched her arms as she stepped off the cruise ramp. They had just arrived at an area just south of Elephantine Island, nearing the end of the Nile river cruise. The island they were on has a name that Rhea had difficulty translating, since her ability to read Hieroglyphics didn't help with either Demotic or Coptic words. The closest translation Rhea got was Gateway Island. The place was beautiful though, the locals wearing a style of modern clothes that made callbacks to the Ancients. Her parents, trusting Rhea to be safe on her own with a disillusioned Nyx, went to seek out a place for lunch as Rhea wandered through the old sand and limestone streets, a light white scarf shielding her shoulders, neck and face from the sand and warm air.
The street reminded her of Diagon Alley or Place Cachée, at least in the off season. People moving about, buying the usual wares. She spotted a place that was catering to tourists and went inside. The place was an enchanter's dream, covered with medallions, chains and cartouches. Rhea looked around and was thinking if any of these would be nice souvenirs, though Sabrina and Sirius had been covering that. Mom was taking her duties as Lady Black very seriously. She was about to look over the table with cartouches when her eyes were caught by an odd Ankh. Most of the Ankhs displayed were gold, silver or other fine metals, but this one wasn't metal. It was black, pitch black. All along its form were inscriptions in what she could only call liquid gold, the hieroglyphics at times changing form and meaning.
"It is an odd thing, when the unlikely becomes certain in one's eyes." Rhea turned around and saw the store owner, a young woman dressed in black robs, looking at Rhea with a surprised expression. The black clothes on the woman made Rhea frown in thought. While women wearing black is common among the non-magical Egyptians, it's unheard of on the magical side. Black for Magical Egyptians tends to be associated with… "I take it that Necromancers are still a rarity, even here were the craft, while not celebrated, it's neither banned nor forgotten." The woman's smile confirmed it. "Indeed, young miss. Magical Egypt retains much of our Ancients ways, despite the changes in our land beyond our desire to control. We will never stand in the way of the Dead and those who speak with them. Would you mind coming to the counter? It is rare for us to have a Necromancer, and while those most prepared to discuss grave matters with you arrive, will you do me the honor of designing an Amulet for you?"
Rhea thought about verifying her translated words with Legilimency but decided to trust her Familiar. Nyx silently and carefully slipped into the shop and landed on her shoulder, ready to whisk her Mistress away should it be required. The enchantress tested her magic with a rod and by placing some stones in Rhea's hand. She was practically giddy with excitement. She began to pull out carving instruments and materials, including a bar of the same black substance the Ankh she saw was made from. Her observations ended when a black cloaked man appeared at the doorway. "Maana must be quite taken with you for her to be crafting a completely new Amulet on the spot."
The man bowed his head, "My name is Mahad. It is a great pleasure to meet you, Necromancer. I would ask for your name but we are willing to forgo etiquette for your safety. Would you please follow me?"
Mahad took Rhea to the outskirts of the town before taking a rarely used path into the hill. There, just at the bottom of the hill was a limestone archway guarded by two statues of Anubis. The moment Rhea crossed the threshold she knew. The entire structure was encased in Death Magic, from the stone to the flames, the place was indeed a Temple of the Dead. "I must admit, I never thought these places still existed. I imagine that is partly by design?" Mahad turned to her and nodded, "It saddens all who serve at the Temples of the Dead to see the world forget the importance of such places. Our people have spent millennia safeguarding these halls and will likely continue to do so for centuries to come. It does bring us comfort, however, when Necromancers like yourself appear in the world. While Maana completes her work and our scholars bring out some items we wish to give you, would you honor the people of this Temple?"
Rhea stared at the man and seeing no deception nodded. Mahad smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "One of our members has reached the end of his life. He has completed the parting rituals and Last Rites and has passed on. Would you honor us by bearing witness to his funeral preparations? If you are unfamiliar with our ways, we can guide you through it." Rhea thought about it and saw why they had asked it of her. "Death Magic aids in the Rituals, doesn't it? It eases the separation between body and soul and strengthens the connection of the Temple?" Mahad nodded and Rhea allowed her magic to connect with the area. It practically swooned at her. She sighed, "If the Rituals are the same as in the unedited Book of the Dead as published by your Ministry of Magic, then yes, I am familiar with it and am willing to observe." Mahad smiled, "They are the same and we are grateful for the honor, Necromancer."
After sending Mom and Dad a letter via Nyx explaining that she'd be a bit late but that she was fine and would explain later, Rhea was directed deep into the temple into what she knew was an embalming chamber. The body of an old man sat on the stone altar as the priests and embalmers got ready. Mahad had her kneel on a cushion at the head of the Altar and was asked to perform the prayer, though as she was aware of the english translation only, Rhea was relieved to be told she didn't have to speak it. Magic and intent would do the rest. For the next few hours, Rhea followed through the prayer in her mind, her magic mixing with that of the chamber and the priests. She could see the awe in their eyes as they felt every prayer conclude and the chamber would pulse with magic. Eventually, the ritual was complete and the body was ready for its funeral procession. She wrote a small prayer for the man's family in hieroglyphics on a strap of cloth and placed it on the body. The priests nodded at her for her generosity.
Rhea returned to the Antechamber of the Temple, where Maana and Mahad were waiting for her. Maana presented her with a beautiful black Ankh with hieroglyphics etched in liquid gold, though these were static. She recognized the symbols for Osiris and Anubis, but was partly surprised to see the Feather of Maat and the Tyet. The young woman smiled at her, "You are a Necromancer, but also more. You carry a burden to be fair and just, despite what has been done to you. But above all you are a Healer, of mind, body and soul. Anubis, Osiris and Isis all coexist within you. Do not believe you are doomed to one path, for you are free to decide much of what is
to come. It was a pleasure to craft this for you, Necromancer, though I left it free of enchantments, as I believe your own magics to be better suited in protecting you. May the Nile see you safely home." She bowed and left.
Mahad nodded at the Ankh in Rhea's hands. "It is wise to tie that to your body via a crafted leather strap, preferably from a creature you have an affinity for. It will aid in your defense. Now to the reason I brought you here." He places a tome in her hands, its pages made of papyrus. "This is a copy of a text present in all Egyptian Temples of the Dead. We present this one to you and hope that its knowledge allows you to vanquish those who seek to flee death's touch." Rhea stilled at hearing that phrase. "You are referring to Britain's Dark Lord, currently presumed dead." Mahad's face became serious. "We both know he yet lingers, even if life currently eludes him. We believe he plans to regain a proper physical form within a year's time. Our methods of scrying fail to show us specifics but we know this much. He must be allowed to recover a proper body, his means of cheating death must all be destroyed, regardless if they were successful or not, before he may be vanquished permanently. The book before you is written in the Script of the Dead and carries within it knowledge no other mages should know. Be wary Necromancer, for even in those you trust with your life, this knowledge should never exist in its entirety."
Rhea took the book in her hand and felt the magic in it recognize hers. She looked at Mahad, "While I won't share the means of anything I find within its pages, I need to inform my family of what it can do. I already made a mistake with information I thought they didn't need to know." Her mother's voice raised in anger at what Rhea had done was something she would always regret. She never wanted to feel that pain in her heart. Ever again. Mahad saw the echo of what she felt in her face. "That is acceptable. The book itself, should you have children, must be placed in a safe location, so should one of your heirs ever have need of it, the knowledge within its pages will be close at hand." Rhea nodded as Mahad led her to the entrance. "I imagine I have given you much to think about today. Leave in peace Necromancer and know that you have friends here. May the gods of the underworld see you safely returned to your home."
Rather than return to her parents, Rhea took to the skies as an owl, followed closely by Nyx. This wasn't the first time she had done this on the trip but this time it felt like it would be the last so a time spent gliding on the warm skies of Egypt felt right. She landed on a pier close to her parents, allowing her magic to reach out to them and reassure them that she was close and safe. The sun began to set over the western horizon of Egypt, with the lush plant life of the Nile's edge vanishing into the eternal dunes of the Sahara. Rhea breathed in the air, rich in magic both manmade and natural. Now that she knew of the Temple's existence, she could feel its trace of magic in the air. It was fitting in Rhea's mind, as Egypt seemed to encompass the same dichotomy that exists within herself. Her fingers trace the black Ankh's engravings. She had a lot of studying to do and a pair of parents to meet for dinner.
- -
"Here you are Hermione, the Potter Family Library. Try not to get lost in a book before dinner." Hermione smiled at Lily Potter. "Thanks Mrs. Potter. Oh, are there any books I should be careful with like in the Restricted Section?" Lily looked at her with some mirth, "No dangerous books here, except as a blunt weapon. And I keep telling you Hermione, you can call me Lily." Hermione blushed, "Sorry, it's just hard to break the habit." Lily nodded, "I can relate. I still catch myself whenever McGonagall asks me to call her Minerva. Take your time and remember, you can come outside and watch the quidditch nuts play if you get bored." Mrs. Potter vanishes out the door on her way to keep an eye on the kids, leaving Hermione alone.
Usually Hermione would be thrilled to be in such a large collection of books related to magic and she was still, but she had asked to be here for a different reason. Rhea Black's words had refused to leave her mind, despite her family taking an early vacation to Spain this year. So she began to search the library, finding a lot of books from every course of study, with plenty on Transfiguration, Potions and even a few on Alchemy. She did eventually find the section she was looking for, a whole bookshelf dedicated to the Potter Family's history and traditions. She smacked her head into the table a few times. Rhea Black had been right. There was a clear history of rituals, rites and traditions going back centuries, almost none of them seemed dangerous or threatening, just a way to honor magic's gift, to reinforce the family's connection with magic and give thanks for each season. Though the description of the Beltane rituals made her blush.
"Something troubling you, my dear?" Hermione jumped up in her seat and looked around. It took her a second to find the source of the voice. A man who looked a lot like James Potter looked back at her with some measure of mirth in his eyes. The Prankster genes must be part of being a Potter. "Sorry if I disturbed you sir. I was just reading on some information and was frustrated that this sort of thing isn't taught at school." The man nodded, "I imagine it isn't. It's been a long time since the traditions of our people were actively taught at Hogwarts. Though if Dumbledore is still Headmaster, I doubt we'd ever see a change in the curriculum." Hermione was surprised to hear that, "Well there was a change. They brought back a lot of discontinued electives. Though the Board led by Sirius Black practically forced The Headmaster to do it."
The man looked at her with surprise in his eyes. "Sirius? Our Sirius Black sits on the Board of Governors and forced Headmaster Dumbledore to reinstate the old electives?" The man proceeded to laugh full-heartedly. "Oh Dorea, I wish you had let us have a painting made of you. The look on your face if you heard your little Sirius taking on Dumbledore!" Hermione allowed the man to laugh some more before asking, "Your Charlus Potter aren't you? and why would the lady Potter not want a portrait?" Charlus smiled at the girl. "Because my wife may have been a Potter, but she was a Black too. Portraits can be forced to reveal information the owner knew in their lifetime if asked by the Head of House. Many of the women of the House of Black who were married away never have a portrait made, to keep their secrets. They do make journals and write down things for the future members of the family, just keeping the secrets of the House of Black out of it."
The portrait pointed to a set of rows on a bookshelf behind her. Hermione leafed through the books, finding what Charlus Potter described. Journals, both from before and after her marriage to the Potter Family, a book on healing spells and practices and even some notes on magic. She had dropped one that detailed blood magic and rituals. She was picking it up when she saw that the
book had spilled open on a page with a wizarding photograph. In it were clearly Mr. and Mrs. Potter, looking deliriously happy. Hermione's eyes flew open when she saw what they were holding. There were two babies. She turned the picture around and saw two names written on the back. Henry and Halley. "Lord Potter, did the Potter's have twins?" The portrait thought for a second, "I was commissioned after James's wedding to Lily, so it's not in my memories. But I distinctly remember Sirius coming here and telling me the Potter's had twins. The boy was Henry and the girl was called Halley."
Hermione racked her head. She doesn't remember hearing anything about a sister for Henry. Even in the Modern History books that mention the fall of Voldemort and the deaths of the Lord and Lady Potter. Henry has never said anything, though he had confessed that he had wished he had a sister. That doesn't make sense. "Sir, I've never heard about Halley. Henry doesn't remember having a sister and I can't remember ever hearing James or Lily Potter talking about it." Charlus waved his hand, "I know Sirius didn't lie to me. The young man had been ecstatic. He was the girl's sworn godfather. He wanted me as a portrait to remember it because he couldn't wait to teach her how to prank her dad and brother." Hermione was confused. "Sir, Sirius Black and James Potter haven't been friends in 4 years. Or at least so I heard. He had been sent to Azkaban because people believed he killed 13 people, 12 being muggles, but got aquitted when the killer got caught in the Potter Wards. When he got out he and Mr. Potter just stopped talking."
The portrait of Charlus Potter looked confused. "You need to understand, young lady, Dorea and I essentially raised Sirius since his 5th year. The boy was a Black, Dorea made sure of that, but he was family. He would never have broken with James. Unless…" Hermione was surprised as the portrait looked confused for a second. "Did anyone tell you why it happened?" Hermione shook her head, "No, but Rhea Black said that I shouldn't ask the Potters about it and let the adults handle it. That the Potter's and Black's were one fight away from a war." Charlus shook his head, "That's not good at all. Best do what this Rhea Black told you then. You can ask others to find out but don't ask the Blacks or Potters, it could go bad real fast." Hermione was already tucking the picture back into the journal and placing it in its slot on the bookshelf. She had a lot to think about now.
- -
Bartemius Crouch Jr was excited. This last spring he had finally broken the Imperious his father had placed him under. He had sent his now Imperioused father back to work as he tried to find out more about his brethren. What he found had devastated him. Many of his compatriots were suffering away in Azkaban as he initially had been. The few who got away, lying about their loyalty to their Dark Lord, were now a divided and beaten bunch. The night of the World Cup had been both a coup and a disaster. The few who had banded together had managed to sow a little terror and reminded the sheep that they were still around, waiting for the Dark Lord's return. He had sneaked in and watched the chaos unfold. Stealing Henry Potter's wand and using it to cast the Dark Mark had been a stroke of genius.
Then the drunkard ranks of the Death Eaters had managed to get themselves arrested. McNair and Travers were dead, killed by Mad-Eye Moody. The man was still a terror with a wand despite the years and injuries. The rest were tried and sent to Azkaban, though under a reduced sentence. Dumbledore's conviction at granting Death Eaters chances to redeem themselves remains a boon to their efforts even now. No, the real travesties were Malfoy, Nott and Bellatrix Black. Both Malfoy and Nott defecting meant that any comeback would lack funds and political backing. The resurgent Black Family were clearly not interested in aiding the Dark Lord, though they did have a Pro-Dark agenda. Bellatrix… he would never have wished a slave contract on her. Yes, she had been devoted and powerful, but to know it had been nothing more than Rodophus putting words in her mouth made it feel wrong. His only wish was that she doesn't take up arms against them, she'd be out for blood then.
What had been a positive delight and the source of Barty's excitement was slithering right in front of him. His Master's Familiar, Nagini, had delivered a message to him. From the Dark Lord. He had been pleased to hear of his survival and required Barty's services to complete his return. So Barty followed Nagini up the steps to a Manor in Little Hangleton. He followed the giant snake up to what looked to be the Manor's Study. The hissing of Parseltongue made Barty smile. He was in the presence of his master. He kneeled. He heard a chuckle, though the voice wasn't the one he was familiar with. "It fills me with delight to see that not all of my Death Eaters have fallen from our noble ranks. Rise Bartemius. We have much to do." Barty raised his head and saw why his master's voice had sounded so feminine. He was possessing a woman. Bertha Jorkins if he remembered correctly.
"My Lord?" His master's red eyes stared back at him. "Yes Bartemius, my form is not my own. That will be our primary focus for the coming year. This body will fail soon enough, but it has served its purpose. I will require your assistance in restoring me to my proper form. I have already procured the materials but for a few that must be obtained fresh. You will be in charge of securing those and safeguarding me until I am restored. One of these will be easy enough with you either Imperiousing or Impersonating your father, Crouch Sr." Barty tried to think about his father's position in the Department of International Magical Cooperation and what benefits it provided to his master. His Dark Lord saw him and decided to fill him in, "Tell me Barty, what do you know of your father's effort concerning the Triwizard Tournament?"
- -
Dumbledore looked down at the latest news from the organizers in charge of the Triwizard Tournament. The request for an age limit on student's entering their name into the Goblet of Fire was rejected. The organizers felt that the Cup would select the best possible student to represent the schools from those who put their names into the cup, so age restricting the event would be counterproductive. He sighed. The first two years of Henry Potter's time at Hogwarts had been exactly what Dumbledore had looked for. He had received proof that Tom Riddle was still alive, seeking to return to physical form. What's more he now knew that Tom had created Horcruxes. The
diary had been too powerful to be a simple enchantment and it had taken a fang of Basilisk venom to destroy it. His diagnostics proved that the book had at one time contained a fragment of a soul.
He had hoped to discover more about Riddle's other Horcruxes as there was no chance the man hadn't created only a single one to safeguard his life. No, there were others, but where to find them? He had managed to trace the diary to Lady Rosier, who had given away many of her late husband's items after she had severed her connection to the Death Eaters and joined Lucius Malfoy's new bloc in the Dark Faction of the Wizengamot. The book being empty was the only reason she sold it to "Flourish and Blotts" who then sold it to Ginerva Weasley as a second hand diary. Dumbledore was certain good fortune had prevailed and brought the book back to Hogwarts, where young Henry had managed to defeat it. Henry Potter being a Parseltongue did make him worry but his conduct was beyond reproach.
The boy had been raised a proper Gryffindor all his life, looking up with pride at his father's strong sense of justice and incorruptible courage. The hat hadden't wavered in sending him to Minerva and her Lions. His brotherhood and shared training with Neville Longbottom serves the boy well, even if Augusta Longbottom dislikes Albus personally. Alice held no such prejudice. The two boys made good friends while at Hogwarts. Young Miss Granger's studious nature kept Henry's mind focused, while Mr Weasley grounded the boy with his friendship to a proper Light Family and ensured the boy didn't get lost in his duty as Britain's Saviour. He was convinced now he had made the right choice in picking the boy over the girl.
Halley Potter may have been Lily's daughter but her magic and appearance had been more like Dorea's. The girl would have likely fought any attempts to keep her away from the Dark Arts and the Potter's would have insisted that she be taught the same as Henry. Albus did not spend the last 40 years fighting Tom Riddle's Dark propaganda and traditionalist movement only for he himself to train a Dark Lady to take his place. Dumbledore had seen no other choice but to use Riddle's presence as cover and, using a curse that had made his stomach ill with its very casting, stripped all magic from the baby girl. Lily's sister had been the perfect place to convince Lily to leave the baby. He had kept some monitors on her, just in case, but the child never left Little Whinging.
He hadn't foreseen the girl would end up dying, though fires were more dangerous to muggles than wizards. The life monitor using her blood had stopped working the night of the fire so he was certain she had passed on. He had considered informing the Potter's of the girl's death but he had noticed that none of them ever spoke of the child. It was truly for the best. He had worried for a moment though when the young Miss Black had arrived at the school, as he thought that somehow Sirius had found the previously thought dead girl, but despite the girl's Dark magic aura, his reconfigured blood monitor didn't react to the girl at all. Halley Potter was dead and Miss Black was just a new complication for him. Dumbledore had hoped that James would have successfully captured Bellatrix and he could have asked her for information about Riddle's Horcruxes. With Veritaserum, of course.
Sirius Black and his daughter, however, took all the measures they could and successfully retrieved the former Death Eater. He still had no idea how the wolf pack had been drawn to
Hogwarts, as the Centaurs gave no indication of why they would be so close to the castle. The werewolf supposition did seem plausible enough. At least the children had been kept safe, even if Bellatrix escaped. He could never have dreamed that the woman had been under a slave contract. Dumbledore was glad Blood Magic was still banned or who knew how many more dreadful devices would suddenly appear. He heard grumbling about the practice being unbanned by the Wizengamot but he was certain none of the Neutrals would even consider the proposition. He was happy he had locked away all books of Blood Magic in Hogwarts. The Restricted Section didn't stop Tom Riddle, but placing them completely beyond anyone's reach would.
Dumbledore brought back his circling thoughts to the Triwizard Tournament. He knew Henry would put his name in. He was a true Gryffindor after all and Dumbledore was sure the boy would be selected. While Miss Black and the 3rd year Slytherin's had proved a proper challenge of the boy's skills, his training this summer had been more intensive than before. He was sure to beat anyone who wasn't a 7th Year. Dumbledore, however, wasn't sure if his selection would mean Riddle was back or not. Had the age limit been placed and Henry's name still came out of the Goblet, Dumbledore would know for certain Riddle had been involved. No, now all he could do was wait and watch. Maybe the Quidditch competition and the ban on champions taking part will be enough to keep him from submitting his own name to the Goblet? Regardless, if Riddle intervened, Dumbledore would be ready to call back the Order to face off against the threat, Henry would defeat him and Britain's future as a Light Magical country would be assured.
Chapter End Notes
Dumbledore and Voldemort interludes will be few and far in between, but I wanted to showcase the events of the summer in Britain through their eyes amd establish who knows what. The names of the Egyptian characters are references (one is slightly modified), if you get them then I hope you liked the idea. They will pop in once in a while as the story develops, serving as a window into the more international scene and the role Necromancers have in the world. Currently this is 1 of 2 scenes with them written in.
Next Chapter?: New school year and some surprises
Please leave a comment and discuss or ask. See you all soon!
New Happenings at Hogwarts
Chapter Notes
Here is the next Chapter as Year 4 officially begins. Meanwhile the Muse remains agreeable and I have officially started writing Year 5, which promises to be an interesting year. Hope you like the chapter as we get ready for some heavy emotional stuff soon. Enjoy!
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Rhea almost laughed at the look on Granger's face when she opened the door to the cabin she was in. She knew the first gen witch was mentally cycling through everything she learned about etiquette but was still having a hard time figuring out how to address a train cabin with Four Heiresses in it. It was adorable. "Hello Miss Granger. Was your summer productive?" Her eyes focused on her and she looked relieved. "Good morning Heiress Black. My summer was both quite relaxing and productive. Thank you for asking." Rhea found Daphne's look the best. She was glad the Ice Queen of Slytherin was loosening up now, especially with her sister sitting next to her. The little girl had practically knocked Rhea over at the Platform with how happy she was. "Is there something I can help you with again, Miss Granger?"
The Gryffindor bookworm looked around the cabin and clearly decided that asking for privacy wouldn't fly. "I took your advice and discovered that you were correct. There is a lot I haven't been taught and I find myself wishing for an insider's perspective. Would it be presumptuous of me to ask permission to join your Study Group?" Rhea was glad she was capable of wandless casting, as Daphne heard that last part while drinking water and proceeded to spray towards herself, Susan and Tracey. The barrier stopped the water. Most of it. After dropping the barrier, Rhea reached out and held Daphne's hand long enough to send a healing spell to clear out her throat and lungs. Daphne's look of gratitude was nice to see,before her eyes turned to the Gryffindor. "May I ask what you seek to gain from joining our group?"
Hermione looked towards Rhea and saw no interest in helping her out. "There are a lot of benefits to joining your group, Heiress Greengrass. As a first generation witch, I am unfamiliar with many aspects of Magical Britain and would like to be properly educated by my fellows. I can also provide some insight into the happenings of Gryffindor tower and the children's positions on their family's votes on the Wizengamot. Heiress Black already educated me on an issue with regards to the meanings behind certain words and phrases that were never adequately explained to me." Rhea could feel the eyes of the cabin swing to her. "I felt it would be more constructive to advise her than being discourteous to someone the Potter's have clearly failed to educate in the nuances of our society." She turns to Hermione, "I personally would welcome you to join our study group, and while my fellow ladies deliberate, can you tell me how you expect to explain this to the rest of your Quartet?"
Granger blushed, "I was going to mention that having an ear to the Black Heiress and her allies
would be beneficial and that since you have never taken offense to me and I am already friends with Sally, it wouldn't be impossible for you to have a valid reason to deny me. Denying me would instead validate what they say about you." That last statement drew a few sharp looks in her direction. Rhea giggled, diffusing the tension, "Well, you certainly are a Gryffindor. No other house would be able to admit that last comment in front of others. Last thing. My cousin Draco will be with us. Will that be an issue?" Rhea could tell this made Granger hesitate. "I…don't recall him badmouthing my heritage at all last year. While I don't approve of everything his father did in the past, both of them seem to be making genuine changes. If things remain cordial, I wouldn't have a problem with him."
Rhea looked around and saw no disagreements, "Then Miss Granger, you are formally invited into the Inter House Study Group. Meetings will be arranged as soon as we all have our class schedules." Luna pulled a bag from her pocket and opened it, "I would personally prefer to offer pudding, but we do have cookies." Hermione was going to take one before Astoria stole a cookie, causing everyone to laugh at Luna's stricken face. Rhea smiled as her friends started chatting again and Granger decided to head back to the Gryffindor Quartets cabin. At least one of them is a decent enough person. And a tan does look nice on her.
The Thestrals all respond well to her return, neighing loudly and happily and Rhea makes sure to pet them and get them to settle down. She'd be seeing them before the week was out. The Sorting got underway and Rhea was partly surprised to see little Astoria join her as an Eagle, but the girl was certainly bookish and if she was anything like her sister, she'd be driven to top her year in grades. The cancelation of the Inter House Quidditch Tournament did draw everyone's attention to the Headmaster. She herself wasn't a fan of the injury indicating sport but the other students certainly were.
Dumbledore waited until the students settled down. "This year, Hogwarts will play host to students from two of Europe's finest schools, France's Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and the Durmstrang Institute from the North. Our three schools will be taking part in a Dueling Competition, a Quidditch Competition…" That last part certainly went a long way to calming the sport's fanatics down, "... and the legendary Triwizard Tournament." Murmurs spread along the crowd as a feeling of dread filled Rhea. They surely wouldn't be st- never mind. This is the same man who would allow the student population to continue to remain in the castle while a Basilisk slithered around petrifying people. He would be stupid enough start this tournament while a less than dead Dark Lord was still at large.
The Headmaster proceeded to discuss the arrival of the students from the other schools being one week before the Champion Selection on October 31st. Rhea would have to make a few mirror calls. Draco, Susan, Daphne and Theo were going to take part in a joint Samhain ritual between the Houses of Greengrass, Bones and Black taking place at Bones Manor. She wanted her friends to have a proper Samhain celebration this year and she would make sure they got it. Dumbledore and the Triwizard Tournament be damned.
- -
Rhea breathed a sigh of relief as she sat down at her seat in the formerly abandoned classroom. The first few days back were exhausting. Snape had already seen fit to give her detention, for cheek like always, and she would be seeing him later tonight. Professor Flitwick also asked her to see him at his office by tomorrow, after she completed her first class of double DADA. Alastor Moody seemed to be asking for a lot more of his students' time than Lupin ever did. Rhea had laughed at his father's reaction to Moody's appointment as DADA teacher this year. Sirius had loved Moody as an instructor for the Aurors but seemed to think he'd make a less than pleasant teacher for teens. Rhea couldn't wait to see what her Dad's mentor could teach her. 13 years of paranoia and Auror work should make for some interesting changes in the gruff old man.
She looked around and smiled as Theo and Draco sat down at the "boys" table. When the Study group had been provided the disused classroom and tables, the two boys had taken over one of the table's in the corner as their own. Not that they spent too much time at it, with them coming over to join them at the large table when the serious work started. Rhea shakes her head at their antics. At least they were civil. Henry Potter and his posse of Weasley and Longbottom had actually promised to make her time miserable if Hermione came back hurt from the Study Group's first meeting of the semester. She would have to ask her Dad if the Potter's were the Neanderthals of Magical Britain and spread their ways like a plague or if it's just something in every single Gryffindor male. Draco and Theo were perfect gentlemen. For now.
She saw Hermione arrive and the Gryffindor girl took the seat opposite of her. Draco saw her, looked at Rhea and then back at the girl. He visibly sighed and stood up, walking towards the table. Rhea noticed Hermione tense up when he stood behind her but she bravely turned towards him, finding herself surprised when he bowed. "I wish to apologize to you, Miss Granger, for any insults I perpetrated against yourself and your family. Influences among my house and family drove me to behave in an improper manner and I am ashamed of my actions and words." Rhea smiled at Hermione's stunned expression. "I… accept your apology Heir Malfoy and would be delighted if we could start anew as acquaintances." Malfoy returned to his desk and sat down, continuing to take out his notes.
Once Susan, Hannah, Sally and Luna arrived, Rhea started the group. "Ok, first things first. How many of us are planning to take part in the Quidditch Tournament?" Draco raised his hand reluctantly. Rhea nodded and wrote down some notes, "Ok, who is planning to compete in the Dueling Tournament?" Rhea saw that only Hannah, Luna, Tracey, Sally, Hermione and herself didn't raise their hand. She sighed. "Ok then, we will be diving our group sessions between the written assignments and the practical training. For now follow Susan's established workout routine. I will ask cousin Dora if her latest variant with Bella is doing better and if it is we may be switching to it. Granger, Daphne, Susan, you are all on Spell selection duty. Look through the Dueling Class and DADA textbook and see if you can come up with a good set of skills everyone should know. We will cover specialities later."
The rest of the session was spent completing the written assignments for most of the classes, with Rhea helping Luna and Astoria with their work and reviewing everyone's Runes assignments. Rhea walked over to Hermione before most of the people left. "Miss Granger, would it be acceptable if I called you Hermione?" The girl blushed as all the members of the group asked the same of her. She had really impressed them with her charm work. Susan moved up and shoved Rhea's shoulder. "Any reason you didn't join up for the Duelling Tournament?" Rhea sighed, noticing others were curious too. "I could probably win it but dueling isn't exactly fun for me. I learned it because Mom wanted to make sure I was safe and I am taking the elective to keep up to date with my exercises and spell work. I just don't like casting at people." Susan looked at her a bit disappointed, "Ok, but don't think this is the end. I want to see if I can convince you and I will try."
Rhea shoved her shoulder back at Susan's, "Sure, but if it gets obnoxious I am silencing you. I will take the point losses and detentions for a day's worth of peace and quiet." Rhea pulled her bag on her shoulder and stepped out. She waved at Luna, Astoria and Hermione as she followed the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs to the dungeons. Once Draco escorted her to the dungeons she pulled cousin into a hug and wished him a good day. He knew why. Less than 10 seconds after knocking on the door to the potions office, Snape's sharp orders cut through the air. "Enter!" Rhea steps inside and closes the door behind her, adding her own privacy wards to the ones he already casted. "What can I do for you today, Potions Master?" He just handed her a slip of parchment and she looked down, her voice frozen. "I took the liberty of submitting your work for me last year, along with samples and a copy of your assignments and notes. Madam Marchbanks and her evaluator were both suitably impressed."
The parchment in front of her had to be a joke. There was no way Snape had just given her a transcript of her OWL evaluation in Potions. No, wait, the man hardly ever jokes which means this is real and she is technically a NEWT student in Potions. She looked at the perfectly stoic face on the Potions Master. "I imagine that this certificate is not being provided to the school and I will continue working on my own in class?" Snape nodded, "That and I may give you some added detentions in which you will be working on more time consuming potions and mixes. None- Alchemic in origin, of course. You may keep that and send it home, Miss Black. Only Madam Marchbanks has the other copy and it is just a letter away from being submitted to the Ministry. A copy has already been sent to the ICW and should be confirmed soon."
Rhea wanted to hug the man, so she did. She traveled through the veil without Nyx, popped in behind him and hugged the dour man. She laughed inside at the incredulous look on his face. She didn't care though, because all she felt inside was warmth. "Thank you Professor! I imagine that I will be getting detention soon and we can then get started?" The Potions Master visibly composed himself. "Indeed, detention for three nights in a row next week, starting Monday. Do not be late." Rhea nodded, grabbed her bag and just rushed out the dungeons towards her room. Ten minutes later, a surprised Sabrina found herself the recipient of a hug from behind while working on her own potions back at the London shop. The joy on her daughter's face as she showed her the OWL certificate for Potions was more than enough reason to forgive her for coming home unannounced.
- -
"So, is Potter going to go for the Quidditch Tournament or the Triwizard Tournament?" Hermione visibly drooped as she walked besides Rhea on their way to DADA. "He'd like to play in the Quidditch competition, but he is so driven to prove himself he refuses to bow out of going for the Triwizard Tournament. Nothing I have said will change his mind, even the death rate associated with it didn't discourage him." Rhea hummed, "Well, that gives Draco and the other Seekers an opening for the Hogwarts Seeker position." Hermione glared at Rhea who just smiled, "Annnd, based on your Quartet's history, can you honestly tell me he somehow wouldn't get dragged into the main competition because "reasons"?"
Hermione's shoulders slumped, "You are not wrong. If he got forced to participate in the Triwizard event, he'd have to quit the Quidditch competition. Still, I hate not being able to do anything." Rhea stared at Hermione, "Life isn't about always having choices or not, it's about making sure the choices you do have count." Hermione thought about her words and nodded, "Wizarding saying?" Rhea's eyes looked out the window at the overcast sky. "Experience. As you get older, you'll be able to spot more choices available to you. Some will disgust you, others will seem desperate. In the end, just make sure it's a choice you can live or die happy with." Rhea's words carved their way into Hermione's heart and she visibly shivered. Where… Is this the same Rhea she had watched cracking jokes with Susan and hugging Draco?
Hermione was about to ask where that came from when Rhea blocked her path into the DADA classroom. She watched Rhea pull out her wand begin to cast diagnostics, while Hermione just looked at the wand itself. She had seen a lot of wands but this one's color struck her as weird and the carvings were really detailed. It looked like a work of art. Rhea shook her head as she dropped her wand and holdstered it. "Warding, set to identify, disable weak protections and a weak confundus that will delay any reaction. Damn nice concealment work on it though." Rhea raised her voice, "The password please, Professor Moody, or I disable your little test for the rest of the class." Rhea smiled at the grumbling voice from inside. "It's Constant Vigilance and don't bother checking Black just get yourself and your companion inside."
Hermione was stopped again but this time Rhea gently placed her hand at the edge of the door frame before uttering the password. She grinned, "and the second half?" More grumbling, now about her father spoiling his fun. "Now Professor, that's some nasty things to say about one of your best students. The second half?" "AT ALL TIMES! Now get in here Black or I will drag you through myself!" Rhea spoke the second half of the password and motioned for Hermione to enter. The classroom now saw a lot more desks, though plenty of training dummies in the back. "5 points to Gryffindor for having a damn good acquaintance, Miss Granger. Miss Black, I am sorely tempted to take points for almost ruining my test." Rhea beamed at the gruff old Auror, "Pleasure to see you again Professor Moody. Nyx still wants to steal your Eye." The grumbling of the man seemed to make Rhea laugh and Hermione shook her head.
The rest of the students who entered through the classroom door got a face full of the stunning spell, including Longbottom and Potter, which caused Rhea to smirk and Hermione to grimace. Moody wasn't too kind on the Boy Who Lived after he woke him up last. "Congratulations Potter,
all but two of your classmates are either hostages or dead. I am going to have a chat with your father for failing to spot even a few basic trap wards. As for the rest of you, Constant Vigilance! That is what will be keeping many of you alive. Sure the war is over and the Dark Tosser is dead…" Oh, Rhea was adding that phrase to dad's list of insults for Voldemort! "…but that doesn't mean that witches and wizards alike don't come crawling out of the woodwork every time we let our guard down. Lupin and Scrimgeour did a decent job in DADA last year teaching you the bread and butter of the defense spells, so this year, it's time to get your feet wet!"
Moody points his wand at the chalkboard and the word "Curses" takes form. "Curses are the tools of the trade for the scum that can strike you from the front just as easily as from the back. Blood Boiling curses, Bone shattering, Bowel exploding. All these curses are the favorites of mad men and women who tend to end up in Azkaban." Most don't notice but Moody catches the soft growl from Rhea's throat. The Black Heiress is still furious that not one but two members of her family were sent to Azkaban and treated like trash, Bellatrix's case being delayed repeatedly by the Minister. Moody wisely decided to steer away from that subject and focus his attention elsewhere. "Now, who can tell me which are the three Curses that are a guaranteed sentence to Azkaban?"
Ronald Weasley actually lifted up his hand in class. "The Imperius Curse?" Moody nodded and the board now had Imperius Curse written on it. "The Imperius Curse is a decidedly unique curse. Anyone who has been under the effects can tell you just how disarming it can be. The curse can be fought, however, by sheer will power. Anyone here who has taken Occlumency may find it an easier time to sense and defeat the Imperious. Another?" Rhea sees a Ravenclaw student raise her hand. "The Cruciatus Curse?" Moody nodded his head again, "The Torture Curse. No need for fancy tools or creative spells, just a single word and the subject is dealt with a great deal of pain, typically limited to the will, power and hate the caster possesses. Most of you could cast it and I would barely feel a tickle." His enchanted Eye landed on Rhea with that, making her feel cold. What could he possibly know?
"The last one?" A good portion of the classroom turned to look at Henry Potter. Rhea didn't. She had found that traumatic memory while building her defenses, not to mention what Grandma Dorea had told her. Potter answered while staring Moody down. "The Killing Curse." Moody walked around the now quiet classroom. Too many people here lost family to that curse. "Two words and a life is gone. Like the Torture Curse, it needs a certain state of mind and power to cast it successfully, but when it does, nothing short of a physical shield or barrier will protect you. Only one person is believed to have survived it and even now, we aren't even close to figuring out how". Rhea kept her emotions in check as she laughed bitterly inside.
Dorea and many Blood Mages know how to block it alright. It just doesn't work all the time and it requires the caster to die in defence of another. It is beyond a doubt a magical game of Russian Roulette and the price is already too high to buy into. Rhea will always love her Grandmother Dorea for saving her life not once but twice, but even she could admit that the counter to the Killing Curse was a pipe dream. As a Necromancer she had studied many of the arts in saving or restoring a life. They always come at a high price. Death is all too easy. Living… that will always be the hard part. Rhea stayed behind after class and stared at the professor, as she willed the door sealed and raised privacy wards. "What do you know, Mad-Eye?"
Moody looked at her in the eyes. "I know I have been around long enough to guess at a person's character. I know that the last time I was here, if I had been helping out James Potter, a wolf would have targeted me first and I would probably have woken up stripped, bound and gagged. You, Ms. Black are not like your classmates. You don't flinch, you don't jump. You aren't afraid." He hobbled to his desk chair and sat down, pulling a bottle out of the drawer and placing it on the desk. He spills a few drops of a potion in and sees no reaction before serving himself a glass. "When I looked into Potter's eyes I saw exactly what I expected to see. A 14 year old kid playing at being a hero. Put him in a fight and he will survive, but that's it. You, on the other hand… I imagine placing you in a fight would end whenever the threat to your family is made. You aren't a killer. At least you don't have a killer's eyes, but you are capable of it. And above else, you aren't afraid to kill. Wonder why that is." He takes a swig of the firewhiskey.
Rhea turns and looks outside again. Odd, how she only spent a little less than a month in Egypt yet she misses those wide open blue skies. She and Nyx are going to take to the skies tonight. The day has been long enough. "I imagine it's for the same reason you aren't afraid to kill either Professor. We have both probably seen the worst people have to offer this world and we both know… death is a kindness. There are worse fates, far worse fates than dying. The Killing Curse may send you to Azkaban, but there are curses out there that require true hatred to cast." She looks at the door leading outside. She think's of a prat that could have been her brother and of the parents that tossed her away, she thinks of the old man sitting on his throne in the Astronomy Tower, ignoring the corpses that were left in his wake. Lastly, she thinks of the half dead man that sought to kill her and Henry over a decade before one cold Halloween night.
She wasn't them. She wasn't a monster. Or at least… she didn't want to be one. She would probably kill one day again. Probably more than once, but it would never really be out of hate. The smiling faces of her family flash before her eyes and the weight in her stomach lifts. Her body grows warm again. "I am also sure it will please you to know that barring the violent death of my entire family, I will never be capable of such horrors." She turns and smiles at the gruff ex-Auror, a sad smile, "Until Death comes for us, all we can do is enjoy the good things in our lives." She nods at the professor's drink and he barks out a laugh, lifting the glass to his mouth. "Aye, lass. To the good things in life."
- -
Rhea left the Defense classroom in a pensive mood as she entered Flitwick's office. Her Head of House looked at her and smiled. "Welcome Miss Black, I had a chance to review your course work for all of your classes with the other professors. Care to guess what we found in several?" Rhea shrugged, "That my understanding of the material is above that of a Third Year student?" The diminutive Professor showed her a few of recommendations sent to him by his peers. "Unlike Profesor Snape, we don't have the evidence to prove that you are at NEWT level or higher understanding, as you diligently did the course work assigned by us. With the exception of one of my peers, of course." Rhea groaned happily at seeing Flitwick hand her an OWL certificate for
Runes. "While Babbling would like to have you in her 6th year courses, the chances of Dumbledore authorizing it are low, not to mention that your father suggested it be best for you to remain among your friends." Rhea's eyes snapped at her Hogwarts Head of House.
"Wait… Dad… that little…" Flitwick just sat back and waited for his student to stop the tirade she descended into, though he was considering casting a translator charm, since the girl went straight into Greek. She eventually looked at the professor and blushed. "Sorry about that, Sir. Just… need to get my Dad back for this." Flitwick chickled, "Oh, I am sure you will. So, while your Potions and Runes courses will now be NEWT self study, Transfiguration, Charms, DADA and Dueling will all be technically the same as your yearmates, though your coursework and examinations will be aimed towards completing your OWLS in May. You will be receiving a personalized syllabus for these courses. Is that acceptable, Miss Black?" Rhea nodded, "It is, sir. Thank you for this Professor. I will make sure not to let any of you down."
Luna had been happy for her when Rhea managed to get back in her room and explained what Flitwick wanted with her. The two then spent some time chatting about ways of getting her Dad back for keeping this from her. The ravenclaw blonde had a devious mind, in a roundabout way, but her use of Fae could really backfire. Doxies were annoying and all but they deserved to be treated with some respect, same as Gnomes and Fairies. The Fae were children of Magic like them after all. Rhea did eventually decide to have Nyx torment her Dad personally for a few days, the silent stare with her magically lit red eyes was notoriously terrifying and, if the reports she read from Point Pleasant were accurate, Nyx had a good track record in scaring people. Having a Death Omen as a Familiar definitely had its perks, especially for scaring her father. Though she did have the forethought to send a letter to her mom first. No need to panic her too and telling her why it was happening was probably a good idea. Probably.
Chapter End Notes
I hope you all liked the new dynamics at Hogwarts. My Moody isn't the unhinged and childish version played by Barty Jr. (Moody being at the World Cup made Barty avoid replacing him. That and Crouch Sr. Is a way better in into affecting the Tournament), so I hope I did some justice at representing the veteran Auror in a more flattering light. Also, I have let slipped a bit of info on Nyx. Did you catch it?
Next Chapter?: The schools arrive and some buried things are being uncovered.
Leave a comment, discuss and see you all soon!
Honored Guests and Honest Discussions
Chapter Notes
Hope you all enjoy the new chapter, though the subject matter is a bit dark. At the request of a commentator, I am adding a trigger warning for this chapter, thought the tags make it clear that this story has some delicate subjects. There is a clear separation of the more direct moment between double breaks of [ ... ] Skip if references and hints of rape and suicidal thoughts trouble you. You have been warned.
Still working on Year 5 and I am having a blast with the story, minus having to spend some time writing Voldemort and his thoughts, though I am making him a bit of my own version. Look forward to more in a few days, as my Muse is too amused with herself.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Soon enough, the day that the students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were set to arrive dawned, thankfully on a Saturday. Rhea had to admit that the month and a half of peace and quiet was nice. Henry had effectively forgotten she existed as she continued to spend some time with Hermione, whose competitive spirit for being top student of the year was fueling Daphne's own. The two bookworms were damn scary when obsessed. Rhea was partly glad her work would be different from those two, as it essentially allowed them to have a fair fight for the top spot for their courses, but she knew her continued advanced work would pose a problem for said ranking. At least, if everything goes as she and Flitwick planned, she'd be graduating a year or two ahead of them, letting her friends take their rightful place in 7th year.
Dueling with Moody was a definitive eye opener and she had to give it to her dad for her own training regimen, as she was able to keep up with the mad Auror in class from start to finish. The only other students who came close were Potter, Longbottom, Susan, Daphne and Theo, all of whom still wiped out 30 minutes before the end of class. This of course only fueled Susan's campaign to get her to sign up for the Dueling Tournament, as her ability to hold her own against Moody, even if both were limiting what spells they were each using, made her the best candidate for getting Hogwarts a Dueling victory. Rhea, as much as she wanted to say yes, if only to silence the intense little redhead, refused to take part. It was hard enough she couldn't explain exactly why she wasn't interested to her friends.
Her explanation to the group was a truth, but not the whole truth. Rhea honestly hated fighting with a passion, as the idea of harming another was simply sickening to her. Sure, the moment someone threatens her, her family or her friends, her aversion goes right out the window but she honestly hates hurting people. It makes her feel no better than the Dursleys. The worst part about all of it is how easy it is for her to hurt someone. She knew why her Grandmother Dorea was considered a terror by her enemies, as having the intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the human body was beyond useful in a fight. Moody could never land a hit on her because she could see just how his missing leg and injuries slowed down or altered his form. The man wasn't stupid
though and had already adjusted his dueling form to compensate, but his physical limitations hampered his ability. Rhea could always see how to take advantage of it.
Add in her talent for Blood Magic and Death Magic and she could literally kill someone who simply stepped in the wrong place. Sabrina's training for Rhea in dueling was only partly as a way to defend herself with the main focus being to make sure she didn't kill someone accidentally. Her Death Magic had grown too sensitive to her state of being because of her time as Halley and it had taken so much effort to get it to relax, to behave itself without harming anyone outside of her needing it to. The duels back home had gotten her used to the fear a magical fight can inspire in a person, so unlike others, she would never panic when spells start flying, even the dangerous ones. The duels at school had given her a feel for dueling with others around, keeping her senses trained and focused while always looking out for a problem. Which is why she was currently embarrassed in the Hospital Wing.
Durmstrang had arrived with their underwater Ship (sails and all) and the Hogwarts student body had been lined up to receive them and the yet to arrive Beauxbatons students. Rhea was saddened to hear that only 6th year and 7th year students were coming from both schools, with a few talented exceptions, as it meant her Prasinos cousins were going to miss the Tournaments. They had all had a blast at Yule last year at the Chateau and she loved playing with them, especially in the snow. The heavy uniforms for the Durmstrang students looked great on them and was definitely a great mix of utility and style. The animal pelt coats were a nice touch.
The sudden intake of breath from the students around her made her look around, unsure what could have that reaction. Ronald Weasley's awestruck whisper of "It's Victor Krum!", followed by squeals from the girls didn't make it any more clear for Rhea though. She felt Cho tap her shoulder, "Victor Krum was the Bulgarian Seeker in the World Cup this summer, who caught the snitch, even if the team lost the game. Big name with lots of fans for those who follow Quidditch." Rhea looked back at the Ravenclaw Seeker and smiled, "Thanks Cho. So, what would you prefer; him as Durmstrang's Champion or Seeker on their Quidditch team?" Cho shivered, "Champion. Please, for the love of the gods and goddesses make him Champion. Even if Potter played Seeker, Krum would wreck all other teams mercilessly."
Rhea's soft laugh calmed everyone around her as the Durmstrang students were being guided into Hogwarts by the Prefects. The faculty had discussed the seating of the foreign students in the Great Hall and had decided on a rotating schedule for the first few months, so that the students of all the Houses had a chance to talk and get to know the new arrivals. After that the students of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons could sit wherever they like, though the designated tables would be Ravenclaw and Slytherin, since they were the two houses with the smaller student populations. These would also be the first tables they would sit at for tonight. Potter's shout of "In the sky!" got the Hogwarts students looking up.
The Beauxbatons students' arrived in a beautifully ornate coach carriage drawn by a dozen Abraxans. Rhea found the Abraxan's nice looking but Thestral would have been her preference for horse drawn carriages, though she had to admit that she and very few others would be able to
appreciate her tastes. Rhea had found that Thestrals were typically kept at the Peverell Ancestral Home and while she wasn't sure she'd personally ever make use of the place in her lifetime, she was already planning preparing it for future residents. She refused to let a part of her legacy be tarnished just because wasn't as invested in it. Though the word from the Goblins about the Castle's wards was worrisome. As soon as the carriage landed and the door opened, the largest woman Rhea had ever seen stepped out. Cousin Louise and Marieh weren't kidding, their Headmistress was bloody tall, with Rhea's Mage Sight confirming she had some Giant ancestry.
The sighs from the male population that followed were confusing. Sure the outfits the Beauxbatons' students were wearing are nice and definitely show off their bodies well, but there's no reason to be so uncivil-. Her mind became ensnared in the sight of a beautiful blonde girl with silver highlights, the nicest blue eyes, red lips she could kiss, bite- Rhea's body began to shake violently as her breathing became ragged and her legs collapsed from underneath her. Cho and Luna were right at her side, not that Rhea could really tell. Her mind was stuck in an endless loop, her imagination waging a war with her memories and her body failing to keep up. Rhea remembers feeling grass on her back as her vision blurs. She feels the familiar touch of a diagnostic charm. She raised her occlumency defences as best she could. "Sorry Madam, I think I am going to be a patient of yours tonight. I need to compartmentalize something so a small supply of Sleeping Draught would be greatly appreciated. See you in a few hours." Pomfrey must have taken her advice, she was out like a light.
When Rhea woke up and saw her parents, her cheeks went red. This was going to be an embarrassing and humiliating experience. Madam Pomfrey walked into her field of view. "What was the last thing you remember, Miss Black, before your collapse." Rhea's blush deepened. "I… was watching the Beauxbaton students walk past when my eye got caught on someone and then, I don't know. My emotions went crazy. I wanted to do things…" Rhea shook, disgusted with herself. Sabrina sat down besides her and hugged her, singing her daughter a soft melody in Greek. Pomfrey looked over at Sirius, "That matches everyone else's description of what happened. Beauxbatons Healers notified me about possible reactions to a Veela's Allure, but this wasn't one of them." Sirius looked at the Matron and back at his daughter, who was now crying. He took out his wand and waved it around scanning for everything from eavesdropping spells, familiars to animagi. Moody had sent all his old students an updated list after Pettrigrew's arrest in order to maximize privacy and this conversation was going to be private .
After checking to make sure everything was clear and his privacy wards were up, he was about to continue when Rhea spoke up. "Typsy." An elf popped in besides his daughter. "Yes Miss Black?" Rhea kept her head in her mom's shoulder. "Tell the elf in the corner to leave before I break my policy on respecting Fae. My father's scans caught everything else and I don't want anyone hearing about this, least of all the Headmaster. If they are of Hogwarts, remind them of who and what their loyalty is to. If they are not, try to have them reveal their loyalty before casting them out of the wards. I don't mind them serving their families but they will not violate another's privacy like this within the school grounds. Warn the others too. Check in with Helena and keep your eyes open." The little elf nodded, "Of course, Hogwarts understands. Hogwarts elves will protect the privacy of its students." The elf vanished, followed by a small yelp and another pop. Sirius looked at his daughter who just clinged harder at her mother.
"Did the Beauxbatons Healers send any notes on the effects of Veela on victims of sistematic sexual abuse and rape?" The Matron paled and looked at her student, who was starting to shake again. "I… No. They didn't. I don't even know if there was a study like that ever conducted." She eyed Rhea who was calming down again with her mother's Greek words whispered to her. "I will leave the more intimate discussions to you, Lady Black, but Miss Black will likely have to notify the Healer from the Beauxbatons' delegation and possibly the young Veela. The documents they sent made it clear that a reworking of the occlumency barriers can prevent the effects of the Allure from manifesting, but your daughter has reached an age where she will be confronted with intimate relations, so resolving this situation is also advised." The whine out of Sirius' mouth makes both the Matron and Sabrina smile a little, though the latter is still stressed. "As much as my husband would prefer our daughter from ever hearing about this subject, you are correct. This incident has just made our timing more clear now. May I use your office? I think I need to cover more than what a mother would prefer and my husband is scandalized enough."
Sirius watched his wife take his daughter into the adjacent office and the Matron eventually leaves them to it, closing the door. Her eyes went straight to Sirius' and he had to admit, he had never seen murder in the Hogwarts Healer's eyes before. "I take it… that your break with the Potter's wasn't just the fact that they not only abandoned one of the twins, your Heiress for that matter, but the fact that something like that happened at all?" Sirius sighed. "Was I mad that my brother in everything but name abandoned his daughter just because she was supposedly a squib, beyond a doubt. But to fail to guarantee her safety, to in some degree be responsible for my little girl being introduced to the most vile acts any adult can do to a child under their care? … Rhea needing a loving father in her life and not in Azkaban is the only reason I haven't murdered James Potter, not to mention Henry, despite his poor behavior, deserves to have his father as well. My family may have let go of squibs in the past as well, but they were always monitored, supplied and cared for. Family comes First, no matter what. Dorea would have been the first in line to murder James had she still been alive."
Pomfrey nodded as she looked at the closed door, "The animals that did it?" Sirius couldn't bring any sadness into his voice, "Dead. The moment is really confusing in Rhea's memories of the night, though I am sure she now has a better grasp as to what happened, but she won't talk about it. Her only comment on the matter is a deadpan, "They spent 7 years bringing Hell upon a little girl. Magic paid them back in a matter of seconds. It was too good for them."" Pomfrey sat down at one of the patient's beds and cupped her face. "Hecate help me, but she is right. Those animals were bloody fortunate. May Hades have no mercy in their suffering." Sirius smiled saddy. Tonight was going to be a long night for his little girl. He silently whispered in his mind a prayer. "Persephone, watch over our little girl. She has named you her patron, so please, watch over her as blessed Demeter watched over you."
- -
Draco rushed over to his cousin and pulled her into a hug. She stilled in his arms but relaxed and hugged him back. "Morning Cousin." Draco released her and looked her over. "You ok now?"
Rhea smiled back, her cousin's concern warming her heart. "I am now. What did I miss last night?" She looked over and saw the Beauxbatons delegation at the Ravenclaw table. She started to sweat. The altered barriers were up but until the Veela student was around her, she wouldn't know if the alterations worked. She hoped that Pomfrey reached out in time to the French Healer that accompanied the students to spread the word to the student. They really needed to figure out what to do. For now though, "Do you think that the Slytherin's would mind if I joined you all for breakfast today?" Draco dragging her to the table was the only answer she received. She saw concern on the faces of her friends across the Houses, including Hermione.
Rhea finally notices the item in front of the Staff Table. She had to practically shield her eyes when she used Mage Sight on it. "Does the overly enchanted Cup with Flames have anything to do with the Tournaments?" Daphne answered for her, "That's the Goblet of Fire. The item selects the Champion based on what its enchantments read off a piece of paper with the person's name and school and on Samhain night will decide who competes. The signup sheets for the Quidditch and Dueling Tournament are the two Parchments next to it. People will be allowed to sign up to 2 nights after the Champion Selection, just in case a person chooses to participate in case the Cup fails to pick them." Rhea hummed and looked around, seeing a few people walking up to the Goblet and dropping their names in. "Is there a condition in keeping people's names from being submitted against their will?" The silence at the Slytherin's table surprised her and she looked at everyone's face. The dawning horror of her words spread across the entire length. Draco's sudden "Not that we were told" was followed by the closest Prefect making a sprint towards Professor Snape at the Staff Table.
The discussion among the Hogwarts Staff and the Heads of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang delegations got quite loud and heated after that, with Professors Flitwick and Moody taking charge. Consider the Head of Ravenclaw House and the ex-Auror were aware of her desire to stay out of the tournament and how high her skillset is compared to every other student, Rhea felt a bit warm about the concern they were expressing, since she was more than likely someone who could suffer the lack of foresight. Rhea really hated how little the Magicals of the world used their brain. She did note that conversations at the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables were getting louder. She was just finishing her meal when an animated paper bird landed next to her hand. After scanning it wandlessly, she opened it and read the note. Rhea leaned over to Draco. "Susan wants me to come over and talk over an issue she is having. I'll see you guys later." Rhea tapped Draco on the back and smiled at him, getting a smile back and a nod.
Susan doesn't waste time and hugs Rhea as soon as she sits down. "You scared the hell out of us! Everything ok?" Rhea tapped her shoulder to get Susan to let go, "Working on it. Need to get a few things in order before I am good as new. What can I do for you, Sue?" Susan lets go and points across from her at Cedric Diggory. "Diggory here is conflicted about putting his name up for the Triwizard Tournament. You are the best at convincing people with logic, so it's your job." Rhea stares at Susan who eventually sighs, "Please? I promise to stop bugging you about the Dueling Tournament if you do it." Rhea didn't hesitate. "Alright Heir Diggory, why are you still interested in the Death Sport of Magical Europe?" Susan's slap to her shoulder didn't deter Rhea from smiling.
Cedric sighed, "I guess I want to prove I am more than just a pretty face and a Quidditch player. The 1000 Galleons would be nice and just participating in it will be part of me forever."
Rhea just stared at him, "Ok Cedric, let's put the Tournament aside. You're a 6th year, so in 2 years you will be taking your NEWTs and going out into the world. What do you want to do then? Ministry Employee, ICW delegate, Auror, Unspeakable, or Wizengamot member?" Cedric actually takes a moment to think about it and Rhea looks over at the Staff Table. Dumbledore looks tired but is still arguing with the Durmstrang Headmaster. "I would like to maybe play professional Quidditch. It's a lot of fun and definitely pays well. I wouldn't mind working in the Ministry, but I don't really see myself at a desk everyday. Not much for brains or heroics so no Unspeakable or Auror work. I will probably be on the Wizengamot when my Dad hands over control to me, though I hope it's a few years away."
Rhea nods, "Nice, now let me ask you this. What will look better for a Quidditch career, Triwizard Champion or Seeker for the first Inter House Hogwarts Quidditch Team in centuries? Let's be honest, Potter is going to be in the Triwizard Tournament, whether you put your name in or not. Hell, I could see him still getting dragged in even if you won the Hogwarts spot, because he is just a bloody trouble magnet. That means two things. If you are in the Tournament with him, there are going to be issues that Dumbledore and the Organizers wont foresee and people can get hurt or killed for it, and that's not counting the dangers already programmed for the blasted event. On the other hand, that means your biggest competition for the Quidditch Tournament is out of the running, Draco is my cousin but he is a better Chaser than Seeker and he knows it and Cho is only a little bit better than Draco and that's when she's not staring at your ass. Oww!, Sue, what the hell?"
Susan wacks her shoulder, "Language and get back on topic." Cedric steals a glance at Cho who blushes when their eyes meet. "Where was I? Ah, yes. So, you are a shoe in for Seeker, Angelina from the Lions is probably your only competition for Captain and you already have a year on her in experience leading the team. So, not only Seeker for Team Hogwarts, but probably Captain, against Beauxbatons who aren't known to have competitions between their own students and Durmstrang, whose best player is probably going to be in the Triwizard Tournament anyway. Is my thinking Slytherin? Sure. But it will be up to you to win the Competition. Scouts for the professional teams will be watching, so that's one thing you don't have to worry about and once you're on a professional team, your behaviour in and out of the Pitch will mark you for when you take your father's seat, so you will be a known quantity. So tell me Cedric, you signing up for the collateral casualty list or a Quidditch Career- Oww! Quit it Sue, I am telling him the bloody truth!"
Susan smacked her shoulder again, "You can do it without traumatizing him! And you know what you did! Now I have to call Auntie and get her to send more Aurors to cover the event, because of course you are bloody right!" Rhea was sticking out her tongue at her friend who was about to wack her again before Dumbledore cleared his throat and addressed the Great Hall. "Due to concerns for the students safety brought to our attention, please refrain from entering any further names into the Goblet of Fire until tomorrow morning, when we hope this little oversight is taken care off. I invite our students to remain here in the Great Hall and engage with our guests on this fine day, though our Prefects will be doing some tours of our Castle for all students who are interested. I am also sure that there will be some non-official tours so please remember that the Forbidden Forest is Forbidden to All students, not just those from Hogwarts. Thank you and enjoy the rest of your day."
- -
Rhea looked at the doors to the Beauxbatons' Carriage and knocked, her stomach deciding that now was a good time to have a food fight. She really just wanted to go back to Ravenclaw Tower. Or maybe back home with Mom at the shop, even if her cousin's were running the business now while Mom spent more time in the Potions Lab at Grimmauld that Dad refurbished and modernized for Mom as a wedding present. Either way, she'd be far away from the current situation that was sure to leave her with an ulcer. The door opened and a staff of the Beauxbatons Academy looked her over. Her decently accented voice didn't feel very welcoming, "Can we help you with something?" Rhea swallowed the lump in her throat, "I have an appointment with Healer Smyth. May I come in?" The staff member looked at his notes, "Prasinos?" Rhea nodded, glad she had gone with her Mother's maiden name.
The staff member stepped out of the carriage and stepped outside. "Please enter, I will take you to the infirmary in a moment." Stepping into the Carriage was like walking into a Wixen's Tent, the inside heavily expanded by magic. The carriage was either made during the height of French artistry or in imitation of it. Only Versailles could be more ostentatious. The staffer opened a door with Healer's Smyth name and title written on a plaque. When Rhea stepped inside she had to think about it for a second. "Are all the doors in the carriage portals into another time and style?" The woman in a doctors' white coat behind the desk just laughed, "Not all, but when I took my position in the Academy it came with the stipulation that I would be keeping a more modern approach to medical aesthetics." Rhea shrugged, "Madam Pomfrey's feels like it's 1941, so I would call that a small victory." Healer Smith chuckled. "I would too."
Rhea looked at the Healer. She was younger than Pomfrey but older than Mom, blonde hair cut short and kept loose and grey eyes. The Healer pointed at the chair in front of her desk and both sat down. "Madam Pomfrey's late night missive was quite unexpected. While I haven't covered the reasons as to why you reacted poorly, Madam Maxime and myself, offer you an apology from Beauxbatons. Your Healer was quite correct that no study has ever been conducted on a person with your … particular experiences. I won't ask you to take part in one now but do consider the value of documenting the situation." Rhea nodded, "As a Healer in training, believe me that I understand the value of such a study and I would be happy to help, but only if the strictest privacies are maintained. Something like this should only be shared with one's family and I refuse to place any further complications on my family because of me."
Healer Smyth nodded, "I thank you for your mature opinion on the matter and assure you that we will be keeping all identifying information off the records. My question to you is if you'd like to inform the student who will be helping us out your real name? It may be hard to conceal the situation if she were to address you via a pseudonym outside of the planned sessions." Rhea took a deep breath and released it. "This problem is affecting her as much as it's affecting me. It's only fair that she knows who I am and why. I do have this, however." She pulls out a roll of parchment. "My Father and the Family Solicitor drafted it last night. It's written in such a way that neither one's life
or magic is forfeit but it does stipulate some steep consequences should the information be released by the student in question with malicious intent."
Healer Smyth reads through the contract, "As the young lady in question is already 17 and doesn't require her parents acceptance of the document, I have no problem showing this to her. If she agrees to sign it, then we can begin the session. I will be right back." Rhea stays seated in the office as she goes through the Occlumency exercises that were developed to add a layer against Veela Allure. She hoped the added changes to her Occlumency protections worked. Healer Smyth returned with the contract, "The young lady agrees with the contract's conditions. I will be acting as a witness so please follow me." The area the Healer took Rhea to looked like a dance studio, through the mirrors were either turned around or blocked out. At the edge, near a window that showed, Rhea assumed, a scene from France. Even without the Allure, the 17 year old Veela was beautiful. Her blue eyes turned and looked at her own.
Rhea sat down opposite of her and Healer Smyth at the chair between them. Once the contract was on the desk, Rhea casted several scans to make sure nothing had been altered. A soft voice with a heavy French accent broke the silence, "Paranoid, yes?" Rhea smiled and switched to French, " It's only paranoia if no one is out to get you. In my position, someone always is. " The stunned look on the Healer and Veela lasted till Rhea signed the contract, after which both of them also signed. The contract duplicated itself and Rhea gave one copy to the young Veela. "Kreacher." The Black Family house elf popped inside the room and Rhea handed him the contract. "Please take this to the Lord and Lady Black so they can have our Solicitor verify it and store it in our Vault. If you see Aunt Bella please say hi for me and double any desserts she has tonight." The elf beamed and nodded before popping away.
"I … take it you are the Heiress to the House of Black?" Rhea smiled at the Veela, "I wish I could say it is a pleasure to meet you, Heiress Delacour, but circumstances aren't what either of us would prefer." Fleur nodded. "I understand. Would you like us to begin?" Rhea looked at the Healer, "One session of exposure therapy coming right up." The Healer winced, "I suppose that is an accurate description. Ms. Delacour will be releasing her Allure to the level she usually keeps it when not concentrating. We hope to get you to be able to operate at the very least at this point, though depending on the results, we may have to make adjustments. Ms Delacour, you may begin."
…
…
"You like that, don't you girl!" "Please, stop! Uncle Vernon, stop!"
(Slap) "Feel that girl! Enjoy it! It's what you deserve! (Soft grunts) "s..t..op…"
"Come here, Girl! I heard what happened at school! You need to be reminded of your place!"
(A naked body of a little girl twists itself into the fetal position, tears mixing with blood on her cheeks and mattress.) "Please… don't let me wake up… please…!"
…
…
A light makes Rhea's eyes hurt after opening them as her mind starts snapping back into place. The stark white roof of the Beauxbatons carriage's infirmary comes into focus, as does a familiar face. "Sorry Madam Pomfrey, I keep ending up under your care rather than instruction." The Hogwarts Healer gives her a soft smile, "Believe me Ms. Black, I would prefer that too. How are you feeling?" Rhea couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice. "Like I just relieved one of my many traumatic nights at a monster's house." The wince on Pomfrey's face was sharp. "I believe that Healer Smyth and Miss Delacour… miscalculated the amount of Allure you were exposed to." She looked up and towards the foot of the bed where Healer Smyth was writing down on her notes. She looked horrible. Madam Pomfrey wasn't holding back. "You didn't take the effect distance had on the impact and so Miss Black took a more … concentrated dose."
Healer Smyth rubbed her eyes, "Yes, I am afraid we did forget how distance affects the Allure. It's not exactly something heavy discussed, though in hindsight it is hinted at. Based on the … acute reaction we will be taking a much more staged approach." Pomfrey nodded and turned back to Rhea, giving her a potion. "Calming Draught, should take the edge off while you rebuild the barriers around your memories." Rhea downed it quick, ignoring the taste. She sat up and looked around the room. "How is Ms. Delacour?" Healer Smyth winced this time. "Your … reaction wasn't like anything she expected. She's in the Headmistress' office speaking with her mother. She is willing to continue to help you get used to the Allure but the experience today has shaken her."
Rhea sighed, "I imagine that her people always being treated as monsters combined with stories of Veela victims of the slave trade hadn't prepared her when actually confronted with the less pleasant aspects of a Veela's effects on others." Smyth just looked at Rhea, sadness in her eyes, "That … is putting it mildly. All Veela raised outside of a conclave experience a level of victimhood, though Miss Delacour's has been less severe than most thanks to Madam Maxime and Beauxbatons' policies in general. To see and hear the effect she had on you by her Allure being
twisted by your own horrors… it will leave its mark, that's for sure." Rhea nodded softly, "Would it be possible for me to talk to her before I head back to the castle?" Smyth finished writing on his notepad and headed for the door. "I will see if her floocall home is over."
Pomfrey spoke into the silence, "As much as I would like to have you heal at the Hospital Wing, Miss Black, I believe your sessions should all take place within the Beauxbatons' carriage. Your cover as a Prasinos family member can help keep the French students from guessing as to the real reason as to why you are here and the privacy of Healer's Smyth's infirmary will likely be a necessity for you. Do inform me when you are coming here from now on Miss Black, just so I know if my services may be required." Rhea smiled at the Hogwarts Healer, "I will ma'am. Thank you." The door opened and Smyth entered with a tearful Fleur behind. The Veela sat down on the chair Pomfrey vacated. " I am so sorry. When the Healer told me you fainted yesterday, I thought that was the worst that could happen. I… you screamed. I don't know if I will ever forget your screams!" Tears began to flow down her cheeks again in earnest.
Rhea smiled, " I am sorry that you now carry a share of my horrors. My parents and my deceased grandmother all carry the full extent of my memories, though muted to an extent. I know that I am asking a lot of you and if you wish to stop here, we can. " Fleur looked at her incredulously, "You… you… I should be saying that to you! How can you think of my wellbeing before your own?!" Rhea cracked a smile, "A twisted sense of self and a Healer's training?" The silence was followed by both Smyth and Pomfrey glaring at her though Rhea refused to apologize. The small smile she got out of a disheveled Fleur Delacour was worth it.
- -
Hermione waited for everyone else to leave before approaching Susan. The entire group meeting today had been more muted than the previous ones. Rhea was… off. She smiled and laughed with the others but it never quite reached her eyes. She told everyone that it was due to a combination of factors, one of which was a Veela's Allure. Hermione had read about them and was surprised at the negative effect it had on her new friend. The thought that Rhea was probably attracted to girls had crossed her mind, though she wasn't as blatant at it as Henry and the other boys were. Then again, she had never seen Rhea flirt before. The closest thing that came to mind was Susan and Rhea's playful banter and jostling and that Daphne clearly cared for her, but none of those seemed romantic or bordering on it. For now though, she had to put her friend out of her mind. She had something else to ask of Susan. "Do you have a moment?"
Susan nodded and sat down, "What's up?" Hermione bit her lip. "During my summer I was invited to Potter Manor and got a chance to be in the Family Library. While there I found a portrait, a picture and some stuff that might have something to do with why the Potter's and Black's are at each other's throats. I know you don't like Henry and I agree that he can be a prat at times but he is also a friend and I think he and Rhea could be friends too, but not as long as this feud remains boiling between their parents. Think you can help me out?" Susan stared at her while organising
her thoughts, "Not to help Rhea and Henry be friends. I think that ship sailed a long time ago. But the feud between their parents is bad and Auntie would prefer not to see her Head Auror and her friend from the Wizengamot kill each other, so I can try and help there. What can you tell me?"
Hermione decided to go through with it. She'd stop the fight between Rhea and Henry on her own. "Have you ever heard the name Halley Potter?" Susan frowned in thought, "No, I haven't. Who was she?" Hermione sat down, "That's the thing. It feels like no one knows she exists. According to Charlus Potter's portrait and a picture I found in some magical journal belonging to Dorea Black, she was Henry's twin sister. She was born and everything, since the picture was of both Potter's holding a baby each, but after that there is nothing. Henry once told me he wished he had a sister, implying that he doesn't know he had one, so he clearly wasn't told. The portrait said that Halley's name was never spoken by anyone other than Sirius before he got sent to prison and never again till I asked. The thing that makes me feel like this might tie to the feud is that Halley had been Sirius' goddaughter." Susan froze at that, "sworn or unsworn?" Hermione thought for a second.
"Charlus said he was her sworn Godfather. Why?" Susan paled. "Hermione, a Godparent's Oath sworn is done by magic ritual. You can't break it. My Auntie is my sworn godmother. If Sirius so much as tried to hurt his goddaughter, he could drop dead. The oath also covers much more but essentially Sirius would have been like a third parent to the girl. If… we need to go to the library and check the Daily Prophet archives. Come on!" Hermione would admit that this was the first time she was ever physically dragged into the Library. It was usually the other way around. They went through the Newspaper Archives and Hermione saw the announcement concerning the death of Charlus Potter and Dorea Potter née Black. It wasn't until a few days later, after the news of Sirius' imprisonment, that the death of Halley Potter was reported in the obituaries.
Susan read the announcement and frowned. "This… doesn't make any sense. It says she died on the night of October 31st with her grandparents, but there is no such announcement in the newspapers concerning the attack. Nothing! If she had died then, why not say so." Hermione looked at the newspaper. "What if she didn't die on that night but later and they were forced to report it? Would this count?" Susan nodded but froze, "Oh, shit. If Halley didn't die because of You-Know-Who but for another reason and the Potter's refused to tell Sirius… It be like a parent being denied information on their child's wellbeing. The fact that the child died would make it worse. Lord Black is furious at the Lord and Lady Potter because not only did they lie to him about her wellbeing, but they simply never told him until he got out."
Hermione could see that being an issue. Magicals took their children very seriously and if what she read about the Black's was right, they value family above all else. "What if there are more lies though? You said her death couldn't be like it was reported, but what if nothing happened as described. Could something worse have happened to Halley and Sirius only found out about it 9 years later?" Susan thought about it and agreed. "That's possible too. This is really serious Hermione, like serious enough for criminal charges. I need to tell my Auntie. She won't go public with this but she needs to find out what happened. If something bad happened to Halley Potter and Sirius was in fact her sworn godfather, then it's not an if there will be a war, it's a question of when ."
Hermione went to sleep that night full of trepidation. She had always liked the Potters. Mrs. Potter was always nice and both she and Mr. Potter clearly loved their son. But there was also supposed to be a daughter of Henry's age in the family. A girl who she should have been introduced to, someone who maybe shared Lily Potter's love of books. Or maybe she would have liked flying like James and Henry. Where once she had a clear image of the Potter's as a happy family, now it felt like there was a shadow. It had the shape of a little girl. A girl that should have been there for 13 years, yet no trace beyond a factually wrong obituary was found. She didn't know why but the thought of never having met Halley Potter made Hermione cry. For the first time since the incident with the Troll, Hermione Granger went to sleep with tears in her eyes.
Chapter End Notes
How was it, did you enjoy the interactions? Personally love the unique relationships Rhea has with each of the characters as it makes for fun scenes like the ones here. A bit of foreshadowing going around.
Next Chapter?: Champion Selection, Samhain, a bit of Dueling and some interactions
Leave a comment, discuss and see you all in 2 days.
Champion Selection and Pleas of Help
Chapter Notes
I want to say something to all the commentators on my story. Thank you. I am a lazy person by nature but your love for my story and your comments and expectations are a constant source of inspiration to make what I write quite a bit better. Even simple thank yous and observations just make me look over my work with a critical eye and fix or add elements it needed. So Thank you all for making me a better writer.
This next chapter is for you. I hope you all like it, that it keeps interesting you in what's next. So please, enjoy.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
The week since the students from the other schools arrived had gone quickly for Rhea as she sat down at the Ravenclaw table next to Fleur. The two of them had only managed two more sessions before the night of the Champion's Selection, but none had really been truly successful. Sure, Rhea could last longer with her altered defenses but it was never enough to keep Fleur's Allure from dragging her back into her hellish memories. Rhea had felt guilty over Fleur missing out on the Feasts for the first day so the two had worked out a rotation where each would have a meal at the Great Hall while the other had theirs in private. Fleur never said anything but Rhea could tell she appreciated the gesture. Tonight though Fleur and Rhea were keeping their own mental defenses up as they kept their attention on the Goblet of Fire and the showboat that was Dumbledore.
"Welcome students! Tonight is the night when the Goblet of Fire makes its final selection. Remember, once chosen, the champions must stand alone. They will receive no direct help from their fellow classmates or staff until the completion of the Tournament, with the exception of Medical work. The Goblet appears to be ready to reveal to us the first Champion!" Rhea looked at the Goblet as the flames turned red. She knew that Fleur had put her name in it and she hoped that she wasn't selected. She knew she was capable of competing and maybe winning, but the whole Tournament gave her a bad feeling. From the red flames a slip of parchment shot out and Dumbledore picked it out of the air. "The champion for Durmstrang is … Victor Krum!" The hall exploded into cheers and claps. Rhea along with a few others, though, clapped because it meant that the Quidditch Tournament was now fair game, with the single most dangerous player now officially banned from participating.
The flames from the Goblet turned red again and a piece of … something shot out. It took Rhea a second to recognize it and she groaned. Fleur had a smug look on her face. Dumbledore caught the circular adorned paper, "The champion for Beauxbatons is … Fleur Delacour." Rhea was polite and clapped for the Veela while she stood up and gave a soft bow to her classmates before she followed Krum out towards the Trophy Room. Rhea hoped and silently prayed that her premonitions didn't ring true. The flames turned red again as Hogwarts eagerly awaited its Champion. Rhea knew that Cedric chose not to take part and was happy for him. Cho was also
quite happy as they had already made plans to go to Hogsmeade together. There was also no way of missing Henry Potter's placing his name in the Cup. Her ears still rang from the moment the Lions cheered. Even Fleur said she heard it from the carriage.
Rhea watched as the flames of the Goblet took their signature red color for a third time and spat out a third piece of parchment. Dumbledore catches it and sighs softly before speaking with a more energetic voice, "The Champion for Hogwarts is… Henry Potter!" Rhea clapped softly to be polite as she did a small victory cheer in her head. Her intervention at the start of the blasted thing kept from someone putting her name in. Now she could rela- Rhea's mind froze as she tuned out Dumbledore's words. The Goblet was switching from blue to red and she could feel its magic trying to tie her down. She closed her eyes and focused on the building thread of magic. For a second she wanted to scream as she felt the Goblet try and bind her. Except it kept failing over and over again. Rhea frowned and thought about its reaction. If it wasn't binding her, why was it reaching out to…
Allowing her Death Magic to fill her body, Rhea focused on the band of magic trying to bind her. She 'd have to apologize to Luna later, the girl was going to get a nasty chill from being so close to her. She pushed her Death Magic through the tattered bond with the cup and allowed one thought to fill her magic with intent. Halley Potter is dead . The magical energy recoiled and snapped back to the Goblet as the flames spat out a fourth piece of parchment, to the utter surprise of the entire Great Hall. However, as Dumbledore reached out to grab it, the parchment crumbled to ashes, the name on its side vanished from sight before anyone could see it. Rhea breathed out a sigh of relief while Luna looked at her with a question on her lips, as Dumbledore shook off whatever had just happened and continued explaining everything to the students before sending them off to bed.
Instead of following everyone to the common rooms, Rhea waited beside Madam Pomfrey as her friends gathered around. She watched Hermione come towards her with a bit of sadness on her face. "Sorry I wont be able to join you. Gryffindor Tower will be throwing Henry a party. I can get away to my room and do a few small rituals but nothing major. I wish you could have the ritual here at school." Rhea pulled her into arms and hugged her, earning an "eep" out of Hermione's lips. "It's ok, the full rituals help but the small offerings and remembrances can ease the deceased spirits just as well. Have a good night of Samhain, Hermione. See you at Breakfast." Hermione nodded into her shoulder and stepped back, a few odd phrases passing Rhea's lips as she pulled away, before Rhea and many of the study group followed Madam Pomfrey out to the Floo in her office.
Hermione waited in the Gryffindor common room with the others and gave her own cheer when Henry walked into the room, his proud smirk there for all to see. She convinced everyone she wanted an early night and went to her dorm room. Alone, she lit a few candles and wrote down her Grandfather's name and Halley Potter's into strips of paper. She whispered her prayers and watched as the paper with her grandfather's name burned slowly on the metal plate she placed it on. She swore she smelled more than just burning paper, as a hint of her grandfather's cologne and brand of cigar filled her mind. She hadn't expected anything tonight. The oddest thing happened when she lit the corner of the paper with Halley Potter's name on it. Instead of burning outright, the fire just cinched the edges, refusing to burn inward. The next thing to happen was seeing Halley's name
visibly vanish from the slightly singed paper, before it finally caught on fire and turned to ash.
The small ritual she performed remained stubbornly in her mind as her roommates opened the door and spent the next 30 minutes getting ready for bed, Parvati and Lavender talking about the Tournament and Henry's chances against two older students. Hermione was worried about Henry too. He'd been having headaches and fitful dreams the last few months. She eventually fell asleep and dreamt of her grandfather taking her sledding down a snow covered hill, her woops and his laugh filling her mind. Her dream ended with an odd image of a girl looking at her surrounded by an endless field of stars. She had the Potter's messy hair and Lily Potter's eyes but her skin… Hermione starts awake as the last trace of her dream settles in her mind. The Halley Potter in her dream had deathly pale skin and wore a white dress. There had been no hands or feet at all for her to see.
- -
The Bones Manor reminded Rhea a lot of Peverell Castle that one time she went to visit it, though they stayed out of the containment wards. There was an energy here that was more geared towards Death Magic than what she had felt at Black Castle or Hogwarts, though the feeling of it was that of a faded legacy. The Peverell Castle had felt like a live wire compared to this place and the aggressive reaction it had on her father's presence was enough reason to steer clear for now. She wondered if the Bones' family had been Priests of the Olde Ways, protecting a Temple of Death even now, despite forgetting what had been here all along. She had a lot to ask of Regent Bones and Susan when the night was over. She looked around as her friends began to set up the offerings at the points of the Dodecagram star ritual circle she had traced. Her parents and the adults were watching as Rhea led the formation and setting of the Ritual Circle. Because of the lateness of the hour, Sabrina had suggested that Rhea perform most of the ritual herself. Those who knew her gift agreed.
Rhea looked around and saw Susan, Draco, Theo, Daphne, Astoria and Luna finishing their parts as well. This would be their first Ritual with her and it would also be one they had a part in building. She had promised Hermione a proper Samhain Ritual next year, so having her friends learn and understand how to make one with her would make that promise all the more real, ensuring that next year they could build one at Hogwarts. She looked back and saw the proud look on most of the adults' faces as each prepared their own prayers for the night. Madam Bones alone looked worried though considering who she and Susan would be calling, Rhea wasn't surprised. The Bones' family had suffered many losses from the war, with Susan never having the chance to know her parents. Tonight, Rhea wanted to change that, even if it's for a brief moment. She saw her friends take their place sitting on their knees in the circle, while the adults did the same in the outer circle Sabrina had set. Show time. Rhea took a deep breath.
"On this night of Samhain, I, Rheannon Black, speaker of Persephone, bring commencement to this ritual of Calling. Persophone, beloved maiden of spring. Persephone, beloved wife of Hades.
Persephone, beloved Queen of the Underworld. Your speaker asks for a boon for those gathered here tonight when the Veil between our worlds is at its thinnest. Let them spend a night's watch with their loved ones who reside in your domain. Let the wounds opened by grief and loss be healed by your mercy. Let the Dead venture forth on this night so that the Living may better spend their days before joining you in your resplendent halls." Rhea walks slowly towards Draco, a branch of yew leaves bathed in herbs and oils in her hand as Nyx lands on her shoulder, the owl closing her eyes. "Oh Persephone, grant Abraxas Malfoy the right to spend a night's watch with his Grandson, a fate denied to both by the rigors of life. Let the two know each other so that the living Draco may better know himself." Rhea shook the yew branch over Draco and the boy slipped into a deep sleep, dropping onto his side gently.
Rhea turned to Susan, who was looking at her with tears in her eyes. She, along with her Aunt, were the hardest to convince to take part in the ritual tonight, if only because they above all but one here had lost the most. Fear to hope was nothing new to Rhea. "Oh Persephone, beloved daughter, grant the right of a night's watch to Sarah Bones, mother of Susan Bones, so that mother and daughter may know the same blessings carried by you into your realm. Let the wounds of a war begin to heal for one born within its final year." Rhea swung the branch around Susan's head and watched as her eyes closed, her body going limp as she gently settled into her side. Rhea proceeded to do the same for Daphne and Astoria who wished to speak to their grandmothers from both sides of the families. She stood before Theo, "Oh Persephone, bringer of life and warmth, allow Sypha Nott the right to a night's watch with her son, Theodore Nott, their last parting tainted by fear and madness. Let the scars upon the son be healed by a mother's love." Theo shook as Rhea bathed his head in the oils from the Yew Branch, before slipping into a restful sleep. Rhea turned lastly to Luna.
"Oh Persephone, final judge at Fate's end, please grant Pandora Lovegood the right to spend a night's watch with her daughter, Luna Lovegood. Let the wounds inflicted by Fate's harsh hand begin to heal for one burdened with the sight of a mother's passing." Rhea buried her hands in the yew branch and drenched them in the oils and herbs before cuping Luna's chin and kissing her forehead. "Go and find your peace." Luna's face filled with tears but her lips became a smile as she joined the others in their sleep. Rhea turns and watches the adults do their part and also join their loved ones at the edge of the Veil. Rhea kneels on the ground and closes her eyes. "Oh Persephone, I ask for no visitors for myself this night of Samhain. Grant your speaker a small favor and allow Hermione Granger a fragment of peace deserving of one who wished to take part but was bound by hands not her own. Grant me a night's watch spent in the peace of the Veil, as was your gift to me for so many years." Rhea's mind slips from the moment at the ritual and once she opens her eyes she sees a starry night sky, puddles of water covering the ground as if blessed by a spring rain. She smiles as she begins to run, the cool feel of water on her naked feet and the soft pleasant wind of the cold spring nights driving her forward. Here Rhea lets go of the burdens of memories and possible futures. Here she is but a soul, fueled by the joy and innocence of youth.
- -
Amelia Bones wanted to strangle Sirius Black. The man who she had once had a crush on had convinced her to host and take part in a Samhain ritual along with the other members of the Neutral bloc and their closest allies. The Abbotts weren't known for celebrating Samhain as much as Imbolc and Beltane so their absence was expected. She met the recently married Lady Black and for a moment she had felt a measure of envy, not to mention a touch of lust. The woman was beautiful and Sirius Black was a lucky mutt for marrying her. No, Amelia wanted to strangle the dog of a man because he hadn't told her how she would spend her night. To see her brother, feel his hands on her back as she cried into his shoulder. Amelia was equally the happiest she had felt and the maddest.
So of course said mutt just walked up to her and gave her a soft smile, his wife holding on to his side, both their faces covered in tear tracks. She couldn't just- nevermind, his wife was a legilimens apparently as she wacked him on the back of the head for her. She was going to be inviting her for a cup of tea, if not coffee. She wanted to know what kind of bullet she had dodged by not dating the man while they had both been Aurors. Lady Sabrina Black looked at her and smiled softly, "We do apologize for not warning you, but it's hard enough to explain without the proof you now carry with you." Amelia sighs, "Noted." She looked at the kids still in the circle though only Rhea is still up, though her eyes are closed. "Will your daughter be alright?"
Sabrina looked over and nodded. "We have a standing rule with her, no surprise discussions with the deceased on Samhain. We had a bit of a scare when Rhea called on a family member who had a lot to say to her. Tonight she was going to go into a restful state. She won't discuss it, though I have some vague notion of where she is and I think she will probably be the only one without tears here tonight." Amelia looked around and saw the Greengrasses, Lord Nott and the Malfoys getting up from their own experiences. They had all cried. She called Mipsy and had the elf prepare the guest rooms and a bit of tea. Tonight was going to be a long night. She looked towards the teens again. "Should we be concerned we woke up before they did?"
The Lady Black shook her head. "You can leave an elf to look over them, but I imagine they will linger close to morning. They will wake up tired and in need of sleep but they will be good to go in a few hours. Samhain rituals take less of a toll on the young apparently. Also Nyx will make sure they are all fine." Amelia looked at the group, "Nyx?" Sirius pointed at the black owl. "My daughter's Death Omen of a famili-Owww!" Sirius looked towards his wife whose fingers now had lighting jumping between them. She raised one eyebrow and he paled. "I'll go join Cyrus and Lucius." He made a less than dignified exit. Amelia looked at the Lady Black, "How safe is a Death Omen familiar?" Said familiar landed on Sabrina's shoulder and looked at Sabrina in the eye. The lady Black sighed, "Safer than leaving them at school actually. Death Omens don't usually kill, they simply allow for the living to have a chance at preparing for the inevitable. "
Nyx took off and landed on Rhea's shoulder. "Unless they are familiars and in that case they only kill those who dare threaten their masters, while also containing their death perception trait. That and Nyx is extraordinarily aware of our concerns. So Nyx will outright protect everyone in that circle so long as Rhea wishes it." Amelia looked over at the sleeping kids and nodded. Good enough. "So, what exactly just happened?" The Lady Black smiled mischievously at her, "Nothing much, just your typical Samhain ritual with a Necromancer in the mix." Amelia paled then looked
at the children. Her shoulders slumped. Susan's request now became much more urgent. The last thing the Ministry could afford was to have a Necromancer at war with the Head of the Aurors. Amelia was already seeing the mountain of paperwork form at her desk. Definitely a lot of coffee.
- -
Hermione watched her friends walk softly into the Great Hall and divide amongst their house tables. Theo, Draco and Daphne were surprisingly close today as were Luna, Astoria and Rhea, with Susan hugging Hannah and Sally, the latter having the redhead lean against her. "Wonder what they got up to last night. You think there is a dead muggle somewhere lying in a ditch right now?" Hermione bit back her initial retort and looked at Ron. "You know that last night was Samhain right? Halloween for others? They all went home and took part in a family ritual." Ron scuffed, "Doesn't mean they didn't kill someone for it. Just last week they lifted a ban on large communal rituals, despite Dumbledore warning everyone that such things were dangerous and were easily abused. No one listened to him beyond the Potters and their bloc. Even the Abbotts sided with them."
"The rituals are part of their family history. We can't exactly tell them to give up a part of what makes them magical. Would you ask the Potter's to give up their home? Or for Hogwarts to be replaced because it's part of that long history?" Ron was about to respond when Henry plopped down on the bench beside her. He looked horrible. "What happened?" Henry shook his head, "Had a nightmare about Voldemort. I … I think he has a body now, but it's not the one he really wants. There was a man with him and a snake. They are planning something but I couldn't hear them clearly." He began to butter some toast as Hermione looked at him with concern, "Did you tell your dad and Dumbledore?" He nodded. "Dumbledore is going to rally the old Order Members and try to recruit new ones, but with the way things are now, they don't expect much unless something happens."
Hermione looked at him with concern as Dumbledore stood up. "Just a reminder students, today we have the first rounds of qualifiers for the Dueling Competition. All those undecided have until tomorrow night to sign up and take part in the final day of Qualifiers. The Quidditch competition sign ups will also be concluded on the same night and the Flying Instructors for each school will make their own announcements the day after. For our Triwizard Champions, the Weighing of the Wands ceremony will take place a week from now so any last minute concerns for your wands should be dealt with before then. Enjoy your breakfast." The students around just started to chatter as Hermione turned to Longbottom, "You staying in the Dueling Tournament?" Neville nodded, "Yeah, can't let our year be represented by Slytherins." She shook her head. She knew Daphne and Theo and them representing the school wasn't a bad thing, though Susan had a better chance of winning. Those two worked just as hard to win, though. This wasn't going to be an easy competition for Neville to get selected. At least Rhea was steering clear, or he wouldn't have a chance at all.
Watching the Qualifiers went as expected. The tournament only had 2 slots per year group, with 4th year and above being the only years participating, so Hogwarts had to go through a lot of students to choose the best. Susan and Daphne tore through the competition, with Theo and Neville not far behind. Rhea was seated next to Moody and Flitwick, ready to care for any injuries. The first major one was Finnigan, whose explosive Confringo took both students out. Rhea had applied burn ointment and some bandages before sending both students to Pomfrey. After that things got heated when Neville dueled Theo. Since it was a competition qualifier, they had lifted some spell restrictions and Neville went full offensive magic, with a lot of bone breaking and shattering curses. One made Hermione scream as it looked like Theo was going to get a Bone Shattering Curse to the face.
Hermione knew the shield that popped was Rhea's, it was smooth silver and solid, absorbing the curse in a second. Moody called the match and both Moody and Flitwick went into a debate, where they both asked Rhea a few questions. Moody's gruff voice filled the stands. "Both Longbottom and Nott are disqualified. Nott for losing the match and Longbottom for aiming a potentially lethal curse at Nott's head." There was a lot of shouting from the Gryffindors before Flitwick shouted them all down. "Were this in the Dueling Class, Mr. Longbottom would be facing suspension. Be glad we were merciful enough because of the Tournament's rules! And 50 points from Gryffindor." Hermione flinched as she heard her friends grumble. The professors had been right, that could have been bad if it had connected.
The first day of the Qualifiers ended as expected, with Susan and Daphne as the front runners. Rhea had been glad at her friend's success but she was still cold from the Longbottom and Nott fight. The Qualifiers ended with the ladies championing 4th year as they faced off against the other schools. Rhea had cheered when both Susan and Daphne won the 4th year braquet. They were now able to fight the fifth year students, who had a chance at reclaiming a spot if they beat the 4th year champions. Sadly, Rhea had another meeting with Fleur. Rhea entered the infirmary and sat down in front of Fleur. The two of them concentrated and… Rhea woke up again laying down on the bed, her mind just reliving another gruesome memory. Sure, her defences held for actual minutes this time but not much of an improvement.
So a pensive Rhea was stradling the edges of the Black Lake as she and Fleur took a breather, privacy wards attached to Rhea's clothes moving along with them. Fleur's soft french voice broke the silence. " I believe we are taking the wrong approach with these exercises. We are covering the reaction, but not the source of the problem. " Rhea looked at her and raised an eyebrow, " How exactly would we address the root cause? I can't forget a part of myself that as much as I hate, has helped define me. " Fleur nodded, " No, that would probably be ill advised. I would have to check with my Maman but Veela do have a method to help other Veela who suffered abuse and experienced something similar to you. The method could work but it's rather… intimate. " Rhea just stared at her, "I am not sure if that statement fills me with hope or a mounting feeling of dread."
Fleur huffed, " Well, the current approach isn't working unless you count spending less time on your back an improvement. I of course would ask for the information from the conclaves to be shared with your family and Healer but if you all approve, I wouldn't be against being the one to
help you. " Rhea thought about it and didn't seem that much different with their current arrangement. " Ok, what would be the method? " Fleur flushed, " Part of the problem is that the Allure is triggering these memories because they are the only memories that you associate with sexual activity. If we create more positive memories of sexual intimacy and help remove the association from your mind, it should resolve the problem. " Fleur had to double check her eyes because she wasn't sure if Rhea had reacted at all. She was perfectly still. The stillness was broken with a word. "No."
It was Fleur's turn to stare at Rhea. " Why not?" Rhea's face turned furious, even if her voice stayed low, "Because I won't do to you what was done to me!" Fleur recoiled and tried to figure out where Rhea's logic was coming from. " You wouldn't be raping me, it would simply be sexual intercourse! " Rhea cursed a few words in Greek, some of which Fleur did catch. " It may not be rape but it would be intercourse without intimacy. I don't care. It's too close to what happened in my case. I won't agree to do this if there is no point to do it. I doubt a clinical interaction would somehow over shadow the trauma of rape!" Fleur just stared at the 14 year old girl who in some ways was too bloody mature, especially when she had a point. Still, maybe they could make this work. "Would you like to date me?"
Rhea's brain short circuited again. "Would I like to date you?" Fleur just looked at her, appraising her body. "Oui, would you like to date me? Because while we may have a 3 year gap in age, you have been exceedingly mature about everything. You are bloody selfless at times, deeply caring, confident but not arrogant and intelligent. That and you are quite beautiful, even if those dreadful robes Hogwarts students wear hide much of what you have to offer. These are all traits I find attractive. So, would you date me?" Rhea just stared at Fleur, "You are just looking for an excuse to get me to have a physical relationship, I don't want it like this." Fleur bristled, "Oui, I am looking for an excuse, but I am not lying about finding you attractive. Do you feel the same for anyone else?" Rhea sighed.
"The girls I am closest to are all too young and I would rather suffer through all my memories repeatedly before traumatizing them, so at this very moment, no. You'd…be the only one I could see myself being physical with." Fleur beamed and Rhea couldn't deny that she was really pretty when she smiled like that. "I won't fool around with this Fleur, we do this, its full courtship until I feel I am ready for some intimacy. Got it?" Fleur nodded and pulled her by the hand back towards the carriage. Rhea admitted it quietly to herself that Fleur's hand on hers felt nice. She was utterly screwed.
- -
It was now one week before the First Task took place and Rhea was having an emotional crisis. Her Healers and parents had looked at the new information the French Veela Conclave had sent out and had agreed that Rhea needed to build more positive sexual experiences to help her overcome her trauma. Her mom had come to Hogwarts and spent a few hours talking to Fleur, from
which the French Veela came out utterly scandalized. All Fleur would tell Rhea was that her Mom had a lot more "experience" with different forms of intimacy and wanted to make sure Fleur didn't get too carried away. Rhea remembered some of the things she'd catch whenever her parents failed to silence their room before getting intimate and blushed. She had been doing that a lot this last week.
Compounding the whole mess was an Interview the Daily Prophet did of the Champions of the Triwizard Tournament. Or what Rhea called, "Henry's Interview and Honorable Mentions", as so much of the article was focused on Henry, it was utterly ridiculous. His dismissal of the other competitions, including the Dueling Tournament Susan and Daphne were blazing through was quite grating. Her friends would soon be dueling the Sixth Year students from the other schools who had already lost to their top duelist pairs. If they win against the Sixth Year Champions, they get a shot at beating the 7th Years and winning the whole Tournament. Moody and Flitwick were now personally overseeing their training, meaning they would have the absolute best chance at beating the Sixth Year Champions from Beauxbatons and then prepare for dueling the four 7th year representatives that lost before facing the 7th Year Durmstrang Champions.
Trying to keep her attention from the attention seeking prat, Rhea was looking up what to do on a date with Fleur. The whole Hogsmeade weekend thing didn't feel right and while she "technically" had to stick to Hogsmeade and Hogwarts, her being able to leave without notifying the wards could serve her well in this matter. But where to take her? It's November so beaches are bloody cold, the weather is dreadful and Magical Britain has almost nothing to offer. Rhea pulled out a notebook she kept and started reading up on non-magical events she had read about and wanted to experience. While her attention was stuck on her reading, she did notice her proximity wards trigger. Having a school full of strangers had her and Moody swapping ideas, much to Flitwick's amusement and horror. "Rhea?"
"What can I do for you, Hermione?" Rhea's eyes remained on the notebook infront of her as she kept discarding options. "What do you know about fighting Dragons?" Rhea's mind remained focused but she did feel some amusement at the question. "Henry finding the Triwizard Tournament too boring now?" Hermione sat down on the chair in front of her, dropping a massive book infront of her. "A bit of light reading there?" Hermione blushed in slight embarrassment. The entire study group had been appalled at her definition of "light reading material" though Rhea's wasn't much better. She just made sure the books were altered to be lighter and more comfortable to hold. The Magical Egyptian Book of the Dead was still sold in tablet form, though with charms on it to make it weigh less than a person.
"Dragons are the First Task." Rhea was about to make a snarky remark about him deserving to face off against the one magical creature that wouldn't care about his ego when the image of Fleur facing the beast popped into her head. Rhea sighed as she placed a bookmark in her notebook and placed it in her bag. So much for relaxing before watching Henry flail in the First Task. "Ok, let's get the obvious question out. How stupid are Wixen?" Hermione looked insulted but Rhea was serious, "Are the Wixen organizers stupid enough to send a NEWT or lower student to face a magical creature directly that usually takes a team of fully trained Handlers to control safely or are they stupid enough to use a majestic firebreathing creature as an obstacle in a Death Sport of a
Tournament?"
Hermione sighed but conceded the point. "Fine, Henry doesn't have to fight a Dragon but he has to get past it and what?" Rhea tapped her fingers on the study groups table. "If they're going for symbolism, there is no chance it's the non-magical idea of rescuing a maiden, but Dragons are known for hoarding shiny treasure and protecting their nests." Hermione was writing down on her own notebook, "Well Hagrid had said they were nesting mothers." Rhea stopped tapping her fingers. "I need to re-address my notion on the stupidity of Wixen. Anyone who moves a Nesting Mother and their eggs is suicidal on principle. On what you just mentioned, I am going to go with the stupid idea that he needs to steal an egg, probably a fake shiny one for the sake of the Dragon Handlers livelyhoods."
The first gen witch tapped her notebook. "Will you help me brainstorm ideas to help Henry?" Rhea didn't even wait. "No." Hermione looked offended, "He could die!" Rhea stared at her, "We all will die, he's just crazy enough to actually go looking for a swift death. Why should I keep him from it?" Hermione stared at her like she couldn't understand, "How could you be so blase about it. You said it yourself, he was going to be in the Tournament regardless." Rhea snapped at her, "Because rather than treating this seriously as he should, it's all a big joke to him. I don't even have to ask if you read the Prophet, I saw you this morning. That isn't a profile of a hero brave in the face of danger, it's an egotist's ramblings about how great he is and how no one can do better. Tell me I am wrong!"
Hermione wanted to yell at her, she wanted to tell her she was a horrible person for not caring about Henry dying, but the words got stuck in her throat. Henry had said that he was surprised Rita had published his interview almost verbatim, that he was proud to be representing the school as the best Hogwarts had to offer. Rhea's words hurt because Hermione is Henry's friend but she can't deny they ring true. Still, she couldn't let him face it alone. "Please, he's my friend. I can't just not help him. It would be wrong." The two stared at each other, Hermione not daring to look away. Rhea closed her eyes and sighed. "I am not going to help Henry. I am going to brainstorm ideas with you that could help any of the Champions. If you take them to Henry that's your choice, but I am not getting involved in this tragedy waiting to happen for him." Hermione beamed.
Rhea looked at her and glared. "And once we are done brainstorming ideas on how to keep moronic wixen alive in the face of dragons, you are going to help me figure out a good place to take someone out on a date in bloody November. Preferably near London or another major city." Hermione nodded and was putting her quill to paper when she stilled, "But … we aren't allowed to leave school grounds." Rhea growled out. "I'd like to see someone try and stop me. Now let's get started before I lose any feeling of charity I am currently running on. First thought, the Summoning Spell. Sure, the organizers could spell the faux egg against it, but let's be honest, they could overlook something so simple. Also, it's damn versatile. Your butt can confirm this." Hermione groaned as she began to write ideas down. She knew it was going to be a long brainstorming session and Rhea was in enough of a bad mood to make her work for it. Letting her have her date outside of Hogwarts was sounding like a better idea already.
Chapter End Notes
Chapter End Notes
While I am sure a lot of you were expecting Dumbledore to yell out Halley Potter, that had never been my intention from the start. Names in my story have greater meaning than just a noun. There is magic to them. Rhea did more than just decide to go by another name. Is there more to why the Goblet failed? Maybe. ;) Time will tell. I am also sure a lot of you will have a lot guesses as to how the secret gets revealed now. Pretty certain some of you will guess it right.
The ritual is of my own making. I hope it felt appropriate. I used the Yew branch for its connection to Rhea (wand, mark, etc) but also for its religious symbolism and connection to graveyards. Despite its poisonous nature, it has quite a bit of positive symbolism to it, which makes one wonder what JKR was focusing on when picking wand woods.
Next Chapter?:A Date, First Task, Yule Ball
As always, comment, discuss, and enjoy. See you all in 2 days.
First Task and Yule Ball
Chapter Notes
Here it is, the Next Chapter. Hope you like it! I left a lengthy message in the end notes if you need to read it.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Rhea led Fleur out into the streets of Birmingham from one of the Black Family's townhouses. When she found out Fleur knew about the dragon, she had relaxed somewhat. She chose to share some of the ideas she and Hermione had come up with, even though Fleur had already formed her own plan. Fleur's plan was straight forward and likely to work, but both agreed having contingency plans was important. Fleur had set a rigorous training schedule for herself that left little time for them to get to know each other, but she had agreed to take a break 2 days before the First Task. Rhea apologized to Susan and Daphne for missing their duels, as they were starting in on the 7th year students, with the last two duels taking place on each day before the First Task. Both girls understood why she'd miss the duels and wished her a good time.
Fleur's intake of breath made Rhea smile. She'd have to buy a thank you gift to Hermione. She had suggested taking Fleur to the Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market and it seemed to be a great idea. While originating as a German practice, it became a central part of Birmingham's winter scene and while neither Rhea or Fleur really celebrated Christmas, they could appreciate the decorations, food and atmosphere. The two walked along the stalls and would occasionally buy a few treats, Rhea laughing at Fleur's indignation at the amount of fried goods. Sure, maybe Fish n Chips was a less than palatable meal for a Heiress used to well prepared cuisine, but the fried pastries were just too good. Fleur hadn't liked Hogwarts food either and Rhea couldn't exactly disagree, as the choices did try to cater to too many pallets while avoiding offending anyone. So everything just came out bland.
Rhea did manage to win Fleur over with a fried cherry flavored pastry from the stalls, though she lost Fleur as she went straight for the Crêpes, which made Rhea laugh. The two enjoyed listening to the carolers and drinking some hot chocolate, as Rhea didn't want to get Fleur in trouble for confunding a vendor for the signature wine. Her Dad had removed a lot of the Bigotry laws but confunding a non-magical for an alcoholic drink was just enough of a grey area to make her concerned. They did buy a few handmade Christmas decorations that wouldn't be out of place for Yule, though she did buy one proper Christmas decoration for Hermione since her own family still celebrated Christmas at home. Fleur did blush when Rhea bought her a pendant of a single open wing, made of metal that Rhea enchanted with a warming charm. The two were dressed warmly but Rhea knew Fleur hated the cold. Both bought a few marshmallow sweets coated in chocolate to take back and share with their friends.
Rhea helped Fleur pay for a stuffed toy for her sister, though Rhea smiled when Fleur said that Gabrielle hated being treated like a little girl. Rhea quietly bought a similar pendant to Fleur's for
Gabrielle, hoping she liked the idea of sharing a piece of jewelry with her sister. The two looked at the Ferris Wheel and both voted not to go on it. While Fleur was fine with heights, Rhea didn't like them and she'd go claustrophobic spending so much time in a locked cabin. Though Fleur's comment that it wouldn't be as bad if they were a full couple already did make her blush thoroughly. The thought had crossed her mind and it made her lean into Fleur's shoulder during their date.
They had just returned to the Three Broomsticks Floo chimney and were making their way back to the Castle's entrance when Fleur latched onto Rhea's hand. They hadn't shared much physical contact at the Festival because the non-magical world is still working out its acceptance of relationships between peoples of the same gender. In the magical world, some resistance to the idea exists, but it's more from the younger additions to the society. The older families still remember the witch covens, as well as the existence of potions for blood adoptions and even magically aided pregnancies, making the existance of same sex couples a none issue for securing a legacy. Rhea's hand grew warm as Fleur's hand finally touched her, with Rhea squeezing her back gently. Fleur hugged Rhea's arm, causing Rhea's body to grow warmer still.
"Thank you for such a wonderful date." Rhea smiled, "Thank you, for being such wonderful company." Fleur stopped and looked her in the eyes. "I believe it's customary for a date to end with a kiss, non?" Rhea's heart started beating faster. "I would never presume." Fleur smiled, "Rhea… there is such a thing as being too mature." She moved closer to Rhea, looking at her lips and eyes. Rhea closed her eyes and leaned in - "Rhea! There you are!" The Black Heiress could say that a touch of the Black Madness wanted to leak out that day. Just a touch. Both Rhea and Fleur were blushing and glaring at Daphne as she reached them.
Daphne huffed from the effort of trying to find Rhea. "Susan got hurt badly and… why are you two glaring at me?" Fleur leaned in and kissed Rhea on the cheek. "See you tomorrow, ma chérie." Rhea's blush turned full red as she watched Fleur walk away towards the Beauxbatons' carriage. She turned at a slightly embarrassed Daphne. "I … interrupted something, didn't I?" Rhea sighed, "No bloody comment. What happened to Sue?" Daphne explained how Susan managed to win her fight against the 7th year she was up against but got hit by a really nasty curse. The Beauxbatons student has been suspended by their Headmistress and would be sent back home.
Susan, on the other hand, would need to spend the next two days in the infirmary. She looked quite put out by it too. "I was so close to whipping the smirk of everyone's faces!" Rhea chuckled. "I can imagine. So why am I here again?" Susan just smiled at her. "Well, technically there are still at least two more duels tomorrow and then the Championship Duels the day after, so we were wondering if you'd like to take my place." Rhea felt her eye twitch. "I am going to guess that I am your only pick and that you are going to blackmail me to do it for the sake of a Hogwarts victory?" Susan looked abashed, "I wouldn't say blackmail." Daphne chimed in, "I would." The Slytherin did take a step back at the glare she got from the Ravenclaw and the Hufflepuff.
Rhea wanted to say no. She really did. But she knew how much this meant to her friends and this really wasn't their fault. Besides, she had just spent a nice day out with Fleur. She could be
nice. This time. "Fine! But the two of you are helping me plan my next date with Fleur." The rest of the afternoon was spent with her friends grilling her on the date and managing to make her blush multiple times. Why did her friends like to see her blush?! Wait, never mind. Rhea distinctly remembers doing the same to Mom and Dad. The thought of getting grilled by her parents made her groan. These were going to be some very long days.
- -
The time of the First Task arrived and Rhea was helping Madam Pomfrey set up the Medical Triage at the side of the Arena. As the senior Healer from the participating schools, Pomfrey had the distinguished role of looking after the Champion's injuries. Not that she cherished the thought. Pomfrey had nearly blown a gasket when she was told they would likely be dealing with Dragon inflicted injuries, with Dumbledore receiving a good dose of the Healer's outrage. He deserved it too. Rhea couldn't help but smile. At least no one had needed her teacher's prolonged attention from Rhea's participation in the Dueling Tournament. All two days of it.
The Hogwarts students had been a little put out when she was announced as Susan's replacement though they were more concerned with her Dad's reprisals should they have harmed Rhea. She made sure that wasn't necessary. The first Duel ended up being the shortest one of the Tournament, with Rhea using a highly advanced mix of spells fired tightly and almost simultaneously. The Hogwarts 7th Years' shield spell collapsed instantly and the Gryffindor boy followed a second afterwards. Moody looked both pleased with her and pissed at the student. The second match ended almost as quickly, with Rhea using a Summoning Charm to pull the students' robes away from the shield they raised, followed by a swift stunner to the chest. Moody was not happy to say the least.
The fights against the Durmstrang Champions went a bit differently. It was clear that the Durmstrang Student she went up against first was a Dueling Prodigy and would likely be making the rounds in the Professional Dueling Circuits. He was fast with his spellwork, agile with his upper body and unlike the others, actually moved more than just a few feet. Rhea had gone for simply matching his skillset as he tried his best to overpower her, which did make her smile. Even Moody had given up trying to overpower her and this young man, while gifted, was not Moody. She decided to use Transfiguration against the duelist, who heavily favored Charms, and her choice was effective. Her stone and dirt Golems were too spell resistant to fall to the charmwork and the barrage of transfigured birds and cats left the duelist battered, clawed and tired. He missed the charmed pebble she launched at his legs that smacked him with a stunner burst, ending the duel. The judges had been suitably impressed, McGonagall and Dumbledore most of all, as she hardly ever displayed that high a skill in Transfiguration.
The final Duel became personal right out the start. Daphne had lost her march to the 7th year Durmstrang Champion and had ended up in the Hospital Wing. While the spells were all regulation, the damage had been severe. Rhea had gone cold. The bastard she was facing was a
sadist. She could see traces of violent magic in his essence and it made her blood feel like ice. She wasn't going to let her friend's pain be ignored. The moment the match started, Rhea's prediction proved true as her opponent used overpowered piercing, cutting and exploding charms, all regulation but devastating if overpowered. Rhea decided that humiliation would be the best course of action. The astonishment on the audience as well as on her opponent at her strategy was satisfying as Rhea combined conjuration of stone slabs kept levitated as she jumped from one slab to another in the air, the stone slabs falling to the ground as she dodged and jumped her way across the air of the dueling platform.
The smile on her opponent's face when he thought he had cornered her was great to see, especially when her trap triggered. Just because she had stopped levitating the blocks didn't mean they had served their purpose. The inscribed runes triggered as soon as Rhea carved the last set at her own feet, with her opponent's face and body having a sudden meeting with the floor. Her opponent, properly pinned to the ground by magic, was then disarmed and stunned, with both the ward and her spells being overpowered. The guy ended up with a broken nose and bruised ribs. He deserved worse. The icing on the cake? When the reporters asked what inspired her to use such a method, she mentioned she had beaten Henry Potter with a less complicated setup. Was it petty of her? Absolutely. She did have a reason for it.
That reason being the First Task taking place right now. Hermione had eventually admitted to her that Henry decided on using his broomstick with a summoning charm to beat his dragon, after Rhea spent over half an hour trying to get her friend to calm down. Rhea had to give it to the prat. She and Hermione had gone through the trouble of developing plans with minimal to no risks and he decides to adapt one to be just as dangerous as walking up to the damn thing unprepared. Hermione hadn't taken any offense when she called him an arrogant showboat. She had said worse herself. So Rhea didn't care if she was being petty with him, he bloody well deserved it, for driving her friend up the wall with worry. Unfortunately, watching Henry Potter's trainwreck of a plan would have to wait. Fleur was going first against a Swedish Short-Snout.
Rhea had to say it for Fleur's dragoness, it was a thing of beauty. The silvery blue scales made it appear like it belonged high among the glaciers rather than a rocky arena. Its speed wasn't much of an issue due to the rather barbaric set of chains tied to its neck, but this dragon breed's flames had a reputation. Fleur's Fire Affinity wasn't going to help her here. Rhea prayed to Persephone that her girlfriend's plan worked as intended. The cannon going off drew her attention to the entrance of the arena and she cursed in Greek. The blasted tournament organizers didn't see fit to give Fleur fire resistant gear, probably the same for the other Champions. "Madam, please get the burn salves and bandages ready, the morons in charge have all but guaranteed their use."
Pomfrey looked at the young lady moving softly across the arena and cursed as well, heading straight for the crate holding the needed supplies. Rhea's eyes remained fixed on Fleur as she began casting the long Ritual Enchantment. While dragon scales were resistant to spells, their ears weren't, so Fleur had devised a strategy to use sleep inducing spells strengthened and sustained via ritual song. Rhea could see the enchantment work on the dragoness as the Short-Snout yawned and curled up on her eggs. That would present a slight problem. The Swedish dragon breed was from a cold environment, which meant they slept on their eggs. Fleur wouldn't be able to reach it if it did
that. Fleur clearly took notice and dropped her song, causing the dragoness to shake its head and look around. Fleur wisely casted a disillusionment spell on herself. Rhea hoped she remembered the scent masking spell as well.
The arena remained quiet as the dragoness looked around, its attention finally focused on a recently transfigured set of cows. The creature went straight for the stone turned animals as Rhea noticed the Golden Egg being lifted up by a pair of invisible hands, before it too became disillusioned. The arena broke into cheers as Fleur reappeared again at the Arena's entrance, the golden egg in her hands. Rhea breathed a sigh of relief. Madam Pomfrey went to scan Fleur when she arrived at the tent and once given a clear bill of health, Rhea pulled her into a hug. Fleur kissed Rhea on the cheek, "You were right. Having a second or third plan in place was a good idea. Thank you ma chérie." Rhea hugged her tighter. "I was so worried. I hope the next task isn't as nerve racking, or I won't be able to stand it."
The next two parts of the First Task followed soon after. Krum's dragoness was a Chinese Fireball, far more nimble and difficult to pin down or avoid. Krum apparently didn't spend too much time preparing for the Task, as his choice of jinxing the magical creature blind was terrible to watch. Rhea made a prayer to Persephone to aid the Chinese Fireball after it accidentally crushed several of its eggs before Krum exited the arena with quite a few burns. Rhea and Pomfrey promptly treated his injuries, which also included a twisted ankle and a claw mark. Rhea's use of more advanced healing magic surprised Pomfrey as she purged some of the dragon's latent magic from the wounds. Krum would have scars, but they would all heal properly.
Krum looked at her surprised by the prognosis, "I thought dragon fire would scar?" Rhea smiled at the heavy accent and nodded, "If the trace magic is allowed to linger, then it would. Since it was recent, a spell variant of a cleansing ritual would clear it out, as mine did."
Victor nodded, "Thank you. My fiance back home will appreciate it." Rhea chuckled, "I imagine you must drive her insane then, with both Quidditch and now the Tournament." Victor smirked, "Da, she never watches my games but she loves me enough to not ask me to quit." Rhea nodded, "You're lucky then." Rhea hears the crowd noise increase as she applies the last bandage. "You can move and watch the next contestant, but don't go doing any major exercise until you are off the ointments. Your skin will thank you later." Rhea settled down next to Fleur, who wrapped her arms around Rhea's waist. Rhea watched as they finished placing a massive Hungarian Horntail with her eggs into the arena. Rhea looked at the chain and had a sick feeling, "The chain won't hold it." Rhea wrote down a paper note, copied it and after animating them, sent them off to Professors Moody and Flitwick.
Henry entered as expected, all swager and confidence until he saw the Horntail. He called out his summoning charm and casted a smoke screen. The Horntail was not amused and used its wings to blast the smoke away. After barely dodging two blasts of fire, Henry managed to jump onto his Firebolt. He tried a few times to dive down and grab the egg, only for the dragoness to push him away with a blast of fire or a swing of its tail. Rhea could see the Horntail grow more aggravated as its prey kept flying out of reach. Flitwick entered the tent and approached the group watching the event. "We talked about it with the organizers, if the dragon gets loose, we can't impede it until Mr. Potter grabs the egg." He looked at his student in amusement as she cursed in Goblin Speech.
Rhea's fears were realized as the Horntail smashed through its chain, breaking free and taking flight after a startled Henry. Rhea felt wards activate, most of them aimed at concealing the audience's presence. "Please tell me the handlers have a way to keep the dragon on the ground." Flitwick shook his head, "Brooms to chase after it and all the stunners they can manage." Rhea looked at him, "Do you think my gravity ward would help?" He looked at her and smiled. "It just might. Can you get it to cover the arena?" She looked around. "Just barely. You might want to let the handlers know, without tying it to the school wardstone or the leylines, I can probably keep her down a minute or two, not much more." He nodded, "Remember, Henry must grab the egg first. That ends the task." Flitwick rushed to reach the handlers as Rhea started conjuring her anchor points, doubling the usual amount, while also creating a loophole for both the eggs and humans. Rhea wasn't going to add to the dragoness's anger by hurting its young.
Henry appeared over the Arena soon after, his clothes badly burned and his broom looking like it was going to fall apart, the Horntail swooping right behind him. He drops into the Arena and goes for the egg, only for the broom to fail as he reaches it. Rhea watches Henry pick up the egg as the dragoness descends behind him. She waits for Henry to take cover behind a rock as the dragoness launches a stream of fire before triggering the ward. The Hungarian Horntail crashes into the arena floor, its body struggling to get up. Rhea watches as Henry struggles out of the Arena as her magic strains to keep up the ward, the dragon's strength fighting her will and magic. Goddess was the dragoness in a mood. She feels her body grow heavy, a trickle of blood descending from her nose. Eventually the Handlers enter and after a barrage of stunners, the Hungarian Horntail is safely stunned. Rhea drops the ward and collapses to her knees, her breathing deep and tagged.
Pomfrey comes to her side and scans her, "Miss Delacour, I need you to stay with Miss Black here, she has severe magical exhaustion impairing her physical state. I have a potion for her to drink. Please give it to her in small doses, once every 15 minutes. I need to attend to Mr. Potter when he arrives." Fleur nodded and took the two vials in her hand. Rhea blushed as Fleur propped open her mouth with her own fingers, before forcing her to drink the first dose. Rhea eventually rested her head on Fleur's shoulder, her scent causing her body to warm. Of course the Triage Tent then filled with activity as Henry Potter entered the tent, his family just behind him. Pomfrey was forced to peel scraps of cloth from his burns, gently applying the ointment covered bandages. "Mr. Potter will need to remain at the Hospital Wing or at St. Mungos for over a week, perhaps two. Depending how much trace magic from the dragon is in the burns he will need to go through a cleansing ritual soon, before the scar damage becomes permanent."
James looked at his injured son, "Isn't there a way to do it without a ritual?" Pomfrey sighed and looked towards her slumped student, "There is a spell variant, but I am unsure if it can cleanse this much residue and I myself haven't enough practice with it to try it. The only one I know currently capable of it is dealing with severe magical exhaustion and isn't in a condition to try." James wanted to refuse, as he hated rituals on principle, but he didn't want his son to suffer. "Aren't there others capable of the spell?" Pomfrey was going to respond when Fleur helped an exhausted Rhea next to Henry's gurney. "Ms. Black, I said no magic." Rhea groaned as she used a diagnostic spell, "Need … to … see." The diagnostic spell did its job even as Rhea felt her body grow a bit more heavy. She took deep breaths, "The spell won't fix this, even with the… best possible caster.
The ritual is your best bet, … but the residue is starting to seep in. … He needs the ritual today or … you are going to see far worse … scar tissue. So make your choice."
Pomfrey was proud of her student, even if she wished the girl hadn't used a spell. "Ms. Delacour, place her in the back gurney, I need to contact her parents over her current state. Mr. Potter, you heard my assistant's prognosis and mine. Your son needs the ritual and he needs it today. Regardless, I will be transferring him to St. Mungos and making my recommendations. You will have final say there." The tent would soon go quiet as the Potters left. Fleur stayed by Rhea's side until her parents arrived. Their presence and Nyx' arrival helped her recover her magic sooner and she managed to exit the triage on her own feet. She would spend the next few days in Grimmauld Place, letting the ambient magic fill hers back up until she felt good as new.
- -
Rhea hugged her mom from behind. "Morning Mom." Sabrina smiled and turned around, hugging her daughter fiercely. "Morning Rhea. Feeling better?" She nodded into her mother's shoulder. Sabrina smiled, "Good. Your breakfast is ready. We have blueberry pancakes and orange juice. Don't eat it too fast." Sabrina watched daughter sit down and dig into her meal. She had really missed moments like these since Rhea went to Hogwarts. She could tell her daughter was thriving there, but it didn't make her not miss her as much as she'd like. Sirius came in, kissed his daughter on the head and sat down beside her, as Sabrina brought their own plates to the table. Sirius looked over at his daughter and smiled, "So, how are things with Fleur?" Rhea blushed, "Good, I think. We haven't … uhm… done anything yet." Sirius was partly glad, but he knew it meant she was still far from healed.
"Have you asked her to the Yule Ball yet?" Rhea looked at him with confusion. "I don't think the Malfoy's is a good place to take her on a second or third date. I am trying not to spook her and Narcissa is scary when eying the girls after her son. I can only imagine how she'd be with me." Sirius chuckled, "Oh I agree, I meant the Yule Ball at school." Rhea blinked, "Wait, there is going to be a Yule Ball at school? When did they announce it?" Sirius showed her the paper from today, "While the event had been planned as part of the Tournaments, it was officially announced yesterday to the students." Rhea smacked her head on the table. Sirius looked to his amused wife, "Did I say something wrong?" Sabrina chuckled, "No, I am just certain our daughter has just remembered what she is expected to wear." The half growl half groan that came out of her was confirmation enough.
"It also means I need to check with Fleur. If we go together, we need to match, even though I refuse to wear a dress!" Sirius laughed at the vehemence in her tone. Rhea spent the next few hours in her bedroom with her mother looking over the formal clothes she wore, so that she'd at least have an idea as to what could match with Fleur's when they discussed it. Her mom also made her look over some rather revealing choices of underwear. She never wore the type but she felt it might be worth it this once. She did get a vow of silence from her mom, as her dad was not allowed to know
that she now owned these. She really hoped he wasn't aware mom bought them for her. It's embarrassing enough hearing him tease her about having a Veela for a girlfriend.
Rhea found Fleur at the Great Hall, quite literally attending a line of suitors asking her to the Ball. "Your girlfriend sure is popular." Rhea hugged Susan before play-punching her shoulder, "How are you feeling?" Susan smiled, "Much better. Been out for a day, watching the boys making fools of themselves." Rhea hummed as she followed Susan to the Hufflepuff table and sat down. "Anyone caught your eye?" Susan blushed and looked at Sally. Rhea raised her eyebrow, "When did this happen?" Sally blushed, "Before Sue got out of the Hospital Wing. I… didn't want to do it in a crowd." Rhea ate a bite of her toast. "I expect an invite to the wedding." The sputtering of her friends made her laugh, easing the nerves in her stomach. Ronald Weasley's own attempt at inviting Fleur was worth a laugh. He really messed up his words.
Rhea allowed her magic to feel the room and noticed Fleur's Allure. It wasn't as strong as when they practiced but it was still present. Rhea checked her own occlumency and found them unaffected. She looked at Fleur and wondered when she began to forget noticing the Allure. Fleur tended to keep it wrapped tightly for her, but she was more relaxed now. Feeling bold, Rhea waited for the last of the suitors to leave before walking up to Fleur. The Allure became more noticeable as she approached but Rhea refused to let it overwhelm her. Fleur's surprise on her face when her classmate told her to turn around was great to see. "My dear Fleur, would you do me the honor and privilege of being your date to the Yule Ball?" Rhea almost had to bite her tongue as Fleur Allure flared, but she kept her eyes on Fleur as she held for her the silver flower Rhea had gone to the Florist in Hogsmeade to get. She wanted to do this right. She watched Fleur take the silver flower and smell it, sighing happily. "Oui, you may escort me to the Yule Ball, Ma Chérie."
Rhea kissed Fleur's hand and walked away, trying her best to not grind her teeth into dust. Eventually she reached the Beauxbatons carriage and Healer Smyth's Office, before she collapsed. She hoped she hadn't been out for long when the Healer woke her up. "Hello again Miss Black, care to tell me what got you to collapse so soon after your return? Your diagnostics read fine." Rhea smiled at the memory. "I asked Fleur to the Yule Ball. Pretty sure I took a heavier dose than normal of the Allure." Smyth ran her diagnostics again and nodded. "That you did. I am actually surprised you didn't collapse on the spot." Rhea sighs as she sits up on the medical bed. "I … wanted your opinion on something. My mom and I talked about it and suggested it might be better if Fleur and I… become intimate before the Yule Ball. She is concerned about the heightened emotional state and the intimacy of the moment will over power any control we have. I don't want to end in the Hospital Wing because her control slips as my occlumency defenses weaken."
Healer Smyth thinks about it and nods, "As much as I would say it be best to let the night of the Yule Ball be your night for it, your mother's concerns are valid." She turns to the slightly opened door. "Would you agree as well, Ms. Delacour?" Fleur's "eep" was quickly followed by Rhea's embarassed groan.
- -
Rhea's breathing was more even now as she started at the roof of the Beauxbatons carriage. Fleur had taken her suggestion to heart and the two had gone on to be intimate a few times now. The first two attempts had been partial disasters, as the heightened emotions and Rhea's memories quickly set in, effectively ruining the moment in very little time. She was glad they had the precaution of doing it under Smyth's supervision, though she only observed through a constant diagnostic attached to Rhea. Rhea had also gone ahead and silenced herself those two times. She was ashamed of adding any further pain to her girlfriend. Fleur … Fleur had been absolutely wonderful. She refused to let herself be discouraged and always made sure Rhea felt safe and loved. The third time was in the infirmary again, but this time the panic attacks didn't trigger a memory. That night they kept going, until Rhea blacked out. That had never happened before According to Smyth, her black out was a good thing. The feelings prior would seem to confirm that. She would get close to another black out just earlier, but didn't. The experience had been much better, and not just because they did it in Fleur's bed, as comfy as it was.
She felt Fleur turn on her side and rest her head on Rhea's chest. Rhea traced her hand softly down the Veela's back. The day after the third time, Fleur had hit her with the Allure again and Rhea had actually been delirious. The memory triggers weren't all gone, some still lingered, but she didn't collapse or scream. She did, however, need to restrain herself from jumping Fleur right then and there. According to Fleur, that was actually what's supposed to happen when smacked with a concentrated dose of Allure. Rhea was so happy that her friends had thought that she had been hit by a cheer charm. She might as well have been. Rhea and Fleur keep checking with Healer Smyth every day, testing Rhea's mental stability and every day her memories feel softer, lighter. She hoped that once the episodes stopped completely, they stayed gone. Waking up with her body covered in cold sweat wasn't pleasant at all, though the sweat she worked up with Fleur was a lot more pleasant than expected. The shared shower right after was a pleasant experience.
Her Mom had been so happy for her she took her out shopping. Not only did they get an outfit to match Fleur's dress, but she took her out for other more "intimate" purchases. Her mom confessed to her that while she loved her Father deeply, she herself had found the ladies attractive as well, so in her youth she too had explored that type of relationship. So Rhea now had a bunch of things that made her blush just thinking about them and stories about her mother she had never wanted to know about. She ended up spending a few hours as an owl with Nyx flying in the cold night air to cool down. The downside of switching forms had been the near constant fight with her instincts to find a place for a nest. Nyx had been squeaking constantly in laughter at her the moment Rhea switched back after their flight. Bloody Death Omen.
- -
Rhea found the Yule Ball to be one oddly pleasant night. She had gone to escort Fleur from the carriage in her formal outfit of choice, a black dress jacket and matching pants, a silver corset and tie to match Fleur's gorgeous silver dress and white coat. Her body had grown warm just looking at
her girlfriend. Fleur's eyes traveled up and down her body, her face breaking into a smile. "You look beautiful ma chérie." Rhea's blush felt heavier in the cold night air. "As are you Fleur." Rhea lifted Fleur's hand up and kissed it. "The ball awaits." The two made small talk as they travelled into the castle and through the halls until reaching the Great Hall entrance. Because Fleur was a Triwizard Champion, Rhea waited with her outside the main doors as everyone else entered. Victor Krum had managed to invite his fiancée from Bulgaria to accompany him, who approached Rhea and thanked her for healing her man.
Hermione, however, was a great surprise as she accompanied Henry Potter. Her green dress matched her skin well and her usually untamed hair was styled perfectly. Rhea was surprised to feel her body warm up at the sight of her. She now knew she had been getting flashes of attraction to her friends as far back as she could remember, and she had found Hermione cute before but never to the extent of her actually thinking about it. She used her occlumency to bury the thoughts for now. Tonight was her night and Fleur's and she would get her undivided attention. The champion's and their dates eventually entered the Great Hall, extensively altered and decorated for the night. Rhea bit her cheek when they were seated at the main table, close to both Henry and Dumbledore. The reminder that the Lord and Lady Potter would be in attendance but not her family had cooled her otherwise great mood.
The rest of the night she can say was spent well with Fleur dancing at her side. When she had been introduced to the Malfoy's habit of hosting Balls, Narcissa had seen fit to have her learn how to dance with Draco. While Narcissa had been put out by Rhea's refusal to wear a dress, the lesson's had gone well enough. Rhea would never be the best dancer in the room, but she wasn't an embarrassment waiting to happen either, so she just took that as a win. She had been happy to see both Susan and Sally together at the ball, both having a blast, while Daphne arrived at the Ball with Draco. She had been surprised to see Luna being there with Theo, though he had admitted to them just being friends and Luna had been fine with that. The night eventually descended into a mess of sound and teens screaming as the band changed from more classical music to the favorites of the Weird Sisters. Dora was going to be quite jealous when she hears about tonight, especially when she learns Rhea and Fleur both left soon after the band started. Neither of them liked the music.
Rhea brought Fleur back to the carriage and the two entered Fleur's room. Fleur's blue eyes looked at Rhea's cyan and she proceeded to trace Rhea's lips with her hands. They had both promised to share their first kiss tonight, when they could both feel ready. Rhea surprised Fleur by hugging her body against her own. The two closed their eyes as they brought their lips together. The night stretched long into the early morning hours for the young couple, driven by passion and a desire for more. Rhea felt odd with how warm her body felt, but it was a pleasant warmth, even covered in sweat. Both would wake up early and hold each other close, sharing in the afterglow of a Yule morning where they indulged their urges one last time. Rhea would be happy to say it had been a wonderful night. She also didn't forget to silence the room properly, either at night or in the morning.
- -
Rita sat down at her desk back in her house. The Triwizard Tournament had turned into quite the source of information. The debacle at the end of the first Task had been used effectively by the Neutral and Dark Factions to open greater oversight of all the Ministry Departments and their safety measures. This was compounded by the conclusion to the investigation on Bellatrix Black's imprisonment. Ten Azkaban guards, both former and active, were charged with injuring, sexually abusing and raping Bellatrix while she was a prisoner. Several more have been charged with failing to report the crimes, accepting bribes and concealing and destroying evidence. The Light Faction's stance on maintaining faith in the Ministry as an institution backfired severely. Fudge made quick work of aligning himself with the changing times and backing the changes, even as members of his own staff decried them.
The hits kept on coming as the laws concerning the banning of practicing certain magics were placed under review. The measure had caught the Light by surprise as they couldn't technically object, as no official stance or change to the established laws had been proposed or made. The Wizengamot had officially asked the Department of Mysteries to contact its counterparts in the ICW and begin a review of censured, banned or black magics both within Britain and beyond its borders and determine the impacts the bans have had in preventing the abuse of said magics, impeding beneficial implementations of said magics and determining if bans were formed out of prejudice, propaganda or simply fear without proper justification. Among the list of magics that were being reviewed could be found the once highly regarded Elemental Magics, the heavily controversial Blood Magics and the previously undiscussed Death Magic, known colloquially as Necromancy.
The Light had gone ballistic, but even Dumbledore could do nothing to impede the review, especially when similar reviews were taking place elsewhere in the ICW. Rita knew something was going on but there was no way of guessing what was leading a change of policy on such a massive scale. The Neutrals, while remaining as such, had made massive inroads with the Dark, so much so that the Light were accusing the Neutrals of having been hijacked. The official response was that the Neutral Faction was taking steps to restore a proper balance of power between the Light and Dark Factions, with the Dark seemingly benefiting now because of how many Light oriented legislations had been passed since the Fall of Grindelwald. Rita couldn't exactly refute that, as the files were there for all to read.
Deciding to avoid the mess that was the Wizengamot recently, she turned to more interesting news and gossip. Being a Bug Animagus had its perks. She had managed to sneak into the Yule Ball and hear so much gossip. Sure, most of it was harmless and without consequence, but some was still valuable. The Black Heiress being a Witches Witch would certainly break a few hearts, but damn did the girl dress well. Not to mention her date to the Yule Ball. Witch Weekly was going to have a field day with that juicy story and the pictures alone would garner attention. The Bones Heiress' own tastes would also be subject to much talk. But following the lovely young ladies had led to the most interesting bit of gossip she never expected to find. She had followed the Bones Heiress as she sat down with Miss Granger, Heir Potter's date, and listened to them chat about the night. She had been about to leave them when Miss Granger asked the most peculiar question.
"Has your Aunt found out anything about Halley Potter?" The Bones Heiress looked around, as if looking for eavesdroppers. "She has and it's a mess. As best as she could tell, the obituary was a lie. At least, it had been for 7 years. Between Halloween of 81 to 88, Halley went from declared dead, to being magically disowned, to actually being recorded as dead. Except in all cases of death, there is no body, no autopsy and no corresponding files in St Mungos. None. The weirdest thing was when Aunti went to Gringotts. The Goblins track the deaths of wixen too. Except when she asked to see the files on Halley Potter, or Evans since the disownment, they refused. She looked at the treaties that mentioned what reasons they could refuse under and the only one that applied was if the person wasn't dead and isn't charged with a crime."
The Granger girl had looked at the Bones Heiress with the same astounded look that Rita would have worn had she not been a bug at the time. "Wait, are you saying that Henry's twin sister, declared dead twice over, is still alive?" Rita listened in to catch more information but nothing else was said that night. She was going to keep an eye on the girls while at Hogwarts, in case they ever let out something just as valuable. Rita, of course, didn't take the information at face value. At least not in a case like this. So she looked and found what the Bones Heiress mentioned. A birth certificate in St. Mungos, an obituary 4 days after the supposed event that caused the death, no other mention. She hadn't checked the Ministry Archives yet but she assumed she'd see what the Bones Heiress said.
While she loved snooping and eavesdropping, Rita Skeeter was still a reporter. She had done the legwork before she became an Animagus and she felt she could still manage it. If the twin of the Boy Who Lived had vanished from Magical Britain, it would usually mean either Blood Adoption or disappearing into the non-magical world. While blood adoption was still an option, the disownment would suggest she was given up by the family, usually for being a squib. While giving birth to a squib is nothing new to the Families of Magical Britain, a few still decide to disown their children, just in case they could eventually have magical children of their own and contest the line of succession. A twin would be a perfect point to contest the succession later down the road.
So for now Rita would focus her attention on the non-magical world, at least until she had an in at the Ministry Archives to verify everything she heard. Shining a light on the dirty little secret of the Potters should throw even more fuel to the fire in the Wizengamot and it might get her some good will amongst the Neutral and Dark Factions. Now she just had to find the trail of one Miss Halley Potter, or more likely Halley Evans and see where it leads.
Chapter End Notes
Let me write this here instead of a comment. I know the relationship progressed quickly in this chapter. The jump into a physical relationship after one date feels rushed. At the same time, a lot of couples end up sleeping together on the second date, even before they settle on even being in a relationship. Rhea asking Fleur for the Yule Ball and getting a concentrated dose of Allure made it clear that unless they pushed
their physical relationship forward, the Yule Ball could have ended like the first therapy session, as both she and Fleur could lose control, only in front of a live audience. Having an Heiress screaming in agony and passing is not a good look and would draw attention she doesn't want.
For both their sakes, Rhea allowed the relationship to skip ahead, with the desired result. Will this be good or bad for them in the long run? That depends. There are a lot of issues present between the two ladies that can prove problematic, even with a physically intimate relationship. That is for the future to decide.
Hope you liked my take on the First Task. I tried to blend elements from the movie scene and the book together. The change in dragon for Fleur was intentional and I hope you liked why her original strategy failed. Know thy enemy! Always have a Plan B... and C and D. It really helps.
Did some of you guess who was going to be the real issue behind the secret being revealed? Since there was no conflict between Rita and Henry, no one was bothering to keep an eye on a Beetle Animagus flying around. Oops.
Next Chapter?: Rita actually does her job. Dursleys fate a bit more clear. Susan and Hermione get to the heart of the question. (There will be a question at the end notes of the next chapter. For those reading this on time, Don't miss it.)
Leave a comment, discuss and see you two days from now.
Answers have Consequences
Chapter Notes
Posting this Chapter early for the reason found in the end notes. Hope you like it! Oh, I cracked 100,000 words. Never though I'd survive this far.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Looking up either Halley Potter or Evans had proven extremely difficult for Rita. She found a birth certificate that matched the one in St. Mungos as was standard policy when a child is born in Magical Britain, but after that there were no more medical records. This confused Rita as it was supposed to be common practice in both her own and the non-magical world to keep medical files easy enough to find in the national database should the person be pulled into a hospital. For magicals, a little confundus to the records staff at the nearest Hospital and that should have revealed any pertinent information. Yet, there was nothing. No immunization records, no medical appointments or hospital visits. Rita felt something heavy settle into her stomach but she wasn't sure what it meant. If there weren't any records, then the girl didn't end up in an adoption, since the government oversaw the vaccinations of the orphans as quickly as possible. Perhaps she went to family instead?
While James Potter still had a decent amount of relatives, most were the Black's through his mother. While there was one Rhea Black who was the right age for Halley and shared some similarities, the word on the street was that she was either the result of a one night stand for Black and the new Lady before he got incarcerated or she was the Lady Black's child which he later Blood Adopted. While she could dig further into the Black Heiress' past, she was aware of the Black's new political position and digging into the Heiress' past could anger them. An angry Lord Black was something any wise wixen avoided. There would also be no motivation for James to give up an extremely powerful magical child to someone he now hated, as that would go against all reason. Best leave the questions around Rhea Black alone for now. No, if the child didn't go to the family of James, it would likely have gone to his wife's family, which made all the sense in the world. Lily Potter was a muggleborn witch, meaning she was likely to have muggle relatives. Perfect place to leave a one year old squib if that was the reason.
Rita's search for Lily Evan's family wasn't as difficult, as the records for her time in the muggle world were far more easy to find. Her parents, William and Jane Evans, were easily found through her own files in both the Ministry and the Non-magical archives. As was the existence of one Petunia Evans. The two shared a primary school until Lily went to Hogwarts, and then their records went down separate roads. The records do show she eventually married and had a son to one Vernon Dursley. The records also had something she didn't expect to find about Petunia Dursley. A death certificate. A quick search of Vernon and Dudley Dursley's files showed the same thing. The family died in a home fire on October 31, 1988. The Bones Heiress' comment about the obituary being only a lie for 7 years and Madam Bones finding a self-updating death
certificate dating to 1988 in Halley Evans file now made a lot more sense.
Still, Rita wasn't going to let a little thing like a lead's death get in the way of finding out what she could. She wasn't able to look up the police records, but the newspapers did cover quite a lot. A fire claiming the lives of all 3 members of the Dursley on October 31st 1988 was reported in #4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. Despite a careful search, the article had no mention of a fourth victim or of the death of one Halley Evans, which struck Rita as quite odd. Perhaps she would have better luck seeing the property and interviewing the neighbors in person. A hop onto the Knight Bus and a noxious ride later, Rita Skeeter found herself in a muggle neighborhood. The place gave her the chills with how uniformly made and repetitive the houses were. There was one spot though that wasn't uniform. Nestled between #2 and number #6 Privet Drive was a charred wreck of a house. A few steps forward and Rita had to retreat back to the street, fighting the need to puke out her lunch. That had been no normal fire.
Rita wasn't sensitive enough to see wards or magic, but she could feel traces of it in the air. It was really useful in avoiding getting caught in traps or wards as an Animagus, though she stayed away from Potter Manor after Peter Pettrigrew's capture. She had refused to be caught. Here though there weren't any wards to catch her or identify her. There were no wards at all. What made Rita retreat was the feel of the place. The very air was filled with pain and despair, her lungs feeling a weight on them that she had never felt before. The place made her want to scream with the way the echoes of whatever happened lingered, as if refusing to let the spot be washed away and forgotten. Rita had heard of places filled with the emotions of Wixen before their death, but this one was the first she ever visited and if she had any say it would be her last. She saw a woman walk her dog look over at her and Rita decided that asking questions of the neighbors was better than digging into that place. She'd probably prefer a jaunt in Azkaban than an afternoon in that wreckage.
"Excuse me, I am doing a detailed Family Tree for the Evans Family and I was told that a Petunia Dursley, formerly Evans, might have lived here?" The dog pulled softly on its lead, trying to get as far away from the wreckage, and the lady just pulled him back before looking at Rita, nodding her head. "Yes, Petunia lived here with her husband and son. Decent, hard working people. The fire that took them was a vile thing. The firefighters couldn't get in and there was hardly anything left for Vernon's sister to bury of any of them." Rita looked at the woman carefully, "I also heard word of a little girl? Halley Evans?" The woman's eyes grew sad, "We… hardly ever talked about her. She lived with the family but she hardly said a word to anyone. Shy little girl of black hair and green eyes. Vernon and Petunia said she was a troublemaker, so they had her constantly doing chores. Keep her from getting ideas, they said."
Rita took out a notepad and a pencil and started writing down. "Did they say who was the mother? Was it Petunia's sister, Lily?" The woman scoffed, "Everyone here knew that. Petunia was often complaining about her sister, how fortunate she was and how completely distasteful of her to leave her daughter behind. Never met the woman myself though. Heard she was still alive, but the childcare payments that she arranged for her daughter ended before primary, which made Petunia and Vernon furious.she wasn't even at the funeral and she never looked in to see how her daughter was doing." Rita wrote those particular bits of information down. "The papers only talked about the
Dursleys dying in the fire, no mention of Halley. Did she make it out?" The woman shook her, "No one really knows for sure. She was almost always in the house though. Would go whole summers never seeing her except to weed Petunia's flowers. Some here will tell you that the girl started the fire, but we honestly don't know. The government never found any trace of her among the bones."
Wanting to get more information, she asked around the neighborhood and got similar answers, though something more was showing up in the interviews. The girl was often seen with bruises, would never make eye contact and was jumpy at loud noises and around adults. She had no friends her own age as her cousin seemed to chase the other kids away and would never spend the night anywhere but at her Aunt's home. Rita went to the local school where she had to use a confundus to get more out of the staff. The Halley Evans had initially done poorly at school before her grades started climbing quickly until she was the top of her class, maybe even above her year group, only for all her grades to suddenly plummet unexpectedly. Never enough to repeat the year, but nothing as outstanding as she got before. She did note a name that stood out among the staff she interviewed. A teacher that had been laid off, rather quickly into the school year when Halley entered primary. Rita was able to find him at another school.
"I don't think I will ever forget that girl. Sometimes it feels like my conscience won't let it rest, telling me that somehow she mattered. Of course, they all matter, but knowing that you failed one never gets easy and I don't think it ever should." The man finished stacking some class assignments and rubbed his eyes. "I was assigned as her class's homeroom teacher. Make sure they all did their work, knew how to write her names and everything. On the very first day I knew something was wrong. She would hardly speak, her eyes darting across the classroom as if looking for places to run or hide. She even gave me a slip of paper with her name on it, though it had been wrong. The paper named her as Halley Potter, but our records had her as Evans. When I introduced her to the class she had looked at me as if surprised by her name. I went to pat her on the back and guide her to her seat when she suddenly flinched and pulled away from me. We are taught how to spot the signs now so I reported the matter to the headmaster. Next thing I know I am out of the job. Apparently our esteemed headmaster was a friend of Vernon Dursleys since high school and the two were thick as thieves. He refused to hear a word of what I said. Called me quite a few derogatory names too. News of his death in October from a drug deal gone bad didn't surprise anyone who ever worked with the man. Never heard a damn word about the poor girl since the fire took her relatives. I hope she found some peace and happiness, wherever she is."
Rita felt ill. This wasn't what she had been hoping to hear. She wanted a juicy story, something to embarrass the Potters, maybe get some much needed good will among the Dark faction. What she found made her feel dirty and worst of all, no one had done anything to stop it. The homeroom teacher had tried but lost his job over it and after that the girl just slipped through the cracks, never to be seen again. Her mind went back to the burned down house and wondered. Had a Witch or Wizard found out about the girl's treatment at the house and brought hell upon them, or did something else happen? There was no trace of anyone being at the property except the family, no evidence of foul play, though no one had a clue how the fire got so violent either. Rita knew of course. The magic of a cursed fire lingered in the area, like a festering wound, making the entire neighborhood recoil from the house. A wixen could have done it without a doubt, via obliviations and confundus charms to clean up any evidence they left behind. But that would leave too many questions unanswered. Rita had already started writing a story based on what she had found. Now all she had to do was check the Ministry Archives and decide if it was worth airing out this
skeleton of the Potters.
The Ministry Archives was considered chaos personified by the inexperienced. The records were there of course, many of them were auto updating, the question was not only getting access but also knowing where to look for them at all. Her credentials with the Prophet were enough to get her in the door, just barely. Rita, of course, now knew how the Records formed and organized, so she knew the secret to navigating the mess was all about following the dates. Halley had been born July 31st, 1980, so Rita went straight to the records of that year and started looking for the births, followed by the month. Eventually she found the folder with Halley's name on it. There she found that the Bones Heiress had been right. The birth certificate was there, as was a death certificate dated 1988, not 81 like the obituary said. Rita decided to go through the rest of the file. Halley stopped being a Potter in 1985, just before her 5th birthday, signed by Lord James Potter.
There was evidence of payments being issued for her care, but those would have ended with the disownment, potentially exacerbating the abuse the girl suffered. She looked back at the page that was from Gringotts and stilled. Heiress Black by blood and will of Sirius Black, dated August 7th 1980. The file also listed Sirius Black as Godfather by Oath. Rita thought back at the hostility between the Lord Potter and the Lord Black. This would do it. Abandoning an Heiress without the Godfather's knowledge or approval would qualify as line theft, something all Noble Houses were careful never to do. The precedent alone could trigger open war amongst the old families. Rita then went back and thought about the Heiress part. Rhea Black was the current Heiress of House Black, as confirmed by the ring on her hand. The girl wore it with pride at the Yule Ball, along with a lunar bracelet that was clearly a family heirloom. But the Heiress Black had been unknown until she entered Hogwarts. Could she be the missing Halley, having supposedly avoided death a second time?
Halley's Death Certificate ends her file on October 31st, 1988. Rita makes the copies she would need for her article and proceeds towards the files listings dated after Halloween 1988. She would return to the Archives a few more times, even spending the New Year's Day in its massive rows of filing cabinets. Eventually she finds something that made her smile. Rhea Black-Prasinos. The file has no birth certificate, but it does have the legal fillings inside of it. The odd thing about it is that the only legal documents inside are dated June 1991, where the parents, legal and magical guardians are listed as Sirius Black and Sabrina Prasinos, which Rita recognized as the name of the now Lady Black. But she had found the file in a folder created in November 1988. A three year gap in between Rhea's file being magically made and the documents being lawfully submitted. Sirius Black would only be released in August of 1990, so he wouldn't be responsible until almost two years after its creation.
Rita looked at the name at the end of the file. Prasinos. A massive family in the Continent, but no known members of the family here in Britain until the Lady and Heiresses Black. She had already made a small expose on the Lady Black and her quiet presence in Britain since late 1981; the beloved potions mistress and even midwife to the witches and wizards of London who wanted nothing to do with the Ministry. When she had made the interviews for the expose, she had asked about the daughter and everyone in their area of London had only great things to say about the girl. Overly polite, attached to her mother's leg, a charming little girl who dearly loved her mother above
all else. Rita left the Archives with more copies of documents, intent on making one last set of interviews before she made any written conclusions. She wanted to be sure.
- -
Hermione could tell Susan was missing Sally. The two had grown really close this year and they had been cute and inseparable during the entire Yule Ball. Hermione's own experience had been more disappointing. She had been at Henry's side during his long weeks of healing, most of it Potter Manor. Her friend had hardly spent a day in the magical hospital after having gone through the Cleansing Ritual before he was whisked away back home. At least Rhea's prognosis had been right. His body now had more scars on it but they had properly healed over and the skin didn't have any issues regrowing. His hair ended up getting a much shorter length than what he wanted but he still had it. If there was anything that was a serious injury on Henry, it would be to his pride.
Not only did he lose his Firebolt but he technically owed his life to Rhea Black. Hermione had listened quietly as Charlie Weasley and the dragon handlers all talked about the ward she had used to pin the Dragon down, leaving them, Henry and the Eggs unharmed. They were all making enquiries to the Black Family to either outright buy a set of warding runestoned or to get a contract with the Dragon Reserves to use the wards exclusively. Either way, House Black would make a hefty profit from a warding scheme that Rhea had apparently tested on Henry Potter. Henry had been besides himself when he heard about it and would get furious if someone mentioned the name Black. Eventually he was fine enough to be at the Yule Ball and Hermione had agreed to be his date. The dress she wore had been exquisite and the night had been mostly fine.
Henry, despite being an Heir to a Noble Family, hadn't learned to dance. Hermione was just glad her parents had seen fit to give her classes before Hogwarts. It was the only exercise she could do without feeling winded afterwards. So she ended up taking the lead for the first dance. Her only dance with him. Henry had gone to chat with his friends and Hermione ended up chatting with the girls who were taking breaks. At least Neville had been nice enough to take a break from his date, Hannah Abbott, to ask Hermione to dance. He was decent at it too. After that she spent some time with either Sally or Susan as they watched their friends dance. Hermione wanted to deny it but her eyes would almost always focus on Rhea and her date, Fleur.
Fleur's silver dress hugged her body well, leaving a good chunk of the boys and some of the girls salivating. Even Hermione felt warm from looking at her. But Rhea… Of course Rhea refused to wear a dress! Her choice of formal clothes were closer to what the guys wore, but she made it look absolutely stunning. Her friend had taken her relationship with Fleur seriously from the start and kept at it the entire night, her eyes almost never leaving Fleur for long. Hermione had laughed at Susan and Daphne both pointing out their friend was just barely able to dance, yet could jump on levitated slabs of rock as if it were just a morning run. They all had a point. Still, she and a few of the other girls felt a pang of jealousy watching Rhea and Fleur during the Yule Ball, because as far
as they could see it had been a perfect date.
"Thinking of someone special?" Hermione's loud "eep" made Susan laugh as she sat down next to her on the Study Groups main table. Everyone else, including Sally, had gone home for what was left of the Holidays. Hermione glared at her redheaded friend. "Just lost in thought. I was curious though if you or your Aunt had any theories on what happened to Halley. I mean, there has to be a point where it ends, right?" Susan sighed, "Auntie thinks Halley was probably Blood Adopted. It explains everything except that death certificate. Other than that…" Susan went quiet and Hermione looked at her and waited. "I probably shouldn't say anything. If we're wrong, it's a bit of an insult and if we are right… it's best if it's never mentioned."
Hermione shook her head, "I can't let it go Susan. Rhea is my friend and so is Henry. I want to see them at least be cordial. You should have seen how angry Henry was after the First Task. He felt cheated, even though he got through the Task, he hates the fact he owes Rhea his life." Susan looked at Hermione, "You told me Rhea said not to get involved and to leave it to the adults. If I tell you what Aunti thinks, it will draw you into this mess and you won't like it." Susan sighed again and rubbed her hair, "It could also mean Rhea and Henry could never be anything but civil to each other. Are you willing to take that risk?" Hermione stared at Susan and refused to dignify that with an answer, neither blinking as they looked into each other's eyes. Susan closed hers first, looking resigned. "Aunti found something in the Archives. At first she didn't think much of it but after spending time with the Blacks… "
Susan opened her eyes, "Halley wasn't just Sirius' goddaughter by oath. He named her his Heiress. That means that she would have been Lady Black if Sirius had died. So, who do we know is like a daughter to Sirius Black and his Heiress?" Hermione's mind just… stopped. She thought back to every interaction she ever had with Rhea, how caring she was, how gifted, but never arrogant, never making her feel like she didn't belong. Rhea was friendly to almost everyone, showing respect and consideration. She also remembered the night of Samhain and how the ritual had failed when she wrote down the name Halley Potter before the magic seemed to refuse to answer, as if the soul couldn't respond. How she saw what she thought was Halley in her dreams, an image that resembled Rhea to some degree. Could she really… "How… sure are you about that…?" Susan shrugged, "It depends really. But to me, what matters is if it makes a difference to me. My answer to that is no. Whatever happens, I am sticking with Rhea and most of our friends will too."
Hermione had to agree with Susan's words. Rhea was just Rhea to the group. She had never really shared anything beyond her love of her family and that seemed to mean more to her than anything else. For Hermione, the question was more complicated. Would she stand by the Potter's if everything goes down or would she pick the Black's and Rhea's friends. She didn't know. She really didn't know and it scared her. She couldn't stop the tears from coming out as Susan comforted her. Susan had been right. She might have been better off never suspecting or knowing the truth. Because now the doubt was seeded in her mind. If the Potters could do this to their own daughter, what else could they do? Thoughts of Henry's years at Hogwarts and the constant training and concerns over a seemingly unkillable Dark Lord filled her mind. Did they do right for either of their children? Hermione didn't know and that bothered her deeply.
- -
"Are you certain about this article Rita? Sure, the story is worthy of the front page, it's full of the sorts of things that will make readers come back for more, but at what cost? You do know the Potter's won't like this getting out and I don't even want to know what the Black's will do. That family is as strong now as it had been when Cassiopeia Black terrorized the entire Wizengamot with her book of secrets. They may not come after us for breaking this story but they will be looking at us from now on, waiting for a moment to catch us and burn us to the ground. You really want that attention?" Rita had thought about that every step of the way as she wrote down her findings.
Her jaunt back to the quiet side of London had told her exactly what she expected to see. The winter after 88 had seen the arrival of a dark haired, green eyed little girl living with Sabrina Prasinos, someone the witch dedicated her time to almost excessively. She was introduced as Rhea Prasinos then and in the years since her appearance began to change, her hair taking on highlights like her mother's, her skin going from deathly pale to getting more of a tan and her body being in better shape after the two were seen jogging almost every available day. The girl went from extremely shy, skittish and reserved to more open and warm, especially with the children. In August of 1990, Sirius Black would start visiting the pair, taking on a father's role with the girl and eventually courting the young woman caring for her. The girl's last great change came in June of 1991, exactly at the same time as her legal documents were filled, with a notable change to her eye color, the texture of her hair and the tone of her skin. All changes consistent with a Blood Adoption.
There was no doubt in her mind that Rhea Black had at one time been Halley Potter and that something terrible had happened in the years before her new family took her in. The last photo of the girl among the Blacks had been of a radiant smile, her appearance at the Yule Ball was of a heartbreaker but a charming and caring person. No one at the Ball had missed the devotion the Black Heiress had shown the Beauxbatons' Triwizard Champion. The Witch Weekly article on the event had actually sold out and was reprinted with the demand of the witches of Magical Britain driving the sales as the event featured Victor Krum and his fiancée, Henry Potter with a lovely Hermione Granger at his side and two of the most lovely witches to have ever had such a public relationship.
Rita Skeeter knew her article would sell like wildfire. She only hoped her decision to stick to the facts and not embellish would earn her a reprieve when the wands start swinging. Besides, if her information was correct, the girl's life had been horrifying enough without adding any superfluous phrases. There was no need for embellishment here at all. She looked at her editor in chief, Barnabus Cuffe, and nodded. "Made up my mind when I brought it in Barnabus. Will you print it?" Her boss took a deep breath and nodded. "It will be out in the morning edition. See if you can get some people up to Hogwarts. I imagine the Castle will be quite a stir as soon as the paper is out." Rita nodded and turned to leave when her boss called out to her one last time. "And Rita, best
stay clear of the Blacks at Hogwarts. I imagine the news will send them all straight there to care for their own. Best not get in the line of fire."
- -
Rhea had felt odd from the moment she woke up. She could see that Nyx felt it too but wasn't sure what was going on. She had read that as Creature of Death, she and the other's could have a bit of a sixth sense. A feeling of foreboding as events took place out of their control. Nyx, as a Death Omen, would have a stronger inclination and would often try and warn people in her own way. Sure, she left entire towns across the whole world terrified by her presence alone, outlandish stories of monstrous flying creatures with massive black wings and red eyes spawning in her wake, but that was the point. To make people aware of the danger around them and encourage them to enjoy their lives while they still could. A few would even be spared death by Nyx' presence alone. As her Familiar, that tallent was dulled, so as to avoid having her Mistress interfere with natural events. This didn't stop Rhea from getting her own feelings and warnings. Her feelings at the First Task had been right on the money. So why was she feeling it now? Her one consoling thought as she entered the Great Hall was that Fleur was back in France with her family and would be back by next week, so whatever was bothering her had nothing to do with Fleur.. Rhea had been planning a very warm and comforting welcome for her girlfriend. She sat down besides Luna and gave her a one armed hug as she started to serve herself some breakfast. Luna had looked at her oddly, "Are you ok Rhea? You feel unusually cold." Rhea allowed her senses to touch and scour her body. Everything seemed fine.
"Don't know. I feel a little off but I don't feel ill or anything." Luna kept looking at her with concern as more student's sat down and started eating breakfast. She noted that Susan and Sally were sitting close together. They really were cute. Hannah was sitting with Longbottom at the Gryffindor table. Huh, Rhea hoped the girl knew what she was doing. Henry kept glaring every time their eyes met. The prat. Hermione… why did Hermione refuse to look towards her? Did she not like her Yule gift? She was sure the handcrafted Christmas ornament would have been well received by her parents. Rhea made plans to ask her what was bothering the cute bookworm as the morning mail arrived. She ate a few bites of breakfast before she noticed how quiet the Great Hall was. She looked up and noticed a lot of them were staring at her and then at the newspaper. Rhea turned to Cho, the closest person to her with a copy. "What?" Cho looked at her with a weird expression as she passed her copy of the Daily Prophet over. Rhea looked at the front page of the newspaper and she could honestly say her heart stopped beating.
Black Heiress formerly Halley Potter:
Twin of the Boy Who Lived victim of Abuse!
She looked at the paper in her hands as it dissolved into ash. Wait. The paper was the only thing in Black and White, so why was the rest of the Great Hall now also in Greyscale? Her mind
felt weird. She felt … cold. Well, the cold had never really bothered her but right now it felt odd. Why was she only feeling cold? Why was… Her heart. Oh, right. It had stopped beating a second ago. Wasn't it supposed to keep beating? She knew it beat very loudly and insistently when she shared her bed with Fleur. She also knew she felt really warm those nights. She liked going to sleep warm. So why… oh, there it goes! Her heart's beating again. That's a relief!
That would have been hard to explain to her parents! Wait, why is it going so fast? Why… Her ears were hurting now. It felt as if the noise was around her just kept getting louder and louder. She wanted to scream for the noise to stop. For it all to stop. Except she had a really bad feeling about opening her mouth right now. Like a super bad feeling. She feels something touch her mind. At first she wanted to yell that this was a bad time, but it was just Nyx. Telling her to head for the 7th floor. Oh, right! The Come and Go Room! It would be nice and quiet there! Yup, time to go! Oh! That's weird, her legs weren't working right. Rhea was sure they had been working right just a minute ago. Didn't she get up from the table just fine? She had taken the stairs to the Hall this morning instead of cheating via the Veil, so she knew they were working right.
Probably not a good idea to cheat right now though. Nyx said not to and she should know as the owl always cheats in her deliveries. Huh, she feels cold hands on her sides, pulling her up and leading to the Seventh Floor. Oh, it's Helena. She's the best! Old English is a weird language but Helena had been teaching it to her. Mostly the songs! Helena's voice was so pretty. Rhea really hoped she found a good way of preserving sound indefinately. She never wanted to not hear Helena's songs. Or Mom's. Laris… was Laris. Huh, what had she been doing again? She had been eating breakfast, Luna had said she felt cold. She was cold right now. Like really cold.
Helena, oh Helena was talking to her! "Rhea! I know it's hard to think right now but you're in the Room of Requirement. It's safe. You can let go Rhea. Let it out. You're safe. Please, let it out before it starts eating away at you." Eating? Oh, right. She had been eating. Then everyone went really quiet and started being really rude. They kept staring at her! Why? Did she forget to leave the reanimated ravens back in her trunk? No, the raven's should be safe and back to bones. Reanimation wasn't as fun as the Light morons made it seem. Compartmentalizing the mind, giving the bones orders. It was tiring work! Not fun at all! Did she hurt someone? She wanted to hurt Henry for hurting Hermione, oh and Dumbledore and Lily Potter for what they did to her. Oh, that's right. The newspaper! That's what got everyone being weird.
What was it Helena had said? Let it out? Oh, she means her Magic. She loved magic! Even her scary magic. It was fun! Oh, her scary magic was the issue right now. She felt full. Like really, really full. Best to let it out! Rhea's mind simply ceased. No memory, no thought, no time. She only was. The stars surrounded her in their beautiful seemingly endless shows of light. Here she could be free. Here there wasn't a Halley or Rhea and nothing outside matters. She was free and at peace. So why did she feel like she wanted to wake up? Best not think about it and just stare at the stars. She loved the stars, even if she was shit at remembering their names. Still, she loved looking at the stars. She wondered if she'd be there soon. Rhea felt her hair tingle. Ok, much better now.
Chapter End Notes
So, it somehow ended up being a bit of a cliffhanger. I have a certain policy against cliffhangers and I am exercising it now.
Ok, question time! Would you all like to read the next Chapter early, even if it meant my following post would be on the 29th of March? Or are you all able to wait for Saturday 27th at noon (my time) to see what happens next? I will check the total comment requests at midnight on the night of 25-26 to know your answer. One request per person please.
I know that my representation of how medical records work and are shared might be off. I am not in the UK and my own Health system is complete garbage at sharing info, but having Rita spend months going from hospital to hospital, general doctor to general doctor, confunding secretaries was not that appealing to write, even if it is a bit more realistic.
So, what do you think? Write your comments, make the answer clear for me to see and discuss away.
Fallout and the Price of Knowing
Chapter Notes
After the amazing support you all showed, I decided to spare you all and myself another 12 hour wait.
Here is the next chapter. Hope you all like it.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Flitwick could say he had a bit of tunnel vision. It works wonders in the Dueling Circuit, as one can easily let the world drop around them and just focus on your opponent. It can also be a bad thing, because he was so focused on getting his students to keep such a high level of academic excellence, he had missed the harm he had been doing to them and how they took out their frustrations. He hated the part he had played in Luna Lovegood's bullying, even if it wasn't his choice that led to her pain. It had taken a wonderful new student to show him the problems within the Ravenclaw dorms and fix it. Ever since then he knew that Rhea Black could often serve as a Barometer of sorts. If she was happy and carefree, the entire Ravenclaw Tower felt it and was swept up in it. It was strange but ultimately no one really cared how it came to happen, they just cared that it did and they were along for the ride. Rhea Black's good moods were often and the Tower felt far more welcoming than he ever remembered it being.
So when he saw the entire Ravenclaw Table turn to Rhea with a look of sheer terror, he knew something was wrong. He took one look at Minerva's copy of the Daily Prophet and knew instantly why his Eagles were panicking. Because he too was panicking as he followed the oddly mechanical way Rhea Black left the Great Hall. He knew she could Occlude her mind better than anyone else, probably even better than Snape or Dumbledore. He also knew her mind tended to work in weird ways, despite her clamping down on her feelings. It made for some interesting attempts at conversation after she returned from Yule Break last year, where any questions addressing her former life turned into either debates on philosophy or a discussion on colors and how visualization works on altering colors in casting Transfigurations or Conjurations. So when he turned the corner and saw Helena lifting up Rhea and helping her walk towards the stairs, he knew this could end really poorly. Occluding one's mind to the point motor functions failed completely was a horrible sign and the girl's magical reserves were a thing of beauty. Right now the thought of the raw magic in her filled him with dread.
"You can help me get her up to the Seventh Floor Professor, but you better pull on your Goblin Magic and wrap yourself in it. Otherwise, you might as well just stay behind." Flitwick knew not to debate with Helena of Ravenclaw. She might have spent over a millenia indulging in self pity but the student currently under her care had woken something up inside of her. She had been much more willing to talk ever since. The moment he placed himself as the support of Rhea Black, he instantly knew why Helena had told him to use Goblin Magic. He had been in the presence of Dementors before but the cold magic leaking from his student was making his body ache in ways
he never knew he could. For the first time in years he felt like had just stumbled out of a life or death battle. The way up to the Seventh Floor was long and painful. They eventually reached a rapidly expanding door that he had never seen before, along with the other three House Ghosts standing by it.
"Simon, Nicholas, Terrance. Round up the other Ghosts. This corridor and all adjacent ones are to be off limits to everyone but Ghosts. Make sure the Hogwarts Elves know and comply. Professor Flitwick, you should go to the Headmaster's Office. I fear this day will not end well if you do not inform the Lord and Lady Black of their daughter's safety." A screech stilled everyone as Nyx flew amongst them before landing on the professor's shoulder. His entire body sagged in relief as his student's magic gathered into her Familiar. Helena nodded, "Nyx, go with him. Your presence alone may still prevent Lady Black's hand from harming those present, as her bond with the girl must be driving her insane with worry. Go. Rhea will be safe and well with me." A quickly solidifying Helena pulled Rhea into the double doors before they vanished. The Bloody Baron bowed to the professor.
"I will escort you out of these corridors, follow me." Flitwick and the Baron would soon reach the closest point to the Headmaster 's office when a cold chill raced down his back. The Baron became more defined and seemed to sigh in relief. "You are fortunate to only feel that chilling touch Professor. Were you human alone, the cold that had seeped into your bones from touching her could have cut your life quite short. Beware the cold that sneaks up on you and refuses to let go, Professor. Beware the cold embrace of the grave. To those with Fae Blood it is painful but not deadly, but to the rest it can mean a swift end." Flitwick shivered at the Bloody Baron's parting remarks. He made his way towards the Headmaster's office and hoped the Black and Potter family's don't descend into war. In a war between them, no one doubts now who would win, only who else would survive.
- -
Sirius had certainly expected many things when he arrived at the Headmaster's Office via Floo. James Potter's fist headed for his face was among those expectations, hence why his wife sent the moron careening back a few feet into one of Dumbledore's book shelves full of trinquets. His Sabrina's words cut through the stunned silence, "If you dare to try and harm my husband again Potter, I will happily send you to an early grave myself." Sirius shivered at the barely contained rage in his wife. Kreacher had been left a lot of repair work at the family table this morning. He had felt magic from furious wixen before, but the Magic that radiated from Sabrina had felt like a living thing; confused, violent and itching for release. His home took a pounding when the paper arrived and when Rhea's connection to her mother went haywire. He watched Lily pick up her husband as Albus tried to play peacekeeper, while his eyes were glued on his wife. Everyone else in the room were threats, but his wife and daughter were everything to him. He would keep his ladies safe.
"Now, now my Lords and Ladies, I am sure we can all be civilized here." James glared at Sirius, "I told you to stay out of it!" Sirius growled as his wand slipped into his hand, magic crackling around it, "and I will tell you, James, that you have no say in this, not after the stunt you pulled before she was even 5 years old! You lost any say in the matter on that day!" Dumbledore tried to lower the tempers again, "Now, I am sure young Halley-" Sabrina couldn't let the moron dare to say his next words. Her daughter detested that name. Goddess she wished she could feel her through the link but right now it felt like Samhain. She was safe at least. She hoped. "Halley Evans is dead. You saw fit to that twice over. Or did you not read Rita's article all the way through. You declared her dead within days of abandoning her and magic itself declared her dead 7 years later! So don't you dare call our daughter by the wrong name again Dumbledore or I will personally deposit you right next to your imprisoned lover's cell in Nurmengard."
That certainly made Dumbledore reach for his wand, only to find Sabrina's pointed right at his eyes, a purple spell literally itching to be released. "Do dare and try it old man. My family has been itching to pay you back for impeding our call for justice in 1945, we would be more than happy to collect now." The tense nature of the room remained until Flitwick opened the office door. Fawkes lets out a soft melodic call, trying to calm the room, while Nyx lets out an ear piercing screech, not amused with the phoenix. Fillius looks at the scene and awards some Galleons to himself. He knew that the Lady Black would be the scariest person in the room as her magic literally coiled around herself and her wand. Her daughter's terrifying nature had to come from somewhere and Sirius Black could be scary, but the wild energy leaking off his wife was unmistakably dangerous. If there was any doubt she was worthy of being the Lady Black, it's gone now. "My Lady Black, I wish our current meeting was under better circumstances. I am happy to inform you that your daughter is in a safe location currently, and is likely to remain there until she is feeling better."
Dumbledore sits down on his high-backed chair, though Sabrina's wand never lowers from its intended target. "Fillius, while I am certain you have the matter well in hand, perhaps it's best that Pomfrey and some Healers from St. Mungos attend to the girl. I am sure the shock of finding out about her birth pa-" Sirius refused to let the bastard insult him and his wife to their faces, "Our daughter has known about her parentage from long before this morning, Albus. Unlike some people, we don't keep secrets from our loved ones. The only shock she is under is that now she has to deal with morons like you thinking you know better than she does about what she is feeling. Her name is Rhea Black, by blood and magic and if she were here right now she'd show you personally not to get her confused with who she is not." Fillius really wanted to applaud Sirius' choice of words. The man certainly knew how to put Dumbledore in his place, and he was certain the girl would likely shatter any of the Headmaster's defensive spells if she were present. His discussion with Moody made it clear that few if any shields would stand up to her raw power.
The old man, however, didn't take the hint. "Typsy." A Hogwarts elf popped into the room. Flitwick noted that neither the Blacks reacted to the name. Interesting. "Yes, Headmaster Whiskers." Oh, that certainly damaged Albus' ego a bit. Sirius did his best not to react at the elve's pet name for the old man. Albus' eye had a definite twitch to it from hearing that spoken in said company. "Could you bring young Miss Potter here to meet her family?" The elf stared at the Headmaster. "Sorry Headmaster Whiskers, there is no Miss Potter in the school save Lady Potter here." Dumbledore sighs, "Could you please bring Miss Black here? Her family wishes to see her." The elf shakes its head, "Typsy can't bring Miss Black here. Miss Black is needing her rest. Hogwarts says so and Hogwarts overrules Headmaster Whiskers. Typsy is going now. Typsy has
work to do for Hogwarts." The elf pops away and Sirius is doing his best to keep a straight face. So is Fillius. Albus just stares at the spot where the elf had been, trying to figure out how a castle could overrule him.
Nyx takes this moment to fly into the room proper and lands on Sabrina's outstretched arm, her red eyes fixed on Sabrina's. Nyx eventually jumps onto Sabrina's shoulder after a silent conversation passes between the Death Omen and her Mistress' mother. "Thank you Nyx. You send our girl home when she's ready." The Familiar hoots. Sabrina turns her now glowing eyes towards the Potters. "Lady Potter, you should read up on what exactly your husband did when he "disowned" his child. I am sure you will then understand exactly why neither of you have any rights at all when it comes to Rhea. She is a Black and the entire House has recognized her as such." She turns to look at Dumbledore. "She is also a Prasinos, recognized by our Matriarch and the entire family as of our blood. We aren't fooling around here, Dumbledore. Our family has had a score to settle with you for almost 50 years now. We would love to collect. Neither your Ministry, your Order or that stolen stick of wood you carry will spare you of our family's judgement."
Sabrina's mention of the Elder Wand sends cold shivers down Dumbledore's spine as he wasn't aware how anyone else would know about it. He knows he has lost this day. "Very well. We will not force the matter. But young Miss P-" Dumbledore chokes on his words as Nyx lands on his desk and screeches at him, causing even Fawkes to make a conciliatory chirp. The Death Omen glares at the Phoenix who hangs his head quietly. "-Miss Black has the right to interact with the Potter's if she wishes to." Sirius looked at James and gave him an evil grin. "Do those interactions include jinxes and curses? She's been dying to test a few she learned from her Aunts Andy, Cissa and Bella. She especially liked a few Dorea left behind for the Black's to use on the wouldbe family members." James paled visibly, knowing just how violent his mother could get when pissed. Dumbledore sighed, "We will ask all involved to keep their wands away." Sabrina couldn't help but add, " … until they are called for. Be sure to never give our Families a reason to fight, Potter. We will be happy to finish it quickly. We actually have things to do other than jumping at shadows. Like caring for our own."
The Blacks left soon after Sabrina's last words through the Floo, as The Potters and Flitwick left a pensive Dumbledore to his thoughts. Lily looked at the Charms Professor with pleading eyes, "Fillius…" Flitwick sighed, "While you were a favored student of mine, do not think I will break my word as Head of House to aid you and your conscience. I suggest you look to yourself and realize the blame you carry. I believe she has made her choice about speaking to you clear many times since she arrived at this school from her refusal to spend even a modicum of time with you and I doubt anyone will change her mind. As for your son, she doesn't blame him for the role he played in your lives." He saw a bit of hope come into their eyes. Best not feed it. "She blames you for the role you forced upon him. And she won't ever let you forget it."
- -
Hermione cried. She couldn't help herself. Rita may have exaggerated and fed Henry's ego, but the article in her hands came with all the proper documentation. Everything was in order. Rhea had once been Halley Potter. That she had all but accepted in her heart after breaking down in the study group's classroom. No, she cried because the abandonment, disownment and near death in 1988 hadn't been the sum of Halley's troubles. Rita couldn't find any medical evidence or record of Halley's state, but the eyewitness statements made it clear. Hermione's parents were dentists and they had taught her what they had learned, to read between the lines. As dentists they saw their fair share of children and would need to inform Child Services if they ever spotted the signs. Abuse. Years and years of abuse at the hands of her guardians after being abandoned and neglected by her birth parents while her only remaining family remained imprisoned in Azkaban for 9 years. She was thankful for Rhea's mom for saving her friend.
Everytime she read the eyewitness accounts, she saw Rhea in her mind. Her friend was smiling and laughing with everyone, just like all of them. Then she remembered all the somber facts Rhea would occasionally mention, bits of cold hard wisdom that left her stunned. Her cold assessments of the world, her blunt description of Henry's character flaws and her adamant refusal to be directly involved in aiding him. Rhea hadn't helped Hermione with planning for the First Task because of Henry, but only because she had asked it of her. The signs had always been there, just underneath the words and actions. She had just failed to see it. Like they all did. Now they all knew and Susan was bloody right. It's worse knowing. And who knew what other horrors Rhea was hiding, buried deep… Hermione's mind snaps back to the moment Rhea had fainted in October. How she would disappear over long stretches of time and had formed a relationship with Fleur, one that still showed her hesitating to be physical with her girlfriend and where they still kept all physical displays of affection minimal. Even at the Ball, while their dancing was close and clearly enjoyed, it lacked any of the physical closeness some of the dances were famous for.
She remembered what she had read about Veela after Ron had so blatantly stated that Fleur had to be of their race. The Allure would draw out the desires and urges of all who find women attractive, pulling them into fantasies built on by desire and experience. Hermione had laughed when all Ron could describe was that he wanted to take Fleur to a broom cupboard and snog. She had blushed when she had once caught herself fantasizing about kissing Fleur while close to her. But Rhea had an adverse reaction, similar to a panic attack. Fantasies built on desire and experience . Systematic abuse of a minor for years. Could they have… Her heart started to crack as she realized why Rhea had been absent so long. Rape. One of her friends had been raped before coming to school. And she didn't see the signs. Hermione smacked her head against the table repeatedly until she felt someone's hands pull her away. She looked into Daphne's worried eyes. "Hermione, whatever it is your thinking about, you have to stop." Hermione's eyes watered, "But… " Daphne shook her head, "No buts. Stop thinking about what she went through, stop drowning yourself in guilt for not seeing the signs. Stop trying to figure out what else could be wrong with your friend."
Hermione was pulled into a hug. "Rhea came to my house and saw my sister in pain. She didn't ask why, she may have guessed the how, but none of that mattered. She only cared about helping my sister, about being there for her, making sure she felt like a kid. She helped her because it's what she wanted to and knew how. Let Rhea come back and be herself again. Let her be just another gifted student. If she asks for help, give it. If she looks like she needs it but won't say anything, then give it. But stop looking for scars she has already healed or has found a way to heal
herself in her own way. Let her be your friend. Let her just be Rhea. Everything else will come at it's own time." Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat. Daphne was right. Rhea hadn't asked them for help because they wouldn't be able to. They were all kids, how could they help her? At least not directly. She had friends, all of whom made her feel normal. Made her feel alright. For now, that would have to be enough.
Lunch after the chaos at breakfast was a subdued affair. Rhea was still missing, Dumbledore had not come down from his office to eat and Professor Potter looked utterly heartbroken. Hermione could see why she still showed up though. She was sitting next to him. Henry looked absolutely devastated. He had called the article a lie at first, until his own mother came to him earlier and explained to him that it was all true, as far as they knew. Hermione couldn't blame him for feeling horrible. He hadn't realized it until everyone else did, but he had been verbally assaulting his twin sister for over a year, accusing her of trying to kill him. He had ignored her all year and had even threatened her at the start of it. Yet here he was alive, and mostly fully healed. All because of her. Hermione could literally watch the guilt building inside of him. She hoped it helped him realize what kind of person he had become. She hoped it made him a better person.
That particular hope ended when the Lunch crowd parted and started heading for class and Henry went straight for Draco. What had Rhea called him after Hermione told her about them breaking into the Slytherin Common Room with a Polyjuice Potion; a self righteous egotist. Hermione had to give it to Rhea, she could certainly read people. "You stay away from my sister Malfoy. I won't have her join you and the other Junior Death Eaters!" Draco actually sighed, "As much as I would love to spar words with you Potter, we do have class coming up and while you may plan to ride your fame into the ground, some of us actually want to do something with our lives. And I am sure you noticed, but my dear cousin is more than capable of taking care of herself. She is a Black after all." Hermione could see Henry was about to hex Draco and grabbed his arm.
"Henry, please think. Hexing the cousin she spends her weekends with won't make Rhea look at you for anything except hexing you back." Henry stilled and eventually allowed himself to be pulled away. They eventually made it to Binns classroom and started pulling out their note taking materials. "Hermione… do you think Halley will ever come back to us?" Hermione sighed as she sat down next to Henry. "I think you need to not think of her as Halley. She reacted poorly to the front page of the article and I don't think it was because she discovered a secret like you did. I think she reacted poorly because she knows what's going to happen now. People are going to expect things from her that she refuses to be. She's not a Potter, she probably doesn't see herself as your twin and she probably hates her name. If you want something more between you besides glares, maybe start by remembering her name is Rhea Black, and treat her and her family better."
Henry looked at her and shook his head. "Hermione, you haven't heard what we have heard. They forced a review of the laws banning Blood Magic and even Necromancy. No good can come of that. They are helping the Dark get stronger and when Voldemort returns, it just means more people to fight, more senseless killing. We can't let that happen." Hermione sighed. "Whatever is happening, there isn't much you can do. You can't force people to think the way you want them too. You'd be no different than Voldemort, just from the other side." Henry stared at Hermione, "Don't joke about that Hermione. I am nothing like that monster." Henry stopped talking to her for
the rest of the day after that. Hermione desperately wished Rhea would get better soon. She really wanted to see her friend again.
- -
Rhea shifts into some very comfortable sheets and frowns. She hadn't gone to bed that day. She remembered breakfast, that stupid newspaper and then the Come and Go Room. She opened her eyes and sat up, taking in her surroundings. The place looked and felt like the Ravenclaw Common Room, but it looked more like a private apartment. It sort of reminded her of her room aboard the Nile River Cruise. It was spacious, well decorated and filled with personal touches. It felt like a home. She saw an almost solid looking Helena stand up from a chair sitting close to the bed, the beautiful lady placing a book on the table before sitting besides Rhea on the bed, her hand pressed against Rhea's forehead. "Your Death Magic seems to be fully settled, though I can feel it closer to the surface than before. You may wish to check your books on Necromancers, but I think this is a normal happening as you grow into your magic."
Getting a feel for her throat and finding her voice box isn't wrecked, Rhea responds. "I think I remember something about Necromancer bodies running differently than typical magical and non- magical bodies. Running colder was definitely mentioned, but my heart literally stopping wasn't in the list." Helena thinks about it. "My aunt never mentioned it and she was under a lot of stress, so if anything would have triggered it, she would have lived it. You may want to check the Peverell Journals, as their connection to Death is certainly… unique amongst Necromancers." Rhea nodded before she stretched, feeling a lot of bones popping into place. "So, how long was I out and what have I missed?" Helena shrugged. "Two days and nights. You had a lot of Death Magic built up and you actually spent most of the first day and night in the Room of Requirement. You've been here for the time afterwards. Typsy." The elf pops in with a tray of food. "Mistress Helena said young Mistress would be hungry, Typsy asked young Mistress' Kreacher the ladies favorite meal. Kreacher helped Typsy prepare it for the young Mistress."
Rhea blushed and made plans to get some thank you gifts for Kreacher and Typsy. "Mistress thanks Typsy for her care." The elf beamed before popping away. Helena looked amused, "She is going to drive the Elves up the walls with that. For the Mistress of Hogwarts to recognize her work and speak as the elves do, you could see a lot more elaborate meals at your table." Rhea groaned. "Remind me to catch up to them and to either get the food spread out amongst the students or ask them to save it for when I am not eating at the Great Hall. I am going to have enough attention on me already as it stands right now." Helena hummed, "That is already underway. Your parents almost killed the Headmaster as he tried to strong arm his way through the situation. The Potters left a bit dejected and if word among the students is accurate, they have been making waves at the Wizengamot and the Ministry."
Eating into some delicious blueberry pancakes, Rhea gathered her thoughts. "I imagine they
won't get far there either. The Noble Families will be disgusted with them and The Ministry can't make any illegal moves while they are quite literally under greater scrutiny. Dad must be enjoying himself while Mom… " Rhea opens up her link to her mother and feels her sudden elation " … has been worried sick." Rhea finishes her breakfast and explores the chambers for a bit, trying not to think about what a mess she might walk out into. There was always the Disillusionment charm. The books on the bookshelves are all in Old English and a few in written Celtic, which surprised her since so few Druids ever wrote their knowledge down. The place features a massive bathtub, several closets filled with really old looking garments, an old potion's lab with jars of ingridients that have already gone inert over the centuries, a small ritual chamber and a workshop filled with wandmaking and enchanting materials. Rhea turns to a watchful Helena. "This is our family's chamber in the castle, isn't it?"
Helena smiled and nodded. "Mother designed the rooms, though she and my Aunt added aspects of the Room of Requirement into it after it was completed. You should be able to expand it and add a kitchen, guest rooms and others with but a thought and the family ring against the walls. Getting plumbing to work will take a bit of creativity on how to connect it though, as the castle predates the bathroom by quite a lot. The old massive pipes that Salazar layed down were for his Basilisk, not the nonexistent bathrooms." Rhea's eyes focused on a moving painting in what she felt was the family room. In the center of it were two women, clearly sisters, one holding a baby while a little girl cooed at it. A man with a massive mane of red hair and thick beard was arguing with a slightly older man with a well trimmed beard and moustache. Two of the women around the sisters could be seen cooing over the baby before looking at the arguing men and sighing, before descending into giggles. Rhea's hand touched the painting gently.
"This…is why you came back, isn't it? Why you refuse to leave?" Helena looked on with a sad smile. "There isn't much left of us in the world. Salazar's family suffered after he lost his wife and later died. Godric's line may linger, but the Family Magicks that tied them to the school died away. Helga never had children of her own and didn't take any as Heirs. You and I are all that is left." Rhea reached out and rubbed Helena's back. "I would love to live here in our family's Chambers, but for now I need to keep my inheritance secret. While Dumbledore's powerbase outside of Hogwarts remains intact, I can't expose myself." Helena nodded, "Even so, Hogwarts and its denizens will protect you, my lady. Never forget that."
- -
"Look Amelia, this is private business between me and Sirius. Stay out of it." The growl he got in response made James Potter take a step back. He had seen Amelia angry or annoyed before, but the witch in front of him was at another level of rage. "It stopped being private the moment you petitioned the Ministry to reclaim rights over your former daughter. You don't get to hide behind the excuse of family business anymore! Now sit down before I stun and bind you myself." James sat down reluctantly. Amelia went over the papers on her desk. "Let me start this off by saying that you have almost no chance of reclaiming custody. Her Gringotts Test makes it clear that she was blood adopted fully by both her parents. The Family Magick of the Blacks recognize her as Heiress
and she is even registered in the ICW as Rheannon Sabrina Black-Prasinos. Even if you somehow get custody here, the ICW would rule against you and that would end all further attempts." James grunted. "Amelia, I can't just let this slide. They stole my daughter from me!"
Amelia dropped a folder in front of him. "Let's get this out of the way James, you disowned her! She literally stopped being a Potter before she started primary, so you have no claim to her. Your wife could have claimed her if she hadn't been Blood Adopted by a mother but she was. Worse, even if you could claim Lily Evans had custody over her you'd then have this!" A much bigger folder was dropped in front of him. "The Lady Black isn't stupid James, she documented every injury her daughter sustained at the Dursley's care. Every single one ! I only managed to go one page before my stomach turned and I had to stop at the second before I was tempted to go to your office and curse you. If your in-laws were alive right now there would be no court in Magical Britain that would for one moment charge any Wixen should they be found dead the next morning. While a good number of the public are not sure what to make of the accusations leveled against you, about half would be glad to get a curse sent out your way on sight." James lowered his eyes at that. He had read the accusations in Rita's article but he had no idea it was that bad. He went to reach for the folder before Amelia pulled it away.
"This was sent to me with the understanding that it would never see the light of day. The Blacks trust in me is the only reason I even got to see it. I am showing you that the file exists as a bloody courtesy Potter. You try to force the Blacks to surrender custody, you somehow potion the girl into forgiving you, or Goddess forbid Dumbledore pulls every favor in his entire life to get her back in your possession and I will personally charge you and your wife with accessory to every single crime here. I don't care if you slip the charges, I don't care if Dumbledore bails you out, I will happily drag you and your wife to hell itself if I have to for that girl. The Blacks are not personally interested in ending you because as much as they want it to be otherwise, Henry is still family and they refuse to make an orphan out of your son after what you did to your own daughter. Do you understand me?"
James nodded, feeling sick to his stomach. "Amelia, you need to understand. I never wanted any of this to happen. Lily believed Petunia would care for the girl. We were sure she had no magic, that Voldemort had stolen it from her. Petunia would have no reason to treat her badly." Amelia stared at the man. "James, if you speak another word that isn't strictly necessary I will spell your mouth shut. You could have raised her at home, taught her to be a successful muggle if necessary. She could have lived a good life, even ignoring the fact that her magic is back and has been able to surpass any expectations that anyone could ever hope to have. The Unspeakables are literally salivating at the idea that she could join their ranks and Croaker is doing his best not to piss off Sirius by keeping his eggheads in line. You are singularly responsible for every single terror visited upon that girl. I don't have to tell you how your own parents would have taken this."
The wince that James experienced practically cracked his jaw. Charlus would probably have stripped him of every knut and forced him to work for the rest of life, while Dorea would have gone creative. He may have loved his mother but she was very much a Black. She may have tolerated his pranks but he always dreaded stepping over a line. He was sure she would have skinned him alive. For this… his soul literally shook. "So I should just drop it? Let them keep my
daughter?" Amelia glared at him. "You declared your daughter dead in 81. Congratulations James, you got your wish. Rhea Black isn't Halley Potter, she isn't Henry's sister or even your child. She is the very happy daughter of Sirius and Sabrina Black. If you wish to live long enough to see your grandkids or even great grandkids, you will leave her alone and you will drop this matter entirely. As much as I would love to fire you, you have been a great Head Auror and after the incident at the World Cup, I simply can't afford to lose you. Even with half of Magical Britain out for your head. Now go before I change my mind and Hex you and decide to promote Scrimgeour to Head Auror. Steer clear of Hogwarts too. Word is that Moody likes the girl and you just painted a target on your back."
James left soon after, returning to his home. He buried his face in his hands and sighed. Dumbledore had been so sure that her magic was gone. Could the Blood Adoption have saved it? Is that how she came to be at Hogwarts? He honestly didn't know. He didn't know what to do. His wife had been furious when he explained why he disowned his daughter and Henry had been utterly heartbroken. He said that for the longest time he had wanted a sister. That it had felt as if actually had one and that somehow, one day that feeling had ended. When he asked his son when that was he dreaded hearing that it had been 6 years ago in Samhain. He said it had felt longer than that, but couldn't place it. Magical Twins are said to have a link tying them together. Raised together, the children could practically think the same thoughts at the same time, even communicate across distances. The Weasley Twins could tell when the other was hurt and could switch words in a sentence effortlessly. What Henry must have felt was that link breaking permanently.
He looked at the photo on his desk of his son and wife happily visiting the Hebridean Black Reserves in the North. He had no choice. For Henry and his family's future, he had given up on his daughter, ending her connection to the family permanently. He had made his choice and now he would have to stick to it. He started writing his letters, canceling all his petitions. James would do what he decided to do in 81. He would care for his son, the future of his family and the Light's hope against the possible return of the Dark Lord. He just hoped his wife forgave him.
- -
Sirius finished writing his last letter for the day and had it with the rest transferred by mailbox to Gringotts. The chaos in the Noble Families was simmering down and he wasn't about to let mail interceptions stand in his way. Gringotts will make sure the letters are received safely. James had initially requested Rhea's guardianship be revoked in front of the whole Wizengamot, which made his blood boil and Sabrina's magic crackle on her skin. Ted represented the family and Rhea's interests and brought forward all the documents they were willing to share. The full medical workup Sabrina had produced when she took her daughter in was a last resort, one they knew wouldn't be entirely admissible but it was enough to force the issue against the Potters. Rhea had come a long way from the beaten down and traumatized little girl that was rescued from near death and she wouldn't want to be associated with James or Lily, with Henry doing a poor job of being approachable despite her being civil. Ted presented the evidence of disownment as recorded by the
Ministry and by Gringotts, making it clear that James Potter had disowned one Halley Potter prior to her 5th Birthday, thereby negating his claim of still being the girl's father. This caused a great deal of ire thrown at James Potter's way, as he had effectively ceased any child care payments with that stunt. Half of the Light faction looked like they wanted to murder their fellow Lord.
Ted then presented the documents detailing Sirius Black's status as sworn Godfather and having named her his Heiress, which automatically made her the concern of House Black after the disownment and then presented all the legal documents that the family filled in 1991 confirming her identity as Rheannon Black, detailing her Blood Adoption and the full guardianship documentation filled listing her as the Child of Sirius Black and Sabrina Praesinos. The Potters tried framing the actions of Sabrina as kidnapping and even murder, accusing her of killing the Dursleys. He had to hold back his wife as she dared James Potter or anyone else to say that again, as she'd happily drag them into an Honor Duel right now in the Chamber's stage. The Magic leaping and crackling across the wards that protected the Black family Seats made everyone, including James, cringe. No one dared to repeat that statement. Rita wisely kept it out of her report on the Wizengamot session the next day too. The matter was settled when a Gringotts document was presented listing her as Rhea's mother via magical bond prior to the Blood Adoption. All the Lords and Ladies looked at the Lady Black in amazement as a Magical Bond between a parent and child was considered the envy of any family. Bonds were rare enough between siblings alone.
Lastly, they provided medical evaluations done by Andromeda, Lady Abbott, as well as Pomfrey's mental evaluation of Rhea upon entering the Healers elective, all of which left no doubt that Rhea Black was well adjusted, stable and that she was a happy member of the Black Family. Dumbledore's face when Madam Pomfrey's sworn testimony was read to the Chamber had been priceless. Rhea was initially left as a Black family ward as the DMLE looked into the matter but that ended a few days later when Amelia presented her findings and James Potter retracted his request. Amelia would confide in Sirius that she had warned James personally to back off. She had taken the report of Rhea's abuse hard, confessing to reading it with a lot of alcohol on hand. She would protect Sirius' daughter from any illegal activities by the Ministry and the Wizengamot for as long as she could. Rhea was finally officially recognized as a full Member of the Black Family and the Potter's had no rights to claim guardianship ever again. The Potters and Dumbledore were lucky they didn't get served a restraining order after the amount of effort they went through to even get the matter before the full Wizengamot. Sabrina had warned that any attempts at potioning or obliviating their daughter would bring the entire House of Black on their heads. Everyone cringed, knowing that the infamous Black Sisters were all a part of that threat. They had been a terror at Hogwarts and no one wanted to see them in open war on the same side.
Keeping Sabrina's mood swings over her missing daughter in check had been a bit harder after the mess in the Wizengamot. Her bond had gone quiet as usual whenever their daughter slipped into the Veil, now that she knew what it was, though the connection's existence itself kept her from getting too depressed. His thoughts on how to keep his wife upbeat were interrupted by Nyx landing on his desk. While Nyx was added to the wards, it never ceased to terrify him how easily the Death Omen can just appear in a given room with no windows or doors open. Then again, there is no way to ward against the Veil and Rhea had explained that when Nyx felt so inclined, she would just travel across the Veil rather than in the skies, bypassing all physical restrictions. Safe to say, no letters she carried could ever be intercepted or altered by anyone. That was always a relief for the family. "Sabrina, our daughter sent a letter!" Sirius waited for his wife to arrive before he
opened the envelope.
Hi Dad, Hi Mom
First things first, I am perfectly fine now. Helena has been keeping an eye on me and making sure I didn't hurt myself. I am really, really sorry about how I reacted. I thought I had prepared myself for when the bloody news would get out. I haven't stepped out into the school proper yet, but I know Kreacher and Typsy got my favorite breakfast ready. Need to get something else as a present for Kreacher other than that locket Regulus left him. Heard Mom almost butchered the Meddling Goat in his office. Can I please get a copy of that memory? Nyx doesn't want to share hers, something about not wanting to think about the singing overgrown, overcooked chicken in the room. By the way, I know I could say this in words but they get lost in translation, so I am writing it down. When I have kids, I will be thinking of being as caring and awesome as you Mom as my inspiration. When I have to deal with the idiots around me, I promise to keep your lessons in mind Dad. You are the only parents I ever want in my life. Nothing will ever change that. Needed to write this down otherwise my brain would just go with "I love you both so much!" See you soon and teach the meddlers a lesson!
Love, Rhea
P.S. Nyx said Mom asked her to do something for you. She says "Never breaking my word!" ;)
Sabrina was really teary eyed as she finished reading her daughter's letter when the promise clicked in her head. That and the hug she and Siriua got from behind was a good clue. "Is it bad I don't want to go back to school?" Sirius barked out a laugh as he hugged his daughter back, kissing her hair. Sabrina kissed her cheek. "Usually I would say yes, but I think we can make an exception for today." Their daughter would spend some time talking about the Ravenclaw Chambers and the neet stuff in there, including a moving but silent painting of the Founders. Sirius got his little girl to go scarlet when he asked if she was excited to have her girlfriend back and Sabrina just sat back every once in a while to just take in the sight. She really loved having her family back together again.
- -
Hermione and everyone else were sitting down at the Study Groups table, preparing to cover the last History assignment Binns set for the class. While Henry, Neville and Ron had hated the change in Binns, Hermione had been ecstatic. While she was one of a few people who could survive the old Binns droning lectures while staying mostly awake, the Binns of the last year was a great teacher, often clarifying how certain events get twisted and warped by propaganda, popular beliefs and even outright rewriting of History. His lesson on the story of King Arthur, Merlin and
Morgana had been really riveting, as it all but shattered what the stories she had read, even after joining the Magical World.
The Slytherin's had been disappointed that the Merlin mentioned as being from their house in the chocolate frog cards and elsewhere wasn't the original Merlin but a possible descendant who happened to be the last of the Emrys line. How Morgana hadn't started out as a Dark Witch but had been a strong advocate for the Rights of Magical Creatures and including them into the decision making in Camelot. How Arthur had initially hated Magic because he had always been told his mother had died because of it and his father had gone on a crusade against all magic, embracing the Roman import of Christianity in the process. The most interesting thing Binns said was that Morgana gaining the last name of Le Fay wasn't as a family name or an attempt to distance herself from her brother, but had actually been the acknowledgement of Magical Creatures faith in her, calling her one of their own. It had been a title and a privilege.
Hermione was just thinking that Rhea would be mad that she missed such an interesting class when she looked up and froze. There, seated opposite of her, was Rhea, pulling out her notebooks and fountain pens. She noticed Hermione staring at her and smiled, a genuinely warm smile. "So, what did I miss these last three days?" The entire room stopped, looked at her and suddenly bursted into a cacophony of noise. Draco got pulled into a hug by Rhea as she just listened to her friends telling her what she missed, the smile remaining clear for all to see. Hermione looked over towards Susan and Daphne, who smiled and nodded at her. They were right. This. This right here was what Rhea wanted from her friends. Hermione pulled out a list of assignments from the courses she knew Rhea didn't take any advanced studies in and passed it along. Rhea looked at it and laughed. In that moment, Hermione knew that her friend was alright.
Chapter End Notes
Any reactions not shown are likely to manifest later. As I mentioned in one of my comments, the reveal is like a ship hitting a mine. Dumbledore and James are bailing out the water of their sinking ship and the full extent of the damage will be known as time passes. The names for the Bloody Baron and the Fat Friar are the names of their actors in the movies.
Next Chapter: Valentines and the Second Task
Comment and discuss away! I will see you all on the 29th. In that time I hope to get more chapters done or catch up on a lot of sleep.
Valentines and Second Task Chaos
Chapter Notes
Here is the next Chapter, hope you all like it. Posting it early since I made you all wait. Next chapter should be out around 12 md AST, returning to my old schedule.
Thank you all for your patience. I assure you, it was time well spent. Currently working on Chapter 34 while reviewing everything else. Hope you like this chapter though I need to make a statement. I'm sorry. You will know by the end.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Occlumency was damn useful, Rhea mussed. Not only did it keep meddling old geezers out of her head, with Rhea's defences giving said moron a splitting headache he would be enjoying for a few days, but it also kept her from contemplating murder for a few moments. Hermione had pulled her aside and mentioned that Henry might get a bit obsessed with keeping an eye on her and intruding into her personal life, something Draco had confirmed. Hermione had just been understating it by adding "a bit" to her comment. The damned egotistical moron would try to get her to sit with Gryffindors at every bloody opportunity. His Weasley from the Quartet had not only insulted her friends right to her face, but even managed to insult Rhea because she was dating Fleur. Rhea had to send a gift full of catnip and cat toys to Professor McGonagall as an apology because she could no longer keep her promise from when she arrived at Hogwarts.
The Weasley brat and his friends would soon find their food tampered with, though the enchantment had the effect of changing anything they wore in Gryffindor colors into that of other houses, mostly Slytherin, though the emblem on their clothes had a clearly sad and disappointed snake on it. The Slytherin's loved to see their tormentors suffering humiliation and the change in the emblem kept them from feeling too scandalized. Snape had experienced a moment of horror on his face for a brief instance and while he usually gave her fake detentions, the last one felt deserved. Rhea didn't mind at all. Hermione had to keep a balanced play of scandalized reproach and silent approval. Henry, above all, had not been amused. His day of wearing Slytherin colors had left him decidedly furious. Someone clearly has a problem separating a person from their Hogwarts House.
Rhea had also found the morons to be very grabby, especially when they tried to steer her away from her friends, something that had been a final straw for her. The next moron to grab her, Neville Longbottom, had gotten a good taste of unfriendly Death Magic into his system. Not enough to harm or terrify, but enough to make them feel cold. The longer they held on, the closer they felt as if they were in the presence of a Dementor. Safe to say everyone including Potter kept themselves away from her and Rhea got back to a more typical routine. She kept her Death Magic on the surface of her body though. The sudden hand on her shoulder and ensuing yelp made that clear, but Rhea paled when she recognized the magic of the person who just touched her. She buried her magic deep before casting warming charms on herself and Fleur.
" I am so sorry, Fleur. I have been dealing with idiots all week and forgot to lower the effect. " Fleur relaxed as she felt her body grow warm from Rhea's attention to her hand as she sat down. She gently kissed Rhea on the cheek, getting a cute blush out of her. " I forgive you. That article must have made quite the stir here at Hogwarts. " Rhea's growl had the duel effect of raising her hackles and warming her skin. Her girlfriend's aggressive side was both terrifying and attractive. She really needed to decide which she would lump it with more. "Please don't mention that. I've been hounded every day for it and my parent's official statement is the only response anyone needs to understand." The Black's issued a formal statement through the Daily Prophet, making it clear for Magical Britain that despite how she was born, Rhea was a Black, the House of Black would take offense should the populace call Rhea by her former name and try to associate her with her former identity. The Prophet had tried to secure an interview but her Dad refused, saying that any interviews would wait till Rhea graduated and would be at her discretion. Rhea had no interest in ever having an interview but knew to keep her options open, though she was more likely to give one to Luna's dad than Rita Skeeter. Fleur nodded and hugged Rhea, both growing warm from the contact. Rhea knew Fleur wanted to be more touchy in public and Rhea… was not sure how to feel. She loved being physical with Fleur but didn't feel like sharing that part of herself.
"Did you manage to decipher the egg?" Fleur nodded but didn't elaborate, which made Rhea frown. "I am afraid I can't share anymore, Ma Cherée. The organizers sent the champions a message warning against further assistance in preparations from the tasks." Rhea had a bad feeling about that. "Isn't the Triwizard Tournament supposed to allow a level of cheating, even encouraging it?" Fleur shrugged, "Perhaps, but the organizers this time don't want to have the Champions relying on others. I can sort of understand, with the Tournament's dangers already toned down for the attempt at reviving the practice, they probably feel too much outside interference would make it too easy. Please don't ask me about the egg, Ma Cherée. I want to prove I can do it on my own." Rhea felt something about that note was wrong but she didn't sense anything wrong with Fleur. She could also understand wanting to prove herself. "I understand, just please, be careful. I've had a bad feeling about the Tournament from the start and I don't want to see you get hurt."
Fleur kissed Rhea on the cheek. "Thank you for understanding. Any plans for us from now to the Second Task?" Rhea hummed, "I know you will be training hard, so just leave a few lunches open to have them elsewhere. It would also honor me, my fair lady if you leave Valentine's Day open. I know you don't particularly celebrate it and neither do I, but a day just for each other will be quite nice." Fleur leaned into Rhea's ear and whispered, "Just the day?" Rhea's face went deep red, "The night too, if we are both in the mood." Fleur kissed her cheek. "Then it's a date." The two chatted about Fleur's time back home and her sister Gabrielle who loved her presents, stuffed animals and all. The matching necklace had also been well received.
The next few days fell into a routine for Rhea, from keeping Henry and his posse away, studying with the group, to just exercising with Fleur in the mornings. Both Rhea and Fleur slowed down their physical intimacy, feeling like they had progressed a bit further than expected, though Fleur continued to be physically close, something Rhea enjoyed begrudgingly. Rhea did notice that all three Champions were focusing a lot on swimming, which made Rhea look towards the Black Lake. Knowing the Wixen, it would probably have something to do with the Merpeople living there. Rhea prayed they didn't follow the stories about hostages with these. They had avoided it with the dragons because those were more non-magical embellishments and dragons were too
dangerous for anyone to be kept in close proximity to them. Merpeople could be conversed and negotiated with. Rhea wasn't too sure if that counted as a good thing right now.
Just before Valentine's Day, the Quidditch teams finally got into a proper game. The coaches and instructors had spent the first term training up their teams, getting them to work well together. The Hogwarts Team had a heavy line up of Gryffindors, covering the three chasers and the beaters, which didn't surprise Rhea at all, as their performance last year had been decent, at least until the matches got bloody. At least Diggory got the Seeker and Captain position and the Keeper was a Slytherin. She would, however, always remember the panic of watching Draco's catastrophic impact with the ground. She had vowed to not watch another Quidditch game, which was the reason she was tending the Hospital Wing while Pomfrey was at the game with Healer Smyth, keeping an eye out for their students.
So of course she would get an unwanted visit from a Potter. Rhea stilled when she sensed a partly unfamiliar presence enter the Hospital Wing, watching as Lily Potter entered through the doors. Rhea would rather be anywhere else right now but she had a duty to maintain. "Is there anything I can help you with Professor Potter? A Headache potion perhaps? Madam Pomfrey's supply of Menstruation medication?" That got a blush out of the redhead. "I would appreciate a bit of the latter actually." Rhea nodded and moved towards the Potions Cabinet, pulling out the specific medication while feeling a pair of eyes looking at her from behind. Rhea sighed and brought out the potions on a tray, placing it next to the bed Lily decided to sit at. "I imagine you have enough experience with these to know how to take them?"
Lily nodded, took the offered potions and chugged them back quickly. "Not many witches would trust a potion served to them from someone who suffered because of them. Then again, you are a Gryffindor, not a Ravenclaw." Lily just looked at her, her body language showing shame and resignation. "While I doubt you'd go through it and ruin your Healer's reputation, there is a part of me that feels that I would deserve it." Rhea took the empty vials to place next to the Washing station. She'd get them clean and ready to refill soon enough. "Then I suggest you refrain from ever accepting any food or drink from my mother. She in particular took everything that happened, including the article, quite poorly and would not be above dosing you. By the time she'd be done with you, you would welcome death." Lily looked at her in the eyes, "You admire her for that?"
Rhea laughed humorlessly, "Of course I do. My parents are not above poisoning, murder, war or dying themselves if it means I get to live a happy and well cared for life, knowing fullwell how much they loved and cared for me, though I would be awfully crass with them on the last point. Does that clash with society's views on proper parenting? Maybe. Doesn't matter to me though I love them with all my heart and I know they feel the same. Can't have it better than that." Lily looked like she wanted to argue but just looked away from her. "Dorea would have loved you, I think. She never objected to me, but I could see she didn't really like me all that much." Rhea nodded, "Sirius talks about Grandma Dorea all the time. Madam Pomfrey does too, since she studied medicine with her." Rhea allowed a wistful smile, "A part of me would have loved to have had her in my life. She and mom would have been inseparable in the Potions lab. As for her problems with you, my guess is that she would have prefered someone with a more commanding presence. Potter's do have an ego problem."
Lily winced at the jab at her husband and son. "I suppose I deserve that." Rhea's voice went cold, "No, you deserve far worse. And if I had been raised by anyone else I would happily start showing you what you really deserved." Lily felt a shiver of fear as she saw Rhea's eye glow with power, anger and pain clearly visible in her gaze. They eventually dulled, the light fading just a bit. "But I am not cruel enough to make Henry an orphan as you did me, or to end him just to watch you both suffer. Death would be a mercy to all of you right now… the last months worth of guilt and shame you have felt have been a good start in paying back the debts you owe to me and to your son. Know this, Lily Potter, neither you nor James will ever be more than the sperm and egg donors to me. You have already failed as a mother to me, and you have been failing your son as well. You are running out of time with him too. I suggest you don't waste what precious little you have left."
Rhea watched as shame and guilt fought with indignation over her words but eventually, Lily Potter just stood up and left the Hospital Wing quietly. Rhea watched her leave as her mind started lessening its hold on her emotions. There was a part that would probably always wanted to kill Lily and James Potter for the part they played in her suffering. That same part wanted to do terrible things to them first. But the rest of her just wanted them gone. Had they been there before Sabrina, had they given her the love and attention she needed, she might have cared about them again, in some twisted way. But they never did, and her Mom refused to let her lose herself in her pain and hate. She had wanted Rhea to have a childhood, even if a bit late, to know a mother's unconditional love and the warmth of a happy home. Rhea got that and more. She would never regret not caring for the Potters, and she would just let her hate fizzle out. They simply weren't worth it. Not at all.
- -
Fleur readjusted herself to a more comfortable position, spooning Rhea's body as the two rested after a long night of physical activity in Fleur's bed. Valentine's Day had been perfect. Rhea had gotten the elves to adorn Fleur's room in the Beauxbatons' carriage in her sleep and filled it with flowers and scented candles, her favorite breakfast laid out on the table under stasis and a wonderful note sitting on top of it. Rhea was a romantic and Fleur would always grow warm at how thoughtful she was. After meeting her for the morning exercises, Rhea pushed her a bit harder, focusing on Fleur arms and legs. After finishing up some of her class work and NEWT studies, Fleur found herself getting portkeyed away. It took her a moment to see that Rhea had brought her to France, on the Mediterrenean coast. The water was a bit cold, but the warming charms were enough to let them both have a short dip, before settling down and eating a picnic lunch.
Rhea's eyes had bugged out a bit as Fleur had changed into a swimsuit, after the Veela deciphered the hint from the note her girlfriend left with breakfast. Fleur smirked at how Rhea struggled to not look at her body with clear interest, she loved teasing her girlfriend a lot. The lunch went quite well itself as the two enjoyed the quiet moment at the beach, though Fleur had grown a
bit worried. Rhea had been making comments and observations that were clearly about the Second Task, even if she never outright voiced it. Fleur eventually got a bit irked and snapped at Rhea who looked worried but resigned. She dropped the matter entirely. For the rest of the day, Rhea just switched gears and devoted the entire time to Fleur and it had made Fleur deliriously happy. No subterfuge, no questions, just attention and affection. When dinner came along, Fleur had already been thinking about dessert. The kind of dessert that required a bed and her girlfriend in it.
While Fleur had usually taken the lead in their physical moments, Rhea decided to be the one in charge tonight, pouring her concerns and feelings for Fleur into her every action. Her ministrations had left Fleur with a dazed look, out of breath, warm and in desperate need of a shower. Fleur didn't complain one bit. It wasn't until they both settled in for the night that Fleur really started to think. Rhea was a great girlfriend. Scratch that, she was terrific. Thoughtful, attentive but not pushy or overly clingy. But there were moments when they just didn't click all that well. Fleur was in the Triwizard Tournament for private reasons, wanting to prove something to herself. But Rhea had it in her head that something else was going on and she had wanted to keep Fleur safe. It made Fleur feel warm inside with the fact she clearly cared, but it irked her to no end when it felt like she didn't trust her to know what she was doing.
Trust. That was something the two of them were having trouble with and Fleur now just realized it. She was sure Rhea knew it too, at least in some way. Rhea had trusted Fleur with a secret, but only after they had both signed a contract. In the time since, they had gotten much closer and Rhea had made it clear that there would be no intimacy between them without them agreeing to a full relationship, even if it left Rhea suffering for longer. Everything she had seen of the 14 year old that was way too mature in some ways for her age had left Fleur with a deep respect and a lot of longing. They had both satisfied their needs for intimacy, though Fleur could still see some echoes of Rhea's past in her face and body evenings the throes of ecstasy. But despite everything so far, trust was still far away. It took an article for Fleur to know more of Rhea's secrets and her girlfriend still refused to explore or discuss anything about the article with her. Fleur wondered if Rhea would ever truly trust her.
Fleur bit her lips in thought. She could make the first gesture and trust her first. She could tell Rhea about the Second Task and her concern that it could involve someone as a hostage. Someone who could very well be Rhea, as right now she definitely is the person Fleur would miss the most. But Rhea didn't like the Tournament and was paranoid to a fault. If Fleur told her, she might end up disrupting the task and Fleur didn't want to do that, as it could end her chances of being Triwizard Champion. So instead of telling Rhea, warning her about what the Task entails, Fleur hugged her girlfriend tighter. She would trust in the organizers and in herself. Everything would be fine. She fell asleep, hoping she hadn't made a mistake.
- -
Rhea turned to look at the clock on the wall. Last night had left her feeling conflicted, but she
refused to regret it. They had no right to involve her in the blasted Tournament. She had been quietly walking back to her dorm room after she had finished working in the potions lab, restocking the many potions used up after the Hogwarts and Durmstrang Quidditch game. Hogwarts' victory over Beauxbatons had given enough of the game away that the Durmstrang team felt they could lose the competition. So instead of playing their best, they went on the offensive. Rhea was glad she hadn't been there, she might have frozen the entire team mid air. No player in either team left the pitch without injury, with everyone having some broken bones and most people suffering from a concussion. Madam Hooch had been absolutely livid and the Board of Governors had issued a formal protest and reprimand against the Durmstrang Institute. Headmaster Karkaroff had not looked happy, though the issue would take a while in the ICW courts.
So, after several days of heavy work in the infirmary and the potion's lab with Professor Snape, Rhea had been hoping to actually have a restful night of sleep in her room, even if it meant taking a Dreamless Sleep Potion. As she made her way towards Ravenclaw Tower, she was intercepted by Remus Lupin. "Miss Black, would you kindly accompany me to the Headmaster's Office? There are some important matters to discuss." Rhea had wanted to laugh at the former DADA professor. As Dumbledore's added measure of security since the First Task he had to be aware that Rhea had successfully avoided all of Dumbledore's summons since January, something that she knew was driving the old coot furious because he simply couldn't force her to leave class or find her when she was out of class. Without her parents approval, he simply couldn't get her to go to the office, and he simply never bothered to ask her parents.
"Mr Lupin, in the last two months, I have been unsuccessfully summoned to the Headmaster's Office every time. Unless he has contacted my parents and arranged a proper meeting, which I know he hasn't, I have no business being there. Good evening." Rhea turned to head towards the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower when Remus pulled her arm back, which really pissed her off. She hates when people do that. "This isn't a matter of academics or your family Miss Black. You are required to attend." Rhea turned her eyes at the Were and the man flinched, goosebumps spreading down his arm. There was only so much she could take before her anger slipped. Rhea did take a moment to think about Remus' words though. "Is this about the Second Task?" The man nodded, "It is Miss Black. Your presence is required."
Rhea allowed the situation to run through her head. Mermaids, Black Lake, Three Champions and she is required. She didn't have to hide her anger or disgust, let alone the foreboding in her chest. "Your boss is honestly going forward with a Task requiring you to place Hostages in the Black Lake? Hostages whose participation wasn't covered in the selection process for the Tournament?" The former professor sighed, "Be that as it may Miss Black, the Task has already been selected and prepared. We can assure you everything will be perfectly fine and you will be free to go in the afternoon. Now if you follow me." There was no means of preventing what came next. Rhea honestly couldn't be bothered. She laughed. "Mr. Lupin, nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing in this world or the next would ever convince me to place my life in Headmaster Dumbledore's hands. Now if you excuse me, I have a good night's sleep to prepare for."
That was apparently the wrong thing to say to a staunch Dumbledore supporter like the Were. Remus forcefully grabbed her upper arm and made as if he would be pulling her along. "I am afraid
you will have to put your family's personal issues with the Headmaster aside, you were selected to participate in the Second Task and you will-" The man's mind began to fog, his vision narrowing. He felt cold. "You should pay more attention to the students you're protecting, Mr. Lupin. You would have noticed that I. Don't. Like. Being. Manhandled! You and the others can find another puppet to string up, as I refuse to be anyone's pawn. Oh, and do enjoy your nap, I'll make sure you reach the Hospital Wing safely. I do hope you learn from this though. I never had a problem with you Professor and I won't take tonight personally if you don't. Sweet dreams." That was the last thing the former DADA Professor heard as he fell into a deep sleep.
Concerned over other attempts, Rhea informed Flitwick that she'd be seeking different accommodations for the night, and told him about the incident outside of Ravenclaw Tower. He was clearly bothered by it and her reaction, but Rhea's expression made it clear. She really couldn't care right now. So Rhea spent a quiet night in the Ravenclaw Chambers, reading a bit more into the Necromancer's Book she received in Egypt before finally falling asleep. She spent a quiet morning with Helena talking about the authority she technically held and what she could get away with. Never hurts to be too careful. It wasn't until after midday, when she felt the multitude of students return to the school that she stepped out and made her way to the Beauxbatons carriage. The staffer mentioned Fleur was with her family and he would let her know Rhea was there to see her. When Rhea sensed Fleur's presence, she stood up and turned to look at her.
SLAP
…
…
It took Rhea a few seconds to clear her mind, since all she had felt was a pain that had gone from her face straight down her back. She was also pretty sure her heart had stopped beating again, which really was getting annoying. Her eyes were having issues, shifting from grayscale to colors repeatedly before settling into color. The physical pain in her cheek was quite easily forgotten. Fleur's anger fueled words started spilling out, " How could you! The Headmasters informed me that you had refused to be the Hostage and they couldn't find you. Because of you Gabrielle was picked in your place and she was injured! If it hadn't been for you she'd never have been down there! Your brother had been the one who ended up saving her before the worst could happen!"
Rhea did her best to keep her mind clear of anger. She cared about Fleur. She cared. "Fleur, all I was told was that I had been selected as a Hostage, not for whom. I refused because I don't trust the Headmasters or the organizers to keep anyone safe. I had no idea that this would put Gabrielle in trouble." Fleur's anger felt like a hot fire agaisn't Rhea's face. " The Task was perfectly safe for you! It was my sister who was placed in danger because they couldn't guarantee a Veela in a Merpeople village. If you hadn't been such a coward, nothing bad could have happened. " Rhea's anger was building, even as her body grew colder, "Damn it Fleur, I keep telling you this
Tournament isn't safe! It was never going to be safe! But if you had told me about the task, I might have helped you! I would have known about the Hostage thing and planned accordingly."
Fleur yelled at Rhea again. " I already told you I couldn't confide the details of the Task in you! You just had to trust in me and the organizers that everything would have been fine! But you are just too broken to trust anyone!" Rhea just stared at Fleur, her eyes losing all emotion. Her body had always been cold. She had never been bothered by it. It was comforting. Though she came to love the warmth too. She likes the warmth from her Mothers love, the warmth from her Father's smile. Everything about Fleur had made her feel warm for the past few months. Her smile, her laugh, even her teasing. Everything had been so warm and wonderful. So why? WHY? Why did all that feel cold now! Why did Fleur make her feel so cold now! She couldn't understand why it felt that way now. She hadn't done anything wrong! Her instincts had told her to stay away and she did. So why! Why … did everything hurt now?
Horror appeared on Fleur's face as she realized what she did and said. She had been so worried about Gabrielle, so angry that her sister was endangered because her girlfriend refused to take part in the Tournament. The words had slipped out of her mouth before she realized it and the moment they registered on Rhea's face she knew she made a mistake. She could see the effects of occlumency keeping her from collapsing but the pain was clear. Fleur's words had hurt her deeply. "Rhea, I… '' Fleur tried reaching out to Rhea but her girlfriend's eyes focused on Fleur's hand. That hand had been so warm, a joy to hold, to feel against her skin. Now it felt wrong. Memories of just a second ago began to mix with older ones. Memories of people who hurt her. Why? "Don't!" Rhea felt her body falling apart inside of her. Why? WHY? Her words were cold but emotionless. She hated how mechanical they felt but nothing else came out. She was sooo cold! "Fleur, believe me when I say that I never wanted Gabrielle in danger and that I am sorry about everything that happened. Maybe if we had both been more trusting, this would never have happened." Rhea wasn't sure about that. A part of her was telling her it would have happened one day. But it didn't matter anymore. Her heart felt like glass, cracking and grinding. She was soooo cold! WHY? "But it did. I … I know why you said it and I forgive you for it… but I can't trust that you don't mean it. That you never would… feel that way… that you'd never hurt me again." SO COLD! Why did it hurt? The cold could never hurt her before! So why? WHY?
Tears slipped from Rhea's eyes as she looked into Fleur's equally tearful face. "From the moment I met you, I liked you, Fleur. I was happy with you. You had made this the best winter I could have ever asked for… Goodbye Fleur. I honestly wish you find happiness out there. It just… won't be with me." Rhea couldn't stand there anymore. She allowed the cold to swallow her up and she vanished from before Fleur, who collapsed on the floor as her legs failed her. Fleur cried. She felt her parents pull her up and take her back to her room. She kept crying. Rhea had been the best part of her winter too. Her smile, her laugh, even her pouts. She never allowed Fleur to feel unwanted or unwelcome in Britain. And now… she had thrown all that away. One moment where she was blinded by her worry and anger. One moment and it was all over. In that moment Fleur realized something that she knew Rhea had already known. Had always known since before they met. The Tournament meant nothing. It was an act of pride, nothing more and nothing less.
Fleur had always been prideful. She knew that. She had to be. Her pride as a Veela made the
hardships feel less painful. It had made her feel a part of something more, something special. Being selected as a champion for Beauxbatons, Beating the First Task and coming out on top of the others. She had felt special. But none of that compared to how Rhea had made her feel. At the Yule Ball, her eyes never wandered onto other girls, even if the friends she had started to admire were there. Her eyes and attention had been on Fleur. Only her. Rhea, who had balked at being intimate for no reason beyond her own healing, had allowed herself to be intimate with Fleur early so that their Yule Night would be perfect. It had been perfect. All for her. Fleur had the undivided attention of one of the most wonderful women in the world and she'd squandered it. All for her bloody pride. So Fleur wept on her mother's shoulder. She wept till she collapsed. She knew in her heart that she had found a chance of actually falling in love and she lost it. Rhea's eyes had said it all. There was no going back.
- -
Sabrina knew something was wrong. She had felt Rhea's emotions before, especially as a child. The night her daughter had spoken to her Grandmother Selene, Sabrina had felt the onslaught of emotions through the bond the moment she returned from the Veil. She had felt it again when her girl talked to Dorea and woke up. At her wedding, the absolute warmth and joy that flooded through the bond never allowed Sabrina to waver. She had made the right choice in loving Sirius and the joy her daughter felt at seeing the two most important people in her life bound in marriage was like a sun blazing in Sabrina's mind. But what she felt now chilled her to the core. It was raw, cold and sharp. Pain. A heartfelt pain that consumed all other sensations. Something terrible had happened to her daughter. She pulled out her communication mirror and called Sirius. His connection to Rhea was thinner, but still there. Even he felt the change too. The moment she closed the mirror and prepared to head for the Floo Sabrina found herself rushing forward and cradling her daughter, who had just materialized in front of her, dropping out from the Veil. Her daughter had never felt this cold. Not on the nights of Samhain, not on the many nights her daughter invaded her bed, all but consumed by nightmares. Not even on the night she carried her tiny form through the door.
"Kreacher, tell Sirius Rhea is home and she will be staying for a while." The elf looked at the young mistress and grew worried. "Kreacher will inform the Lord Black. Kreacher will ask Typsy to help with the young Mistress. Typsy knows how to care for the young Mistress when she is filled by Death's Cold." Kreacher popped away. Sabrina ran her hand through Rhea's hair and she felt her daughter take a breath. Then another. And another. She then began to weep. Hard, uncontrolled and desperate sobs broke from her daughter's heart. Sabrina was going to be asking Kreacher for some throat repairing potions. Her daughter was going to cry herself hoarse. She remained seated on the floor, her daughter's face crying and screaming in pain onto her mother's lap. Sabrina enveloped her daughter in her magic again, as she had done the first time they met. She knew it wouldn't stop the tears. Not this time. But she wanted her daughter to know. She was there for her. No matter what.
The next day, after getting Rhea to bed and finding some comfort in Sirius' arms that night,
Sabrina opened the door to Rhea's room. It was once Sirius' room and had been partly decorated in Gryffindor colors, posters and band posters. When Sirius moved into the Master Bedroom, they had spent a bit of time redecorating the room before she moved in. Sabrina had said it would be best that it wasn't a perfect copy of her room back at her old place, but to make it her room as a Black. Sirius had changed the colors to be a bit more Ravenclaw in scheme, with Blue wallpaper with elegant patterns, the desks were a warmer oak color, and the bedframe was the same. The sheets today were blue as well. Rhea was currently on the bed, her back against the headboard, her hands nursing a warm cup of hot chocolate. Her eyes were red, her nose looked raw and her skin pale. Sabrina moved slowly into the room and sat down at her side, giving her a one arm hug.
The two sat there for a few minutes, Rhea never once drinking from the chocolate. Sabrina wondered if she was trying to get used to the sensation of warmth. She was still unnaturally cold. "I think… I think I could have loved her…" Sabrina had learned about the reason for her daughter's pain. The Delacours weren't as old as the other Families in Europe, but even they had been jumpy when they heard their daughter was dating a member of the Prasinos family, even if she didn't carry the name. They had sent a letter last night explaining what had happened and offering their sincere apologies. Sabrina had assured them that no offense would be taken and that she gave her own apologies about their daughter's condition as well. That was the best she could do. She also sent a letter to Seraphina. Best not let any plans for revenge form in the Matriarch's head, even if Sabrina herself could never forgive the young Veela for the words she used. Any retaliation would only hurt her daughter more.
"Is that why it hurts so much? Because it was real? Because it could have led to something like you and Dad?" Sabrina rested her head against her daughters. "Yes. It hurts worse when its people we care about. When it's the ones we loved, there is no greater pain." Sabrina watched her daughter lift her hot chocolate and drank from it. She stopped and looked at it. "It's weird… not seeing colors right now, or tasting anything. I feel it's warmth though." There was a part of Sabrina that was deeply terrified about what Rhea described. She had mentioned something similar after the New Year's newspaper debacle. It faded away and eventually Rhea recovered, but the idea that her daughter could lose part of her senses, and that one day it could be a permanent loss, absolutely terrified her.
"We will go over the Peverell Grimoire and journals again, but it should fix itself on its own. Until then, you've been cleared to stay with us. Also, Flitwick said you could technically take the rest of the term off if you complete your OWLs." Rhea nodded, "I think… I would like that. Could also look at Peverell Castle… might have more books there… about this." Sabrina nodded and the two sat in silence for a bit. "Do you … do you think I will ever … feel love for anyone?" Sabrina wanted to cry at how desperate and broken her daughter sounded. Her daughter would forever be a dichotomy of a maturity beyond time mixed with a child's insecurities. She hoped she could one day feel certain. Then again, the world her daughter knows is a cold and painful one. Family is her one and only comfort. It truly broke Sabrina's heart to know her daughter may never look at the world without doubting if the hope she felt was false. "Yes. I know you will. It will happen. You could meet at a bank on the other side of the world, at a beach in the Carribean or even at a Hospital as they get placed in front of you for treatment. You may even be able to fall in love with someone at school still. The person who will love you, all of you is still out there, somewhere."
Rhea rested her head on Sabrina's shoulders, feeling warmth spreading through her cheek, a bit of color appearing in her vision for a second. "I … would like to… fall in love again. I … just hope it doesn't hurt… like this." Sabrina silently agrees. She feels Rhea slipping back to sleep and catches the cup of chocolate. She helps her daughter into a more comfortable position and heads to step out of the room. She takes one last look at her sleeping daughters face and silently wishes Persephone watches over her daughter the next few nights. The next few days Rhea wakes up and manages to make small talk with Sirius, Bella and Dora, sending out a few letters to her friends at school. Her nights, however, are spent quietly in an endless field of stars. She had loved running in her dreams before, but these nights Rhea spent them more on her back looking at the lights fading in and out. It was odd though. For some reason she could remember who she was and what bothered her. That had never happened before. Even this place, a refuge from the world beyond now carried the scars of her life. Rhea couldn't help but cry as she felt her last refuge taken from her slightly
Chapter End Notes
As I said, I am so sorry.
Let me make this clear. A Muse can be a terrible thing. I had planned a Rhea(Halley)/Fleur story from the start but as I began to work out the story for the events of year 4 and 5 it simply failed to line up properly with said Romance. I almost scrapped a romantic partner for Rhea all together, considering a ofc relationship built after the events. The moment I started on Year 5 that went out the window too as a love interest I had initially discarded showed up and the Muse made it impossible not to write their Romance. The fact I have enjoyed writing it and am still writing shows just how well it fits into my current story.
There are great Harry/Fleur fanfictions out there an I encourage people to find them. What follows will be a different pairing and I hope you are satisfied with it by the end as I am. Also, this break up will have consequences beyond a change in who Rhea ends up with. It will shape her views and concerns about relationships, though it will take sometime to be observable as Rhea would need to date for the changes to be noticed.
Next Chapter?: Rhea gets a bit of sage advice, she decides to deal with an issue early and takes care of her friends.
Leave a comment, discuss and see you in two days.
How to Pick Yourself Up
Chapter Notes
Here is the next Chapter.
A bit longer but not the longest one I have written. That honor goes to a chapter still to be posted. On that note I can safely say that I have outlined the conclusion to this story. I feel an inmense amount of dread because writing this has been an absolute joy and you all have been great. If my outlines hold true, the story will end in Chapter 44 (it said 45 but I miss labeled my chapters), and I just finished writing chapter 35. So, I hope you all stick around as I am plan to see this through to the end.
I can also safely say that I am considering my next project. As said in my comments, its a femHarry/Tonks fanfic, will focus outside of Hogwarts for a bit though it will intersect in instances and it will also have a Master of Death MC, though its a vastly different interpretation to what I am doing here. I don't want to recycle elements of this story. So, look forward to the next few chapters and a brand new fanfic soon after.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
"Aunt Bella, you home?" Belle looked up and a worried smile spread on her face. Her niece had been back at Grimmauld for a little over two weeks and was finally in control of her magic, meaning she had been wanting to leave her family home for a bit of fresh air. Looks like she got her chance. She was still a bit closed off emotionally though. Bella organized her papers on the table and stood up just in time to see her niece look into her dining room. She looked at the stacks of papers and back at Bella. "I can head back if you are busy." Bella pulled her into a hug and heard Rhea huff. "Nope, you walked right into my web and I ain't letting you go. How are you today, Princess?" Rhea groaned and Bella laughed. Since Rhea was already a nickname, Bella had gone through the trouble making her own. Being Heiress and named after a famous queen, of course she went with a simple princess. Rhea had to fire stinging hexes at her Dad to extract a promise from him to never call her that the first time he heard it. He went with "little maiden" instead. Prat.
Rhea managed to extract herself from Bella's hug. "Better, I think. Got my taste buds back in working order and my dreams are back to normal. Just need to relearn taste again. Feels really weird." Bella nodded, "Those months of meals you got for me were as much nourishment as remembering what everything tasted like as well. Quite the interesting experience, despite the compulsion. So, Siri and Brina let you out?" Rhea moved towards the table and sat down like a proper lady, making Bella smirk. Definitely a Black. "More like Uncle Lucius and Aunt Cissa are hosting a few meetings, trying to get more Dark Families away from Avery and Yaxley. Mom and Dad are there to show their support of Dark Faction positions and negotiate on stuff the Neutrals and Lights could agree with. The mess at the World Cup left the extremists in both sides a bit too jittery for our tastes." She looked at the papers, "What's all this? Still dealing with the legal mess
from the Lestranges?"
Bella sat down and showed her the first few pages. "Nope, all done with the Lestranges. Ted does fine work and with Dora passing on any juicy information to Bonsy, everything has been taken care off. I am legally cleared to rejoin society!" Rhea smiled, "They won't know what hit them. These… are these papers a Mastery dissertation?" Bella beamed, "Yup! You aren't the only one who got bored with the usual curriculum at Hogwarts. I got most of my NEWTs in 5th year, so that left me 2 years of finishing the boring courses and working on a Mastery. Got 2 years into the required work before I was rudely interrupted." Rhea looked over her Aunt's work. "I was going to take advantage of being out of Hogwarts and completing most of my OWLS before heading back and spending time with my friends. I've been reviewing for them since I could get my head to focus on work properly." Bella hummed, "Probably for the best. With this being your second unplanned absence from Hogwarts, I am not seeing the Old Coot letting you have a third. Before any of that, let's go to the training room. I want to see how rusty you are."
Rhea took up her Aunt on the challenge and both had an impromptu duel with no words spoken. Rhea felt her body was still slightly off, and even though her magic was still strong it felt unbalanced. She focused on compensating and managed to keep up with Bella's well practiced steps. It took a lot of effort though. Eventually, both Rhea and Bella were splayed out on the floor after their banishing spells pushed them both back. "Damn, the little princess won't be needing no rescuing with that much skill." Rhea laughed, "You are complimenting me? I really need you and Dora to fess up on your training regimen! Less than a year and you are that good? No wonder Flitwick still talks about your Duelling prowess!" The two laughed on the floor and helped each other up before heading into the kitchen. Bella's place was an apartment decently close to Dora's and both sat outside of Magical London, which gave them some major conveniences. Like ordering take out. Two pizzas and a few unhealthy drinks later and both were back at the table, Bella working on her dissertation and Rhea looking over work for her OWLs. A few hours later and after Rhea felt her brain melt into her skull, she finally decided to take a break and just meditate. She noticed a familiar looking owl drop a letter and a package for Bella.
Ordinarily she would stay out of her family's private affairs, but the blush that erupted on Bella's cheeks and neck needed investigation. "I didn't know that Amelia Bones was the romantic type." Score! Her blush went truly scarlet. Bella had a soft smile, "She is … a bit harder to mess with, being Head of the DMLE and everything, but we've been having a few meetups, thanks to Dora." Rhea hummed playful at first before unwanted thoughts filled her mind with images of Fleur and her heart slipped into cold again. Damn it. At Least her eyes were still seeing in color. Bella noticed and sighed, "Trust me, it's not easy. Loving again after having your heart broken." Rhea felt there was more to it than just a word of wisdom, even as she readjusted her thoughts and feelings. "You had someone before, didn't you? At Hogwarts?" Bella nodded. "He was a Ravenclaw actually, smart, but kind. A bit like you. A Halfblood from a Neutral Family. He had courted me for 3 years at Hogwarts and I… I asked him to get me pregnant, to invalidate any contracts my cursed father could ever write for me. The hat should have sent him to Gryffindor instead, he was too noble to ever consider doing what Ted did for Andromeda. By the time I was out of Hogwarts, they forced me to sign. Rodolphus killed him a week later."
The silence lasted for a bit as Rhea contemplated Bella's words. "You know, I have been thinking of visiting the Dementors and giving them some standing orders. Like in case of fire, break glass? Though for the Dementors it would be in case of attempts at mass breakout, suck the souls of the most vile pieces of human filth in the place. I will make sure the asshole and his brother are on the list." Bella snickered and laughed. "I will leave that to you dear. I am sure I will read all about it. As for loving again after your first. After feeling real love for someone? It can be hard. I don't think what I have with Amelia counts just yet, but it could. Though Amelia is pretty much married to her work and retirement could mean James Potter taking over her job so…" Bella grinned at the disgust on her niece's face. "Yeah, best leave the Narcissistic Bully out of there." Rhea turned her eyes to her bracelet, feeling her magic meld with it slightly. It always calmed her down a bit, knowing this was on her skin. It meant she had a family stretching back years, centuries even.
"I am worried though. I think I trusted too early, too easily. I know a relationship needs trust, but when is one supposed to give it?" Bella pulled Rhea into a hug and for once her niece didn't complain. "Does it have to be all at the same time? You could trust bit by bit, showing more pieces of yourself." Rhea shuddered and Bella hugged her tighter. "How do you trust someone with a part of yourself that scares you? That you fear or hate?" Bella kissed her on the head. " Are we talking about your distrust in others or the part of your past that you would never like to talk about." Rhea swallowed a lump in her throat. "B…oth." Bella hummed. "That one I don't know. I think if you find someone who truly likes you they can look past the bad and focus on the good. Having someone who actually makes you be a better person would help with that. I still say you need to build up to it more." Rhea hugged Bella back. "I … don't want to be hurt by them. If I don't tell them soon enough, I will start to care. I already care about my friends so much and I am happy most of them didn't flinch about me being a Necromancer. I don't know what I would have done if they freaked out."
Bella keeps humming, easing both their minds. "I can't give you any easy answers Rhea. You have a big heart. You care so easily for those who aren't mean or violent and you know it so you keep yourself distant as much as you can. I can't tell you what to do because I don't know how to deal with it myself. We just have to learn and move on. I am sure you will find someone you could love again, someone you could be open with fully and not be afraid. Until that day comes through, we will all be here for you. Remember that." Rhea's heart feels heaving as she lets out a soft sob.
"Thanks for talking it out with me. My parents try, but I can tell they don't want to dredge up anything that could hurt and I love them for it." Bella lets go of Rhea and kisses her daughter on the forehead, whipping her tears away with her fingers "But sometimes you do need to talk it through, with those who have lived the same as you. Believe me, I know." Bella moves over to the sofa, bringing Rhea with her as the two get back to looking over their own papers, the presence of another just being there easing the pains they both feel. Rhea was truly thankful the next few nights for having Bella as her Aunt.
- -
Rhea kisses her Mom and Dad on the cheek. Sabrina cups her daughter's cheek and tries to give her daughter a supportive smile. "You sure you want to do this now? It can wait for a few years?" Sirius' addition of "more like a few decades'' lightened the mood as the family stood just outside of the gates for Peverell Castle. The place has been held in stasis for almost eight centuries now, with multiple attempts to either claim or steal from the property failing miserably. The Peverell's were a paranoid bunch and their contracts were some of the most comprehensive and unbreakable ever made, so much so that the request to the Goblins to clean it was simply denied. Rhea would fit right in with her ancestors. Which was part of the reason she was standing before the main gate. Her Death Magic was unique, she knew that much. A lot of the Necromancy texts she had been reading, even the one from Egypt, made it clear that her connection to death was unlike anything ever recorded before. The anomaly with her Death Magic traces back to her source of it. Even though the Peverells survived up to the beginning of the 20th century, no Peverell ever unlocked the Ancestral Home, yet something about the place kept calling to her. So she was now standing outside the dark and looming fortress with her parents, who would have to stay behind.
She hugged her parents, "Kreacher and Typsy made sure I had enough food on me for any delays, and Nyx promises to pull me out should anything really bad happen." Said Familiar hooted from her shoulder before grooming her chest. Rhea could tell that neither of them were exactly thrilled but she could see they both understood why she needed to do it. She turned to the iron and wood gates of the outer wall and pressed her left hand with her Head of House rings against it. "I, Rheannon Sabrina Black, Lady of House Peverell wish to enter the Ancestral Home of my family." The rings grow warm as a ripple of magic spreads across the gate, locking mechanisms snapping and clicking in place before the gate opens outward, revealing a lifted drawbridge that begins to descend on its own. Her Dad looks at the whole thing, "Sweetheart, I know you want to do this, but this security… it feels like it was made more towards keeping something inside the walls, not exactly out." Rhea nods, "It feels that way, but I have to do this. My magic is growing more unstable and it keeps pulling me here. I promise, no unnecessary risks. See you guys later."
The moment her feet touched the grass on the other side of the drawbridge, the gate behind her started to close and the drawbridge started to ascend. She looked back and caught the worried looks on her parents' faces one last time before the gate and drawbridge blocked her view completely. Rhea kept walking forward across the short grass path as her eyes took in the surroundings. The drawbridge had a moat filled with water underneath it, possibly stretching around the entire property, which she knew to be a circle. The chances of the outer walls being the edges of a ritual circle set in stone were high, which spoke of the power within the castle and the possible dangers it held. The grounds themselves were covered in mist, with scattered ageless trees looking like giant shadows. Just before her stood the massive castle, its towers and walls eerily symmetrical. The outer wall held 12 towers, and here she could see 4 towers plus a massive central dome, with probably 2 more towers hidden behind. This place wasn't just a castle, it was a fortified ritual circle. Everything was too symmetrical, too even. The wonders of magic applied to ancient techniques. It didn't fill her with any more confidence. Ritual Magic was as helpful as it was dangerous and if her ancient relatives were dabbling with rituals needing a twelve sided star built of stone she really didn't want to think about what caused the Castle to lock itself down. She opened herself to the magic of the place and almost wished she hadn't.
Rhea dropped onto her knees on the grass as wave after wave of magic filled and passed through her, blinding her at times, her bones chilled thoroughly. No living soul could ever take this
terrain, as its walls, earth and even the water was saturated with Death Magic. Beyond even that, the place wasn't uninhabited. She'd have to let Luna know that the plans to get Thestrals for the place weren't necessary, they were still here. How they survived only took her a moment to think about, as the magic inside of them was beating in tandem with the castle's. Everything within the walls was bound to the castle and its magic and it to them. As Creatures of Death, the magic bypassed their needs in a living environment. Here they existed, as if trapped in a museum exhibit. There was a part of her that found it… wrong. All around her she could feel other Creatures of Death, their eyes fixed on her. Waiting. They had been waiting within these grounds for almost 200 years. She pulled herself up on unsteady legs and hurried her steps to the front door. Rhea wouldn't make them wait anymore than necessary. They deserved better. The Castle doors swung open as she reached them, silently granting her entry. As she stepped inside, Nyx flew from her shoulders and into the trees, making Rhea's heart sink lower as her Familiar's thoughts entered her own. What was inside Rhea would have to face alone. The massive oak doors closed behind her and blue flames sparked into existence.
Staircases, banners, suits of armour and massive iron chandeliers holding dozens of candles greeted her as the light settled into place. Rhea's eyes took in everything as her wand slipped into her hand, her hackles rising with every step. The foyer was beautiful in its rustic feel, the lighting soft, but not painful on the eyes. She followed the massive rug deeper into the castle, before standing before a deeply and intricately carved door, filled with Celtic designs, Goblin Runes, and even Fae Script. The castle's presence lingered in her mind, waiting for her with bated breath. It wanted her to open the door. Her own magic sang in her ears, demanding of her to do the same. Something in there was waiting for her. Just for her. Rhea took a deep breath and touched the door with her left hand. The scripts lit up with magic as a series of locks opened, before the door swung open. She quickly regretted doing so. A black mass of raw magic smashed into her and she found it hard to breath, as it not only covered her completely but she could feel it smothering her, filling her lungs and suffocating her heart. It felt as if she were drowning in pitch black water. Rhea lost all sense of direction as the magic swept around her, through her, looking inward, deeper into her soul. She cried in agony as her memories surfaced, her occlumency barriers doing nothing to keep them buried. The memories of a cupboard under the stairs, a manicured garden with flowers covered in her blood, bed sheets smelling of sweat, blood and tears. Images of a beautiful blonde young woman who showed her what love could feel like before everything fell apart.
The memories end as she took a deep breath after spending what felt like hours screaming for it all to stop, noticing she could feel solid stone beneath her knees and fingers. The unexpected and painful feeling of a spear piercing her back soon followed. With not even a flinch, Rhea pushed out with her magic, launching the spear away as she healed the wound. She looked around and saw… nothing. It was as a black beyond nature. There was literally nothing here. It reminded her of Bella's Veil, except there was no noise here, nothing but eerie silence and the endless weight of Death's cold grasp. A flicker of light ignited in her vision and she found it a very cold comfort. Fiendfyre racing towards her wasn't her idea of comforting in the middle of a black void. Rhea was forced to summon her own, watching as a giant Grim wreathed in flame launched itself at what looked to be a giant snake. Two orange flamed behemoths, filled with the cries and roars of beasts, crashed into each other. Her focus was interrupted by two jaws clamping into her legs. She looked down, casting a faint lumos with her hands and saw the skeletons of wolves, digging their sharp and pointed teeth into her skin, tearing into her tendons. Using the Fiendfyre still under her command, she incinerates the animated bones after banishing them away from her body and instead of crashing the Fiendfyre into the flaming beast like before, she wraps it around herself, in a protective line, though keeping it at a safe distance.
Her maneuvers revealed dozens of animated corpses, both human and beast around her, circling her, waiting for an opening. Rhea reached out with her Death Magic and tried to take control of the skeletons. It didn't work. Rhea felt a growing dread as she found her Death Magic refusing to answer her. "There will be no avoiding the inevitable here, Child of Black." Rhea looked for the source of the voice and froze as her eyes fixed on a body wrapped in a black cloak. She remembered him, from her earliest nightmares. Her earliest memory. The memory from the moment her life was changed forever. Red eyes stared at her, a malicious grin on his face. "You have escaped death many times from the moment we met. No more. This is the end for you, Rheannon Black." He shouts two words and the pale green light of the Killing Curse races towards her just as it did in the past. She instinctively raised a section of the floor into a wall and it exploded, dissipating the curse. The creatures lunge at her, seeking to sink their weapons or teeth into her, as spells rain down on her.
Rhea had long lost any measure of time, but it had to have been more than simply hours passing by. She may have spent days fueled with desperation and magic. She honestly couldn't care how long it had been, as the only thought in her mind was to fight, to keep fighting. The ground around her was littered with heaps of scorched bones and lances, embers of flames illuminating the surroundings, ever contained in a backdrop of eternal night. A human skeleton eventually managed to push her off balance before her spell turned it to dust. She was splayed on her back, her lungs filling with blood as she stared into the red eyes and inhuman face of Voldemort as he moved in closer to her, looming over her, his smile as wide as could be. "Everything dies, Necromancer. Even you. Especially you. Why not stop fighting? You are already dead. One in 4 billion people, in a universe filled with countless other lives. Your life, like your death, is insignificant. Give up, little girl." Rhea spat at him and growled, before she felt a foot come crashing down onto her legs, breaking them. She refused to scream. She sent a wave of Fiendfyre at him but he beat it away. Her magic, the single most comforting thing she knew in her life, was fading away.
Voldemort smirked at her as he lifted a spear from the ground and impaled her in the abdomen. Rhea's breath leaves her chest as she struggles not to let her pain show. "Here you are, dying before me, surrounded by a sea of endless death. This, dear Halley Potter, was always your fate. From the moment you were born, you were fated to die. Your life is devoid of any meaning. It's always been meaningless. Did your failed romance teach you nothing? Did you not do everything right from the start, only to lose it all in the end? Did you not die over and over again in the cupboard while your relatives celebrated? That is the world, girl. No matter what you do, it all ends. Everything can go perfect and yet you will still lose. This is the world we were both born in. Cold, cruel, unfair. Meaningless. Give in. Let go." Rhea gripped the spear piercing her chest and stared into his eyes, her cyan irises glowing with an inner light. "I don't care about the vile, cruel world filled with empty promises. It doesn't matter. None of that world matters to me. But my family does! For them I will fight on, all the way unto death! She and I have walked together since the moment I was born, her company is a comfort to me! But I will not give in, not to you, not to her, not on this bloody day." Tears spill from her eyes as she draws in the last of her strength, building up what trickle of magic she could still feel within herself. "They are waiting for me! They are waiting for me to come home. One day I will let Death claim me as is my fate, but not like this. Never like this. I need to go home, and by the endless night of the Veil, I will. Now get out of my way!" Rhea fills what magic she has left into the spear and launches it into Voldemort's chest. The body slumps to the side and collapses.
Rhea closed her eyes as she felt death licking at her wounds, her magic spent in its entirety. Images of her pain and suffering fill her mind, but she pushes them away. She won't think of the cupboard, the garden or the Dursley's roof. She won't think of Fleur, of the Potters, of Dumbledore or of Voldemort. Her mind turns to her whole world, her shining everything. She sees Bella, Cissa and Andy drinking tea together and laughing at a garden patio table. She sees Draco being chased by Dora, Padfoot and Nyx among the groves of flowers and trees. But more importantly she sees her parents holding hands and kissing each other before turning to her and smiling. For them, she would dare deny death. For them, she would live right to the bitter end. Even if there was nothing waiting for her at the end, they deserved to see her living and laughing at their side. She would live for them. Even as her eyes close slowly, her vision blurring, she keeps her family's image in her mind. Everything eventually goes dark, but not into the empty void of the Veil, but into the endless starry night. She feels her heart beating again in her ribcage, her body knitting itself back together piece by piece, her blood emptying out of her lungs. "It seems the time has finally come, my brothers."
Rhea blinks as she struggles to raise herself onto her feet, the puddles of water reflecting the night sky rippling with each step. She looks on and sees three wizards looking at her with… hope. "It has been a long time, Rheannon Black, since we walked the edges of the Veil. To be summoned here, now, lightens our hearts." The oldest moved forward and bowed, "Learn of today, the lesson I failed to head. Victory can easily be twisted into defeat by one's own pride." The middle one, whose hair was as black as Rhea's was before, bows. "Let not the shades of your past blind you, lest death prove ever more tempting than life. There is more to life than lamenting what could have been." The youngest smiled at her, a familiarly irritating smile. "You, my descendant, already carry my lesson within you, as well as my relic. Live on, Rheannon Black, Lady of House Peverell. Live on till it is your time. Death will await you, as always. It is up to you to decide when to let go. That is your gift and your curse." The oldest captured her attention again, "You know where my relic lies, don't let the mistakes of the past be repeated again and again. End the cycle." The middle brother had a face filled with disgust, "Mine lies buried and hidden, tainted by the Arts our House despises above all others by one of our own blood. Cleanse it and think upon it. Its fate lies with yours." The brothers bow to her together one last time and vanish into the endless stars. Rhea stands and breathes, taking in the untainted air and welcoming the peace of the place into her before settling in for a restful sleep.
Her eyes eventually open up and stare into an unfamiliar ceiling of stone arches. She could tell that she had been laying down for a long time, her body stiff and her stomach empty. Even her clothes felt a little tighter against her body. Rhea lifted herself up and looked around, astounded by what she saw as her eyes recovered their focus. Peverell Castle, no longer a den of darkness and blue flame, but filled with the sun's warm light, windows opened and the light of the new day filling almost every corner. Before her, where she only saw an endless darkness, sat a beautiful round table with twelve empty seats. Her eyes filled with magic for a second and she saw those empty seats occupied by men and women, laughing, drinking and eating, as a couple at the center held hands, bound with golden cloth. The man looked at his wife and smiled before kissing her. The two are interrupted by two children jumping onto their backs, their faces filled with smiles. The woman at the center of the table turns to Rhea, her eyes filled with mirth as she nods. Rhea can't help but join them as her lips turn into a smile before the image vanishes from view. This small glimpse into her family's past is etched into her mind and heart. She hopes to one day get it painted. Rhea turns around and notes the lessened presence of Death Magic in the air, just as the
aches and pains of her fight reassert themselves. In the end though it had been worth it. Her magic felt whole and stable and the Castle, her family's Ancestral Home and lingering burden, now stood free. Rhea lets out a deep breath as she felt her ribs ache. "I dearly hope the OWLs and NEWTs exams aren't as taxing as that. Bloody Necromancers."
- -
"I don't suppose you have two months worth of study sheets with you, right?" Hermione stopped in her tracks as the mirthful voice snapped her attention back to her surroundings. The end of the Second Task had brought a lot of chaos with it. The Boards and the Ministries of three countries were absolutely furious with Dumbledore, the other Headmasters and the Tournament organizers. The taking of hostages without parental consent, incomplete safety measures and the injury of one said hostage had brought an investigation. Dumbledore was removed from his position as Supreme Mugwump of the ICW after France lodged a formal complaint on behalf of the Delacours. His attempt at deflecting blame towards the one hostage who could not be retrieved prior to the Task only added fuel to the fire, as the only charge they could put on her was stunning a Hogwarts staff member. Rhea's position as an Heiress and being entitled to refuse without her Family's approval brought any attempts to discipline her short. No one could blame her for defending herself, especially as her replacement was the one who almost died. Dumbledore's defense fell flat and the ICW called for a vote of no confidence and it passed.
The days after the tournament also brought to light a change in one of the Champions. Fleur Delacour became withdrawn and quiet, hardly talking to anyone. Since Rhea was missing, all anyone could assume was that they broke up. When Flitwick informed Luna that Rhea would be absent for the foreseeable future, it became clear that whatever happened had been extremely serious for their friend. Luna, Draco and Susan only got a letter from Rhea a week later, going into very little detail on what happened, only that Rhea was in need of rehabilitation at home before returning to Hogwarts. From then on Rhea would send a letter to most of the people in the study group about once a week, at least until after Imbolc. Rhea had mentioned she'd be really busy and would likely lose contact. She did lose contact. For three weeks. After which a letter went to Draco, informing him that his cousin was fine and that she'd be messaging everyone when she was ready. Which is why Hermione is stunned at seeing Rhea smiling at her at Hogwarts, since she didn't say a thing about coming to school today.
"Study sheets? Is that all you have to say?" Rhea grew sheepish, "Um, sorry for being away because my magic went through a completely atypical maturation?" Hermione stilled at that, knowing that magic tended to have issues with certain wixen when they reached their own age of maturity. Leave it to Rhea to have hers first and for it being atypical. Hermione did scrutinize Rhea and had to bite her cheek to keep off a blush. Rhea did look a lot more mature, with her hair being a bit longer and kept in a braid, some slightly noticeable curves on her body and oddly some flakes of gold in her eyes. Wait. "Why are you wearing dress pants? Aren't you supposed to be in 5th year to wear those?" Rhea growled, "Because if I wanted to feel a draft below the waist, I'd rather be in a bathing suit or nude." Hermione was going to respond to that when Rhea's words registered fully
and certain images popped into her head. The blush settled in quickly after that and the subject was dropped. The moment they rounded into the Great Hall Rhea literally vanished, leaving Hermione confused.
"Gods dammit it cousin, don't do that!" Hermione sighed as she heard Rhea giggle and apologize to Draco, who was currently sporting his cousin lazily draped on his back, his face a mix of relief and embarrassment as Rhea chatted with her Slytherin friends, before moving to her Table at Ravenclaw and hugging Luna. She remained there chatting with her roommate as if nothing had really happened. This was a part of Rhea that always confused Hermione, though she could understand it in a way. She was a lot more mature than everyone else, so things didn't faze her as much as everyone. "Halley!" Well… most things didn't faze her like everyone else. Rhea stilled at hearing that name and voice and Hermione couldn't blame her really. James Potter had apparently given up all further attempts after being humiliated in the Wizengamot and Lily Potter had never really been seen doing much about it. The Lady Potter had made a lot more time for Henry recently though.
Henry, on the other hand, had taken Rhea's absence to mean that she needed his protection and that by doing that she'd miraculously stopped hating him and her birth name. Hermione had seriously begun to agree with Rhea's statements that wizards were mostly Neanderthals. Henry was acting like one more and more and nothing that Hermione said helped. His stunt in the Second Task of rescuing her and Fleur's little sister seemed to have gone to his head and nothing she said pierced his skull. Or was it his ego? Herminone was at least happy he wasn't on the Quidditch team. Hogwarts' victory over Durmstrang in the final would have inflated his ego beyond the castle's ward line. She was about to comment on it when Rhea smiled. "Henry, how are you, did my message not arrive in the mail?" Hermy looked confused for a moment as Hermione looked at Rhea questionably. Those words had been filled with far too much false merriment. "Huh, no. Did you send something?"
Rhea's smile was positively predatory. "Not at all. I was just wondering if my lack of mail didn't seem like a good enough hint that I just don't like you. You insult me, my friends, my faith, my opinions and my intelligence. Above all that you insult my family! So how by the goddess do you still think that I want to hear from you, especially when you deliberately call me a name that I hate more than dresses and skirts! This is my last bloody warning Potter, if you want to make it to the Third Task with a modicum of your pride and manhood intact, leave me alone!" Hermione had to give it to Rhea, she had a way of silencing the entire Great Hall when she was angry. The silence did make it easier for her to see the plates and chalices on the table rattle for a second after Rhea finished talking before they eerily stilled. She'd make a joke about her friend getting along great with Dumbledore if she didn't value her own life. The glare she got from Rhea that one time had left Hermione scarred. Henry dropped the matter when a silent and weak banishing charm shoved him away from Rhea as she returned her attention to Luna.
The days after Rhea's return had been confusing for Hermione. Rhea was definitely different, and it wasn't just her looks. There was a calmness to her that had been absent for as long as she knew her, though she seemed to have a shorter temper now too. Colin Creevey almost lost his fingers when she wandlessly summoned his camera after he took a picture of her, and after
reminding him about the value of privacy and a not so subtle warning about where she'd be stuffing said camera if he did the same thing to her or her friends again, she went right back to being her cheerful self. Every single one of those moments gave Hermione some whiplash. Rhea was also a bit more affectionate to her friends, bumping her shoulders with them and poking their ribs with her elbows, though her hands almost never touched anyone unless they needed comfort. What did get on Hermione's nerves was that she only ever saw Rhea studying for Herbology, Astronomy, Arithmancy and History of Magic. Sure, she knew her friend was taking advanced studies in the rest, but she should study for those too!
Hermione did feel some shame for blowing up at her for doing that during one of their study group sessions. She had thought she had finally stepped over a line as Rhea stared at her, her eyes looking her over, making Hermione feel sheepish. Which is why she was confused when she got an animated paper message telling her to meet up at the edge of the Black Lake in the early morning on a saturday and to wear non-magical clothes. Hermione will admit to having thought about potentially being Kelpie food but she dismissed those thoughts quickly. "Oh, Rhea didn't say this was a group outing." Hearing Daphne made any tension in her body fade away. "Same here, have you seen her?" Daphne was about to comment when they both felt someone grab them before the pull of a portkey yanked them away from the school. "Rhea!" Hermione glared at her now visible friend. "How long had you been there?" She gave her a rogue grin, "Some time before you thought I was going to drown you in the lake." Hermione blushed at that, and the blushed stayed as Rhea dragged her and Daphne through a Shopping Mall in London.
Daphne was besides herself, enjoying her first time shopping with girls outside of magical districts and Hermione couldn't help but be pulled in and having fun too. She never really had friends her own age who were also girls, so she had never gone to malls like this. Daphne spent a longer time casing out the clothing sections, looking for anything she might like, while Rhea looked at shoes. Make that boots, actually, though they certainly accented her legs better. Both Hermione and Daphne were a bit awkward when Rhea asked them to buy swimsuits they wouldn't mind being seen in by strangers or friends, though Rhea was kind enough not to be around for both of them as they modeled a few. Knowing her friend was interested in girls made Hermione a bit self conscious around her and Rhea seemed to pick up on that. Hermione did try a more revealing pair inside the changing room, and decided to buy them plus a more traditional bikini, which seemed to be the type Daphne bought. Rhea told them to switch their undergarments to them and meet her outside after she paid for everything, with both girls promising to pay her back.
The soreness in her legs melted away as Hermione eventually sat down inside a warm jacuzzi, her bikini being in blue, while Daphne wore a similar cut bikini in green, with Rhea rounding out the trio in a high neckline, open back sporty black bikini. The three just melted into the water after Rhea had organized some deep tissue massages for everyone. "Rhea, not that I am complaining in the least, but why all this today?" She giggled, "Because of you two. Daphne has been doing some crazy studying in private to beat us according to Tracey, and you have really been hitting the books hard lately, so I thought you two could use a day out of the castle for just fun. I asked the rest, but Tracey asked to be left alone to sleep in late, the boys looked terrified at the idea of shopping with girls and Susan asked to stay to have a date with Sally, though I did arrange for them to have a day like ours for the summer for those two alone. Luna is currently enjoying a visit from a family friend of mine who happened to capture some rare magical creatures in Sweden and would be too out of it to be coherent, and Astoria volunteered to keep our Luna from stealing said animals."
Hermione smiled and switched positions, getting some massaging jets against her front. "I swear, the magical world needs someone to work on a magical version of this." Rhea sighed contently, "No arguments from me other than it takes away one more excuse to get away from it all." Daphne grumbled, "You'd think you wouldn't need to, with the time you spent out of school." Rhea glared at Daphne, " My first two weeks away were me having issues with my vision, body temperature and senses of taste and smell. Trust me, it was anything but relaxing. Add a painful break up that I won't be elaborating to anyone other than my future spouse and Best Lady, and consolidating a magical inheritance during the peak of my magical maturity that left me feeling like I over indulged in coffee and chocolate at the same time as being hit by a lorry, trust me, I wasn't relaxing." Rhea adjusted herself and also relaxed onto her front besides Hermione. "Besides, I thought you two deserve an explanation for my current study habits." Hermione turned to look at Rhea, a light blush blooming on her face with her friend being so close to her with minimal clothes. "Ok, what gives? Why aren't you studying for the major courses?"
Rhea bit her lip, "I may have taken some OWLs before I came back to school." Daphne joined them in their more relaxed position and was on the other side of Hermione. "How many?" Rhea went to think for a moment, "Well, since I got bamboozled by two of my teachers, I already had OWLs in Potions and Runes. So I took DADA, Charms, Transfiguration, and Dueling. Snape has me working on enough potions so I will be out of his hair by the end of next year, Babbling is running out of Cuneiform for me to translate and is desperate enough to get me to look at Sanskrit, so probably testing out a NEWT on that subject for next year too. Depending on our DADA and Dueling Teacher for next year, I think I can manage completing the wand requirement courses next year as well." The silence from both her friends was deafening until Daphne lets out a gut wrenched sigh. "Of course you'd be done with most of your advanced class work for next year. At least you're not trying to skip ahead or leave Hogwarts early."
Hermione felt Rhea switch on to her back. "I am not trying to skip ahead or anything, but my family's antagonism with Dumbledore isn't going down. This way I can avoid any trouble if I am forced out of Hogwarts early. Plus, it gives me more time to work on my magical inheritances and practice Healing with less life and death situations." Hermione switches around as well, "Are you going to be a Healer then, like Dorea?" Rhea hummed pleasantly, "Pomfrey says I have her skill and temperament, so that's a possibility. I don't just want to focus on healing the body though, or the mind. People forget that our emotions and even our souls can be damaged. I want to be able to heal people that need it the most, and not just at St. Mungos. After Hogwarts, I was thinking of traveling for a bit, expanding my horizons as a Healer before coming back and taking up my families' duties." Daphne hummed approvingly as she turned around as well. "I can see that working well for you. Your parents will probably hold their seats for a while."
Daphne stretched out her arms and groaned. "I want to help out my Dad's business and expand our wares a bit more. The Greengrass name has been selling European plants, roots and herbs for centuries, but there are other sources and materials out there. I want to see which can be imported safely while which plants can be grown on our soil with the right conditions. I was planning on asking Professor Sprout for an apprenticeship, but word is Longbottom is considering it too and I don't know if she will have time for two apprentices. After that, I will probably take up my father's seat." Hermione frowned. "I… don't have a set plan for what I want to do. I'm studying for every
subject I can to keep my options open but there isn't just one profession that appeals to me. Plus I hear there is still some prejudice against mu- first gen wixen in Britain and that we might not have the same opportunities."
Rhea poked Hermione on the cheek with her finger making the brunette "eep", which only made Rhea smirk, "The prejudice has been going down in the last few years, but the issues of having first gen wixen not acclimating properly to the Magical World is still noticed. Dad has been throwing around the idea of a Wizarding Customs course being mandatory for first gen wixen while having Muggle Studies being split into two, with a particular course being Non-Magical Customs being mandatory for wixen who can't pass an entrance exam, with Non-Magical Studies being the new elective. We hope that a set of courses for first and second years like that can help future wixen interact better, but the current issues won't go away without some more direct intervention. That and the Board is running into interference from the Ministry and the Headmaster about getting the courses up and running." Hermione sighed, because as much as she respected the Headmaster, being around the Neutral students opened her eyes to some of his faults.
"As for finding something to do, I personally say you should do what makes you feel fulfilled, though you shouldn't feel bad about it if you aren't sure in a few years. Daphne has grown among her family magic and she doesn't fight it, so her being set to just expand and continue the family business is exactly what one would expect from the Noble Families. The Black's aren't known as Healers, but I do have other family magics in me that pull me in that direction, so I am more comfortable to just feel my way through it. I would tell you to be careful about who you marry though. Some Family magics tend to overpower first gen wixen's own magical affinities, so make sure you are marrying into a family you can live with or has a more gentle family magic attached to it. Not to mention some spouses views on where a woman is supposed to spend her time." Hermione frowned, "Doesn't love factor in at all?"
Daphne splashed Hermione in the face, "Of course it does, but your magic usually warns you ahead of time that things can go bad if you aren't careful or if you're really not compatible. Irritation or even outright hostility can come about from poorly matched couples. The Potters were once thought to be highly incompatible and it was why the current Lady Potter really hated the former Heir Potter. Word is that after their magical maturities, their magics settled and both were able to find some common ground. Not that it meant they became better people though." Daphne said the last, looking at the slightly closed off Rhea, who sighs and just seemed to relax again. Hermione was happy that Rhea was less vocal about her problems with the Potters, Henry Potter excluded. Hermione did voice one of her concerns though, "As for my future, a part of me is worried that any planning wont matter, with Voldemort out there potentially coming back."
Rhea snorted, "Unless you're planning to be a child soldier, that isn't a concern for you." Rhea hugged Hermione, making the brunette blush, which caused the blonde to eye them carefully. " Hermione, Voldemort has far fewer allies now than before, the Ministry is a bit better equipped and the ICW will likely be called to intervene if things get out of hand. The world hasn't changed that much, but just enough that students don't need to be child soldiers, despite who your friend happens to be. Though I will admit, you being so close to Henry will probably make you a target, so while I will never ask you to put your life on hold, please be careful. Finding friends as great as
you isn't easy, you know. So make sure you look after yourself and your family first." Hermione blushed at the compliment and remained in a pleasant mood for the rest of the day, despite some teasing from Rhea and Daphne as they all got out of the jacuzzi and dried up.
As soon as they arrived back inside the Hogwarts Ward lines, Daphne hugged Rhea, "Thanks for the great day out. I know I teased you earlier, but this was a great idea. We should try it again next year." Hermione looked at the castle and paled, "Wait, you aren't on the map, but me and Daphne are! Oh, I am going to be in so much trouble!" Rhea hugged Hermione, "Hmmm, you would be, if I didn't secure permission from your parents before I nabbed you. Nyx was quite happy flying over a new area, since she gets bored easily, so I had her go to your parents and got all the paperwork signed. They actually said they'd cover your expenses up to a certain point, hence why I wasn't bothered by your purchases. Oh, and the charges for the massages and jacuzzi are not up for debate."
Hermione settled down after that and all three girls went back into the castle. Rhea sat down with Susan and Sally, who were practically sitting on each other's laps before Rhea's comment about "how much for exotic dances" made them squeak and settle down, though Rhea kept elbowing Susan and Sally kept slapping her shoulder the rest of the day. Henry, Ron and Neville grilled Hermione on where she went and she just said she went out with her friends to relax. They raised a fuss about her going on her own and all that but after she told them she received permission from her parents, they stopped bugging her. Lavender and Parvati did ambush her at the dorm though and Hermione did show them the clothes she bought. It was very surreal since the two gossip girls hardly ever talked to her about girl stuff, but they all liked the clothes she got and Hermione gave them the names of the stores she bought them at. No one did see her more revealing bikini, much to her relief.
That night, Hermione found a letter had been left for her from her parents, wishing her a wonderful day and being happy she had a friend like Rhea who cared about her relaxing more than studying. Hermione sent a letter home with the receipts and a big thank you to her parents for their permission and agreeing that she had some great friends. She laid back on the bed and looked up into the canopy, wondering about what was to come. Rhea's warning about being a child soldier had chilled her to the bone because she couldn't deny that Henry's training felt like that. Rhea had told her that while she studied dueling, it was more about self defense and never getting too desperate enough to end up killing people. It really boggled her mind just how opposite Henry and Rhea were, with Henry being so driven, self righteous and at times scary in his conviction, while Rhea was so relaxed, thoughtful and caring.
She thought that maybe the reason they couldn't get along wasn't just that they lived such vastly different lives, but how they came out of them, with Rhea somehow coming out more whole and healthy from her trauma and the Black's care than anyone could have ever imagined possible. Hermione's thoughts returned to the Final Task and Henry's nightmares, how Dumbledore believed that Voldemort seemed to be getting ready to return to full strength. Henry and Dumbledore's warning of darker days ahead seemed to clash with Rhea's positivity, telling her that whatever happens, it will be better. That Hermione should take care of herself and her family first, before worrying about others. Rhea said the reason she wasn't worried was because her family had always
been preparing for the worst, so that everyday they could be ready to enjoy every last moment. Hermione wondered how one family could feel so much better prepared than the leaders of the Light faction. No easy answers came to her that night.
- -
"You summoned me, my lord?" Barty Crouch kneeled before his master. The body of Bertha Jorkins had long been discarded and replaced by that of an incomplete homunculus, in the shape and size of a baby. The previous body had lasted long enough for his master and Barty to wretch control of the Triwizard Tournament organizers and prepare everything to their proper conclusion. The absence of Halley Potter's name not coming out of the Goblet had been attributed at first to the child being dead, but Rita Skeeter's article proved otherwise. They both assumed that the magical changes to her name and the Blood Adoption had all but erased Holly Potter from existence, and hopefully from the Prophecy as well. Voldemort, however, would take no chances. "Are the preparations concluded, Bartemius?"
Barty bowed his head deeper. "They are, my master. Once our plans bear fruit, you will be restored and your fated enemy vanquished in one fell swoop." The homunculus cackled. "Excellent. Now, there is a task I must ask of you, Barty. See if you can get close enough to Karkaroff and bring him under our control, by any means necessary. The boy will fall at my hand, but we must not allow the girl to be so easily dismissed. We must remove all threats to our ascension and the girl may yet remain a threat. Have Karkaroff deal with the girl before you return here for the ritual." Barty nodded, seeing the wisdom in the Dark Lord's plan but frown, "I would never presume to question you, my lord, and removing the girl as a viable threat is a most necessary task, but wont this drag the House of Black into open war with us?"
Voldemort smirked, "Were they potential allies, I would consider not attacking the girl, but Sirius Black has never been one of ours, and many of our fallen or captured owe their fates to Black's wand. He could never be an ally to us. That he has restored the Black Family by pulling his blood ties closer, at the expense of our cause, is more than enough reason to declare him an enemy. The girl's death will likely galvanize the Blacks, but it should also devaste them. An unhinged Lord Black may be a more dangerous foe, but one more easy to vanquish. Though Bellatrix will definitely be a force to reckon with as an enemy." Barty bowed his head, "I thank you, my lord, for educating me and showing me my limitations. I will go make the necessary preparations before we enter the final stage. Will you require the potion at this moment my lord?" The homunculus wheezed, "I will indeed Barty."
Chapter End Notes
I am trying to improve my writing of action scenes, but its a hard thing to do. Was the fight in the Veil to your liking?
Next Chapter: The Third Task
Leave a comment, discuss and see you all in two days.
Of Mazes and Graveyards
Chapter Notes
Fair warning, this chapter has a heavy moment in store. You have been warned.
Here is the next Chapter, hope you all like it.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Rhea sat down with her friends with more than enough distance between her and the entrance to the Maze. She was here to show some school solidarity, not get dragged into the stupidity that was the spectatorship of blood sport. The maze hedges were rapidly grown to cover the area of the Quidditch pitch, much to the horror of the sport's fanatics. The other reason for her distance from the front was a lot more obvious to her friends. They didn't bother her about it and she was glad for their discretion. At the clearing near the entrance to the hedge maze stood Henry, Krum and Fleur. Rhea did her best not to look at the Veela. There had been no further words shared between them. Rhea could tell Fleur had mustered some courage and strength from the ordeal and her interactions with the other Champions were more polite. She was glad that Fleur had gained something from the collapse of their relationship and could honestly say that she hoped that she had a happy life in the years to come. Her assistance in helping Rhea heal earned her that much at least. Rhea won't deny though that her ex' absence doesn't bother her. There are moments when she really misses the warmth of a body against her own, or the feel of her hands on Rhea's skin. Her nights had definitely been very lonely.
Those moments of longing grew farther and longer in between and there was a part of her that was glad for it as much as she hated it. She honestly hoped that her future spouse didn't mind Rhea being a bit more attached or involved in their relationship, as she could feel her body craving more contact now. Especially after she gained access to the Peverell vault underneath the Castle. The family had been all too aware about the side effects of Death Magic and the need for a partner to ease the symptoms, hence why the Peverell's used to have a large family like the Blacks. That aspect of the family ended with the Three Brothers; Antioch, Cadmus and Ignotus. Something happened with them that caused a shift in the Peverell Family Magic and caused Peverell Castle to be closed off by the family. Rhea gaining access and control of the Castle Wards seemed to have removed the blockage from the Family Magic, which felt so much lighter and responsive now. Rhea hoped the lifting of the impediment boded well for her in her search for a spouse of her own. She wanted a big family after all.
Slipping into Mage Sight, Rhea scanned the spectators and saw most were eager to see the conclusion. One person looked weird though. She had never had reason to spend time with Durmstrang students. Most of them were nice and Krum and his fiancée had been generous and friendly since the First Task, but she had never spent much time with their Headmaster. His magic… looked off. Rhea would keep an eye on it. Rhea also noticed that the Aurors were a bit more spread out around the edges of the maze, working along with the Professors. She noted that James, Lily and Henry were a bit on edge as they parted. Something had to have happened that
spooked them to involve this heavy of an Auror presence. Her own premonitions were acting up appropriately as well. She had been feeling off the whole blasted day, just like the day of the Second Task. So Rhea decided to keep her eyes in Mage Sight for now. Better safe than sorry.
A cannon blast announced the beginning of the Third Task and Henry rushed into the Maze, leaving the other Champions to wait their turn. The events of the Second Task had improved his middle of the road score with the dragon egg retrieval and catapulted him into the frontrunner, at least score wise. The cannon going off again announced another Champion's turn to enter the maze, with Krum rushing forward, indicating to Rhea who else had benefited from the Second Task. She would have felt bad for Fleur if she had been the cause of the issue with her score, but Fleur had been hit by a pack of Grindylows while only sporting a Bubble-Head Charm. Had the two discussed it she would have mentioned to Fleur that the effects of Gillyweed on a Veela could have neutralized their natural disadvantage in the water. She hadn't looked into it. Much. The cannon goes off a third time and this time Fleur rushes into the Maze. Rhea could already see the complaints from the Second Task would haunt the Third, as no one could see anything through the bloody hedges.
"Miss Black?" Rhea stilled as she allowed her magic to cover her surroundings, causing Luna to shudder. Rhea really needed to find a way of reducing the effects of her magic on her friend, as it was too different from the Dementor's magic to be blocked by her previously applied charms and the fact Luna was always getting brunt of her lapses did make Rhea feel very guilty. She allowed her Mage Sight to focus on the Durmstrang Headmaster and the oddity finally became clear. She really had to thank Moody for casting the Imperious on a Pixie in class, as it allowed her to see the effects of the spell in action, something she would otherwise have never been looking for. The same effect she could currently spot on the former Death Eater right next to her. Rhea directed her magic and wandlessly casted a few paralysis jinxes to bind his arms, legs, spine and head from movement. Moody would be proud. Speaking of the Gruff DADA Professor, "Oy, Mad-Eye! I got an old friend of yours here, probably under the effects of the Imperius Curse. Make that more than likely. Care to get him safely away from me? My palms are getting itchy to cast something other than a paralysis jinx."
The Ex-Auror charged towards her with all the speed his fake leg allowed him to have. It was both impressive and humorous though Rhea kept the last part to herself. He already took too much pleasure using her as a workout buddy. "Let's see what you got here, Lassie. Igor! Oh, how I missed you. Now, don't say that I would never. I certainly did old friend or you would have been six feet under rather than training Wixen at Durmstrang." Moody casted his diagnostic charm and huffed, "Well, isn't that lovely, an Imperius Curse victim. Someone sent you after the wrong little lady tonight. Your lucky she was in a crowd or we'd be scraping your sorry ass off the floor. Oy, Proudfoot! Get your ass up here, we have an Imperiused judge for the bloody event. Scrimgeour, check the other judges for mind magics and that includes Albus! I don't care how damn good he is with a wand." Rhea watched with some bemusement as the Aurors scanned the Headmaster and his colleagues. None of the others were under the effects of the Imperius Curse, though the announcer Bagman was sporting some signs of the Confundus. This was the least of the Aurors' worries as Barty Crouch wasn't found among the crowd, leaving him as the prime suspect.
A few minutes later, after a red flare from a wand was spotted in the Maze, Fleur was pulled out of the maze via stretcher, stunned by a spell and suffering from some burns and acromantula venom. Rhea shook her head and asked herself how the Magicals were so stupid to consider such things "good sport." She was also glad she asked Madam Pomfrey if she could not be assigned to help her today. She hated disappointing her but her teacher understood her need for distance from two of the three champions. The mood in the Arena began to worsen though, when an alarm went off. The remaining judges huddled together and debated until Dumbledore used a Sonorous spell on himself. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have received the notification that the Triwizard Cup has been retrieved from the Maze by both Mr Potter and Mr Krum, but due to unforeseen circumstances neither participant can be located at this time. Teachers and Staff, please lead your students back to their sleeping quarters as the appropriate authorities handle the situation. Any news concerning the Champions and the Tournament will be provided at Breakfast. Everyone be on your way."
Rhea was going to join the Ravenclaws and head back to the castle when she spotted her Dad near the Aurors, which made her curious. She approached him and pulled him into a hug, which he returned. "You didn't say you were going to be at the Task." Sirius ruffled her currently loose hair, causing his daughter to growl shove him playfully. "Sorry pup, but I was dragged here on Board Business. I am glad you are here though, we might need your help." Rhea frowned at him as James interrupted, "I seriously doubt Halley can do anything right now to find Henry." Rhea let out a vicious growl, "What does it take for you Potter's to get the bloody hint! I am Rhea Black. Halley Potter died because of you and she will stay dead! Now Dad, tell me what could you possibly need me for, as I am in the mood to just walk away and leave as it is until I read it in the morning paper." Sirius patted his daughter on the back, trying to calm her down while glaring at James to be quiet. The Lord Potter obliged, if begrudgingly. "Henry and Victor Krum have been Portkeyed away using the Triwizard Cup, to an area with heavy enough wards that Fawkes can't get in and we can't trace it. Can-"
She didn't need to hear anymore, Rhea knew what her dad was asking. "Absolutely not! I won't waste an ounce of my magic and risk myself in whatever mess he got pulled into by his own bloody pride to save that egotistical ass!" Dumbledore glared at her, "Miss Black, such language is unbecoming of you." Rhea stared back at the Headmaster, "Believe me Headmaster Dumbledore, my language is on point. I am very much aware of far more uncouth and vulgar insults in several different languages. I am simply forbidden to use any of them currently until I hit 17 years of age or I am granted permission to do so beforehand. I am however serious about this Dad, I won't help him. He put his name into the Goblet, he went into every Task without the respect they deserved and now he is paying the price for it. Good bloody riddance." Sirius spent the next few moments trying to convince Rhea while trying to keep James from cursing her, eventually reaching an impasse. While he had issues with James, he didn't feel Henry deserved getting killed like this. His temper already peaked, he tried to get her to see reason. "Rhea, please don't make me order you as your Head of House." Sirius regretted his words instantly as his daughter's cyan eyes were now focused on him. He had seen them warm and loving but never cold. His animagus instincts were acting up as he wanted to smash his head on a wall. "You do that, Father, and it will be the last words you will ever speak to me." Sirius went silent, as there was no doubt in his mind she was capable of it in a variety of ways, some far more violent. He had just stepped over a line and now he dearly hoped he hadn't damaged his relationship with his daughter. Or his wife. Gods what did he just do.
Hermione had watched the back and forward and saw the exchange, growing worried at the way her friend's demeanor changed. Still, if Rhea could save Henry, there was no choice but to ask her. Hermione bit her lip and thought about anything she could do, anything she could offer in exchange that might get Rhea to look past her hatred of Henry. Only one thing came to her mind and she felt it was worth a try. "Rhea, please save Henry. I offer a favor of no limit in exchange." Rhea's eyes pivoted to her and Hermione felt her breath catch as those glowing cyan orbs stared into her soul. She could hear The Potters and the Headmaster trying to dissuade her, but nothing else mattered right now. Her mind was trapped by those glowing eyes with specks of gold in them as she felt a gentle caress of her magic. The magic lessened and Rhea closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Be careful what you offer in the future, Hermione Granger, as the next time I may just take you for everything you are worth. I won't exact a favor or a debt for this, but heed my warning or I will make you regret ever demanding something of me. Nyx!" Hermione felt her whole body crumble as she fell down onto her knees, Professor McGonagall catching her by the arms from behind.
Rhea's pitch black owl landed on her outstretched arm. Its magic instantly soothes Rhea's agitated state. Why couldn't people just leave things alone? Hermione is lucky Rhea deeply values her friendship with her or she wouldn't even ask this of her familiar. "Nyx, the stupid wand wavers lost the boy with the big head that keeps bugging me. You wouldn't happen to know where he is currently? Please say no." The owl turned its head and looked at everyone with its red eyes, causing Dumbledore to flinch and Hermione's breath to catch before settling in on her Mistress' eyes. There had been no real point in asking as Rhea knew what the answer would be. Rhea sighed, "The walking ego is alive somewhere in England, but I am not sure where. It's not a place I recognise or have seen images of. Nyx can take me to him though." Rhea watched as Dumbledore drew his wand, feeling the hackles on her neck rise. That wand would never cast a spell on her person or her Familiar if she had a say. Especially not in his manipulative hands. "You aim that wand at my Familiar Headmaster, and I swear by the Goddess it will be the last thing you do." Dumbledore clearly wanted to refute her threat and do what he intended anyways but seeing Sirius Black draw his wand stilled his hand. Rhea was glad her dad defended her there, even if his threat still left yer raw inside. Dumbledore placed his wand away. "Then how do you propose we reach him?" Rhea stared at the old coot.
"You don't, I do. You're not the only one with a magical Familiar around here, Headmaster." Rhea turned her eyes to Hermione. "I am doing this because you asked. Only because you asked. This is the only free favor I can ever give you of something I would rather never do in my lifetime. Anything more than this will cost you dearly. Remember that." Those glowing cyan eyes finally rested on Sirius, who possibly swallowed, the shame of his words chilling his blood. "You, me and Mom are going to have some words, Dad. You will never, ever consider doing that to me ever again." Sirius felt a bit of relief at her calling him Dad, before she and the Death Omen vanished silently, drawing out surprise gasps from everyone. Sirius kneels down next to a relieved Hermione. "Rhea must see a lot in you to do this simply because you asked. Remember what she said though. The idea of being used or manipulated by others is abhorrent to her. What I almost did…" Sirius felt so hollowed out right at that moment. " …she won't ever forget what I said and I will carry that shame with me to the grave. My wife might just send me there early when she hears of this. Please learn from my mistake. Rhea may somehow forgive me, but she wont ever forgive a friend for betraying her." Hermione nodded, as tears sprang from her eyes. She wasn't sure if they were of joy at seeing Henry saved or sorrow at having forced Rhea's hand and feeling terrible for it. Deep inside though, she knew. She knew and swore never to repeat what she did. Her friend deserved better from her.
- -
Rhea sped through the Veil with Nyx guiding her as her stomach twisted and turned. She knew she had snapped at her dad and he knew he bloody deserved it. Before she became his daughter, before she became Rhea, almost every day of her miserable life had been filled with actions against her will, all resulting in even more pain and suffering. Her Mom had seen that and rather than force her to do anything at all, she had wisely made it so that every chore and task was worth it for her. Everything was a negotiation, an exchange. Even the stuff she hated doing, she did it because it was a fair exchange for something else. It helped her get a feeling that there might just be some justice in the world. The Goblins oddly enough shared her views, which made for a wonderful relationship. That being said, saving Henry wasn't fair nor just in Rhea's eyes. It was selfish. Pure and simple selfishness. He may have been her brother once, but that ship had long sailed and he made it so much easier to never consider reevaluating her decision. Sirius had asked her to save a boy who was so self righteous that he couldn't see that he was a bully, one aimed at her family and friends. She only refused to deal with the matter because she assumed he would get his comeuppance. Today, in his moment of triumph, he got what he rightly deserved. And her dad dared to force her to keep him from his just desserts.
Hermione though offered something in exchange. That something was what any vixen would possibly kill for, a blank request with no restriction. Rhea could literally force Hermione to leave Henry, to be her slave or even to take her own life and Hermione would have done it too. It would have been so easy to accept it too. Rhea had felt a little guilty as she used Legilimency on Hermione but she needed to understand why her friend would offer everything just to save the prat's life. What she saw surprised Rhea. Hermione genuinely believed it was the right thing to do and while she hated forcing Rhea's hand, she would do it if it meant doing the right thing. No hidden motive, no manipulations, just genuine belief and hope that Rhea would do the right thing. That, and she noticed some of Hermione's thoughts about her. She would store those away and not think about them, no matter how they warmed her cold heart. If she had accepted her offer, Rhea feared that those nascent feelings would have been lost. She couldn't do that to Hermione or to herself. Rhea chose to do it for Hermione without an exchange, on the promise that she'd never ask the same of her ever again. Rhea hoped her friend kept that promise.
Nyx hoots alerted Rhea that they had arrived at the point where the prat was, with Nyx popping them back out into the physical world several stories above the wards. Even Wixen had trouble thinking in three dimensions, so while the ward was a dome, nobody bothered to look up. She and her Familiar would never be spotted. Taking her owl Animagus form, Rhea brushed the wards gently from a safe distance with her magic. The ward designed for something that felt like a bird on fire was stored away in Rhea's mind for safe keeping as she studied the other wards. Anti- Apparition tied to an exception for magical tattoos, Anti-Portkey with an exception tied to a specific item, Notice-Me-Not and basic intruder detection wards. Rhea tied her magic to the intruder ward and it would now not see her as an intruder, making it safe to slip inside of the wardline. The other wards were useless against her. She and Nyx flew safely through the wards and looked around the graveyard as they looked for a safe place to land. It seemed that Henry had been
invited to a party.
In a small circle, Rhea watched cloaked figures stand nervously, while one man seemed transfixed on his own silver colored spelled hand. Rhea's Mage Sight saw that said hand had quite a spell and curse combo built into it. The maker really had trust issues, even amongst his faithful servants. At the feet of the transfixed man was a body wearing the Durmstrang Champion's uniform. Rhea sighed and hoped the lovely girl she met would one day heal from losing her fiancée. Up against a tombstone with a neat statue of an Angel of Death was Henry, pinned down by the handle of the Angel's scythe. And in the middle of the clearing, walking around in a black cloak, bald and monologuing like a hollywood villain was someone who looked a lot like Voldemort. Her Mage Sight confirmed it as a Homunculus body, but a decent one. The materials for it made her gag though. The man and whoever helped him deserved a permanent stay in Tartaros for what they did to an innocent baby.
She waited for a bit and saw them quite literally hand her an opportunity to save the prat as Voldemort released him and returned his wand to him. A showman, egotistical and self assured… oh, who was she kidding, the man was arrogant. No wonder Henry hated him, they were exactly alike, just that old Voldemort lacked any moral concerns, though Henry's self-righteousness was close enough. Rhea watched as Henry dueled Voldemort as she switched into her human form and disillusioned herself behind a large tombstone. On silenced feet, with her scent masked, Rhea walked around as Voldemort toyed with Henry, casting piercing and cutting spells. Oh, that Cruciatus Henry just took was definitely going to hurt. The thought of just leaving Henry to his fate did cross her mind again but Hermione wouldn't forgive her for that. A promise is a promise, even if the prat deserved it all and more. The moment Voldemort's Killing Curse was intercepted by Henry's Expelliarmus, Rhea knew her time had come. Positioned behind the biggest concentration of Death Eaters, Rhea released a torrent of Fiendfyre.
The magical cage of golden light and the sudden appearance of Fiendfyre caused confusion amongst the hooded terrorists, a few dying by the flames as Rhea watched the pseudo-duel carefully. She saw imprints of the dead escape from Voldemort's wand, including Dorea Black and Charlus Potter. Dorea's spirit looked over to where Rhea watched and nodded at her. Following his grandparent's whispers, Henry dropped the connection between his wand and Voldemort, the spirits launching themselves at Voldemort right after, while Henry went straight to Krum's body. A clump of metal slag and molten glass beside the Bulgarian's body revealed the fate of the Triwizard Cup. Rhea reached Henry still hidden from view and grabbed a hold of him and the body. "One chance, prat. Close your eyes, lock your jack and wait till I say otherwise. This is going to be a very uncomfortable experience for you. Nod if you understand." Henry nodded as Nyx landed on Rhea's back, her claws digging in. The green bolt of light of a Killing Curse sailed into the space where Henry had been as Rhea dragged him and Krum's body into the Veil, leaving Voldemort behind to deal with a graveyard full of Fiendfyre and injured Death Eaters.
Henry felt a cold that reminded him of the Dementors biting into his body as the sound of rushing wind battered his ears, his bones still aching from Voldemort's Cruciatus Curse. He wanted to open his eyes, he wanted to try and cast his Patronus to chase the cold away, but he stilled his hand. His Grandparents' spirits had appeared to him at the graveyard as he faced down the monster
responsible for all the bad things that happened in his life. His Grandfather had told him to hold steady and to be brave. His Grandmother though had surprised him. "The life you have lived was not the one I intended for you and your sister when I gave up mine. I know you wish to undo the hands of time, but Halley is gone. All I ask of you, my grandson, is to trust Rhea. Trust her now as she brings you to safety and when you find yourself at your most desperate, trust that she will do the right thing. The Potters may never gain her forgiveness, but never seek to gain her ire. She may be many things but she is at her core a Black. Remember this, Henry, before it is too late."
As Henry begins to wonder how much longer he needs to endure the cold, the sensations vanish and he finds himself unceremoniously dropped onto the ground. "There you are, one prat still alive but suffering magical exhaustion, a cut to his upper arm, a piercing spell to his thigh, a broken ankle and Cruciatus exposure. Victor Krum, sadly, had already passed on when I arrived. My condolences. Now if you excuse me, I need a long shower and some rest. I feel filthy." Henry couldn't hear any footsteps but he could swear she was walking away as others rushed to his side. He said the only thing he could. "Thank you… Rhea." The silence was deafening as he looked towards where Rhea was. Her cyan eyes were cold and made his stomach feel unusually heavy as they stared into his. "Don't thank me, Henry Potter. If it had been up to me, you would have been the newest resident of that cemetery because as far as I am concerned you would have deserved it. You should thank Hermione. She is the only reason you're still drawing breath." She turned her back to him and vanished silently on the spot, her owl still clinging to her shoulder.
- -
Sirius Black sat down at the end of the conference table watching as a mix of original Order of the Phoenix members, potential new members Dumbledore had been grooming and allies of the House of Black began to take their seats. This was going to be a long day, and he was thankful Dora was with him, though the glare she gave him made it clear that word had spread amongst the family of what he almost did to Rhea. Ordering someone with the Family Magic isn't exactly unheard of, but the few times it happens, it is usually because the Head of House cannot trust the member of the family to do the right thing for the right reasons. The thought of doing that to his daughter had already made him feel ill. Sabrina's full force slap to the side of his face had made it clear he almost did it for all the wrong reasons, at least in his wife and daughter's eyes. He was going to be spending a few cold nights in a guest room, that was for certain, especially as Kreacher had warmed up to Sabrina. He would never understand that elf and the Black women in his life.
Amelia Bones sat on the other side besides him and raised an eyebrow at the red handprint still visible on his face. Magic, it just so happens, is a very useful tool if you want to make a statement. His wife's handprint was probably going to remain on his face until he manages to get a proper apology to his daughter, which could be either in a day or a year, depending on how badly he hurt her. Rhea was currently meeting with her friends in the castle, letting them know what happened and preparing them for less than comfortable conversations with their parents. "Do I want to know why the Lady Black left you with her handprint cursed onto your face?" Sirius sighed, "Because I am an idiot, Amelia. I said something I shouldn't have to Rhea and I deserve far worse from my daughter." Amelia looked at him and shuddered, "Knowing a bit of her skillset, you'd best have a good idea on what your next words to her are going to be. I'd hate to see what she could get away
with against someone she has no reason to hold back against." Sirius winced, "Working on it."
Eventually everyone was seated and Dumbledore made his entrance carrying a pensive. "Ordinarily I would wish us all a good evening, but this night is anything but worth celebrating. Within this pensive lies a memory given to us by young Henry Potter of the incident in question. I believe it would be best if we start by viewing it and work our way forward from there." Alastor pulls out his wand and casts several detection spells on the memory and the pensieve, earning himself a look from Dumbledore. "As much as I would love to be in the mind of a 14 year old boy again, I believe we can all settle for a projection of the events. Less emotional transference for one." The majority of the room agreed and Dumbledore adjusted the pensive to project an image of the memory above the device. Sirius watched as Henry and Victor Krum reached for the cup together and the two were pulled away by a Portkey, landing at the graveyard Rhea extracted them from.
The gathered audience watched as Barty Crouch Junior, assumed to have died in Azkaban, carried out a ritual with a homunculus baby, using bones of the father, flesh of the servant and blood of the enemy as ingredients. A mass of flesh and magic erupted from the cauldron and coalesced into the form of Voldemort. They watched as the resurrected Dark Lord summoned his still loyal Death Eaters and Sirius took a moment to look at Snape. The man looked tired and drained, with a few tremors escaping his control but for a moment. He had been summoned later in the evening by the Dark Lord and was made to report on Dumbledore's dealings since his near death, after which he proceeded to remind the spy of his place via the Cruciatus Curse. Sirius was sorely tempted to offer him the cleansing ritual again, but that could wait. He noticed Amelia and the Aurors of the group jotting down the names of the Death Eaters who answered the summons.
The memory turned to the duel between Voldemort and Henry, with all the experienced fighters noting everything they could. Mad-Eye was the first to speak, "He has his body back but he was unused to it, clumsy and drunk on power. The next fight will be different." Sirius and the others nodded. Then the fight changed, with Voldemort taking great pleasure at holding Henry under the Cruciatus Curse for quite some time, Henry's screams drawing curses and sobs from the Lord and Lady Potter. Afterwards Voldemort dropped any pretense and went for the throat, casting the Killing Curse straight at Henry, who countered with a disarming spell. The two spells collided and a golden cage of magic formed around them. The light of the cage is later overwhelmed by the sudden and violent spread of Fiendfyre, the screams and curses of the Death Eaters rising in the background. The spirits of Voldemort's victims escaped from his wand and among them came Charlus and Dorea Potter. Of those in the room, Sirius and Dora are the only ones not bothered by seeing them. Repeated Samhain rituals with a Necromancer would do that to you.
Everyone watched as the spirits charged at Voldemort as the cage collapsed, before the sound of Rhea's voice was heard giving Henry advice on enduring a trip through the Veil, though not everyone in the room knew what her advice was for. Sirius himself has never been with her daughter through one of her trips either, with Bella alone holding that distinction among the family. The projection ended and Dumbledore sighed, "That is what happened from Henry's point of view. Sirius, did young Miss Black provide her memory?" Sirius stared at the Headmaster, "Rhea shared her memory with myself and her mother and that is as far as it will go for now. Her
means of travel and the full extent of her skills are a Black Family Secret and has been protected as such. We would, however, ask that the information of who rescued Henry remain a secret for as long as possible. You yourself witnessed her traveling through the Hogwarts wards. It's best that the Death Eaters aren't aware about that."
Dumbledore looked tired, "As much as I would argue against a 14 year knowing how to leave the school grounds unimpeded, the advantage the method's anonymity grants us is large. It is a secret we should keep." The people seated at the conference agreed, though Remus looked a bit miffed. Probably still mad about what Rhea did to him the night before the Second Task. Sirius carried on with the discussion, "I can say that the Fiendfyre was safely casted by her at close proximity to several Death Eaters. She didn't stick around to verify how many were consumed in the blaze." Sirius saw a few sour looks, including Dumbledore, but he had to give it to Moody, the man shifted the mood quickly. He was laughing. "Gotta give it to the lass! Fully controlled Fiendfyre to the back of several Death Eaters. Oh I can't wait to hear how many miss the next Wizengamot meeting. Remind me to survive long enough to offer your young lady her first shot of Firewhiskey, Sirius!" Sirius did smile at that. "Only if you share the memory. I'm in enough trouble with the wife to know that I won't be showing my girl the liquor cabinet."
Amelia sighed, "As entertaining as this discussion has gotten, let's get back to the situation at hand. The Fiendfyre may have taken out several pardoned Death Eaters, but it also torched the area, leaving no evidence beyond Heir Potter's memories and signs of the blaze. Dumbledore informed Minister Fudge of everything that happened and the Minister refused to review the memories or believe the retelling. While the Aurors and the DMLE are in better shape now than 6 years ago, and the new Ministry restrictions prevent Fudge from interfering in the investigation, he can still do a lot of damage publicly." Sirius was happy the new mandates for the Ministry that were signed after the Second Task fiasco were protecting their responsiveness to Voldemort, but Fudge's refusal to believe would have to be solved, or the Minister would have to be removed from his position. Dumbledore looked around the room and Sirius had a good idea what the man was about to say. He didn't disappoint.
"Seeing as the threat of the Death Eaters is now a very real danger, I have taken the liberty of restarting the Order of the Phoenix and would like to invite both previous members and those gathered here to join." Sirius listened as many of his old colleagues signed up, including Lupin, Shacklebolt and Moody. That last one was a surprise, but perhaps for the best, as Alastor's no nonsense approach should counter any issues Dumbledore could bring up. He, however, had other plans. "The House of Black in its entirety will not be part of the Order. We will carry out our own independent actions against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. The House owes him much for the harm he brought to our family and we will look to get even on our own terms." Dora nodded to add her voice to the declaration. Amelia spoke up after, "The House of Bones holds an Alliance with the House of Black and will also abstain from joining, as I feel I can better serve from my position in the Ministry without any further complications of loyalty. Potter, Jones, Shacklebolt, I am going to need an oath from you that your business for the Order will not intervene with your duties as an Auror or you can all provide your resignation. This is not up for debate!"
Sirius sat back and watched as the Aurors bickered about Amelia's decision but when Moody
added his support to the measure, most went silent. Sirius would lend Ted to Amelia so they could draft the oath before getting either an Aurors resignation or their agreement. Sirius commented that based on Voldemort's resurrection and Fudge's rejection of reality, Amelia should apply the oath to her entire department. The Head of the DMLE agreed and plans were set to secure the Ministry from interference from either side, potentially spreading the idea of the oaths to other key departments. Best to not feed any feelings of paranoia to a Minister already divorced from reality while executing their most vulnerable positions. Sirius left the meeting and soon grew concerned. The more important face to face discussion was going to happen as soon as he got home.
- -
"I hope your little get together gave you enough time to think on what you're going to say." Sirius winced at Sabrina's cold tone. They have technically never had an argument before, unless one counts Sabrina complaining about Sirius' spending habits. The closest he'd seen her as mad as she was now was when she panicked and thought that Rhea was endangering her life by visiting the Veil regularly. There was no mistaking the magic radiating of her skin or through her eyes. His bloody cheek even felt newly slapped in her presence. His wife was a damn powerhouse and he had just pissed her off. "Honestly… ? No amount of thinking can excuse what I said." Sabrina lifted an eyebrow, "That's it, you're just going to throw the towel? No excuses, no justifications? Nothing?" Sirius sighed and ran his hand through his hair, "The only thing I can say is that I didn't want James and Lily to lose their son, nor did I want Henry's death on Rhea's conscience should she regret it later. Beyond that, I only deserve to be punished."
Sabrina stared at him for a solid minute. Her magic seemed to reel itself in, "Rhea arrived a few minutes ago. She's waiting for you in the training room. I've ordered Kreacher to have the Spare Room prepared for you." Sirius nodded and headed for the basement level. Sabrina reached out and grabbed his arm, "Sirius. There is a part of me that wants my daughter to forgive you, because I can see why you were so stubborn, but you picked the one thing to never, ever threaten her with. Our daughter loves this family to her core and you almost twisted and perverted that in a way no child should ever experience, especially after the shit the Potters and the Dursleys put her through. She might forgive you tonight because she loves you and you have clearly realized that your near decision was a horrible mistake, and I will too. Eventually. But mark my words Sirius, you are going to work to earn my forgiveness. As much as your absence from our bed will hurt me, the thing you thought of doing to our child hurts me a lot more. And if you ever consider to force our daughter to do something through the family magic again, I swear it won't be her that ends you but me. You can be certain of that, my husband." Sirius felt his throat tighten but he nodded.
The moment he opened the training room, he could tell Rhea was having an emotional tug of war and he wasn't sure going in was wise. The walls were covered in ice and his brain was telling him to run and not look back. Rhea stood still as a statue in the center, with only her hand clenching and unclenching rhythmically, her hair lifting and setting as if responding to an unknown breeze. Sirius hardly opened his mouth before he was tossed onto his back and he found himself pinned on the ground. Rhea's cyan eyes stared at him, with a look he had never seen before on his daughter. "You and I both know I killed at least one person today. That Death Eater was swallowed whole
the moment my Fiendfyre left my hand. So you know I am capable of it. What you almost did to me…" Rhea closed her eyes and shuddered, " … was worse than the trials at the Peverells. Had you followed through I wouldn't have hesitated, I would have killed you on the spot!" Rhea's magic felt cold against his skin, coiling and tasting him, looking for a reason to strike before it vanished in an instant.
Sirius felt tears land on his face and he looked up, and stared into his daughter's crying face. "I am a murderer, Dad. I was a murderer at the age of 8. I wanted them dead and I watched my magic tear them apart. I didn't bat an eye, I didn't scream. I laughed. I wanted the house to burn down to the ground and consume them and me with it. I wanted the nightmare that was my whole life to be over. If it weren't for Dorea pulling me through the Veil, I would have died there. But then you and Mom gave me a reason to just be a kid again, to forget about all the bad that was the life I had once lived. I had a family that loved me! I was so happy. I had my dreams made real. So please Dad, don't make my nightmares real again. Please, don't make me kill our family too. Please!" Rhea buried her face into his chest and cried as Sirius hugged her to him, promising his girl that he would never, ever give her a reason to harm her family. She slowly settled down. "I forgive you, Dad. I know Mom won't just yet but I forgive you. Because I can't live with myself if I couldn't love you and Mom with all my heart. Until the day I have a spouse, please… stay as my reason to be better than a monster. Please…"
Sirius casted a featherlight spell on his daughter and took her up to her room, wishing Rhea a goodnight. "You could never be a monster to us, our fair maiden. But I promise, from now on till death, I will do my best never to disappoint you again." Rhea's soft words reached him as he closed the door. "Goodnight Dad. Love you." The moment he turned around he found his wife in his face, her hand dispelling the handprint on his cheek. The two stared into each other's eyes and Sabrina leaned in and kissed his lips softly. "Good night, my love. Tomorrow, we get started. You have a lot to make up for." She turned and headed towards the Master Bedroom. Sirius dropped onto the Spare Bedroom's bed and stared into the sealing before sleep took him. He was sure that until the moment Sabrina forgave him, he was going to need every minute's worth of sleep.
Chapter End Notes
For those who wanted a fight between Rhea and Voldemort in the Graveyard, that was the point of the previous chapter. I knew it wouldn't happen in the graveyard since she had no reason to be there and Barty being the only one looking after Voldemort he couldn't be in two places at once. Time turners don't exist in my story. I refuse to touch that plot minefield.
I can, however, safely say that we will get a Battle in the Ministry Atrium for the end of Year 5. I should know, I just wrote it last night. :) look forward to that and more. I am also getting deeper into the development of my second fanfiction project. Its a struggle, trying to make it new, when I used so many ideas her, but I think I can manage it. I have also been thinking of a third project, but that is pure hypothetical right now. First I am finishing Blood and Magic, then starting project two. Hope you are still interested, as it involves more mature characters, expect it to earn its Mature or even an Explicit rating.
Next Chapter?: Rhea and Co wake up to a whole new normal.
Leave a comment, discuss and see you all in two days.
New Reality
Chapter Notes
Here is the next chapter. Hope you all like it.
The rough outline for my fem!harry/Tonks fic is coming along well, I think. Its going to be a bit different but I hope you all like it. Still undecided on a few things. Its a lot harder, writing a structured fic versus a freeform one. Who knew.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Hermione watched as the students entered the Great Hall and took their seats and it was clear from the start that information about the events of last night had already spread. All of Durmstrang looked broken down and made hardly any movements as they sat with Slytherin, which seemed to be on edge. The Gryffindors seemed wired up, ready to snap at anyone daring to make any accusations or attack them. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff showed a different reaction, as they were calm and somber, but clearly supportive of each other. Hermione knew why the two other Houses reacted that way, as she had been invited to an emergency meeting of the study group last night. The invite had come from Rhea, and it had also made it clear that she wasn't required to come if the Gryffindors were monopolizing her time, which they did. Rhea did ask that Hermione eventually take the moment to speak to Rhea before reaching King's Cross Station, as there were matters that needed to be settled. Her thoughts went to the previous night.
A slight embarrassed blush had creeped into Hermione's face as she remembered what she did to get Rhea to save Henry, who had found out about it from McGonagall. He had been mad that she did such a stupidly dangerous thing to save him but she refused to apologize. If she apologized, Hermione thought it would have cheapened her conviction from last night, as well as Rhea's decision of sparing her from her offer. Hermione refused to do anything to diminish what happened between them last night, as it felt wrong in every way possible. She owed Rhea a lot for listening to her and she wouldn't let anyone tell her different. Henry went quiet after that and eventually confessed to what he experienced at the graveyard, and about what his Grandmother had said. He admitted to Hermione that he hardly knew much about his Grandmother and that in the last few years he had all but dismissed her because she had been a Black. Rhea's rescue and Dorea's parting words had left him much to think about, though Hermione wasn't sure if he would learn much from it. Henry was stubborn in the worst of ways. Hermione watched as Rhea entered the Great Hall and sat besides Luna, who hugged her friend. She wondered how everything between Sirius and his daughter went. The man had looked so ashamed the night before.
The attention of the Great Hall shifted to Dumbledore who began to explain what happened after the Maze. He celebrated the sportsmanship and camaraderie that had led to Victor Krum wishing to share the Triwizard Cup with Henry as they reached it together. Rhea, however, kept listening to his intent and the words right after and was fuming. Dumbledore revealed to the students that Voldemort had returned and that now was a time for facing against the rising threat from the Dark. How dare he! The Dark don't follow someone because they claim to represent them
anymore than the Light follows Dumbledore. He was undermining the peace that her family had been building towards since her Dad got into politics and was actively terrorising a third of the school population. She had heard that Fudge would likely be targeting Dumbledore and right now she didn't see anything wrong with that. The man dared to take advantage of the death of a student to spread his Light propaganda. As a Necromancer, Rhea felt no greater insult had been issued than to use the death of an innocent to spread fear and distrust. She was going to share the memory with Mom and Dad and see if they could use it to rally support for their Neutral approach to the coming hostilities.
The speech ended and the students settled down to eat as Rhea turned to Luna. "You were quiet last night. Are you and your dad going to be safe on your own while he runs the Quibbler?" Luna looked pensive. "Usually I would say yes, but Daddy has always had a stubborn streak. He might post an article that Death Eaters don't approve of and draw attention to us." Rhea remembered reading quite a few issues of the Quibbler. She didn't remember seeing any other names attached to the magazine. "You and your dad are the only employees, right? No one else works with you or helps with writing articles?" Luna shook her head, and Rhea began to formulate a letter. "I have some contacts in Gringotts and while I doubt I can get any lower prices, we could get the bank to ward your place early. If your dad can't cover the charges, maybe we can work out a deal with shares of the business. My parents are rightfully ticked at the Prophet for the stunt after New Years and a deal for shares, investments and House Black sponsorship for the Quibbler could fetch everyone a tidy profit. Luna? Eep!"
Luna hugged Rhea enough that Rhea felt her spine crack a few times. "Luna, before you send me to The Hospital Wing faster than Moody after a training session, could you ease off a bit. Having trouble breathing here." Luna pulled back and her face was full of tears, prompting Rhea to conjure a handkerchief and giving it to her. After Luna cleaned her face, Rhea vanished the cloth. Luna beamed at her friend. "And you were worried you couldn't be nice." Rhea frowned, "I just… I don't mind charity and kindness, but when it's done with no return and it could be misused, what's the point? You did hear me about my family earning a profit out of this, fight?" Luna nodded, "Yes, but you help while you're at it. Very Goblin of you." Rhea beamed, "I am taking that as a full on compliment." Rhea thought about Gringotts and slumped onto the table, "Though I just realized I have to work with the Goblins more with this mess brewing. By the time I am likely to be done, I might just be a Goblin." Luna laughed and patted her friend on the back.
Rhea's eyes scanned the Great Hall as dinner switched with dessert and noted how many first generation wixen there were. Of the entire Magical population, they were the most vulnerable and despite Dumbledore and the Light's supposed fondness for them, they are likely to do the minimal work required to protect them and their non-magical families. Rhea pulled out a bit of parchment and began to write a letter to Ragnok, Chieftain of Gringotts Albion. Luna was quite right in that Rhea was like a Goblin in that almost nothing was done for free, but Rhea was a Healer at heart and she just couldn't let others suffer because no one in a position of Authority did anything for them. As Heiress of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, she had to run a lot of her investments through her parents, but as Lady Peverell, she could probably handle this with Gringotts directly. She'd tell her parents for sure, but they had the Wizengamot and the Death Eaters to deal with. Safeguarding the most vulnerable wixen from the imbeciles and the extremist of the Magical World would be her task.
- -
" Elder Sharpfang is here to see you as requested, Chieftain Ragnarok. " The Black, Peverell and Ravenclaw Account Manager walked into his Liege's office and bowed, " May our enemies grovel at your feet as our people flourish with conquered gold. How may I be of service, my Liege?" Ragnok nodded at his Elder's words, " May your service see your coffers grow and your family honored. I received a most interesting missive from your Lady Peverell. Our informant in Hogwarts has confirmed the return of the Gaunt Heir and his sycophants and your Lady recognizes the dangers and opportunities this presents. She directed her missive to me as this was a matter involving all of Gringotts Albion and rightfully recognized that it would require my approval before you would be able to take up the work. Please read the letter and tell me what you think, Elder Sharpfang. " Intrigued, Sharpfang took the letter and recognized the young lady's handwriting. The omission of her other titles and names made it clear she wanted this to be a Peverell matter only.
Sharpfang's face twisted into a sharp smile. " My Lady Peverell is very much a Protector, but not naive like the other wand wavers. The profits she seeks may be small in the long run, but they will stack with every household she takes under her aegis. The allegiances she will foster with this may be weak politically, but will surpass many in numbers and loyalty. I approve of her plan and would ask your leave to begin writing the necessary contracts. " Ragnok nodded, " I approve as well and am willing to grant you your leave to begin preparing, but I wanted to ask you for your thoughts on Lady Peverell. She has honored our nation from her arrival to our halls and her continued business has been most welcomed by the Horde. Her deference to us in recognition of our specialities and understanding of our ways surpasses that of any other wand waver in Albion. Should these contracts be completed and established with a great number of new wand wavers and their families, would you believe she to be worthy of the title? "
There were few titles a wand waver could earn from service to Gringotts Albion in such a matter, but only one would match his master's description. Friend of the Goblin Nation. The young Lady Peverell held political power that was unmatched in its concealment as it was in the preparations her family had taken to secure it from outside interference. The review of the laws on Blood Magic and Death Magic would require time and visible participants for the Unspeakables to interview and observe in daily life before they could make any determinations. Word from their contacts in the ICW has already revealed a few Blood Mages and Necromancers across the world are signing up to aid the effort to upturn the laws restricting them and their kind, meaning that in the international spectrum alone their acquaintance was already changing things. If the Lady Peverell followed through on her planned contracts, no one could deny her nature as a Healer and Protector or her vision of a far less oppressed society. Friend of the Goblin Nation would be a step forward down the same path of her predecessor with Gringotts Albion. If she could avoid her ancestor's fate…
" I believe she would indeed be worthy of the title my Liege, though awarding it is in your
hands alone. With her political, magical and economic power, she may yet ascend to her Ancestor's place among our history, though I would wish she would suffer a kinder fate. " Ragnok nodded and grinned, " My thoughts exactly, Elder Sharpfang. Begin your preparations and inform me as soon as the numbers of contracts begin to grow. I will be contacting our brethren in the continent. Many wards need to be raised and we must have the Wardmasters and casters to fill in the work, before the family's are targeted. You have my leave, Elder Sharpfang. May your vaults multiply in service to your charges. " The Black Family account Manager bowed to Chieftain Ragnok. " May the coming profits fill Gringotts with gold and honor our peoples work. " Ragnok sat back into his chair and allowed his mind to wander.
The Wizengamot had been turned on its head with the solidified Neutral bloc, one interested in improving the relations of magical creatures, fulfillment of duty to the letter of the law, increasing profits and the restoration of traditions and magics dismissed by the ignorant sheep. The Lady Peverell had been the catalyst for this change, as a nascent Necromancer beginning to stretch her influence through Magical Albion's population. The awakening of Peverell Castle was proof she was more than just another Peverell, very different to the Gaunt Heir. The Horde had sensed the release of Death Magic into the land and the Creatures of Death across the country rejoiced in its return and were seen fulfilling their ancient and primal duties with great zeal and care. The world had indeed changed in the last few months and if the young Lady's plans succeed, it would change again. Ragnok began to pen a few letters to people he hadn't had personal dealings with for ages. The times, however, demanded they'd be prepared. Soon, they would all have reason to celebrate. A Friend of the Goblin Nation would soon walk the streets of Albion. If their plans succeeded, the Fae may make their own overture. Ragnok grinned. Lets see if the fates are kind this time.
- -
Rhea sat down in her chosen cabin on the Hogwarts Express after helping Luna with her trunk. The mood in the castle had settled into anxious expectation, even as the Daily Prophet lambasted Dumbledore's claims and attacked Henry's character, more than likely at Fudge's prompting. The Slytherin's had summoned her to their Common Room, a first in a long time, and she began to discuss negotiations with them concerning their future. The Carrow Twins were among the most concerned as their parents were known fanatics. While not part of Draco's friends, they were acquaintances and both were decidedly very different from their parents. Rhea tried and couldn't be sure if she saw either of them at the graveyard. She was limited in what she could say or do as Heiress and she wasn't ready to reveal her position as Lady Peverell just yet, but she was able to assure them that House Black would offer Allegiance or even Asylum to those who held no threat or animosity to her House. She also threw in that they would be safe at Hogwarts in the coming year and she had to explain that it wasn't because of Dumbledore, without revealing her Ravenclaw heritage. The Castle was well on its way to recovery, despite the old man's best attempts at influencing the wards to his own ends.
The next meeting she held was with the first gen wixen or those who lived with non-magical parents or guardians. Sally and a friend of hers from Ravenclaw were both in foster homes and would need an alternative solution to the issue of their safety from the one she was offering to the
other children. Susan's Aunt had kindly opened her house to Sally for the summer and the boy would spend the summer at another Family's home, so for this summer, they would be relatively safe. For the rest, Rhea did her best to explain what she was offering, though for many, it clearly went over their heads. Susan, Hermione and Rhea were able to convince most of the severity of the problem, explaining that whether You Know Who was back or not, his terrorists were and they had no problem targeting non-magical families, making the need for a secure home environment very pressing. Rhea gave them all a thick envelope with an early copy of the contract Sharpfang crafted, filled with enough leeway that Rhea felt confident most families would take a version of it, especially those with small businesses who could use financial support. She did tell them that the name on it was hers and that the title was genuine, she was just reluctant to advertise it due to its status as an assumed extinct line.
Rhea's concern throughout the whole meeting with the dozens of students from every year had been Hermione. Her Gryffindor friend had been very quiet the entire time and didn't pick up an envelope, despite Rhea making sure she had a copy nearby. She was seriously considering going over her friend's head and reaching out to her parents directly but she hoped that what she shared with Hermione was enough incentive for the Gryffindor bookworm to come to her. Though if she didn't get a visit from her on the train, she would happily sneak behind her bloody back and pay for everything out of pocket if she had to. At least her own parents were supportive of her initiative and gave her the go ahead. Sirius had jumped at the chance to negotiate with the Quibbler and Mr. Lovegood and would be handling that on his own. Sabrina had agreed to oversee her daughter's investments and contracts as Lady Peverell's future Proxy, though she was leaving Rhea to handle most of it and keeping it her idea. Mom was getting a massive hug when Rhea saw her at King's Cross and Dad was probably going to find a doggy bed in the Spare Bedroom. Rhea loved her dad and all but Mom said he was still in the doghouse, so Rhea wouldn't get involved.
As Rhea contemplated how to organize the security of all the homes that would be warded, as a proper response against attacks needed to be part of the deal, her cabin door opened and Hermione popped her head in. Luna stood up and headed for the door. "You two can have some privacy, Astoria asked me to help her braid her hair before we arrived at the Station and Tracey wanted to help. Have fun you two and don't do anything without warding the walls properly." Luna left leaving behind a slack jawed Rhea and a blushing Hermione. "She's just teasing us, right?" Rhea looked at Hermione's red face and couldn't help herself. "I certainly don't kiss and tell, so if you want me to raise the wards?" Hermione's face was tomato red and Rhea found her pouting very cute. Several privacy wards and detection charms later and Rhea winked at Hermione. "What can I do for you, Hermione? and please tell me you have a plan for keeping your parents safe."
Hermione's jaw clamped shut and she lowered her eyes. Rhea felt her blood run cold. "Hermione… " She sighed, "Dumbledore said he'd be sending some curse breakers to set up the wards in our home, but there wasn't much they could do since it's a residential area with mu-non- magicals." The expletives in Greek out of Rhea's mouth went over Hermione's head, but she had a good idea her friend was mad. Rhea glared at her bushy haired friend. "Let me guess, because of his planned preparations you couldn't just take my offer?" Hermione looked guilty. "It didn't feel right. If the Order was going through the trouble…" Rhea snapped, "There are no true Wardmasters in Britain right now and you mentioned Curse Breakers. Hermione, Curse Breaker Wards are temporary and relatively weak. It's like going camping and setting a tripwire alarm. For a Magical, sure it can save your life when tripped. Your parents won't have the edge such alarms
provide because they don't feel them being tripped. They also won't have a chance to flee to safety."
Rhea sighed and pulled out an envelope. She stared at Hermione. "The terms for every other contract I handed out are the same, but yours is different. I want you to read it, discuss it with your family and write on the enchanted response page what your answer is. I will personally come to your house and sign everything with your parents before Gringotts gets to work. These aren't just tripwires and fire suppression wards. These are intent, anti portkey, anti apparition, ward tampering, animagus detection and so much more. These usually would require larger wardstones and a Magical Family to sustain, but for the size of a typical house, they will hold out just as well with a smaller cost and low maintenance. I am in talks with Gringotts at figuring out a response team to arrive at your home or anyone elses should the wards trigger. Now read it." Rhea handed the envelope to Hermione and watched her open it.
The facial expressions on Hermione's face were priceless as she went from page to page. "But… this is … it's too much! Wait, the payback doesn't make sense, it shows a negative return for you of 750 pounds. Why are you taking a hit?" Rhea smiled, "Because getting you to agree to anything is very much like pulling teeth, pun intended. So, that is a contract with all the works, returning a net loss in exchange for you taking a day off every year near final exam season to spend a day at the Spa, all expenses paid upfront by me." Rhea and Hermione had a staring contest. "You are taking a loss of almost a 1000 pounds because you want me to spend a day at the spa? Are you going to be joining me?" Hermione wanted to bite her tongue. Where did that come from? Rhea shrugged, "As much as I would like to be there and watch the masseuses melt you into butter, my participation or anyone else's isn't required, though I will be needing the receipt to confirm your visit every year. That is non-negotiable. I don't care that you don't like that I am taking a loss. You are my friend and I take care of my friends."
Hermione sighed. "Only you could be crazy enough to put a spa date requirement on a net loss contract. My parents won't like the fact you are losing money on us." Rhea waved her hand, "Would it matter if I said I stand to gain the same amount in total payments for the next ten years? Or that my relations with the Goblins and our investment plans are good enough I make more than I could ever spend in my lifetime, and that's without using The Black Family funds." Hermione stared at her friend and went back to the document, reading the name of the other party. Rheannon Black, Lady of The Most Noble and Most Ancient House of Peverell. Wait… "You have more than one title don't you? That's why you're always careful when you describe your future as taking your Families responsibilities. Families as in plural." Rhea smirked, which made Hermione pout. Hermione closed her eyes, trying to make sense of her friend's insanity. For a second she really considered that it would be impossible. Still, Hermione owed her. Wait, wasn't she getting into more debt? Hermione eyed her friend suspiciously. Rhea never asks for anything unless it's something serious. Does she want people to be indebted to her? Would she answer if asked?
"Rhea, you have already left me feeling indebted to you, why are you adding more to it?" Rhea grinned at her. "Oh, finally noticed, did you? Took you long enough." Rhea leaned back. "Do you feel the same way to Henry or to Dumbledore?" Hermione thought for a second. "I… was to Henry, but forcing you to save him feels like it settled what I owed him for the Troll.
Dumbledore… I don't think so. He and the Potters have been great and all but now…" her mind wandered to Rhea's past as Halley. She remembered Mrs. Potter fought with her husband in her office, when she went over to ask for her help to get Henry to stop antagonizing Rhea's friends. Lily had partly blamed Dumbledore for what happened to Halley. She remembered hearing the kids in the Study Group over analyzing Dumbledore's words at times. Susan herself said that she and her Aunt don't trust him. Maybe they had a good reason. "Now I am worried. It feels like I was probably used." Rhea smiled and it made Hermione shudder. That wasn't a friendly smile. "How do you think I felt, when you asked me to risk my life for Henry? When I knew that the only people it was benefiting were the same ones who turned their backs on Halley?"
Hermione closed her eyes, tears falling across her cheeks. She felt Rhea sit beside her and hug her. Hermione's voice quivered. "I … didn't know." Rhea hummed. "That's why I was mad at my dad. He would have used me to save a person that I didn't like. I did it for you because you didn't know any better. For you, it was just doing the right thing. You had a debt to Henry. Consider it paid. You can now feel when someone may be taking advantage of you or planning to do so. Remember Moody's words. Constant Vigilance. So that leaves us with your debt to me and maybe adding a bit more. Want to guess what I am going to ask of you?" Hermione shuddered. What did she get herself into? She felt Rhea flick her head. Wait… She opened her eyes and glared at her friend who smirked at her. "I want you to promise me that from now on you will use that mind of yours and think. Really look and think about what is happening. You have been coasting on trust in a man and a family that make mistakes, who are responsible for a lot of pain and suffering, though much of it is indirectly. You trusted that I wouldn't take advantage of you. You were lucky with me. The next time, you might not be. Next time, you and your family might be the next indirect casualties."
Hermione felt tears slip from her eyes. She buried head into Rhea's shoulder, repeatedly apologizing to her. Rhea conjured another handkerchief and cleaned Hermione's face. "There is a reason my help for Henry was an exclusive offer. You were raised to see the world and think the best. Nothing wrong with that, until you are face to face with the worst. I have had the fortune and misfortune of knowing both extremes. I can be kind, but I refuse to be exploited. You, Hermione are a really kind and gentle soul. Learn from this. Learn from what happened to Halley. Be kind, but don't be abused by those who take you for granted. If you can go on and live a good, long and happy life, free of the manipulations of others, I will consider your debt to me from the third task repaid. The one for the spa dates, that one I will put on a tab." Hermione pouted at her friend but it wasn't very convincing. Inside she felt so conflicted. She felt a cold dread seeping in, making her wonder what else she hadn't noticed. She was also warm, and her close proximity to Rhea made her feel warmer. Why did she feel so safe right here? "So, who do I owe that debt to? Rhea Black or Rheannon Peverell?" Rhea chuckled, making Hermione's body shiver. What was wrong with her? Rhea pulled away slightly, "Now you are catching on. You can think of it as a debt to your friend Rhea Black. The Peverell family isn't officially listed yet."
Rhea's words made something click in Hermione's mind. "I'm going to guess the fact that you are keeping the multiple families things a secret but exposing it now is for political reasons, meaning that the next Wizengamot meeting is going to be a spectacle. One where you claim the Peverell votes." Rhea chuckled, already looking forward to her first Wizengamot session. "Oh definitely. I also need to cover some business in the continent in the coming days but the fireworks should all go off in the Wizengamot. Your welcome to come watch, though I'd keep my distance
from Lord Potter. Let's just say he is going to be in a bit of a temper when it's all said and done. The Peverell votes were being used by the Potters for a century or more after all." Hermione was getting a headache. While she could understand the animosity, there were times when it was clear Rhea just loved causing chaos. If the Potters were involved, Rhea definitely would enjoy it. Probably best not to give her an audience. She was causing enough trouble already. "In that case, I will just wait at home. Maybe delay signing this so I can get your opinion about the mess you made while you're signing papers with my parents over tea." Rhea tapped her chin and grinned. "Perfect! It's a date."
Hermione stared at her friend for a second. Wait, did she just trade being an audience for Rhea's chaos for a private get together? Her mind reheard Rhea's last words and her cheeks grew flushed. Nope, she was just teasing. there was no way Rhea had just said that with full seriousness. Nope. Mind out of the gutter. Rhea leaned forward a bit, her face close to Hermione's. "I'll be honest though, you invite me to those spa dates and you can consider the remainder of our debts settled." Hermione's mind misfired. Rhea was flirting with her. She had to be, right? She started squirming in her seat, her eyes fixed on Rhea's. There was some mischief there, but there was no hint of a lie. She was serious. Her mind tried to process Rhea's words but she was so distracted. Were Rhea's lips getting closer or was she closing in on her friend. Wait, that's it, they were friends. Rhea was just being extra friendly. Right? Hermione's mind felt so hot she was sure she was running a fever. Why couldn't she say anything? Why were her words stuck? Why could she only think about kissing her?
The door to the compartment opened and Luna, Astoria and Daphne stuck their heads in. "Oh poo! I was hoping to catch them snogging by now." Hermione went full red in the face, embarrassed to be seen so close to Rhea. Her mind seemed to finally start working again. She started telling Luna and Astoria that she wasn't into Rhea like that, before eventually getting teased enough that she left to be with her Gryffindor friends, red in the face but with the envelope in hand. Daphne turned to Rhea who pouted. "She isn't that thick right? That she doesn't notice that you are flirting with her?" Rhea shrugged, stretching on the seat. "I think she's still at the stage where she doesn't know that she's already looking and interested. I won't force anything and I will flirt with her as much as I can until she gets the hint. Though I was sure she was about to kiss me there. I already got into one weird and complicated relationship, so I am more than happy to let what we might have run its course at her pace. What about you, still not interested in anyone?" Daphne tossed a chocolate into her mouth. "Nope, not at all." Rhea rested her shoulder against Daphne, giving her friend some emotional support. "You let me know if you ever need anything, ok? You know that I care about you and Astoria too. You two are sisters to me." Daphne smiled at her and kissed her friend on the cheek. "Will do. Be careful though, Hermione might get jealous." Rhea hugged Daphne. "I will be careful then."
- -
"Mahad! We have a visitor!" The Dark Mage closed his book on Blood Magic and rubbed his eyes. The ICW's review of some of the more polarizing magics was well underway and he had
submitted his name as a candidate for observation and evaluation in Blood Magic. While Egypt had no issues with Blood Mages, the rest of the world was a hodgepodge of laws and bans. Getting his people's experience and passing some of it down to better the relations elsewhere was worth the headache of reviewing all the Blood Magic texts and finding the spells, rituals and wards that can elevate the practice to one of reclaim rather than one of denial. Word had reached him that a Necromancer had registered for evaluation in MACUSA, leaving only whispers as to the possibility of one in Europe. He wondered if the young lady that visited them would register or wait.
His meandering thoughts prevented him from noticing the spells weakening his chair, until its back legs snapped and dropped him onto his back. He stared emotionlessly at Maana who just grinned at him from the doorway, twirling her rod in her hand. "Is there a reason you decided it was necessary to damage my property, apprentice?" Maana beamed, "Yup, we have a guest and you were lollygagging. Come on!" She flicked her rod and he was suddenly being levitated out the room. His apprentice would be spending a few days in meditation. Maybe a week. His thoughts came to a halt as his magic sensed the visitors presence, a second before Maana dropped him on his ass. Two weeks it is then. After dusting off his robes, and sending a wandless stinging hex at his apprentice, Mahad bowed to his guest. "We welcome you back to our temple, my Lady Necromancer. What may we do for you today?"
Rhea bowed back at him, "It is good to be back, High Priest Mahad. I am here seeking the services of your temple. I will be making a public appearance as the Head of one of my Houses, the one deeply tied to Necromancy, before my homeland's governing body. As a Temple of the Dead, I imagine you have some experience dealing with materials harvested from Creatures of Death. I wish to look the part of the Head of my family while harkening back to our heritage, but no European would dare to work with the materials I wish to use. Would you look them over and give me your people's position on the matter?" Mahad smiled, "It has been some time since our temple fulfilled such a request, but our seamsters and enchanters would be delighted to work on a Necromancers Regalia. Please, follow me." Rhea placed a shrunken chest into the palm of his hand as he led the Necromancer to the back of the temple. His compatriots were more than happy to work with the provided goods. They had all red about using these materials but getting the supplies and willing customers were practically impossible. They happily jumped at the chance, especially when it was for a Necromancer's Regalia.
Mahad and the men stepped out as Maana and the lead seamstress disrobed the Necromancer and took her measurements. Wishing not to intrude and seeing his services were no longer needed, Mahad proceeded to return to his studies as the rest went to work. He was surprised to see the Necromancer sitting down besides him a few minutes later. "Maana says you registered as a Blood Mage with the ICW. How is that going?" Mahad placed the book on the table and slid it to her for her to see. "Quite well actually. I and the others are introducing some spells and rituals that have no major issues with getting ICW approval. We are also getting together to write a compendium of all the stuff we would like to remain banned, though we would like the information to be securely stored by the ICW in order to counter their effects if the method is rediscovered or repeated." Rhea smiled, "Would you and your friends be ok with non-registered Blood Mages coming in and adding their own experiences and suggestions to the pool? As a way to represent more than just yourselves without endangering those who would rather not be known for the craft?"
Running the idea through his mind, Mahad nodded. "I can see the wisdom in that and I am sure many of our brethren would welcome other voices to add to their own. I will need to know your name for sending any information your way, though." The Necromancer stood up and bowed, "Rheannon Black, Necromancer of the Peverell line, at your service." Mahad bowed his head, "Well met my Lady. Peverell… I think I have some Peverell blood in me, though it is quite removed. The family was widely spread in Europe and the Mediterrenean before they vanished." Rhea looked pleased, "Oh thank the Goddess! I was going mad considering who my other Peverell connections were. Even the bastard you warned me about has Peverell blood in him." Mahad's mood soured, "Then he has sinned against the family. No Peverell would dare tarnish their soul." Rhea nodded, "Then it's a good thing I disinherited him prior to his resurrection. Losing a good chunk of his magic without him realizing it is a pleasant advantage to have."
Mahad nodded, "Indeed." The two spent some time learning about each other's views on Blood Magic, with Mahad sharing the many Blood Magic rituals that use a great deal of symbolism and local materials, while Rhea shared her unique experiences with combining Blood Magic with medical science. Eventually Maana called them back and Rhea loved the outfit they prepared for her. "It's got traces of your Blood and Magic, so it should adjust itself to you and provide a higher degree of protection, especially with your prowess in wandless magic." The outfit was a form fitting long sleeves dress shirt, overcoat and pants. Most of it was in a deep black cloth, the trimmings and edges detailed in gold. At the waist and attached to the black leather belt was Maana's Ankh, now properly enchanted. A black sach covered her waist, giving the clothes a more Egyptian feel. Even the boots were in black leather and gold trimmings. The seamstress and Maana were both delighted when she tried it on. The ladies had been right though, as the material felt tied to her from the moment it touched her skin. Rhea felt whole.
Rhea followed Mahad out of the Temple and walked along the streets of the magical island, after he requested she walk with him. He kept his eyes on her, waiting for the response. The locals took in Rhea's appearance and instantly invited her over, offering her a taste of their food or asking her opinion on some jewelry items. Rhea, wishing not to be discourteous, obliged them. Mahad and Maana watched with growing smiles as Rhea began to relax as the local mages got more comfortable with her and read her body language. Even the children approached her and asked if she could show them some of her magic. She focused on the sand at her feet and gathered it together, creating a golem in the form of a winged sphinx before transfiguring its composition into a facsimile of a living one. The children were delighted and the adults watched on as the Transfigured Sphinx played with them, its behaviour very close to a playful cat. An older woman approached Rhea and bowed. "Priest Mahad spoke to us of the blessing you gave to my late husband in your last visit. Our family thanks you, Necromancer. May Isis and Osiris bless you as you have blessed us all." Rhea blushed and thanked her for the kind words.
Mahad brought Rhea to the restaurant of a family friend and watched as she drank some coffee, the warmth soothing her nerves. "I must admit, when I came to ask for these clothes, I wasn't expecting everyone here to respond like that." Mahad smiled into his cup as Maana chuckled. "The island has felt lighter since your visit. Even the other Temples have felt the change and welcome it. The blessings of a Necromancer are held in great esteem here and all the local mages recognize you for it. The clothes we made will be unmistakable to all of our people, even if
your people won't look at it as anything more than foreign inspired clothing." The food arrived and the group settled in to eat. Mahad watched as a little girl came up to Rhea, a nervous look in her eyes. "Necromancer?" The change in Rhea's face was interesting to see. With the adults, Rhea had seemed guarded and ready for an attack, but the girl earned an honest smile. "How can I help you?" The girl fiddled with her dress. "My cat passed on recently. Could I bother you for a prayer scroll." Mahad passed Rhea one made of papyrus and a brush and inkwell.
It surprised him before when the young woman admitted to reading Hieroglyphics but seeing her write in them showed a care for the language that many foreigners never give to their own. Rhea asked and received the cat's name and he could read the prayer made to Isis and Bastet, asking for their warmth in easing the girl's pain from the cat's passing. He felt her charge it with her Death Magic before drying it. The moment the girl touched it and read it he could see the warmth in her eyes. The girl hugged Rhea before rushing to show the prayer to her parents. The rest of the restaurant waited for Rhea to finish her meal before they came and asked for prayers as well. Mahad could see her actually enjoying the respectful attention and the warm reception to her family's magic. This is what a Necromancers life should be. Not a plague or a sign of danger, but someone who helped ease the lives of those who suffered the passing of loved ones. Mahad hoped the laws elsewhere would change. Scenes like this should be the norm for the young girl in front of him, not the exception. He hoped to one day see that happen elsewhere.
Chapter End Notes
What did you think? This Chapter was a bit more of a set up for what's next. The scene with Hermione on the train was partly modified since the Chapter felt short and I wanted to address a few things that came up. Is the cat out of bag now? ;) I hope you all stick around, as things will get interesting.
Next Chapter?: Wizengamot, a little detour, more perspectives and Rhea finds something concerning.
Please leave a comment, discuss and see you all in 2 days.
A Summer of Revelations
Chapter Notes
Here is the Next Chapter. Hope you all enjoy it.
I have a few questions for you all and would like to hear your answers. The questions are in the end notes. See you in the comments.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
The sound of the gavel hammering echoed in the large Chamber as Sirius sat down in his seat at the Wizengamot, Sabrina sitting beside him wearing her usual mix of black and green. He was also aware of what she was wearing beneath her clothes, which she did to torture him since he was forbidden to even touch her right now. The days since the end of the Third Task have been filled with constant work, cold showers and his wife teasing him mercilessly. She was truly evil but he couldn't help but love her because she never went out to demean him. So he was being the best dog he could be, never straying from what his wife planned for his daily routines. His own daughter teased him about that, though, and bought him a doggybed, which would be switched with his real bed whenever his wife was in a vindictive mood. Those moods came often, but at least the bed was comfortable. Today marked the first anniversary since their wedding and he hoped she would let him spoil her. His wife deserved to be pampered.
His thoughts returned to the moment as Fudge started to talk before the assembled wixen. "Honored members of the Wizengamot, on this day, August 1st, 1995, I, Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, commence this extraordinary session. Chief Scribe, are there any outstanding requests for the Wizengamot to see today before we can arrive at the main topics of discussion?" The scribe, Percy Weasley, looked through the papers in front of him. He paused when he found a paper he hadn't read previously while preparing for the session. "We do, Minister. A Head of House is here to claim their seat in the Wizengamot and a Proxy is to be appointed." Fudge clearly didn't like the sound of that as he looked around, unsure how that might play into his plans in the Wizengamot's current state. Sirius saw him sigh, "Very well. Aurors, open the doors and allow the Head of House to enter and claim their seat." Sirius and Sabrina leaned forward and watched, his wife sporting a huge grin on her face. The Aurors pulled open the doors and the sound of boots striking the floor of the Chamber preceded the appearance of the new Head of House.
There, walking into the chamber dressed in the blackest of black clothes, gold woven into the cloth and hair, was his beloved daughter. His wife alone saw the clothes Rhea would wear before they left the house and he could see why. His daughter, now 15 years old but thanks to her magical maturity looking closer to 17, was drop dead gorgeous, pun definitely intended. Her hair was tied in a brain and laid on her left shoulder, her boots clicked onto the floor hard as she kept her eyes firmly on the lower platform where the Chief Scribe, the Minister and the Chief Warlock would normally sit. Since Dumbledore's tenure as Chief Warlock was in question, he was currently seated in the defendants stand. All around him Sirius could hear people talking about Rhea, asking who she was, as Rhea had yet to make a proper appearance aside from the Witch Weekly and Daily
Prophet article. Rhea's current garbs made it a bit hard for a few to remember, especially as she would normally be too young to claim a seat in the first place. A look at the Light Faction seats showed James Potter looking confused, as he clearly recognized her. The Chief Scribe bade her to come forward and to place her hand with the Head of House rings over the Registry Book. "Please state your name and what seats you claim." His daughter raised her left hand, "I, Rheannon Sabrina Black, Head of the Most Noble and Most Ancient House of Peverell, lay claim to my Family's Seat and Vote in the Wizengamot."
The silence turned into a cacophony of noise, as no one ever expected a Peverell to ever return. The room went quiet when James Potter raised his voice. "Objection. The Peverell Seat and Vote is subject to the Potter Family and Heiress Black is not a member of the family." The temperature in the chamber dropped as Rhea's magic flared at the insult. "In accordance with the Betrothal Contract of one Iolanthe Potter née Peverell, the Seat and Vote for House Peverell would fall under House Potter, until such a time as a Peverell reclaimed the Headship of the House, with said Peverell not being required to be of the Potter line to claim it. I carry the Ring as Lady Peverell and hold dominion over Castle Peverell. I am the rightful Head of House and request that my Family Seat and Vote be restored to its proper place. The Peverell Seat and Vote is henceforth permanently removed from the Potter Family influence." The scribe looked through the Registry and found the pertinent notations. "The Lady Peverell speaks the truth, said provisions are part of the Peverell Seat as temporarily awarded to House Potter. The Registry Book recognizes Rheannon Black's claim and restores the Peverell Seat and Votes as fully independent. Lady Peverell, to which Faction do you wish the Seat to be aligned?"
Rhea smiled at the Chief Scribe, "The Peverell Seat is to be restored to its proper place as a member of the Neutral Faction." The Neutrals practically swooned around Sirius but James Potter had to interrupt the moment again. "I still object to her taking her Seat. She is too young to wear the Head of House ring, let alone to sit in this Chamber." Rhea's magic was going wild for a bit before it settled. "Insult me or my rightful place again and I would gladly challenge you to an honor duel with the entire Wizengamot as my witness! I will gladly tear what little remains of my family's blood from your veins, Lord Potter." That silenced the Light Faction quickly, as no one expected such a violent response. "As it so happens, the rules governing the age of Ascension came into being after the House of Peverell went silent, so my age was never a factor considered by the ring or the Family Magicks. As for my age in taking my Family Seat, then yes you are correct, Lord Potter. Which is why I registered a request to appoint a Proxy in my place beforehand. I, Rheannon Black, Head of House Peverell, hereby appoint Sabrina Black-Prasinos as my Proxy for the Peverell Seat in the Wizengamot. So says I, so mote it be."
The light from Rhea's ring shined brightly and Sabrina's Family ring, now shifted to the Peverell Proxy ring, shined in response as she stood up. "I, Sabrina Black-Prasinos, do so accept the position of Proxy on behalf of my daughter, the Lady Peverell. So says I, so mote it be." The Neutrals clapped happily as Rhea walked up to her parents and sat in the guest seat between and behind them, the Light Faction powerless to do anything and disheartened as they just lost one more vote. The Neutrals are practically shaking with excitement, as the Peverells stood long and proud amongst their ranks. To have the seat restored to them was a symbolic victory. After much debate and quiet conversations, Fudge finally took control of the Chamber and began the proper session. "I, Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, bring forward the request for the removal of Albus Dumbledore from his position as Chief Warlock. Presenting the case is Undersecretary
Dolores Umbridge." A voice that set Rhea's teeth on edge answered. "Thank you, Minister." This woman who looked like a pink toad and spoke with the worst tone of voice Rhea had ever heard proceeded to paint Dumbledore as a liar and a man who wished to sow fear through Magical Britain. She was right on all counts but Goddess did she hate the woman's voice.
James Potter stood up for the Light Faction and heaped so much praise of the man that Rhea leaned forward to speak to her parents. "Are we sure that James Potter is married to Lily Evans? Because I feel like his mouth was clearly attached to Dumbledore's rear end right there." Sirius couldn't help but burst out laughing and Sabrina joined in. Amelia tried to control her laughter, as did Lord Greengrass and Lady Abbott all around them. The Light gave the Neutrals a dirty look while the Dark clearly wanted in on the joke. Amelia gave Rhea a dirty look after she got her giggles under control. "Please behave, Lady Peverell." Rhea hummed, "I make no promises, especially when Susan and I are sitting together up here." Amelia felt a shiver run down her spine. "I need to have a word with my niece. Either I retire as Director or she keeps me as Proxy when she's of age. I refuse to be in the same room as you two while you are both looking to have your bits of fun." Rhea pouted and sat back. "Spoilsport." Following Lord Potter was Lord Yaxley, who spoke against Dumbledore. Rhea knew the man was a Voldemort sycophant, so she was more interested in who was missing from the Dark Faction, her eyes taking in the current line up and trying to remember what she knew of the seating. Most of them were as expected but she noticed the Carrow Seat was empty. Maybe Flora and Hestia got lucky with Rhea's Fiendfyre diversion. She'd have to send them an owl and check on them. Regardless, the Carrows were a known threat and their removal a sign of good fortune.
Rhea sat straight as her father made his plea to speak, his voice joining the request to remove Dumbledore. The Light looked utterly indignant, as did Dumbledore. He probably got the wrong idea as to who Sirius was fighting when he went to the first meeting of the Order. His refusal to join and his absence afterwards should have been a hint. "While I don't subscribe to Lord Yaxley's hatred of the man, I do not believe Dumbledore represents the best choice for Chief Warlock, the best example being the speech he gave to not only Hogwarts but to two foreign schools following the death of Victor Krum. To use that solemn moment to spread hate and propaganda is inexcusable, and to do so in front of an international audience is not only a disgrace of his position but an embarrassment to Britain. While I sit among the Neutrals, my family shares many traits with the Dark and in a few generations, I sincerely hope my family may yet return to its rightful Faction. Yet Dumbledore would have us believe that a third of this chamber or more are the enemy of all Magical Britain simply because we do not agree with his own personal ideals. That is prejudice, ignorance and hate and such words should not be spoken by the moderator of this assembly. I don't know about the rest of you but a Chief Warlock or Witch should uphold the laws of the Wizengamot and present a neutral ear, a sound mind and steady hand. I don't believe Albus Dumbledore is capable of any of those things. And believe me, once this session is over, I will be bringing this matter before the Board of Governors. A third or more of the students of Hogwarts should not have to feel afraid of who they are or what their magic or Family's alignment says about them."
The claps from the Neutrals and the Dark Faction covered the room with sound as Sirius sat down. Dumbledore tried to plead his case, but the Minister overruled him, the decision seconded by Sirius, Lucius and a surprising Agusta Longbottom. Rather than dismissing him with a simple majority plea, Sirius called for a counted binding vote and the motion passed. The result was what
the Blacks wanted to see. More than two thirds of the Wizengamot voted to remove Dumbledore, preventing a possible return barring a future election. A long session followed as candidates from both main factions rose and were defeated, until Lady Abbott was nominated. A member of the Neutral Faction, she was known to be a no nonsense healer who dabbled in politics with her husband. While not the most integrated of the Neutral bloc, her distance was seen as a boon for her nomination. She won the election by a narrow margin and became the new Chief Witch. Umbridge then tried a last minute push to approve a reclassification on Magical Creatures that made Rhea's skin go cold. Had Umbridge had her way, the rights of Merpeople, Centaure, Vampires, Werewolves and Goblins would be curtailed, undoing years of her Dad's hard work with the Neutral blo . Thankfully it was defeated but Rhea had a bad feeling about the toad woman. This wasn't the end.
Arriving back home Rhea pulled Mom aside and begged her to lift the punishment from her Dad for today. Sabrina sighed but agreed. Rhea told them to have fun and not to worry about her, she'd spend the night with her Aunt Bella. Rhea took off quickly after that, letting Nyx guide her near to where Hermione's house was located. It took Rhea a moment to get her bearings and bury some unwanted memories. While the suburban landscape reminded her of Surrey, the houses were much nicer and different looking. Nyx, hiding in the Veil like a Grim while she was happily perched on Rhea's shoulder, pointed her to a decently sized three story house with a tree covering its front yard with shade. Rhea could imagine a younger Hermione sitting under it, reading a book and the image made her smile and grow warm. She walked up and Nyx took off to inspect the area. Rhea's mood soured for a bit as she entered the property line. Over a month since the Third Task and no wards or guards of any kind had been placed by the Order for one of Henry's known friends. Dumbledore really had a problem with taking care of his own people. He had been so surprised he had lost his position in the Wizengamot too. She schooled her face, buried her frustration and knocked on the door. The door opened revealing a tall man, some good muscle on him but with a gentle smile. "What can I do for you, miss?"
Rhea decided to tease Hermione a bit, "Hi, is this the Granger Residence? I met this wonderful girl with a love for books and asked her on a date for tea. She said to stop by today?" The man looked confused before shouting back into the house. "Hermione, did you have plans on a date today, there is a girl here asking for you." Rhea is sure she heard a confused Hermione yell "What!" before rushing down the stairs. "No Dad, I am not waiting for no… Rhea?" Hermione stilled as she watched Rhea standing at the door, waving at her with a cheeky grin. Her face went from confused to scandalized. It was priceless. "Dammit Rhea, stop teasing my dad! Dad, this is Rhea Black, the friend from school I told you about. She's here about the contract I showed you. You know, the really weird one." The man looked at Rhea and smiled. "Ah, so you're the young lady who kidnapped my daughter and taught her how to have fun in a Shopping Mall without stopping at a bookstore. A pleasure to meet you." Hermione's clearly embarrassed "Dad!" made Rhea smile. "That's me sir, Rheannon Black, Lady of House Peverell and tormentor of bushy haired bookworms, at your service."
Hermione came forward and pulled Rhea into the House, before slapping her shoulder as soon as the door closed. "Dammit Rhea, stop being such a tease!" Rhea pouted but Mr. Granger laughed, "I must say it's nice to see Hermione acting her age for once. The name's Daniel Granger, but you can call me Dan." Rhea took off her boots and looked around the room, "Not Doctor? By the way, you have a lovely place here. Reminds me of home. I lived in a three story house in
London, though the first floor was the family business." The man beamed at that. "Lived in a place like that myself with my parents. Dad had a hardware shop as the first floor for quite a while. Wife's from the country though so we settled for suburban London. Can't live without a backyard that one and she refused to let Hermione live without one either. Not that she used it much besides the pool." Rhea nodded, "Personally love the country myself. Grandma Serah has a big place out in the French Countryside. Nothing like seeing a sea of snow stretching into the horizon to make you feel like a kid again. Hide and Seek and snowball fights are a lot more fun when you don't have to worry about running into a fence." A chuckle from her side made Rhea turn.
"Thank God there is someone here who understands what the country is all about. My name's Emma Granger, and no, you don't have to call us Doctor." Rhea did a flourishing bow, earning a groan from Hermione, which made Rhea giggle. Mrs. Granger guided Rhea to the dining room table and had her sit down while she went to set some water to boil while Mr. Granger went to get the contract. Rhea smiled at Hermione. "You have a lovely home, Hermione. Your parents feel great." Hermione smiled but thought about what she said. "Feel?" Rhea went searching in a pocket on her jacket and pulled out a shrunken book before unshrinking it. "Before you complain about what I did, wandless magic is untraceable by the Ministry. This is a book about Occlumency. I am sure you heard about it. If you want me to start trusting you with more important parts of my life, this is what you have to do. Mind readers are called Legilimens and they include Professor Snape, Dumbledore and Voldemort. I am also a Legilimens as is Daphne and I want to apologize for searching your mind at the Third Task. I simply refused to do what you asked of me if there was any hidden motive behind it. Learn this and you'll never have to worry about someone stealing your thoughts again."
Hermione eyed the book and nodded. "I understand." Rhea watched her. "Legillimency also works passively, like empathy. it allows me to read people without really invading their privacy. If someone is nice, I can tell the difference when they are next to a prick. I can tell a sadist from a masochist and so on. Occlumency of course helps shield against that type of reading as well. Your parents are great people and I can feel how much they care about you. I can also tell when someone is snooping, Mr. Granger." Hermione snapped her head as her Dad chuckled. "Nice trick. Better than McGonagall turning a teapot into a ferret." He placed the contract on the table and Rhea picked it up. "Any revisions?" The man shook his head, "Aside from why you are willing to take a near 1000 pound loss, no." Rhea pointed at Hermione with her thumb. "Because your daughter is such a Bibliophile that unless someone physically drags away, she will spend the rest of her days in a Library, eating, drinking and sleeping there. She's the one person I know who if she were to receive an unlimited pass to the American Library of Congress and its MACUSA wing, we would literally never see her again." Hermione huffed, "I am not that bad!"
Three pairs of eyes stared at her in disbelief and Hermione sighed, "Ok, fine, maybe I am." Rhea snickered. "That's why that's in there, sir. In the last year, I have gotten to know your daughter and I can safely call her one of my best friends. I care about my friends. I've organized contracts like this and passed them around to the vulnerable families of first generation wixen, like your daughter, aiming for a small profit in ten years time. With your daughter, I would feel wrong making any profit from her at all." The man looked at Rhea and smiled. "Very well, where do we sign?" A few quick signatures with a notary fountain pen and the contract was sealed. Rhea gave the duplicated copy to Mr. Granger. "Your copy. Keep it safe. If your daughter has a Vault at Gringotts, I would store it there with all your important documents. Nyx." Rhea's Familiar popped
into the dining room, startling all the Grangers. "Drop this off with Sharpfang, please." Nyx hooted and vanished again, the document in tow.
"That… is an unusual owl you have there." Rhea smiled. "My Familiar. No house or person she can't find. Safest messenger in the world." Mrs. Granger came in with the tea and everyone settled down. Hermione looked over her friend's clothes. "How did the Wizengamot go?" Rhea smirked, "Claimed my Peverell family seat, my Mom is now my Proxy and Dumbledore's titles are down to just his award for beating Grindelwald and Headmaster of Hogwarts, though the Board is going to rip him a new one for his speech after Krum's death. Oh, how do I look?" Hermione blushed which was noted by her mom. "It looks good on you. Never seen Black that dark before though. Magic?" Rhea hummed. "Not sure if I should tell you. Most people don't like where the cloth came from. Though no creatures were harmed in its creation. Not by me, anyways." Hermione bit her lip. "I'll just take your word for it." Rhea smiled and looked at Mrs. Granger. "So, any idea how she looks in the second swimsuit she bought?" Hermione spat out her tea in surprise and indignation as Rhea laughed, causing the Grangers to smile. They had some pleasant chatter before Mr. Granger got a worried look in his eyes.
"So, how serious are things out there?" Rhea watched Hermione giving her a pleading look. "I am not sure how much Hermione has told you sir and while I'd hate to be a cause of friction in your family, I try not to lie, especially in front of people I care about. The offer you got is one of dozens I have seen to this last month, all families receiving them positively to my great surprise. You and your wife have my sincere admiration as members of the medical field, even if it is just dentistry. I am studying to be a Healer and I can tell you that I am more interested in watching my friends receiving friendly letters from home than being one to tend to those injured in the vile acts one person can inflict to another. These contracts are my way of ensuring that the only injuries I see or hear about at school are paper cuts, carpal tunnel and Quidditch injuries." Daniel looked at his daughter who lowered her eyes.
Rhea notices the exchange. "I hope you don't blame your daughter, sir. I have to ask, were you in the service? You are in too good a shape to be a typical dentist, not to mention your breathing is too regulated." He nodded, though he eyed her curiously. "I was in the reserves but I served in the Falklands." Rhea drank her tea, thinking over what she read about the Falklands. "Did you tell your family about your fellow soldiers in your letters? How a bomb ripped right through a ship's hull? If you were on the ground, did you tell them you crossed through minefields? I imagine you didn't. Your daughter isn't a soldier and I pray to the Goddess she never is, but our world has its share of dangers. The ones currently threatening your peace of mind aren't that different from the radical terrorists that exist in every corner of this world, spouting racist propaganda while harming the very people they claim to speak for. But like every other person, we either ignore it or minimize the concern for the family while letting the authorities handle it, which your daughter did in this case. I can at least say that our law enforcement is in better shape to handle the situation, the need for vigilantism is low and the terrorists aren't as well organized or financed as before. Any actions they take will cost them dearly."
Mr. Granger looked at Rhea before looking at Hermione. "Come with me sweetheart, you're not in trouble, but we need to have an honest discussion." Hermione nodded and followed her Dad
upstairs. Mrs. Granger sighed. "Thank you, for your help and for being honest. It hasn't been easy these past few years." Rhea drank her tea, "I imagine it feels like your daughter is being torn away from you and you feel utterly powerless to stop it." Emma nodded and Rhea continued, "I don't think it will ever get easy for you but I can tell you this, once she graduates it should get simpler. Magical travel does cut down on commute time and despite everything, she does love you. She speaks proudly of you back at school." Emma smiled. "I can certainly see that. I worry about the day she starts dating though." Rhea choked on her tea for a second and Mrs Granger noticed. Rhea cleaned her face with the napkin, "I am sure she'll find the right kind of person. She has a good head on her shoulders and her friends group is large enough to look after her." Emma smiled, "You really care about her, don't you?"
Rhea studied the woman's face, seeing the questioning look and hidden meaning of her words. Are all mother's this perceptive? She hoped so. She will need to be if she ever has kids. Still though, honesty seems like the right answer. "If it were up to me, anyone who thinks of hurting your daughter would wake up in the hospital in restraints attached to whatever appendages still remain intact." Emma grinned as her husband and daughter walked back into the room. "What's that grin for?" Emma sipped on the last of her tea. "Rhea was telling me about the girls day out. Sounds nice." Rhea chimed in, "I'd offer your wife a day pass, but I worry you'd think I am trying to steal her from you, sir. Rather not be called a homewrecker." Hermione was mortified, "Rhea!!" Both Rhea and Emma laughed at Hermione's expression and Daniel just grinned. He sat down and finished his tea. "How soon will the wards be installed?" Rhea thought about it. "Considering Nyx is the best at delivering parcels, they should come around by tomorrow morning and be done in two days. A security force will be by soon enough and will keep watch until the wards are safely in place." Daniel nodded, "Much appreciated."
Mrs. Granger eventually walked Rhea to the door. "Please look after my daughter." Rhea finished putting her boots on and turned to the older woman. "For as long as she will let me. Have a good evening, Mrs. Granger." The teen bowed and silently vanished, leaving Emma shaking her head. Later that night, as Hermione helped her with washing and drying the dishes, Emma spoke up, "She's good for you. I don't remember ever seeing you smile like that for so long." Hermione blushed and Emma smirked. "I've never seen you blush at the mere mention of someone either." Hermione stammered, "I… it's weird Mom. She was always funny and cheerful but after she came back from her magical maturity, she's just more lively. Like she has to make every moment count." Emma hummed, "Was she the girl you wrote about? The one who was abused?" Hermione nodded and Emma placed a plate up on the cupboard. "People who suffered like she did have different reactions to things and that can change over time. It sounds like she's focused on living and enjoying life because she knows how fragile it is. The fact she can see people like you who need a break every once in a while and helps them out says a lot about her caring nature."
Hermione finished washing another plate and passed it to her Mom. "She's very dedicated about becoming a Healer. She even reads medical science books to have a better understanding of what she's healing. She is really nice to have to care for you, not that I have been at her mercy yet. There is a part of her that just feels so warm, even though she physically feels cold all the time. I hate that she has issues with Henry and his family but there really doesn't seem to be anything anyone can do about that." Emma looked at her daughter. "Hermione, do you have a crush on her or are you falling in love?" Hermione stilled. She couldn't possibly be… Hermione looks back at the entire conversation and her interactions with Rhea over the last few months. The near kiss on
the train made her feel flushed everywhere. "I… don't know. I feel warm sometimes when I think about her. I smile all the time around her and… I like when her hand touches mine. She hardly touches any one with her hands. Is that love or a crush?" Emma hugged her daughter. "Some of that sounds like a crush, but a lot of how you reacted and what you said feels like… more than just a passing thing."
Emma looked at her daughter slipping into some deep thoughts. "When McGonagall came to our house and told us you were a witch, your father and I went through a bit of a discussion. We stopped believing all the things the Reverends say or what's in the Bible, so if you're interested in girls, we are fine with it sweetheart. Just make sure it's what makes you happy, ok? That's all we want from you." Hermione hugged her back. "Thanks Mom and I'm really sorry about not telling you and Dad everything. I just… I like magic so much. I honestly can't think of a world without it anymore. All the other first gen wixen were afraid of being pulled out of school because of everything going on right now. I'm glad Rhea got through to their parents and you two." Emma padded Hermione on the back as she pulled away, a smile on her lips. "I'm glad you have a friend like her in your life. If it becomes more… that will be up to you. Goodnight, sweetheart." Hermione's "Goodnight Mom" followed as she went up the stairs.
Later in the night, Emma cuddles into her husband's side. "So, what did get you to grin like that when we got back downstairs. I doubt it was about shopping." Emma hummed into her husband's shoulder as they laid in bed together. "That depends. What did you make of Hermione's friend." Daniel sighed, "She is better than that Potter boy, that's for sure. The kid is too cocksure of himself. She is… she has seen some things. I can see it in her eyes. And the way she reacted when she noticed me getting bothered about our daughter lying to us. I think she has killed someone before, she has that haunted look but she doesn't strike me as the violent or dangerous type." Emma smirked, "I asked her if she cared about our daughter. She said she'd send anyone who wanted to hurt her straight to the hospital." Daniel grinned then sighed. "Does Hermione know?" And Emma laughed, "Our daughter? I think she'll find out the moment she kisses her, though who knows. Our little girl has been growing into a bright young woman as of late." The two elder Grangers eventually fell asleep, happy for getting to see a new side of their daughter.
Hermione went to bed that night thinking of the dark haired and cyan eyes of Rhea Black. She thought of her friend's smile, her laugh and her touch and all of these things made Hermione felt her cheeks grow warm and the rest of her body soon followed. She was crushing hard, maybe even falling in love with Henry's not so twin sister and Hermione couldn't think of a reason not to pursue it. The more she tried to picture herself happy the more Rhea's laugh and jokes kept slipping into her mind. The moment she thought about wearing her more revealing swimsuit and showing it to Rhea, her mind went blank as her body grew flushed. She was totally screwed. Sleep came late for her that night.
- -
"Ah, Miss Granger. How thoughtful of you to visit young Henry. Has your summer gone well?" The young Gridfindor turned to him and slightly bowed her head. "It has sir. While my family has usually gone on vacations in the summer, we chose to spend this one home. It has been good, being home again. Thank you for asking, sir." Ahh, always the polite student. Dumbledore could certainly see why she was Minerva's favorite in the last few years. "I did hear that young Bill Weasley went to your house to lay down the wards but was unable to locate it. Is everything alright?" The girl looked at him but kept her eyes from meeting his own. It seems that spending so much time among pureblood students has taught her about Legilimency. He wondered if it was a new habit or if he had been singled out by name. "My respects to Mr. Weasley, but he did arrive at my home sometime in August. A friend had already negotiated a payment plan with my parents for a permanent warding scheme courtesy of Gringotts. Despite not having a wixen on site, the wards should last for years and after my graduation I would be taking control of them."
Dumbledore nodded. "A most prudent purchase. May I ask as to who is the friend you are referring to?" Hermione frowned, "While I would say it was a private matter for my family, the fact the offer was made to all muggleborns will probably mean that you would hear of it. Lady Peverell was concerned for the family members of all muggleborns after the Third Task and approached all the students, offering a fair contract to keep our families safe." Lady Peverell. Interesting choice of words. Young Miss Black seems to be rather busy this summer. Still, protecting muggleborns is now one less problem for the Order to tackle. He could send more on reconnaissance missions to suspected Death Eater safehouses. "Miss Black's generosity is certainly worth admiring. I am glad to hear you and your family will be safe as well as the others. A good evening to you, Miss Granger. I will see you on the 1st." Hermione bowed, "A good evening to you, Headmaster." The young lady walked away, heading for the Floo.
Dumbledore opened the door to the room with the person he came to see. "Young Henry, it saddens me that our last few meetings have been under such grave circumstances. Your parents informed me that you have experienced some unusual nightmares, even compared to the ones from last year. Could you describe them to me?" The young boy explained that his dreams were often the same. "I'd find myself seeing through his eyes, hearing bits and pieces of conversation. I remember seeing Snape and that Barty Crouch Junior." While Henry wasn't sure what was said, he mentioned that he saw a few meetings, with the most vivid being when Voldemort was displeased, casting the Cruciatus at some of his followers. Dumbledore looked to the boy's parents, "Would it be permissible for me to view these memories through Legilimency? There may be more details to what he saw that could aid in the war effort." Lily frowned and seemed ready to object when James gave his permission. The look on Mrs. Potter's face suggested they would be having a conversation on the matter.
" Legilimens ." Dumbledore stumbled a little on what Occlumency the boy had, but it was certainly not the most sturdy of defenses. He found the memories and the boy had told the truth. Most of it was garbled, but definitely from the point of view of Voldemort. An image of the door for the Department of Mysteries gave him pause. So Voldemort wants to go after the prophecy. The Order would have to double its guard, especially now. His thoughts were derailed when he sensed another presence in the mind, this one violent and sadistic. He pulled out before it could strike at him. He quietly casted a diagnostic spell and his fears were realized. The scar on the boy's head contained a fragment of Voldemort's soul and was acting as a conduit, allowing Voldemort to slip into his mind. He would have to keep his distance from the boy to keep him from being too
tempting of a target for Voldemort to manipulate.
He turned to the Potters. "It appears the cursed scar is operating as a link between Voldemort and young Henry. I noticed some Occlumency defenses. I would suggest an increase in his training for the mental arts. Sadly, being so close to term means he will need to take it during the school year. As James' petition for DADA teacher was denied, and I haven't secured a decent replacement as of right now, might I suggest Severus take over his instruction?" James' quick rebuttal was expected but Lily looked at Dumbledore. "If you can help me get Severus to treat our son better, I don't see a problem with that." Her glare made James' objections go silent. Dumbledore sighed, "I will certainly try but please understand that Severus can't be seen treating your son well if he is to maintain his cover. The Dark Lord expects a certain amount of hostility towards him from his Death Eater spy."
James relented, which left Dumbledore with the difficult task of discussing the matter with Severus. He left the Potter Manor in deep thought. This new term was not starting on the best of positions. While he wasn't bothered by being forcefully removed from his more political positions, the difficulty with the Board of Governors and the Minister were mounting. His attempts at securing the DADA position for James Potter this year was denied, as it was a rule that no parent could hold the position while their children were in school. Mrs. Potter avoided the matter as Muggle Studies is an elective and young Henry didn't take the course, but DADA was still a core subject, which young Henry was required to attend. Perhaps James could take it next year, if all goes well. Any attempts at securing an exemption were dismissed, with Sirius leading the charge. Dumbledore imagined that Lord Black wanted to keep his daughter as far away from James Potter as possible.
Young Miss Black had turned out to be a much greater complication than he initially expected. How the young Halley recovered her magic was a mystery to Dumbledore. Was it the prophecy at work keeping her safe or something her Grandmother Dorea had done, as Henry's memories of the Graveyard suggested? Regardless, Dumbledore's curse on the girl had not only failed but now a potentially powerful student steeped in the Dark Arts sat in his school, holding the power of two Ancient Houses in her hands. Dumbledore fingered the elder wand in his sleeve. He now had a good idea how the Lady Black knew of the wand and the girl likely was aware of it as well. He would have to try and keep an eye on her, despite the Castle's wards, Portraits, Elves and Ghosts being unable to locate her. He was not pleased having such a dangerous student within his walls and not having any control over her, let alone being incapable of observing her. Fillius protects her with definite zeal and Madam Pomfrey is ecstatic over her apprentice. There was no way of effectively removing her either, as her academic scores and her behaviour with other students was beyond reproach.
He was concerned for a moment if a similar soul shard resided in the girl but dismissed it. Henry was the one the Prophecy indicates as worthy and the mark with Voldemort's soul piece confirmed it. The girl was simply the other candidate mentioned but not capable of stepping up to the task. He did need to make sure that young Henry defeated Voldemort and claimed a victory for the Light. The Boy Who Lived defeating the Dark Lord and his forces twice would secure the Light's position in the people's mind and discredit the Dark permanently. He was sure of it. In the
meantime, Dumbledore needed to contact the Order and secure the Prophecy. The Dark Lord could not discover the extra lines. If the girl were to join the Dark Lord, victory would be all the more difficult, especially with young Henry seeking to rescue his twin. Perhaps… Yes, that would solve his two problems without having James Potter within the Hogwarts walls. He just needed to convince Severus to go along with it. Ms. Granger is certainly studying the matter and her presence could settle any tension by taking part. Yes, that might just work.
- -
Rhea sat in the Head of House office high in Peverell Castle as she looked at the text in front of her, a late August night groundscape stretching out beyond her windows. She wanted to be at Grimmauld with her parents, especially now that Dad had been forgiven by her Mom, if barely. The doggy bed at the edge of the master bedroom was a nice reminder for him though. She knew her parents were working hard with the Wizengamot and needed their space so she decided to make a day out of staying at the Castle, with Minister Fudge trying to circumvent the restrictions of his post being her parents main concern and all. He seemed to have particular interest in Hogwarts though, which bothered Sirius and Rhea. As Lady Ravenclaw, Hogwarts was her domain and she was already dealing with the issues Dumbledore brought to the castle just by being there. At least the ward scheme was repairing itself and would soon be back to full strength. She hoped her Dad and the Board managed to appoint a DADA teacher though. Moody had been fantastic and Rhea was going to miss him. His promise for sharing a shot of firewhiskey was nice of him though, even if he was now on the other team. The ex-Auror had rejoined the Order of the Phoenix and was looking forward to going on the offensive. Rhea wished him luck.
Leaning back into the chair Rhea stared at the intricately painted ceiling, featuring a myriad of Death's Creatures. Grims, Thestrals, Lethifolds, Dementors, Nundu and so many others she couldn't identify, including two dragons, though the skeletal look of one made her question how that one even came into being. Thankfully the castle had only been inhabited by Thestrals, Grims and Death Omen Ravens, many of which were now under the care of the newest additions to her family. Recognizing a disaster waiting to happen, Rhea had asked Typsy if she knew any elves who would like to serve House Peverell and care for the Castle. Six of the wonderful Fae answered the call and were willing to stay after being informed of the duties. They were now incharge of feeding the Creatures who refused to find a home elsewhere and cleaning the Castle proper. The day Rhea had invited Luna over had been quite eventful, as the Thestrals and crows took an instant liking to her. The Grims were tolerant but distant and gave Luna a wide berth. Probably for the best really. The chest she found full of Lethifold hide, Thestral hairs and Dementor cloaks was at least useful in reviving her family's reputation and image. Now all she had to do was deal with the black sheep of the family.
Necromancers, despite their name, almost never dared to seek ways to avoid Death. In the past, Death had always been the deity of the Necromancers, with any one of its many names worshiped or prayed to. Like Persephone was to Rhea, to speak to the Dead, to act as a conduit for the Dead and the living to interact, a Necromancer's relationship with Death was always one of
intimacy and acceptance. Which made what she discovered about Voldemort from both the Goblins and the Grimoire in front of her all the more sad. The relationship between the Peverells and Death had been one of the most complicated of all. Rhea still had no clue as to what the Hallows were beyond relics that the three brothers carried with them in life and in the case of two of them led to their end. She knew that the dawn of the relics coincided with the abandonment of the Castle, but beyond the superficial link, there was nothing else really linking them together. She did know that there was a sin that no Necromancer would ever carry out. Splitting one's soul.
Souls were the one thing all Necromancers held most sacred. It was the proof of existence, the core of one's entire being and Life's bond to a world beyond the material. To damage it was akin to cutting off a perfectly working hand or leg. To bind it to the Physical World was to dismiss its transentient nature and disrupt nature's order. While Ghosts seemed to be similar, they were considered different. They recognize their time has passed but are simply unable to let go out of love, duty, hate or even regret. Their seemingly eternal existence is as much a punishment as it is an exception. But to cheat Death by splitting the soul? The act was considered so vile that almost every Necromancer swore to never allow anyone to achieve it. Sadly, the absence of a Necromancer in Britain for centuries ensured that Voldemort completed the task, though his intent was off from the end result. Errors in translation and misconceptions about the rules governing souls would do that. Rhea looked down at the items on her desk.
Salazar Slytherin's Locket, Helga Hufflepuff's Cup, Rowena Ravenclaw' Diadem. Three items belonging to a Hogwarts Founder, and the bastard Voldemort had tainted them all with his soul. How dare he! Rowena had shown her the Diadem after confirming that it had somehow been cleansed of the soul fragment. Both the Locket and the Cup had been cleansed by Gringotts who had been very quiet on the subject of what the curses on them were. Now she knew and she couldn't blame them for not saying a bloody word. Rhea tapped her fingers as she thought. She had to tell her parents about them and about what they meant, though she would never write down the ritual for their creation. It will remain a Necromancer's secret till the day she died if she had her way. But Rhea had to let her family know about what Voldemort did and what the book she read hinted at. If the other books she had agreed on the conclusion reached by the Egyptians, then the implications were horrifying. She hoped she was wrong.
- -
Voldemort was known for a lot of things but having tolerance for incompetence wasn't one of them. "Are you telling me I can't get a single person into the Auror Department or the Unspeakables?!" The Death Eaters, including Barty, cringed. Yaxley stammered, "Director Bones passed a new set of rules, which include an oath to fulfill the duties of the position and not intervening, endangering or revealing department matters without the Directors approval. While I wasn't the only one who refused to sign, many more did. Everyone who refused was forced to resign. Word has spread that Croaker in the Unspeakables did the same, with an added oath to keep the information they already possessed secret. Anyone we could use was forced out and those that remain or join must do the oath. Word is spreading that it might be implemented in other
departments soon."
The idea was sound, even Voldemort could see that. The law enforcement and largest treasure trove of information were now out of his reach and anything he did would tip off his enemies. Fudge's denial had been a stroke of luck, one that he was hesitant to squander. Which left him with little resources. As much as he hated it, he would have to make inroads elsewhere. The link he discovered with the Potter boy had been promising until he was spotted by Dumbledore in the boy's mind. He had to assume Dumbledore would keep the boy isolated from the more sensitive matters of the Order. At least he had a good idea who was in it. Targeted reconnaissance and future attacks against his enemies would have to do for now. He turned to Barty. "Bartemius, I want you to reach out to Fenrir Greyback and organize a meeting. We need to see how many werewolves we can get to our side. Yaxley, reach out to Burke in Knockturn Alley and see who the vampire's are listening to right now. We need to bolster our forces and the weres and vampires will have to do for now."
Voldemort turned to the rest. "Hit the streets and visit our former allies, see how many still believe in our cause and would join but be cautious in what you say. The Minister is providing a good distraction and we shouldn't waste it by announcing our return before we are ready. The rest of you, take the list of Order of the Phoenix members and begin to monitor them. Daily patterns, places of interest, maybe even a hint as to where the Order is having its meetings. This will be useful to us once we have the numbers to attack. Now get to work! Crouch!" Barty kneeled before his master, "Yes my Lord." Voldemort stared at him. "Once you bring Greyback here, your orders are to organize a plan and route to retrieving our allies from inside Azkaban. The deaths of the Carrows twins has dealt us a serious blow and we need our most experienced warriors, all of whom are rotting in that prison. Augustus Rookwood is also there and his information on the Department of Mysteries is now invaluable. Once there I will negotiate with the Dementors and get them to sow terror through Britain again." Barty bowed. "Yes, my lord."
Chapter End Notes
Rhea got her first taste of the Wizengamot. I am not kidding, I think her, Susan, Daphne and Draco could drive everyone in there insane. Amelia has plenty of reason to delay Susan's claim. How did you like my version of the Grangers? When I envisioned my version of them I thought the mom would be the Ravenclaw and the Dad would be the Gryffindor, with Hermione being a good mix of the two. A few fanfictions have the Dad be a veteran turned dentist and that idea always stuck with me. While Dumbledore and Voldemort scheme, Rhea is onto Voldemort's Horcruxes. Is the destruction of a few so early a good thing or could it bring up some complications?
Next Chapter?: Rhea finds a Pink Toad in her School. She is not amused.
I have a few questions for you all. Please answer them if you can.
1) Should I update the tags on the romantic pairings or wait till the final chapter is posted?
2) I am currently developing another Fanfiction, a femHarry/Tonks story. My plan is to streamline the story more than this one. I went heavy worldbuilding in "Blood and Magic" and I am curious if you all want to see a very different story. No affinity, little to no family magic, little to no politics. It will keep a strong theme of family, healing and what it means to be human. It will be a Master of Death story, but a very different apporach. Does this sound appealing to you all? If it does, let me know. If it doesn't I at least hope you will give it a try when I start posting it.
Please Comment, discuss and see you all in 2 days.
Hogwarts, but with a Pink Toad
Chapter Notes
Here is the Next Chapter. Hope you enjoy it!
See the end of the chapter for more notes
"There you are Hermione!" The Gryffindor brunette sighed in relief. She had arrived at the platform early and was extremely happy about it. Her parents had been a bit frustrating lately. She was beyond happy that Rhea's visit hadn't turned into a disaster for her when it came out that Hermione had been underselling the danger she was in. Her Dad had gone from mad to disappointed to understanding for the bit of time they spent talking about while her friend chatted with her mom over tea. Ever since then though her parents had taken their time together with her very seriously and they went out to malls and amusement parks for most of the summer. She couldn't remember just doing these things with her parents and it had felt great. She did blush though when her parents returned from a day at the spa. Her friend had left her dad the address and rates for the place they went on their getaway in an owl letter, which her father then used to take her mom out on a date. She had been so embarrassed the next morning that she planned to corner Rhea and for her friend to teach her the silencing or deafening spells wandlessly.
That had been her plan, at least until this morning, when her mom and dad told her to enjoy her time at school and maybe snatch herself a girlfriend. She had sputtered and gone tomato red in the middle of the platform, before she hugged her parents and rushed into the train without saying a word. She spent the rest of the time in her cabin trying to get her mind off her friend and focusing on classes. She also just realized why Daphne had been searching for her. They both were wearing a Prefect's Badge. Whoops. "Is it time for the meeting already?" Daphne eyed her critically. "You look different, Hermione. Trying something new with your hair?" Hermione blushed. "Yeah. Mom and I found a hairdresser that tried a few different products. We finally found one that works." Daphne hummed. "Well, it certainly suits you. Anyways, come on. Cedric is ready to start the Prefect Meeting." Daphne pulled Hermione out of the cabin and they both went to the front compartment with the other Prefects.
Hermione looked around and saw Hannah and Ernie McMillan as the new Hufflepuff Prefects, Neville was her companion from Gryffindor, Draco was Daphne's from Slytherin and … Rhea was the new Ravenclaw prefect along with Anthony Goldstein. Hermione did her best not to blush as she sat next to Neville. Cedric noticed everyone had arrived and started the meeting. "Alright everyone, you all know me. Cedric Diggory and this year's Head Boy, and my companion this year is Patricia Stimpson as Head Girl. We have a few changes this year so listen up. Prefect Rounds will be from 10pm to midnight, with the added benefit that all Prefect pairs doing the rounds will be accompanied by a Hogwarts Ghost. The Ghosts are there as added security and a faster response time should something happen beyond a students abilities. Please keep that in mind. We will be basing the rotations on the students with the more similar schedules so everyone gets their fair share of sleep. Lastly, Rhea Black, our new Ravenclaw 5th year prefect, is a fully certified Healer with the Ministry and will be providing first aid to any students who don't need a stay at the
Hospital Wing. She will be documenting all healing performed so if you are doing a patrol with her, be prepared to sign her notes as a witness."
Patricia cleared her throat dramatically. "Our Head Boy here forgot to mention the Prefects Bath. We will all have access. The communal bathtub is exactly that. You use it knowing any of us can enter the room and step in. Prefects are not allowed to use the bath for… intimate relations. The shower stalls are half private and half exposed, so take your pick. The password for the first week is Evergreen and future passwords will be distributed at the weekly meetings. 5th year Prefects, remember it's your duty to look after the first years after the Sorting. Everyone come up and let's divide the cabins to sweep before we settle in for the trip." Hermione stood up and watched Cho come up and kiss Cedric on the cheek. Rhea smirked. "Don't know whether you forgot about the baths or if you tried to leave it to have an excuse should you be found in an … interesting situation, Heir Diggory." Cedric and Cho's blush made the entire cabin chuckle and seemed to ease their minds. Hermione was still processing the fact the Ghosts would be more active at the school when she felt a finger poke her cheek. "Hermione, Heir Longbottom is waiting for you." Hermione glared at Rhea who just smiled at her and stepped out of the cabin to do her own rounds.
The train ride eventually ended and Hermione sat beside Henry at the Great Hall, Ron and Neville sitting opposite them, while Rhea took her seat next to where the First Years would be seated. Rhea watched as the hat was brought in and placed on the stool as the First Years entered the hall. Like all years, the Hat gave a brief history of the Houses and the traits valued by each, but before the end of its song it gave a warning. "Take heed oh students / Divided along Four Houses / know the dangers and its signs / Here shelter you will know / for Lady Hogwarts / Her strength she will find / When the hour is nigh." Rhea stilled. She knew Laris was aware of the wards shifting as the Hat is protected by them, but to offer such a warning… She hoped the Hat meant Lady Hogwarts as in the castle, but he could also be referring to her as the only owner of the Castle with the means to claim it. The former was fine but the latter meant more work for her. Lovely.
Dumbledore's speech was interrupted by the most obnoxious noise she ever heard. "Hem, hem." Rhea watched as this pink two legged toad in human form stood up and started spouting some nonsense about progress and tradition. Great, the woman from the Wizengamot was a bloody fanatic from the Dark faction. She hoped Voldemort didn't make her a Death Eater. He had to have some sense of class. Right? "Rhea, not that I mind but it's a bit early in the year for me to get hypothermia." Rhea groaned as she casted a warming charm at Luna. "When we get back to the dorm, remind me to apply a new set of wards to your necklace. I found one that should spare you the worst of it." Luna sighed happily. "Thank Lady Fate for that." The woman ended her monologue by saying she had also been provided the power to evaluate the Professors. Rhea smiled. Oh yes, please do that and bring this to the Board. she wanted to see her Dad torpedo her recommendations for anyone other than Dumbledore.
As the Welcoming Feast ended and the students began to leave, Rhea stood up and went to the front of the group of first years. How to get their undivided attention? Hmmm. She brought her hands and cupped them just in front of her mouth. " Expecto Patronum ." Her whispered incantation turned into a ball of light in her hands which she set free, a smile spreading on her face
as it shifted and took the form of her friend. The white and glowing spectral Grim walked atop the table and nudged all the first years. She smiled as she watched them all staring at Padfoot. "Alright First Year Ravenclaws, please stand up and form a line by me. Heir Goldstein, please get up here before my Patronus uses you as a tree." The laughs on the kids helped get them into position easier and Goldstein came up. "Come now, Heiress Black, no need to be so scary this early in the year." Rhea glared at him for a second before calling out to the kids.
"Alright everyone, my name is Heiress Rhea Black, your Fifth Year Prefect and one of your guides for the coming days. Besides me is Heir Anthony Goldstein, who will be leading you all to Ravenclaw Tower as I take up the rear and my friend Padfoot will be by your side. Everyone ready?" Rhea waited as the double line passed her as she took up the rear. She waved at Hermione as she was gathering her Lions to lead to Gryffindor tower. Soon enough they reached the Common Room as Flitwick made his introductions and explained the rules. When was nearly done he pointed her out, "To all you first years, Miss Black here is a certified Healer. Do come to her if you need help with cuts, bruises or sprains. Anything more serious she will take you to the Hospital Wing. If you can't find her, just follow any impressive feats of magic. 7 out of 10 times it's probably her. Miss Black, please dispel your Patronus, you're effectively giving them all a cheer charm dose prior to bed."
Rhea smiled, "I am aware Professor, I just wondered if you'd give them permission to pet Padfoot. He likes pets." It took Flitwick a moment to register her words before he squeaked. Score! The first years were all enraptured at the feel of Padfoot's fur before she guided the girls up to their dorm rooms. She walked down and spotted the Professor scanning the Patronus. "Miss Black, how did you get a Patronus to register as solid?!" Rhea smiled and ruffled her friend's head. "While a Patronus requires power and emotion to work, the ability to take solid form is a bit like Conjuration. If you know how it's supposed to feel, have the power to spare and the concentration to manage it, it can be pretty solid." The Professor pulled off his glasses and wiped them clean. "The fact that you, Miss Black, are the first to do this suggests that you are understating the power required." Rhea shrugged. "It's not as taxing as creating Spectral Weapons. Those are power syphons for sure." The Professor squeaked again as the Patronus vanished, only to be replaced by a very heavy and pointy Mace made of light and magic. Rhea couldn't help but laugh as the Professor went crazy scanning the spectral weapon. All in all, a good start to a new year at Hogwarts.
- -
Rhea had really enjoyed her first week back at Hogwarts. Mostly. Getting the first years to listen to her was a pleasure as she got to practice some more showy pieces of magic, like creating transfigured magical creatures that replicated the correct magics. She was proud of her Phoenix, as she even got the sound right, though not the effect. Nyx refused to let her get close enough to Fawkes to get a good read on a phoenix's magic. Not that Rhea minded, she loved her Familiar and the Death Omen knew it. Still, the kids loved her displays of magic and would follow her around as she showed them the Castle. Having the 1st of September being a Friday made it so much easier to
get the First Years situated. Maybe the school year should start like this, with the students arriving on the first Friday of the month of September. Though it certainly didn't have the same ring as a specific given day. Rhea saved those thoughts for later.
Once the actual study week started, Rhea got into her courses. Since she took her OWLs, most of her Professors provided her with her own study syllabus, with Runes reviewing her Cuneiform and beginning her Sanskrit translations. Babbling seemed to think she'd be able to complete her NEWT by May and Rhea wanted to go for it. Potions also seemed to be aimed at her getting her NEWT early, though she was a bit bothered by Snape's poor mood. He was never one for showing his emotions but he seemed more dour than his usual self. She was going to be in his after dinner Brewing session today and she hoped it improved his mood. Charms and Transfiguration also had her advanced study schedule, though Flitwick mentioned he would probably revise it and put her up for NEWT testing in May. Rhea wasn't sure but her first day stunt might have broken her Head of House. She'd probably have to ask Pomfrey if she could help fix him.
The one class she had her OWL for that didn't provide an advanced syllabus for her was DADA, with Dueling being cancelled temporarily. Rhea spent a few minutes with her Dad trying to figure out how Umbridge got the job on the night she arrived, which she later did again the same night as her first class with her. Apparently, since the Board of Governors and the Headmaster couldn't agree on DADA teacher, Minister Fudge was able to use an old law to impose his own candidate. His choice of Dolores Umbridge certainly didn't seem like such a great choice academically speaking. In fact, Rhea was certain she was sent to sabotage Dumbledore. The Blacks would have no problem with that, if it didn't involve harming the students' education. Her Ravenclaw ancestors would be turning over in their graves for it. The first class Rhea had with Umbridge would seem to indicate that the woman simply didn't care for what happened to the students.
"Good morning students and welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Please take one of the available textbooks provided by the Ministry and open them to page 3 and begin reading until you reach the end of Chapter 1. Also, you are to keep your wands away during the duration of my class. Begin." Rhea opened the book and frowned. From page to page, it covered the theory on casting defensive spells that Hogwarts had already covered. In Year 3. She skipped ahead and it was the same. Most of the spells were the standard shield, stun, disarm, revive and binding, with the most aggressive spell being the banishing spell. There were mentions of curses, but no indication of how to cast them and barely a description on how to recognize them. The counter curses were mentioned but just barely. Whenever a situation was described as too dangerous, the book simply said wait for the DMLE.
No mention on how to notify them, no discussion on how to hold out long enough for the Aurors to arrive, no instructions on what to do if apparition and floo travel were out. Rhea didn't have an issue with letting law enforcement handle criminals, but magic tended to make confrontations last only minutes. Hardly enough time to get the word out and even less time for the Aurors to arrive, assuming wards weren't up impeding a quick exit or arrival. Rhea had been very proud of the setup of the wards for the family's of first gen witches, with Gringotts Goblins essentially controlling the wards and being able to inform a Gringotts Wizard response team to
investigate any triggered wards. It had been the brainchild of herself, her mom and Sharpfang inspired by non-magical home security firms in the wider population. Goblin Managers were selected to hold the wards, paid once a month by the families, unless an issue came up and the Peverell Account would cover the charges temporarily. Gringotts was so pleased with the setup they were looking for ways to expand it to other Wixen elsewhere.
The irony wasn't lost on Rhea that the families of the first gen witches would be safer from dangerous wixen than if this toad of a woman got her way with convincing students on how to stay safe. As Rhea left DADA, she experienced a horrible realization. The 1st years and 2nd years! They had no real idea how to take care of themselves and their families and Umbridge was essentially telling them to do nothing while under attack. Rhea felt a headache build as she made her way to Ravenclaw Family Chamber and pulled open the self updating Hogwarts Charter. Helena eventually found her going over the rules. "The Ghosts and Elves can feel your irritation. What happened?" Rhea sighed. "The DADA teacher posted by the Ministry is a sabotage, probably aimed at Dumbledore, who has no intention of teaching Defense to the student population. Anyone 4th year and higher should be able to manage completing the tests and passing practicals with self study, and the 3rd years could manage it with tutoring, but the 1st and 2nd years are essentially being taught to roll over and die. I can't let that be their introduction to our world."
Helena looked over the rules. "This would have been covered in the old oaths and contracts the teachers were required to sign or take, but the current charter doesn't cover it." Rhea frowned. "Does the Charter cover what is a viable reason for a teacher to be summarily expelled?" Helena, receiving some Death magic from Rhea, opens the Charter to the relevant page. "The teacher in question has to intentionally cause a student physical, magical or mental harm while within the Castle Wards. The means of expulsion would have to be via order by the Headmaster." Rhea frowned. "The Board was able to expel Remus Lupin without the Headmaster's approval. Why is she different?" Helena shrugged. "Breach of contract. Remus signed a binding contract with the Board and broke it. Umbridge is here by order of the Ministry and isn't bound to the Board."
Rhea didn't like the sound of that. "Would she be able to defy the Headmaster?" Helena thought about it. "If it were any other Headmaster, I would say no, she wouldn't. While unbound by oath or contract, the Headmaster should be the final level of authority in the school, especially with control of the wards. However, Dumbledore has proven to be very politically minded. He might overlook Umbridge violating the School Charter if it means gaining an advantage elsewhere. He may even want to keep her here until she does something illegal enough that she can't escape an inquiry." Rhea grinded her teeth. "By then she could be responsible for harming dozens of students, not to mention sabotaging the education of a hundred or more of the youngest generations." Helena nodded quietly. "On the upside, your repair of the wards is going well, with the Headmaster receiving modified feedback as to what it used to be like. We are still waiting on the cursed item ward to activate though." Rhea sighed. "Well, at least the school is technically safer from external enemies. We only have to handle the threats already inside the wards."
- -
Snape didn't look any happier as Rhea stepped into the Potions Lab, though he was quite civil. "Am I late sir?" He seemed to soften a bit when she walked in. "No Miss Black, you are on time as expected. Congratulations on your OWLs scores. I believe you have effectively tied with Bellatrix's, though with a different set of core OWLs completed. As we finished mixed potions last term, with a focus on two base potions brews, we will now move on to more complicated mixed brewing. Before you on your workstation is a recipe for what's aptly called "Auror's Brew," review the associated potions, verify the recipe and make adjustments if required, prepare the necessary ingredients and show me your work prior to working with your cauldron. You may begin." Rhea sat down and looked over the instructions. Neat! She made a few adjustments that she knew were made intentionally to test the student's ability to reason, not to mention remember how potion ingredients behave differently at certain temperatures and mixes. She made an extra revision about turning the heat down while crushing the added ingredients more effectively. It should make for a safer 3 hours of work.
Rhea was in the process of gathering her potions ingredients when the lab door opened and two familiar looking Gryffindors walked in. Henry looked at her and seemed conflicted to see her, while Hermione seemed to have a pleased expression on her face. It definitely made her more attractive, especially with her curly but smooth hair. Rhea bit her tongue and raised her Occlumency barriers. Damned teen hormones. She knows Hermione is partly attracted to her and if Rhea were honest, she was getting more attached to the pretty bookworm but she really needed to keep her emotions in check. Hermione wasn't ready for Rhea to court her and Rhea refused to push the girl to it. Finally done with gathering her supplies, Henry decided to interrupt the silence as Rhea placed her materials on the table and began to lay them out. She'd prepare them after Snape gave her the go ahead. "Professor Snape, why is she here? The Headmaster didn't mention her." She watched Snape choose his words carefully. What was the Headmaster up to?
"Miss Black, unlike you, is adept enough at Potions that I saw fit to tutor her in private. The sooner she completes her Potions NEWT, the sooner she will be out of my hands and the safer I will feel for it. Unlike you and Miss Granger, I am certain her Occlumency is beyond reproach, so The Headmaster didn't mention her because she won't be joining your studies. I assume you both read the books I assigned on the matter, at least the start of them. Begin your relaxation and meditation preparations. I will be testing your mental scapes to have a better grasp of the level of work the two of you will be putting in. Begin! Miss Black, are you ready for the review?" Rhea turned to the Potions Master and gave him the modified recipe. He smirked. "It seems you caught all the intentional errors and corrected them adequately. Your personal suggestion matches an observation I myself made. Make sure you document the brew properly as we will compare its preparation and brewing behavior with the original recipe. You have 3 hours. Begin."
The next hour was spent in mostly silence as Rhea completed the ingredient preparation and Cauldron care before beginning the brewing process. So far she had been following the instructions in the recipe. She would be getting to the modified section in a few minutes. Snape had been making some comments on the Gryffindors while she worked. The latest were of interest. "Miss Granger, I will suggest you move on to creating a more deceptive mindscape. You clearly have the mental discipline or raw talent needed to have well organized thoughts, so that is a step you don't need to cover, so please move on. If you haven't read that subject, please sit elsewhere
and begin reading. Mr. Potter here needs a far more detailed explanation as to how to organize his mind." Hermione nodded and took out her book as she sat closer to Rhea. She looked over at the instructions on her friends workstation and stilled.
"Is that NEWT level potions?" Rhea kept her eyes on her timepiece but shrugged her shoulder. "Maybe in late 7th year. Pretty sure this is Mastery level work. It's a complex multi-potion base brew mixing Skele Gro, Blood Replenishing, Bruise Removal, Antiseptic and a Calming Drought. Everything an Auror would need to ingest if injured, minus skin repair or burn treatment. That still requires an ointment applied to the site. Taking all of these in series is really dangerous, but a well crafted mixed brew is safe to ingest." Rhea lowers the flame and waits a bit for the mixture to lower in heat before adding the next ingredient. She notes down the time and steps taken. Hermione watched her friend work. Potions was always with the Slytherins so she never saw Rhea brewing potions before. No wonder she and Draco are top of the year, though if what Rhea said was true, technically none of her scores count since she is being tested with more advanced questions. "Miss Granger, I can attest to the pleasant nature of watching a proper potioneer work but I believe I gave you an assignment."
Hermione blushed and she went back to reading about Occlumency. She had to admit that while protecting one's mind was a great benefit, the mental organization skills, improved memory retention and even suppressing emotional outbursts were just as valuable. She would look at Rhea and wonder how much she had been using Occlumency since she was brought into the magical world. It would explain a bit of her mood swings and just how emotionally cold she could feel sometimes. Still though, she seems more open this year. Her eyes seem to sparkle with an inner joy that she rarely showed and she seems to just have fun. That, and the first years seem to adore her. Hermione was surprised when Gryffindor first years came to her and asked about Rhea, since as far as she knew, none of them interacted with her. Apparently the Ravenclaws gush about their Prefect to the other students and many are curious about the Heiress Black that makes magic fun. She had even caught McGonagall complaining to Flitwick about his first years being a bit unimpressed with her transfigurations. The Charms Professor just seemed to beam with pride.
Eventually the Occlumency training came to an end and Snape assigned them both different exercises to focus on. Henry had not been happy, especially when Snape went to check on the brew Rhea had been doing for three hours. The Professor, whom Hermione thought of as dour and a man of few words, went into an academic discussion about the end result, with both student and teacher bouncing ideas on changes to the recipe to improve certain aspects. Hermione had never been a fan of Potions, though she was certainly able make them well enough. Her Polyjuice potion had worked perfectly, with the exception of her mishap. But to debate how to prepare ingredients, changing the heat at certain steps and even substituting ingredients? This was apparently the difference between a Potions student and a Potioneer. As she and Henry left the lab, Hermione wondered if she'd ever be as involved in a subject to experiment with it. She was sure Potions wasn't it for her since her instinct is to just follow the recipe. Maybe Charms?
Later that night she found herself patrolling the corridors with Rhea. The two had identical schedules so they were often paired together, though Daphne would be another usual choice for her. "Hey Hermione, can I ask how your first years are doing?" Hermione blinked. "Uhm, they all
seem fine, some suffering from a bit of homesickness. Though they are complaining a lot about Professor Umbridge." Rhea frowned, "About what exactly?" Hermione lifted her eyebrow at Rhea, "About not being taught magic in the classroom of course. Like with everyone else she just gives them assigned reading in class and no practical work. They don't know what to do about it and despite bringing it up to McGonagall she can't help them either. Henry had a row with her out of class and she gave him detention. I think it's in a few days. He went to Dumbledore but the Headmaster said his hands were tied since he couldn't dismiss her." Rhea stared at her friend. So the Headmaster lied to Henry. He technically could dismiss her for failing to uphold the curriculum. It was in the Charter. What is he playing at?
"Hermione, would you, Daphne and Hannah help me with something? The others can help too but I need a Prefect from every house to manage it. We might need to sacrifice a study group meeting a week though. Oh, I need to go look at some of the abandoned classrooms. Some might be big enough to both hold everyone and give them space to practice. Getting the second year students a similar arrangement will be difficult though. Hmmmm." Hermione stared at her friend who was slipping deeper into thought. "Rhea, what are you planning?" Rhea looked at her friend and smiled, which made Hermione's heart beat faster. "Oh, nothing major. I am just going to start a DADA remedial club."
- -
"I am partly regretting agreeing to this." Hannah looked dead tired, red, blue and green paint covering her clothes. Hermione pulled out her wand and after a few tries, got all the paint off a very grateful Hannah. Daphne was the next one to sit next to them, completely clean, as they watched the chaos ensue. Rhea had successfully found one of the old auditorium sized classrooms and had it cleaned up by the next weekend, when the Prefects had secured some free time for themselves. Getting the first year students to sacrifice free time early in the day was a bit harder, but they managed. As soon as all the first years had taken their place in rows, an entirely awake Rhea had taken command of the scene. Hannah had been very hard to wake up as she tended to sleep late on the weekends and Daphne was hardly better. "Alright First Years, my name is Rhea Black, 5th year Prefect for Ravenclaw. Show of hands. How many of you here are bored with the DADA class?" The entire group lifted their hands including Hannah who was playfully shoved a bit more awake.
Rhea nodded. "Since the staff aren't interested in doing their job and we Prefects are concerned about you guys practicing magic… '' Daphne's quib, "More like you are concerned and roped us all into this." got her quite the glare from Rhea, before she turned back to the kids, "… we have decided to arrange this club to help you guys get the needed practice and help you out in your other classes. Now, since today is your first day and you are all understandably bored, I have a bit of magic I want you all to learn. It's not in your spell books but it's really easy and fun. Now, how many of you have gotten your match to needle Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall?" Everyone lifted their hands again. "Perfect. The spell you will be learning is the paintball charm. Its incantation is Pila Pingeres and its wand motion is a simple jab. When you say the incantation, picture a ball of paint like this shooting out of the end of your wand. Think about your favorite
color or house colors when you do." Rhea wordlessly and wandlessly conjures a ball of blue paint in her hand.
Rhea lifted the curtain behind her and her friends, revealing a large wall of canvas. "I want you to take turns, 2 from each house at a time, lined up and practice on the canvas behind me and my friends for 3 minutes before switching with your friend behind you. If you have trouble, let your friends have a go and I will come over and help. You're free to start and if you hit one of my friends before they clear out, you'll earn some house points." The three prefects tried to clear out quickly but found their feet glued to the floor. Hermione and Daphne both managed to unglue their feet but not before a few scattered paintballs flew their way. Hannah got some help and managed to escape. The kids giggled and started practicing on the canvas, with Rhea giving hints. "Try adding a clockwise or counterclockwise spin to your wand using your wrist before casting to get a better aimed shot with the spell. Remember, picture the ball of paint clearly in your mind and let your magic take its shape."
The three Prefects watched as the kids started to really hit their stride, as eventually all were able to cast the spell. Rhea was now going around, showing them how to whisper it while not losing speed. Hermione had just stood there, watching. "Did Rhea just teach 11 and 12 year old how to do Conjuration?" Daphne smirked. "A subject McGonagall won't touch till 6th year. Pretty sure she just did." Hannah grew worried, "Should we stop her?" Daphne shoved Hannah's shoulder with her own and pointed at the kids. "You tell me." Hannah looked at the beaming faces and the kids talking amongst themselves, all smiling. Her shoulders drooped. "Nevermind." Eventually the canvas was entirely colored in paint. Rhea came up front, smiling. "Well done everyone. Now, I am going to clean up the canvas and divide it in four and I want you to focus on your house's color. It doesn't have to be the exact shade, but close enough. You are going to cover your section in your house's color until it's as easy as your favorite. I'll reset the canvas until you all have it down."
Rhea sent the other girls among the students, giving them hints on how to get the colors to match. Eventually all the first years could manage a close variant. Rhea vanished the canvas in its entirety. "Alright, everyone goes into four groups but all groups need to have an equal number of students from every house. I'll adjust where we have extras to even out the teams. Gather around one of the prefects and get settled." Hermione watched as the kids gathered around her. What was Rhea planning? Once the teams were set up, Rhea projected her voice as obstacles were conjured into the open spaces between them. Hermione stilled. Oh no. "All right everyone, this is a paintball fight! Aim for the clothes, not the heads. Take cover and, if you can, get your teammates to work together. Every hit gets your team a point, tagging the Prefects gets your team an extra 20 points. Use your house colors! Go!" What followed was the most chaotic paintball tag team imaginable, as the kids just kept throwing paintballs at each other and at the Prefects, who had much better luck at keeping themselves clean.
Eventually the Prefects took a break, Hannah having taken the brunt of the paintballs, as Rhea showed the kids how to adjust the size of the balls and fire them more consistently. Hermione had a suspicion that Rhea was teaching them how to silently cast the spell and they didn't even realize it. What really amazed her were the first years. Hermione swore that she had never been capable of casting like that until she got pulled into Henry's training regimen, and yet these kids just did it on
their own, doing magic the professors would take months to teach them normally, and Rhea had managed it in less than 3 hours. No wonder Rhea had been so advanced if this was how she learned to cast and dodge. "Alright everyone, you were all amazing! We can get together here next week and in the meantime I can come up with what to do. Just please, don't use this spell to bully or bother others in or out of class. Even if we can't study and try out a spell like today, this room will be occupied by me so you are all welcomed to visit, have fun or even help each other out with homework. I would be happy to tutor you all if you need help. Sounds good?"
A resounding "Yes" covered the room and Rhea's smile was radiant. "Great. You all have 30 minutes left to test your spell on the canvas, maybe even do some finger painting, before we clean you up and get you all to lunch. Your time starts now!" The canvas popped into existence flat on the ground and the kids rushed to it, covering it with paint and messing around. Hannah sighed. "Rhea is going to be a terrific mom." Hermione stilled as Daphne nodded. She looked at her friend, surrounded by kids as they all made a mess, even getting paint in her hair and face. The smile never left it. Hannah was right, Rhea would make a terrific mom, or even a teacher with how easy she managed to teach magic. One of the girls next to her slipped and Rhea caught her in her arms, the two laughing as Rhea's front got covered in paint. She could see Rhea surrounded by black haired girls running around having fun, some might even have bushy hair and brown eyes. Hermione's response was far more wistful than she intended, "Yeah, she definitely will."
That afternoon Hermione penned a letter to her Mom, hoping the clinic was keeping them busy and that she and Dad were having fun. She then got to the reason she wanted to write to her mom, asking her not to show Dad just yet. Her cheeks were too flushed whenever she thought about her Dad teasing her about this. She went to the Owlery and saw Nyx flying around. She had used a school owl or even Henry's snowy owl, Hedwig, before but never Rhea's. Would she answer? "Nyx?" Two bright red eyes latched onto her and the owl glided in before landing on Hermione's outstretched arm. The black owl was as light as a feather. "Nyx, would you be willing to take my letter to my mom back home? If you could wait for a response, that would be great." The bird stared at her before hooting and stretching out her leg. The moment the letter was attached, the Familiar took flight before outright vanishing like it did when Rhea summoned her at her parent's house.
That night Hermione laid in bed looking up at the red canopy, her mind whirling as her body remained flush. Her Mom's reply had been quick, especially when Nyx found her barely an hour after sending her off. Rhea wasn't kidding about how fast her Familiar could deliver messages. Her mom's words had helped settle her heart but not by much. It did manage to put any doubts out of her mind though. Hermione had hopelessly fallen in love with Rhea. What to do about it completely escaped her mind. She might need some help. A lot of help.
Chapter End Notes
Let me say that the scene with the first years is one of my favorites and it did inspire me to give future chapters a bit more fun. Its actually a complaint I have about the Harry Potter books. They turned magic into a discipline but forgot about how to make
it more appealing to kids. Kids are kids and if you show them magic they can play with safely, they are going to learn simply by using it. Rhea is teaching them so much in a simple game and they are all enjoying it. I hope you all like this side of her, as she grows into her duty.
Next Chapter?: There is blood in the air.
I think I now know how hard it is to write a long epilogue. I have everything mapped out but writing it down is like pulling teeth. Its possible that a few Chapters in the end might be shorter, but everything depends on if my Muse decides to be helpful. A need for sleep and divided attention aren't good motivators.
I can say that my FemHarry/Tonks story concept is a bit more defined, as is a FemHarry/Tom Riddle concept that I wrote down before the inspiration left me. I will be doing them one at a time though, so Tonks first, Tom later.
Please comment, discuss and I will see you all in two days.
First Blood
Chapter Notes
Posting early because RL is in the way of my usual schedule. Its a bit short but I hope you all like it.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Sabrina knocked on the front door of a particular non-magical house with very heavy wards. It's a good thing she and her daughter had permission to cross the ward from Gringotts, since she had no desire to test her skills against the response teams they were hiring for security. She'd leave stupid stunts like that to her husband. Sirius has at least behaved himself ever since the incident in late June, which has made Sabrina's affections for her husband grow. Neither of them were having any complaints about their days. Well, maybe some complaints about leaving the bed in the morning. At least it was nothing some pain relief potions and a strong cup of coffee couldn't fix. The door in front of Sabrina finally opened and she smiled. "Hello Mrs. Granger. I believe my daughter and yours sent a letter announcing my visit?"
The brunette smiled. "Mrs. Black-Prasinos, right? Which name do you prefer?" Sabrina shook her head. Days like today she regretted not taking Sirius' name fully. "You can call me Sabrina, Mrs. Granger." The woman nodded, "Then please, call me Emma. I was just getting some tea ready, would you please join us?" Sabrina took off her boots before stepping inside, all under Emma's watchful gaze. "Well, I can see where your daughter picked up her manners and taste in footwear. The last few Witches and Wizards in this house certainly didn't care much for leaving their shoes at the door." Sabrina shrugged, "When you can wave a wand and clean any mess in a second or have a house elf do it for you, lessons in cleanliness tend to go out the window. Civility soon follows." Emma nodded as she guided Sabrina to the table. "This is my husband, Daniel. Dan, this is Sabrina Black-Prasinos the mother to Hermione's friend from school." He kissed the top of her outstretched hand, making Sabrina look at Mrs. Granger. "Been reading your daughter's etiquette books?"
Emma blushed. "It seemed like a prudent idea, with our daughter getting more involved in Magical Britain. It's only a matter of time before we offend someone." Sabrina nodded, "With the exception of a few Light Families, your gesture is most welcomed." Sabrina drank from the tea that was offered. "I hope my daughter was not much of a bother with her visit?" Emma laughed, "Not at all. It was great to see our daughter behave like a teen and yours certainly loved to tease her." Sabrina grinned, "While I would like to blame it all on my husband, I am certain she took her mischief from me. I am also glad you accepted my daughter's generous offer, though I can imagine the difficulty in the choice." Mr. Granger waived Sabrina's concerns away. "Your daughter provided us with an honest assessment of the situation with these radicals and our daughter's safety. It seemed only fair." Sabrina sighed. "I am afraid that the current concerns are what bring me here. While not as numerous as before, the terrorists have been organizing."
Dan grew serious. "No violence yet?" Sabrina shook her head. "The Minister for Magic's stubborn denial, while foolish, has provided our enemy with a double edged sword. They are organizing and amassing as many accolades, supplies and funds as they can, but any obvious attacks would expose them and the Minister's façade, bringing the DMLE's current considerable resources to bear on them. So everyone is essentially waiting for someone to make the first move and nit wanting to be responsible for the loss of life that will follow. I'm here today to ask for your assistance with preventing any such loss of life." Mr. Granger drank his tea as he assimilated Sabrina's words, "How can we help?" Sabrina grimaced, "My daughter and I recently learned we made a slight oversight protecting the first gen wixen, that being those who have already graduated from Hogwarts and those who just enrolled or are due to enroll in a years time. The graduates are being handled by Gringotts and they should be protected soon enough. We do, however, fear the families of children who just joined the school won't be as open minded as the ones who went on to their second year. We need someone who can empathize with them, as non-magical outsiders looking into the magical world and seeing the good and the bad in it. Your relationship with your daughter and your former service to our country's armed forces should lend some credence to our words, hopefully enough to convince people to let us help protect them before someone innocent gets hurt."
Emma watched her husband stare at his tea. There was no doubt in her mind what he would choose to do. He joined the military wishing to do the right thing for his country. This was no different. Dan made up his mind, turned to his wife and nodded, with Emma nodding in return. "We would be happy to help. When can we start?" Sabrina smiled, happy to get some help with this. She might be a decent Healer but her people skills weren't the best. "That depends on you. I have a few portkeys set up and currently on me, ready to take us to the 20 families listed. The portkeys should reduce travel time, but it can still be exhausting dealing with so many people, so we might not get through them all today." Emma squeezed her husband's hand. "I am sure we can manage around five of them today, though we will have to cancel dinner." Sabrina grinned, "Emma, I wouldn't dream of asking you two to do this without offering you dinner. While my husband wouldn't mind having you over, I think we can enjoy some dinner at a restaurant tonight. Politics tends to raise Sirius's temper a bit, especially when dealing with the idiots currently lying through their teeth or the other idiots trying to paint anyone not of the Light faction as entirely composed of radicals, so it's best to let him rest with his coffee and whiskey before introducing him to guests."
The next few hours were spent traveling from one end of the Isle of Britain to the other, negotiating with some concerned parents, who only grew more concerned by the visits. Sabrina was surprised when most of them actually knew her daughter by name. Rhea had mentioned starting a remedial club for first years and second years, but she had no idea her daughter had made such an impression, even with students from other houses. After successfully convincing eight families to take the contract, Sabrina took the Grangers to one of her favorite Italian restaurants in London, featuring wood fired pizza and some nice home made sauces. Dan had certainly shown his appreciation for the meal, while Emma looked amused at Sabrina's confusion. "I take it you weren't expecting so much praise aimed at your daughter today?" Sabrina sighed, "Not at all. The more annoying part is that while Rhea clearly made the kids' weekend at Hogwarts super memorable, she would call it just another weekend and go back to doing more impressive things, not realizing that not everyone can just do what she does effortlessly. I love my daughter but I don't think she understands the impact she has had on Goblins, Elves, Ghosts and now the families of students she has been helping by just being herself."
Dan snorted, "Your daughter sounds much better than the pompous Potter kid that Hermione met in first year. Sure he saved her from a Troll, but he didn't need to boast about it like he did. Especially when his friend was the reason she was in trouble in the first place. You have no idea how happy I am that she isn't interested in him anymore." Sabrina listened intently. "Oh, Rhea hasn't said anything about her friend Hermione's interests shifting. Is it someone from her friend group?" Emma had a devilish grin. "They are. We think Hermione developed a crush on them over the last year. This year though, our girl seems to have started falling hopelessly in love. Her last letter was certainly interesting to read." Sabrina stilled as Dan looked at his wife carefully. "Mrs. Granger, please tell me that's Rhea you're talking about being the focus of your daughter's interests." Emma blinked at her confused. "It is." Sabrina sighed in relief and said a short prayer in Greek. "Thank the Goddess, my daughter already had her heart broken once, I don't think I could survive another." Emma was confused. "Hermione mentioned Rhea had been in a relationship before that ended abruptly. Was it that bad?"
Sabrina thought about how much she should share. "My daughter didn't live with me until a few months after her eight birthday. In that time… the people who had been given custody of her proved to be the worst sort of human beings imaginable.'' Dan stilled. That certainly explains the haunted look he caught in her eyes. No kid should have it at 15 years of age. Ever. Sabrina continued, "My daughter spent the next few years with me, pulling herself back together. Last year, we discovered that her past experiences had damaged her perception and expectations on seeking romantic physical intimacy. The student responsible for triggering the negative responses volunteered to help her resolve the issue and she did. The two grew quite close physically and emotionally and I am sure my daughter loved her deeply, but then an incident happened that brought to light an issue of trust between them. The young woman made an accusation that robbed the relationship of any chance of reconciliation. Since then… my daughter has taken a hands off approach to forming relationships. I can say that she likes your daughter deeply, will flirt and tease your daughter, hoping to get a response and for Hermione to make the first move, but she herself refuses to initiate the relationship."
Emma thought about it. "She's concerned about trusting too early, like she did last time." Sabrina nodded as she drank from her cup of coffee. Emma sighed and looked at her husband, explaining her earlier comment. "Hermione asked for some advice in her last letter on potentially pursuing an official relationship with Rhea." Dan grew thoughtful as Emma turned back to Sabrina, "Would that be an issue for you?" Sabrina shook her head. "While I haven't met your daughter personally, I have seen some memories of her so I have a good idea as to her character. My suggestions are that she never betrays Rhea's trust. Rhea gives her trust once and that's it. Once broken fully, there is no fixing or going back. If she makes a promise to my daughter, she must keep it in its entirety. If she feels it's conflicting with another promise, she has to talk about the issue, even if she avoids the topic. Lastly, harming a child, any child is as close to a death sentence with Rhea. Punishment, of any form, must be non-violent and understood by the child. My daughter refuses to tolerate any situation that could develop into what she herself suffered and is more than happy to confront anyone who treats children with violence. She isn't above answering violence with violence either." Dan nodded. "When I met her I thought I saw a fire in those eyes. Nice to know it's aimed at the right people." Sabrina scuffed. "Oh, there is something in my daughter's eyes alright. It's not fire though and I refuse to pity anyone caught in her path. Anyone there deserves what my daughter will bring upon them and more."
- -
"Rhea, we can't teach that to the first or second years!" Rhea frowned as she and Hermione did some patrols through the castle halls. The last month or so had been an absolute wonder for the most part. While Umbridge was still a waste of a paycheck and Henry still seemed to make no real progress with his Occlumency, it had still been great. The remedial weekends, which now covered Sunday for the second years had been a smashing success. Sure, she and the Study Group were now only meeting in the week, and the ones who volunteered for the weekends tended to gripe about the early mornings, but the last four weeks had been spectacular. The second years got an initial class on paintball similar to the first years, while Rhea kept trying to find ideas on how to teach the kids skills and spells that could be useful as well as fun. Her next one was something her mother taught her to help her learn wandless magic, though she adjusted it for the kids. The detachable light spell had been neat to teach them all, as she used a canvas that left physical traces when exposed to bright light. The kids had gone wild with both lighting spells creating designs and images, while also learning to turn off their own lights and that of others.
Her third lesson had involved the piercing, cutting and gluing spells and a lot of paper and string. While not as utilitarian as her first session, it did help the kids learn how to manage their magic better, as the more power they used for the spells, the more tired they got. Eventually they got a perfect balance of how much was enough for paper and they just took off cutting colored paper left and right. They then used the gluing spell and helped make some custom paper ornaments they could use to liven up their dorm rooms. A quick use of the detachable light spell and they now had colored paper lamps they could make themselves. The next two hours were spent with her friends watching over an improvised Arts and Crafts class, but none of them minded. Sally actually took it quite seriously, making and showing the kids how to make their own image projectors, with stars and planets, or magical creatures. While less of a physical class, Rhea could see the kids were quite happy just having fun and getting their charmwork down to just muscle memory. Rhea had been very pleased with that suggestion by the end. "Why not?"
Hermione huffed. "Aguamenti is a 6th year charm and conjuration! It's too advanced!" Rhea waved her hand. "They all got the paintballs down, they can manage a hose of running water. What kid hasn't played with a waterhose in the backyard or the bathtub?" Hermione sighed. "That isn't the issue! The Charms curriculum puts it at 6th year level for a reason." Rhea scuffed, "Yeah, because everyone wants to shove Gamp's Law down your throat before they try it out. You know what also works? Letting kids try stuff in a controlled environment. Besides, it's dead useful and the perfect way to teach them the drying charm too." Hermione groaned. Sure, Rhea had already taught them conjuration and advanced spells, but most of those were not on the curriculum. There had to be a reason they saved those spells for later. There had to be. Right? "Ok, fine. How about you ask Professor Flitwick if it's safe to teach to first and second year students before you do it."
Rhea grimaced. "Uhm, maybe you should do it." Hermione glared at her friend. "What did you do?" Rhea couldn't look Hermione in the eye as she increased her strides. Hermione just did the
same. Bugger. "Nothing." Hermione huffed, "Why don't I believe you." Rhea sighed and shook her head. "Because you're an intelligent witch and you know me so well?" Hermione did blush at the complement, and maybe she felt warm elsewhere. Maybe. "You're not going to dodge the question by flirting with me, Rhea." For a second Rhea looked at Hermione and wanted to take her up on that bet. She wanted to push her gently against the wall and kiss her. Rhea buried those feelings. Damned hormones. For now, maybe the truth will be a better response. It will certainly lower her libido's interest and keep her from thinking about doing other things to her cute friend in an empty corridor. "I am pretty certain I broke my Head of House. Whenever we're alone and I ask him for something he makes me do some obscure and powerful charms first. Sure, I manage them but it would be nice having a normal conversation again. I think Madam Pomfrey is working on him, but it's still slow going."
Hermione stared at her friend and sighed. "Fine! I will ask him for you, but you owe me and I am cashing it in now while I can. If he says it's ok to teach Aguamenti and the Drying Charm, you are not allowed to teach them the Freezing Charm!" Rhea hugged Hermione. "Deal!" Before she knew it she kissed her Gryffindor friend on the cheek, causing the bookworm's brain to stop working for a second and her body to go from normal to overheating. Rhea noticed and flushed before thinking about resuming their patrol. The moment Hermione got a functioning mind again she made a plan to go for a shower before bed. A very cold one. Before she could comment on Rhea's kiss though she noticed her friend had stopped moving as something caught her attention. "Nicholas?" The Gryffindor Ghost moved in to view from the wall, where most Ghosts accompanied the Prefects, giving them some privacy while hiding their presence from the uninformed. Nicholas came up with that after his run-in with the Basilisk and he refused to be caught unguarded again.
"Yes, Miss Black?" Rhea watched the door besides her, which was closed but not spelled shut. She could hear a noise inside that made her blood run cold and chased away any warmth from earlier. "Scan the area and see if there are other students or staff nearby, Hermione and I will look in on this." The Ghost bowed and vanished. Rhea looked at the door and started to slowly open it. There, next to the window was a little girl holding her hand, a handkerchief pressed onto it. Rhea knew the look and smell of what stained the cloth. It would remain with her for the rest of her life. Rhea felt her Occlumency barriers rise up as her inner rage began to build. No need to scare the girl. "Hello, it's me, Rhea from the weekend lessons. I told you all I am also a Healer. Will you let me look at that?" The girl's scared voice called out. "Please no, I will only get into more trouble." Rhea's body became frigid enough that Hermione felt it without touching her. She had felt her friend's magic flare up but never like this. "I promise you Mara, no matter what happens, you will not be hurt again. I swear it. So please, let me look at it."
Hermione moved to the young girl and sat on the window sill beside her as she pulled the Gryffindor first year onto her lap and watched Rhea unwrap the handkerchief tied around the girl's hand. The words I will respect my betters were carved into her skin and Hermione knew who was responsible. But that wasn't important right now. What was important was how mechanical her friend was moving, her hands tracing the scratch marks. She had somehow stopped feeling dreadfully cold. "I can heal and erase these, though the skin will be a bit lighter. I know a method that essentially tans your skin that should get it gone for good. I do need to document this though, so please hold still. After this I will heal it and that will be it, ok?" The girl, whose face was covered in tear tracks, nodded. Hermione hugged the little girl, hoping to ease her fear. After Rhea
pressed a bit of parchment to the skin and casted a diagnostic spell, she pulled out a dictaquill, except it started writing without Rhea saying a word. Hermione eyed it with curiosity.
Rhea eventually placed the evidence materials away and drew out her wand, pointing the tip at the scars. "I am going to cast a very advanced healing spell. I want you to listen to the incantation. It acts as a numbing agent and has a mild calming effect." The girl nodded and Rhea began to cast. Hermione could only call the incantation a song, gentle and warm. It made her heart ease up. She watched the skin on the girl's hand knit back together and seal itself. Rhea casted one last spell at the hand. "That was a stronger pain reliever. It should last you till morning. I want to see you at breakfast in the Hospital Wing. Like I said, you will be fine, nothing else will happen to you, I swear. Come on, let's get you to Gryffindor Tower." Rhea and Hermione guided the little girl in silence back to her dorm. Upon reaching the Portrait of the Fat Lady, Rhea knelt down in front of the girl and brought the girl's hands into the shape of a cup. Pulling deep on her magic, Rhea blew it into the girls hands, a shadowy form taking the shape of a kitten before turning solid.
The girl looked in wonder at the warm and purring ball of fur in her hands. "A cat's purr is a natural relaxant and this one is enchanted to ward off nightmares. Place it on the pillow besides you and it will endure until you decide to wake up in the morning. When that time comes, pick it up as you are holding it now and whisper "Thank you." Now go on inside and have a goodnight's rest Mara. I will see you tomorrow at Breakfast." The girl nodded and headed for the Portrait. Hermione was about to say the password but was stopped. "Mathilda, no need for passwords tonight from her. Watch over your lions Fair Lady, for one has dared to cause them harm." The Portrait's face became enraged for a moment before she bowed as the door swung open before closing again. Hermione had so many questions, especially as to how Rhea got the Gryffindor Portrait to open without giving out the password but when she went to ask, those cyan eyes were staring at her, judging her. Her heart suddenly felt cold. "Who else? You saw the wound and weren't surprised, so tell me Hermione Granger, who else has been harmed?"
There was a part of Hermione that wanted to keep quiet. The Headmaster and McGonagall had said so, but at this moment, looking into the cyan eyes of the girl she was falling in love with, she couldn't bring herself to lie. Something deep inside told her that a lie now would mean the end of what they had and could have. So Hermione swallowed the complaints and orders of her teachers and told the truth. "Henry, he's the only one I know about. He's been getting scarred for two weeks now. We brought it to Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore. They told us to bear with it and wait, that Lord Potter was negotiating with Fudge and that getting Umbridge removed from the castle would upset the negotiations." Hermione felt the weight of Rhea's eyes lessen, the glow growing dimmer. "Hermione, I allowed you to ask something of me once without a return. I am about to ask something of you now. I want you to inform me at any moment when a student is suffering, being harmed or is forced to watch others being harmed by physical, magical or mental means. No lies, no concealing the truth, no omissions and no orders from the staff to do any of these is to be accepted. You will tell me the truth in these matters at all times. Do you agree, Hermione Jane Granger?"
Hermione thought about it. Did she have to tell her about Henry's nightmares? Henry hasn't said anything about anyone getting hurt in them and while he has trouble sleeping, he hasn't hurt by
it yet. Not yet then. The moment that changes, she will tell her. Until then, "I, Hermione Jane Granger, accept your request and will fulfill it to the best of my abilities." Rhea's eyes softened as a relieved smile appeared on her face. "Ok, let's go see your Head of House." The two knocked on the woman's door and entered upon hearing her. Rhea explained that they found the Gryffindor First Year showing signs of a Blood Quill used as punishment and that after treating her, the girl is now sleeping in her dorm. Rhea looked at the Deputy Headmistress closely. "What do you plan to do about this?" The stern witch sighed, "I am afraid there is nothing I can do about the situation." Rhea felt her eye twitch. Strike one. The Deputy can expel a staff member and override the Headmaster's decision if she secured the vote of all 4 Heads of House. She can do it easily enough as one of them. She had to know that.
"With all due respect, Deputy Headmistress, you have a staff member willfully harming students within the school. This is a grave matter that can't be overlooked or dismissed." The Gryffindor Head of House looked at Rhea, "Believe me Heiress Black, I am not thrilled by the situation but political matters complicate this." Rhea grounded her back teeth. Strike two. Politics are to be kept out of all matters concerning the student's safety and wellbeing. That is non negotiable as held by the Charter. The school was founded by a Light Witch, a Dark Warlock and two Neutral Mages. They wrote the need for Hogwarts to stay Neutral and out of politics into the Charter and the Treaties. Rhea's temper flared. "Gryffindor Head of House Minerva McGonagall, a first year student for whose life and wellbeing you are charged with has been harmed by a fellow staff member with the intention of repeating the offense again. Will you abandon your duty?" Rhea watched the Scotswoman gear up for a shout when she just deflated. Whatever she was about to say was consumed by her guilt and shame. "I will bring this incident before the Headmaster, Prefect Black and do my best to press upon him the importance of preventing future incidents." Rhea stared at the woman and was partly relieved. Just enough pride left in the old lioness to keep her from failing her duty entirely.
"I will confer with the Headmaster at dinner tonight within the Great Hall. I hope, Deputy Headmistress, that he has reached a viable solution by then. My Head of House gave me the duty to watch out for the students of this school. What does it say about the staff of this thousand year old castle that a student takes her duties over her fellow students with greater urgency than the people who are responsible for our education." Minerva lowered her gaze, her hands shaking. "It speaks poorly Miss Black, of the state of the school." Rhea nodded. "It does indeed, Professor. It does indeed. Good Evening Professor and please don't assign me any points for my actions on this matter. My actions are within the scope of what is asked of me. I will only accept a reward when I go above and beyond what is expected of me." Hermione bowed to her Head of House before leaving the office, Minerva left to stew in her own warring feelings. The two stand quietly as Rhea seems to compose herself just outside of the Gryffindor Common Room.
Rhea turned to her friend, "I know you think the worst of me when it comes to Henry but in this matter I can set aside my hate for the actions of his parents and the behavior he has shown. I will heal his scar if he asks it of me, nothing more, nothing less. Mathilda, I return one of your Lionesses to your care. Watch over her." The Lady in the Portrait bowed as she opened up. Hermione looked at her friend, several questions at the tip of her tongue. Rhea leaned in and kissed her cheek, silencing any thoughts. "Keep up your Occlumency and I will start answering questions. If the worst comes to happen tomorrow at dinner, believe me that the answers to a few will be made clear by the following morning. Sweet dreams, Hermione." The bushy haired Gryffindor
blushed. "Sweet Dreams, Rhea." That night Hermione had a fitful night's sleep, worried about what was going to happen in the next two days. Rhea, on the other hand, stared at the canopy of her bed. Planning on the best way to make her point and what actions she may need to take. As Lady Ravenclaw she has a responsibility to the students and the school. She would see it through.
- -
"Yaxley, can you explain to me how half a dozen Death Eaters went into a muggle area to carry out an attack and came back with half your team missing and the lot of you covered in magical injuries?" The entire room shivered as Voldemort asked this of a clearly still injured Lord Yaxley, his voice cool and collected. Every single person wanted to flee. Their Lord was known for three moods; being ecstatic, angry and bloody furious. The cool and collected voice was a sign of the latter. The entire room's eyes were fixed on his wand's tip, glowing a familiar shade of red. Yaxley swallowed his nerves and tried to explain. "We arrived at the address specified, my Lord, but were unable to identify a building. Selwyn believed it to be because of wards and was able to find evidence of them. A few minutes after Selwyn tried dismantling the wards a group of Wizards portkeyed in and attacked us with non-lethal force. Gibbon responded with the lethal curses and the Wizards responded in kind. Those of us here were the only ones to Apparate away."
The Dark Lord stood from his throne and stalked towards Yaxley. "So that explains why Gibbon is currently being administered potions to keep him alive while Severus returns from Hogwarts. Tell me Yaxley, did the Wizards wear any identifying marks or outfits? Were they Hit Wizards? Aurors? Dumbledore's sycophants? Though the last is unlikely because of their lethal response. Well?" Yaxley thought back. "They wore grey sir, similar in tone to the Unspeakbles, but without the hoods. They did wear some kind of hat or protective headwear that hid their identities from us." Voldemort stood besides Yaxley as he tapped his lips. "It seems there is another enemy out there, one unwilling to reveal its presence or its face, but unafraid of spilling blood. Their defense of the muggle parents of mudbloods shows that they have resources and strength we can't match just yet. After all, who would waste resources on such meaningless targets? Crucio."
The entire room flinched as Voldemort casted the Cruciatus Curse on Yaxley, barely over a whisper but leaving the man screaming in agony. "While this information is valuable, you exposed our activity to them by attempting to breach unknown wards. They will be more attentive to further actions by us and we are now missing three of our members. Barty, I want you to take greater care of our assault on Azkaban. We need to replenish our numbers and we have lost the element of surprise with a clearly more dangerous threat than Dumbledore. Jugson, continue your evaluation of Ministry Security around the Department of Mysteries. Avery, continue extracting what information you can get from Auror Dawlish. We have a lot more work to do before we are ready." Everyone nodded and left to carry out their duties while Voldemort looked impassively at Yaxley as he ended the Cruciatus. "You are fortunate that our numbers are thin. Do use your head more, Yaxley, before I end up mounting it on a spike. Go get yourself treated then get in touch with Greyback. We may need a werewolf's talents to identify our new enemies."
Voldermort sat back on his throne and thought. Albus no longer seemed to be the more pressing threat. Whoever was behind this change in tactics against him must be from either a Neutral or Dark Family. He thought of the Blacks or Malfoys. The Blacks, while certainly wealthy enough to manage it, seem unlikely. Lord Black may have been a Gryffindor fool and one of Dumbledore's stooges, but his recent actions in the Wizengamot is in solidifying a Neutral bloc. Expending this much wealth and resources for a waste of air was unlikely, as no mudbloods can provide him the support he needs. The Malfoys may have allied themselves with Black, but Lucius distaste for mudbloods had been quite real. He may tolerate and be civil to them now but he wouldn't spend Galleons on them. The Grangers were the parents of Henry Potter's pet mudblood but it's unlikely the Potters would use deadly force against their enemies. They are far too attached to Dumbledore's views to do something so drastic.
Which left the possibility of a new enemy, one born during the war and holding a grudge well enough for lethal force, while also being a bleeding heart for muggles. No one he had ever met qualified. Perhaps it would be a good idea to observe the political situation in the Wizengamot more closely. At the very least it will be an amusing observation, with Fudge's incompetence and Black's hatred for the Light. The Black Heiress popped into his mind for a moment. Halley Potter. When he had ordered Barty to place Henry Potter's name in the Goblet with a strong compulsion for it to be selected, he had also ordered him to place one with the twin's name, just in case. It had concerned him that the girl had been wiped out from the known record. He had pegged Dumbledore as a man capable of concealing a child and training them as a weapon, so he had planned to smoke her out, force her to reveal what Dumbledore had taught her in front of everyone. They had also taken measures into ensuring their participation, blocking the requirement for the students being of age. Instead, the Goblet failed to reveal her. At the time he had concluded that the girl died somehow, maybe from the Killing Curse he had casted.
Only for Rita Skeeter, of all people, to uncover the truth. A part of him felt a kinship with the girl. Aside from a difference in gender, the two had lived similar horrors at the hands of muggles before her new family rescued her and sheltered her enough to heal. A pang of jealousy surfaced but vanished just as quickly. Snape had been hard pressed to answer questions about her, but he gave what was needed and what he expected. Like Tom Riddle, she had a gift in Dueling, tutored and trained herself to never feel vulnerable again. Rhea Black studied ahead but didn't boast her power or intelligence, despite the position it would garner her. Her placement in Ravenclaw and not Slytherin settled the matter in his mind. Intelligent and gifted, but not ambitious. Too young, though clearly politically powerful, to be a real threat to him, though Dumbledore's inability to contain her was highly amusing. So far though she has handed Peverell matters to her mother, making the likelihood of a hidden Peverell being the source of his problems unlikely. Voldemort sighed as he considered what the prophecy might reveal about the girl. Perhaps Dumbledore hid her away because she could have been a force to rise against his Order and vision of the world. Voldemort snorted. If that was true his plan failed spectacularly. Regardless, he'd keep an eye on Hogwarts, if for nothing more than his own amusement at seeing Dumbledore make a fool out of himself.
- -
Sharpfang stared into the red eyes of the young Lady Peverell's familiar. Quite the specimen indeed. So much magic contained within such a small frame. Death Omens do seem to be an interesting sort. Perhaps with Lady Peverell on their side, the Goblins could find some value in caring for Death Omens. They certainly make for speedy and secure delivery creatures. The Death Omen lifted her leg and presented her letter. "Let us see what your Mistress has come up with, shall we?" He removed the letter and watched as the Omen vanished into thin air. Shaking his head, Sharpfang goes to break the wax seal until he noticed the imprint on it. The young lady had, for most of their correspondence, favored using the Heiress Black seal on black wax. Her love of her family was beyond question. Recently she had used the Peverell Seal on gray wax, when sending matters concerning her dealings and contracts as the Head of the infamous House.
The seal staring back at him was neither. The girl was addressing him as Lady Ravenclaw, even using a blue wax to seal the letter. Breaking the seal he opened the letter and began to read its contents, written in Goblin Script.
Elder Sharpfang, Troll Slayer and honored friend
May your Vaults flourish as the blood of our enemies soaks into the ground.
It has come to my attention that several independent elements within my family's domain have violated, continue to violate or seek to violate the Charter that governs this once prestigious institution. Attempts by my person to remedy the situation from the position of a student have reached an impasse. While others may be willing to follow the flow of events, I cannot in good conscience allow further breaches of our laws. One such perpetrator commited the grave sin of spilling the blood of an innocent youngling who falls under my care via a Blood Quill, used not in solemn business but in senseless violence. I have impressed upon the administrators the need to act but find any action unlikely. As such I hereby request that Gringotts activates all the Ravenclaw accounts, privileges and treaties so that I may carry out my family's sworn duty to protect and nurture the younglings of Albion. I also wish to ask for your recommendation on who to send to the next Wizengamot as my family's Proxy. I wish that said individual be a proper representation of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Ravenclaw and its Heads relationship with Gringotts Albion as a recognized Friend of the Goblin Nation. Please enact these changes at midnight tomorrow should no letter arrive from me asking to delay it. May our enemies tremble as we answer the call of innocent blood spilled.
Lady Rheannon of Ravenclaw
Friend of the Goblin Nation of Gringotts Albion
Sharpfang stared at the letter that seemed to shock him to his core. Some filthy wand waver had dared to wield a Blood Quill as a tool for torture for a youngling? His blood boiled under his skin. The Goblins and House Ravenclaw share one absolute mandate. No children are to be
harmed, ever. They are Magic and Life's great gift to the world. Sharpfang understood the Lady Ravenclaws' rage at such despicable actions and her inability to sit back and do nothing while foolish wand wavers stand and play at politics. Now they have awakened the Castle's Mistress and the political power she wields and they did so in the least pleasant way possible. Sharpfang began to write down all the orders to awaken the Ravenclaw accounts and treaties. The Ministry won't know what hit them the morning after and that is the way the Goblins will keep it.
Lastly, Sharpfang looked over Lady Ravenclaw's last request. To ask a Goblin about a position in the Wizengamot was unheard of. The fact that she not only asked him for a reference but mentioned her recently acquired title of Friend of the Goblin Nation as an important factor to consider in his recommendation made him pause in thought. The young lady never did or said anything without reason. His face broke into a grin. He called a teller who quickly entered his office, bowing before the elder Goblin. " May your vaults overrun with gold, Elder Sharpfang. How may I serve you today?" Sharpfang bowed his head. "May our enemies tremble in our wake. Go to the archives and bring all the treaties between Gringotts Albion and the Wizards Council, the Wizengamot and the Ministry of Magic that deal specifically with Goblins and their employ by the Noble Houses in matters of governance. Our Friend of the Goblin Nation is offering us a great opportunity until she is of age and we will not squander it!" The young Goblin shot out the door and Sharpfang began to pen a very important letter. If things work out as the young Lady Ravenclaw suggested, Albion will certainly enter into a new age soon enough and Gringotts would not tarry in taking advantage of it. The young lady's Ancestor would be most pleased with her descendant's actions.
Chapter End Notes
The times are changing. Do you like my tweaks on Voldemort's character? I personally find quiet controlled rage far more terrifying than a screaming madman. You never know when you could get dropped by a curse.
Next Chapter?: Words and Actions have consequences. Rhea makes her choice.
Please leave a comment, discuss and I will see you all soon.
Also. I am on Chapter 42 of 43-44 of Blood and Magic. Almost done.
Duty Calls
Chapter Notes
Here is the Next Chapter. Hope you all liked it.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Rhea was happy to have found little Mara in the Hospital Wing and provided a copy of her injuries and healing to Madam Pomfrey. The Healer checked the hand and nodded before bringing the little girl a balm to apply to the skin to even out the color, washing away the scars. Rhea sat by the girl on the cot as the first year leaned against her. "Thank you for the kitten, it was nice and it helped me sleep. My friends were a little jealous though." Rhea chuckled, "I can imagine. Did you say thank you?" The little girl lifted up her sleeve, showing a silver chain with an onix cat charm. "It was conjuration, right? How long will it last?" Rhea hummed, "How long do you want it to?" The girl rubbed the onyx charm. "I want to keep it. I don't want it to go away." Rhea kneeled in front of the girl and pulled out a ritual needle. "Conjurations are temporary, but binding them to a person makes them last a lifetime. It can be yours until the day you join your ancestors, if you want it to, or you could bind it to a member of your family later, but you need to keep it close or wear it before it disappears. Got it?"
Little Mara nodded and Rhea used a numbing spell to prick her finger, using the blood to bind the charm to the girl's magic. Rhea quietly added her own blood to it, strengthening its binding and letting the Hogwarts Wards charge it, just in case the girl forgot to wear it or lost it. "There you are. One conjured charm made permanent for you. It should help with nightmares and trouble sleeping." The little girl hugged her. "Thank you!" Rhea looked towards the Healer as the girl sat back down. "I think it's best she stays here with you for breakfast, maybe tell her some stories of the kids who end up under your care? Might keep her from getting sent here as often as the troublemakers." Pomfrey nodded, "As much as I would like to chew out that horrible woman in front of the students, you are probably right. Come now child, what would you like to eat for breakfast?" Rhea smiled as the girl said "Pancakes!" A tray of pancakes and orange juice popped in right next to them, causing the girl to "eep". "Typsy, come here and say hi. No need to be shy." The elf popped in and waved at the little girl, before Rhea told Typsy to keep an eye on her for today. After explaining elves and how they prepare the food to Mara, Rhea excused herself.
She entered the Great Hall and sat next to Hermione, which seemed to scandalize the Gryffindors since Rhea had never sat down at the Gryffindor table ever. Rhea began to serve herself some food as Ron Weasley looked at her and glared. "You aren't welcomed here, Black." Rhea shrugged, "And most dining establishments wouldn't welcome you either with your eating habits and table manners. Yet here we are. You can stow your self righteousness for the moment, Weasley, as I am here on Prefect business with your own. Hermione, please tell me something has happened while I was busy caring for Mara in the Hospital Wing. She's fine by the way, please inform her friends before they run off to class that she will see them there." Hermione nodded, but
Weasley seemed to not care about private conversations. "Who is Mara?" Rhea glared at the rude boy. "Mara Jadeson is a first year Gryffindor we ran into last night on patrol who was in need of medical assistance, now please be quiet." Hermione glared at Ron who backed down.
"There was some discussion between the Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall but she just went quiet and is eating her plate with clear frustration. Guessing she couldn't change his mind." Rhea looked over and agreed that the normally stoic woman was indeed quite aggravated, while the pink toad just looked smug. Rhea sighed, "I really hope Dumbledore does something about this before dinner." Henry, arriving late, sat on the other side of Hermione. "Do something about what?" Rhea stared at him. "Your martyr act hasn't kept the pink toad from harming another student." Henry stilled and stared at Rhea. "It's none…" Rhea silenced him, "By the goddess, if you say it's none of my business, then you were actually right when it was only you getting your skinned carved into. You are old enough and educated enough to make up your bloody mind on it and have a parent in the Faculty to look after your interests. A first year from a non-magical family has none of that and as a Healer and a Prefect, it makes it my damned business to see to the safety of the younger years. Got that, Potter?" Henry looked like he wanted to fight but he just went back to eating, though he gave a few odd looks to Lily at the Staff Table. Rhea frowned. Did the prat not tell his own mother? She knew he was prideful, but she would have to add stupid to the list.
Rhea finished her meal and stood up. "Keep an eye on your younger years, Hermione and Longbottom. I have some things to take care of." She left the Great Hall soon after, approaching all the Ghosts and Elves of the school, getting their opinion and their voice on the matter. The Ghosts have always been deferential to her from the moment she crossed the wardline and her behaviour seemed to have endeared her to them all. Rhea blushed at the outpouring of support from them. Sir Nicholas was most furious and even Peeves seemed more subdued than normal. Helena was the last Ghost to be asked and she simply hugged Rhea. "My mother and aunt would be proud of you, as would the rest of the Founders. Is there anything else you need?" Rhea nodded. "Have the Ghosts notify the paintings and portraits. Those able to are to gather at the abandoned staff room on the 7th Floor during lunch within the present canvases. I wish to discuss the situation and gain their support." Helena nodded and left to spread the word as Rhea made her way up to the 7th floor, her every step throughout the Castle felt heavier than the last as she inspected and pulled more wards onto herself. She could feel them grow in power and focus as they switched into her control. Discussing the matter with the portraits was a much more difficult task than the other denizens.
The Elves were fast to support her because they sensed her connection to the Castle, though her interactions with them also made them wish to please the Mistress that showed them care and concern and treated them all like family. Asking their opinion solidified any ideas they had about her and word would spread amongst the elves beyond Hogwarts. The portraits though were a mixed bag. The ones tasked with serving and protecting the students were up in arms and willing to aid, while the more conservative minds wanted to wait out the issue like the Headmaster. This was a popular view shared by many of the former Headmasters, until Rhea quoted the Charter's rules on the matters of protecting the students and the independence of the castle from political matters. While displeased to be addressed with so little deference, Rhea got them to recognize her point about failing to uphold the Charter and gave her provisional support. Phineas Black had to be reminded of his duties to House Black over Hogwarts, but eventually Rhea got the support of the Portraits in the Headmaster's office to not reveal what was about to happen. There was one last bit of preparation for Rhea to do before waiting for dinner and the inevitable as she sent Nyx to drop
off a message and some coins in Hogsmeade.
Under a disillusionment charm, as well as noise and scent canceling spells, Rhea walked the outer walls of the castle and allowed her Death Magic to run free. The action made her stumble and fall onto her knees as the echoes of the once living overwhelmed her. So much death. The castle and its grounds were soaked in the blood of the vanquished and the ground filled with their corpses. The sheer number and variety flooded her mind as she pulled her Occlumency to section off the stray thoughts and feelings attached to the bones of the dead creatures, sentient or otherwise. Rhea took a staggered breath as she moved on, leaving traces of her magic in each corpse, skeleton or even fresh body. As she approached the Forbidden Forest the flavor of creatures changed. There were dozens of dead Acromantula, but their bodies fell apart too easily after death. They were no use to her. What made her soul feel heavy was the corpses of unicorns and centaurs close to the school. These were not natural deaths. Unicorns had no true natural enemies, as they were protected by Wild Magic. Only a sentient mind could bring unexpected death to a Unicorn.
The sudden increase in centaur corpses made Rhea pause. Above them she could feel living Centaurs nearby. She took a long breath. A graveyard. She pulled back her traces of magic from the centaur corpses she had found. She would not raise them in the presence of their families and in view of their home. It would not be proper. She turned and made to leave when she heard a tree branch snap. The form of a Centaur appeared before her, though its eyes were drawn to the heavens as the stars began to dot the sky. Soon it would be dinner and her time to make her final decision, but Centaurs were sensitive to the shifts in the world. It would be wise to listen to what they had to say, especially if the Fates were displeased. She dispelled the scent and sound canceling before making herself visible again. The Centaur turned to her and bowed his head. "The stars spoke of a meeting today for me with one that could reshape the world. I was doubtful of my interpretation until I sensed the Magic of Death permeating the Forest and our soil." Rhea bowed back, "My apologies to you and your herd, Stargazer of the Centaurs, I am troubled by a choice I am being forced to make and sought the assurance that all of my magic can grant me should the worst happen. I sensed your home and graveyard and have recalled my magic from it. Your people and ancestors will not be disturbed."
The Centaur stared at her. "You are unusual for your kind, Necromancer, to be so respectful of us, though you are still young." Rhea shook her head, "Young or old your soul burns in your skin as it does in all others. To me you are no different than the eldest of the Mountain Fae, the most prideful of the Waterdewlers, the most ferocious of the Fire Breathers or the most deceitful of the Crafters. We are all souls and we all suffer through life before Death claims us all. To disrespect you and your kind would be a hypocrisy to me who holds all life sacred." The Centaur approached softly. "I am Firenze. It is an honor to speak with a Necromancer of your nature. The stars warn of a change in the world and we cannot see beyond the moment. My herd has been most anxious." Rhea feared as much. "I am afraid that my skills in Astronomy aren't the best, despite my Family's naming conventions, and I took no interest in Divination so the signs you see are sadly beyond my means to recognize or evaluate." Firenze looked above into the darkened sky, his voice turning distant. "Mars and Venus have been struggling for dominance for many years now. Two years ago, Saturn began its own claim. The three will seek dominance over the others, but we cannot see who triumphs or if any does at all."
Rhea listened to the warning and nodded. "My condolences to the Herd, for the unintended trouble I caused this night. Know that I will never act against you unless the herd threatens the innocents under my care. As that action is abhorrent to you as it is to me, I see our paths never crossing in conflict." Ferenze nodded. "I agree. Go in peace Necromancer. My herd will know of your presence but will keep the secret of your magic for the respect you have shown for our dead." The Centaur bowed his head before he returned to the trees and its growing shadows. Rhea vanished from eyes, ears and scent as she returned to the castle, her timepiece in her hand. Dinner had already begun. She walked through the empty halls, feeling the weight of the castle settle into her. If things go as she predicted, the weight of every soul within the stone walls will fall on her back. The thought threatened to crush her before another surfaced. The first and second year students, having fun with her on the weekends, their smiling faces greeting her whenever she crosses paths with them in the halls. Her mind settled and the weight lessened. Politics and power plays be damned. The children, their safety and wellbeing, matter more than anything else to her except Family. She would do this for them all.
Rhea walked into the Great Hall and stood behind Hermione, setting a hand on her shoulder. "Anything?" Hermione sensed the magic and knew who it was. She sighed, unaware of just how comforting Rhea's magic made her feel. "Dumbledore has made no announcement, McGonagall came over to me and apologized for not being able to do anything about it. Mara… Umbridge reminded McGonagall about the detention she still has tonight." Rhea growled which sent Hermione's hackles up, "Not happening. Bring her to the entrance of Ravenclaw Tower. She will be safe with me until this mess is settled." Hermione nodded and stood up. "I'll let her know." As Hermione walked towards the first years, Rhea dropped her disillusionment charm and walked up to the Staff Table, standing in front of Albus Dumbledore and his gaudy throne. "Headmaster Dumbledore. An issue was brought to your attention concerning the violation of the Hogwart Charter by a staff member. Have you reached a decision on what action you will take." Dumbledore sighed but refused to look her in the eyes, "As much as it pains me to say, Miss Black, there is nothing for me to do."
Rhea raised an eyebrow as the Hall started going quiet. "Children under your care have been tortured by a prohibited item within the Hogwarts Grounds, one of which is neither equipped to understand the severity of the offense committed against them or the protections in place that should punish the Staff Member responsible, and your decision is to do nothing?" Rhea's voice reached the entire Great Hall as everyone stared at the Headmaster and his growing irritation. However, it's not the Headmaster who spoke first. "How dare you make such accusations young lady! I am Senior Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge. You will cease this discussion at once." Rhea's cold cyan eyes focused on the despicable waste of oxygen. "Your fancy title holds no value within these walls, only your position as Professor. I also didn't name you by name so the fact you assume it's about you suggests a guilty conscience or the awareness that you committed a crime against a student in violation of your position as Professor. Now if you excuse me, I am speaking to the Headmaster."
After wandlessly casting a silencing charm on the vile woman, Rhea's eyes focused back on the Headmaster. "I know you were made aware of this issue by another student, whom you requested to keep the matter silent. I am going to assume that their parents are aware as one is a
member of the Faculty and they somehow agreed with your decision. This inaction and failure to fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to you by the Charter has already resulted in another child's suffering. Tell me Headmaster, what exactly would get you to act? You hardly lifted a finger when students harmed fellow students, you allowed the children to remain on castle grounds as a clear and present danger petrified the most vulnerable and now you allow a member of the Staff to torture said children with no remorse. What would it take for you to carry out your duty? For Voldemort to walk through those gates, casting Unforgivables left and right? Or perhaps you need to see Gellert Grindelwald standing before you, a Continent covered in corpses of magical and non- magicals alike? What does it take for Albus Dumbledore to care about the suffering of those he professes to care for?"
The stunned silence lasted for minutes as students and staff alike stared at Dumbledore, his feature cracking under suppressed indignation. "Miss Black, it seems you have an over inflated sense of self righteousness. I care deeply for all students under my care and would like nothing more to see this manner of punishment to end. But for that to happen, careful negotiations must continue between myself and the Minister. Your sense of concern for your fellows is admirable but you clearly lack any understanding of political matters. I suggest you return to your dorm room and await my deliberations on what punishment you deserve for this outburst." Rhea stared at the old man, "So the great Dumbledore punishes a child carrying out the duties entrusted to her by her Head of House while sparing a staff member caught carving sentences into the hands of students with a Blood Quill. It seems to me, Headmaster, that you are suffering the same fate as your lover; abandoning your morality in exchange for results. All For the Greater Good? Britain may have forgotten your lover's words, Dumbledore, but the Continent remembers. They will always remember."
Dumbledore snapped, "That will be all Miss Black. Return to your dorm room and await my summons and 100 points from Ravenclaw for speaking of matters you know nothing about." Everyone focused so much at the outburst that they just witnessed that no one noticed the Hourglass holding Ravenclaw's points failed to register the point loss. Rhea turned about face and walked out of the Great Hall, her head held high. She gave him a chance to prove himself better. She pointed out the path he was slipping into and he still chose to do nothing. It seems there was no other way. As she made her way to Ravenclaw Tower, nobody noticed the last wards shift, the portraits observing the students silently as they left for their nightly activities before curfew, the Ghosts being nowhere in sight. Even Fawkes, Dumbledore's companion, took flight that night, sensing its presence was now unwelcomed by the wards. Rhea waited outside the Ravenclaw Common Room, getting a better feel for the wards, as Hermione and Mara came up. "Did you have to be so direct in front of the entire school?"
Rhea smiled. "Of course. That was the point. In private the Headmaster could say anything he wanted and nothing would be done, while in public he would keep to his inaction. Before the entire school he had to be careful and not lie, but also demonstrated that he doesn't adhere to the Charter either." Hermione sagged. "What you said… about Gellert Grindelwald and the Headmaster… is it true?" Rhea looked at her friend, knowing she just destroyed any respect she had for the Headmaster in her eyes. "Yes, it is. If you ever visit Godric's Hollow, go see Bathilda Bagshot. Gellert is her great nephew and she was there while the two "discussed" their plans. Gellert left after a fight broke out that ended with Ariana Dumbledore's death. Gellert went on carrying out his master plans while Dumbledore sequestered himself in Hogwarts, bemoaning the death of his
sister. You could also ask Aberforth but I would recommend you either buy him a lot of alcohol or give some as a gift to him before asking. It's a sore topic for him." Hermione bit her lip. "I'll remember to do that. How will you keep Mara safe though? Umbridge can just walk into your common room."
Bending down to Mara's height Rhea smiled at the little girl. "Can you keep a secret?" The little girl nodded. Rhea looked up at Hermione. "Can I test your Occlumency?" Getting a nod, Rhea stood up and extended her thoughts until they brushed against Hermione's mind. The surface felt like glass. This made Rhea grin. A false defence, designed to force a hard breath of the barriers, since any chipping away at it will let her know someone is trying to break in. She pulled back. "I need to test your real defences later, but that outer barrier is nice. Good job." Hermione blushed at the praise. "Of course you'd know what I did." Rhea smirked before she guided them down a side passage that was a dead end. She pressed her left hand against the right wall. The wall jumped back and slipped to the right, revealing a reinforced door, which Rhea simply opened. Hermione took a more sedate entrance into the room as Mara rushed in and looked around. "Where are we?" Rhea held a finger to her mouth. "I could tell you but then I'd have to kidnap you again and keep you here till morning."
Hermione glared at Rhea, who just smiled back. "Well, what will it be, Hermione? Secrets shared and a slumber party or questions left unanswered and back to the Gryffindor dorm rooms?" Hermione sighed. "I'll just go to my room. Henry's been a bit cross with me after I told you about what Umbridge did to him. It doesn't help that Lord Potter has been leading the negotiations with Fudge too." Rhea's smirk became devilish. "I forgot you mentioned that earlier. This is going to be so much fun!" Hermione felt a headache forming when Mara grabbed onto Rhea's hand and pointed. "Rhea, who are the people in the painting?" Hermione turned and looked at the painted canvas in question. It was beautiful, showing a large group of people in front of Hogwarts Castle with two women at the center, one with a baby in her arms the other with an older girl. Wait, the guy on the left, a burly man with flaming red hair, a bushy beard and wearing too much red. Was he carrying the sword of Gryffindor on his belt? "Rhea, please tell me that isn't… " Rhea hugged Hermione from behind. "A portrait of the Founders? It is actually, though more like a moving photograph. The enchantments for interactive portraits came much later." Hermione just stared, her mind having a malfunction as she tried to process what the portrait meant of the room while also registering Rhea's body pressed into her back.
Eventually she just closed her eyes and took a deep breath, burying her excitement and curiosity. "Ok, I best leave now before a kidnapping becomes anymore tempting." Rhea pouted as she released her from the hug. "Damn, and here I wanted to play "spin the bottle". I was going to kidnap all our friends for it and everything." Hermione's mind managed to envision that and groaned at the images that followed. "Ok, I'm leaving! Mara, don't listen to anything she says that includes breaking the rules or laws! Goodnight!" Rhea watched the brunette rush out the door before it closed off and sealed itself. Rhea turned to the Gryffindor girl and smiled. "Since Mama Mione set the no fun rules, how about a story then?" Mara beamed at her. Rhea reconfigured the couch in front of the Founder's portrait into a futon couch and summoned a blanket and pillows. After tucking Mara in, Rhea started. "The man who looks like a red bear with a bushy beard is Godric Gryffindor and the one arguing with him is Salazar Slytherin… "
- -
Just before breakfast, before any of the Professors woke up that Sunday morning, the Hogwarts Ghosts woke up the Heads of Houses and guided them to their Common Rooms. Once they were all inside, the wards triggered, sealing the students to the dorms and the remaining Professors in their Chambers. Flitwick looked at Helena Ravenclaw as students started descending the stairs. "Care to tell me what is going on?" Helena nodded, "Once most of the House is gathered here to hear it. The message is for everyone." Eventually Helena addressed the students and Professor once they were all gathered in the Common Room. "Last night, the Headmaster was asked to carry out the duties beholden unto him by the Hogwarts Charter. He refused to do so. This action has resulted in the last descendant of a Hogwarts Founder, who holds the right of ownership to the school, to claim their full inheritance. Hogwarts is now on lockdown until the Headmaster has been found and judged by the now Head of Hogwarts Castle while Umbridge will be transferred to the dungeons to eventually face criminal charges for her crimes. The Hogwarts Elves will be providing Breakfast here if the incidents take too long, though you are all free to request water and drinks while we wait. Please refrain from calling any personal elves or contacting your family via other means as the wards have been set to their highest setting for now and are likely to impede all external contact. You will all have the chance to do so later once the lockdown is lifted."
In the Gryffindor Common Room, Henry Potter ignored the request from Nicholas and tried calling his father via a communication mirror. Before Hermione could stop him the mirror projected a blinding light and then shattered into dust. Henry stared at the destroyed mirror as Hermione and the others looked on. Nicholas was ticked at the boy. "Mr. Potter, the warning was issued because of the backlash the fully charged wards had on said devices. The Head of Hogwarts Castle will be letting you all contact your families soon enough, but until then you are asked to wait patiently." Henry yelled at the Ghost. "Are you daft? Voldemort is the Heir of Slytherin! He's the last of the Founders descendants. You want us to sit by while he takes over the Castle?" The Ghost slammed his sword unto the ground, surprising everyone by how solid the hit sounded. "Don't be ridiculous, boy, the Castle would never recognize him as Head of Hogwarts. The Heirs of Gryffindor and Slytherin surrendered their claims to the Ministry centuries ago to pay off their debts! Unfortunately for the Ministry, only a blood heir of a surviving line could claim to own the castle as written in their Treaties, so their shares of the Castle simply folded into that of the remaining family, as Helga Hufflepuff's line ended with her own death."
Hermione's mind processed that. "Which makes the current Head of Hogwarts the Heir of… Ravenclaw." The last she barely uttered above a whisper as she remembered the room Rhea showed her last night, decorated in blue and bronze, with the Founder's Portrait centered on two women who looked like sisters, one with a baby and the other with an older child. If the two in the center were Ravenclaws, who looked a lot like Rhea, then that meant… Hermione was going to speak when an unusually solid ethereal hand touched her shoulder, causing her to pause. "Indeed Miss Granger. The Head of Hogwarts holds the privilege and responsibilities of the House of Ravenclaw. They act now because to not act would shame not only House Ravenclaw… " Nicholas looked up and straight into the eyes of Professor McGonagall who lowered her gaze in
shame "... but all the Founders. This castle is the legacy of more than just four of the Greatest Witches and Wizards of the age, it is the legacy of four families who came together in a time of great need and gave their all for a sanctuary for all magical children, aided by many others who flocked to their banners. To standby and do nothing while even one child suffers within these halls is considered by those who linger here beyond the grave the greatest of insults to those who lost family, friends and their own life in the defense of these sacred stones and hallowed halls. I ask you all to wait now, as the matter is resolved by the Head of Hogwarts Castle."
- -
Dumbledore walked along the Halls of Hogwarts on his way to the Great Hall, his mind still not at ease. Last night was a disaster. The Black's brat had all but destroyed weeks of negotiations with Fudge when that devil of a woman had related the events to the Minister. While the Minister won't dare to censure House Black for the words of their Heiress, Dumbledore could certainly punish her within Hogwarts. Stripping her of her position as Prefect and confining her to her dorms when not in class should teach that girl not to speak of things she can't possibly understand. Now he had to wait for the students to make their way to Breakfast before speaking to them and undoing the damage that spoiled child has done to his reputation. He would also have to wait for Fawkes to return from whatever little flight he took last night. Perhaps he could ask the elves for a bit of wine with his breakfast today. That would certainly improve his mood.
So consumed with his thoughts was Dumbledore that he failed to notice a change in the magic around him until a disillusioned first made contact with his cheek, the charged stunner held within it knocking Dumbledore out completely. Rhea appeared out of thin air next to the stunned man and stared at him, her wand itching to pop out of its holster and be rid of him forever. She buried the feeling and focused instead on more important things. Like Antioch's Wand. She snapped Dumbledore's wrist holster and disabled all the protections on it. The Elder Wand slipped into her hand, its magic melding with hers, singing in joy. 15 inches of Elder Wood and a Thestral Tail Hair as its core. The wand was more than that though, she could feel it with both her affinities. Blood drenched the wood, from every possible Magical Creature found in Peverell Castle. Creatures of Death, their lives ended in violence all to fuel the wand with their magic. Rhea was getting a bad feeling as to what the Peverell Brothers did to make their Relics. Nothing good could come of it. Nothing did.
Binding Dumbledore with magic suppressing cuffs and paralyzing his legs (what nasty things a healer can learn to do if they get so inclined), Rhea revived the old man. His eyes went to hers before focusing on the wand she was holding. Noticing his state, Dumbledore did the only thing he could do; he dove right into her mind. The moment he entered Rhea's mindscape he wished he hadn't. He was surrounded in utter darkness, with no direction visible and no idea of where to go. The next thing he knew was that he was drowning in this pitch black world, feeling a coldness dig into his very core as his lungs gasped for air. He was going to die. He snapped right out of that darkness, coughing as if he had actually been drowning. The cold feeling still lingered in his bones, his body feeling decades older. Rhea chuckled at the man's attempt. "I expected you to last a bit longer, but I am not surprised. You'd have to be suicidal to stay in there, right?" Dumbledore glared
at her. "Do you have any idea what you have done?" Rhea lifted the Elder Wand, spinning it in her fingers. "You mean besides retrieving my family's heirloom from a long line of thieves?"
Dumbledore yelled. "That wand is too dangerous for anyone to possess, especially in the hand of a little girl!" Rhea's eye twitched at the insult but she just looked at the wand, humming. "You are right about it being dangerous to just leave it in circulation." Dumbledore fell silent as he watched Rhea snap the wand in half. She threw the pieces on the floor before pulling out hers. " Ignis Obscura ." A black cursed flame leaped onto the pieces of the Elder Wand, devouring it hungrily until not even ashes remained. Rhea breathed a sigh of relief. "So ends the long and bloody history of Antioch's Wand." Dumbledore felt his eyes water. "But, that was your Ancestors. How…?" Rhea stared at the man with pity. "It was quite easy really. I don't care about an unbeatable wand. I don't care about being the strongest. I care about my family. I CARE about preserving my family's legacy. Antioch died for that wand and our family's name was inexorably tied to mass murder, betrayal, and atrocities. With this, the wand will now fade away into legend, where it belongs. Now I have another matter of preserving my family's legacy with you, Dumbledore."
Rhea swung her wand, pulling Dumbledore to his feet, his face still looking defeated, his left cheek swollen and bruised. "Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts Castle. You are hereby found guilty of endangering the lives of students in 1992 by refusing to evacuate the school, as well as currently endangering the safety and wellbeing of students by allowing a Professor to torture and harm not one but two students, conspiring to conceal evidence of said crimes, and worst of all derilection of duty! You, the one who held the highest position in this school failed to carry out the responsibilities the Hogwarts Charter afforded to you. I, Rheannon of Ravenclaw, Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Ravenclaw, banish you from Hogwarts Castle forever. Your failures strip you of the right to a portrait in the Headmaster's Office and any funds you would have earned upon retirement. Your property within the wards will be evaluated for any illegal or stolen items. Gringotts and the DMLE will notify you of any changes."
Dumbledore started to panic when he heard her last name. He tried to call the wards to him but the deception spell collapsed. He had no connection to the castle. "Miss Black, you don't know what you are doing! I am the only reason keeping Voldemort from attacking the castle!" Rhea blinked at him with a bored expression. "I am certain the fully restored wards and defences will be more than enough to keep him occupied and the DMLE is better staffed than before. Regardless, your time here is over, Albus. Do say hi to Aberforth for me. Bye!" She wiggled her fingers at him as the wards apparated him into the Hog's Head Inn's goat pen, his face straight into the dirt, hay and feces. The door to the back of the Inn opened and Aberforth Dumbledore stepped out. "My oh my Albus, if you wanted to see Matey so much, all you had to do was ask! You didn't need to piss off the little miss just come see us. She did leave a tab open for you, though it's only enough for a glass of goat milk. Interested?" Aberforth then proceeded to laugh as Dumbledore struggled to get his face off the dirt. A flash of a wizard's camera and Aberforth was as happy as he could remember being in years.
Back at the Castle, Dolores Umbriege felt something change before she opened her eyes. The room she had painstakingly painted pink was back to those dreadful grey walls. It must have been
those dreadful house elves. How the Ministry allowed those filthy creatures so much freedom was beyond her. They should be wiped out and replaced by those filthy mudbloods. With enough curses, they would know why they are the scum of the Magical World and behave accordingly. They come into the Ministry, thinking they own the place, spreading their filthy blood everywhere. They even dare to question the Minister! Even the Halfbloods are getting worse! That Potter brat had dared to contradict the Minister's word and even question her authority in the classroom. The Potters may have been fine stock before, but that filthy Mudblood has ruined them for good. Then there is that Black Heiress, another filthy Halfblood, thinking she had any right to question her punishments of the brats who don't know their rightful place in the world. She even had the nerve to question her before the whole school!
Last night she had gone to Ravenclaw Tower, searching for that arrogant child, but she hadn't been in her room. That mudblood little shit was missing from Gryffindor Tower too. How dare that girl disobey her! She would find her in class, drag her to her office and have her write lines all the way to curfew. Maybe a bit of the Cruciatus would make sure the mudblood would keep her filthy mouth closed from now on. She would have to tolerate her stench for a few more days, but by the end the girl would know just who her betters really are. Deciding to wake up, she swung her legs over the edge and frowned. Where was her carpet? "Oh good, you're awake. I personally have no problem letting students or staff decorate a little of their living quarters, magic makes cleaning up messes and changes easy enough, but I am half a mind to make your punishment worse for that awful shade of pink you had here and in your former office. I felt dirty just vanishing it away. Even your carpet was the same disgusting color." Dolores turned and found the Black Heiress sitting down, drinking some tea from one of her tea cups in a chair, whilst looking at her with a smirk.
"How dare you break into my chambers. I will see you in detention for this!" Rhea lifted an eyebrow at her before her gloved hand lifted a familiar looking Quill. "So you could try using this on me? I am quite familiar with Blood Quills, as the Goblin's are good friends of mine. I have been trying to get them to change up to fountain pens but blood and most metals have a bit of an issue with mixing them and magic together. Notary fountain pens are almost as good but Goblins do like their Blood Magic tools. Speaking of Goblins and their tools, they are mighty miffed at you right now. No one under the age of maturity is supposed to be forced to use these, and never with the intent to hurt them. That's two Goblin Laws you violated. I should add those to the report." Umbridge felt her pulse beating on her skull. "There won't be any reports. I am Senior Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge. You, filthy little Halfblood, will be expelled for this." Rhea stared at her blankly. "I have to ask, are you one of Voldemort's people? I know your Minister is burying his head in the sand like a moron, but you have to be Death Eater or at least a wanna be with all the racist comments dropping from your mouth."
Dolores screamed and pulled out her wand from her bed table. "How dare you insult me and the Minister! I will have your wand snapped for that, you arrogant little shit. Crucio! " The beam of red light crossed the space between them but Rhea vanished from the seat before it hit, dropping Umbridge's teacup and saucer. The broken china angered Umbridge as she looked around the room. "Show yourself you filt, I will tan your hide for this." A chuckle reverberated through the walls. "I was partly tempted to let you hit me with that curse, but my parents would have been awfully cross with me if I did, and my grandmother would have seen to your demise in a far more painful manner. My friends would have been angry at me for that matter as well. I had thought of giving you more of a fighting chance than what I did with Dumbledore since he was a real threat
and had to be removed quickly from the Castle, but it's clear to me you are just not worth my time. I am also glad to see you aren't one of Voldemort's asskissers. At least not currently. The man is distantly related to me and I would have been very disappointed if he invited you to his club. Your sense of style is horrid, and I won't even get started on what a horrible person you are. No, a quick solution for you is best." The sound of two fingers snapping preceded Dolores Umbridge being apparated to a cell in the Dungeons. A quick summoning spell disarmed her of her wand through the bars of the cell door.
Rhea watched the pink toad grabbed onto the bars. "How dare you!" Rhea smiled. "Oh, this isn't me being daring. This is me exercising my authority. As Lady Ravenclaw, I own Hogwarts Castle. I am responsible for the students and staff of the school and for ensuring the Charter is adhered to by all. You, Dolores Umbridge, violated the Charter by using an illegal item as a form of violent punishment against a minor. You did this to two minors with the intent to continue violating the Charter and causing them further harm. You casted an Unforgivable Curse at the Head of the Castle and a member of Three Noble and Ancient Families. You, Undersecretary, are now a guest of the Castle, as prisoner, and will remain here until the DMLE has an airtight case against you. You better hope Fudge doesn't interfere though. If he does, I am well within my rights to execute you myself. So please pray that you are found guilty Undersecretary, because Azkaban will be a far kinder fate than what I have planned for you here. Please enjoy your stay in the dungeons and don't worry, your meals will be provided." A bowl of oatmeal and water popped onto the cell's table. "Though it certainly won't be fine dining. You are a criminal after all. Enjoy your stay." Rhea turned her back and had no idea what the terrible woman was saying as the silencing wards activated. Of course, she had lied a little bit. If Umbridge reached Azkaban, it wouldn't be a pleasant experience either. The Dementors were hers after all and they loved to feed on the wretched souls of wixen. Rhea smiled. She'd make sure Umbridge paid for her crimes regardless of her accommodations. Either way, the woman would never see the light of day ever again. No one harmed children in her presence whilst she lived. No one.
- -
The students gathered at the Great Hall as soon as the wards lifted and the Ghosts left to parts unknown. Hermione looked towards the Staff Table and noticed that the throne like chair that Dumbledore sat at was gone, replaced by a plain wooden one just like the rest, though 5 of the chairs were sporting a coat of arms from the individual houses with the center one being that of Hogwarts, all painted in vivid color. She could guess who the chairs belonged to. As soon as the students sat down, the staff all stood between the Staff Table and the House tables, almost as if some were expecting a fight. A giggle echoed in the hall. "Now that is how the Hogwarts Faculty should be!" Rhea appeared sitting atop Dubledore's chair close to the speaker's stand, Nyx perched at the top of the high back, her eyes scanning the Hall. Rhea stood up and Nyx took flight, landing on her shoulder. Hermione recognized that she was wearing her dark formal clothes from the Wizengamot session she attended before visiting her. Rhea's voice echoed across the Hall. "To Hogwarts Faculty, Staff and Students. As of this morning Albus Dumbledore has been banished from the Castle and removed from his position as Headmaster. For those who liked the man let me be very clear."
Rhea's eyes scanned the Great Hall, seemingly looking at everyones eyes. "He will never hold a position within this castle beyond that of a prisoner. I will be a pile of ash before he can ever be allowed to return." Rhea's voice turned deep and chilling, sending goosebumps down Hermione's spine. By the looks of those around her, she wasn't the only one. Rhea's voice softened after that. "Now, I will introduce myself properly. I am Lady Rheannon of Ravenclaw, Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Ravenclaw. I also go by Rhea Peverell though I prefer to be addressed as Rhea Black. As Lady Ravenclaw I have claimed ownership of this Castle as the only family still with the right to do so. Now, for everyone here, no great changes to the school will take place during this school year. All your classes will continue as scheduled tomorrow, minus DADA. I will be organizing meetings for the students and their families within the week so they can decide if they wish to remain at the castle for the school year or not." The students around Hermione started murmuring to each other, as did the other tables.
Rhea nodded and tapped the stand in front of her, waiting for quiet. "Now, there are going to be some changes." Rhea's eyes fell on Minerva McGonagall. "Deputy Headmistress, Sir Nicholas informed you of my issues with your actions of late. I can understand loyalty to a mentor and a friend, but your blind faith has allowed Gryffindor House to suffer greatly in the last few years. Do I need to elaborate?" The Scotswoman shook her head. "Yesterday, you weren't just at my office to inform me of my students' situation, were you?" Rhea stared at her, "I was, though I did arrive with an idea of what your response would be. Care to guess at my evaluation?" McGonagall bowed her head in shame. "Deputy Headmistress, I am sorely tempted to fire you as well, but I will be honest. The school needs you, the students need you. I believe you can make up for your mistakes beginning with a simple change. While others may manage, I believe you hold too many positions in this school. You have a choice between remaining Head of House or Deputy Headmistress. Your choice."
McGonagall looked up at the Head of Hogwarts Castle. "I … would like to remain as Deputy Headmistress." Rhea sighed dramatically. "Thank the Goddess, I was already having nightmares about paperwork." The staff snickered and the younger students giggled. Rhea smiled, though Hermione could tell it was partly strained. "I don't suppose I have to ask who will be Head of Gryffindor House in your place?" The entire staff turned and looked at Lily Potter whose jaw came unhinged. Rhea tapped the stand with her fingers. "Believe me Professor Potter, you are not my personal choice, but you are the most likely to manage to keep the students in line. No offense to Hagrid, but I don't know him well and from what I hear he would prefer herding Thestrals, not kids." The older students laughed at that and Hagrid sighed in relief. Lily Potter looked floored but Minerva came to her side and spoke with her.
Rhea turned to the students, "While the Deputy makes sure the Lions have adult supervision, I would like to address the matter of the Pink Toad in the Castle. Dolores Umbridge will be a long term resident of the Dungeons until matters with the Ministry are resolved. Mr. Filch, you need not worry about watching her as you and Mrs. Norris will be free to do your jobs. Potions Master and Slytherins, my most sincere apologies on your new neighbor but I am told the Silence Wards are active and the Ghosts and Elves will handle watch and feeding duties respectively. To the rest of the school, a duly qualified Defense teacher will be here within a week. Putting together a syllabus for 7 years worth of students that is OWL and NEWT compliant is not an easy task, as is preparing
the reviews of OWL and NEWT students taking their exams after years of inconsistent teachers. For now, DADA is a study and exercise period. I suggest you all make use of it." The students started talking in much more excited voices.
Wanting to get this morning over with Rhea calls for quiet. "One last thing. In order to avoid conflicts of interest and as I will be holding the reins of the school until an adequate Headmaster or Headmistress is found or trained, I hereby remove myself as a student of Hogwarts. The completion of my schooling will be done privately, though I will still reside within Hogwarts and be available to my friends and the students who need me. However, I will not be exercising my ability to offer punishments or detentions to students, as I would likely be too biased. I will however be going over what is or isn't admissible as detention. There won't be any excursions with the gamekeeper into the Forest at night from now on. We will also cover student behaviour that isn't acceptable." Rhea's eyes bored into Minerva's head as Hermione blushed, seeing as she was the one who told Rhea about that. Rhea had been unhappy that same moment too. Standing back from the stand Rhea pulled out her wand and silently blasted the throne before vanishing the pieces. "Now that the eyesore is gone and we have covered all the changes taking place immediately, we can have Breakfast."
The tables filled with food, though it looked a bit different than usual. Rhea grinned, "After hearing our visitors complain about the food for a whole year, the Elves have decided to experiment with a more varied menu and tastes. They hope you enjoy it and if you'd like to see some changes, please write your requests down. An appropriate place to submit them will be provided shortly after I have further discussions with our cooks. Our Elves will be delighted to try their hand at something new as soon as they can." Rhea stood back and watched as the students began to try out various foods before serving themselves a full meal of their favorites. The Slytherins looked quite delighted with their options, since it matched what they probably ate at home. The rest of the students started to dig in, entering into conversation until the Great Hall became a buzz with life once more.
Rhea smiled softly as her plan seemed to have worked. The Gryffindors looked at her with suspicion but except for the first years, second years, Hermione and the Weasley Twins, she was never really liked by them. The other Houses, though, knew her and liked her, or at very least respected her. This change would take them some getting used to but what mattered to Rhea was getting Hogwarts to remain a safe place for them all. Rhea, of course, knew the truth: Safety was an illusion that eventually breaks. Once it does, there is no going back. So she would do everything in her power to keep the illusion alive for the students. They deserved to feel safe here. Rhea felt Flitwick approach her and tap her elbow. "Lady Ravenclaw, would you join us for Breakfast?" Rhea sighed. That was the closest she would get to a staff endorsement for now. It was enough. "I would love to Professor Flitwick and please, call me Ms. Black or Rhea when not talking business. I don't want Helena looking over her shoulder for her mother because of me." The chuckle from her former Head of House was great to hear. Maybe, just maybe. Things would go back to normal. Now if only her skin could stop itching and her magic could settle down for more than 5 minutes, everything would be perfect.
Chapter End Notes
What did you all think? Little Mara Jadeson is a reference to Mara Jade Skywalker, one of my favorite characters in Star Wars.
Next Chapter?: The news spreads out and we see a bit of the fallout
Starting work on Blood and Magic Chapter 43 of 44. Starting to feel it now. As mentioned in a comment, the release schedule will stay the same as I get time to review my chapters, read your comments and make adjustments. While I will finish Blood and Magic, I will start my next fanfiction and get it polished before I start posting it.
Leave a comment, discuss and I will see you all in two days.
The Changing Tides
Chapter Notes
Here is the next Chapter. Hope you enjoy it.
Also, I am writing this on Google Docs on a tablet and got an error. Apparently, 500 pages worth of text is too much for the app to handle on a single document and it just refused to add any more text. Go figure. Didn't lose anything and now all my works will be divided safely.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Sabrina had to whack Sirius on the back of the head in the Wizengamot Chambers. Their daughter had sent them a letter warning them of her plans the night before, followed by a mirror call in the morning, confirming her success. Sirius had been having spontaneous laughing fits ever since. It's not like Sabrina couldn't understand though. She had a smile plastered onto her face too. Their most precious daughter, filled with righteous indignation and using her authority as the Lady Ravenclaw, had thrown Dumbledore out of Hogwarts Castle. She had also destroyed the Elder Wand, which brought a smile to Seraphina through a mirror call soon after. Her Matriarch's words made it all clear in her mind. "The Prasinos have been waiting a long time for this. I will let the family know. 50 years. 50 long years but our family's justice will be carried out at last." Sabrina wouldn't want to be Dumbledore right now. He had a lot to answer for and the family had been delayed enough. Without the Elder Wand he was just another wannabe Light Lord. He wouldn't be the first and likely wouldn't be the last to get a taste of the Prasinos Fury.
Sirius finally seemed to get control of himself as Fudge started the session, since he was the one to call it. Chief Witch Abbott would take her place as soon as the session officially started. This year was certainly one for extraordinary sessions of the Wizengamot. "I call this session to order. Chief Scribe, is there any business to clear before we can get to the most serious matter?" Percy Weasley looked down and seemed to swallow a lump in his throat. "Yes sir, a Proxy wishes to claim the seat and votes awarded to them by the Head of House." Sirius smirked as he saw Fudge tremble a little. He was probably getting flashbacks of the last seat being claimed. Cornelius had no idea this one was far worse. "Very well. Aurors, let the Proxy enter so we can all finally get started on the issues at Hogwarts." The Aurors opened the door and the entire Chamber went quiet. Walking down the steps and heading to the Chief Scribe's desk was a Goblin. Sirius had to bite his tongue while his wife was grinning like a loon. The Minister looked put out and decided to get involved. "What business brings you here Goblin? Gringotts hasn't been requested to make any reports as of this moment." Amelia nearby looked like she wanted to die of embarrassment.
The aged Goblin stared at the Minister. "I am not here currently on Gringotts Business, Minister Fudge. I am here to claim a seat as Proxy." The entire Wizengamot exploded into whispers and yells as Fudge smashed the gavel on to the desk repeatedly. "No Goblin has been able to claim a seat in the Wizengamot, Proxy or not. The law is clear." The Goblin gave the Minister a sharp grin. "Indeed it is clear, Minister. The motion passed by this chamber a year ago lifted any
bans on magical creatures being allowed to claim a family Seat on the Wizengamot as Proxy or otherwise. The intention of it was of course to allow Heirs and Regents to claim Seats despite cases of Lycanthropy, Vampirism or other magical ailments that altered their status, but the wording was quite clear. Any magical creature can claim a Seat if authorized by the Head of the Family and they carry the appropriate ring." Goblin lifted his small hand, showing that he indeed carried the necessary Proxy ring. Scribe Weasley looked with concern at the obviously flustered Minister and then at the Chief Witch. "The law is clear, he is entitled to claim the Seat and Vote." Lady Abbott's words silenced the Chamber.
Scribe Weasley lowered the Registry book so the Goblin could place his hand on it and make the Claim. "I, Ragnok Manticore Slayer, hereby claim the Seat and Vote of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Ravenclaw as Proxy for the Lady Rheannon of Ravenclaw, its Head by Blood and Magic." The Wizards watched in silence as the Book recognized the Claim of one of the Seats of the Founders. The only Seat that had stubbornly refused to vanish. A few even had horrified expressions as the name of the Goblin registered in their minds, looking at Fudge as if he were a dead man walking. Scribe Weasley cleared his throat. "Has Lady Ravenclaw made a determination to which Faction she will take?" The Goblin smiled, "The young Lady Ravenclaw would like to announce that the House of Ravenclaw, as well as Hogwarts Castle, stands as it always has and always shall be. Neutral." The Neutrals rose in their seats and waited silently as the Globin walked up, seating himself next to the Lord and Lady Black. "May your enemies tremble at the sight of your blood soaked sword, Chieftain Ragnok. Welcome to the Wizengamot and the Neutral Faction. Our apologies on the reception, our Minister's mind isn't what it used to be."
Sirius' words carried across the Chamber and Fudge looked like he might just suffer a stroke. He had just disrespected the Head of Gringotts, so his future health was definitely in question. The Goblin bowed his head at the Lord Black. "May you grow in gold and allies, Lord Black. Lady Ravenclaw sent me a letter to deliver to you in person but advised it be best to wait till the end of the Session." Sirius looked intrigued while Sabrina paled. She knew her daughter and that didn't bode well. The Minister gathered his wits. "This session has been called to address the recent incidents occurring in Hogwarts Castle, including the sacking of the Headmaster and the unlawful detention of my Undersecretary by the perpetrators. I transfer control of the meeting to Chief Witch Abbott as I take my place in the deliberations." The Minister stepped down and joined his lawyers at the desk established for the session. Ragnok lifted his hand and lit the ring. "I, Ragnok, Proxy of House Ravenclaw wish to address the Wizengamot on the matter before the Minister begins. As Hogwarts is currently exclusive property of House Ravenclaw, the situation is a private concern of ours."
The Minister and his lawyers looked ill. It seemed they hadn't expected to have a challenge so early. Ragnok smirked. The Lady Ravenclaw had the foolish wand wavers pegged. Time to gut their arguments. The Chief Witch allowed him to speak. "I have documentation with me from Gringotts and Hogwarts, including Healer diagnostics, memory vials and transcripts of conversations of note that clearly paint the picture. These I turn over to Director Bones so that she may make any criminal charges based on the information provided." The Aurors take the thick folder and deliver it to Amelia who begins to read. Her face goes from impartial to furious quickly. "While Madam Bones looks over the evidence, I will provide a summary for the assembly. Professor Dolores Umbridge is charged with several cases of use of a Blood Quill, an artefact banned as a punishment at Hogwarts and by the Ministry, against two students. One student is Heir
Potter, who I believe did inform his parents and the Headmaster and was told to "bare with it."" James Potter seemed to shrink into his seat under the glares of the Wizengamot, many from his own faction. Allowing a child, especially an Heir, to be tortured was inconceivable.
Ragnok continued, "The other is a young First Generation Witch of Gryffindor House. The girl was found by Prefects of the School and the matter was brought to the attention of the Deputy Headmistress, who eventually agreed to attempt to convince the Headmaster to take action against the Professor concerning the laws being broken by the Ministry's choice of Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher." Ragnok watched as the wand wavers looked at the Minister now as he winced at the choice of words. They were accurate enough that he wouldn't be able to dismiss them. "Seeing no change or charges made against the professor in question, the young Lady Ravenclaw, having taken her family's Head of House ring prior to entering Hogwarts and charged with answering the responsibilities of her Family, proceeded to claim her full inheritance. That includes sole ownership of Hogwarts Castle, control over its wards, and a position of authority above the Headmaster and the Board of Governors. She dismissed Headmaster Albus Dumbledore for failing to act upon clear evidence of a crime committed by a staff member against two minors. She has detained Dolores Umbridge in the Hogwarts Dungeons until an Auror force comes to take her with the Head of the DMLE guaranteeing that a criminal investigation would take place unimpeded by political forces."
The entire Chamber turned to look at both Director Bones and Minister Fudge. Amelia sighed, "The evidence presented by the Ravenclaw Proxy does indicate a likely criminal offence committed against minors. I will be writing up the warrants and requests for subsequent memories and signed testimonies as well as notifying the non-magical parents involved." Fudge looked like he was going to object, before Ragnok cut him off, "The Lady Ravenclaw has already notified the parents of the child in question. She is setting up a meeting so that they can verify the child's safety and hear about the measures being taken to prevent the issue from ever repeating itself. The same is being organized for every parent or guardian of a child currently studying at Hogwarts, though Magicals will be allowed to visit the School for said meetings. The Lady Ravenclaw asks that anyone planning to make a meeting send owls addressed to the Headmistress' Office with your available times." The Chamber began to deliberate amongst itself as Ragnok sat down. Fudge tried to spin the issue as a misunderstanding that required the Ministry to handle it personally but the Chief Witch pointed out that the Aurors being sent by Director Bones would be able to clear up any matters.
The Minister then tried to dispute Rhea's claim to owning the Castle, citing the sales of the shares made by the Gryffindor and Slytherin Heirs, but the Hogwarts Charter and Treaty with the Ministry made it clear that no shares could be honored once sold and that the lines selling their share lost any claim to the castle. With the extinction of the Hufflepuff line and the abandoned shares, Rhea was the sole indisputable owner, despite her age. Fudge made one last ditch effort to get his way. "Hogwarts is considered a business and all businesses within Magical Britain require the owner to be of age and to have completed their OWLs. The Lady Ravenclaw is neither of age nor in possession of OWLs." Sirius smiled when Madam Marchbanks stood up, "It may surprise you, Minister, but the Lady Rheannon Ravenclaw has already completed several of her OWLs, including all of the wand requirements to scores of O. She had chosen to remain at Hogwarts in order to complete the other courses she was enrolled into up to her NEWTs." Ragnok stood up, "My Lady Ravenclaw has also officially removed herself as a student from Hogwarts so as to
remove any elements of impropriety, though she will continue to advance her education via private tutoring courtesy of the Hogwarts Faculty, who will be paid accordingly. It may also surprise you, Minister, but a Head of House can own a business, even as a minor. If not, many family owned businesses would have closed in the last armed conflict with the death of the parents. That clearly did not happen." The session ended with Bones promising to investigate the allegations against the Undersecretary, with strong support from the Wizengamot, while Fudge looked at his staff, unsure what to do.
The Chieftain of the Goblin Nation stood up from his seat and turned to the Lord Black. "A most illuminating experience, Lord Black. Please give your daughter my thanks. I will remain as her Proxy until she comes of age and requests to personally fill it so I look forward to a profitable relationship with the Neutral faction." Sirius and Sabrina bowed to Ragnok, mirrored by the other present members of the faction. Ragnok smiled and dipped his head. "Ah, I almost forgot. Your missive, Lord Black. Lady Ravenclaw also offers her apologies to Lord Black's allies and her mother. May our Vaults fill with Gold as we honor our families." Sirius took the letter as Sabrina tried to pry the letter away from him, with Sirius offering the traditional farewell. "May Gringotts prosper in gold and honor." The moment Sirius looked at the included photo the entire Neutral faction had to cover their ears. His laughter at the sight of Dumbledore on the ground at the Hog's Head via Wizarding Photo shook the Chamber and was the cherry on top for him today. His daughter was a Marauder through and through.
- -
Voldemort couldn't remember when he smiled last. He may have smiled at the graveyard as he toyed with Henry Potter. Or was it that fateful night as he tried to end the lives of the Potter Twins? He was certainly smiling now as he read Yaxley's report of the incidents at Hogwarts. Reading about Dumbledore's expulsion from Hogwarts was a surprise he never knew he wanted, despite having his more politically capable followers doing everything they could to bride the Minister onto their side. Ever since he had met Dumbledore at Wool's Orphanage he had hated him. To chastise him for doing what was necessary to survive, to have some bloody peace of mind surrounded by bullies and children in equally horrid conditions was something Voldemort would never forgive him for. Dumbledore's constant watch and expectations of him grated his every nerve while at school. Even finding his forefather's legacy was tarnished by Dumbledore's observations. The tragic death of Myrtle Warren had never been Voldemort's plan but he had no way of knowing the girl would be there.
Voldemort's mind switched tracks as he thought about his first attempt at immortality. He had barely found Salazar's copy of Herpo the Foul's notes and began to read the book when the incident happened. He had called the Basilisk up into the corridors, hoping it would show him more of the hidden corridors and entrances that Salazar had built for his final line of defense, only for the girl to pop out of one of the stalls. Medusa had looked at her right in the eyes and the girl's life came to a swift end. Wishing not to waste the poor girl's death, he followed the ritual in the Notes left by
Salazar Slytherin and created his first Horcrux with his diary as a container. It had bothered him how imperfect it felt, but there was no denying the piece of him in the book was a part of him. The magic and the memories matched his own. He memorized what he could of Slytherin's notes, took a few innocuous books and sealed Herpo's book in the Chamber with Salazar's Library. His precautions proved worthwhile as Dumbledore never ceased to keep an eye on him or the bloody bathroom. He never saw his ancestor's chambers again.
His thoughts returned to the article and the person responsible for Dumbledore's woes. He couldn't help but look at the young girl and see himself again. Two Heirs of the Founders, forced to deal with Dumbledore's political machinations and prejudice for all things Dark. Tom had been forced to hide and bide his time, being powerless as a Halfblood with no Magical family to call his own, but Rhea Black had refused to be cowered or bent. A fond smile lit his face. She would have made a perfect ally one day. Sadly the child had just offered him an opening he couldn't ignore. Hogwarts was Magical Britain's greatest strength and weakness. The concentration of the most talented witches and wizards in their fields and the location where almost every Heir and Heiress to the Wizengamot recided for 7 years of their lives. As much as he appreciated what had happened in the Wizengamot and Dumbledore's humiliation, his plans came first. They always would. "Yaxley, as soon as the preparations for Azkaban are complete, begin preparing for an assault on Hogwarts. With Dumbledore gone and the wards in the grasp of a 15 year old teen, we won't have a better chance at taking it."
He petted Nagini on his lap, the feel of his soul piece inside of her easing a pain in his spirit. Soon, his allies would be back at his side. He would have liked to carry out the break out on Halloween, but creating a gap in the wards of Azkaban for an apparition and portkey point was proving to be a greater frustration, as the ferries were now manned by the DMLE and their oathbound Aurors and Guards. So he would bide his time to recover much of his Inner Circle. Together they would lay waste to Dumbledore's forces. He could then focus on the Ministry and this mysterious enemy that seems to delight in thwarting him. He had sent scouts to the homes of every mudblood they knew of, only for them to all be warded heavily. The curse breakers under his employ weren't able to place the magic of the wards, though it reminded them of Gringotts work, except that many of the wards were laid by different hands. Gringotts usually had one or two wardmasters, though there were none currently in Britain. They did have a curse breaker skilled enough to lay the wards, but not more than one. Someone was very well connected if they could arrange for multiple people to install wards. He would keep and eye on the movements of the more powerful Continental families. Someone was behind this and he would make sure they were defeated. He refused to give in.
- -
"You know, I have no idea how you managed to essentially run the School, keep Gryffindor Tower from burning to the ground and still managed to teach Transfiguration." McGonagall sighed. "Honestly? I think it came down to doing all my jobs poorly. I clearly didn't do my Head of
House duties properly, almost all of my administrative work was bare minimum and now I need to review my transfiguration syllabus for every year." Rhea looked up from her paperwork. "What's wrong with your syllabus?" Minerva gave her a glare, "Nothing, until I heard you successfully taught first and second year students Conjuration in a single day. Now I need to review all of my work and see what other tricks of Transfiguration and Conjuration could be learned at different age levels with the right instruction, especially if they aid in their understanding of the matter." Rhea looked sheepish, "Sorry?" Minerva's glare softened. "While I hate the work your extra curricular lessons have given me, Lady Ravenclaw, I can't deny the results. All of my first and second years are doing spectacular work. Fillius says the same from his students in Charms." Rhea blushed at the compliment.
Almost a full week since kicking Dumbledore to the curve and Rhea was already suffering from carpal tunnel in her wrists. Both of them. McGonagall had apparently been handling a lot of the Headmaster's duties, beyond just her own, for quite a while. Rhea refused to let herself fall into the same bad habit and took up the paperwork as Headmistress. Her insistence on seeing the visitors of the families with children at school was already biting her in the ass. Not that she would ever regret it. That first meeting with Mara's parents had been worth it a thousand times over. They had been disgusted at what happened to her daughter and had been pleased with Rhea's actions in caring for their daughter. They agreed to let her remain at school, though Rhea now had a new project. How to organize a first gen child's communications and visits home without running afoul of the restrictions on non-magical families with wixen children. She was glad her family was behind her fully and were looking over the laws to see what could be changed safely. That still left her with a lot of paperwork.
"Have the Gryffindors settled down?" McGonagall nodded. "Lily says that since the school hasn't burned to the ground yet, most of the upper year Gryffindors have loosen up. The first two years adore you, it's just…" Rhea sighed. "The fourth and fifth years have a Henry Potter complex and since he and his dad keep singing praises of Dumbledore's past achievements, they can't seem to let go of the issue." McGonagall took a drink from her tea. "Quite. Miss Granger has done what she could, but since you removed Dumbledore from Hogwarts, any good will Henry had towards you evaporated. He…" McGonagall stopped herself as Rhea looked into her face. She was ashamed of what she almost said. "Let me guess. He said he was happy I was abandoned and I should have stayed missing?" McGonagall couldn't bear to look her in the eye. Rhea's blood ran cold but she kept her emotions in check. She had enchanted her fountain pens to be unbreakable so it somehow survived. She'd cracked a few already since she took the job, her magic being harder to control now. She had a lot of work left to do to recover her control.
She sighed. "Do see if Professor Potter can remind him of the value of civility. My family's responsibilities prevent me from harming a student, but challenging him for insulting my family's love for me and wishing me harm are still well within my rights." McGonagall's lips thinned but she nodded. "I will try. He is set on taking his Occlumency lessons again so best to remind him before you two share a room again." Rhea had forgotten about that. Joy. "Too bad Severus can't jam anymore NEWT level potions for me to brew to finish my Potions Certification by December." McGonagall smiled. "Potions is quite the time consuming course. It's a miracle you have advanced in it as much as you did." Rhea nodded and the two slipped back into quiet work. A few hours later and Rhea stretched. "Done." McGonagall nodded. "Same here. That is everything for this week. I am told you have a private dinner planned with your friends?" Rhea blushed. "More like a study
session that is going to take up our dinner time, so I've arranged some food for us." Minerva nodded. "Then I will see you at Breakfast."
Rhea left the new Headmistress' Office on the First Floor. Dumbledore's Office was still quarantined and heavily warded against anything, even phoenixes, for now. She wanted to take care of the school before looking over what nasty secrets the old man kept up there. Rhea was also concerned about what traps she could run into. Constant Vigilance and all. Rhea did miss the old gruff Auror a bit though. Rhea's choice for replacement was just as good in her mind but Moody had been surprisingly fun. He hated that she could keep up with him but she could tell he had fun with a student who he could take seriously. She had held off watching the DADA classes to get the responses from her friends first as yesterday had been the first class. She wanted to get their first impressions of her pick. She hoped DADA had been a blast. As Rhea neared her Chambers she wondered what to do about the first and second year students. They clearly wanted a class or club like what she made that allowed them to practice magic in fun and safe environments. Maybe a Physical Education class that combines elements of Transfiguration, Charms and Conjuration? That sounded like a good idea. It could transition to a more Fitness and Sport program later. Rhea would have to run it by the Board. Goddess that first meeting was going to be long.
"Rhea!" Her name was the only warning she got before her proximity ward triggered and a blonde Ravenclaw missile knocked her over onto the ground. "Great to see you too Luna. Is everyone here?" A giggling Astoria leaned over her. "Yup, all waiting by the Ravenclaw Common Room to see this Chamber of yours." Rhea managed to escape Luna's grasp enough to stand up and lead everyone into the Ravenclaw Chambers. Everyone's eyes were taking in the room except Hermione. The Gryffindor bookworm was staring at her. "Any more secrets?" Rhea smirked. "Well, I am not going to tell you what I keep hidden inside a box in my closet. That's for spouses only." Hermione went deep red and everyone snickered. They sat down at the extra couches and tables Typsy had brought out for them to be more comfortable. Rhea got a chance to catch up on History, Herbology, Arithmancy and Astronomy while she would occasionally help out in the other subjects. She had delayed DADA homework for a reason though. "So, how was Aunt Bella as a teacher?"
Draco beamed, "It was great! She reminds us a bit of Moody, but a lot of what she's focusing on is critical thinking. Her homework is for us to think up ways out of an attack scenario. We're getting a chance to put it in practice on the day we turn it in." The rest of the Slytherins agreed with Bella being a great teacher, who obviously knew her stuff. She had asked for the students to throw out ideas at her in an attack scenario, essentially giving everyone an example of what she was looking for. Hermione though looked away, which made Rhea worried. "Was the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw class that bad?" Hermione shook her head. "Not really. Professor Black was nice and she did the same thing. I took a lot of notes. It's just that…'' Rhea had a gut feeling, "Your friends decided to leave their brains in the dorms and stuck their feet in their mouths?" Hermione looked embarrassed. "Henry was confrontational most of the class but Professor Black never really minded. She did tell him to get his act together. Neville… may have made some bad insinuations about how she would know all about leading attack scenarios."
The entire apartment went quiet and Rhea could see Draco fuming. He and Dora had spent a
great deal of time getting to know Bella and their Aunt adored them. Saying hurtful things like that would set him on a warpath. Rhea sighed. "I will have a word with the Heads of Hogwarts Houses, see if we can get a rule where the students need to be more tolerant and watch their tones towards each other and their Professors. I imagine Bella didn't give him detention?" Hermione shook her head. Rhea frowned and bit her lip. "This is the second time I have heard a complaint today about Henry and his friends. Is there something I should know about, Hermione? We can take this to another room if you're worried about too many people hearing." Hermione took a second to think. "It's just Henry, Neville and Ron aren't happy. They practically idolized Dumbledore and you got him out of Hogwarts. I heard Ron complaining about his Mom threatening to take her kids out of school."
Daphne snorted. "Aside from the Weasley Twins, the others wouldn't be a great loss. Sure your friend Ronald has a decent score in DADA but that's it. Ginerva from what I hear has been a bit of a problem. Luna?" Luna looked sad. "Ever since first year and her time with the diary, she's just been so different. She idolizes Henry more but she's just distancing herself from the other girls, even me, despite us being friends for years." Rhea leaned back and rubbed Luna's back, as did Daphne. Rhea looked towards Hermione. "Has Ginerva gone to see a Mind Healer after the incident with the Basilisk?" Hermione looked over her memories. "Not that I remember. Why?" Rhea groaned. "Great, another thing Dumbledore forgot to do. Dad told me about the diary and who it belonged to. He also told me what it tried to do to Ginerva. That sort of incident leaves scars, in the mind and maybe even the soul. I'll arrange for a Mind Healer to look her over. They should be able to spot the damage to her head and maybe some signs of trauma to her soul."
Hermione tapped her book. "The soul can really be harmed?" Rhea looked down and thought about what she could share without it being a problem. "For magic, the soul is as present as the mind and body. If you study the right spells you can learn to affect the soul. Most people with that skillset become Mind Healers, Spiritualists or Shamans. However, just like it can be used to help people in need, it can be twisted into something perverse. What that Diary did to Ginerva falls under that category. It's a banned practice here but it's really hard to spot, so it's impossible to enforce. The more discouraging aspect of it is that it's been found to be a bit easy to study. You don't need an affinity to Soul or Spirit Magic to harm a soul." Conversation was somber after that before Typsy popped in. "Dinner's ready, Lady Raven." Everyone placed their books and materials away and the tables in front of them were filled with food. The changes in the food offerings at the Castle for the week had been mostly well received. Instead of bland food designed to be edible by the majority of the population, the foods were now properly seasoned and spread out in such a way everyone could pick their favorites. Rhea had allowed some of the old food to be served just in case, but the elves commented that fewer people were eating it. A box with suggestions for food options was something Rhea added to each common room, which would be opened every week, giving the elves time to work on the recipes and food supplies.
Rhea looked over at Hermione. "Please tell me no one in Gryffindor Tower is complaining about the food." Hermione smiled and ate a fork full of chicken and salad. "Some grumblings about the missing greasy food, but yeah, most of the students like the new menu. Even Ron can't complain. I saw quite a few putting ideas into the suggestion box, including Parvati, so I imagine there will be some indian food suggestions." Luna nodded. "Padma and Cho have put some suggestions in too." Rhea leaned back. "Indian and Chinese food? I might have to talk to the elves, maybe see if the Patil or Chang have elves and if they do that they'd be willing to help out since
even with the suggestions, the taste will depend on experience." Rhea looked over at Draco. "Blaise looking forward to some Italian?" Draco snorted. "He's been adding papers in that box faster than the rest of us." The table chuckled. Rhea asked her friends about her idea about a Physical Education class and they were all supportive. Daphne leaned back into the sofa. "I know our first and second years are itching for a new lesson from you. It's been two weeks since the last one and while they like using the Rec Room, as you called it, they really liked learning from you."
Susan nodded and leaned into Sally. "Same in Hufflepuff. Hannah won't admit it but she misses watching you get the kids worked up and happy. Makes the weekends more quiet in the Common Room when the youngsters are all too tired to get out of bed." Rhea looked over at Hermione and Luna who both nodded. Rhea sighed. "I'll see what I can come up with. While I doubt I can form a proper class or period, I can probably arrange a recreation club for now. With Prefect help of course. Will have to run it by McGonagall, Flitwick and Aunt Bella though, as I am already getting some heat over what I taught them. Though my water fight idea should still be viable. The next words out of your pretty mouth better not be an "I told you so", Hermione." Hermione closed her mouth and blushed as their friends snickered at the exchange, with Luna, Susan and Daphne sharing knowing looks. Once the dinner was over and everyone finished their assignments, Rhea sat back and listened to Daphne and Susan discuss the latest news from the Dueling Circuits, while Draco and Theo were pouring over Quidditch strategies and Luna, Sally and Astoria were discussing pets and familiars.
Seeing no choice, Rhea sat down next to Hermione who seemed to grow more nervous. "Still having issues with your plans for the future?" She eased up but nodded. "I know it won't have anything to do with Care, Potions or Transfiguration. Runes is nice, Arithmancy is ok and Charms is great but I just don't see myself in the professions that need them as a requirement." Rhea thought about it. "Well, you could go for Enchantress, Wardmaster, Ritualist or Curse Breaker." Hermione thought about it. "I have heard Ron talk about his brother William being a Curse Breaker and while maybe I could do it, I don't think it's the job for me. I don't like the idea of going into tombs." Rhea growled softly, "Same. I am working with my friends at Gringotts about changing that a bit. I hate the idea of Wixen desecrating the resting place of the dead." Hermione noticed how passionate Rhea was about that. They had never talked about the dead beyond Samhain rituals. "Wardmaster sounds interesting though, Enchanting I've heard and thought about it and I don't have a clue as to what a Ritualist does." Rhea sighed. "Sometimes I forget what your introduction to Magic was."
Rhea pulled a piece of parchment out of her bag and started drawing a ritual circle. "A Ritualist is a wixen that studies, refines, invents and carries out rituals for every occasion, though you can specialize. Pretty sure the Unspeakables have a Ritualist or two on staff, and the Goblins have their own. Let's say a land has been cursed, like for example the Forbidden Forest. The Ritualist would be called in, they would get a feel for the curse before designing a ritual to cleanse it. The same works for people and items. It's a bit of a jack of all trades profession but it does lean heavily on Runes, Spell Creation and Arithmancy. The more complicated the ritual, the more likely you will need specific materials, like potion ingredients to make it work. Mom is a bit of an amateur Ritualist and passed some of the trade to me. We can adjust a Ritual Circle and ingredients to match what we need, but beyond what we learn for our affinities, we can't just invent one as easily. Mom is much better at improvising though." Rhea finished drawing a Hexagram based Ritual Circle and added conjured Clay into it. When she activated it, the Clay reshaped itself into a feline
looking Golem that began to prance around the table.
Hermione watched the Golem and looked at the Circle. Rhea shrugged, "A lot of Ritual Magic has similar effects to spells, but while Charms and Transfigurations fade away, Ritual Magic can last if written and anchored correctly. It also gives a lot more control over the magical constructs, like programming." Hermione stretched out her hand and touched the ritual circle. The hum of the magic inside felt pleasant and Hermione read the Futhark Runes. "Thanks Rhea. This looks very interesting. I'll definitely look into it." Rhea smiled and Hermione's mind swam. She really wanted to kiss her. Astoria cooing over the Golem on the table snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked around, trying to fight her blush down. Seeing everyone's conversations winding down, Rhea stood up. "Alright, who is up for a game of spin the bottle?" The boys spat out their drinks, Hermione groaned and Susan, Astoria and Luna all raised their voices. "Me!" Daphne groaned. "Rhea, you better keep it child friendly. I won't have you corrupting my sister." Rhea pouted. "Fine. You me and Theo will come up with the rules. Party pooper."
- -
James sat down with the rest of the Order as Dumbledore finally joined them. The last two weeks had not been good for the Light and the mood in the gathering reflected that. Dumbledore's ejection from Hogwarts was a devastating blow and the allegations against him and James had ripped their bloc to shreds. Dumbledore simply couldn't honestly answer the Lords and Ladies about whether or not they would have been notified of their children being subjected to torture, causing many to leave the bloc, including Augusta Longbottom. While she would allow Neville to still get training, she removed what little support she had for the Order and shifted the bonds between her family and the Potters from Alliance to Friendship. Alice may still support Dumbledore but his refusal to answer quickly enough to notify her about any poor treatment that Neville could have been subjected to had caused a rift between them. He couldn't blame her. Lily had been furious when she was told about Henry's treatment and hadn't been notified by her son prior. Though mostly symbolic in gesture, Lily had left the Order.
Dumbledore looked around. "We are all here, so let's get started." Alastor grunted and looked at a few missing seats. "I know Lily Potter quit, but where are Minerva, Remus and Snape?" Dumbledore sighed. "Severus is currently at Hogwarts after returning from a meeting with Voldemort. It is unwise for him to move around too much, especially under the new administration. Remus is out tracking Greyback in Wales and Minerva has chosen to focus on the students and the school and has officially left the Order." That statement certainly soured the mood. McGonagall had been a constant figure in the Order for many years. Her departure caused some to worry. Shacklebolt spoke up. "Does this leave Snape as our only eyes and ears in the Castle? That would be unwise." James cut in. "Henry and Neville will be keeping an eye on the students, and while my wife left the Order, she will keep us aware of any happenings that could require the Order to be involved." That seemed to ease some of the tension. Alastor turned to Bill Weasley. "Any luck with your recruitment work?"
Bill sighed. "The Goblins have officially declared themselves as Neutral. This was confirmed by both the Council of Elders and the Chieftain. Ragnok's placement as Proxy to the Ravenclaw seat has shifted the focus of Gringotts. Word is Ragnok is in discussions for a renegotiated treaty with the Wizengamot, but we have no clues as to whom he is negotiating with, though our best guess would be Lord Black. The few hopefuls I was scouting have chosen to follow Gringotts policy of neutrality and a few who had previously made plans to transfer to London have now looked elsewhere." Alastor turned to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. "What of the rest of your family, Arthur?" He sighed. "Charlie says that the Reserves are all keeping their eyes open but the ICW administrators have warned against involving themselves in political squabbles. Percy refuses to answer my letters and remains at the Ministry. Word is he is sticking closer to the Chief Witch though. The scandal around Fudge and Umbridge is eroding the Minister's position, with Gringotts supposedly being quite insulted by the way Fudge treated their representative. Ron will back up Henry."
Dumbledore looked with concern at the Weasleys. "The Twins and young Ginny?" Arthur shook his head. "Fred and George aren't interested in the Order. Their Mail Order Business is doing well apparently and they want to finish their NEWTs before setting up a physical shop in Diagon Alley. Ginny… we received a notification from the school. Over concern with her behaviour of late, they have requested Ginny see a Mind Healer. They can't find any records of medical appointments after the incident with Slytherin's Chamber in either Hogwarts or St. Mungos and are concerned for lingering Mental Trauma or damage from possession. Hogwarts has agreed to fund the Healer's work as long as Ginny attends the sessions regularly at school, while offering their apologies for the oversight of the previous administration." Dumbledore lowered his eyes. "You have my apologies as well Arthur. My own scans showed nothing of concern. If she is in need of treatment, then it's best to leave her out of Order business."
Shacklebolt spoke up. "Speaking about Hogwarts, what did your friends on the Board say?" Dumbledore shook his head. "Rhea Black's claim to the Ravenclaw Inheritance is beyond doubt. Her control of the wards is enough to keep me and Fawkes from retrieving any of my possessions, despite multiple attempts. I made a request of Amelia to see my property returned but she is still dealing with the Umbridge case and won't send Aurors to the school until they can arrest Umbridge with the plan of seeing her to the court and then straight to Azkaban. Bellatrix Black's appointment as DADA professor was accepted with a clear majority after she brought in her Defence Mastery certification." Dumbledore looked at James who picked up from there. "Henry and Neville both had some issues with Bellatrix but she didn't respond to them. Her class was in keeping with the expected curriculum and the other students like her more open approach to teaching. We have no way of challenging her appointment of Rhea's handling of the School." Alastor looked pensive at that. "The young Lady Black causing any more changes at the Castle?" Dumbledore thought back to his last meeting. "My friends on the Board mentioned she discussed a Physical Education class as a possible core subject for the first five years, with a review of the course selection designated as core subjects in the works. Other than that the Board had no complaints."
Emma Vance snorted. "From what my friends at the Department of Education say, that's an understatement of how active she is. Madam Marchbanks and an ICW Education office will be having a meeting with the young lady in order to discuss the accreditation of the Physical
Education class, setting OWL and NEWT requirements for job applications and discussing other potential courses. She's even put in a petition for the Health Department at St. Mungos to advise on the Physical Education program and a Recreation period for the younger students. Letters have been sent to every parent with a child at Hogwarts explaining the current situation, providing her ideas and asking for suggestions to be sent to the Board and to her. Skeeter, probably looking to avoid any further issues with the Blacks, is covering the matter for the Daily Prophet. So far, even the traditionalists are keeping quiet since her suggestions all have the point of improving their children's physical and educational states." The table went quiet after that. They could tell Dumbledore didn't like the subject and how well the changes at Hogwarts were being taken and they all dropped the subject.
Alastor brought the focus back to more important matters. "What have the Death Eaters been up to?" Albus took a breath. "Severus says they are simply building their forces currently, and that Voldemort has a few plans in motion, but hasn't revealed any to him personally. He thinks that Voldemort is being exceedingly cautious thanks to the vulnerable state his forces are in. Unfortunately his current location is still well warded and all we know is that he has plans for retrieving the Prophecy. The Ministry's new security measures make sending patrols to the Department of Mysteries difficult, but we must still try. Hestia, Arthur, as our only remaining Ministry personnel besides James, patrolling the Hall of Prophecies falls on you. Focus on spotting traces of visitors to the section it is housed in and checking the protections on the orbs." Both nodded and the meeting dissolved after that. Dumbledore pulled Bill to the side as everyone else left. "William, a moment please. Severus mentioned Voldemort's concern on movements in the Continent. Have you heard anything from your contacts?"
Bill frowned, "I have heard whispers of the old European Families reorganizing, concerns over potential fallout by an action potentially being taken in the near future, but no names or targets mentioned. Gringotts hasn't issued any statements and while the Families seemed a little spooked, they weren't overly concerned." Dumbledore frowned. Was this movement in the Continent for or against Voldemort? He dismissed Bill and sat down in the study of the Headquarters for the Order. Dumbledore had gone through a myriad of feelings since getting kicked out of the Castle. He was of course furious, but the wards of the Castle were stronger now than before and he doubted any single cursebreaker or Auror team could crack them, let alone what few he still had in the order. Fudge's failure in the Wizengamot and the Board's meeting all confirmed that for the time being, Rhea Black owned and controlled Hogwarts, including all his research and memories on Voldemort. He had tried retrieving them immediately but neither him nor Fawkes could manage to reenter the wards.
Dumbledore knew that Voldemort had three major targets right now; getting his Death Eaters out of Azkaban, retrieving the Prophecy and killing Henry Potter. The stronger wards of the Castle made it safer for the boy but he was now vulnerable to other elements. At least Henry's loyalty to him was heartwarming and good enough to guarantee he wouldn't waver from the Light. Now Dumbledore had to restart his search for a means of saving the boy from Voldermort's soul piece from scratch, though his backup plan was still viable. Snape's occlumency lessons seemed to do little more than slow Voldemort down, but at least now he had no reason to possess the boy and use Henry to spy on the Order. Leaving the Castle had certainly proven a double edged sword. The stirrings in the continent did concern Dumbledore though. Voldemort had enjoyed support there in the past and those stirrings could be a resurgence of his allies. Or it could be signs of a new threat,
another Dark Lord concerned with having Voldemort steal his spotlight and divide his support. Sadly he didn't have the connections or man power to observe the continent closely, not since he lost his position as Supreme Mugwump. He just hoped whatever was stirring wasn't another headache he had to deal with. He had enough problems as it was already
Chapter End Notes
How did you like the fallout out of Hogwarts? Not much from Dumbledore sincs he is essentially crippled. Don't worry. He will get a final punishment. He still has a role to play before everything is over.
Next Chapter?: a very long one. Its that time of year again and Rhea gives the students and staff a lot to think about.
Speaking about everything being over, the time is upon me. Chapter 44 of 44. The first scene is done, just a few more and I will be officially finished with the main story, just running proofreading and maybe adding some smaller details and scenes. Currently getting over a bit of a let down in RL, so I am hoping to get it done without too much issue. My next fanfiction has my Muse keeping me from getting any sleep.
Moments in Autumn
Chapter Notes
Here is the next Chapter. A bit longer but I hope you all like it. Fair warning, there is a heavy scene in the second half of the Chapter. It's inside the Lily section. Releasing this early because RL hates my sleep schedule.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Rhea sat down at the center of the staff table as she watched over the students as they gathered for Breakfast. 3 weeks! It took Amelia Bones almost a month to come and collect the pink toad. Sure, the likelihood the charges Amelia brought against Umbridge would now stick was now higher but keeping that toxic cesspool of a person within her wards had been driving her up the walls. Thank the Goddess for the first and second year students. Every weekend she spent in their company was like a balm to her soul. Despite Hermione's complaints about the magic being too advanced, the kids had learned and enjoyed testing out the Aguamenti spell. She had made sure that their parents all sent swimsuits and the kids wore them under their clothes. She had also reconfigured the room to act more like a waterpark, with the water being properly contained. What followed was a fine example of a magical super soaker battle. Teams of four students, all from a different house where possible, played against the rest in either 4v4 battles or against every other team at once.
Her friends also had a blast, with Hannah dragging Susan into the mess. Rhea could see why Hannah got the Prefect position and not Susan. Her redheaded friend loved to have a damn good time. Everyone eventually removed the soaked clothes and stayed in swimsuits. Rhea had bitten her tongue and occluded her emotions when Hermione took her uniform off. Goddess did her body feel warm that day, as Hermione had certainly been maturing a bit. Eventually she called all the kids together and gave them approval to focus on the Prefects and Susan together as a large team. The little devils took her suggestion to heart and the girls got a good taste of a running battle against greater numbers. Aunt Bella loved watching the memory and was already seeing how to incorporate Rhea's idea into DADA. Her friends' glares were worth it, even if watching Hermione's body glisten with water wasn't an extra bonus. Rhea hated just how focused her mind got with Hermione but she honestly couldn't deny it. Her Gryffindor friend was hot and getting even more beautiful by the month! Goddess did she need a release.
Once she saw all the students sitting she stood up and addressed the school. "Alright everyone, I have an announcement to make. Prior to Dumbledore's tenure as Headmaster, October 31st was celebrated as Samhain, the night when the Veil is at its thinnest between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Those from traditional magical families know that this is a night when we make offerings to the departed, recognize their absence and commune with them via a variety of rituals. The celebration of Halloween is derived from these celebrations and became a staple of non-magical families. After deliberation with the staff, the Board and the parents, I can announce that a joint celebration will take place on the 31st, with the day being without any proper classes." The entire school cheered at having a day off. Rhea smiled. "However! Each Professor will be
covering subjects related to the date that involve their field of instruction in a seminar format, where specific topics will be addressed at given times. Any student that sits through these and completes the assigned work will get House Points as well as a score modifier for the given class. That means if you're at an Acceptable grade, you could see yourself at Exceeds and so on."
Quiet discussions spread through the great hall as Rhea turned to the Professors, all of whom nodded. They had discussed this in the last Staff Meeting and the idea of Seminar Lessons had appealed to them. "For the first and second years, you won't be required to do the assigned work, but attending these seminars will give you all an idea on what electives you may want to pursue, so it's up to you. There will also be decorations throughout the Castle aimed at both Halloween and Samhain traditions. I won't spoil any but some of these will be set up by your fellow students who will also see a grade based on which magics they use in the construction and implementation of the attractions. For everyone who celebrates Halloween, you will have from Lunch to Dinner to have your fun running around the castle, wearing costumes and enjoying sweets. Once Dinner ends, the Samhain celebration begins, which will include a large communal ritual within the Great Hall. For those uncomfortable or unwilling to participate, you are free to spend the night in the Common Rooms, celebrating your own traditions or continuing your Halloween fun."
The moment she said communal ritual a good chunk of the Hall descended into loud voices, with Gryffindor leading in the noise department. Rhea waited a minute or two before she silenced the students. Once they all sat back down, she continued. "My silencing spell will end in a minute, but the more times I cast it the longer it will take to fade. For anyone concerned, the Ritual is known as the Ritual of Calling. It is safe, requiring very few inert materials, none collected from people, animals or graveyards. The ritual's focus is to have a communion between the living and their deceased family members in whatever form that takes. I repeat, no one will be hurt, no one suffered and nothing of this ritual is immoral in any way. This ritual is one I have participated in for the last 6 years of my life, to no ill effects. The full description, material list and procedure for the ritual has been provided to your Hogwarts Heads of House. I am informing you now so you all have a week to decide if you will participate or not. The choice is yours. That is all for now. Please enjoy your Breakfast at a civil volume."
Rhea sat back down and conversation resumed in the Great Hall. She could see some aggressive gestures in the Gryffindor group, especially centered around Henry Potter. She was glad she warned Hermione ahead of time, just in case something like this happened. Her friend had really taken to Ritual Magic. While the class had been reestablished, no students had signed up for it and the professor the Board had selected was let go. Rhea was hoping to get some interest in rituals started by exposing the students to these rituals. Samhain and Imbolc were the easiest to do and she wanted to make sure all Factions go their fair share of representation. Beltane… was a work in progress. The ritual, while popular in Europe and in the Scotish Highlands, was still frowned upon by both sides slightly. No one questioned or dared speak ill of a child conceived on Beltane, as it was considered a gift of Life and Magic, but that didn't mean that the older generations weren't positively Victorian when it came to a day whose ritual had a strong emphasis on physical intimacy. So Rhea would leave that particular can of worms alone.
Later that night she was already getting started on a potion in Snape's lab when Henry and
Hermione entered the room, continuing their occlumency training. "You can't leave things well enough alone, can you? Warping the student's minds with rituals? What's next? Bathing in blood? Raising the corpses of the Dead?" Rhea went cold inside as he blatantly dismissed her magical birthright, even if she hated raising sentient corpses. Birds were much nicer. Rhea though continues to work on her potion as Henry stomps over to her. "I am talking to you, you traitor!" Snape walked into the Lab from his office. "Mr. Potter, if I catch you saying any more insults, you can rest assured that these sessions will be proper detentions scrubbing cauldrons rather than trying and failing to teach you how to occlude your mind. Heiress Black is required in my presence to complete her NEWT in Potions and this is the only time I can spare either of you so you will be civil to her as she is to you. Now go to your seat and do the exercises. Ms. Granger, the same."
Rhea kept her attention on her potion as she heard Henry struggle with Occlumency. At least Hermione was much further along. Rhea wondered if she could start opening up to her. She'd be taking part in the communal ritual with Hermione and she had a good idea the girl would figure out that the ritual could only work with a specific element in place. Eventually. She hated keeping this secret from her but Hermione was in a very precarious position. Sure, her family was now safe, but as a Gryffindor she was essentially surrounded by people who would be opposed to the very idea of a Necromancer. She didn't want to see Hermione hurt just because she cared about her friends. She sighed and started to plan. She needed to tell her soon, she just had to figure out when. Definitely after Samhain though. The ritual would help dispel any fears or concerns. "Mr Potter, if you can't hold an occlumency barrier for more than 15 minutes, there is no chance of ever keeping any legilimens out." Henry bit out. "I am trying!"
Hermione sat down by Rhea's side and sighed, drawing Rhea's attention. "Is there a reason the prat needs a solid occlumency defense besides being an Heir, because at this rate he will probably be 20 before he manages it." Hermione gave her a glare, but there wasn't any fire behind it. "It's … Order business." That made Rhea raise an eyebrow at her friend. "If this Order business brings Death Eaters to my Castle's front gates it will stop being Order business. Is that likely to happen?" Hermione bit her lip and Rhea suppressed a groan. Her libido needed an outlet soon, before she jumped the Gryffindor's bones. "Not that I am aware. It's more of a Henry problem." Rhea looked at her friend, feeling her mood shift slightly. That was a decidedly unhelpful comment. "Hermione, if it ever gets to the point when someone gets hurt or you fear someone will get hurt, please let me know. In private if you have to. I can tune you in to the Office or Chamber wards if necessary." Hermione looked over at her friend and saw genuine concern. She nodded. "I'll do that."
- -
"Messers Weasley, a moment please." Rhea saw the two twins share a look. "If it's about a prank, we know nothing about it." The two switched who was talking. "We've kept things quiet, NEWTs and all." And again. "As per our agreement, Scary Ms. Black." Rhea sighed. She hadn't been that scary to them, right? "This isn't about a prank. McGonagall and Flitwick say you two are the best at being inventive and making some elaborate pieces of magic. As you heard, we are
having a proper Halloween and Samhain celebration this year. I was wondering if you two could help out for the construction of several decorations, rooms with themes or even a house of horrors. It's a non-magical thing where adults build rooms in sequence with the point of scaring the hell out of people." The last she added when they gave her a blank look. "An interesting proposal, Lady Raven." Rhea groaned, knowing where that nickname came from. "You two spend too much time in the kitchens. Well, are you willing?"
Fred and George looked at each other. "We would like to try, but we need specifics." Rhea thought about it. "My friends are already working on a spider web infested house with coffins and spooky noises. I was thinking of crafting an Egyptian themed tomb with … " Rhe paused for a second and blinked a few times. Oh crap. Oh crap. Much of non-magical house of horrors attractions were based on zombies, vampires and mummies. All possible with Necromancy. If she went through with it, the Gryffindor morons might just accuse her of it. With the laws under review she was mostly safe, but they could try and spin it against her anyways. Shit. "…sarcophagi, snakes and beetles. You wouldn't happen to be able to make a room like a bog, marsh or a swamp? Or maybe a creepy cave? We want to adorn them with appropriate living transfigurations and all that." The two twins thought about it as Rhea tried to see how she could make and play off the attractions as not Necromancy. Getting rubber props might do it but it would clash with the decor. Plus the point was to use magic.
"As it so happens, we do have a means of recreating a swamp, but the water level gets quite deep." Rhea frowned. "Could you adjust it to something closer to a marsh? Like ankle deep water and more patches of dry ground and grass." The two twins huddled together and began trading words while Rhea thought about what to transfigure into the marsh. Some crocs? Too American. Hmm, maybe black dogs and jaguars? It would make Bella laugh. The local news had gone ballistic with sightings of a black panther across England during her little jaunt through the countryside, calling it a new cryptid or part of the whole spectral animal situation. Oh, she could ask Sprout about some species of moving trees that creep and walk across the ground. If they could animate the trees the twins make with their swamp, it would be perfect. Maybe the cherry on top could be an animated Creature from the Black Lagoon. That would be a nice little spin on things.
The twins turned to her. "We think we can. At the very least we could adjust it after deploying it." Rhea arched an eyebrow. "Deploying it?" The two got nervous. "It's a gag product we came up with for our business." They switch speakers. "We have a few other joke products…" " …but none that could be used for your Halloween celebration…" "… except the portable swamp …" " … or our Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder." Rhea pinched the bridge of her nose and thanking the stars she and Henry didn't grow up together. This would have driven her mad trying it. "Got it. Go to the second floor, pick an empty classroom and set it up. I'll come by later with the professors to rate your work and then we can do the modifications to make it a proper attraction. We will pick you guys up to bring you along for the evaluation of the magic and the two of you are welcome to stay and think up new ideas as we get it set properly for students to explore and have fun." The two Gryffindors grinned and rushed off in the direction of their room as Rhea thought about her predicament.
Rhea eventually made it to her Chamber and leaned back as her friends in on the secret sat
down. Susan was the first to speak. "You do have a point with what certain students will interpret as Necromancy, even if you could make a good enough copy. Though since you want the Board to inspect the attractiohs, it can be a none issue. Which ideas could be modified with Golems or transfigured creatures?" Rhea thought about the planned presentations. "The mummies are easy enough to fake with a well made Golem. The creepy or dangerous animals will all be transfigured to control their behaviour and the Gill-man is pure Freeform Transfiguration." Most got a thoughtful look but Draco looked confused. "Gill-man?" Susan grinned and winked at Rhea, "Oh that is just perfect. All the magically raised children will be running for the door." Rhea smiled. "That's the idea." She then frowned. "Werewolves, gargoyles and vampires don't work here. Frankenstein and zombies are too close to Necromancy. Classic Halloween doesn't work that well in a Magical setting."
Draco looked at Susan. "Since when do you know about non-magical stuff?" Susan blushed. "Sally showed me during the summer. She took me to see some classic movies at a theater." Rhea nudged Susan's shoulder. "Nice date material. A dark lit room and scary images on screen. Wonder how much time you spent looking at the movies properly." Susan's blush reached her ears, causing the room to snicker. Susan nudged Rhea back. "Speaking of our first gen witches. Any idea when you want to share the secret?" Rhea closed her eyes and Susan frowned with worry. After Rhea had performed the Samhain Ritual last year at the Bones Manor, everyone involved was told the truth of Rhea's magical gift. Aunt Amelia had even pulled Susan aside and taught her some of the Bones family secrets. The family may never have had a Necromancer in its bloodline, but they had stood by and defended them when possible. The old grounds still held the remains of an old Temple of the Dead. Rhea had gone over and blessed it the morning after when Amelia told the Blacks.
Sharing the secret meant more people would know and Hermione was vulnerable. Everyone in the group knew that. So Rhea had brought the question of when to show her the truth to everyone. Susan, Luna and Daphne were also aware that Rhea had a crush on Hermione, which had grown over the last two months. None of them wanted to scare or hurt the bookworm away. "After Samhain. I want her to feel it properly and maybe piece some of it together before telling her". Susan nodded. "Best idea I think. You have already pointed her in the direction of Rituals, so she should figure out the requirement on her own. Eventually." Everyone nodded and Rhea left a sigh of relief. "Ok, so back on track… speak of the devil." Rhea allowed the wards to open the door, revealing Hermione. "Oh, was there a meeting called?" Rhea smiled. "Just a discussion on what could be an issue with the planned decorations for Halloween." Hermione frowned as she walked in and placed her bookbag down onto the table. Susan chimed in. "Rhea told us about her run in with Potter. Since Halloween decorations have a lot of zombies and dead bodies, she approached the magical born students with the concern that some students might see the decorations or animated creations as Necromancy."
Hermione sat down and started thinking. "I can sort of see that being an issue, though I don't know enough about Necromancy and its treatment in Magical Britain. All I ever hear is about Inferi and how Voldemort used them in the last war." Susan looked at Rhea and seeing a nod proceeded. "Necromancy, or Death Magic, hasn't been studied in centuries, mostly because the talent itself needs affinity to work. Inferi are the one form of Ritual Necromancy anyone can practice, so it's no surprise Voldemort did it. In Britain, and many of the countries with heavy Abrahamic religious influences, the practice was outlawed and deemed Black Magic, though it's a free practice in other countries in the world. The Department of Mysteries here and elsewhere are
doing a review to see if it was banned for adequate reasons. The issue is the stigma attached to it. In Britain, the Necromancers were hunted down and killed by Wixen of Light Families, out of fear of them raising Armies of the Undead. With Rhea being a Neutral Witch at odds with the Light and its leaders, she's worried how the Halloween decorations could be … misinterpreted to mark her as a Necromancer, potentially getting the Light to boycott Hogwarts."
Daphne added in. "In other countries though, Necromancers are seen as priests or gatekeepers of the Veil, helping Wixen have a healthier understanding of death and its place in the world. There are regions where Necromancers are considered a blessing, Egypt being famous for it, while areas in Central America, Eurasia and Subcontinental Asia it's more of an accepted practice. The ICW review is working to get a better understanding of the practice, but without a Necromancer, it's hard to study. Dad said something about one in MACUSA registering to help, a shaman from the Native American tribes, but that's it." Hermione digested the information. Rhea added, "I already adjusted some decorations, like removing coffins and any graveyard recreations from being done, but I am still looking for ways to avoid the issue. I also want to ask the first gen wixen at school like you how much they would like to see their Halloween tastes reflected. Susan and I were going to use some film inspirations for it." Hermione beamed, "Could we do a Phantom of the Opera?"
The discussion turned into a full brainstorming session with Sally joining in a bit later. Rhea gave Susan and Daphne a soft hug during the discussion as thanks. Telling Hermione she was a Necromancer was at least one week away, but the little seeds of thought they planted in her head should hopefully get her into a more neutral position. Rhea had really started to like Hermione and she didn't want to lose her over this. Hopefully, with all her friends behind her, Rhea could show Hermione that Necromancers weren't all that scary. Not that she couldn't be. If Voldemort came swinging for the school, Rhea was ready to call in every pile of bones she could muster. She was already practicing holding multiple reanimated rat and bird corpses at once. She really didn't want to think of the mental toll of reanimating hundreds of creatures, let alone the magical drain. The two large non-humanoid skeletons she found on the grounds were bloody tempting though.
- -
"Anything left to report?" The Professors looked at each other. This was the third staff meeting with Rhea Black leading and the more academically minded were glad for the change. Unlike Dumbledore, Rhea took in their suggestions with a good sense that if it was viable, it would get done. Sprout had suggested a closer relation between the Herbology ingredients being covered and harvested with what Potions Snape would be covering around the same time. Rhea had brought the two Professors together on the weekend to look over the syllabi of the years and compare notes on what would and wouldn't be covered because of OWL or NEWT expectations. By January, they both expect a more unified teaching of the two courses, helping with keeping fresh supplies in the Potions stock and streamlining studies for the students. Sprout had even been delighted to hear that Rhea had acquired some more seasonal plants for her, courtesy of the Greengrass family.
Sprout was the first to respond. "I believe I have the specimens and equipment necessary for my seminar on plants associated with warding against evil spirits and easing the burden on the dying and their families." Rhea looked around at the other Professors. "What of everyone else, are we all ready for the seminars?" Sybil was next, her glasses making Rhea's eyes squint. "I am all ready with my presentation on spirits and their association with prophecies, including the self- fulling ones." Rhea had never been one for Prophecy, in fact she hated the concept for its contradiction to a person's agency, but Divination was an OWL and NEWT course with ICW certification. Somehow. Aurora spoke up, being more rested than usual. "My seminar on the symbolism, significance and seasonal connections of astrological observations for rituals, celebrations and everyday life is also ready. The Projector for the planetarium and change in schedule has been much appreciated." Rhea smiled. The Black's obsession with stars included the development of Planetarium projectors that ran on magic. Adjusting Astronomy's schedule and donating one was a no brainer. They would still use the Astronomy Tower for major astrological events, which was perfectly fine.
Snape nodded to her. "My seminar on the potions developed for improving sensitivity to spirits, allowing Ghosts to temporarily inhabit a person willingly and for lucid dreaming is also prepared to my satisfaction." Hagrid turned to the Potion's Master. "My thanks on the potions to aid in the perception of Thestrals, Professor Snape. My seminar on creature Death Omens will be much better with most of my students seeing them." Hagrid then turned to Rhea, raising her hackles. Oh no. "Would ye be willing to stop by, Lady Ravenclaw? Yer Patronus is a perfect example of a Grim and I'd like for the students to see one safely." Professor Flitwick got a devilish grin at that and Rhea felt her stomach sink lower. "Oh, I am sure the students would love that, my lady. Especially since your Patronus is of the solid variety. The best way for the kids to appreciate a Death Omen safely." Hagrid's eyes went wide. "Ye got to come now, the tikes would love it!" Rhea sighed. "Very well Professor, look at your seminar's schedule and give me a time when you'd be discussing Grim. Padfoot and I will be there."
Babbling, McGonagall and Flitwick had their own seminars, each exploring the closest relation they can have with Samhain. Babbling's discussion on Celtic and Druidic practices on Samhain was one Rhea planned to attend, or at least get a memory of. Rhea turned to the last staff member. "Professor Potter, are you ready for your seminar?" Lily Potter had definitely looked better. Her split from the Order had caused a rift in her family, with her son taking it almost as a betrayal of himself. The bloody prat was stupid enough not to see his mother doing it out of protest on his treatment. Her eyes definitely had bags under them. "My seminar comparing Halloween, the Day of the Dead and Samhain is ready. Thank you for the film projector. Having a visual and audio representation for the children raised in Magical Britain should make it more interesting for them." Rhea stared at the Lady Potter. "Professor Potter, please tell me you are refraining from participating in the ritual."
Lily looked at Rhea. "You have mentioned it's safe." Rhea nodded. "It is. It can also be mentally and emotionally stressful. I know we have never discussed it, but can you honestly tell me, knowing what you know now, that if you called on your sister and you found yourself capable of communicating, would it help your disposition?" Lily looked… conflicted. "I'd … want to know." Rhea wanted to smack her. "Knowing why it happened wont change that it did. It wont
absolve you of your own guilt. I am all for individuals speaking to their deceased family members, but you must be careful who you reach out to and your current state. If you feel any shame or guilt in an action your family would frown upon or berate you for, don't take part." Rhea turned to the rest of the staff. "The same goes to everyone here and their students. Make sure they understand that the ritual isn't wish fulfillment, it's a pathway for the dead and the living to comune. Calling someone you had negative relations with or who might take issue with your choices in life won't help ease the pain. Please be aware that the Hogwarts Ghosts will be at the ritual to help the students who have difficulty grasping the effects of the ritual and that the Hogwarts elves will apparate any who may be unable to move due to emotional distress. Heads of Houses, keep a good eye on your students after the ritual, as they may need someone to talk to. If you're concerned, approach Madam Pomfrey or myself about contacting a Mind Healer."
The Professors nodded and stood up to leave. Lily is among the first to leave and Rhea approaches Snape and McGonagall. "I know this is rich coming from me but please look after Lily. Her mental state since finding out about everything this year is volatile. I am worried the impact anything could have on herself and her son and something tells me she could still go through it. Despite our animosity he is a student here and she is a professor. Their well being is part of my responsibilities. If she decides to take part, watch over her the days later. " Both nod and leave the room. Rhea stood there with just Flitwick. "I take it you understand my concerns more clearly, Champion Wand Waver ?" The diminutive professor nodded. "I do indeed, Lady Ravenclaw." Rhea raises an eyebrow at him, knowing he is calling her by her title as a response to her calling him by his. "I have taken every precaution possible for the day after tomorrow. At this point, it's in each person's hands." Fillius headed for the door. "You are quite right, my Lady. Now, if you excuse me, I have a Castle's worth of armour to enchant." Rhea stared at the back of the skipping professor. Looks like the students aren't the only ones looking forward to a Happy Halloween.
- -
Rhea stood up at the speaker's stand and smiled. The Halloween and Samhain preparations had been a resounding success. Members of the Board had come to observe the Seminar discussions and left quite happy with the results, seeing how students of all ages were quite interested in the subject matter. They were already asking about a Yule focused day like today and Rhea gave a tentative approval. This was the Professors doing after all, though if the pleased looks on the teachers was any indicator, a Yule variant wouldn't be unlikely. Babblings and Binns joint seminar had proven to be informative and one she'd review later. Hagrid's had been great, if only because she had Padfoot running free amongst the students, its corporeal nature astounding everyone as they petted and ruffled his fur. Hagrid had done a good job of reminding the students that Death Omens may be scary, but they aren't the thing to fear. Their appearance was a mercy given to them by unknown forces and that we should respect them. Nyx had been grooming herself and practically preened at the indirect praise.
The great success had been the Halloween celebration. At lunch, the younger years and the
ones willing from the older students wore costumes transfigured in the Great Hall, with McGonagall and Lily Potter overseeing to give out grades on spell work and imagination. The variety of classical monsters, costumed superheroes, fantasy heroes and real life professionals reminded Rhea of her time in London with her Mom. She really missed spending Samhain with her family but she would have more chances of that soon. Today was for the Hogwarts students. The younger years managed to play around and go Trick or Treating, with the suits of armour passing out candies. Rhea needed to thank her old Head of House for that. The classrooms turned into themed houses of horror were a smash hit. The Board members inspected them first and were quite surprised at the spellwork involved. The Weasley Twins received a lot of praise for their marsh, though they credited her with the Gill-man that would stalk the visitors right until the end.
Rhea, Draco, and Susan had worked on the Egyptian Tomb themed one and a former Curse Breaker on the Board was suitably impressed. Rhea's Golem turned Mummy was well received and they applauded her use of Ritual Magic, as it certainly matched the setting. She had worked with Hermione at making it run on a Hieroglyphic based Ritual so that her friend could design her own and Draco received praise on the enchanted work on lighting effects with the torches and on the animated murals on the wall. Hermione blushed up a storm when they entered her Phantom of the Opera themed classroom. Rhea had helped with creating the expanded look and feel of the catacombs but the enchanted piano and the transfigured Golem that looked like the Phantom that seemed to play the music was all hers. The tune was accurately somber and terrifying. Her work was well received and even Lucius applauded her application of magic to the fine arts. Two other rooms were set aside, designed to emulate real Samhain Rituals, displaying Covens of Witches in a Ritual Circle and a High Priest leading a gathering in one of the old Stone Circles.
The students had their turn afterwards and the screams and laughter was exactly what Rhea wanted to hear from the Houses of Horror. All the students entered with a Prefect or a Professor for safety and it had helped the more excitable of the bunch. Rhea had even programmed The Mummy and the Gill-man to kneel to the kids who started to cry, making them aware that they were safe. Hermione had incorporated the same for her Phantom, though in a more elaborate bow. The older years had absolutely loved the feel and atmosphere created and even took wizarding photographs to send home. Rhea had programmed some prank movements on her Golems when they posed for a photo with students. The end results were both hilarious and well received, after the shock wore off, of course. The younger students lingered in the Samhain chambers and Rhea, Daphne and a surprising Professor McGonagall gave them all impromptu lessons on the old Samhain traditions. The Board had been a bit divided in the Samhain representations, though none dared challenge their accuracy. All in all, a great afternoon spent celebrating Halloween. That just left the Samhain Celebration. Time to get the ball rolling.
"A good evening to all students. I hope that our first full celebration of Halloween was a pleasant experience to you all." The happy noises the kids made only made Rhea smile wider, as she tipped Laris on her head. The Sorting Hat had been part of her costume for the day, which was a more traditional Witch's robe that she had pulled out of her family's wardrobe. The coat was the perfect shade of brown for Laris to sit on her head, the two chatting away throughout the day. Entering into Dumbledore's Office had proven complicated. The man had placed a good number of traps in his office, all of them geared against intruders stealing anything. She managed to get Laris out but not much else. Not yet anyway. Laris had at least been happy to be let out and look over the school with her. He had traded historical trivia with Binns when the Ghost's seminar ended. Now
he waited patiently to watch Rhea get everything ready for the ritual. "As you are all aware, as soon as the Dinner feast is concluded, the Samhain celebration will begin. Members of the staff and Prefects not participating will escort the students not interested in tonight's ritual back to their dorms. Everyone else will be instructed on what to do at the time."
The murmur picked up as the students talked and debated. A particularly loud debate was happening at the Gryffindor table. Rhea could see a lot of the Light family students berating Hermione. Rhea's blood went cold as she casted a sonorus on her throat. "Mr Potter, if you are done intimidating your fellow student, please sit quietly before I personally cast a silencing spell on you. For the rest of you, anyone seen or heard intimidating, badgering or threatening a student that decides to either participate or not will receive detention and a letter sent home. The school was founded with the belief that all faiths and traditions that harm no one are to be treated with respect as are their practitioners. Each student has the right to make up their own mind without fear of reprisals. That includes your classmates and roommates. AM I UNDERSTOOD?!" The silence and nods had Rhea rein in her temper and remove the sonorus. Hermione shot her a grateful look as Henry tried to wish her dead with a glare. Typical ignorant prat.
The Dinner eventually ended and the students not participating began to leave. "Hermione, come on. It's not worth it. Rituals are dangerous. Dad and Dumbledore said so already. You heard me read the letter we got." Hermione sighed. "For the last time, Henry, I am staying. This is new magic to me and a part of our culture and traditions. I want to make up my own mind about it." Henry frowned at her and was probably about to continue berating her when someone clears their throat behind Hermione. McGonagall looked at him. "I already discussed this matter with you and your friends Mister Potter. The Ritual is perfectly safe and often practiced. The use of a Dodecagram instead of a Pentagram is to anchor more protections, meaning it's even safer than the ones practiced by many of the Old Families. Your escorts back to the Gryffindor Common Room are waiting." Henry and the rest left quickly after that and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you Professor."
McGonagall smiled. "It was either me or a spell from Lady Ravenclaw casted across the Hall. Considering the likely target, I was the safer option." Hermione smiled at that and watched as the Tables vanished, Rhea taking the center of the Hall. With her wand out, she began to mutter in a language Hermione didn't recognize as the Runic Ritual Circle took shape on the ground. The students eventually entered the massive circle as the elves transported an altar behind Rhea, who bent down and kissed the elves on the head in thanks. The students watched as Draco, Luna, Susan, Theo, Daphne and Astoria came up to the altar and carried bowls of materials to the points of the star. At the end only a large bronze bowl sat on the altar behind Rhea. "Please step into the circle. A reminder, these Rituals are about intent. Keep your intent in mind this night and be respectful. Lastly, my patron is Persephone, but you are all free to pray to your own gods and goddesses, saints, ancestors or to no deity at all. If you are concerned about not calling out a name, as this is a ritual calling to the Dead, evoking Death is also valid. The magic within you and the circle will do the rest."
Hermione held her piece of Parchment with her Grandfather's name. The last time she had dreamed of a happy memory with him. Would tonight be something more? Rhea looked around.
"Everyone ready?" They all nodded. It looked like a good two thirds of the school remained for the ritual. The magic in the air shifted and Hermione felt the Ritual Circle activate. The magic felt cold but not threatening or overpowering. It felt pleasant actually. It felt like Rhea. "Oh Persephone, beloved daughter of the Earth Mother Demeter. Oh Persephone, beloved wife and Queen of Hades, keeper of the realm beyond the Veil. Oh Persephone, the Spring Maiden who breathes life into the Realm of the Dead. Your speaker asks you on this night of Samhain to bless this Ritual and all who participate. I ask nothing for myself tonight. Please grant those gathered here a night's watch with those separated from them by the Veil. Allow old wounds to heal. Allow first meetings for those wretched apart before their time. Allow a time of peace for those seeking comfort among the deceased. Please, My Maiden, My Lady, My Goddess. Grant tonight these requests."
Hermione watched as Rhea moved around the circle, shaking her yew branch covered in herbs and oils over the gathered students and staff. By the time she reached Hermione, many of those gathered were already asleep on their sides. Rhea smiled at her friend. "Go and find your peace." Hermione felt the branch tap her shoulders and lastly her head. "Oh Death, allow me to commune with my Grandfather, Gerald Richardson, much beloved and often missed." Her vision grew blurry before returning into focus. "You look so much like your mother as a teenager." Her head snapped to the side and her eyes filled with tears. "Grandpa!" She threw herself at her grandfather who hugged her back and laughed. The smile never left her face as she spoke with her grandfather who she hadn't seen since she was 10 years old.
Rhea watched as the hours passed and students began to wake. The Ghosts and staff who didn't participate and returned from escorting the other students approached them, the Ghosts helping them understand what they experienced. The next day would be filled with conversations, that's for sure. Rhea watched as Flitwick helped McGonagall to stand up. "Damn it Filleus! You knew! That's why you insisted I take part! You knew!" The Charms Professor smiled at his emotional colleague. "I made an educated guess, Minerva. By your reaction I imagine it came to pass?" Mcgonagall looked over at her and Rhea could see her cheeks covered in tears. "You… you… you…" Words failed her as she reached Rhea and the girl was pulled into a hug. Rhea looked over at a bemused Flitwick. "I am guessing you asked her to meet with someone very special to her?" He nodded as Minerva pulled away. "My husband. Our lives parted during the war. Thank you for this, Rhea. Thank you." Rhea smiled. "I did nothing but set the Ritual."
McGonagall gave her a light glare. "I know enough of the Olde Ways to recognize your kind's touch. The gift you have given to so many students tonight is incalculable." They both looked around. Susan had pulled Sally straight into her arms as the young witch woke up crying. Rhea could understand completely. The girl had been in Foster Care after a car accident took her parents' lives. Getting a chance to meet them, talk to them, to finally know about a part of her soul after a decade apart. She knew that feeling. Susan had forgone speaking to her dad to watch over her girlfriend and it seemed to have been the right choice. Rhea watched as more students woke up, everyone crying, many in joy. Tonight was going to be a long night. She settled down and sat besides Hermione and waited. Hermione was amongst the last to wake. When she did, she looked at her raven haired friend, really looking closely at her before knocking her into the floor hard enough for Rhea to know she was gonna have a bump on the back of her head. Hermione hugged her tightly and Rhea did her best to not ruin the moment. She felt so bloody warm. "Thank you Rhea. Thank you so much." Rhea smiled, "You are welcome."
- -
Lily stared at a photo of her family before she became a witch. Her parents had been so devoted to her and Petunia as little kids that she hardly ever remembered a punishment or a scolding. Of course she had her moments of accidental magic, which she only learned about when she met Severus. The two had bonded from their isolation out of the magical world until their letters arrived, after which her world started to change. As a little girl the wonders of magic had warmed her heart and made her happy beyond words. Now she looked back and wondered if she had been too blind to see the harm her magic did to her family. Her parents never complained or admonished her but Petunia hated that she was left behind. The two grew apart as their lives were pulled to opposite ends. By 1981, they were both married and with children. She had thought motherhood would have improved their relationship. It didn't.
When Dumbledore told her that Halley had lost her magic she had been devastated. He and James warned of the dangers raising a squib and a wizard together presented and even she had to admit that her own life seemed to confirm that. They had convinced her that her daughter would be safer with Petunia, that their shared fate would make her care and raise her as her own. James had even secured a decent support payment plan from Gringotts that made sure the family never had to worry about putting food on the table. At first she wanted to visit her sister and see her child, to hold her again. She decided against it to focus on Henry who seemed to cry all the time. Later on her desire to visit vanished but it wasn't out of doting on Henry or accepting that she only had one child, as James would sometimes tell her. She had stopped wishing to see her daughter out of shame. There was nothing she could tell the child about why she wasn't raised by her parents.
When she saw Rhea Black for the first time she didn't think about Halley at all. The incidents at school had made her hyper focused on her son. Since she wasn't in her class, she only caught brief glimpses of her, mostly in the Hospital Wing. In those brief moments she admitted to herself that the girl looked a lot like a young Dorea. She even had the same temper, though she seemed much kinder than her mother-in-law. The morning when the newspaper arrived and she read the headline, her heart felt like someone had smashed it. The girl who looked like Dorea had been her Halley and she had been abused by her sister's family. When Sabrina Black told her about James disowning Halley, Lily had dragged him to her office and demanded he explain himself. "Lily, if Halley had magical children or grandchildren, they would be able to claim the Potter Family magic and potentially wrestle control from Henry's heirs. It's common enough in our world that the Heads of Houses eventually disown their squibs as a way of preventing the lines from being contested. She should have been fine."
Lily had stared at her husband. "What about the childcare fund you established for her?" James winced, "The fund was discontinued after the disownment." Lily had slapped James. "You told me that she would be taken care of for the rest of her life!" James yelled back. "They had 4 years of
child care provided for them. By then they should have cared enough about the girl to not be bothered by the missing funds." Lily screamed, "Obviously they didn't. They didn't care before they lost the money and they didn't care afterwards! Dammit it James, I listened to you when you told me she would be cared for. I stayed away because I didn't think she would have a need for us." Lily had broken down after that, crying herself to sleep many nights after. Her encounter with Rhea in the infirmary didn't go any better than James' attempts at gaining custody of their former daughter. James had told her that they had made their choice in 81 and they should stick by it. For months she did it begrudgingly. She wanted to have a connection to her daughter. She wanted to know what went wrong with her sister. Where did everything go wrong?
When Samhain came along and the Ritual of Calling was announced, she wondered if maybe her questions would be answered in some way. She had never studied Rituals and how they worked, if they even did. Rhea's warning made it seem like the Ritual would have a real effect. So she waited for everyone else to be asleep in the circle and Severus watched over her as she called on her sister. Nothing happened. She was confused as everyone else was clearly out because of magic. She tried calling Vernon and still nothing happened. Mad with herself for believing she wished she could speak to her mother to get some clarity of what she did wrong. Her eyes closed and she collapsed. "Oh Lily, even I can't say exactly where you went wrong, only that you did." There, standing in front of the stove was Jane Evans. "Mom?" Her mother huffed. "Who else would I be? You called, didn't you?" Lily rubbed her arm as her eyes looked around. It was her mother's kitchen back in her parent's first house. The place she knew her mother always called home. "I didn't think the ritual was working. I called Petunia and nothing happened."
Jane looked at her daughter. "No, nothing would. Petunia's soul doesn't exist in either world." Lily frowned, "What does that mean?" The woman shrugged her shoulders. "How should I know. I wasn't raised in magic nor did I see her end. If you ever dare to know, ask Dorea. She watched it all." Lily stilled. "Dorea? What did she see?" Jane's glare made Lily step back. " Everything . Death is meant to be a kindness, a rest for the deceased. For 7 long, bloody years, Dorea Potter watched your daughter suffer every horror Vernon could inflict on your child. I myself only saw a few occasions, as we can't normally linger in the world of the living unless we become ghosts. Dorea, however, was stuck there. If you want to know what happened, you'd have to ask Dorea, though that woman might just crack the Veil to kill you for abandoning her grandchild. If I had magic, I would certainly try." Lily's eyes filled with tears. "I didn't know."
Jane nodded. "You didn't and ignorance isn't a sin, but in this case it might as well be. You chose to stay away from your child, thinking she was safe. Petunia never loved the girl. The money went straight to Vernon, who squandered it. When Halley was five and the payments ended, Vernon blamed her." Jane shuddered. "The things he did to her. I heard her beg for death. Beg. No one should hear their grandchildren beg for death and yet your father, myself and the Potters did. Dorea could tell you the exact number of times her granddaughter asked for her suffering to end." Lily broke down as Jane continued. "So should it surprise you that Rhea cares nothing for you or James? That she hates the name associated with her torment?" Lily looked at her mother, her face covered in tears. "She warned me not to call on the dead. She must still care." Jane huffed. "That is her sense of duty. God knows how she still has one. As your employer she needs to look out for you, so she does. As a Healer she cannot stand to see others hurt unless they deserved it. As a Black, she cannot wish your death, if it leaves Henry suffering. That is duty, not a daughter's love."
Lily nodded, knowing her mother was right. "I don't know what to do anymore." Jane pulled her daughter up. "You stop letting things happen without knowing about them for one. Henry confided in James and that Dumbledore fellow about that horrible woman but not you. You learned about his hand after Rhea Black confronted the Headmaster in front of you. Everything that has happened to your children has happened because you didn't know. Fix that. Look after the family you have left. Care for them. Watch over them with a critical eye. You have left the Order that your husband is practically married to. Open those Evan's eyes of yours and use your head. Learn, think, know whatever you can. Do it now before it's too late." Jane looked at her daughter with sadness. "Your son's life is in danger. If you allow yourself to blindly follow your husband, you may just lose him too." Lily's soul practically shuddered at the thought of losing Henry.
Jane cupped her daughter's face. "You came here seeking answers and now you have them. Make of them what you will. You have made a great many mistakes. The Blacks hate for you is deep, yet even they allow you the mercy of caring for your son. Don't squander this gift. The Dead usually cannot aid the living without a price, yet here I am, giving you a chance. Take it. Now go. Your son will soon need you. He needs to hear that blind faith will only get him so far." The room turned black as her mother's spirit walked away. Lily caught sight of her dad waiting for his wife and taking her hand before they vanished. She looked around and saw the Great Hall as many began to stir. Severus pulled her up and helped her leave the room, her eyes watering instantly. Severus never spoke a word as he left her in her room to look after his students. Her mother's words about Halley's life haunted her in her dreams the next few nights.
Lily touched her mother's face in the photo with her fingers. "I can't ever forgive myself for Halley. I don't think you and dad ever will either. But I promise you both. I won't fail Henry anymore. I will look after him as I should have from the beginning." She stored the picture in her pocket as she stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face was covered in tears. She would work through it. For her son's safety and future. In penance for failing her daughter. She would look after her family. Never again would she not know what happens to them. Never again.
- -
Hermione felt off from the moment she woke up. She had felt weird ever since the Samhain Ritual two weeks prior but this morning the sensation was more insistant. Not that she would ever blame Rhea or the Ritual for how she felt. The Samhain Ritual had been more than she ever expected it to be. To see, hear and feel her Grandpa again. To talk with him about being a witch, about hoping he was happy for her and to actually hear him give his support for everything in her life. For that fleeting moment she was back in Grandpa's living room, the warm fire crackling in the fireplace. She was home. She was sure she had cracked Rhea's ribs when she woke up, not that Rhea complained. Hermione blushed when she saw Rhea casting Healing Magic on her head but
not once did her friend admonish her. The Gryffindors, though, had been less than happy when she got back. She had thought she might need to draw her wand when Professor Potter walked in and started yelling at them to leave her be. Lily had looked horrible. The Head of Gryffindor House eventually seemed to catch a second wind and took to her job with fervour. Henry also got a bit of an earful for bugging Hermione about the Ritual the morning after.
The change in Lily Potter was noticed by all, including Rhea, who gave Lily a suspicious look before looking at Snape who gave her the most emotionless look Hermione had ever seen. Whatever had happened though, Rhea simply went on directing the school, which had become a bit more subdued but definitely more driven, and certainly happier, while Hermione struggled on what to say to her parents. She eventually settled on the truth and sent a letter home, getting a surprisingly emotional and accepting response, with a note about her having the best of friends and of her very caring family. Hermione had glared at Rhea who admitted to her that she had asked her mom to enlighten the Grangers about what could happen during the Ritual. Rhea received another rib cracking hug and Hermione had to admit that she did have the best friend in the world. Though everything that happened did leave her with a lot of questions. Rhea's behaviour, as well as that of her friends, spoke of them maybe being aware that the Ritual would have the effect that was experienced on Samhain.
Hermione had poured over the Ritual documents the Head of Houses passed along before Samhain, reviewed it with the books on Ritual Magic and Runes in the Library and came out stumped. The Ritual should have helped call the spirits to the participants and allow a communion between them, but not a full blown interaction. It was supposed to be similar to what happened to her in last Samhain, and even that experience was outside the norm. She knew her friends were keeping something a secret from her and she had confronted them about it. Susan pulled her aside and explained that yes, they knew why it happened, but they weren't just going to tell her. They weren't keeping it a secret from her to annoy her or out of a lack of trust. They wanted her to arrive at the conclusion herself and to make up her own mind. What the secret was was important enough that they wanted Hermione to understand it fully. She had felt suitanly dejected after that but she agreed to discover the truth and then discuss the matter with everyone.
It was a good thing this meant a lot of research, because her magic had been off the entire time since. Sometimes it felt overpowered, sending a desk sliding across the room when practicing the banishing spell in class, or it was underpowered, when she tried to summon a book only for it to land on her foot. Today though she tried casting a tempus spell in the morning and nothing happened, which is why she was visiting Pomfrey at the Hospital Wing. The Healer looked at her and grew weary, "Please tell me Mr. Potter isn't in need of my services. I would like to spend a year without him on a medical gurney." Hermione shook her head. "No, it's me this time. My magic has been off and today it seems to just fail." Pomfrey motioned her to sit on the bed and began to cast some diagnostics. She smiled. "You are perfectly fine, Ms. Granger. It just seems you have hit your Magical Maturity early. It hasn't peaked yet, so you are experiencing the imbalance. How long have your problems with your magic been going on?"
Hermione fiddled with her skirt. "Since Samhain." She shrunk under the glare from the Healer. "Miss Granger, while this particular matter isn't life or death, others that are can present similar
symptoms. The next time you are not feeling like yourself or your magic isn't performing like usual, please come visit me. You are also friends with Miss Black, who is a fully certified Healer and could have diagnosed you in a second." Hermione blushed and Madam Pomfrey noticed. "Are you having problems with Miss Black?" Hermione shook her head quickly, "No, it's not that. My friends told me to look something up about the Samhain ritual and I don't want to bother them before I find it." Pomfrey sighed and fetched some Potion vials. "Drink one tonight after dinner, the same for each day afterwards. It's possible your peak could be worse yet so I am ordering you to spend the rest of your free time here or with Miss Black." Hermione bowed her head and nodded. Pomfrey wrote down a few lines on a piece of paper and handed it to Hermione.
Expecting to find a medical referral for class or a written down version of her instructions, Hermione was surprised to see a book title and author. She looked up at the Healer. "There is a lot that is never passed down to first generation wixen, Miss Granger, especially information given down in the Magical Families about signs pertaining to certain unusual magics. This book has the closest you will find to information of that type. Read all the passages carefully as the author had to skirt around censures and editors to share what he could freely. The Light, for all its vaunted support for non-magical rights and the rights of the new generations, are very picky on what they want anyone to read." Madam Pomfrey then gave her a medical exemption from practical work in the rest of her classes until she was given the all clear. Hermione spent her clases thinking about going to the library and renting out the book. She did decide to wait and see if Rhea's personal library had a copy, so she wouldn't be disobeying the Healer.
She knocked on Rhea's door and it swung open. Looking around, she found the chambers empty. "Rhea?" A muffled voice carried into the room. "Taking a bath. Make yourself at home and all. The bookshelf in the family room is free to use, just don't go for my bedroom door or the study." Hermione went to the mentioned bookshelf, noticing the books looked thinner than in the Hogwarts library. Weird. She found the one Pomfrey recommended and pulled it out. The moment she held it in her hand it expanded, looking more like she was used to. Hermione sighed, now having something else to ask Rhea. That trick with the bookshelf was going to be a lifesaver for her. She settled into the couch and began to read. The book spoke of magical legacies found in families, many thought to be extinct or dormant. She read about the metamorphmagus and their ability to shift their bodies with no magical trace or indication, though the skill can manifest in a limited capacity. The Elementals and their unusual trait in wielding all the elements with equal affinity once properly trained, though feared in their youth for the volatility of their magic.
The passage on Blood Magic made her pause. Though heavily outlawed in Western Europe, Blood Mages were considered to be some of the oldest known magic users, usually found historically in temples of worship or court physicians. Of all the affinities, Blood Magic was considered the most likely to manifest in a child born to a Blood Mage, with families tracing back their lineages for centuries if not millenia. Hermione thought back on Dorea Potter's journal on researching Blood Magic and wondered if Rhea and Henry's grandmother had been a Blood Mage and if maybe her friends were too. Looking into the Blood Magic description, she couldn't find anything to suggest this was the secret. She keeps leafing through the book. "Hmmm." Hermione's "eep" and jump made Rhea smile. "Good afternoon Hermione, bit of light reading?" Hermione glared at her friend as she picked up the book, though her glare ended in a blush. Her friend was dressed but her hair was still wet. That normally would have been fine, but her thoughts after seeing it turned into what the hair would feel like if she ran her fingers through it. She tried very
hard to pull her mind away from those thoughts.
"Madam Pomfrey suggested this book while I wait for my Magical Maturity to reach its peak. She ordered me either here or the Hospital Wing." Rhea's smirk vanished as her hand came to Hermione's head, feeling her temperature. "You do have a bit of a fever and your magic is out of sync. Would it bother you if I offered you my guestroom? Waking up as the Maturity peaks is known to be quite stressful." Hermione focused on her answer rather than on Rhea's hand. Her friend had gotten very careful with who she touched ever since she came back after her long absence but she never shied away from touching her. "I think I will take your offer. Pomfrey might just drag me to the Hospital Wing if I go back to Gryffindor Tower." Rhea pulled her hand away. "Typsy." The Hogwarts elf popped in. "Could you inform Professor Potter and Madam Pomfrey that Hermione Granger will be staying with me until her Maturity peaks. It would be wonderful if you could bring her trunk and items from her room over as well. I doubt medieval clothes or my own would be comfortable for her." Typsy nodded. "Typsy be informing the Witch Healer and Lady Potter. Lady Raven's Hermione's trunk will be in the guest room soon." Typsy popped away.
Hermione frowned as Rhea blushed. "What did she mean by that?" Rhea sighed. "Elves have a different view on what belonging to someone means. Part of their quirks as elves. Living in the same Apartment, House or Room, especially if one person has full claim rather than a shared dorm, translates in their minds to romantic or familial relationships." Hermione blushed as she sat down. She had gotten a short explanation after the first year when she met the Potter's elf. Guess there are more nuances to elves than she thought. She pulled up the book and went back to reading as Rhea went into her room. A few minutes later she came back out and sat on the other end of Hermione's three seat couch. The two read in silence as Hermione went through the pages, not seeing anything match her friend's description. Then she turned the page and found an odd entry. Didn't her friends tell her about this?
Death Magic, colloquially known as Necromancy, is considered the rarest affinity. Though it runs in bloodlines, it has a tendency to skip generations, even to the point that any reference to it is lost among the family of the individual that manifests it. It is considered the least academically studied branch of magic for the dual reasons that Necromancers refuse to share the knowledge unless to other Necromancers and because Abrahamic Faiths have inspired fear, violence and the persecution of those who practiced it. Magical Families not at odds with them tend to protect any information or evidence of Necromancy if one is present. The Olde Ways speak highly of Necromancers, as they are regarded as healers of the soul. Entire villages, cities and even city states have been raised to the ground by those who oppose the existence of Necromancers, as the people in their care would never dare harm them. In a region where Necromancers can be found living quietly, it is not unusual for them to linger close to graveyards or Temples of the Dead. Death Omens are known to be visible and friendly to them at all times, though magical creatures often avoid them. Those who are in proximity notice a cold aura around them, even more noticeable when they cast magic.
Huh. Hermione blinked at the page. She remembered her friend's concern about Rhea being branded a Necromancer during Samhain and the book certainly explained why they were worried. To literally kill thousands because of one person's magic seemed utterly barbaric to her, and quite
sad. It's odd that the short entry doesn't mention their supposed ability to raise corpses. Is it a lie or is it something that Necromancers themselves don't like doing? Susan mentioned that the Inferi were a Ritual Magic creation, not true Necromancy. She looked over at her friend sitting across the sofa from her. The book in front of her was the Herbology textbook. Her friend really had trouble in that class. The plants didn't like being touched by her. Wait…
The thought made her still. At Samhain, she had felt the magic of the ritual. It had been cold. Was Rhea's magic always cold? Not in duels or when she cared for the younger year students. She did remember after her past was exposed though. Ron had complained to Henry that he couldn't drag her to the Gryffindor Table because his hand got cold and lost all feeling. The night they found Mara on Patrol, she had felt a deep cold chill around Rhea for a second. She went into a deeper recollection of her memories that she didn't notice her hands going numb, at least not until the book dropped to the ground. Her friend rushed to her side. "Hermione, you ok?" Hermione tried to focus on the moment but her skin felt off. "I … don't know." Rhea casted diagnostics and frowned. "I think you're hitting your peak. How are your legs?" Hermione tried standing up but failed. She felt Rhea slip her arms beneath her shoulders and under her knees. "Can't levitate you because your magic could react badly to it. Give me a moment." Hermione thought that she ought to be blushing or apologizing but right now she couldn't. Her head was very fuzzy. She felt a soft bed under her.
For hours the sensation of being fuzzy lingered, as her body felt so light and fluffy. She could feel a presence next to her the whole time, a gentle touch of magic brushing against hers. It felt cold but comfortable. Eventually she dreamed. It was a warm dream of seeing first years playing with the aguamenti spell against each other. She remembers yelling at Rhea who just smirked at her with that annoyingly playful look. The kids were happy though, running around, getting each other wet until everyone was just soaked. Rhea teached them the drying spell, even though it was also meant for older years, yet the kids managed it in one afternoon. It took them all a few tries but they got it. The entire morning was spent watching kids get each other wet, drying themselves and repeating it all over again. It was stupid, childish and probably against the rules. It had been one of the best mornings she remembered. The smile on Rhea's face never wavered. Hermione eventually went back to her room and washed her face. She hadn't realized she had been smiling too until she looked in the mirror.
She turned over in the bed and slowly opened her eyes. Rhea was still reading a book besides her. She didn't look up. "Good dream?" Hermione nodded. "Yeah. More of a memory though. How long was I out?" Rhea casted a wandless tempus. "Late afternoon and all night. Pomfrey came by and checked on you before letting the staff know you'd be missing classes today." Hermione wanted to complain but she settled down. Probably for the best. "Rhea…" Her friend turned the page on her book. "Hmmm?" Hermione bit her lip. One question at a time. "Are you a Necromancer?" Her friend froze for a second before closing her book. Her cyan eyes looked at her directly. They really are pretty eyes. "I am." A small moment of silence stretched out between them before Hermione snuggled back into her pillow. "Cool. Thanks for Samhain by the way. Both of them." Rhea blinked before a cautious smile appeared on her face. "Not a problem." She went back to her book. "Rituals can vary based on the caster's affinities?" Rhea nodded, "Mine makes Rituals concerning spirits and corpses more potent." The mention of corpses reminded her of Inferi. "Is that something you do, work with corpses?" Rhea looked over at her friend. "It's disgusting, but I need to study it. Did figure out how to turn them off, so no Inferi can ever attack Hogwarts." Hermione
could see the value in that. Knowing how a curse manifested was the easiest way to counter it. Moody and Bellatrix go over that a lot.
Hermione thought about what knowing her affinity could mean as a Ritualist. "Is there a way for me to know my affinity?" Rhea smiled at her. "If I invite you and your parents to New Years Eve with the Blacks, would you come?" Hermione thought about it. "Seeing as Mom and Dad are getting along great with your Mom, I think so. Will need to owl them a letter though." Rhea nodded. "Nyx will be here soon so you can send it through her. Come early with your parents before the party and I can get you through an affinity ritual. You should have a good idea what Rituals you can work on better than others before you select the elective come July." The two slipped into comfortable silence as Hermione looked at her friend. It was a weird thing. The moment she thought her friend was Halley Potter, she went through a crisis, unsure how she should treat her. Here they were, with Hermione learning Rhea's secret and she didn't feel like anything had changed. Rhea could make corpses move and call spirits to her, but she was still Rhea. She was still her friend, and she was still the same funny, smart and wonderful person Hermione was falling in love with. She wanted to tell Rhea how she felt but she felt it might be too soon. She also needed to talk to her Mom and maybe approach the Blacks. She wanted to do it the right way.
Chapter End Notes
So, how was it?
Next Chapter?: Yule but with some interruptions
I am one scene away from being done with the story of Blood and Magic, minus revisions and scenes being added. I am terrified, but also relieved. This has been a great expirience and I hope you all enjoy what's to come as I prepare my next story.
Please comment, discuss and I will see you all in two days.
All I Want for Yule
Chapter Notes
Because I am in a great mood and you all have been great, here is the next Chapter early. Hope you like it.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Voldemort stood at the front gates of Azkaban, his Death Eaters spreading out with their garb on and wands out, preparing to capture the Fortress and reclaim his followers. Barty and a recovered Selwyn had managed to warp the edges of the wards on the pier, giving them a fixed point to use as a point of entry. The only thing standing between him and his people now were a small skeleton crew of guards, courtesy of Yule celebrations, and the Dementors. Any reinforcements would be delayed by the ferry having to transport them in. Once he had the Dementors on his side, none of that would matter. Azkaban would be his. He had succeeded in enlisting their aid in the past and he would do so again. He and Barty watched as a group of Dementors moved towards them, the temperature dropping with their presence, their black cloaks stirring in the strong winds. He casted the translation spell that the Ministry had developed to speak with the creatures in order to negotiate for their stay. Now it would be used to turn them against the Ministry. "Creatures of Cold and Shadow, I have arrived on your shores once more to retrieve my imprisoned brethren and to ask for your aid in my conquests once again. As promised, you will be free to roam the lands of Britain again under our rule." Voldemort waited to see if they would turn to each other and deliberate as they did before. This time though, there was no hesitation or deliberation. " No ."
The Death Eaters looked at each other as Voldemort tried to process what just happened. The creature didn't even think about his words. "The Ministry has you bound to this rock, isolated from those you may feast from, they cannot offer you better. I can and have." The Dementors hovered before him, their magic growing thicker in the air. A harsh voice echoed in his ears as the translation spell translated it's words. " Mistress commands us all now. We serve the Mistress and no other. We have our commands. " Voldemort paled. It seemed his guess as to a new enemy was correct. For them to have secured Azkaban before him was far more than he expected them to have achieved since they blocked his attacks against the mudbloods. "What name does your Mistress go by?" The Dementors leaned their heads to the side. " Mistress is Mistress ." He glared at the creatures, gaining nothing of value from his question. He drew his wand and allowed his magic to build up. "I will not hesitate to destroy my enemies. My allies are within your walls and I will retrieve them." The Dementors spreaded out as more spilled out from the fortress, causing his Death Eaters to waver. He growled in his throat as the Death Eater closest to him spoke again. " The Mistress ordered us to guard the vile and violent here. We will do so. " Voldemort unleashed curses from his wand at the black cloaked creatures as they launched themselves across the air, targeting his forces. Of all the possibilities he considered, the Dementors refusing to obey him wasn't one of them. None of his forces could manage a Patronus and the longer he engaged the creatures, the more likely they could kill his men.
Concerned over losing his forces, Voldemort mustered up the concentration to unleash Fiendfyre in a controlled manner. The Creatures scattered and he had to control it enough not to burn his followers, but he managed to direct it at the Fortress' gates. His attacks seemed to be working as the wards protecting the gate wavered, until a Dementor rushed him, forcing him on to the ground while gripping his neck and attempting to draw out his soul. He did not want to test how well his Horcruxes worked as anchors against a Dementor's Kiss. He cancelled the Fienfyre directed at the gate and unleashed it point blank at the Dementor on top of him. The creature screeched in pain as its grip loosened and Voldemort pushed with his fire to consume the creature. He forced the creature onto the ground with the sheer force of his magic. "Time to test whether you really are beyond Death. Maybe this will convince your kind to abandon this wretched island and serve me!" He pushed harder against the creature, his Findfyre becoming a Basilisk and devouring it in its flames. Despite the pain that consumed it, the Creature screamed out a word that the spell couldn't translate. " Mistress !" For some reason every being on the island shuddered at the noise.
The shudder was felt by Rhea as she dropped her glass of wine, the noise of breaking glass drawing the attention of all the Prasinos family around her. Like all Yules since beginning Hogwarts, she was at the Prasinos Chateau in France with her family, enjoying a peaceful night away from Britain and just having fun with the younger kids. Tonight, after having her cousins raise and drop a wave of snow on their parents, she had gone inside and had been enjoying a bit of alcohol courtesy of her grandmother in order to just relax. So much for that. Rhea heard the call of " Mistress " echoing across the Veil, her skin tingling in repressed magic. The voice and the tone left no doubt in her mind who it was from. Sirius and Sabrina were quickly by her side when she gave them a sad smile. "The Creatures of Death are calling me. I have to answer." Both her parents don't find the sound of that pleasant but Sabrina hugged her daughter. "Please come back safe and make sure you aren't recognized." Rhea nodded and summoned her Peverell Regalia, switching into it by magic before summoning Nix and traversing the Veil. Her Familiar knows where to go as it followed the source of the disturbance in the Veil. Disillusioned, scent masked and silenced, Rhea landed on Azkaban, seeing the Death Eaters all round the island, fighting off Dementors as best they could.
Her attention was instantly drawn to the screams of pain filling the Veil from one of her kin as she watched Voldermort incinerate them with Fiendfyre. Her body grew deathly cold as she started casting bone bursting and leg snapping spells at Voldemort and his closest Death Eaters. The Dark Lord ended the Fiendfyre as he dodged the spells coming from a disillusioned foe. He casted revealing charms with a wide range but the enemy remained concealed, their spells landing devastating hits on his closest allies. Two spells spilled past him only for him to hear his men scream in terror. Those spells unleashed two fully independent Fiendfyre canine like creatures, which proceed to attack and slaughter his men. His numbers would dwindle further if he lingered on the blasted island. He turned to the Dementors. "You and your Mistress will pay for these creatures. I, Lord Voldemort, will bring death and destruction upon you all! Fall back!" He ducked down as a Bone Exploding curse just barely missed his head. His new enemy wasn't shy about killing. Not in the least. The Death Eaters retreated to the piers where one by one they apparated away until only Voldemort remained as his Fiendfyre Basilisk blocked the Canines path. He debated casting a Dark Mark and decided to err on caution. He failed to free his followers but his cover was still mostly intact. Best to keep it that way. He apparated away.
Rhea looked on as the Death Eaters vanished, shifting her disillusionment into Veil Cover,
allowing the Dementors to see and hear her but no one else. She rushed to the charred body of the Dementor that had been devoured by Fiendfyre, her scans showing its essence breaking apart. Rhea began to weep as the creature turned to her. It's voice was harsh and raspy, with coughs breaking up his words. " Mistress. … The enemy came. … We guarded … as ordered. No vile souls … escaped. " Its voice was growing weaker as it spoke. Rhea allowed her magic to embrace the Dementor's. " You did as ordered, Creature of Death. Your Mistress is pleased by your service even as she weeps for your pain. " The Dementor struggled to speak. " Mistress … need not weep. We live … to serve. May … we rest now? " Rhea heard the meaning behind its words. Her tears refused to stop. " Rest as much as you need. You have honored your fellows and your Mistress. " A death rattle escaped the Dementor as it collapsed in on itself. From its limp black shroud a black mist rose and gathered into an orb before its color changed. Rhea's eyes remain fixed on it as the Dementor's remaining essence reformed, becoming a soul.
Reaching out with her hands she found she could hold the soul. It felt clean and unburdened. Rhea started laughing even as she cried. " Go on, my friend. You are free. You are finally free ." The soul pulsed warmth into her hand as it faded into the Veil. She leant down and collected her Dementor's Shroud. He had honored her by his service all the way to his end. She would honor him in her own way. She would honor them all. She turned to one of the other Dementors. " Are the marked vile ones within the fortress gone ?" The Creature nodded its head. " Yes, Mistress ." Rhea sighed. At least Voldemort won't have any loyal reinforcements, no matter what. This should delay him further. " Tell me what was said and happened. " After the Dementors informed her what happened when Voldemort arrived, she left behind instructions to not reveal her existence to anyone else and to say that their actions on the prisoners were in response to an old order never rescinded. She knew the order existed as her ancestor gave it a long time ago, his notes being among those she found in her family's study. The deception should keep Dumbledore and the others from knowing too much about what really happened, at least she hoped. Though perhaps it would be best to talk with Snape and get his input.
Traveling to Hogwarts from Azkaban, Rhea almost got knocked over by said Professor on his way out of the Dungeons. "Do I want to know why you are in the Castle, Miss Black?" Rhea casted a privacy ward on herself and kept pace with him. "That depends. Are you being summoned by a snake or a goat?" Severus gave her a smirk. "Technically it's both, as I am requested to visit said goat after the snake. Can't be seen spending too much time out of the Castle after all." Rhea digested what he said. "Severus, you do know you don't have to go, right? Dumbledore can't force you anymore and you are safe here from Voldemort." The Potion Master slowed his movements, his face not betraying his thoughts. "That may be so, Miss Black. However, we both know this war won't end until both of them are completely out of commission. The goat has his clubhouse, as does the snake. I am free to observe each and we can plan accordingly. That was the reason why you came to the Castle, is it not?" Rhea nodded. "I came because I have a feeling as to why you are being summoned. If you are serious about continuing to place your life in danger, then leave messages for me during our tutoring sessions that don't betray any oaths. I will handle the rest. Sadly, asking now what I came for would be unwise." Severus nodded. " Agreed. I will leave some notes with Flitwick as to your performance. Be sure to read them soon, before the start of term."
Not wishing to leave her teacher feeling alone, Rhea escorted him to the wardline and watched him apparate away. She would have asked him about Azkaban but he would already have to deal with both Legilimens. Best not give him anything they could focus on. Keeping Voldemort
distracted by an unknown threat might work, but would Dumbledore fall for it too, or would he take advantage of the situation? She wasn't sure. Rhea returned late at night on Yule and found her parents sleeping on the sofa in their joined chambers. She brewed some tea and woke them up carefully. Both were happy about her success and surprised about the Dementor soul incident. Rhea had a lot to read on her fellow Creatures of Death. Right now, though, she settled down between her parents as they all pitched in ideas on what to do as she penned a letter to Gringotts. Tonight, in her eyes, was a declaration of war. The death of one of her charges, regardless of what came after, would not stand. Nyx took the finished letter and travelled to London. Rhea had rightly focused on getting Hogwarts up to speed. Now, it was time to get properly into the war. The Gringotts security force had already injured the Death Eaters, and Rhea just added more damage, but that wasn't enough. Voldemort and Dumbledore had half a year on her in preparations, strategies and positioning their forces, while her family had been shoring up their defenses and those most vulnerable to collateral damage. Now it was time to get to work on an offensive strategy.
- -
Hermione was regretting coming over to the Potter Manor for Christmas. All the invited guests were more concerned with talking about politics or fighting Voldemort than actually celebrating the season. The whole place felt less like a Christmas party and more like a political get together. A part of her had wanted to be with Rhea on Christmas but she understood why she couldn't. The Malfoys and the extended Black Family gathered together for Yule, but Rhea and her parents would go to France to spend time with her mother's family. It reminded Hermione of whenever she would visit her Grandparents during Christmas every year. She would be seeing Grandma tomorrow, bringing back a gift her Grandfather had suggested during Samhain. She hoped it made her Grandmother happy as losing Grandpa had been really hard on her. Hermione sighed as she tugged on her dress, feeling it uncomfortable tight on her chest. Despite its enchantments to make it stretch to fit her body, her recent maturity had made her body grow in places. Susan had been most helpful in getting her all settled with her underwear issues, though she was curious as to why her friend kept offering her very skimpy choices. Did she know of her intentions? It had been funny though watching Rhea sulk a little. Her own maturity didn't make her need any great adjustments to her clothing, which Hermione would have appreciated more. She knew for a fact her parents had essentially bought her a new wardrobe for Christmas.
"Happy Christmas, Miss Granger." Hermione smiled at Dumbledore, burying stray thoughts and raising Occlumency barriers. "Happy Christmas, Professor." Even if he was fired from Hogwarts, he had been a Professor before. Any of the former faculty technically kept their title once out. Though she still had to be cautious not to call him Headmaster. That would be rude. "Lily and Minerva have been quite pleased with your scores this year. Have you considered what profession you might pursue?" Hermione had to think about her response. The Light families around her would certainly not like her decision to pursue a career as a Ritualist. "I have been looking at Enchanting or Warding, but I am not too certain which to take. I am told it's easier to decide once NEWT courses begin to focus on these subjects more." The former Headmaster
nodded. "Indeed and those are fine professions to consider. Have you also given much thought about the current state of affairs?" Hermione knew he was looking for something. Rhea and Daphne had been teaching her about spotting double meanings and attempts to gather information, though Rhea was such a tease about it. "I have kept apprised of the happening of Magical Britain, but until things get more dangerous, there isn't more to do but prepare as I have been." The old man stroked his beard. "Have you thought about lending your talents to the Order?"
There was the pitch. So that is what he was fishing for. "I have, sir. I am, however, still 16 and not yet graduated from Hogwarts. Unless Voldemort becomes far more of an active threat, I wish to continue my education." Hermione saw that her answer wasn't very satisfying to the former Headmaster. "I can see the merit behind that Miss Granger, but have you thought about what that could also mean to Henry? Joining the Order early could prove invaluable to your friend." Hermione wanted to curse the man. Rhea had explained that the reason none of their friends outright told Hermione about her Necromancy was because they didn't want her to just accept their word and trap her with her sense of responsibility to them. They wanted her to make up her own mind, free of influence. She had researched Necromancers after asking Rhea and much of the same things she heard were repeated. Any books written by certain authors demonized the practice, while the more neutral books called Necromancers forces of nature that should be respected as well as feared. She was allowed to come to her own conclusion, without being manipulated. Dumbledore was using every trick in the book to get her to commit to his views and his terms. Doing it in such a public setting among like minded Wixen was a way of ensuring her cooperation. She hated that she could now see his manipulations. It made her question a lot about her early years at Hogwarts.
"I care about my friend, sir, but until the situation changes I need to focus on my studies. Despite the new laws in place, muggleborns still have a harder job finding employment, so I need to make sure my grades are beyond reproach." The jab at the current state threw Dumbledore off, especially since he was partly responsible for never proposing more progressive changes to the employment laws. He nodded. "Yes, I suppose you're correct. Enjoy your evening, Miss Granger." He walked on, probably looking for a new person to con into his Order. She walked around and talked with some of her dormmates when the main chimney became a Floo terminal and Scrimgeour's voice yelled out. "Potter! There has been an attack mounted against Azkaban. Get yourself and the Aurors there with you down to the docks now. I am calling Bones right after." James cursed. "Jones, come with me. Shacklebolt, you too. We might need some back up." Dumbledore stopped him for a moment. "I will return to Headquarters and call the rest of our fighters just in case, as well as check on Severus. If he isn't there, he might get summoned soon." James nodded as Dumbledore called for his phoenix and flashed away as James and his group left via Floo.
The party got very quiet after that and Hermione slipped outside. The Backyard's Quidditch field was covered in snow and the quiet night was decidedly more pleasant than the tense atmosphere of the party inside. "Hermione?" She sighed as her moment of peace was disturbed as she turned and saw Henry coming over. "Any word on your Dad?" He shrugged. "They just got on the ferry since apparating onto the island is impossible because of the wards." Hermione nodded and looked back at the scenery. Apparently Henry wasn't interested in ending the conversation. "When we get back to Hogwarts, would you… like to go to Hogsmeade with me?" Hdrmione frowned. "We already do that Henry." He shook his head. "Not with Ron and Neville. Just you and
me. … Like on a date." Hermione's thoughts crashed in her head. "Are you asking me out?" Henry nodded. "Yeah, I guess I am." Hermione closed her eyes. If she had been 13 years old she would have said yes. She had crushed on Henry since the Troll incident. But the last few years really opened her eyes on what he was like and what she looked for in a romantic partner. Rhea popped into her mind with that thought, her playful and happy laugh calming her mind. "I'm sorry Henry, but I don't think of you like that. You're my friend and I don't like hurting you, but I can't go on a date with you."
Henry's shoulders slumped. "I just thought… since you spent so much time with us, I thought you liked me like that. Is it Ron or Neville? Do you like one of them?" Hermione bit her cheek. Best not to look or sound utterly offended. "Neville seems quite happy with Hannah and he is just a nice guy friend. Ron… isn't for me. Don't get me wrong, he has his good points. But he really doesn't strike me as good boyfriend material for me." Henry thought about it and nodded. "Ok, but is there someone you like?" Hermione frowned, thinking what was best to say. "There is and I am determined to pursue them. I can't tell you before them though. It wouldn't be proper." Henry nodded. "Kay. If you ever change your mind, let me know." He waved at her when suddenly he cringed and held his head as he grunted in pain. Hermione rushed to the door leading inside the manor and called out. "Mrs. Potter, come quick. Something is happening to Henry!" The redhead rushed over and had the family elf apparate her son away to his room, but not before telling Hermione to Floo call Dumbledore.
She was allowed in the room with Henry and stayed until Dumbledore and James showed up together. "The assault on Azkaban was a bust. By the time the ferry landed, the Death Eaters were all gone. Some of the guards swore they saw and heard Voldemort, but none got a good look. The Dementors pushed them away." Hermione frowned. "Didn't Voldemort use the Dementors in the last war?" Dumbledore nodded. "He did indeed, Miss Granger. This is quite a surprising turn of events." Henry crumpled his blanket on his lap. "He tried to get them to listen but someone got to them first. All he got was the phrase "Mistress."" Hermione looked at her friend as everyone else looked disturbed. Wait, the way he said that was if he knew about what Voldemort was thinking. How, there is no way he could… The nightmares and Occlumency lessons came to her mind. How hard he tries to learn it even though he has trouble managing it. Were the nightmares more than nightmares? Dumbledore's next words seem to confirm it for her. "Was there anything else you caught?" Henry frowned. "Someone other than the Dementors was on the island, they were disillusioned and throwing spells at the Death Eaters. Voldemort retreated after seeing some of his men get hit badly."
James frowned. "The only dead Death Eaters were inside Azkaban." He saw everyone stare at him with surprise. "The Dementors took the attack badly and used a very old standing order that allowed them to Kiss anyone serving Life sentences in case of an attack. Every imprisoned Death Eater and a few other criminals got Kissed last night. Fudge is going to have a hard time explaining this away though he might manage to dismiss who it was leading the attack and he is already struggling with the Umbridge case dragging his reputation through the mud. The Dementors didn't say anything about a wixen helping them out though." Dumbldore hummed. "Perhaps they were an agent of this Mistress and refused to out them?" James thought about it. "Makes sense. I'll pass some of this information to Amelia. I am sure the Dementors calling someone Mistress will be a concern of hers too." Hermione excused herself and Floo traveled back home. She threw herself onto her bed in her underwear, relieved to be out of the confining dress, and stared at the ceiling.
Henry's nightmares now became more dangerous. Her promise to Rhea came to mind and she bit her lip. Should she tell her? Maybe not yet. After she and Rhea meet on New Years and settled her affinity and everything, then she would tell her. She turned over and thought about pretty cyan eyes as sleep finally took her.
- -
"Welcome my friend. Please, sit. What can Gringotts Albion do for you today?" Rhea sat down and drank from the Goblin drink Ragnok placed in front of her. A very alcoholic drink. Ignoring the burning in her throat and the knowing grin on the Goblin's face, she got down to business. "Gringotts must have heard about the attack on Azkaban. The action taken by the Gaunt Heir demonstrates that he is beginning to grow restless or was overconfident in his plans. My kin mentioned his failed recruitment. This last failure will delay him but his next attack will be grander and I fear the loss of his followers in Azkaban and his expected Dementors will mean that he will seek allies elsewhere. I wish to use our combined influence to keep the other races from lending him official or significant support." Ragnok drank from his mug. "Mmm, your assessment is very likely to be the case. As Chieftain I am already in contact with various other representatives of the other races. While we have sour relations with the Dwarves, we can certainly do business of this importance. The Vampires and Veelas as well. Our only issues would be the Werewolves and the Court Fae. While the laws have helped Werewolf populations stabilize, they still remain disorganized."
Rhea thought about that for a moment. "Greyback's previous support of Voldemort probably marks him as an enemy. Not to mention his crimes are beyond forgiveness." The Goblin Chieftain nodded and Rhea looked at her drink. She really didn't want to take another sip. "Remus Lupin is also likely to keep a few Weres on Dumbledore's side, if not Neutral. This means we don't have a specific target for representation." Rhea looked at the Chieftain. "Would contracts with the House of Peverell be viable enough to secure the Were population's Neutrality?" The Goblin gave her a toothy smile. "A bit higher in up front cost from you, but providing safe lands for transformations, a supply of wolfsbane potion and more support for them in the Wizengamot might do it." Rhea nursed her drink. "I think the last part needs to have a delay clause. All our enemies know is that a "Mistress" is behind the Dementors staying put. Keeping this "Mistress'' separate from me is probably the best course of action. My parents will sleep better for it too." Thank the Goddess that Snape was willing to share that bit of info on the Order's knowledge. He couldn't share the source because of a vow though, which had Rhea concerned. She downed the drink with one toss back.
Ragnok poured her another drink, smiling as she paled. "I agree. I will see if we can create a false persona for this "Mistress." I have some ideas that will be perfect for it, but until we can get agreements from the organized creatures, it's best to keep the details minimal." Rhea nodded as she nursed the new drink while her mind looked up a detox spell. The potion would not be viable and could be seen as a sign of weakness, not to mention how disgusting it was. She frowned at something Ragnok had mentioned. "You said disorganized yet you mentioned the Court Fae. How
does that work?" Ragnok drank his Gin, watching Rhea glare at him, since she knew he just dared her to drink hers. He grinned wider. "The Fae Courts aren't what they once were. So many Fae have moved into the Otherworlds. Right now you'd be looking at getting a request to travel through Albion. Elves, Dryads, Fairies, Merfolk, Centaurs and water Nymphs. Select one of the old meeting places, make the call with the proper protocol and just wait. Once they come through, that's the hard part. The needs of the Fae aren't what they once were. You may have to use all your resources to secure their aid or quite a few for just neutrality." Rhea threw back the drink into her throat and turned the shot glass over, declaring her intent even as her throat burned and her skin flushed. Good thing Grandma Serah had gotten her started on wine a year ago. She still had a memory sectioned off from the night her Grandmother kept her to drink enough to get wasted. She didn't need to know because she refused to get wasted ever again.
"Very well, share what you can and let's get started. Something tells me we have a lot of work ahead." Ragnok chuckled. "We do indeed, my friend. A bit of advice though. When you go see the Fae, take your friend with Fae Sight with you." Rhea didn't like the sound of that. "My Mage Sight is enough to see Fae Magic. Why? Do you expect trouble?" The old Goblin shook his head in merriment. "We will make a Goblin out of you yet, my friend. No, it's just that the Fae have a great deal of love for those born with Fae Sight. The only trouble you would find is that your friend will become quite busy handling the Fae. Having someone like her in their lives is like a blessing from the gods." Rhea thought about it. "I will ask her, though I know what her answer will be. At least she will be amongst friends." Ragnok lifted his mug at Rhea in a toast. "Indeed. Here is to being amongst friends in the most interesting of times."
- -
Hermione didn't want to compare parties. It wouldn't be fair, but she couldn't help herself. The New Year's Eve celebration at Grimmauld Place was a lot more comfortable than the Christmas party at the Potters. Sure, there was some political and business discussion but they were relatively short and the questions about families and children seemed much more genuine. It certainly made her question a lot of what she heard about the Neutrals and the Dark Families from the Gryffindor Common Room. Of course, having Susan, Hannah, Daphne and Astoria around helped out a lot, though Susan had been teasing her the whole night. At least her new dress certainly fitted her better than the last. Her mom had practically dragged her to Diagon Alley to get her a new dress for the occasion after her complaints after Christmas and as much as shopping was an experience she wasn't ever likely to get used to, it was definitely necessary. She desperately hoped Rhea liked her dress though. She hadn't seen her friend since she arrived earlier to her home. Even then she could tell her friend looked a little tired. When Hermione asked her, all Rhea said was that her new businesses with Gringotts were very time consuming and she was hoping to get it all mostly done before heading back to Hogwarts.
Rhea did drag her down to the Ritual Chamber and allowed Hermione to examine the Runic Circle, the materials and the instruments. Hermione could see where Rhea got her Greek heritage
from, as the Circle was inscribed in Ancient Greek and the bowls and knife were all bronze. The ritual went fairly quickly, though Hermione had though the ritual needle wound would hurt more. Having a Healer help with casting Rituals needing blood was probably a wise idea. Once the runic circle's magic settled they looked inside the central bowl and found two objects. Rhea smiled at her friend. "This is a gemstone conglomeration that focuses specifically on mental fortification. It means you have an affinity for Mind Magics, which explains your ease with Occlumency. You might be really good at Legilimency, as well as meditations. Any profession that needs mental fortitude, attention to detail and fine motor skills will feel comfortable for you." Hermione liked that and watched Rhea pick up the second and last item. "This is known as chaos glass. It forms when nature and magic have a bit of a hiccup, which tends to happen a decent amount. It's an indicator of Wild Magic or Pure Magic."
Hermione beamed at that. "I remember reading about that. While not the best for people who want to specialize in a particular element or field, it's generally considered the best for those who want to try their hand in more general magical craft." Rhea nodded and placed the glass on Hermione's hand for her to inspect. "Yup, you would make a good tutor, teacher, Ward Layer, Curse Breaker and Ritualist. The latter won't have the issues anyone like me might have with performing Rituals, as they will probably behave exactly as intended. Do remember to enjoy your work though. My magics aren't exactly directed at Healing, but I enjoy it and manage it well enough." Hermione nodded at the moment, happy to know she could really focus on Ritual Magic without too much worry as she eyed the bit of glass she was allowed to keep before they parted ways. She went upstairs with her mom to their guest rooms to get dressed while Rhea went to handle an appointment back at Gringotts. She promised she'd be back for the party. Hermione chatted away with Susan when she saw Draco approach, his parents behind him. Hermione' old prejudices got her a bit worried before she buried the feelings.
She bowed to them. "Good evening, Heir Malfoy." Draco bowed his head. "Good evening Miss Granger, allow me to introduce my parents, Lord Malfoy and Lady Malfoy née Black." Hermione bowed to both. "A pleasure, my Lord and Lady. How were your Yule festivities?" Lucius raised his eyebrow, "Most restful and pleasant, Miss Granger. My son speaks well of you as of late. You have gone through much to learn of our ways. We are glad to see such fervor among the youth." Hermione blushed. "Your son and the Heiress Black were most accommodating. I would not be aware of how many mistakes in etiquette I made were it not for them and the Heiresses Greengrass and Bones." Lucius nodded. "To learn of one's mistakes is important, even for those of use who claim to be wiser. I must admit, I am curious to what professions do you see yourself studying for." Hermione thought back to her moment with Dumbledore. At least here she didn't have to hide.
"I am grateful for your curiosity, Lord Malfoy. I have considered Enchanting and Warding, but I have recently been introduced to Rituals. The subject has caught my attention and I have been considering Ritualist as a possible career if I find it enjoyable." Lucius looked at the girl with surprise but Narcissa beamed. "I hope you enjoy it Miss Granger. Britain could use a proper Ritualist right now. I actually have some books on the subject, if you are interested. I dabbled in them before but I found Enchanting was more of my cup of tea, though I certainly lead the Rituals for our family back home." Hermione lowered her head respectfully. "Thank you for the offer, Lady Malfoy. I would most welcome your recommendations." Narcissa smiled at her, "You may call me Narcissa if you'd like Miss Granger." Hermione smiled back, "Then please, call me
Hermione." What followed was some interesting bits of information about Rituals that Rhea hadn't covered, like the importance of the material used to make the circles and the different materials that could be substituted based on similar magical attributes. Hermione was glad for her Occlumency, or she would have forgotten much of what Narcissa had told her.
She went and took a glass of sparkling grape juice left for the younger attendees when she felt someone stand by her side. "So, Miss Granger. I received the most peculiar letter in the mail earlier this month. I would have been hard pressed to believe it if Nyx herself hadn't delivered it." Hermione swallowed the instant nervousness that sprang up in her throat, placed her drink down and turned around to face the voice, bowing deeply. "My Lady Black-Prasinos, I would like to thank you for the care you and your family have shown mine. I will say that I meant everything I said in that letter." Hermione lifted her head up and her eyes swept the room, which Sabrina noticed. "My daughter has just returned from her business arrangement and Bella has kidnapped her up the stairs to her room to get her into her version of proper attire. I imagine she will be down in some time, plenty enough for you to tell me what I want to know." Sabrina had Hermione follow her to an adjacent room that she makes private via wards. Hermione then confessed to her how her crush on Rhea began, how it developed as she got to know her friend and how she has reached the point where she sees Rhea as the most wonderful life partner.
Sabrina stared at Hermione. "How aware are you of her previous relationship?" Hermione bit her lip, "I watched it form, but Rhea kept it mostly private. She never mentioned why it ended." Sabrina sighed, "I will not betray my daughters privacy, so if you wish to know more, you will have to ask her directly or let her volunteer it. What I can say is that the end to that relationship harmed her greatly, even if she hid it well. She recovered because we as a family supported her, but even I know she still has scars. The fact you are making the first move is a clear indication of that, as my daughter would have pursued you more aggressively if she weren't concerned." Hermione nodded. "I thought about that when she flirted with me a few times. She always waited for me to decide how far to take it." Sabrina looked at Hermione critically as she pulled out the letter. "I made my husband swear to me never to accept a request like this one, Ms Granger. I wanted my daughter to fall in love the old-fashioned way; getting to know a person. The only reason we are talking now is because I know my daughter and she does already know you. She is interested in you and your parents are very wonderful people. Don't you think so, Sirius?"
Hermione "eeped" as a disillusioned Sirius materialized on the other seat in the room. The Lord Black smiled. "I do indeed. Miss Granger, my family is the most important thing in my life. I will raise Hell if necessary for my wife and daughter and my wife's family will tear the world apart for her. Are you prepared to deal with two very overprotective families while courting our daughter?" Hermione summoned her Gryffindor courage and steeled her back. "For her? I am." She blushed as she looked around. "She isn't disillusioned in the room too, is she?" Sabrina smiled and Sirius barked out a laugh before he answered. "Oh no, Rhea is currently getting dragged by Narcissa to meet the invited guests. She's probably running on quite a bit of coffee. Her Goblin business partner is a bit of a slave driver but Rhea refuses to be pushed over by him, so she has trudged on despite low sleep and some drinks she shouldn't be tasting at her age." Hermione frowned as Sabrina smacked Sirius on the back of the head. "What my husband is not saying is that the Goblins have a few customs, including sharing a drink as a sign of friendship and trust. Rhea has been doing that, though she runs a detox spell on herself afterwards."
Sabrina stood up from the sofa. "Midnight will be here soon. You, Miss Granger, have our permission to court our daughter if she lets you. Best of luck." They exited the room and Hermione's eyes instantly searched for Rhea. She wasn't hard to spot as the only woman in the room with black braided hair wearing a black jacket, a green corset over a white dress shirt and black pants. On a guy it would look handsome, but the way she carries herself makes her look beautiful to Hermione's eyes. She approached her friend as she buried her more hormonal fueled thoughts and noticed when Rhea's shoulders lifted up a second. Rhea really was paranoid but Hermione couldn't blame her after everything she knew about her. "Rumor has it you're breaking the rules against the restriction of underage drinking." Rhea glared at her friend with a bit of amusement on her face. "My Grandmother is French and apparently getting drunk on wine is a right of passage." Hermione winced, imagine what that would be like. "Mom allowed me to try wine in France during my vacations, but never enough to get drunk." Rhea smiled at the brunette. "Good to know. Its also good to know that there are exceptions for minors drinking, concerning tradition and adult supervision while the minor partakes. A Goblin breaking 150 years old definitely counts as adult supervision."
Hermione hummed, "What was it like? The Goblin's idea of alcohol?" Rhea shrugged "Like mouthwash, only higher sugar content and way higher alcohol content." Hermione made a face before pulling Rhea to the closest window. Hermione spinned in her cyan dress. "How do I look?" Rhea's eyes travel down her frame and Hermione felt a blush spread across her cheeks at the clear interest in Rhea's eyes. Rhea sported a similar blush. "It suits you." Hermione raised an eyebrow. "No other comment?" Rhea bit her tongue. "Nothing appropriate for chaste company." Hermione blushed. "Well, at least I know there are other thoughts running in your head other than studies and work." Rhea pouted at her friend as the room started counting down the seconds. Hermione saw her chance and mustered up her courage. Gryffindor forward. At one Rhea turned towards Hermione who grabbed her by her dress shirt and pulled her face forward. Rhea's mind crashed as she felt Hermione's lips against her own. Oh goddess she was so warm. Rhea's hands moved up and rested on Hermione's back as they deepened the kiss. Hermione's own mind was having its own problems as she didn't want the kiss to stop at all, her body pressing into Rhea's.
They both lost track of how much time had passed before their lungs demanded air. They broke off the kiss, feeling their body's glowing in warmth. "Oh good, for a second I thought we needed Andy to do her job." Her father's voice made Rhea remember where they were and what they just did. She groaned as her face went bright red. Hermione hugged her friend and hopefully future girlfriend with one arm as she turned to the rest of the room. Seeing her dad and Sirius both holding up cameras didn't bode well for Rhea's embarrassment. Still, in for a knut in for a Galleon. Hermione lifted Rhea's hand up and kissed her knuckles. "Heiress Rheannon Black, would you grant me the honor of courting you by the traditions of our families?" Rhea opened her eyes and stared at Hermione. She had never seen a look like that on her friend's face. It looked like a bit of fear but a whole lot of hope and affection. "You, my dear Hermione Granger, will look forward to a very long discussion." Rhea lifted Hermione's hand up and kissed her knuckles, a smile spreading across her face and reaching her eyes. "I accept."
Chapter End Notes
Well, the moment is here. I will update the tags next Chapter, but yes, this is now officially a Rhea/Hermione romance. Sorry to disappoint anyone, but the Muse practically ran me over demanding I write it. On the plus side, I was vindictive enough to make it that Rhea essentially stole Hermione from Henry after 2 years of friendship. Hope you can at least appreciate that.
Hope you all liked the initial scene with Voldemort and the Dementors. How was it? How was the rest of the Chapter?
Next Chapter?: Return to Hogwarts and Rhea sets her plans in motion while she and Hermione set some ground rules. A bit short too, but the Chapter afterwards is a bit of a treat.
Comment, discuss and see you all in a few days.
The Second Coming
Chapter Notes
Sorry I am a bit late, sleep demanded my time after I finished chapter 4 of my next project. Here is the next Chapter of Blood and Magic. Hope you enjoy it.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
"I can't believe I missed it! You two snog and I am not there to watch!" Hermione blushed. "Luna, we didn't snog. It was just a kiss." The rest of her friends all snorted. Hermione and Rhea hardly got a word in at New Years from all the well wishes and both their parents teasing them. Rhea had actually crashed on the sofa in the living room before their house elf, Kreacher, apparated her up the stairs and into her room. Hermione had spent the next morning staring into the mirror, trying to see if she had dreamed the kiss or if it had been real. Nyx popping into her room and dropping off a red rose and a small box was a clear sign that she hadn't been dreaming. The gift had been something Rhea had commissioned for Hermione for Christmas but had been concerned it was too forward of her as a Christmas gift. Since they were courting though, Rhea saw no reason not to send it. It was a bracelet made of strands of black rope that felt cold to the touch, with two silver charms attached to it, one being an open book and the other a waxing moon. Hermione could feel some enchantments on it.
So she was now on the Hogwarts Express heading back to the castle and surrounded by her friends. All but Luna watched her and Rhea last night. Daphne giggled. "Sure it wasn't a snog, you two certainly weren't liplocked until you ran out of air." Luna squealed in joy. "Please tell me there are pictures." Hermione blushed as Daphne smirked and Susan pulled out a photo. "Got it developed over last night." Hermione "eeped" and shot up from her seat, trying to stop her friends as they all started laughing, with Susan stubbornly refusing to release the photo. Eventually Luna got it in her hands and squealed again as Hermione slumped into her seat, exhausted. "I'm so happy for you two!" The Gryffindor girl blushed. "Thanks. We still have some things to discuss though, so I might ask for some privacy tonight." Susan raised an eyebrow. "Is that discussion with or without clothes?" Hermione's indignant "Sue" led to laughing as the cabin door opened. Draco popped his head in. "Morning everyone. Prefects on the train are getting called to check on everyone. Oh, and congratulations again Hermione. Did my cousin send you anything yet?"
Hermione beamed and pulled her sleeve back, showing the bracelet and charms. "She sent this bracelet and a red rose to me this morning." The girl's "awwwed" as Draco nodded, though he looked concerned. "How… public do you want to be about the relationship? Because wearing that on your arm will make a lot of people start asking questions." Hermione frowned, "What do you mean? Sure, it's enchanted but it doesn't point to Rhea, right?" Daphne chimed in, "Not directly, but no Light faction boy or girl would give a bracelet like that as a courtship gift, which could make your time in Gryffindor unpleasant. Well, more than it is right now anyways." Hermione rubbed the black threads, feeling the magic in them react to her and warm up a bit. "I… don't want to cause anymore trouble, but I can't just not wear it. I don't want to hurt Rhea." Luna looked pensive before Susan got an idea. "Wear it as an anklet. It's sort of a magical tradition too, so it's
perfect!"
Draco nodded, "That works. Better than a choker, that's for sure. I am going ahead to check on the Slytherins, you Prefects get ready to make your rounds." He left the cabin, closing the door behind him. Hermione lifted her right leg and started taking off her shoe. "So, what tradition is this anyway?" Susan blushed. "It's a bit of an open secret. If you wear a courting gift on your ankle, you admit to being tied down to a person but not being showy about it. If it's on your wrist, it's a step up, saying that you won't hide but also wont show either. Wearing it around your neck is like saying you love them and you don't care who knows. A choker is considered to be the same as an engagement ring, essentially saying you have no doubts." Hermione hummed as she pulled up her bracelet over her foot and on to her ankle. The moment she let it go, it shrunk to a better fit on her foot. A part of her was sad she couldn't show it off, but at least it kept them both from dealing with too many questions. After Henry's attempt to ask her out on Christmas Eve, she was sure her relationship with Rhea would cause a lot of bad feelings.
The Feast at the start of the new term was pleasant and noisy as everyone shared their Christmas and Yule stories. Henry sat down, but at a more respectful distance from her causing Neville and Ron to eye them both. Hermione shook her head and kept eating, stealing glances at her girlfriend. Rhea was wearing a more formal outfit reminiscent of a Hogwarts uniform, but with a different cut and a coat instead of robes. Her vest was blue and bronze, showing her Ravenclaw family colors, though the jacket she wore was definitely not typical. It had the same dark coloration as her formal outfit and the bracelet Hermione received. Hermione rubbed the anklet with her other leg and could now see that it could indeed have pointed to their relationship if anyone paid attention to detail. Late into the dinner Rhea stood up and walked onto the Speaker's stand. "Hogwarts students, I have one last minute matter I want to discuss with you. I am sure many of you heard about the attempted attack on Azkaban and the death of several inmates. Let me be clear, I don't want to see anyone making any accusations about their fellow students or their families. The DMLE is handling the investigation concerning the attack and while a few will rejoice at the deaths of the inmates, please be respectful. Despite their actions, they were parents, relatives, and family members to people sitting within this Hall. Their crimes were their own, but the death of family is never to be celebrated. Let the dead rest and the living morn. Thank you."
The staff gave a solemn clap as did much of the students, making Hermione look around. Henry and Neville didn't look happy. "Leave it to a Black to not say anything about Voldemort leading the attack. Dumbledore reported it to the Ministry, but the Minister is still keeping his head buried in the sand and the DMLE only called the attack "likely committed by Death Eaters and sympathizers." She's leaving the students vulnerable." Hermione frowned. Did not telling the students leave them vulnerable? Or was it something else. "Rhea could just be keeping things calm. The Prophet already reported the attack and Dumbledore's words, even if it didn't treat it as facts exactly. Everyone who believes knows and she doesn't want to get the students involved." Henry snorted, "With Dumbledore gone from Hogwarts, it's more vulnerable now than ever. Maybe we should be preparing the students, not keeping things quiet."
Hermione didn't like the sound of that. It made her think of Rhea's concerns about child soldiers. Rhea hated the idea of placing kids in the line of fire or even making them think about
conflict. Her DADA club had been founded on the idea of teaching the kids the skills needed to care for themselves, but to make it clear that it's in defense when everything else fails. Henry seemed to want it less for defense and more for offense. "Henry, we're kids. We are all just kids. The DMLE is doing its job and its staffed better now than it was years ago. There is no need for us to get involved yet." Henry looked at her. "Hermione, I am already involved. I can't just sit back and do nothing." Hermione shook her head, "You are a 15 year old boy at school while Voldemort is probably in his prime, it won't make a difference." Henry started getting angry, his voice rising. "I am the Boy Who Lived, Hermione. It's up to Dumbledore, the Order and me to beat Voldemort. No one else can." Hermione stared at her friend, deeply worried. This felt wrong and dangerous. "How can you be sure? Maybe Amelia Bones could do it, or even Mad-Eye. Why does it have to be you?" Henry shook his head, "Can't say more Hermione, not without an oath." Hermione bit her lip in thought.
She could take the oath and learn why Henry is so determined it be him, but if she did, she could be forced not to tell anyone. Not even Rhea. The thought of being forced to keep any more secrets from her girlfriend worried her. Rhea was paranoid but she never allowed harm to come to others. Henry may not be paranoid, but the secrets Dumbledore forces him to keep could bring harm to others. Dumbledore's secrets had already been responsible for Halley's pain. Hermione refused to be part of that. "Then I am sorry Henry, but I have to keep believing that it's not your job. I won't take an oath just like that." Henry looked at her, disappointment on his face. "I thought you trusted me, Hermione." She sighed, feeling her friendship with Henry shifting. She didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. "I also trust the DMLE and the people dealing with the situation that we can't see and who are not trying to be seen. So far Voldemort has led one failed assault. It could happen again and again. He lost control of the Dark faction and most of his previous followers are gone. There is no reason to think he can 't be stopped, let alone that he could win." Henry shook his head. "You really don't see it? The Dark are stronger now! Voldemort will get them to listen and it will be open war."
Hermione felt her heart sink. Draco and Daphne had told her the Dark were mostly behind Lucius Malfoy and the few that remained loyal can't do much to advance Voldemort's plot. The new security measures in the Ministry were keeping spies out from both the Order and the Death Eaters. This was clear to see from the reports out of the Wizengamot and the news, who have been placed under greater scrutiny with the new liability and disinformation laws passed in November. Even Rita was keeping her reports to more factual stories, even if she still loved gossip and sensationalizing events. Henry was projecting Dumbledore's words without a care of what was actually happening or being said. He looked at the Dark as enemies instead of people. Their conversation ended there as Hermione was trying to figure out who to talk about Henry's situation. She would have to tell Rhea, but she had to talk to people who could help him too. Maybe Professor McGonagall or Lily Potter could look after Henry.
- -
Rhea sat down, with butterflies in her stomach. Maybe having eaten a heavy dinner wasn't such a great idea. She felt the ward on the Ravenclaw Chambers door trigger. "Come in." Hermione entered and closed the door behind her before taking a seat on the sofa next to her. Goddess what could she say. She was really excited about having her as a girlfriend but was absolutely nervous about what to tell her or how much was too much too soon. Not to mention how terrified Rhea was about saying the wrong thing. Hermione looked at her and gave her a soft smile, which made Rhea calm down a bit. "It's weird, isn't it? I have been thinking about us getting together for months and now here we are and I can't seem to think of anything proper to say." Rhea nodded. "I… feel the same, though maybe a bit more nervous." Hermione crumpled her skirt, which made Rhea think some less than pure thoughts. "A wacked out libido isn't helping me either. "
Hermione frowned. "Didn't you say that you weren't having issues since… you know?" Rhea closed her eyes. Fleur. Even thinking her ex's name made her body ache and grow a bit colder. "I… don't think I have issues with being physical. That kiss the other night certainly didn't trigger anything negative." Both the girls flushed at the memory. "The libido thing is something else, which I don't want to cover right now. It's not important and it will eventually take care of itself." Hermions wasn't exactly sure, but she didn't want to push her girlfriend too early. "Maybe some ground rules? Things to do and not do?" Rhea thought about it and nodded. "Ok. We can start there. You already know I am a Necromancer, so let's start with that. As a Necromancer I have rules and duties that I am required to keep. I can't share anything about how a Necromancer does what they do, though I can say and show the end result. For example." Rhea emptied out a bag of bones onto the table in front of their sofa and flooded them with Death Magic.
Hermione watched transfixed as the bones realigned themselves into the shape of a bird. A wave of Rhea's hand later and she was looking at a very ordinary Raven. "Wow." The bird took flight and flew around the room before landing on Hermione's shoulder. "That is reanimation, like Inferi, but it's different. It's essentially a Golem powered by Death Magic and made to look like it's perfectly fine. That is literally all I can tell you. No spells, not how I sustain it or what I can do with it. I can say that it doesn't bring the bird back to life. It's literally a programmed Golem." Hermione petted the bird and got no reaction. "I imagine you could make it more lifelike." Rhea nodded. "Yup, just a ton more work on my part. The Light complains about us making stuff like this, but it's really difficult. Inferi are much easier but are quite disgusting and I never want to consider making them." Rhea shivered as she made a disgusted face and Hermione nodded, satisfied. The bird flew to Rhea, stood over the bag and turned back to bones.
Rhea placed the bag away. "I also have duties to my Peverell and Ravenclaw families that I can't share with you until we either marry or have a binding betrothal contract, the latter I will never ask of you." Hermione nodded and said "ok". She was fine with that. Rhea flushed. "I will tie you to the Chamber wards but not the ones in my bedroom or study. You won't be able to open the door for anyone except those registered as guests. Those would be our friends and my family." Hermione nodded again but decided to tease Rhea. "When I suggested rules, I meant more what we can expect from each other and what not to do." Rhea blushed. "Sorry." Hermione loved the way Rhea blushed and was tempted to do something about it. She moved closer and pressed her side against Rhea, feeling her tense for a second. A kiss to Rhea's cheek made Hermione's night though. Her girlfriend was tomato red. "So. What can't we do?" Rhea tried to get her brain working again.
"When it's something serious, I don't want lies between us. When there is a problem, please bring it up and talk about it." Rhea looked sad for a moment and Hermione had an idea about why. "I promise." Rhea looked at her with such tender eyes. There was so much concern there. "I want to trust you Hermione. So much. For us to work… we need to be able to trust each other. So please, don't break my trust." Rhea started shaking and Hermione hugged her, hearing her girlfriend fight through a few sobs. "I…trusted Fleur with my heart. I may not have voiced it because I assumed I didn't need to. I allowed myself to believe it would be ok, to just trust her. That we would make it work somehow. She didn't trust me back as much as I would have liked… Gabrielle getting hurt because I wouldn't play Dumbledore's games made her so angry." Hermione rested her head against Rhea's and listened as her girlfriend cried. She could see Rhea not talking about this to anyone since March. She was also sure that none of their friends knew either. Except maybe Daphne. Their Slytherin friend was weird like that and she wasn't sure how much trust was between them.
Hermione kissed Rhea's hair. "Thank you, for sharing that with me. I don't like seeing you hurting like this, but if you ever need to vent, I will be here for you. I promise." Rhea nodded and the two went over a few more things. Because of Hermione being Henry's friend and him potentially going ballistic over their courtship, they both agreed to keep the relationship a secret from those not in the know and not be overly affectionate in public. Hermione saw that the absence of public affection didn't bother her friend too much. She knew Rhea was a private person after all. She agreed to take things slow with getting physically intimate, though kissing was permitted in private. They would also follow some courting customs in private, like sending gifts or leaving notes. Nyx and Typsy would be their go betweens for private messages. Hermione would have a permanent guest room in the Chamber with her own private wards, for her safety and privacy should anything unforeseen happen.
Hermione looked over at the clock on the wall. "I will have to go on a Prefect patrol soon." Rhea looked over and nodded. "I'll get you an escort to the Prefect's meeting room soon. Anything else?" Hermione bit her lip. "A few things but I need to see what can be done before bringing it to your attention. I am going to talk to Professor Potter first. Though there is one last thing I want to do for today." Rhea turned back to look at Hermione when a pair of warm lips pressed into her own. She was embarrassed by the whine her throat let out but right now she didn't care. The two pressed into each other as the kiss dragged on for quite a bit until Hermione broke it to get a breath. Rhea felt her entire body filled with warmth as Hermione licked her own lips. "Mmmm, is that acceptable for now?" Rhea nodded as she tried to get her brain working again. Hermione smiled. "Good." Another kiss followed and Rhea gave up on getting her brain to work tonight. She'd try again in the morning.
- -
Voldemort eyed the entrance of Robert DeSange to his audience chamber with concern. When he had sent feelers to the Vampires in late Autumn, he had received very positive reactions to a possible alliance. Yet, Robert only brought three men with him to the meeting. He didn't like the feel of this. "Vampire DeSange, welcome to my residence. I hope it's not rude, but I was certainly hoping for a much larger commitment from your people to aid in our efforts." The older looking vampire nodded, a weary look on his face. "That may have been the likely result, if you had called up before last week." Voldemort leaned forward, his red eyes lighting softly with magic. "Tell me, what could possibly have zapped your people's enthusiasm for my offers in one short week? Is the freedom to feast on the filthy muggles not enough? Or even the promise of larger land and territories allocations for your nests?" The vampire shuffled nervously on his feet. "The Elders across Europe reached out to all the nests, declaring that all vampires are to remain neutral in the brewing conflict in Britain or be banished from the nests and courts, receiving no further aid or representation."
Robert stilled as Voldemort stood up and began to pace around him. "What of Elder Vsevolod? He was most interested in aiding my cause in the past and seemed eager upon my return." Robert sighed. "Elder Vsevolod was replaced by Anastasia, one of the younger vampires of his court. He died in the defense of his position as Elder. Elder Anastasia added her voice among the Elders of Europe and secured the vote of Neutrality." Voldemort paced in front of the vampire, ratcheting up the nerves of those present. Voldemort paused in front of the nervous vampire. "This vote of Neutrality, where did it come from?" Robert sighed in relief. "The Goblins reached out to the Elder's Court on behalf of a Witch who is apparently securing strong support among the Dark Creatures of Britain and Europe. Those not fully allying with her are instead asked to take a neutral position. The Elders weren't too satisfied with the proposition of Alliance but saw no issue with the one for Neutrality." Voldemort felt his concern grow. "Dark Creatures you say? Greyback has mentioned a lot of the stray Weres and smaller packs had vanished from their old territories. One of the eldest groups had a new set of wards erected in their territory. It's possible these incidents and your people's new stance are connected. Does this witch have a name?"
Voldemort watched as the vampire looked unsure. "The Elders found the name used to more than likely be a pseudonym, but the Goblins are not known for lying. Apparently, the name has enough merit for the Goblins to use it in their official documents. They called the witch Lady Le Fay, though she prefers to go by Mistress Le Fay. Weird English Witch if you ask me." Voldemort froze as Roberts said Mistress. That was the term the Dementors used to address their new ruler. It seems the Dementors were only the opening act. If she was responsible for safeguarding the Mudbloods, Werewolves and now securing the Vampires neutrality, the Witch must be preparing for a takeover. The Halfbloods and the Mudbloods outnumber the Purebloods and the fractures in the Wizengamot are enough that a well organized strike could mean a proper successful revolution. He ought to know, he had been planning for his own since his resurrection. "My thanks for sharing this information, DeSange. Since you are here, I assume you still wish to join us?" The Vampire nodded, which gave Voldemort something to focus on. "Then your first task is to gather what Vampires you can that are willing to defy the Elder Court. Once we capture the Ministry, you will have the means to establish our own nests and Elder seat within Britain." Robert bowed and he and his guards left a pensive Voldemort behind.
Le Fay. An appropriate name for a Dark Witch seeking to upturn Magical Society. The name will draw the Dark faction to her like flies to meat, while the Light will either cower or gather their
forces in response. Voldemort stilled at that. The Light was already gathered. Dumbledore's Order was amassing because of his return and now a new Dark Lady was preparing her own attack, probably against both of them. She was probably taking advantage of the brewing conflict to take out the larger players involved. Voldemort needed more time. The deaths of Rockwood and the Death Eaters in Azkaban were a devastating loss and support was barely trickling in. He had no chance against an organized enemy who was clearly making their final preparations. Barty had recently returned with the names of former Unspeakables and his Death Eaters would be paying them a visit soon, to gather what information on the Hall of Prophecies as they could. They had already begun identifying the more vulnerable dates for the Ministry and were preparing their resources and men to push forward. His own familiar Nagini had been sneaking around the Ministry and had already spotted some of Dumbledore's men guarding the entrance.
Voldemort smiled as a thought occurred to him. He needed to get Dumbledore to become a more enticing target for this Lady Le Fay, to keep her attention away from his own movements. The old man's hatred for all things Dark should drive him to hunt down this new Dark Lady, maybe dragging the two forces into a scuffle he could observe. He also had the perfect way of informing the old goat without him realizing it. The boy's mind was proving to be a much more valuable resource than expected. He should also have Severus confirm his concerns on the matter, as Dumbledore would be more willing to accept the information if it came from both seemingly reliable sources. "Barty, your arm." His faithful servant revealed the Dark Mark for him. Time to have a chat with the Hogwarts Potion Master and leave some bread crumbs behind, before sending poor Henry some unpleasant visions mixed in with memories and plans. Having the Order divide their attention between the Department of Mysteries and this new Dark Lady could only be an advantage to his Death Eaters, one he would not ignore.
- -
Hermione sat beside Neville and Ron in the Gryffindor Boys Dorm that her friend's occupied as Henry told of his vision to them and to the Order through his communication mirror. It had barely been a month since they returned to Hogwarts and already things were getting harder for her friend, who had woken up in a cold sweat. Dumbledore's voice was clearly heard, strained by concern. "Severus should be arriving here soon before returning to Hogwarts, so he should be able to confirm what your vision revealed to us. The appearance of this new enemy is a concern to us all. While Voldemort may be at odds with this Dark Lady Le Fay at the current time, he may eventually be desperate enough to ally with her against us. That can't be allowed to happen. Bill, you have contacts in the Continent and Gringotts, have you heard about a new Lady Le Fay?" Bill's voice joined the discussion. "There is a lot of shatter about an old family moving resources around, perhaps tied to the current laws on Black Magics getting reviewed by the ICW and its members but no names have been mentioned. In London, we have seen Chieftain Ragnok being a lot more active as of late, though that could be because of his new position in the Wizengamot. Though there hasn't been any major movements in London at all compared to the rest of the Continent."
Dumbledore seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "Good, then Lady Le Fay may not have a foothold in Britain yet. The moment she does though, we need to be ready. Shacklebolt, Alastor, you two are to prepare a team to respond quickly should word of her arrival or any other unusual activity happen within the next few months. Arthur, James, Hestia and Emma are to continue guarding the Department of Mysteries, though we may need to do more guard rotations. If this Dark Lady reaches Britain and meets up with the Dark faction, it could mean another war like the last or perhaps an even more devastating one." Everyone on the other end of the communication mirror was talking over each other as Hermione thought about what she heard. The thing they are guarding in the Department of Mysteries was a curiosity, but the mention of the Dark Lady Le Fay didn't match what she studied with Binns. "Professor Dumbledore, why is the name Le Fay such a concern to you? Binns says its a title awarded to those who gain the support of the Magical Races and that Morgan Le Fay was an advocate for Magical Rights during her time."
Her friends around her looked at her like she was crazy discussing history at that moment, but Dumbledore answered anyway. "Miss Granger, while Morgan Le Fay may have started out as a voice for the Magical population, she quickly became a dangerous and Dark Witch that sought to wrestle control of Albion away from King Arthur. Her forces raped and pillaged castles and villages all the way to Camelot before being destroyed at Camlann, where Arthur himself perished in the defense of the people. Had she won, Dark Creatures would have spread across the island, terrorizing the population and keeping them firmly under her control. That this new threat is using the name suggests they want to see a Second Coming of the Dark Ages born from Camelot's fall and the name alone will draw the Dark faction to her, as they all idolise the chaos and violence she spearheaded. This new threat must be stopped before Voldemort seeks her alliance and the Dark solidify their support behind her." Snape apparently arrived and supported Henry's claim, as Voldemort asked him to keep an eye out for any movements by Dark families to potentially ally with a new enemy.
Hermione, however, wasn't convinced by the story the Headmaster told her. She and Luna had been spending a lot of time together and her friend was super enthusiastic about the Fae. While the Fae were at times separated into Light and Dark by the use of terms like the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, Luna said that most Fae have a simple Fae Court where they all gathered when a call was issued, though Fae of similar behaviours and territories did tend to have more friendly or confrontational relations outside of the court. If the Fay only had one Court, then that meant they were likely to be more Neutral in orientation. So why would a Neutral Fae Court place their support behind a Dark Witch hellbent on chaos and destruction? It didn't make sense to her. Did the new Dark Lady pick the name because it appealed to the Dark, or was it actually given to her by another Fae Court? The former would fit Dumbledore's words but anyone caught using that name would draw instant condemnation from the Light. The latter option made her wonder if the Fae were being more active suddenly. The Hogwarts Library probably didn't have any books on the Fae or a more Neutral point of view of the time period but Hermione had an idea where she might find books that did. Her girlfriend did wear a thousand year old Witch's robes for Samhain after all.
She opened the door leading into the Ravenclaw Chamber and started looking at the bookshelf. Some of the books looked promising and she pulled one down that seemed to refer to
the time of the Founders when she turned around and froze. Rhea was standing in front of her, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around her body, her black hair with bronze highlights falling flat around her face, water droplets still clear on her face and hair. Rhea raised an eyebrow. "Hermione, despite the book in your hands, I have to ask. Are you trying to catch me in the nude straight out of a bath or do you somehow have the worst timing when it comes to visiting me?" Hermione turned red and answered quickly. "The latter, definitely the latter." Rhea looked at her eyes and smiled. "Good to know. Is your research important enough that you need your brain working or would you like a kiss from your mostly naked girlfriend?" Hermione shook her and her "eeep" made Rhea smile as the bookworm went to sit down. "Please, carry on. I need to look something up." She felt Rhea move behind her and kiss her on the head. "I'll be out soon."
Hermione got her mind to focus on the book as she started reading. It spoke about Hogwarts and its Founders gathering about the same time that Camelot was organizing in the south of Albion, but no clear mentions of communications or relations between the two castles, except for a battle that took place on Hogwarts grounds. "What are you looking for?" Hermione turned the page. "Something odd came up and left me confused about Binns' lesson on the events around Camelot. I was hoping your Ravenclaw library might have some more unbiased information." Her girlfriend hummed and left towards the study that Hermione knew was heavily warded. She came out with a small leather bound book before heading to the main bookshelf and pulling out two bigger books before placing all there in front of her. "The two big books are what you would find in most family libraries and in some bookstores. One tells the story from the point of view of the Light Families, how Merlin was god's gift to Magical Britain and Morgan Le Fay was the reincarnation of the biblical Lilith, raping and pillaging Britain for all its worth before being vanquished. The other is the point of view from the Dark Families, speaking of Morgana Pendragon's stolen birthright, the dream of a Dark paradise to equal Camelot's renown and the unending rivalry and conflict between Merlin and the greatest Dark Witch of all time."
Eyeing the smaller book sitting atop the other two, Hermione picked it up. The book felt old but preserved well. She could even feel some enchantments on it, a few reminding her of Rhea's magic. Probably preservation charms inscribed into the cover to keep the book safe. "What about this one?" She looked up and saw Rhea's face lose its mirth. "That is a journal of a Ravenclaw that lived in the same time and age of Camelot. She bore witness to everything, from beginning to end and wrote down what she could. It's the closest you might get to an unbiased opinion save summoning the dead or goddess forbid running into Merlin on the street. I should warn you, it's not a pleasant story. The time period of Camelot and the Founders wasn't a good time for women or magicals, even with the founding of Hogwarts seemingly rejecting that reality. I do suggest you read it all the way through though, if you start it. I placed a translation spell on it so you could read it without needing to understand Old English." Hermione nodded and tucked herself into a more comfortable position before opening the book.
Chapter End Notes
It's a bit of a Cliffhanger, leading to something I decided to add as a resolution to the buildup of a character that was always mentioned in the background.
Next Chapter?: a story from the past.
If my writing goes well tonight, you might get the next chapter tomorrow instead of the day after. We will see. ;)
What is in a Name?
Chapter Notes
Here is the Next Chapter. Hope you all enjoy it. It is a bit of a tangent but one I felt that was deserved after I kept making certain references throughout the story. It is also partially inspired by a certain TV series, though I made a lot of changes to it for the sake of the story I wanted to tell. I hope its to your liking.
There is a question in the end notes, which will be responded by the next time I post. Please answer it clearly in your comments.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
The world had been much simpler for her when she was living within Camelot's walls. She might not have had her parents there as disease took them both from her years prior but she still had friends. Gwen was the bestest of friends, the daughter of one of the nobles of the neighboring kingdoms, she served as a lady in waiting to the Royal Court of Camelot and was hopelessly in love with Arthur. To her though, Gwen was always an ear to listen to when she started complaining about Uther and Arthur being such chauvinists. Sure, men were the only ones who could be knights, but that didn't mean a woman shouldn't learn how to use weapons. They tended to die by them just as much as men did anyways, so where was the bloody harm in learning to defend one's self? At least Sir Leon understood and gave her some much needed lessons. She remembered the pain in her arms and legs the following mornings. Better than the pain she felt in her stomach and legs that she felt now. Back then she could just go see Gaius and he would just give her some ointments and medicine, while trying to convince her to stop the midnight lessons. She never did. Merlin had also been a great friend. The young man actually sympathised with her, since he ended up being Arthur's living training dummy more often than not, as the knights refused to train the prince. The few times she sparred with Merlin had been a lot more fun than Leon's, even if she hardly learned anything new.
It always struck her just how opposite Arthur and Merlin tended to be. Arthur was the typical noble son, born and raised with the idea of growing Camelot's influence beyond just the southern end of the isle of Albion. He was cocksure of himself, bordering on arrogant and was overly fond of going out and hunting boars, deer and foxes. Uther, of course, could not have been happier with having such an Heir to the throne and practically celebrated every successful hunt with a feast. Merlin, by contrast, was humble to a fault. He would never speak ill of anyone and always had this far off look to his eyes, as if he could see things no one else did. The two had made an odd friendship after Merlin had pulled Arthur out from the path of a rampaging boar, taking the animal's sharp tusks to his stomach. He spent a week in the Physician's chambers recovering with Arthur visiting him at odd times. She and Gwen found the little comradery between them cute and both hoped the friendship born between them made Arthur a better man. Gwen may have loved Arthur, but she wasn't blind to his faults. She had odd moments of wisdom like that.
She could see clearly in her mind when things started changing. The Christian priests started spending more time in the castle with Uther, speaking of their god and his salvation, while bemoaning the religious practices of the people of Albion. She had never been a crazy believer in any of the Old Religion gods and goddesses but she never dared insult them. She wasn't stupid. The time she saw the first woman burned at the stake chilled her to the bone and even Merlin looked devastated. She snuck into the physician's chambers and sat down beside her friend. He told her about his village, pillaged and destroyed by raiders constantly. He watched many of his friend's homes burned down, the smells of burning flesh seared into his mind. His mother had sent him to study with Gaius to get him away from the border. He never saw her again. She hated what she saw happening around her. This world seemed to be built on the blood of good people and intent on making orphans out of everyone before their time. She had seen a man with Druid tattoos dragged into the inner courtyard, the Christian Priest calling the man to the gathered masses a Heathen and worshiper of the devil for spreading his false faith. The man had been in the castle for a week, selling wares only found in the deepest woods to the local merchants. He had never spoken a word about his faith, not even a second before the executioner's axe took his head.
Word quickly spread across Camelot of Druids coming to the castle, looking for their missing members, before being killed or chased away by the guards. She had barely slipped into the Physician's chambers when she saw Merlin tending to a young boy. He bore the tattoos of the Druids and looked a lot like the man the bastards executed. She didn't think twice about helping the boy escape. Even now, alone, cold and hungry, she refused to regret it. Her only regret was getting caught as she took the boy outside the castle walls. She had been cornered and saw the guards reaching out for her when they were all sent flying. Merlin pulled her and the boy and shoved them into one of the secret passages. His eyes had held a light deep inside them. She and the boy rushed through the passages and made it out of the Castle, with Merlin staying behind to distract the guards further. The boy, Mordred, told her where his people would usually make camp and the two headed that way. She wished she had possessed the forethought about it being a bad idea. Soldiers from Camelot and Christian priests were there, burning everything to the ground. At least she never saw any bodies on the ground.
She took the boy and ran deeper into the woods, hearing soldiers and rangers yelling out orders and the sound of footsteps constantly behind them. They reached a gully and rushed in, hoping to lose them. A bunch of rangers caught up to them as they reached a deeper part of the forest. She saw the terror in the boy's eyes and something inside of her snapped. She remembered screaming and feeling something inside of her uncoil. The woods had gone silent before she opened her eyes. The rangers had all been grabbed by branches and pulled against the trees, before the same branches coiled around them. A few even had a branch or two sticking out of their bodies. At least Mordred was ok and none of the men could move or follow them. The two eventually found his people and Mordred told them about her magic. She had magic! And if what had happened back in the castle was true, Merlin had magic too! She desperately hoped she lived long enough to see him again. There were so many new things they had to talk about. The Druids, seeing her clothes and hearing her name pointed her to the Far Northern Highlands well beyond the remnants of Hadrian's Wall. Word of a fortified Castle hidden in the valleys of the Highlands being built as a sanctuary to those with magic had reached them and they felt she would be safer there. They had helped her along all the way to Hadrian's Wall before raiders forced them to scatter. She had just found a village and needed to figure out how to get further north, with no coins to pay for travel. She hoped she figured out something soon. She was getting hungry.
- -
The sight of the lake glistening with the light of the sun while the shadows of the tall stone structure sticking out from the side of the mountain had warmed her heart that day and would for years later. She had finally made it to the hidden fortress in the valley of the Highlands. She had moved slowly to the castle, her body marred in bruises and scratches from her journey across the Highlands. She had already thanked the fates for the whole mess having taken place in Spring, she really didn't want to know what winter was like this far North. The weather made bathing in the rivers and lakes much more comfortable, especially after what she had to do to get all the way up here. The thought of spreading her legs and offering up her maidenhood to a traveling merchant still made her feel sick. She had to share the man's bed every time he pleased as they traveled up the Highland villages, until eventually he would go no further. She warmed the beds of two other merchants before the last one left her just a moment ago. She hoped the fact she had yet to be what Gwen called being "on the rag" was a good thing. She didn't want to be a mother just yet, even though she knew she was of marrying age. Uther had already been eyeing local lords and their sons. How that man could treat her like cattle had really pissed her off, especially after finding out who her real father was though he never dared claim her as his. Bastard.
The moment the guards reached her she had blacked out. Maybe she should have eaten that merchant's last loaf of bread and wedge of cheese. She had eventually woken up and stared into the face of a woman that could have been her twin, with a few differences around the nose and cheeks. Her eyes were a pretty green color though, a bit brighter than Merlin's eyes. They fed her some really disgusting potions, some vaguely tasting like the medicine Gaius gave her, before they allowed her to sleep the night away. It was the best night sleep she had had in months. The castle she was now in was called Hogwarts. When she asked who came up with the name the people around her pointed at the guy with a lot of red hair all over his face and wearing a brown pointy hat. "What, none of you complained when we decided on it." The man with a very styled beard and mustache seemed to hiss, "Of course we didn't complain. We were all drunk! It took from dawn to well past dark with all of us arguing before you pulled out that blasted elven wine and by the time you said the name, all Ro wanted to do was curl up next to the river, Helga was already eyeing her husband like she gets whenever when it's her time of the month and I was seriously considering switching to my snake form and biting your nose just to call it a bloody night."
She couldn't help it by the end, she just started laughing hysterically. The four mages introduced themselves to her and welcomed her to the castle. The place quickly became like home to her as the months and years passed. Helga was a great witch with her skills with a cauldron, both in and out of the kitchen. It made sense, seeing as she had to feed four little boys all on her own, while the other families living in the stone walls helped to care for their own families. The castle was negotiating with the woodland elves in a forest to the north at the time to see what they could work with, with hopes to get the question of food settled permanently. Helga, for all her skill, did get tired out quite quickly. Sadly for the woman with badgers for pets, her newest student was horrible in front of a cauldron. She even got one to blow up and Helga looked at her oddly. "You do know there wasn't anything in there that could explode, right? " She never saw a cauldron in front
of her ever again.
Salazar wasn't the best teacher for her either. He tried getting her to learn about numbers and their importance and meaning, but it really didn't click in her head. He bemoaned that she would probably never be capable of making Ritual Circles and she just shrugged. She could admit that the magic in the rituals was interesting, but it just didn't click with her. His skills with Blood Magic, though, were beyond question. A part of her was creeped out by some of the things he studied but his logic that the vilest magics needed to be understood to be countered and enforced was sound. He tried getting her to learn the snake language too but she wasn't born with the talent for it like he was. Godric, however, was a damn good teacher. Sure, he was teaching her how to fight with both swords and magic, but he was very enthusiastic and competitive. The more she learned the more he pushed her. He certainly didn't care that she wasn't a man. His only warning to her was to steer clear of his griffins when she was bleeding. She did get her first instance of bleeding from between her legs about a year after arriving at Hogwarts, which made her curse at Gwen for not telling about the pain that came with it. Her friend only ever bemoaned the fact she had to be careful when she wore her dresses. Helga did give her a potion and she was glad for it for every other month since.
Rowena, however, was simply the best of her teachers. She was the youngest of the four, but was brimming with ideas. Her enchantments made stone as seethrough as glass and she could make birds appear from thin air. She also taught her how to craft a foci for her magic. While a few were using the more concealable wands that were imported from Londinium, Ro loved experimenting with alternate shapes, materials and sizes. The swords and knives Godric used were a mixing of her craftsmanship and that of the Goblin Smiths. The Goblins were very proud of Godric's short sword, calling it one of their finest works. For her though, Rowena went through quite a few options before settling on a staff. While she had been learning to use magic with a wave of hands or fingers, Ro wanted her to have something in case that wasn't enough. She eventually settled on wood from an Elder Tree, etched with Druidic symbols and bound to her by blood. The thing felt like her hand was on fire but the spells casted from it made even Godric panic. He refused to spar with her if she ever used her staff. His pride just couldn't handle it.
Years went by and Rowena was going to be a mother soon. Her husband was one of the alchemists trying to use their craft to fund the school and supply Godric with enough metal and stone to keep building out the castle. The battle hardened mage wanted to make sure it would survive a siege though he was still far from happy with it by the time she had arrived. They did eventually get the elves to settle the food issue, with a balance of magic provided to them through the wards in exchange for their services, which led to a lot of feasts in the Keep. Rowena wanted to get married in it but her husband had a love for the open sky, so the crazy witch started working on a way to get both their tastes satisfied. She eventually got the roof enchanted to reflect the outside sky, or if you knew how to work the enchantment, get it to a specific weather pattern. The local witches, wizards, mages and alchemists took great advantage of that and all got married under very sunny skies, even as the snow fell outside the windows. Before she really started showing though, Rowena pulled her into her personal chambers. " I know that you're feeling a little left out with me getting married and now having a baby, so I wanted to offer you something. "
Rowena explained the ritual that she and Salazar had refined and she wanted to know if she would agree to trying it out. She didn't hesitate for a moment. Sure, when she woke up she had a lot of pain in her extremities and she felt the odd cold magic that had been deep in her bones now lingering in her skin, but she would never regret getting into that ritual circle. She pulled her brand new sister into a hug and cried. For the first time in the few years she had spent at Hogwarts, she knew what it was to be in a family again. She hugged Salazar when she saw him next and thanked him, though Salazar's fiance gave her a dirty look before dragging her future man away. She honestly could care. For the first time she had a name that didn't feel false. It wasn't the name of the man who had raised her despite her not being his, it wasn't the name of her real father who only took her in when her own parents died of fever. No, this was her name, the name that tied her to her new sister and to the place she called home. So, for the first time since keeping her journal, she wrote down her name into the pages. " From this moment on this is the Journal of Morgana of Ravenclaw."
- -
She looked at the weathered pages of her journal, hesitating what to write as a final goodbye. Tomorrow she would likely be dead. There were no more places to hide for either her or Arthur. The fields of Camlann would mark the end of both their stories. She thought back to the moments her life changed. Years back, at Hogwarts, she had heard of Uther's death at the hands of an unknown mage. Seeing the situation possibly spiraling out of control, she gathered the support of the magicals at Hogwarts and the Goblins even convened a Fae Court for her. She pledged to secure the futures of all magical creatures, not just humans, of Albion. They humbled her by offering her a title to take back with her, something to protect her and her new family. So when she walked into Camelot so many years later, she did so as Morgana Le Fay, first born daughter of Uther Pendragon. The lords and ladies gathered were quite surprised to see her still alive. Both Gwen and Merlin had looked so happy. Arthur, however, wasn't as happy.
The death of his father seemed to have hardened her half brother's heart to all things magic. Wishing to spare Albion another Purge, Morgana challenged his claim to the throne, drawing out the coronation for months. In that time she got to know about what became of her friends. Gwen had married Arthur, after years and years of courtship. Morgana was happy for her friend though she apologized for the mess she was making of her coronation as queen. Gwen, ever the optimist, laughed it off, saying she expected it when Morgana had told her about what she heard Uther and Gaius discussing. Gaius, her lovable physician, had passed away of old age, the position of Court Physician passed on to Merlin. Her friend looked like he had aged worse than her, his hair greying out and his eyes not as filled with the gentleness she always knew. She had shown him the needed courtesies and greetings as she met the other members of the court. The chronicler of the court eventually called a delay to the coronation and everyone went their separate ways. Arthur was kind enough to let her use her old chambers. He had looked at her afterwards and despite everything hugged her. " Despite everything, you were my friend and are my sister. Welcome home."
She did eventually sneak out of her room and into the Physician's Chambers. Merlin's hug was far warmer and he even cried. The two got down to talking. Like her, he had been born with Magic and during the last raids at his home village he had killed one of the barbarians with magic before he could kill his mother. His mother had been concerned for him and sent him to Gaius. Morgana had been stunned that the old man had been an Alchemist and had helped Merlin control his magic. She did sneak out one night and left some flowers on the old man's grave. He deserved so much more. After Gaius' death, Uther's mind began to go. He saw enemies everywhere and the archbishop at Camelot only seemed to feed the king's paranoia. Merlin confessed his sin to her that night. One evening, Merlin had gone out in disguise to help the people of Camelot with magic. He had been doing it for years now, caring for the people in the most need of help. He found Uther pinning down a local girl against a barrel, calling her a witch for enchanting him. The girl had no magic and she screamed for help. Merlin used his magic and yanked Uther off the girl, accidentally smashing the king's skull against the wall. The guards tried to catch him but he vanished into thin air.
Uther's death clearly traumatized her friend, who started shaking. She hugged him and told him of Hogwarts, about all the magic she had learned there and of the people who made it all happen. Merlin cheered up and told her he had often dreamt of her being in a castle in the mountains, learning magic. He had actually practiced some of the things he saw her do and got them right. Apparently a gift of his was being able to see things from afar. The more familiar he was with a person, the clearer he could see them. Morgana had stared at Merlin after that. " Please tell me you didn't see me before I was at the castle. " His blush and apology made her feel a little less happy about finding out about his gift. Just a little. The two would meet up late in the evenings with Morgana teaching him some of the things he didn't see. Her old friend was a natural Enchanter like Rowena but had no real talent for Battle Magic like Godric or herself. Their little escapades did eventually come to an end and she hated how it happened.
Months after the botched coronation, months of negotiations with magical families and village elders and it all proved to have been for nothing. The Archbishop and her brother informed her that Hogwarts was under siege and that unless she renounced her claim, they would kill everyone in the castle. The thought of her sister and her family dying chilled Morgana to the bone. She grabbed the Archbishop and was planning on yelling at him when he started choking. A blue tinge spread out from where she had touched him and eventually he dropped to the ground, dead. The negotiations she had been leading with other magical families at her back ended violently as she and her own guards had to blast their way out of Camelot. Her group eventually returned to Hogwarts and her heart felt like it was breaking. The stone castle had a lot of damage, with thousands of corpses littering the ground. Though she had felt something calling to her from the corpses, she focused her magic elsewhere and with her staff rained death and destruction on the invaders. She had arrived too late to spare her family the worst of pains.
Helga was catatonic for weeks after her husband and all of her sons had been found dead. Rowena had to bury her own husband as well, with little Helena crying attached to her mother's legs. Godric and Salazar took hold of Hogwarts and restored it as much as they could, despite both burying siblings and extended family. The Siege of Hogwarts marked the beginning of her war against Arthur and Camelot. Magical Families from across Albion flocked to her banner and rode out against Camelot's forces, with her old friend Mordred leading the charge. For every village Arthur raised to the ground, she burned one herself. The war for the throne and the future of the
Magical Races turned into a hellscape and she hated every moment of it. The worst came the one time she had been captured. Caught off guard while thinking she was meeting Gwen for a peace negotiation, she killed dozens of guards until they broke her hands and wrists. The bastards didn't stop there and raped her repeatedly as they dragged her back to Camelot to be executed.
She would never forget Merlin's face as he rescued her, killing all the soldiers around her with just the sheer force of his rage fuelled magic. He hated killing but everytime those he cared about were in danger, he didn't hesitate. He turned her over to Mordred and left for Camelot to turn himself in. Godric would have loved him for sure. Word eventually reached her that Arthur couldn't bear to execute his oldest friend and had him sealing in a tower on the cliffs of Cornwall, overlooking the sea. Not that her friend couldn't escape if he so pleased, Merlin remained there bound by the words of his friend alone. Nine months after her capture she gave birth to a baby girl while recovering at Hogwarts. Even now as she looked at her journal, knowing the next written lines were to be her last, she refused to write her daughter's name. She would never endanger her daughter, regardless how she was forced upon her. From the moment Ro had placed the child in her hands, she knew she could never blame her for what the bastards did to her. For months she stayed with her family at Hogwarts, finishing up the enchantments for the Ravenclaw Chambers and The Room of Requirement as she nursed her little bundle joy.
Eventually she received word that Arthur had been drawn out by Mordred and the two armies would face each other at Camlann. She kissed her beloved daughter goodbye, the child sharing her and Rowena's eyes as she left Hogwarts one last time. She went to all the Fae and apologized for failing them. None accepted her apologies and all mourned what became of their dream and what said dream had done to one they loved so dearly. Catching up to Mordred was her last act before she took up her journal one last time. She would send it to her family as soon as she was done writing, a small locket gripped tightly in her hand, charmed to be locked for as long as possible.
You, who read this journal of mine, I ask that if you gain anything from it is that even in this harsh, violent and cruel world, there are things worth living and dying for. I had started my path hoping to make a better future for all with magic. I can only hope that the blood of the innocent taken by both sides is given meaning. That the world after my death is a better world than the one I lived in. For Rowena, for Merlin, for Helena, for my daughter. For the family I left behind at Hogwarts. The enemy calls me an evil witch. I hope that with my death, the evils associated with magic die with me. Here, in the moment of my impending death, I would gladly take upon all the world's evils on my shoulders, if my death meant they would vanish with me. If the world is still cruel and merciless by the time you read this, my descendant, my family or at least a friend, please learn from my mistakes and do not repeat them. Don't let the thousands of deaths I take with me be in vain.
Morgana of Ravenclaw
The Lady Le Fay
- -
Hermione cried as she closed the journal. She felt Rhea place a blanket on her back. Looking around she noted that she had sat down and read for hours. Hours spent reading about the witch that the Light faction demonizes as evil incarnate. Yet all she could feel from the pages of her journal was that she had been a woman. A woman who suffered much through life, found something truly important to her and died protecting it. "She's your ancestor, isn't she?" Rhea sat down besides Hermione and pressed her head against her girlfriend's. "Helena died too young at the hands of the Bloody Baron in Albania to have a child of her own. Rowena couldn't love another man and left everything to her niece. Helena knows her name but a strong magic was placed on it, like a Fidelus Charm, so that it was never spoken or recorded by those who knew it. She went by another name, attended Hogwarts as a Ravenclaw and had a family of her own. After that, even a Family tree would have a hard time figuring out how it came down. I think Lily Evans is a descendant too but the Family magic didn't manifest in her. It did in me though."
The two sat in silence as Hermione tried to process everything she had just read. So much history, warped, twisted and forgotten. "What happened to Merlin?" Rhea shrugged. "Helena remembers the family receiving a letter from him offering his condolences and wishing them a peaceful existence. Tintagel Castle was built over the site where his tower once stood. Some say he was given the honor of entering the Fae Otherworld of Avalon, others that he died of old age, leaving behind the extinct Emrys line. A few would make you think he is immortal and wandering all of Britain waiting for Arthur's return. Nothing for certain though. He never did visit Hogwarts. Probably reminded him of Morgana too much." Hermione nodded as she closed the leather clasp on the journal. "Thank you, for sharing that with me." Rhea nodded and took the book. "So, what was the reason that you needed to look up information about the Camelot fiasco?" Hermione smirked at Rhea's choice of words. "Dumbledore got some weird information about a new Dark Lady calling herself Le Fay. He is putting the Order on alert for it, worried over another threat on the horizon."
Hermione expected to hear a snort, or even a chuckle. What she got was Rhea slipping onto her lap, laughing herself silly. A few moments of laughing and giggles, Hermione asked. "What's so funny?" Rhea smirked up at her girlfriend. "Promise to keep it a secret. No one will get hurt if you do, I swear." Hermione sighed. "Ok, I will keep your secret." Rhea gave her a massive grin. "There is no Dark Lady Le Fay. It's all a misdirect that the Goblins and I worked up. The goal was to keep old snake face paranoid as well to keep any of the Magical Creatures from aiding him. Because of it, he will be constantly looking over his shoulder, second guessing himself. To have Dumbledore fall for it too is bloody priceless. I mean, you told him I warded the houses of the first gen families, something Voldemort found out the hard way and is probably blaming this mysterious lady for. He should know better. Dad is going to bust a gut over this!" Hermione blinked at her girlfriend. "You are insane." Rhea's hand reached up and cupped Hermione's cheek, causing her face to warm up. "Do you still like me in spite of me being insane?"
Leave it to her girlfriend to switch from a silly mood to a serious one in a split second. Hermione sighed as she rubbed her cheek against Rhea's hand. "Of course I do, silly. I had an
inkling you were a bit insane from the moment you let me join your study group." Rhea sat up and fully cupped Hermione's face. "Best decision I ever made." She dipped forward and kissed Hermione on the lips, the two girls losing themselves to the moment. The kiss ended when they both needed air, Rhea, pressing her forehead against Hermione's, rejoiced in the warmth filling her body. "Anything else you want to share about the Order of Fried Chicken?" Hermione wanted to be offended about the name but she also founded it funny. She decided to just sigh. Hermione debated telling Rhea about Henry's visions of Voldemort but she was worried that doing so might be a breach of Henry's trust. She had talked to Lily, who was getting even more worried as well, but she couldn't find any similar conditions in the Hogwarts Library. Hermione knew it was important Rhea knew, she could feel it, but couldn't just tell her as it could only drive Henry further into Dumbledore's hands. She didn't want that for her friend. "There might be something, but I would be breaking someone's trust and potentially making things worse."
Rhea pulled back and nodded, "I have an idea who you are talking about. How dangerous is it?" Hermione bit her lip. "I… am not sure. So far it's been harmless, but every once in a while I get the feeling something bad can come of it." Rhea sat back and ran her hand through her hair. "Ok, so you can't tell me but you're worried it's important enough that I should know. Is there someone else who could tell me who wouldn't be breaking anyones confidence or oaths?" Hermione started thinking. "I know Professor Snape knows, but he is under oaths not to share it." Rhea nodded her head. She had figured as much from her last few interactions with the Potions Master. Hermione kept thinking aloud, "Everyone else is out of the Castle or unlikely to share it with you." Lily's name had popped into her head again. She knew Rhea wouldn't want to help Lily but maybe she could talk to Lily about asking her. Rhea might know more than what the Hogwarts Library held. "There might be one person who could tell you, but I would have to talk about it with them first. I think they are our best bet though." Rhea looked at Hermione's face and nodded. "I will wait then. Since it's so late, do you want to spend the night over?"
Hermione leaned over and brushed her lips against Rhea's. "What would we be doing if I stayed over, my lady?" Rhea growled playfully. The tone of voice her girlfriend just used triggered all her buttons, making her very warm all over. "I was thinking about having a pillow fight, but right now a cold shower sounds better." Hermione giggled. "Oh, getting some dirty thoughts?" Rhea closed her eyes. "Too many." Hermione pecked Rhea on the lips. "Then I'd better get into the shower first." She stood up and went to the bathroom. Rhea waited a few seconds, knowing what was coming next. Hermione's voice reached her from the bathroom. "Rhea, you don't have a shower." Rhea giggled. "Nope, still haven't figured out how to get running water up here. You're free to conjure water and heat it though." She heard a soft sigh from Hermione. She grinned wickedly. "Want me to come help you out?" The "eeep" followed by the loud banging of the bathroom door made Rhea smile. She loved teasing Hermione.
Chapter End Notes
Yes, my Camelot tanget was inspired by the Merlin BBC series. Yes, one day, I plan to make a fanfiction of said series but it will not tie to this story as the end I made is too tragic for me to expand and adapt it accordingly. I want my stories to have happy endings, no matter what, so if I take the task, it will end better than the one here.
Next Chapter?: Hermione gets the motivation she needs to force someone's hand, Rhea goes looking for a little shack.
I am almost done with Chapter 7 of my next project. I am confident I can get my story to quite a few Chapters completed before I finish posting Blood and Magic, but editing and posting 2 stories at the same time could prove too much for me. I will ask you all if you would like me to edit and post Chapter 1 of the FemHarry/Tonks early so you can get a feel for it and, depending on how much more of a head start I get, how much you like it, and how well my writing goes, I could start updating it before Blood and Magic's end, though I might adjust the release schedule for it. Please let me know before my next posting.
Comment, discuss and see you all in two days.
What we Value Most
Chapter Notes
The votes were quite evenly divided, which was surprising. Most of those voting in favor of leaving it for after Blood and Magic was concluded. A few were concerned with keeping B at its current regular pace and that technically won, not counting the few that didn't voice an opinion either way. For the moment I will keep with that request, as we are in the more active chapters. I will ask again later as we start getting into the epilogue. Unlike JKR, I wanted to show life after the mess properly.
That said, here is the next chapter. Hope you all like it.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Rhea stared at the stacks of books she found in Dumbledore's office. She was disgusted that so much information about the creation of Horcruxes could be found so easily by someone who wasn't a Necromancer. Sure, the old man had them enchanted and encoded but he clearly didn't know that certain magics could be safely unraveled if certain magics were applied incorrectly, especially with Blood Magic serving as a way of appropriating wards. Without the appropriate countermeasures, a Blood Mage could bypass a lot of security. Rhea wondered if Voldemort shared the gift and if that explained his ease at breaking into the Restricted Section. She had also found the diary that Henry destroyed in Salazar's Chamber of Secrets, as well as Godric's short sword, now infused with Basilisk venom. She wasn't sure who would be more disgusted about how things turned out in the Chamber. Salazar would probably be bemoaning the death of his familiar, friend and the last line of offense for the Castle. How people forgot Medusa's purpose was beyond ridiculous but it was a mute point. Godric would have been devastated as he understood Salazar's paranoia and had helped in shaping the corridors to aid a Basilisk's freedom of movement. The only known Parseltoungues in Britain right now were Henry and Voldemort, so getting into the Chamber and fixing its wards and everything was unlikely. Salazar had also been a Blood Mage so she really wanted to learn what the old snake charmer had figured out about the craft. Oh well, best leave it alone for now.
The destroyed book proved Voldemort had made more Phylacteries, so the question was how many were left. Dumbledore's notes seemed to indicate he was seeking to make enough to reach a magical number. The phylacteries back at Peverell Castle already numbered three, so the book made four. The next magical number would be seven, so if he still counted himself as a piece, that still left two soul pieces either attached to an object or a lifeform. The fact that Voldemort had survived Dorea's Blood Magic defenses at all would suggest at least one living anchor, since only a living Horcrux could sustain a person past death. The others served more as tools for possession and reconstitution, but the new being would be limited to the knowledge they possessed at the point the Phylacteries were created. The books she read from both the Peverell Archives as well as the Egyptian Grimoire suggested that the living vessel would need to be of some significance to the caster, as no one would split their soul into another life if it didn't have any value to them. A crazy Pharaoh had planned to use all his descendants as anchors, extending himself throughout time. A
Necromancer had ended his reign the moment he transferred a piece of his soul to his son's body, killing both father and son.
Rhea's thoughts went back to each Phylactery. Voldemort made four that she knew of, three tied to his legacy as a Founder's descendant. They would also pose a problem to those who could only conceive of destroying them, as each object was priceless to Magical Britain. They also had sentimental value. Dumbledore's notes covered much of Tom Riddle's life and Rhea could perhaps see more than Dumbledore ever could. Tom's difficult life in a British Orphanage just before the dawn of World War II, the struggles of a magical child struggling for a day's supply of food. Theft, violence and cunning. Rhea could see herself in Tom's shoes as easy as if they were her own. She had stolen from the Dursleys to eat a few times, never enough to fill her stomach, but enough that they wouldn't notice its absence. She had tried her hand at violence once against Dudley to get him to stop, but her weakened state made it a useless tool for her. Cunning was useful but the hunger and pain have a habit of eating away at one's mind. Like her, he was a survivor, with one crucial difference. No one came to his aid. The man who should have fostered him saw Dark traits and abandoned a boy into the world again.
Despite her wishes, the memory of Fleur resurfaced, along with the cold that now centered itself with them. In a lot of ways they were exactly the same. He had found a refuge from the horrors of the world and was betrayed by those who should have been trustworthy. He probably found more comfort from the cold stone walls than in Dumbledore's eyes. She certainly found a measure of comfort in the blasted cupboard and she hated herself for it. So the boy attached himself to what didn't betray him, what couldn't. Hogwarts. The containers were as much protection from destruction as they were sentimental in value. His private connection to the one place he could call home. Taking up the diary Rhea could also see sentimentality in it. He must have gotten it when he went to Hogwarts, probably bought with the first galleons he was afforded from the Orphan's Fund. A place that was his and his alone, for his thoughts, dreams and ambitions. She turned her eyes to Dumbledore's notes. The man believed Voldemort was cold, calculating and patient. Rhea gave Dumbledore two for three. The cold came easy, when you had to hide your tears, when you had to ignore an empty stomach or wait for a broken bone to mend.
Voldemort was anything but cold. If she thought about it, the entire Wizarding War was Voldemort lashing out at the world that created him. He hated the cold, cruel and merciless world as much as she did. He found no family to comfort him or to chase the nightmares away. Only the stones of Hogwarts and the magic in his blood gave him meaning and sanctuary. So he lashed out at the non-magical world that created him, at the light that abandoned him and in a roundabout way at the Dark that tried to use him. He fought over and over again. He would continue fighting. He was a survivor after all. So no, he wasn't cold. He just learned how to hide how much pain he was constantly in. So what would he value that lived? Not the Light, not family, probably not the Dark. There was never any indication of a significant other. She remembered the curses attached to Barty Junior's hand. No trust for the Death Eaters either. She looked at the notes again. He was a Parselmouth from the moment he was born and had snakes by his side since before he reached Hogwarts. She leafed through the notes and found what she was looking for. Nagini. A massive snake that was both boa and poisonous. Dumbledore believed she was once a woman, a victim of a Maledictus.
Rhea gave a bitter chuckle. He found the one person he could trust, a woman turned snake, the intelligence and lifespan of a person locked behind the form of a poisonous snake. The perfect place to store a piece of his soul. It was also the hardest one to find. The snake would be either at his side, hunting for food or acting as his eyes and ears. There was no way of tracking her accurately. Unless … She pulled out her note book and leafed through it. There was a ritual used to track soul fragments, but it needed an existing fragment to work. Her family had destroyed the one in the locket, Henry destroyed the one in the diary, the Goblins the one in the cup and she was pretty sure she had destroyed the one in the Diadem herself, if by accident. Death Magic in concentrated doses would rip a soul apart, especially one as damaged and fragmented as one stuck in a phylactery. If Dumbledore's notes were right and Voldemort wasn't insane enough to suggest he split his soul to reach twelve fragments, then there might just be one more soul fragment she could use to track Voldemort and his snake. What worried her were some mentions of seeking a way to remove a soul fragment from a living person, with no indication Dumbledore had found any such method. Was there another soul fragment, beyond the six Voldemort would have wanted to make? She would need to dig through more of Dumbledore's research to see what else she could find. The old man certainly kept a lot of pensieve memory vials too.
Still… maybe it would be wise to get some insurance just in case Voldemort got the funny idea of making more Horcruxes. She had read about an interesting countermeasure the Egytian Necromancers developed against the people making Horcruxes that they sentenced to a slow death. Maybe she could apply it here. She would need a lot of exotic materials, a skilled set of hands and an understanding of what exactly they were doing. The Prasinos could manage the supplies but Rhea didn't want to share too much about what they were fighting. Grandma Serah might bring in the reinforcements too early and spook the morons into hiding. Rhea did have a place she could check with, not to mention she was thinking of taking Hermione out on a date for Valentine's. It's not Paris and it does involve some business, but the place was certainly beautiful. A smile grew across her face. Hermione does look great with a tan too.
- -
"Luna, not that there is something wrong or anything, but you do have a fairy in your hair." The Ravenclaw was currently sitting next to Hermione below the large oak tree near the Black Lake. As it was Valentine's, most of the group was out doing their own things, with Hannah, Susan and Sally all having their own dates. Hermione woke up and found a beautiful vase full of roses next to her on the nightstand. She was badgered by Parvati and Lavender about who they were from and she had to admit to being in an official courtship that was agreed to be considered private. Asking them for help in preparing for the day and future dates in exchange for their silence on the matter had been surprisingly easy. She was still stunned that they had both happily agreed before they dragged her in front of the mirror to work on her hair and makeup. She did get them to drop the makeup for today, after showing them the note that came with the letter. Wherever Rhea was dragging her was not makeup friendly and could also lead to a dip in water. She went into the bathroom to put on her new bikini, though she did try out her skimpier one from last year. It was certainly tighter and a bit more revealing than it had been originally but it still suited her. Better to
leave it for a more private place. She still owed Rhea a visit to the spa this year. Maybe she could make it a private date.
Luna looked at Hermione and smiled. "I know. She asked if she could braid my hair and I agreed." Hermione hummed as she watched Luna draw on her sketchbook. "Rhea lent me some books that mention the Fae. They are certainly more interesting than what most wixen talk about." Luna beamed, "I know. They are so polite too. Rhea took me to a gathering of Fae and I got to meet so many. I can't share what the meeting was about, but it was incredible seeing Fairies, Elves, Centaurs, Nymphs and Dryads all talking together. They were super nice to me too." Hermione smiled at seeing Luna so animated. It was certainly a refreshing sight. "Are you planning on working with them after Hogwarts?" Luna had a wistful smile. "I had wanted to help daddy with his searching for Magical Creatures but while being a magizoologist sounds nice, it might be more fun to work with the Fae. They do tend to know animals too, so I can still help in my own way."
Hermione smiled. "I think I remember reading stories about Fairy Doctors, people who could see and talk to Fairies and help settle problems with humans." Luna beamed. "That's what I want. The Fae are super excited too. They are getting some of their people ready to stay at my home and help me learn about Fae customs and magic. The Centaurs asked Rhea if they could get one of their people to either visit Hogwarts or work here to tutor me. She's trying to negotiate with Trelawney about splitting Divination and having the centaur teach up to OWL level. The Professor hasn't been very happy but the idea of teaching the truly gifted seemed to appeal to her." Hermione hummed. She had planned on taking Divination before more electives were added and the schedule was rearranged a bit. She had no idea if Professor Trewlawney was any good, though she heard a lot of mixed feelings. Lavender and Parvati loved the class but Ron and Henry hated it. Maybe the Centaur would be a better teacher for the younger students.
Luna's eyes looked over Hermione's shoulder and she smiled. Hermione was going to turn but the full weight of a body fell onto her back. The cold feeling of the magic touching hers told her who it was. "Rhea, we are out in the open." Rhea looked up at Luna. "Sorry Luna, no snoging until our next get together." Luna's "poo" made Rhea and Hermione laugh. Luna stood up slowly and dusted her skirt. "Astoria has dragged the first years to the Rec room with Daphne watching over them. I'll go over and help out. Take care you two. Have fun." Rhea and Hermione both said "bye" at the same time as Rhea slipped off Hermione's back only to land her head on her lap. She liked her Hermione pillow. Hermione sighed. "You aren't making hiding our relationship easy." Rhea pouted. "I know, but I really missed you the last few days. Raiding Dumbledore's office is a lot of work. I have to Mad-Eye my way through every piece of paper or vial of memory. The man was obsessed with keeping secrets." Hermione, looking back, could see that of the former Headmaster.
"So, where are we going today?" Rhea hummed. "Do you trust me?" Hermione nodded. "Of course." Rhea stood up, waited for Hermione to do the same and pulled her into a hug. "Eyes closed, jaw clenched and whatever you do, don't let go." Hermione followed the instructions and felt Ehea's magic envelop her. It was an oddly calming sensation even if a bit cold, but pressing her body into Rhea's made her feel warmer and safer. Eventually the feeling of rushing wind calmed down and the smell of earth and water filled her nose. Rhea pulling away made Hermione confident enough to open her eyes. Everywhere she looked she saw water and a green shoreline
with some houses dotting the landscape a bit. She did notice the dunes of sands stretching back into a bright blue horizon. "Rhea, tell me you didn't just take me to Egypt on a first date." She turned to her grinning girlfriend who now sported her formal black attire with a black cloth protecting her hair and neck. "Is that a problem?"
Hermione felt her eye twitch. "Rhea, this is too much for a first date! What's next, China?" Hermione had a small moment of horror as Rhea actually considered it. "My translation spells are a bit wonky for anything not Indo-European in origin so we would have to stick to Shanghai and Hong Kong if you have your heart set on our next date being in China." Hermione sighed. "Nevermind!" Rhea didn't even let her finish as her girlfriend pulled her to the nearest area and dragged her into a clothes shop. Hermione did relax as the clothes she got were geared to protect her skin, eyes and keep her body cool in the sun. The two went from stall to stall, trying out the food options and taking in the sights. Hermione had to admit that the place felt really welcoming despite her being an outsider. Ron hadn't mentioned being so welcomed when his family traveled to Egypt after their second year. She did keep her eye on her girlfriend. "Rhea, why do they all treat you so differently here?" Her girlfriend stopped and looked around for a second, as if she had forgotten how she was being treated. Rhea grinned, "Because they know I am a Necromancer. I am wearing an Ankh that blatantly says so."
Hermione took a much closer look at her girlfriend after that, watching her reactions everywhere they went. The stall owners didn't show any fear or concern with Rhea. If anything they looked happy to see her, asking her to write blessings in small papyrus scrolls and thanking her for them. Rhea did that and more, always with a smile and always courteous. Was this what Necromancers were supposed to be treated as? Not with fear or prejudice but with respect and care? It certainly seemed to be right if the smiles that Rhea left behind her were any indication. It worried her that her girlfriend walked around with an amulet advertising her status as a Necromancer in front of Britain's Wizengamot but no one there really noticed. She was telegraphing what she was, but never blatantly or pridefully. It was exactly Rhea's style, as she could claim that she was never really hiding, just not doing anything to draw attention to the truth of who and what she was. Yet, despite seeing a new side of her girlfriend, she still didn't feel like it was anything groundbreaking. It was still just Rhea being Rhea. The rest of their date went great as they ate some dinner, watching the sun set over the horizon. The rays of light hitting the river were absolutely beautiful.
"Follow me, I want you to meet some people." Rhea led her to an out of the way tourist shop full of cartouches. "Maana, you around?" Hermione watched a young woman wearing dark robes pop her head out. "Rhea! Welcome back!" The woman pulled Rhea into a tight hug which made Hermione feel a little jealous, That was new. The woman with brown hair looked at her and smiled. "Hello, Rhea must really like you to bring you all the way out here. Name's Maana, Apprentice Dark Mage of the local Temple of the Dead." Hermione blinked at the introduction. "Hermione Granger, currently courting the Necromancer who kidnapped me across the Mediterrenean." Maana's "awwwww" ended when she pulled Hermione to the table, pulling out a wand-like short staff made of metal. " Do you mind? I make my best work when it's custom fitted to the mage. Now stand there while I scan you. That Ankh your lady carries is my work and if you need to have a personally crafted item, I want to do it myself." A few runestones and waves of what Maana calls a rod later and the mage was excited. "Another one. Yes! I might just get out of Mahad's personal tutoring a few months early."
The excitable witch went everywhere in the shop, picking up various materials. Rhea kissed Hermione on the cheek and took her hand. "Come on, she'll be busy for about an hour or so." Hermione found herself being guided by her girlfriend into the Egyptian wilderness until they stood before an entrance guarded by two Anubis statues. The moment she entered the building, her magic went wild as it sought to connect with the temple's magic. Hermione had to focus to get control of it. The stone and air felt full of magic, most of it cold like Rhea's. A man wearing dark robes like the ones she saw on Maana turned the corner, his face breaking into a smile when spotting Rhea. "Ahh, there you are. Maana was quite excited to get out of her meditations for tonight. Oh, you brought a guest with you, Lady Peverell?" Rhea turned to her girlfriend, "Hermione Granger, I present to you Mahad, Dark Mage and High Priest of the Temple of The Dead on the island. Mahad, I present to you Hermione Granger, the young woman courting me." Hermione remembered her etiquette lessons and bowed, getting a respectful bow in return. "Welcome to Egypt, Miss Granger. The Lady Peverell is a most welcomed guest here and that is now extended to you." Hermione blushed. "My thanks, High Priest." Hermione took in the beautiful murals and decor as Mahad guided them to the back of the Temple. A woman popped her head out. "My Lady! And still wearing our work! Please bring more material, it is unbecoming for you to limit yourself to one outfit, no matter how exquisite it is."
Rhea greeted the Seamstress warmly before pushing Hermione a bit forward. "My girlfriend here is new to the region and to personalized enchanted clothing. Think you can manage something for her that suits her affinity?" The woman beamed and grabbed Hermione's hand. "Follow me young lady, I have a lot to show you!" Hermione looked at Rhea and saw a pleading look. She sighed. "Alright, but I am complaining to your mom about the expenses you have taken for me." Rhea watched as Hermione got pulled away. She made sure to project her voice a little. "Still way short of Dad's price tag on Mom's first Christmas gift. Mom will just say to forget about it and count your fortunes you won't be wearing over a thousand Galleons worth of jewelry. Not yet anyways." Hermione paled and prayed to Rhea's goddess that she didn't take after her dad when Hermione's gifts were purchased. Mahad looked at the Necromancer and was pleased by the smile on her face. "She suits you. Her magic reacted positively to the Temple." Rhea nodded but her expression turned serious.
She pulled out a roll of parchment and handed it to Mahad. "A commission for your smiths. The black sheep of my family is running out of trinkets and I need to keep it that way." Mahad unfurled it and recognized the ritually enhanced cursed knife. He nodded. "My smiths would be honored to craft it. It will test their craftsmanship for weeks. You may come and retrive it in a month's time." Rhea sighed in relief. "My thanks, Mahad. Oh, one last thing. Your temple wouldn't have a Bath House, would it?" Mahand chuckled, "Seeking a romantic evening in warm waters?" Rhea blushed but nodded, which made Mahad smile. "We do have one and you and your lady are free to use it tonight before you make your way home." Mahad left to deliver the scroll to the smyths as Rhea followed after the seamstress. She waited in the adjoining room as the Egyptian woman worked her magic on Hermione, not wishing to intrude. It also helped in keeping an eye on the door, as Maana entered with a grin on her face and an amulet wrapped in cloth. "Your lady ready?" Rhea was about to answer when she heard Hermione call her.
For a brief moment Rhea's mind simply stopped working. Hermione was dressed in a beautiful
form fitting white and gold shirt with short sleeves and a long skirt with slits down the sides, all accented in gold. Her girlfriend blushed when she saw the effect on Rhea while Maana smirked. "Aren't you quite lovely, Miss Granger. Your Lady's mind is quite occupied. Wonder if she's disr- oww!" Maana smirked at Rhea's glare and wandless stinging jinx before walking over to Hermione and tying the Amulet to the belt hidden beneath the white sash around her waist. Hermione's Amulet was in the shape of a Tyet, made of a white metallic material, the hieroglyphics carved and accented with gold paint. "Contrary to Europeans, white in Egypt is an everyday color. It is the color of life, clarity and transcendence. The same can be found with your amulet. In you I found Isis, Maut and Hathor. The shape is that of a Tyet, the blessed symbol of Isis. May the Goddesses bless you young Witch. Safe travels." Maana bowed to Hermione and gave a small nod to Rhea as she walked away. Rhea pulled Hermione into her hands. "You look beautiful." Hermione blushed, "Well, does this mean I can wear white to the wedding?" Rhea's bright red face and nod were all the answers Hermione needed.
After thanking the seamstress, Rhea followed an attendant who took them to the bath house. Disrobing in front of each other left them both red in the face and flushed all over their bodies as they stood wearing their swimsuits. Hermione groaned softly as the warm and still waters of the Egyptian bathing pool covered her body. Rhea slipped in besides her, sighing in content. Hermione looked in front of her at a scene straight out of Egypt's past, watching ancient fishing boats glide over the waters of the Nile as the night sky was filled with an endless sea of stars.. "I take back what I said earlier. Thank you for today, Rhea. It was perfect." Rhea slipped her hand around Hermione's exposed waist. "I think we are missing one last thing." She leaned in and kissed her girlfriend on the lips, their bodies warming and magic mingling. The kiss was long and deep and Rhea eventually had to pull back, breathing heavily. Hermione gave her a dreamy smile. "You were right. It's perfect now." The two lingered in the warm water, Rhea hugging Hermione from behind, watching together the beauty of a bygone era replicated by magic, leaving the worries of Magical Britain behind for one night of peace and quiet.
- -
Hermione watched as Henry sat next to her, his face covered in sweat and his eyes haunted. His last dream or vision was unlike anything that he had experienced himself. To watch through the eyes of a snake as it snuck up on Mr. Weasley, to feel the snake's teeth latch on and bite the wizard over and over again before it slithered away. It had taken every ounce of Occlumency training to snap out of his dream and scream for help, grabbing the communication mirror and calling his dad to send for aid. The Twins, Ron and Ginny were given permission by McGonagall to leave the school and make for St. Mungos while Hermione, Neville and Henry stayed with Professor Potter, waiting for news. While they waited, Henry spoke to Dumbledore through the mirror. "It is quite concerning that you experienced the vision the way you did, Henry. The connection that you share with Voldemort seems to also tie him to his Familiar, Nagini."
Lily looked at her son with great concern. "Is there any way to block the connection? Snape's
Occlumency lessons don't seem to work and while the link has given us some advantages, including the fact Arthur is still alive, keeping the bond alive can't be healthy for him." Dumbledore sighed, "I have been researching the means of severing the bond since summer, with not much luck. This is made all the more difficult by the fact that most of my research is still locked away in my old office at Hogwarts. I had tried to petition for the return of my property but apparently the review of my property is going quite slow. Something about my defenses not helping. I offered to disable them, but Miss Black refuses to give me permission to enter the school." Hermione could tell this irked the former Headmaster but she couldn't blame her friend for holding a grudge. Lily sighed. "I will speak with Lady Ravenclaw. She may not like me any more than you Albus, but she may be willing to help if I can convince her of it being helpful to a student."
Dumbledore looked unconvinced. "You may try, Lily, but I doubt it will change anything. The young lady is clearly full of anger and resentment, despite her service to the school and her dedication to the students." Hermione felt anger simmer in her even as she tried to control it. Her girlfriend had issues, but she wasn't full of anger. Sure, she had a temper but it was always fleeting. Her love and care for others ran far deeper than that. She kept her mouth shut since she knew Henry and Dumbledore would disagree. The call ended when they got word from St. Mungos that Mr. Weasley would live but it might be weeks if not months before he was released. Lily looked at the devastated look on her son. She pulled out a vial of Dreamless Sleep and handed it to him. "Henry, please take this and get some sleep. Neville, make sure he makes it to the dorm room and get some rest as well. I will tell you if anything changes by morning."
Hermione watched Henry stagger out the door of Lily's Office before turning to look at her Head of House. She looked so unsure of herself. "You don't think Rhea will help you, do you?" Lily shook her head. "No Hermione, I don't think she will and I know I don't deserve it. I just wish we could do something, anything to help Henry." Hermione debated in her mind. Lily might get an answer if she gives something to Rhea. Her girlfriend hated blind charity and helping out people she detested, but she wasn't above doing it through an exchange. If they could give her something of value to her, it might work. Rhea's discussions about the Le Fay subterfuge came to mind. She knew the Blacks were fighting Voldemort and wanted him gone. Maybe telling them about Henry's connection was enough. Maybe. "Lily, I might have an in with Rhea that could get you some help with Henry, but it means telling her and the Blacks about the connection. I know you don't trust the Blacks, but they are against Voldemort too. It could help end the war before it begins again and it could help Henry."
Lily looked at Hermione and thought about it. Sirius was never a firm believer in everything the Dark wizards and witches that helped Voldemort did. He was Dark, even if he was Neutral now, but he wanted Voldemort dead as well. The Lady Black and Rhea were the issue. The Lady Black hated Dumbledore with a passion that Lily couldn't understand. What could Dumbledore have done 50 years ago that angered the Prasinos family that they held a grudge against him for so long? Did it have something to do with his connection with Grindelwald? Or was it the more recent fact that she knew her daughter went to the Dursleys at his recommendation? In either case there was no chance Rhea would help them or the Order by returning Dumbledore's property to him. "Hermione, Dumbledore needs those notes but I know for a fact that Rhea wont release it. Her mother's family have a feud with Albus and won't stop until he is dead or defeated. They may just burn Dumbledore's office to the ground out of revenge if we even tell them we need something in
there. "
Hermione bit her lip. "I am not talking about getting the notes back to Dumbledore. I am talking about asking the Black's for help with Henry. Sirius could have casted James Potter out of the Black family line but hasn't. Sirius got into an argument with Rhea to save Henry because as much as Rhea hates him, Sirius still sees Henry as family. Appeal to her Black family side and ask the Black's in helping Henry with his visions. They have to know more than we do about the darker magics. They might just have a means of saving Henry from this bond. I know Henry hates her right now, but she can help him." Lily closed her eyes and thought over Hermione's words. She knew Henry had asked her on a date but she had refused, yet she still cares enough about him. Hermione certainly trusts Rhea a lot for her to make the suggestion and seems to believe appealing to her Black family ties might be enough to help get past their issues. Still. "Do you trust Rhea Black will save Henry rather than just let him die? She almost did last year."
The question caught Hermione by surprise. The simple answer would be no. Rhea hated what Henry stood for and what he had become. She probably hates James and Lily for the part they played in making Henry the way he is. Sirius had already failed to appeal to her good nature on this matter and Hermione had already been given a free pass. If she asked Rhea to save Henry again she would be breaking a promise and likely paying a debt for the rest of her life. She would also likely bring a violent end to their relationship. This needed to be an exchange. It needed to be fair to Rhea. "I think we need to offer something more as well, something we can give to Rhea. She is like the Fae in that nothing is for free except for family. I already burned my free pass and you probably have none to speak of. Is there anything you'd be willing to add, as an incentive?" Lily closed her eyes and thought. What could she give to save her son? Rhea's words in the Hospital Wing came back to her. She couldn't kill for her, she wouldn't betray her husband and as much as she was angry with Dumbledore she wouldn't risk the Order either. Henry and James need the Order's to beat Voldemort. There was one option though. "Do you know where she might be right now? Somewhere we could discuss this in private?"
- -
Rhea was staring at Hermione hard. Not only did she bring Lily Potter to the entrance of her family's Chambers, she asked for her to let her in and discuss something in private. The request came offly close to breaking her promise. She could see she was bothered by it too but still wanted to bring Lily here. Bloody Gryffindors and their sense of nobility. No wonder Salazar and Rowena were driven mad by Godric. Her eyes turned to Lily Potter, who looked… resigned. How odd. "So, I am going to assume you are not here on Hogwarts business. What can I do for you, Lady Potter?" Lily sighed. "I have a need of aid which only you and your family can offer, Heiress Black." Rhea raised an eyebrow at that. Interesting choice of words. "What could the Black Family offer the House of Potter that it would bring you here, knowing that I am as likely to see you dead as to help you?" Lily's shoulders steeled themselves. "I wish to ask the House of Black to save my son from his current situation." Rhea tapped her fingers against her arm.
"What issue ails your son that you would seek our help?" Lily sighed. "My son has a connection to the Dark Lord Voldemort. Ever since his resurrection, the monster has been able to enter his mind and the reverse is true as well. The Order has used the connection to their advantage where they could but recently it has been getting worse. I fear for my son's life and his well being. I cannot sit by and let his suffering continue and Occlumency hasn't been working. We need a solution. A solution we can't get because all of Dumbkedore's notes on the subject are locked in his office." Rhea's word cut her off. "No." Heemione stared at her girlfriend. That was fast. Too fast. Lily restrained an angry retort. "Please, we ne-" Rhea's magic flared causing a snapping noise in front of Lily. The noise startled the redhead, making her pull back. Rhea's stare was cold. "No. The notes and any information locked within Dumbledore's former office are non negotiable. If that's all you here for, you may leave."
Hermione closed her eyes. Rhea never said anything without reason or purpose. If she couldn't share the notes, then the notes contained something that she couldn't let out. Their first night back in January sprang to mind. Duties and responsibilities as Peverell, a Ravenclaw and as a Necromancer. One of those had to be driving the impasse. It was the only explanation. She could try rewording the request. "Heiress Black, without access to the notes, would the House of Black be willing to render aid to Henry Potter?" Those cyan eyes swiveled to her and her heart stopped. They were beautiful eyes but right now Hermione was terrified. There was no emotion in them and she hated not seeing the warmth and joy they usually held. Rhea was unhappy and she was occluding hard. Her eyes went to Lily again who flinched. "I may need more specifics than simply a connection between minds. I myself have a bond with my mother and my Familiar. I need specifics to render a verdict."
Lily sagged a little in relief. She might still have a chance. "Henry gets visions of Voldemort's actions. Sometimes he gets more information, others it's just general feelings that aren't his own. A few moments ago… he watched Voldemort's snake attack and almost killed Arthur Weasley. We don't know why the snake was there exactly, but the attack happened and Mr. Weasley is currently at St. Mungos recovering. I fear he may get worse…" Lily stopped because Rhea's face turned pensive and almost… horror stricken. Hermione was also unsure what to do. She had never seen her girlfriend so worried. "Lily, what was Henry's point of view in all these visions?" Hermione frowned. Didn't Albus ask the same thing? Lily answered quickly. "From Voldemort's and the snake's, as if he were the one in person doing the things that happened." Hermione watched and felt the change in Rhea's magic as it flared violently and was followed by what she assumed were curses spilling from her mouth. She rushed forward and grabbed Rhea's hand, feeling the biting cold of her magic settle into her own body before it lessened and dissipated.
Rhea took a few deep breaths before regaining control and turning to her girlfriend. "Thank you, Hermione. You can let go now." Hermione scanned her face and nodded before letting go as Lily watched silently. Rhea turned her eyes to Lily. "Based on Dumbledore's notes and your description of his situation, I have a good idea as to why the connection exists between your son, Voldemort and Nagini. If it's confirmed, let me say that there isn't much Dumbledore could do to help you. There is little even we could do to help." Lily felt cold. "Is there a chance of saving him?" Rhea turned to Hermione before looking at Lily. "There is but the price will be high, and I am not talking about galleons. There are rules that I may need to bend or almost break to achieve it,
which means oaths and secrets that can never, ever be revealed to Dumbledore, your husband or even your son. Do you understand me?" Lily nodded. "I … didn't assume you would do it for free, I came here willing to offer something in exchange." Rhea eyed her critically. "What would you offer me and the House of Black to save your son?"
Lily steeled her voice. "My life. After my son is safe, you would be free to kill me with no retaliation or consequences from either the Ministry, House Potter or its allies." Hermione turned and stared at Lily in disbelief. Rhea's voice was so cold besides her as she stood up, her eyes burning bright. "Oh. You would be willing to die to see your son live?" Lily didn't waver and stared into eyes that held so much hate and contempt for her. "Yes. I should have done it for my daughter. I failed her. This is the least I can do for my son. I refuse to fail again." Hermione felt a bit of fear at seeing the hate in Rhea's eyes. She had never seen her like this. Then the hate just faded away and all that was left was sadness. She hated seeing that in her eyes too. "For Hermione I accepted her plea with no price taken, on the promise she would never ask something of me as she did again. Today you ask something of me and my family, something I would be all too glad to deny you. You can keep your life Lily Potter. The House of Black will see to Henry Potter's wellbeing and Voldemort's end. Though I will be clear. Were I a different person I would have killed you here and now. But that isn't me. I refuse to let it be me." Rhea sat down and sighed, emotionally exhausted.
Hermione sat down and leaned against her girlfriend, taking her hand in both of hers. "I am so proud of you." Rhea rubbed her cheek against Hermione's. "I am happy to hear it, though I hope you aren't offended that I didn't do it for you." Hermione laughed. "No, you did it for yourself. That's why I am so proud." She kissed her girlfriend on the cheek. Lily watched this and realised why Hermione didn't date Henry and why she trusted Rhea. She had a bittersweet smile on her face. "When can we get started?" Hermione looked at her and blushed, probably realising that she did all that with an audience. Rhea stared at Lily. "I will let you know. I am preparing a Ritual that should reveal if my suspicions are correct. I just need a final piece to get it working. I could use your son but it might cause unnecessary interference and reveal ourselves to Voldemort. I recently got a bit of interesting information that I need to check on that might make his participation moot. Tell me, is the Order observing a Shack somewhere in Little Hangleton, close to the Riddle cemetery?" Lily frowned and remembered hearing something about that. "I think I did hear something about a shack with a snake nailed to its door."
- -
"Why did I agree to this?" Rhea turned and looked at Dora. "Because for the last two years you have been complaining that all you ever got to do was train with Aunt Bella and then go from one dead end Death Eater safe house to the next. You told me you wanted some action and you got it." Dora glared at Rhea. "Action like busting heads and snapping legs, sure. Not bloody snake infested huts in the middle of nowhere!" After Lily confirmed that the Order was definitely watching the last known Gaunt Property, Rhea wasted no time and sent the word out to her family.
Amelia was notified just in case the DMLE got called in and after getting told that Rhea was hunting Horcruxes or Phylacteries, Amelia immediately sent Dora to her and got ahold of the floo networks emergency responders, letting them know that any calls about Little Haggleton where to go straight to her. Dora arrived and after spending a few hours changing Rhea's appearance with makeup, some self transfiguration and what little Metamorphmagus ability Rhea inherited, the two now heavily disguised Blacks were ready to sneak into the Gaunt Shack. Arriving disillusioned at the front door, Rhea got to work tampering the wards enough to open it and get out of view.
Which is why the two were now magically affixed to the walls and roof of the shack, avoiding the mass of poisonous snakes that spilled out onto the floor. Dora, looking like a dark haired man in his thirties, looked around the shack, "Well? What's the ward status?" Rhea sighed, "Old Snake Face has got this place heavily warded, some much more recent. I think my stunt at the nearby Graveyard spooked him so he came by and added some new wards on the inside. Fiendfyre suppression, magical suppression and a lot more, all in Parselmagic. It's giving me a bloody headache looking at it because all it's giving me is some whitenoise that sounds like snakes hissing. No alert ward so he is either far or not worried about someone breaking in." Dora frowned, "Well, there are a bunch of snakes hissing down there. Any ideas how to deal with the real ones?" Rhea looked around the shack. No fire, no powerful magic and no apparition. She could drag Dora through the Veil, but for now it's a last resort. She got a thought that made her smile. Let's test that magic suppression. "Dora, how good are you with an Aguamenti?"
Dora looked at her cousin warily, "I can get it going for a bit, not that water does much to snakes. Why didn't you bring Henry again?" Rhea growled, "Because he is fifthteen and doesn't need a bigger head on his shoulders." Dora glared. "Your fifthteen too!" Rhea gave her cousin a pout. "Debatable. Now, can you get the floor full of water up to a few inches?" Dora looked at the floor, "Let's give it a try! Aguamenti. " The floor began to fill up with water as Rhea looked on, waiting to see if it was enough. Of course the snakes floated but that wasn't what Rhea was looking for. Seeing the floor suitably filled up she casted Glacius as she told Dora to stop. The water instantly froze, trapping all the snakes. Rhea turned to her cousin. "Transfigure your boots to have cleats. We are going down there. Kill the snakes whose heads are above the ice with a cutting charm." Dora nodded and soon enough they were safely on the ground covered in ice. They casted a few detection spells and Dora whistled. "Damn Cus, you disabled the pressure traps too with the ice. Nice job. Sure you don't want to be my partner on the force?"
Rhea sighed. "As fun as it might be to hunt the crazies and assholes of Magical Britain, I do have three Houses whose future depends on me and a school full of kids that I own and need to oversee. Besides, better keep me out of the line of fire or I could break Mad Eye's record for wixen buried and property damage in the line of duty." Dora remembered the Graveyard and the Fiendfyre. "On second thought, yeah stay home and invite the dead over for tea. Let the sane members of the family deal with the crazies." Rhea gave her a look. "Dora, there are no sane Blacks." Dora shook her hand. "Debatable." They eventually got a hit on some magic under the ice. "Dora, watch for snakes. Ignis Obscura. " Black cursed flames leaped from the tip of her wand and started to eat away at the ice. Dora whistled as she watched her cousin burn the ice until only the burned wooden floor was left, the edges looking like a trapdoor. Lifting the door up revealed a small box. Rhea casted a few diagnostics. "Oof, Snake Face hates people alright, something inside has a nasty Withering Curse and a compulsion to wear the item in question. If it's what I think it is, it's probably a ring. Get some distance and your Occlumency up."
Once they were both some distance away, Rhea opened the box with magic. She felt a touch of the compulsion charm and she checked on Dora who nodded. Good thing the Withering curse is another bit derived from a poor attempt at Necromancy, meaning Rhea could dispel it easily enough along with the compulsion. The soul fragment on the other hand needed a lot more to clear it and Rhea needed it intact for now. Pulling out a small warded box Rhea deposited the ring inside of it and sealed, ignoring the fact the item felt full of very familiar magic. She'd deal with it once they were out of the blasted hut. Rhea turned to Dora and was about to suggest leaving when the door got yanked out of its hinges behind them. Rhea cursed and casted a banishing charm silently, hearing someone get launched. A woman outside yelled "Scatter!" Dora groaned, "That was Hestia Jones from the Order. The hell are they hitting the Shack for?" Rhea felt around with her magic. "I think some of the water leaked out and froze. They have some damn good attention to detail if they spotted that on the front porch."
Dora sighed. "Okay, now what?" Rhea thought for a second. "Voldemort and Dumbledore are still looking for agents of Le Fay. Let's give them some undeniable proof. Stunners and Bone Breakers mainly, nothing lethal." Dora nodded and the two rushed out under dueling shields, blasting away with banishers, stuns and bone breakers. The Order members returned fire with similar spells, but nowhere near as fast. Rhea and Dora kept moving, holding the Dueling Shield on their off hand and charging forward. The woman in front of her cursed. "They're too fast! Moony, call for reinforcements!" Rhea watched a wolf patronus take form and take off. She wanted to send Padfoot to intercept it but her Patronus was too recognizable after she used it in school. She growled to herself as she casted a shield piercer and stunner, taking out the woman, before focusing on the Were. It's a good thing she and Dora used a potion to mask their scents. Remus was much faster than the woman and a bit more aggressive in his spell choices. Still a werewolf though. An overpowered flashbang spell to the face and the man was blinded, before being stunned and incapacitated. Leaving the woman she assumed was Jones incapacitated aswell, she turned to Dora and her current opponent who, on seeing that he was outnumbered, apparated away.
Rhea could also see someone with an invisibility cloak sneaking behind her cousin. "Cloaker!" Dora recognized the code and dropped, sweeping her feet and casting a banisher. The person hiding cursed and casted a shield before conjuring a wall. A familiar gruff voice yelled out "Whose side do you fight against?" Rhea sighed and holstered her wand. Moody was the one guy she feared could get it off her hands. She could do without the wand but better not risk it. "Neither and both." The none answer should get him thinking while Dora moved closer to her, ready to apparate out. "You two got good disguises but you need to mask your fighting styles better. Get your asses out of here and I'll get the sleepers up." Rhea sighed in relief as Dora grabbed her arm and the two apparated away. After a few decoy apparitions they both made it to Grimmauld Place. Her mom and Dad dragged her and Dora into hugs. Sirius looked them over while Sabrina scanned them. "Both are clean, how did it go?" Rhea pulled out her warded box. "We got it. One Phylactery, hold the curses." Dora snorted and padded her cousin on the back. "We also ran into some actual snakes and a few Order members."
Sirius looked at Dora, who was shifting back to her normal appearance as Sabrina helped dispel Rhea's transfigurations. "Anything to worry about?" Rhea chimed in, "I stunned Hestia
Jones, or I think it was Hestia Jones, and Remus. Good thing for those scent masking potions. We will probably need a flushing potion before we leave." Dora made a face, "Those are worse than the Sobering Up Potion. I took out someone who looked like Vance and was dueling Fletcher before he turned tail and ran." Rhea glared at Dora, "It's the flushing potion or explaining to your colleagues why you don't have a scent for a week." Dora sighed. "Point. I am taking a shot of firewhiskey with mine though." Dora headed to the liquor cabinet while Rhea, looking like herself again, turned to Sirius. "You wouldn't happen to know Alastor's favorite bottle of whiskey? We need to get him some." Sirius raised an eyebrow. "I do. Why?" Dora walked by with her own bottle and headed for the kitchen table. "Because old Mad-Eye was being his paranoid self. He hid the whole fight under an Invisibility Cloak far enough that Rhea didn't spot him until he tried to nab me. He was able to recognize our fighting style and allowed us to leave." Sirius nodded. "Scary man like always. How much should we send him?" Rhea and Dora shared a look. "How much is too much?" Her family laughed as Rhea sat down and took the cup of hot chocolate Kreacher prepared for her. Goddess did she miss being with her family.
Chapter End Notes
The scene with Rhea and Tonks could be seen as a small teaser to the new story, at least in part. Currently working on Chapter 10, so at this rate we might get anywhere from 1/2 the way to 1/4 the way done with it before I start posting it. Good chance it will be longer bbecuse I am adapting Years 1 and 2, with the main plot ending potentially around Year 6, with me just covering Christmas of Year 1. It is also much more emotionally draining to write so far, so anyone who likes feels will get plenty.
How were the scenes? Did you like them?
Next Chapter?: a moment of quiet before shit hits the fan. Alastor shares a drink and the adults plan for the inevitable (as they should) while Hermione and Rhea get a bit closer.
Please comment, discuss and see you all in two days.
Calm Before the Storm
Chapter Notes
Here is the next Chapter. Hope you enjoy it even if its on the quiet side. Don't worry, the storm is coming.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
"Mad-Eye, what the hell happened out there?" Alastor had his regular eye focused on James as the Order gathered at their Headquarters. "What happened, Potter, is that the people we posted to watch the Riddle and Gaunt properties went out half-cocked and got their asses handed to them." Molly Weasley looked scandalized by his language as the rest of the Order sat down, Snape making one of his rare appearances. The man gave an odd smirk that Mad-Eye noticed. Emma, Hestia and Remus both sat down looking rather angry and embarrassed. Moody tilted his head at both of them. "These two saw something off in the Gaunt Shack and sent word they were checking it out. I and Vance arrived, with me staying under cloak, trying to get a good shot in if I could. Unfortunately these three knuckleheads got laid out on the grass by the two assailants, one was a woman by the looks of them, and the other was a man. Our little rat Mundungus fled before he could join them on the floor. I tried to get the drop on one but they somehow spotted me and banished me away from the man. They apparated away right after."
Dumbledore sighed before looking at Bill. "Was there anything in the Shack, William?" Bill shrugged. "If there was it was gone by the time I scanned the place. They casted a freezing spell and probably a water spell to deal with the floor traps and snakes, found something worth melting the floor for and left an empty ornate box out in the open. The box read as having held a cursed item for a while but no clue what type." Dumbledore frowned. Was his guess about the Shack correct? Had Voldemort hidden a Horcrux there? If so, who retrieved it? Tom wouldn't trust his Death Eaters with it, so it had to be a third party. This Dark Lady Le Fay? Perhaps. "Any word on this Dark Lady Le Fay?" Bill nodded. "Got the word that she might be based in France for the moment, potentially waiting for an opening." Dumbledore paled. Had she stolen the Horcrux to have an advantage over Voldemort, something to gain his allegiance and a safe point of entry? That sounded very likely. Perhaps it would be wise to check the other possible locations. Or should he see Horace first to get a read on the possible number of Horcruxes?
"Kingsley, have you located Horace?" The former Auror nodded. "He has been moving from place to place among the muggles. We managed to catch an Owl and track him to his current location." Dumbledore sighed in relief. "Good, go with a partner and keep him there till I arrive. He has some information I believe to be crucial to defeating Voldemort. William, keep an eye on the movements of this Le Fay. I believe it's best we double our efforts in protecting the Prophecy. If Voldemort hears of the fight outside his family's home, and it once held the item I believe it did, he may be desperate enough to force his way into the Ministry and try to retrieve the Prophecy. He must not get it or Henry's life and our future may be imperilled." The Order meeting came to a swift end and Alastor Moody went back to his home, undoing dozens of security measures before entering the house proper. He sat down in his modified chair and let out a sigh of relief as he took
off his prosthetic leg. He does pause for a second, feeling his gut telling him someone is watching, even if his eye saw nothing out of place.
"I know you are there. Show yourself before you eviscerate me. I want a good look at the bastard who snuck into my home before they bury me six feet under." He watched as a person reappeared in front of his eyes. "Here I thought my Disillusionment was perfect. I stayed perfectly still and everything just in case. Still enjoy the small things in life, Mad-Eye?" The gruff Auror relaxed and leaned back, sighing. "Ay lass. Still do. What brings you here?" Rhea checked the seat next to his, earning the old man's approval before checking the floor and roof over it, getting Alastor to laugh. "You, my dear lass, are the one person I know that takes their safety as rigurose as me. Good to see Sirius taught you well." Rhea smiled and offered him a bottle. "He also shared with me your taste in fire whiskey. Blishen's Firewhiskey, 1958." Moody uncorked it and poured out a very small shot before dropping a potion revealer. He nodded as it came negative before serving two shots. "Are you willing to get a taste of it tonight?"
Rhea shrugged and picked up the glass. "My grandmother gave me enough Elven Wine to send me straight to the loo and vomit while my Goblin Business Partner enjoys seeing me cringe whenever he dares me to drink his Goblin Scorpion Gin. I think I can manage a shot or two." Alastor cringed. "Had a bit of that Gin in the force, to know what it was. Who knew the Goblins liked their alcohol sweet." The two tapped their glasses together and swallowed before placing the shot glasses down. Alastor noted the lack of reaction from the Rhea. "That Goblin gin did a number on you. Never seen anyone take it without huffing a bit." Rhea coughed, her voice a bit rough. "That or it doesn't bother me as much. I do feel a bit warm though and it's more agreeable than the Gin." She pushed the empty glass towards Alastor. "Are you going to ask why two of your students left your pals sleeping under the stars?" Mad-Eye served two more shots and sat back. "You Blacks plan on killing the Gaunt bastard?" Rhea nodded, making Alastor grin. "Then I got nothing to ask, lass. You and Tonks got good heads on your shoulders and you handled yourself like a pro. Only thing worth asking is if there is anything I could do to help the Death Munchers get bent early?"
Cradling the shot glass, Rhea wondered what she could ask him that won't get him in trouble. "We know Snake Face is after something in the Ministry and your Order is guarding it. Care to share?" Alastor thought for a moment. The lass had never made him feel like she would betray him and he personally watched her disable traps for her friends and get even with those who hurt them. She also killed the Carrows with her Fiendfyre. She is no ally of Dumbledore but she cares for her people. "Prior to your birth, a Seer spoke a Prophecy heard by Dumbledore and partly by a Death Eater. The Prophecy drew Voldemort's attention to the Potters and the Longbottoms on a certain late October night." Rhea frowned. "Let me guess, Voldemort is being as paranoid as you and me and trying to hear the full prophecy this time to avoid a repeat of 81?" Moody nodded. "That's the word, lass. Does that help your plans?" Rhea thought for a moment. "Not sure. Are there any protections beyond the fire chickens on guard duty?" Moody chuckled and nodded. "The Gaunt bastard would have to retrieve it or have Henry retrieve it since it relates to them both. Only a person mentioned in the prophecy can retrieve it from the Hall. Unspeakables have some nasty defenses on their glass orbs."
That had potential. A heavily warded area with limited access for Aurors and Unspeakables where apparition and portkeys might not work where Voldemort is likely forced to go. Sounds like a good place to set a trap. Rhea smiled. "Thanks Mad-Eye. That probably helps out a lot. If you want, Dora can act as a go between and give you a heads up. My owl Nyx can also bypass all wards and traps so if you need me to send you a secure message, let me know." Alastor grinned. "I'd like that, lass. Though send Nymphadora over. That owl of yours gives me the creeps." Rhea laughed. "She's supposed to be creepy. I'll tell Dora about keeping you in touch. And that you said her full name. Bye." Rhea drank the shot of firewhiskey before vanishing from his house. Alastor shook his head. "You get him lass. You get him good."
- -
Amelia groaned. "Of course Voldemort wants to break into the Ministry. Damn you Albus, if you had told us we would have moved the prophecy or destroyed it safely." Sirius couldn't exactly disagree. Rhea had popped in and dropped off a memory vial detailing their little break in at the Gaunt Shack and her drinking session with Alastor before heading back to Hogwarts. He was a bit miffed his girl could handle Firewhiskey just fine but he can't deny that he took some sick pleasure in seeing her drunk off Elven Wine at the Prasinos Chateau. At least she knew her limit and probably won't get blacked out drunk ever again. Probably. Sabrina sighed beside him, unaware of her husband's thoughts. "We also can't deny that it's a good ambush point. Voldemort is unlikely to ignore the threat of the Prophecy or attack the Ministry when it's at its most well staffed. Which means a day with magical meaning or when the staff is away and weak security. A mix of both would be ideal for him. We can have a strike team be on hand to cut his forces down as soon as he makes a move for it."
Sirius thought for a second. "That's all well and good but we have the issue of both Henry and Nagini anchoring the bastard to this world. Until Rhea verifies there aren't any more Anchors and gets a way of removing Henry's parasitic passenger, we can't kill him. We need to keep Voldemort out of the Ministry long enough for Rhea to finish her work." Sabrina nodded and Amelia looked tired. "She is sure she can't ask the Goblins or her contacts about this?" Sabrina ran her hand through her hair. "There are rules about these things. Gringotts didn't even tell us what the Cup was cursed with, only that they cleansed it. Her contacts have a kill on sight order for living anchors. Hell, you and your family may have had to carry out a similar order if the practices of the House of Bones weren't partly lost." Amelia winced. "Don't know whether to be thankful for that or not right now." Sabrina looked at the calendar. "The next days of significance are Beltane and the Summer Solstice. Rhea wants to do the tracker ritual on Beltane and I agree it's the best day for it. The question is do we want to guess that Voldemort will go for the Prophecy that day and prepare or do we discourage him from pursuing it until the Solstice?"
Amelia looked over the plan in her mind. "Targeting him on Beltane may be too risky. We don't have the guarantee that we can kill him and we may not be able to contain him. I vote for discouraging Voldemort before the Solstice and then encouraging an attack. It gives us time to
move resources more quietly and have everything ready for them, including saving Henry Potter's life." Sabrina looked at Sirius. "We may have to tell Rhea to keep the fragment in Henry until the night of the Solstice. If Voldemort catches wind of our plans, it's all worthless." Sirius nodded, though he hated letting Henry vulnerable. "That means Henry can't be made part of the Ritual to identify the anchors. That information alone could ruin everything if Voldemort finds it." Amelia tapped her fingers on the table. "Agreed. As much I hate to say it, Henry needs to stay out of the loop until the Solstice. Now, how do you plan to get the Ministry to be an unappealing target on Beltane?" She eyed Sirius critically, making him swallow. "Rhea's Dark Lady Le Fay persona is already making Dumbledore shaky. Maybe something tied to it could occur in the Ministry, a disturbance that isn't related to the Hall of Prophecies but to the Department of Mysteries?"
Both Amelia and Sabrina go pensive as Kreacher popped in and placed some tea on the table. "Thank you Kreacher." The elf bowed. "Kreacher is pleased to serve, Mistress Black." He popped away. Dora opened the door to the meeting room and saw her boss with her Head of House. "Uh, bad time to come in?" Sirius shook his head and motioned her to enter. "Just a brainstorming session on keeping the Death Eaters out of the Ministry on Beltane that involves a stunt for Lady Le Fay." Dora hummed as she stepped in. "Where do you need the disturbance?" Amelia sipped her tea and made an agreeable noise. "Department of Mysteries or close to it but not the Hall of Prophecies." Dora racked her head. "Aren't there artefacts from the age of Camelot in the Museum next to the DoM?" Everyone turned to look at Amelia who blushed. "That slipped my mind. Though I don't know if there is anything there that might be valuable to a Dark Lady. No Excalibur or Merlin's staff." They all went quiet in thought. Sabrina does remember something Rhea told her. Voldemort was a psychopath, but he was sentimental. He used his family's home as a hiding place for his Phylactery. He would believe that the Dark Lady would also look for something of value to her as a Le Fay, no matter how useless it may seem.
"Is there something there that belonged to Morgan Le Fay. Something of personal value?" Dora frowned and looked at her boss. "Not her staff or weapons. Some recreations of her appearance, remnants of her soldiers' armor and swords." Amelia also went through what she knew. "There isn't much there that is tied to Morgan Le Fay, since she hardly left a footprint beyond the damage the Light always complained about. A lot of the exhibit is about Arthur and Merlin. A lot of unidentified trinkets." Amelia paused for a second. "There was an item that the DoM took out of the exhibit. A locket that no one knew who it belonged to. It was magically sealed and no one could open it. Would that work?" Sirius turned to Sabrina who bit her lip. "I would have to ask Rhea. She has the Camelot journals locked tight. She might know about the locket, if it meant anything to Morgana and if it's a target that could work as a distraction before Beltane."
Dora looked at Amelia. "Boss, if Rhea goes for the locket and steals it legitimately, would she be in trouble?" Amelia pursed her lips. "Ordinarily I would say yes, but if she gets caught and she can prove it was a family heirloom then it could be forgiven. Heirlooms, especially of that age, are considered to belong to descendants unless sold or gifted. If it was stolen, she would have the Right of Retrieval." Sirius sighed. "Then let's hope it's actually a Le Fay Heirloom so Rhea can claim it after this mess is dealt with." He looked at Amelia, "Work with your Aurors and the Hit Wizards you can trust and prepare for the Solstice, we will focus on taking out the snake and keeping his resources down. Rhea will deal with the fragments and Henry. We can call it a night here." Dora smirked as Amelia drank her tea, "So Boss, when do I get to call you Aunti?" Amelia spat her tea
and blushed bright red as Dora and Sirius laughed. Sabrina stood up from the table and shook her head in mirth, leaving Amelia to the troublemakers of the family. She'd need to learn to live with them if was going to be dating Bella seriously after all.
- -
Rhea stared at the locket in front of eyes. She had seen the blasted thing in front of her ever since she visited the Ravenclaw Chambers. To see it physically infront of her was another thing entirely. When her Mom told her of the plan to get Voldemort to steer clear of the Ministry on Beltane, she had agreed to do it as quickly as possible. She knew about the locket because Helena told her about it, as there is no record of it anywhere beyond the painting in her family chambers. Why would there be? Morgana would never, ever have broadcasted its existence. It was crafted by her sister with the strongest materials the Hogwarts Alchemists could forge at the time, reinforced by Rowena's magic to be near everlasting. The last member of the family to see it would have been Morgana herself as she took one final breath and walked towards her death at Camlann. The morons at the DoM may have been looking to open it, hoping to find the location of Avalon or the resting place of her staff but it held something much more important than any of those things to Rhea's heart.
This invulnerable, locked for a thousand years, piece of jewelry held the name of Morgana of Ravenclaw's daughter. The indisputable link tying Rhea to Helena and to the Castle. Helena walked into the chambers and looked for Rhea as she had summoned her there. Rhea lifted her teary eyes at Helena. "I got it. Thanks to Amelia and this whole stupid charade, I found your Aunt's Locket." Helena rushed forward and saw the item, her eyes misting up as well. "My Aunt couldn't part with it. Even when she left for Camlann, she couldn't send it off to us. I swear I dreamt she died with it wrapped in her hands. To see it here, after a thousand years. Where was it?" Rhea laughed. "In the DoM Unknown Artefacts Division. I practically walked in unimpeded and looked around until I felt it calling to my Ravenclaw Family Magic. The Unspeakables must be going insane trying to figure out how I got in and out of the building unseen. Oh, and we were right. That object in the Death Chamber they call the Veil is a viable route for me to enter and leave the place without anyone seeing a damn thing."
The Archway may have been used for executions by the Ministry and the Unspeakables may be going crazy researching it but Rhea was able to identify it well enough. It was a portal created by Necromancers to traverse into the Veil without needing to use their magic. With enough of them in existence, they may have served as a means of transportation across the continents with no one being the wiser. She wondered if the Unspeakables mistranslated the information on the Archway and called it the Veil by accident. Rhea at least now knew of a safe entrance for her into the DoM, which could eventually come in handy when Voldemort gets drawn there on the Solstice. For now though she had a ritual to prepare. Rhea turned to Helena. "Do you think I should open it or leave it closed for now?" Helena looked at Rhea and thought about it. "Best to leave it closed. The item is keeping the ties between the Ravenclaws and the previous Le Fay hidden by Magic. It isn't as
powerful as a Fidelus but it has kept the secret intact for a thousand years. When you are ready to announce yourself fully and reveal our history, that would be the time."
Rhea nodded, took the Locket and went into the Ravenclaw Study. She opened a hidden compartment behind a section of the bookshelf and unlocked it with her ring. There, besides a few of Rowena's personal items and the cleased Relics of the Founders Voldemort had collected, Rhea gently placed the Locket. Sealing the hidden vault, Rhea returned to her study of the Necromantic rituals used to purge Phylacteries. Sure, Fiendfyre, Basilisk Venom and even Dragon's Fire could do it, but like Voldemort and the Founder's Relics, the Ancient Mages hid their souls in items that had too much value to be readily destroyed. The Peverells mention a Mage that had dared to make a Phylactery out of the Christian's Holy Grail. Whether it was the Grail or not was in dispute, but the Mage had some guts and spite in him to do that. From incidents like that, the Purging Ritual she was reading came into existence. Sadly, no one bothered to do the same for Mages and their Horcruxes. A living container was fragile enough to be killed easily, so no one bothered to save them. Being the most valued person to a psychopath willing to split their soul didn't seem to engender much care from the Necromancers or their allies.
If Henry was a Horcrux, then Voldemort's soul must have been exceedingly fragile when he went to kill them both on Samhain. Rhea wondered if he had created his final Horcrux or Phylactery before that night and if the rebound caused by Dorea's Blood Magic Protection combined with the anchored soul caused the fragmentation that resulted in Henry becoming an accidental Horcrux. Rhea sighed and rubbed the scar over her heart. Had she been a Horcrux too? Her Mom's medical scans from the moment they met identified traces of parasitic magic on the scar Dorea had carved into her. She remembered it as an ugly and unhealing thing while she was at the Dursleys but it healed over when she lived with her mom. She thought back to what Dorea told her about Samhain of 88. She had spent a long time in the Veil, practically dead. The soul fragment, unable to sense any life in her, must have dissipated there. Trying that on Henry wouldn't work though. Unlike Bella, the connection was inside his body, not to a disgusting piece of human leather. His Potter luck would probably see him dead before the fragment left anyways. Rhea returned her attention to the Ritual. She needed someone who could improvise or alter a Ritual safely. Her mom might be able to manage. Maybe Hermione could help out as well, she might learn a bit from the process. Rhea closed the book and picked up the notes she wrote about the tracking ritual. Time to check for sure whether they would need to go through all the trouble for a prat. She desperately hoped they didn't.
- -
Hermione stared at the Runic Ritual Circle her girlfriend had set up to do the bond trace on the artefact she recovered. She bent down and scanned the edges, seeing the written words, the symbols and how they interacted. She frowned. "Rhea, what language is this?" Rhea looked up from the Stand she set up in the center, several maps laid out on it. She turned to look at the circle and frowned before blushing. "Whoops. Forgot to translate it. Remind me to do the translations for
when we get working on modifying the Purging Ritual from my books." Rhea got back to inscribing the runes on to the maps to tie them to the Ritual. Hermione sighed, seeing the issues her friends have with her from the other side. She could sympathize with them now, since Rhea still forgot to give her a clear answer. "Rhea, what language is it?" Rhea hummed, "Necromancer, Death Script, written form of the Language of Death. Take your pick." She kept painting the runes with a brush as Hermione felt her mouth fall open. "Death has its own language?"
Rhea nodded. "Sure. If you're a Necromancer and you summon the spirit of a dead person, the language barrier would usually be a problem. The Ghosts here have the benefit of living through the changes in language so Helena and Nicholas can speak the Queen's English just fine, but they also know Old English. Goddess you should hear Helena sing. I am either finding a way of recording her accurately or learning to sing for myself before I have kids." Hermione blushed at Rhea's excitement for kids though she also felt a warmth in her heart. "Since we never talked about it, how do you see yourself settling down and where?" Rhea actually looked up from her work and stared at Hermione. "You sure you want to discuss this now? We still have two more years here at the school and maybe three more after that. I don't see you not making the effort to complete a Mastery or two." Hermione blushed at how well her girlfriend seemed to know her. Then again, Rhea was observant as hell. Paranoia tends to build it up apparently.
Hermione thought for a moment. "Sure I want a Mastery, though Ritual Magic being what it is in Britain I may have to register with the ICW to get it in the near future. Still, I do want to settle down eventually. I am wondering what your plans are, though." Rhea sighed and casted a stasis spell on the maps in front of her. "I am going to review the circle while I answer, since we need to get this Ritual off tonight." She started walking the perimeter of the circle, checking the runes and the connecting lines. "I don't have a Mastery in mind since I have been forced to take administrative control of Hogwarts. That and hunting down a Dark Lord tends to eat into your time. I have had barely enough time to help Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing and keep up with Snape in Potions, though I am happy I got my Healer's certification. Trust me, I will be a very happy camper when I get my NEWTS over and done with in a few days so that maybe I can get a quiet year ahead. I know for a fact I want to dedicate myself to being a Necromancer though. I want to get the stupid laws revocked and I want to help the magical races reconnect better with the Veil. Once that is all mostly settled, then I would settle down and make babies."
Rhea watched as Hermione took in her words and nodded. "I can see that working fine and it does line up with my own hopes now. So, where do you want to settle and how many babies are we talking about?" Rhea bent down and corrected a few of the runes on the circle. "At least three. I want my families to branch out and grow into their own, so that means at least one kid per family. As for where, well, if we have three kids in a house in the city it might feel a bit cramped. Though Grimmauld is surprisingly comfortable. I was thinking either of a large suburban home or in the country. We do have the Black and Peverell Castles to occupy as well." Hermione thought in her head. She was an only child and that was the only life she knew for years. Henry sort of became like a brother and she could definitely see Daphne like a competitive sister. Would she like her children to grow up with siblings like that? She did love visiting her grandmother in the country too. A part of her really wanted to live like that. Still, three pregnancies would be rough. "I might be ok with that. I might need some time to get used to the idea of birthing three kids though." Rhea dusted her knees and looked at Hermione. "Please tell me you aren't panicking about pumping out three children in a row. I am a woman too you know. The only question we are really going to
discuss is if we are having our children at the same time or if we spread it out. I do think we need one able bodied adult at all times, even with our kids having four grandparents to depend on."
Hermione blushed as she had momentarily forgotten Rhea would probably help with carrying a few of the kids to term. "I guess I am still getting used to thinking of our relationship as two girls." Rhea walked up to her and pecked her on the lips, getting a blush in response. "Don't worry, I am sure we will work it out. Also, I think all the runes are as they should be. I know you can't read them but check that the lines are connected properly while I go fetch the materials." Hermione nodded and looked over the array. Everything looked right. She did pinch her nose when Rhea brought the materials into the room. "What… is that?" Rhea cringed. "Necromantic rituals can get nasty and this one is partly tied to Blood Magic. Trust me, this is stuff I got from the butchers. What Voldemort used to split his soul was nastier and the things he did to create and sustain a Homunculus body were way worse." Hermione kept her distance as Rhea spreaded out the bronze bowls full of animal guts at several of the points of the Dodecagram, placing other bowls with less foul smelling materials in between them.
Rhea checked the maps on the stand and the runes painted on them, removing the stasis charms, all matching correctly with what she needed. She nodded. "We're good to go. Step back and don't cross the circle." Hermiome did as she was told and watched as Rhea pulled out a box with runes carved on it. She levitated a ring onto an empty bowl that rested on the stand and the moment it touched the base, the array lit up. Rhea passed around the stand clockwise, chanting in a language Hermione assumed was Death Speech. It made her skin crawl worse than Henry's Parseltongue. Eventually Rhea went silent and pulled up the maps, a smile spreading on her lips. It seemed her hunch was right. Outside of two overlapping lights on Hogwarts, there were two other lights shining on the map of Britain. She had also selected a map of Hangleton just in case Voldemort had returned to his family's property and it seemed like he did. The Riddle Manor was probably heavily guarded but now she knew he was there. Amelia and her Aurors could prepare.
The other indicator was actually a bit distant from the main property, in what appeared to be empty fields or forest. Nagini, probably out hunting. Even partly possessed as a Horcrux, the animal instincts still held sway, but even more so on a human maledictus turned animal. Lastly Rhea checked the map she had courtesy of Fillius. It worked exactly like the Marauders Map and told her everything she needed to know. Right over Henry Potter's footsteps a red indicator was clearly seen. Rhea sighed and began disconnecting her magic from the ritual. The twelve bowls around her began to go from bright red flames, to thin smoke trails, until the flames died out completely, the Ritual Circle no longer emitting light. "It confirmed Henry has a soul fragment as does Nagini. They and the artefact here are all that's left besides Voldemort himself." Hermione nodded, feeling a lump in her throat as the hard part was yet to come. "So now we need to modify a Ritual to make it safe for Henry to use to be cleansed." Rhea nodded. She looked at Hermione. "I am about to use Death Magic to cleanse the ring. Your choice to stay or go."
Hermione stared at Rhea. "I am staying." Rhea felt her heart warm at Hermione's insistence and trust in her. She turned to the ring and stretched out her hand over it. Hermione knew that Rhea was casting when she instantly felt cold and the ring began to, for lack of a better word, screech. The horrible noise ended and the ring just sat there, before magic ripped the stone from the metal.
Rhea levitated the stone to just above her palm. "Cadmus Peverell's Bane. The Resurrection Stone." Hermione stared at the stone. "I doubt it can bring the dead back to life." Rhea nodded. "It can't. It brings the Souls of the dead through the Veil into this plane, making the spirits like Ghosts, only they are anchored here against their will." Hermione cringed. "What are you going to do with it?" Rhea sighed and felt the stone with her magic. It was odd, as it didn't want to be used like the Cloak or snapped liked the Wand. It wanted something from her though.
Letting her instincts guide her she fed her magic to the stone and it seemed to sing in joy. It wanted more. She kept feeding it more and more until it stopped looking like a stone. It looked like a point of light. Rhea allowed it to settle into her hand. What had once been the stone latched onto her magic and fused itself with her skin, vanishing from sight. Rhea felt her body lose balance and Hermione quickly caught her before she hit the floor. "Rhea?!" She blinked a few times, feeling as if a new part of her had just woken up as she looked around and could see magic more clearly. Hermione was like a beautiful ball of warm light. Rhea wanted to cuddle her so badly. Maybe taste her. No! Bad. Her girl needed more time. Rhea shook her head and her vision returned to normal. "I'm ok. That was supposed to happen. I… think the Peverells got a bit greedy and warped the family magic, creating those relics. Destroying the wand and the stone and reabsorbing it into the Peverell magic seems to have been what they wanted. The family magics in them were desperate to be made whole."
Hermione bit her lip with her eyes a bit misty. "A warning would have been nice." Rhea looked at her and felt guilty. She nodded. "I will try better. I promise. Listening to my instincts sort of gives me tunnel vision." Hermione sighed and helped her girlfriend stand up. She pushed some stray locks of black hair behind Rhea's ear. Hermione blushed as she saw Rhea looking to her eyes. She whined softly when those lips she admired for a second pressed into hers and she tried not to lose her footing as Rhea pushed her out of the ritual chamber and onto the living room couch. She broke the kiss for a second. "Rhea, I am not-" Rhea pressed her finger against Hermione's lips. "I know. It won't get to that. But for tonight, on our first Beltane, could we just kiss deeply and hang out?" Hermione stared into those glowing cyan eyes. "What about the information from the tracking ritual?" Rhea sighed and stood up. "Make what preparations you want, my lady. But the young woman you are courting wishes to deepen her bond on this night, even if it's only by a bit. You decide how far we go. I will be back in a moment."
Rhea rushed into the Ritual Chamber, her bag being summoned behind her as she prepared to mark and send the maps to her parents while Hermione went into deep thought. Snogging, sure, they could do that. Hugging too. Maybe some wandering hands. Hermione blushed. She looked to the Ritual Chamber. Rhea almost never made the first move. Today it must have been a slip from her, still running on instinct but in the end she still wanted Hermione to set the limit. Hermione took a deep breath and mustered her courage while burying down any embarrassment or nerves. When Rhea returned, the letters and maps sent and her urges a bit settled, she was about to apologize when Hermione tackled her onto the sofa. Rhea made some sounds that would certainly leave her red in the face from embarrassment come morning. For the moment though it didn't matter. She had a pair of wandering hands and warm lips to focus on and they would have her undivided attention.
Chapter End Notes
Poor Mad-Eye, his enjoyment blocked by crazy Goblins and their rocket fuel grade of Alcohol and a Grandmother who made sure the girl knew her limits. Drink Responsibly! How was the Chapter?
Next Chapter?: A storm descends on London
So, two days ago I expirienced my first major writer's block since I started posting on this website. It was bloody terrifying. 4 hours of sleep helped lift it but it scared me about my next story (Don't worry, this one is safely concluded, just needs some correcting done.) Like this one its going to be a struggle filling in the time between major events. I am pretty sure by Chapter 15, Year 1 will be complete, seeing as I just finished writing Ch 13. I am hoping I don't get spooked again. I have a basic outline from years 3 to 5, but not much on year 2, so I am going to improvise a lot. Please don't let me get stuck again.
Anyways, leave a comment, discuss and see you in two days.
Storm Clouds over London
Chapter Notes
Here it is, the Chapter we have been building towards. Hope you are not disappointed. Posting early because RL sucks.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Hermione had to admit that this school year's May and June had been relatively quiet. Everyone settled in to take their exams, the 5th and 7th years growing exceedingly nervous as the OWLs and NEWTs got started and the Professors doubled down on their assignments and quizzes, hoping to impart as much information as they could before the students took their final exams. Much of the study group descended into long study sessions, with the entire group of fifth years desperate to see their work done. The only one missing from the sessions was Rhea and Hermione missed her the most. Her girlfriend got pulled into the Ministry quite a bit as she was taking her remaining OWLs and NEWTs early, so that she could focus on the issues of the school before the semester ended. Keeping an eye on Voldemort's movements was another reason her girlfriend had been distant. He had gone very quiet since Rhea did her little theft of the DoM before Beltane and even the Order was getting antsy, sending their members wherever they heard as much as a whisper of Voldemort's movements. Rhea had even forced all movements of the Lady Le Fay to vanish outright, forcing Dumbledore to focus on Voldemort alone. The last two months became a three way waiting game, and it felt like everyone was holding their breaths.
Rhea told her that knowing Voldemort, he would probably make a move for the DoM sometime before the end of term, so Hermione was keeping an eye on Henry, who was also surprisingly calm these last few months. Then again, if Voldemort was lying low, Henry wouldn't be seeing any nightmares. Still, there was a part of her that had hoped that the fight would be over by now, if only so she could be spending more time with her girlfriend. Ever since Beltane, Hermione felt partly agitated when Rhea wasn't in the same room as her. She had snuck in and slept in the guest room she had in the Ravenclaw Chambers so much that the elves had decided to just leave her trunk there. Lavender and Parvati were particularly insistent in trying to find out where she was spending her nights, but she managed to avoid giving any incriminating answers. Oddly enough though she had felt calmer about her studies, enough that she asked Rhea to leave the Spa Date for summer. Rhea had eyed her with concern but Hermione got her to accept it when she promised she was going to ask her to be with her. She was really looking forward to that date after Voldemort was gone.
Hermione was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the Gryffindor Common Room portrait swinging open before she even uttered the password. she did notice when she was knocked over, her head hitting the ground hard. She looked up and saw Henry, a desperate look in his eyes. "Hermione, there you are! Come on, we don't have time to waste!" Henry picked himself up and rushed from the Common Room opening, Neville and Ron following close behind. Hermione had
a sinking feeling that today was going to be a long day for everyone. She chased after them. "Henry, wait up! What happened?" Henry's answer was desperate. "They have dad! He was on guard duty tonight and they caught him. They are torturing him, asking about the Prophecy. If he doesn't give it, they will kill him." Hermione frowned, "Did you mirror call him to check?" Henry snapped at her. "Of course I did. I called Moony and Dumbledore too. None of them answered. We need to get to the Ministry, fast!" Hernione got a bad feeling about that. "Why go to the Ministry? Can't your dad just give them the Prophecy?"
Ron yelled at her. "You mad? We can't let You-Know-Who have it. It could give him what he needs to win." Henry shook his head. "It wouldn't matter. Dad doesn't know it, only Dumbledore does. The only ones who can grab the orb are me and Voldemort. We have to get to the Ministry to help Dad!" Hermione closed her mouth and followed after them. Neville looked to Henry, "The Floo connections are locked by the Professors, we can't walk out to Hogsmeade since the hidden tunnels got sealed and brooming from here to London will get us killed. How are we getting there?" Henry thought for a moment. "Hagrid! He said that Thestrals had an incredible sense of direction. We can use them to get to London and the Ministry. Muggles can't see them and we can just cast the disillusionment spell on ourselves. It's perfect. Come on!" They switched directions and headed for the Thestral stables at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Hermione was going to make a comment that she, Neville and Ron won't be able to see them until she turned the corner. Her eyes landed on the leathered covered horses, who all turned to look at her. Why could she see them now? She never could before and she hadn't seen anyone die yet.
Deciding not to voice her question, she allowed Henry to help her onto one before they all took off to the skies. At least her Thestral seemed to sense her concern and went at a calm and steady pace, the rest of the creatures following its example soon after. Hermione gripped her arms real tight on the skeletal horse as she dared look back at the castle. She hoped Rhea knew they had just left, as she was sure that her girlfriend's help would be invaluable as soon as they reached the Ministry. The ride through the clouds was exactly as unpleasant as she thought it would be, but at least it wasn't as cold as she imagined among the clouds in late June. Soon swaths of pristine countryside turned to urban landscapes until they eventually circled around a spot in the city. The Thestrals landed on a back alley close to the telephone booth used to enter the Ministry from Non- Magical London. She watched as Henry rushed for the booth until a stunner struck him in the back. A hand wrapped around Hermione's mouth before she could scream as two other stunners took out Neville and Ron.
- -
Yaxley was deeply worried. His master had sent the false images to the Boy Who Lived just a few moments ago and he was told to wait in the Hall of Prophecies with a few other Death Eaters for the boy and the rest of his young friends whilst the rest of the assigned Death Eaters got to seal the Ministry. He got word of the four kids coming down from the street entrance and making their way to the Department of Mysteries. All he had to do was get the boy to hand over the prophecy or
stun him and take it by force. Apparently that was easier said than done as the moment he confronted the boy, the four youngsters started fighting back with stunners and banishing spells. Several of his Death Eaters had to be revived to keep up with them as the four brats drew them further out of the DoM. Avery came to his side, breathing a bit heavily. "We are having trouble getting into the Floo Network Authority office. It's warded far more extensively than before. We can't seal the Floo Terminals but we did take all the Floo Powder in the Atrium. They can't call for help or get out. We can surround them there and wait for our Lord." Yaxley nodded, assured that they would have their victory.
A few moments later, that is exactly what happened as The Death Eaters surrounded the four winded kids and waited for their Master. They didn't wait long. Voldemort arrived as if spat out by the dark walls of the Ministry Atrium, a cruel smirk on his face. "Henry Potter. We meet again. Your Blood Traitor of a Father is currently enjoying our … hospitality. For us to release James Potter, all you have to do is hand over the Prophecy." He watched as those irritating green eyes stared at him. "No." Voldemort chuckled. "Not very talkative today are you, boy. Did it cross your mind we could listen to the Prophecy together. I know Dumbledore never told it to you or your father in its entirety. Let's listen to what Fate has in store for us. How about it, Potter?" Green flames of the Floo Network lit up and Dumbledore stepped out, his wand drawn. "It was foolish of you to come here Tom. The Order and the Aurors are on their way. Including Head Auror Potter." Voldemort was about to yell at Dumbledore about using his cursed name so casually before another voice interrupted. "Darn. Here I was hoping the Lord Potter was getting some much needed Karmic justice." Voldemort turned and looked at the boy. The green eyes turned cyan as Rhea Black, dressed in pitch balck robes, replaced Henry Potter.
Even Dumbledore looked flabbergasted. The girl looked at Voldemort in the eyes. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but Henry is currently taking a nap somewhere. I am afraid you will have to make do with us." The other youngsters instantly changed appearance. Where Neville once stood, Lucius Malfoy looked at Yaxley with disdain. "I offered you a way out of this mess plenty of times, Yaxley. You and Avery just lost your last bet. Time to pay your debts." Where Hermione once stood, a grinning Bellatrix looked over all the Death Eaters. "Oh, I don't know a lot of you! Perfect! That means I don't have to take my time. Let me show you punks what a real Dark Witch is capable of!" Sirius, replacing Ronald Weasley, looked at Dumbledore with disdain. "You can sit back like always, Albus. The House of Black has come to collect on its debts. This is our fight now." The four members of the House of Black launched into a coordinated fight against the Death Eaters, launching spells and raising shields as easy as drawing breath.
Had the Death Eaters faced the Order, the fight would have been much more prolonged, but the House of Black didn't stand as a bulwark of the Dark faction for centuries without a fair reason. The Death Eaters spent the entire time dodging curses left and right, from bowel exploding, to bone shattering and even a few dark cutting curses. The Floo Terminals lit up and the shouts of orders made it clear that the Auror reinforcements had arrived. While Bella and Lucius tore into the Death Eaters ranks, Rhea and Sirius focused their attention on Voldemort as Dumbledore circled around, looking to see where he could cut in. He hardly saw a single opening and Voldemort felt the same. Fighting a single opponent of equal strength had been a dream of Voldemort's, if only because he wanted to experience the rush of a proper fight. For years, Dumbledore alone gave him that rush, and he knew that no matter what, he would survive it. Dumbledore hated killing and even in the presence of Lord Voldemort he refused to let that change. The two Blacks wailing away at his
shields with fierce and powerful curses weren't so forgiving.
He had faced Sirius Black in the past war and even then the young Wizard had been formidable. The last few years out of Azkaban and the weight of the Black Family on his shoulders had turned him into an incredible fighter, launching curses at him with great ease and conjuring or transfiguring barriers against his Killing and Torture Curses with great accuracy. His daughter, Rhea Black, was something else entirely. He had faced Dark witches before and fighting Dumbledore gave him a good idea of how much power an opponent could have. Dorea Black had been an effectively powerful Dark Witch that one time he and his Death Eaters attacked St. Mungos. Rhea Black was like fighting Dorea all over again. The Black Madness was visible on her face as her curses made every shield and barrier he raised collapse instantly. Together with her father the two were like a force of nature, pushing him back further and further until he reached the Atrium Fountain.
The water wrapped around his feet and for a moment he thought they had beaten him, until he felt the magic manipulating the water. He summoned his magic and casted it aside, laughing. "Stay out of this Dumbledore. This! This is what a fight between Wizards should be! Come, House of Black." He deflected and blocked a few spells sent his way by the Black duo, his smile never leaving his face. "Rhea Black. I knew I made the right choice when I tried to kill you first! You are nothing like the Potter brat. The power and ferocity in you! I imagine it's too late to ask you to join me?" Voldemort felt an odd emotion in his chest when he looked at the Heiress Black's face. She looked at him, with sad, wistful eyes and a soft smile. "It could have happened you know. If you had stayed true to your path. You could have been the Dark Faction's leader, undoing all the bans and restrictions The Light shoved down our throats after Grindelwald. You, as Voldemort or even as Tom Marvolo Riddle, Heir of the Slytherin and Peverell lines could have been a boon to our world." She shook her head. "Sadly, you allowed your fear to consume you. That was your undoing. Everything that happens now, is a consequence of your one lapse in judgement."
- -
"When you told me to come over Tonks, I expected a firefight with Death Eaters, not slinking around, waiting for something outside of the Gaunt Bastard's wardline." Dora sighed and looked at Sabrina. The Lady Black had taken the job of hunting down the snake, which the still active tracking spell placed within the Riddle Manor and its heavy wards and Fidelus Charm. They couldn't see the house but they knew it was there, probably hosting a few Death Eater squatters while their leader was in the Ministry. Sabrina squashed a bit of the concern that welled in her heart. She could feel Rhea through their bond, so she knew her daughter and husband were alright. She had been furious with her family when they revealed the plan but it had been sound. Lucius was one of their best fighters and his knowledge of the old Death Eaters and their fighting skills could turn the tide quickly. He also had to do it to repent for the years he dedicated to the Death Eaters. Bella was the same and as her skills were on par with Sabrina's own she didn't question it.
She had fought on why Rhea had to be there. Sure, the Prophecy was either tied to her or to Henry or both of them. If the deception was to work, the orb had to be collected. Sabrina had hated that logic. She also hated that Rhea would be putting herself in danger. Rhea could see the impending fight and she did the only thing she could do to address her mom's concerns. The two sequestered themselves in Grimmauld's Sparring Room and neither of them stopped for anything. Sabrina watched her daughter deflect and redirect curses like she had taught her, she watched as her daughter blasted through all of her defenses and watched as a stunner took her by surprise before blacking out. They did it over and over again until Sabrina felt satisfied that no matter what happened, her daughter wasn't going to be any safer with her at her side. She swallowed her dread, enchanted the rings to cast a blood glamour that would maintain the appearance of the Gryffindor Quartet while not impeding the skill set of any of the casters wearing them and settled in to wait to hear the news.
Sabrina turned her gaze up as she heard shattering glass and a terrifying screech. "Nyx got her. Get ready Dora. Mad-Eye, you got the job of shielding us while we get this job done. You can join the fight after." Mad-Eye looked like he wanted to object when a black shape landed on the ground a few feet in front of them. Sabrina heard Dora and Mad-Eye suck in a breath. "That is Nyx. Dora, as soon as she is clear, let it rip." Dora swallowed her complaints and focused on her magic. The mass of black wings turned to them with its red eyes and screeched before taking to the skies, revealing a giant snake getting ready to lash out. "Now!" Two highly concentrated blasts of Fiendfyre consumed the creature, its soul fragment letting out a piercing scream before it went silent. Sabrina turned to Dora. "Send the flames against the wards!" Dora nodded as she redirected her fire into the wards of Riddle Manor, the sound of clashing magic filling the air. Sabrina watched as the wards slowly buckled and decided to give them the finishing touch. " Ignis Monstrum Circumsessio !"
The modified Fiendfyre curse smashed into the weakened wards and shattered them, causing the previously hidden Riddle Manor to become visible. Sabrina cancelled her family's Fiendfyre Siege Curse, Dora releasing her own Fiendfyre as well, and looked over at the patch of burned ground, ash and bones being all that remained. Sabrina felt a pang of sadness, as the snake had once been a woman, warped and twisted by a Blood Curse before twisted again into a Horcrux. Had a proper Blood Mage found her, she would have been healed of her maledictus and would have had a chance of returning to society as a woman again. Shaking her head she turned her attention to the sky. "Nyx." The giant creature, looking like a cross between a man and an owl, descended from the night sky and shifted its form until it was no more than a red eyed, black owl on her arm. Sabrina tied the appropriate note to its leg. "Deliver this to Pomfrey, Andromeda or Narcissa at Hogwarts. Let's bring this all to an end." Nyx hooted, took to the skies and vanished.
"I don't know whether to be impressed that your little lass taimed that thing or that it prefers to spend its time as an owl." Sabrina chuckled, "You don't tame a Death Omen. They pick you and look after you and yours until they feel a call to be elsewhere. We were blessed that Nyx chose to stay with us as long as she has." Sabrina saw Dora just send out her Raven Patronus. "The Boss should be sending her reserves here soon. So Mad-Eye, wait for the cavalry or bust in guns blazing?" Alastor gave her a look, "What do I look like, a mad man?" The two ladies gave him a glare and he grinned. "Damn right I am! Come ladies, let's see what the Death Munchers left
behind! Oh how I have been waiting for this. Oy! Lads. Guess who's come knocking?" Sabrina gave an exasperated sigh as Dora shook her head and followed her old instructor into the burning building. Nyx popped in and landed on her shoulder, announcing the message was received. Sabrina looked at the familiar. "Rhea might need you. Circle the skies over Whitehall, London and be ready to be at her side at a moment's notice." Nyx nodded, hooted and vanished into the night.
- -
Hermione watched as Nyx popped into the Hospital Wing and delivered a message to Pomfrey before vanishing again. Her heart had almost lept out of her chest when the Blacks stunned her friends outside of the Ministry. Rhea had kissed her warmly before wrapping a length of rope to her wrist, as the Blacks tied the rest of it to Ron, Henry and Neville. Rhea poked each of them with a different needle and tapped the needles to rings on their fingers. It was surreal seeing her girlfriend turn into Henry before the Portkey pulled her away to the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. She had been sitting on the bed watching Andromeda, Narcissa and Lily look over the notes she, Sabrina and Rhea had left behind until Nyx appeared. It was time. Lily looked over at Pomfrey who nodded and awakened Henry. It took the boy a second to realise where he was. "No, Dad is still at the Ministry!" Lily leaned over. "James is down in the valley near Hogsmeade checking out a lead Moony had on Greyback. They left their mirrors at home because they didn't want to be carrying them on their person should they be captured. The enemy could use them to lure you out, like Voldemort did."
Henry looked around the room then back at his mom. "What's happening?" Narcissa moved into his field of view. "My husband and the Blacks glamoured themselves to look like you and are fighting the Death Eaters in the Ministry. Voldemort should be vulnerable now. Now, it's your turn." Lily leaned over, "We have a Ritual that will sever your connection to Voldemort permanently. We had to wait for him to be distracted to carry it out. Now that he is busy, we can end this. Please Henry. I know you don't like Rituals and you don't trust Rhea or the Blacks but we have a chance at being free from Voldemort forever. Won't you take it?" Henry frowned. It was what he always wanted. To be rid of him and not have to worry about dying or secret meetings. He could be free of all that. He had been so terrified while he flew over the sky's of Britain, worried about failing to save his dad and endangering his friends. He was so sure he had been doing the right thing, even as he felt so desperate to be done with it all. Dorea's words popped into his mind, asking him to trust in Rhea. Could he let himself trust the sister he had called a traitor last Halloween? Dorea's warning kept intruding in his thoughts and he closed his eyes. He sighed and looked at Madam Pomfrey. "What do you need me to do?"
Hermione followed Henry and the ladies to the Ritual Chamber attached to the Hospital Wing, which had remained closed and sealed until Rhea began messing with the wards. She noticed Helena standing there looking at them as they entered. Hermione was about to move along with Lily to the wall away from the circle when Helena spoke up. "Miss Granger, while having novices carry out or be a part of Rituals of this magnitude is often unwise, I would suggest you remain."
Hermione frowned. "All I did was help to set it up. Narcissa and Andromeda have done this before, I don't think I would be of much help." Helena stared at her. "In any other Ritual that would be correct. However, the chances of this one succeeding improve with your presence here." She bit her lip. "Because of my Wild Magic?" Helena nodded. "To a degree. The magic that we most need, though, is that of a Necromancer." Hermione frowned. "But then we would need Rhea." Henry's "What!?" ended when Pomfrey slapped his head. "Not now, Mr. Potter."
Pomfrey looked at Helena. "Your descendant is busy facing the monster that threatens our world. How could Miss Granger take her place?" Helena looked at Hermione. "Were you able to see the Thestrals, Miss Granger?" Hermione stilled. How did she know? "Yes, but I have no idea how." Helena gave her an odd look. "You, Miss Granger, can now see the Thestrals because you absorbed some of Rhea's magic on Beltane. You two established a bond that night. Weak and vulnerable, but a bond all the same." Hermione closed her eyes. That explained why Rhea's presence became so much more important to her. Why she felt calmer and surer about their relationship. Still… "We didn't do anything." Helena gave her a look that made Hermione blush. "Clothes or not, fulfillment or not, did you not wish to be bound to her on that night? Did you not want to see what you have grow stronger and deeper? Intent is a powerful aspect of magic. Sometimes it can bring about results in most unexpected ways." Hermione went deep red. "So, the part of Rhea in me should help Henry survive and be free of Voldemort?" Helena nodded. "At the very least, Miss Granger, it would help make it less painful for him as the soul fragment is ripped out."
Hermione lowered her head and nodded. She joined Andromeda, Narcissa and Pomfrey as they stood in the circle. Pomfrey looked to Lily. "A fifth member would strengthen the Cleansing Ritual. As his mother, you and your magic would be better able to aid in his protection." Helena nodded as she moved away from the circle. Lily walked in and joined hands with the others. Andromeda, having been trained in the incantation, began it and everyone's magic flared, the Runic circle glowing red. Henry began to feel a pain in his scar as well as a pain in his head. He could hear Voldemort screaming. His own scream soon joined in. Narcissa and Pomfrey gripped Lily's hands tighter in warning as the ritual picked up, Andromeda's chanting rising. Wishing to help her friend, Hermione looked inside of herself, looking for that part of Rhea Helena spoke of. She found it around her heart, a comforting cold and pleasant magic, filled with love. She brushed it with her magic and it reacted. It grew in strength and warmth. She kept touching it more and more with her magic until it felt like a door was opened.
Rhea's magic flooded into her and filled her completely, chilling her body but not hurting it. The magic spilled into the Ritual and it caused the bowls at the edges to flare with stronger flames. The magic latched onto Henry, chilling him cold until it touched his scar. It grew hot and the scream he heard from Voldemort felt like it was both in his mind and in his ears. Both screams eventually died down and he felt the cold magic leaving him. He felt so drained as his eyes had trouble focusing before he could see clearly again. The chanting ended and the magic in the circle faded, the light gone completely. Pomfrey went to catch Hermione as she lost feeling in her legs but Helena caught her first. Hermione looked up into the face of the Ravenclaw ghost, her resemblance to Rhea so much more noticeable. "You did well Miss Granger, though I hope you are not too bothered about the bond you share with your girlfriend now. Your use of her magic strengthened it quite well it seems." Hermione blushed, knowing that there was going to be another long conversation in her future about this. She didn't regret it though. Not one bit.
- -
Voldemort looked at the young Rhea Black unsure of what she meant when he suddenly felt a great pain pierce his very being. He wiped his wand around, casting spells and curses, anything to keep his enemies away. He got a brief glimpse of Nagini being consumed in an unholy flame and he understood what had happened. His Familiar, and Horcrux, was now dead. He turned to his enemies and started lashing out with deadlier spells, hoping beyond hope to catch one of them. The Blacks, however, were too synchronized, where one casted a curse his way the other brought up a shield or a barrier. His earlier elation at such a worthy fight turned to concern. Without Nagini, he should still have five other Horcruxes left. He should be safe from dying, even if they land a blow. So why was he so concerned? He had no reason to be so panicked yet something was telling him he was in danger.
His fear became all too real when he felt another blinding pain in his soul. This time he saw a ritual being performed on Henry Potter before he was smothered in pain and a cold magic suffused him. He did notice a change in the two Blacks he was fighting at the same time, as Rhea Black slowed down, her magic turning more defensive. He took advantage of the change and casted every curse he knew at the pair, until finally he saw one of his Killing Curses slip past their defenses. He grinned as he watched the girl raise her hand and then frowned as the Killing Curse was deflected upwards, smashing into the top of the statue at the Atrium. He stared at her hand and saw drops of blood racing down her arm. His memories of that night of Samhain returned to him then, of Dorea Black dying at the strike of his curse, yet he saw blood dripping down her hands too. He knew he never casted anything to hurt either of them that connected, so they both bled for another reason. The reason clicked into his mind and he laughed even as he blocked and shield curses hurled his way. Blood Mages. The Blacks had Blood Mages in their family. That's how they endured for so long and how Dorea protected her grandchildren.
Rhea breathed deeply as she healed the cuts on her palms. Blood Magic was the only defense against the Killing Curse and while Dorea failed to figure out a proper shield, she had been close. Rhea had looked at the notes Lily brought over from Potter Manor and was surprised about how much her Grandmother had researched. She had been an incredible Blood Mage. While Rhea's defence wasn't a shield either, she had figured out how to redirect the Killing Curse at an angle so long as it wasn't a direct hit. It was limited in scope and used up a lot of magic, but in an emergency it had worked perfectly. Now, though, she was really tired and infront of her was a man who, if the two moments of pain were what she guessed they were, was likely to be mortal. She needed to either end it now or prevent him from making any more attempts at immortality. She dug deep into her magic and casted her strongest curses as she summoned her friend into her hand. " Expecto Patronum ." Padfoot materialized from her magic and launched himself at Voldemort, who at first dismissed the creature as harmless until it latched onto his arm, its fangs digging in and tearing into his skin. She had never been more happy for actually listening to Pomfrey on how animal bites affected the body.
Rhea wanted to use her spectral weapons to pin him down but that magical drain from earlier had taken too much out of her. It had felt a lot like Hermione and if she focused for a second she could swear she could feel her girlfriend's feelings. She gripped the cursed knife Mahad and his smiths had made for her and made her choice. Better safe than sorry. Ignoring her father's yells, Rhea rushed forward, raising a dueling shield up her arm as curses left her wand in rapid succession. They and Padfoot tore through Voldemort's defenses and she saw an opening. Thank the Goddess for Bella and her obsession with knives. The knife slipped through her fingers as she threw it and watched as it lodged itself in Voldemort's stomach. He looked at her with some disdain as she resumed defending herself. "Come now, Miss Black, where aren't muggles. Magic should be our means of victory." Rhea smiled at him. "Oh, it's a special knife. I had it crafted and enchanted just for you." He frowned and looked down before he panicked. It was turning into molten metal and digging into him. He couldn't get it out. Rhea pulled a bit back as she gathered back her magic, dispelling Padfoot, to focus on defense. She felt so tired. She had to ask Hermione what that drain was, she was having trouble focusing.
Voldemort looked at her, trying to figure out what that knife did to him. He didn't feel a physical wound anymore. In fact, he felt … well. The ache that had been a part of him since he could remember was gone. Why would she heal him? He kept casting spells at the Blacks but they shifted their focus into a defensive play. Why? He could see the girl was drained but why weren't they pressing the attack? It's as if they knew he couldn't get away. Not like it mattered, his Horcruxes- Voldemort's thoughts came crashing to a halt. The meaning of what happened earlier suddenly clicked into place and it chilled him to his core. Nagini. She was destroyed. It hadn't been a coincidence. The Potter brat too. He had thought that his link could have been an errant soul piece or the magic of the prophecy at work, but now it made sense. The Blacks had been preparing for this moment for some time and he fell for it. His Manor in Hangleton was probably under siege as they just took out his Familiar. The ache he had felt since he was 16 years of age was now gone. His soul was whole, meaning he was mortal. He was also trapped in the bloody Ministry. A violent growl erupted from his throat as he sent Killing Curses at the girl. That damned defence on her arm and the transfigured barriers her father kept raising blocked them all. He screamed in frustration and rage, releasing much of his magic in a massive wave, sending his enemies flying back. He wanted to kill them, to end their threat but he had to leave, especially now with how drained he felt. He needed a safe place to recover or he'd die here. He thought of Greyback's Den near Hogwarts, away from prying eyes and drew all of his magic to apparate there. He smashed through the anti apparition wards of the Ministry and apparated away.
Sirius was glad that Voldemort had vanished, because right now he had only one concern. He rushed to his daughter's side as the Aurors spilled into the Atrium. She had been launched by Voldemort's burst of magic all the way to the wall and she hadn't moved since. He slid on his knees to her side and felt her neck. She still had a pulse, though it was weak and steady. He then touched the back of her head and he paled as he pulled his hand back. It was covered in her blood. The sound of a disembodied voice reached his ears. "… Born as the seventh month dies to parents whose lives were threatened thrice by the Lords, one shall be a champion of Light, raised into it from birth. The other will be consumed by the evils of man, and will be Claimed by Death before their time. Both will endure, bound by the Blood and Magic of their enemies, but life will be fleeting while the Lords remain enthroned. Magics the Lords know not will decide the fate of Albion for all." The gods forsaken prophecy orb must have shattered. Sirius panicked when he heard about the one being claimed by Death before their time. He needed to get his girl to a Healer
fast! He practically screamed, "Nyx!" The Death Omen popped into existence and rushed to Rhea, landing on her outstretched leg. "Nyx, get her to Pomfrey at Hogwarts, now!" The Omen didn't hesitate, his daughter vanished in an instant.
Dumbledore approached Sirius. "Sirius, what you just heard is…" Sirius didn't hesitate. He slugged Dumbledore in the face, feeling the bastard's nose break. "Because of you the stupid war dragged on long enough for that blasted prophecy to be made. I don't want to hear another word from you, Albus! You focused on Henry, shaping him into your Light Champion, and Halley was just treated as an expendable child. I ought to kill you now for that, but my family's wellbeing matters more to me. Now stay the hell away from my daughter before we end you permanently. We certainly have every reason for it." Sirius turned towards a gathering of wixen and spotted Lucius and Bella, both covered in scars and burns but mostly intact. Sirius sighed. "Kreacher." The elf popped next to him. "Yes, Lord Black." Sirius was feeling the magical exhaustion setting in as well. The duel had forced him to dig deep from the start. His eyes were having trouble focusing. "Has the Lady Black returned home?" Kreacher nodded. "Lady Black, Mistress Dora and the limping Auror are at Grimmauld Place." Sirius sighed in relief. "Get Bella and Lucius back to Grimmauld and have Sabrina look them over. I need to go to Hogwarts to look after my daughter. She was hurt pretty badly."
Kreacher eyed him critically, "Kreacher's Lord Black cannot reach Hogwarts safely as he is. Typsy." The Hogwarts Elf popped in besides him, looking worried. "Kreacher calls Typsy. Typsy being busy helping the hurt Lady Raven." Kreacher pointed to Sirius. "Kreacher's Lord Black wishes to be by Typsy's Lady Raven. Typsy must take him to the young Mistress." The elf didn't even let Sirius object, she just dragged him with her as Kreacher took his charges home. Sirius was a bit disorientated before he saw he was in the Hospital Wing. He rushed to Rhea's side and looked up at Andromeda while Pomfrey worked on his daughter. "How bad is it?" Andromeda sighed. "Cracked skull, some swelling of the brain and a heavy case of magical exhaustion. The concussion and the exhaustion caused her to pass out. What happened in the Ministry?" Sirius eyed everyone in the room, stopping for a second on Lily and Henry. No point in keeping secrets now. Might as well.
"Voldemort is exhausted and his forces have been severely depleted. Pretty sure Avery and Yaxley are currently in suppression cuffs. Bella and Lucius should be under Sabrina's care right now at Grimmauld, nothing dangerous. When Voldemort suffered two moments of spontaneous pain, Rhea rushed in and stabbed him in the stomach with the cursed dagger she commissioned from her allies. He got away by blasting all of us away from him before smashing through the anti apparition wards in the Atrium." Andy looked worried but nodded. Lily moved closer. "What was that about a cursed dagger?" He eyed her before Hermione moved closer, her face covered in tear tracks. She looked so worried. "That was the thing she got in Egypt when we visited, right? It forces Voldemort to stay mortal for good." Sirius nodded and everyone seemed a bit more comfortable with the news. He watched his daughter's girlfriend sit by Rhea's side and he took the other seat. Nyx landed on his shoulder and gave him a soft hoot.
Hermione looked at the Owl in surprise. "She says she will be fine. How do I know that!" Sirius frowned but Helena touched Hermione's shoulder. "Nyx is both a Death Omen and Rhea's
Familiar. Your connection to Rhea is more than enough for you to be able to understand her clearly, especially if she wants you to know." Hermione blinked. "Oh." She saw Sirius staring at her with an odd expression and Hermione responded with indignation, "We didn't do anything but kiss!" Sirius chuckled. "Must have been some fine kiss." The girl blushed deeply but turned her attention to Rhea. He leaned over and parted his daughter's hair softly. He hoped she recovered quickly. He pulled out a communication mirror and called Amelia. Time to make sure the bastard and his followers die and stay dead. There was no need for small talk. "What's the word out of Hangleton? All I know is our team is home under my wife's tender mercies." Amelia's voice came in clear. "Your team smashed through the Riddle Manor wards and Moody decided to go hunting for Death Eaters in the Manor before we arrived. We are pulling a lot of bodies out, but Moody said a few apparated away. Tonks confirmed about the same. Voldemort won't be using the place as a base any time soon. I will keep you informed if we spot anything else in the wreckage that can give us his location." Sirius closed the connection. Where did that bastard go?
- -
"Greyback, report!" The Were wanted to growl but decided not to. He could smell his Master's blood on him and the barely suppressed rage. The fight at the Ministry actually got him injured. "We got everything here Barty wanted from the Manor. Started getting some strays from there too. The lot said some Fiendfyre smashed through the wards on one side of the Manor before Mad-Eye and two of the Blacks attacked them, with a bunch of Aurors coming soon after. We also got some action here outside our Den. Potter and Lupin were sniffing around, looking for traces of us. We ambushed the pair and had them pinned against the rock face before Potter pulled a Portkey out and vanished. Lupin tried to do the same but I knocked him on his arse, the Portkey leaving without the pathetic mutt. The stray won't be a bother to us or any packs any more." Voldemort thought about what that meant. Dumbledore would soon know about his last position and would probably alert the Ministry. His enemies were already gathering around him even in this safe house. He lost his home, his Horcruxes and now this little base would be hit too as soon as Potter got the word out. He needed a plan, he needed something to get everyone to back off and give him room to breath.
"Bartemius. How are our plans to capture Hogwarts?" Barty bowed to his Master. "We have the supplies we need to capture and hold the Castle, but our numbers aren't great, my lord. The wards also feel stronger than expected." Voldemort growled, unhappy to hear about the losses he had suffered all night and this new delay. "Prepare to go into the Forbidden Forest and work up the Acromantulas. Get them to go after Hogwarts like we planned. Get the Death Eaters to gather in the section of the Forbidden Forest outside of the wards and get them ready to cast Fiendfyre and the Siege engine spells. I want through those wards. I don't care how much stronger they are than anticipated." Greyback huffed and got Voldemort's attention. "The wards may not need to come down. My pack found a cave that leads from outside the wards to inside the Forbidden Forest proper. No fresh scents so no one has traveled through there or knows about it. Your wizards can widen it and we can get behind the wards easily enough." Voldemort stared at the Were. That would do nicely. He turned to his follower. "Barty, we are following Greyback's route. Get my
followers through and get the Acromantulas to attack the Castle. The Aurors are circling our bases and we need a bargaining chip. The entire future of Magical Britain and the Wizengamot is gathered there and Dumbledore isn't there to command it, let alone defend it. Get our forces there before Potter gathers our enemies here."
Voldemort went back to the small throne room in the base and poured down some more Magical Replenishing Potion, the last he had in stock. He had summoned Severus earlier but got no reaction and after checking his connection to his Death Eaters, he found he could no longer feel his last window into Hogwarts. His spy had finally jumped ship it seemed. While his information had been useful to a degree, Severus' potions had been the main reason he kept him alive. Now the man was gone and Voldemort had just used up all his Replenishing Potions, since he expended so much of his magic fighting and escaping his enemies in the Ministry Atrium. He needed to recover enough to lead his followers into battle. He could almost feel the cold hands of death as they seemed to be wrapping around his throat. He growled in frustration and smashed the empty Vial onto the ground. He wouldn't let himself die like this. He wasn't an injured dog dying in the streets. He wasn't a starving orphan like when he grew in Wools looking for scraps of bread. No, he was the last of Salazar's noble line and the Castle was his birthright. He would take it and wouldn't care how many of the children died in the process. With it he could rebuild and prepare to strike out again. The hostages would serve as the perfect deterrent. He smiled. The girl had stolen his immortality from him. Time to steal her little Castle in return. If she happened to die within its walls, then so be it
Chapter End Notes
How many of you want to kill me right now because of the partial cliffhanger? Depending on how my writing goes today, you might see the next chapter early. I just finished Ch15 on my next project. If I can get Ch16 done early and my triple check of the next chapter of Blood and Magic goes well, you all might get an early gift, though it will mean a bigger gap until the next chapter like the cliffhanger from before. As this is the major event, I wont ask and will assume you all want to see it. So sit tight and pray RL is merciful and gives me time to write.
Next Chapter?: You all have to wait to find out ;)
How was it? Comment, Discuss and see you all soon.
To the Last Breath
Chapter Notes
Here it is, early as promised. I hope you all enjoy it.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Rhea opened her eyes and was greeted by the familiar field of endless stars. After taking a calming breath of the fresh spring air she stood up and looked around. The view of the place never changed for her, no matter how many times she had visited the place. Sensing a familiar presence, Rhea turned around. A smile grew on her face as she rushed forward to embrace her friend. She pulled back and looked her over. They had once upon been near identical twins, with the same hair and eyes. While Rhea's appearance had changed, her friend's never did. The long flowing white dress on her little body always looked perfectly clean. Rhea smiled. "I've missed you." Her friend gave her a beaming smile. "Missed you." Rhea laughed softly as she heard her friend speak. Before Halley learned to speak, all they could do was play in the endless puddles of water, run after each other or just cuddle, gaining comfort in each other's presence. When Halley learned to speak, her friend didn't. Instead they would play a game where Halley would say a lot of words and her friend would pick and choose which words to string together. Eventually Halley learned to anticipate her friends' words.
Looking around and remembering a bit of what she did here before, Rhea turned to her friend. She looked a little bit sad but happy to see her just the same. "Do we have some time to spend together?" Her friend nodded. "We have time." Rhea beamed. "Race you!" Rhea shot off and her friend swiftly followed, laughing at her antics. They jumped from a bit of grass to a puddle of water, the endless night filling with the sound of girls giggling and playing. Eventually her friend tackled her into a puddle and the two laughed as their clothes grew wet. Her friend would always catch her but Rhea never minded. It was all good fun. Rhea pulled her friend for a hug and she hugged her back. Eventually they looked for a dry patch of grass and lied down, staring at the endless sea of twinkling lights, their hands held in a quiet embrace. Minutes of restful silence stretched out until Rhea spoke up. "I found someone new that I like very much. Her name is Hermione. Do you like her or not?" Her friend giggled. "I like her." Rhea hummed happily. She felt her own eyes growing heavy. Her dream was coming to an end. At least she wanted to wake up now, unlike the first few years of her life. "I won't be seeing you for a while after this, will I?" Her friend shook her head. "You won't be for a while."
Rhea felt her heart grow heavy. This place and her friend were the bright points of her years as Halley. After the worst of her beatings, she would wake up here and her friend would comfort her. Here, beyond the reaches of her vile relatives she could just be a little girl. Rhea understood that things would change. When she hardly saw her friend while at Mom's, she wasn't sure what to make of it. It had made her sad. The first Samhain she had desperately wanted to see her and it had been great when she did! They had spent all night together again. Her old friend had been so happy
Rhea had a mother now too. The next year she told her about Sirius maybe being her Dad and possibly marrying Mom. After that though, Rhea wanted to connect with her deceased family. She spoke to Grandma Selene and Grandma Dorea. Every time she didn't call on her friend she missed her greatly. She saw her again after the stupid article in the Prophet made her magic go crazy and on the first night after her break up with Fleur too. Deep inside, Rhea knew she would eventually have to say a longer goodbye.
"Will I be seeing you again at a few Samhains sometimes?" Her friend hummed. "Sometimes at a few Samhains." Rhea hugged her friend deeply, letting the cold of her friend's body spill into her own. It was always comforting to her. "I will miss you, my friend." Her friend padded her on her back. "I will miss you, friend." Rhea rested her forehead against her friend's own, cyan eyes staring into green. "See you later." Her friend smiled as Rhea's eyes closed. Her last words echoed in Rhea's mind. "Later." Rhea felt a weight settle into her body, her bones aching and her skin feeling irritated. Well, mostly irritated. Her left hand felt very warm. She recognized the magic touching her hand and smiled, her eyes still closed. "Can I have my hand back?" She felt it get pulled as her eyes opened, revealing a surprised Hermione. She loved teasing her girlfriend. "I can give it to you, if you want. It would require a long ceremony, a couple of rings and some vows though. There is the direct way too but I am not looking for a prosthetic or a hook anytime soon." A bushy haired missile landed on her chest. Goddess did she smell nice.
Hermione, however, waa not amused. "How? How can you just wake up from a cracked skull and a concussion and just make jokes? You almost died!" Hermione pulled back and glared, expecting an answer. Rhea smirked. "Because you are too cute when you're flustered." Hermione let go of her hand. "That's it! She's yours until you're sure her head is on straight." Pomfrey leaned over and started scanning. "Miss Black, if you could hold onto your sanity for a moment, it would be much appreciated." Rhea nodded and felt the diagnostic spells sweep her body. Eventually she was given a clean bill of health, though still suffering from magical exhaustion. Hermione came closer. "Are you ready to be serious?" Rhea grinned and pulled her closer. "Sorry, Sirius is my Dad. I'll stick to being Rhea for you, though." She pressed her lips into Hermione's and her girlfriend melted into her, making some very pleasing noises. Someone coughing made them break apart, short of breath. Sirius smirked. "So good to see you up and about, my maiden. All good? You had a nasty head injury when I brought you here."
Rhea does an inventory of her mind and body. Body working as it should? Check. Memories intact? Check. No compulsions? Check. Hogwarts Wards… Rhea frowned and looked at her Dad. "You and Amelia didn't bring Death Eaters into the Hogwarts Wardline, right?" Sirius stood up, "What?!" Rhea sighed as she felt a headache building and connected her voice to the Castle Wards. The buildup of people inside of the wards was growing, with the perimeter wards not registering the intrusion. The moment most of the Death Eaters were through they would charge towards the Castle proper. They didn't have a lot of time. "All students are to return to their dormitories immediately, Head of House and Prefects see to your students and remain in your Common Rooms. Deputy Headmistress is to report to the Hospital Wing, all other Professors and Staff, I am sealing the outer Gates and doors and starting a lockdown. Hagrid, I extended the wards to your Hut, release the creatures to their own devices and get your bushy beard inside the Castle. Professor Sinastra to Gryffindor House, Professor Potter is in no condition to care for her charges. You all have 5 minutes before everything is sealed." Rhea sent a message to all the Ghosts through her magic as she saw McGonagall enter the Hospital Wing. "The Castle is under siege. Death Eaters,
Vampires and Werewolves inside the Wards and heading this way. I am also sensing Acromantulas moving in from the Forbidden Forest. Minerva, activate the Statue Guards and transfigure their weapons and hands to have a silver coating. That should cut their numbers and slow them down."
Rhea turned to the rest. "Dad, I need you to guard the Hospital Wing. Don't look at me like that, you are the best fighter here besides Fillius and the Hospital Wing cannot fall. Madam, you and Andromeda are in charge of caring for the wounded." Rhea started getting a head count of the enemy. Not enough to take the Castle without a fight but more than enough to be costly. She also noticed a familiar presence amongst them. Great, he's lashing out. Probably wanted to take hostages or at the very least take out the future of the country with him. Helena appeared besides Rhea. "Helena, gather the Ghosts and place them at strategic points. You will be the defense's eyes and ears. The Elves are to see to the students' safety, apparating them out of their Dorms if we are breached. Have the final defense line be the Room of Requirement." Her ancestor nodded as Rhea looked within herself. Her magic was still about half, probably a gift from her friend, but it wasn't enough to fight Voldemort one on one, so no direct combat. Still, she couldn't let any of the students be harmed. Rhea needed a force equalizer and to think before acting. Focusing on her connection, she willed the Peverell Cloak to appear in her hand.
Henry, who was sitting on one of the gurneys, fumed. "That's mine!" Rhea glared. "It was until you fell for a trap in third year. Peverell Heirlooms don't like falling into the hands of others without severing its connection to the previous owner first. This has been mine since then and tonight I have need of it. Now zip it." Hermione moved to Rhea's side. "You're still low on Magic, you can't go out there." Rhea hugged her girlfriend. "I do have to go though. I can make sure no students are hurt. As Head of Hogwarts Castle, I have no choice." Hermione stared into Rhea's eyes, seeing her determination. She pressed her head against Rhea's. "If you run low on magic, use mine. I already borrowed yours earlier tonight." She blushed under Rhea's sudden glare. "I will keep that in mind. We will be talking later about how much is too much. I got winded at the Ministry from that drain." Hermione nodded and kissed her on the lips. Henry looked at them both, what Hermione had said to him on Christmas making a lot more sense now. Not bothered to look at those around, Hermione pulled back, staring into Rhea's eyes. "Please come back to me. I still haven't shown you that swimsuit from last year." Rhea nodded, occluding that thought away. Duty now, naughty thoughts later.
After Nyx landed on her shoulder and Veil Travelled Rhea to the forward Courtyard in front of the Main Gates, Rhea threw Ignotus' Cloak onto her shoulder. The owl moved up to a vantage point. Taking a deep breath, Rhea allowed all of her magic to build up inside of her. This would leave her running on empty but it would also eliminate the advantage of the enemy's numbers completely. With her palms sliced open she kneeled down and touched the ground. She called on the full extent of her magic; Earth, Blood and Death. She poured it all into the ground, awakening the fragments of magic she had constantly been feeding since October and pushed her intent deep within. " Remnants of the Fallen, I beseech you. Rise. Hogwarts lies empereiled once again. In life you gave it all to defend these walls and the lives sheltered within. Now, let the echoes of your past life and the magic I have gifted you bring you to its defence again. Rise. I, a speaker for Persephone, ask you all to give something of yourselves once more in defence of the innocent who know not the horrors of war. Rise! " For the longest time the whole of Hogwarts Castle stood silent. Then, the ground began to shake. In the earth and through stone, skeletal hands broke free
and the remnants of humans, elves, dwarves, goblins and giants arose to answer their mistress' call. For years Rhea hid her full birthright. In the defence of the innocent and the powerless, she wouldn't hesitate to use it to its maximum extent. Tonight, the duties of all three of her houses called her to act. Even as her magic drained quickly and her mind struggled under the weight of hundreds of the programmed minds. She would not fail her families.
- -
Voldemort screamed in frustration as he fought through the mass of enemies in his way, watching as a mass of bones exploded in front of him. He knew of the Animated Statue Guards, as all learned students of Hogwarts' History knew. They were believed to be Godric's grand final contribution to the permanent defense of Hogwarts. That his enemies transfigured the statues' weapons to silver to combat the Vampires and Werewolves was a most impressive use of logic. Still, he expected then and had prepared accordingly. He had his Wizards ready to combat them, blast them into oblivion and push forward. What they never would have expected was to see an army of skeletons rise from the ground around them and attack, with rusted weapons or just their bare boney hands. Ordinary skeletons would be blasted away or broken with a single blow. His enemy did more than raise them though. These undead creatures wouldn't break unless blasted with the greatest amount of force. His forces, strong and nimble, were being overwhelmed by the pure numbers the undead hordes threw at them, draining their magic. He had hope that perhaps the Acromantula would be a deciding factor. That hope was dashed completely.
The massive skeletal remains of three Giants were smashing through them. Their ancient clubs, overgrown with moss and grass, quickly turned the giant spiders to paste. A massive roar shook his ears and he turned to see what new beast had been unleashed. The skeleton of a Dragon launched itself at the Werewolves and Vampires, the one who awoke it from its grave having provided more magic to it as it breathed white fire from its hollow jaws. He saw the Vampires turn to ash like dry kindling. There was no way his followers could break through. So he pushed on forwards, blasting his way through wave after wave of statues and skeletons. He made his way across the bridge leading to the front Courtyard and looked back. None of his Death Eaters had followed him. Even Barty, ever loyal and faithful, failed to get past the onslaught of enemies, his body being dragged away by elven skeletons. Voldemort turned to the Castle and charged forward. He only had to kill one person. The Necromancer responsible for the armies of skeletons tearing his men appart. Once she was dead, the survivors could take Hogwarts. He could still win.
He found his target in the Courtyard, her eyes closed, a look of pure rapture on her face. He could imagine what sort of pleasure she was deriving from this exceptional use of magic. The only thing defending her was the skeletal remains of a Basilisk. He felt a pang of pain in his heart seeing his family's beloved Medusa turned to bone and rotten flesh. For that alone he would kill the Potter Brat. Voldemort moved swiftly through the outer edges and casted the Killing Curse at the girl. The skeletal tail covered in rotting scales of his family's familiar rose up and blocked it. the teen remaining unmoved, too consumed in the magic. He casted Blasting spells, Withering Curses and
even Fiendfyre against the undead Creature. It withstood it all. It finally collapsed under the strength of prolonged Fiendfyre exposure, the beast letting out a guttural scream. He would have loved to have killed the witch with Fiendfyre as well but facing the Basilisk had drained him of much of his magic. He would have lost control of the blaze and died with her as well. Voldemort walked up to the young girl, drawing out a knife. While he hated using them, he wasn't unfamiliar with how to wield them. Being an orphan at Wools had taught him the value of a good sharp weapon close at hand.
He stood before the young woman and took one last look at her. Beautiful. If she had been born during his lifetime, he may have pursued her, courted her. He would have done absolutely everything to possess a witch of her beauty and power. Her words from earlier came back to him and he found he agreed with them. Maybe, just maybe, they could have been allies at one time. Fate, sadly, had other plans. Now, within sight of the Castle's doors, he mustered his strength and pushed his blade into her stomach. The girl took a sharp breath, her cyan eyes suddenly focused on his face. He frowned as she gave him a sad smile again before her legs failed her and she fell to the ground. He heard the noise on the other side of the bridge end abruptly. He took one last look at the body of the young girl, her breathing slowing down. "Goodbye, Rhea Black. You, above all others, were worthy of standing by my side." The sudden sensation of a blade piercing his back stilled his mouth and his legs crumbled beneath him. He stared upwards, seeing no one until an Invisibility Cloak was pulled aside, revealing the appearance of the young girl he had thought to have just killed.
Rhea kneeled down and pulled Voldemort's head on to her lap. "The blade pierced your spine and was tainted in Necromantic based poison. Not even a Parselmouth's natural or enhanced immunities will stop it from killing you." Voldemort took a deep breath, finding his body unresponsive. He closed his eyes, the shame of the moment catching up to him. "Why didn't you change your name magically?" He looked at the girl, her cyan eyes staring down at him. What? "You could have, you know. Tom Marvolo Riddle would have just been a memory. Yet you never did. Everything was still in your birth name, even as you fought with your given moniker. Why?" Why indeed. He had wanted to change his name. He had planned it from his time at Hogwarts. Yet he didn't. Why? "I don't know." Rhea hummed and had a far away look to her eyes. "It's the oddest thing. I can hate Dumbledore, I can hate my birth parents. Yet I cannot hate you." She summoned his wand into her hand and it survived her touch. She felt the yew wood in her hands, very much like her own.
"I suppose if I wanted to hate you, I would have to hate myself. Hating what I would have done in your place. Aside from splitting my soul, I would probably have done the same. You and I were the same for so long. Survivors of our own hell on earth. Yet I was saved and you weren't." Her eyes turned to his and tears began to flow from them. Why was she crying for him? "You never learned to live, did you? Every moment, every step, every decision was all based on surviving. You never stopped and just lived. Had you done that, I think you would have changed your name. You never did because, somewhere deep inside it felt like perhaps it would mean an end. Tom Riddle would have died. Like Halley did. I allowed Halley to die so that I could live. You could never let go, could you, Tom?" He stared at her even as he felt his body grow cold, her words sinking into his bones. Gods did he hate the cold. "Why are you still here?" Rhea smiled bitterly. "Halley died alone in a cupboard. It took her 7 years to die. I don't think it will take you as long, but if there was one thing I wanted to make different for you is that you shouldn't die alone.
No one should."
Tom closed his eyes as the cold of the grave dug in deeper. "I don't deserve your company." Rhea chuckled. "Perhaps not, but no child deserves the lives we lived. Today, from this day on, I promise you Tom Riddle, my distant relative. You, now restored to the Peverell family, I promise this: no child of Britain will suffer our fate. I will repair the damage done to this world and make sure that magic is treated as it should be. It is a gift, as all children are. All our children will be cherished. They will know that their life has meaning and that because of us, this cold cruel world will be a little warmer." A soft smile grew across Tom's face. "I think… I would have liked to have seen that world." The cold seeped into his lungs. Tears fell onto his head. "Somewhere, someday, you will. As will I. Until then this isn't a goodbye. This is a see you later, Tom." Tom felt his heart cease. His mind began to slip away as the cold took him in a strong embrace. How odd. For years he dreaded this moment yet it felt so comforting. If this was death, then why did he fear it for so long?
- -
Amelia walked amongst the remains of the Death Eaters, Werewolves and Vampires that had attacked Hogwarts. None remained alive. The Centaurs had approached them as they pulled up and told them all that the Acromantula colony was no more. Aragog, the source of the colony and Hagrid's friend, had been killed before the Acromantulas were unleashed upon the school. She didn't want to think about the damage they could have done to the student population if they had breached the walls. No, the Colony was now part of the mass of corpses that littered the ground as she and the rest of the Aurors spread about, looking for survivors. Scrimgeour moved around, documenting what he could of the absolute mess of mangled corpses. The dead corpse of Barty Crouch Jr. found by the bridge leading to the Castle brought some relief to her, as did the mangled remains of Greyback, his body covered in open wounds. Of the Inner Circle, all that now remained of it were Yaxley and Avery. The recorded conversations and memories of multiple visits by Lucius Malfoy to turn them away from the Death Eaters would make sure they couldn't hide behind any Imperius Defense again. They would get their lifetime sentence to Azkaban for sure this time.
James Potter walked with a noticeable limp on his gait. He had been spared any trace of Lycanthropy but his stubborn refusal to use a cleansing Ritual would mean he would carry quite a few nasty scars from his run in with Greyback and the Weres prior to the attack. He had wasted too much time calling the Order before calling her about the possible attack at Hogwarts. By that time, Sirius had already informed her of the mess. Amelia turned her attention to the Castle as they entered the Courtyard before the Front Gate. There, covered in a black cloth, was a single body, as the courtyard itself was ringed by the massive and heavily damaged bones of a Basilisk. The young woman Amelia knew was responsible for it all remained kneeled beside the body, as if in mourning. A Centaur was beside her, talking. " … and the point of entry was a cave deep in the forest, which the Death Eaters widened." The girl nodded. "Thank you, Firenze. If your people
could guard it until we get the chance to seal it properly, Hogwarts would have a debt to the Herd." Firenze nodded. "I will inform the Elders. Saturn has taken its place, yet not in dominion, even as Mars and Venus dim. Curious, isn't it?" The girl smiled at him. "Curious, but surely not unwelcomed. Go to your people in peace, Stargazer of the Centaurs." The centaure gave her a deep vow. "Safe times to you and yours, Lady Hogwarts."
Amelia watched the centaur leave the Courtyard and she turned to the Black Heiress. There were definite bags under her eyes and she seemed to be trembling. She couldn't even grasp how much magic had been unleashed this night. She could even feel some of it in the air, a cold shiver that definitely didn't belong in the summer, even in the Scotish Highlands. Amelia approached her softly, not wishing to startle her, even if she could feel them all in the wards. There was no telling how distracted she was by the exhaustion or just where her attention currently was. "Lady Ravenclaw, my Aurors are here to inspect the Castle and check on the wellbeings of the students. Will you grant us entry?" The young woman turned to look at her with those glowing cyan eyes. Rhea looked at her and then who she traveled with. She gave James Potter a dirty look before looking back at Amelia. "You and your Aurors may enter the Castle. Please keep in mind that Minerva will be repositioning the Statue Guards to their rightful place as you do. I didn't wish to lift the lockdown without your support and aid. Have your Aurors be careful as they traverse the Castle, some of the Hallways had been repositioned in case the defenses were breached. I am trying to return them to their previous state, but I am quite tired and might miss a few."
The Gates opened slowly as the Wards unwound and several people streamed out towards Rhea. Amelia smiled as she watched Rhea catch Hermione Granger as the girl threw herself into her girlfriend's arms. The Black Heiress kissed the Gryffindor girl softly on the head. Scrimgeour leaned down and pulled back the black cloth covering the body nearby, revealing the face of Voldemort for everyone one present. The Aurors took evidence photos as James looked at the young woman. "Am I to believe you killed him?" Rhea glared at the man. "Since your son and wife were sequestered in the safety of the Hospital Wing and the rest of the staff were protecting the Dorms, then I would be the logical option." He looked like wanted to argue as the Unspeakables entered behind Amelia, looking around. "We will be taking the body." Rhea glared at the men in grey cloaks. "As the Lady Peverell, I claim the corpse of Tom Riddle, descendant of Cadmus Peverell, as one of our family. The DMLE and DoM may investigate it but it will be turned over to me for a proper burial as soon as the evaluations are completed." The Unspeakables talked amongst each other.
The head Unspeakable turned to Rhea. "Very well. We will let the DMLE handle Riddle's corpse and we will conduct our investigation in the morgue at the Ministry, but we will be needing an answer concerning the magic used here last night." Rhea nodded softly, "You and the DMLE will have it as soon as I get some bloody rest. I have been running on fumes for hours now." Andromeda leaned down and casted her diagnoatics on Rhea. "That is an understatement. If you excuse us Amelia, I need to drag my niece up to her chambers for a long and restful sleep. Healer's orders." Amelia watched as the group took Rhea Black into the castle. She turned to her Senior Auror. "Scrimgeour. You are in charge of the body of Tom Riddle. You heard the Lady Peverell, we can do the standard and in depth work ups and everything but the body must be turned over to his last living relative in time. Get to it." Her Aurors got to work, gathering evidence as the rest went into the Castle, James Potter amongst the latter. She couldn't blame him. After checking to make sure everyone was doing their job, she would check on Susan and Bella. But first she had to
deal with a certain group of eggheads.
"Croaker, you and I need to have a chat. I have a good idea what happened here and I don't want to see the Ministry try and crucify her for defending the lives of all our children." The director of the Unspeakables looked at Amelia carefully. "We have an idea of what happened as well. We were tracking Voldemort after he smashed through the wards when we detected a surge in magic at Hogwarts. It had a distinct affinity and was noticeable despite the strength of the wards in place. The Minister and the Light won't be pleased when word spreads." Amelia stared at him. "She has an incomplete registration with the ICW. She was waiting to receive her final OWLs and NEWTs scores from this year to complete it. I want you and the eggheads to get in contact with them and get a copy of the registration files and get them completed. The DMLE wont go after her for safeguarding the lives of everyone in the school." Amelia stared at the Unspeakable who eventually raised his hands in surrender. "My own people would probably plan my instant and permanent retirement for me if I even tried. We will get in touch with the ICW. Having one of her kind on this side of the world who isn't travel shy will help a great deal with the laws getting reviewed."
Amelia watched as Croaker got his eggheads to spread out and document everything, ordering a few to leave the Basilisk for now. She checked elsewhere among her Aurors before heading into the Castle proper. She stopped with Minerva first, watching her set the Statues back in place on the walls. "Can I help you, Amelia?" She didn't mince words. "I got the Unspeakables to give their support of the Lady Ravenclaw's actions tonight. As an ally of the Blacks, I know you are aware of our young lady's talent. What will be the rest of the Hogwarts Staff's opinion? Albus will kick up a storm with this, and I want to be ready for him." Minerva sighed, hating what had become of her mentor and old friend but nodded. "The Professors will stand by the Head of Hogwarts Castle. Tonight she saw to the safety of the students and staff. Baring Hagrid's loss of an old friend, no one else died here who didn't come looking for trouble. She protected her own as was her duty and we will do the same." Amelia sighed in relief. "Good to hear. Now if you excuse me, I have a niece I need to squeeze the life out of and a girlfriend I need to leave breathless." Minerva chuckled as she watched Amelia leave for the Hufflepuff Common Room. The Deputy Headmistress turned her attention back to restoring the Statues to their right full state. This would likely not be the last Battle of Hogwarts and the students would always be in need of them.
- -
Hermione bit her lip as she finished writing a letter back home. It was over. The monster that had haunted her life from the moment she met Henry was gone. The Death Eaters were effectively wiped out in the fight in the Ministry, Riddle Manor and their desperate attack on Hogwarts. She had felt Rhea touch her magic during the attack, drawing a bit of it but not enough to tire her out. Henry had wanted to get out there and fight too but he didn't put up much of a fuss to get out, especially when Lily gave him quite an earful. The wait was what had her worried at the time. At first she had been unsure about the bond she shared with Rhea but as she waited for the lockdown
to lift she had been happy for it. She could feel her girlfriend alive and well, though really tired. She had even felt the pieces of her mind that had been controlling the skeleton golems, popping out as they vanished into the earth again. She had been worried when she started feeling all those foreign elements through the bond, but despite draining Rhea of her magic, none had felt dangerous. Seeing Rhea kneeling next to the covered body of Voldemort, surrounded by the bones of the Basilisk Henry killed in their second year, made the fact that they had been under attack all the more real to her.
Andromeda had brought Rhea, Sirius and Hermione up to the Ravenclaw Chambers before she and Sirius left, wanting to be with the rest of the family now that they knew Rhea was safe. Hermione had sat down and decided to pen a letter to her parents, telling them what happened and that things should be safe now. The horrors of a second war ended just as soon as it began. She looked around and wondered. Would Nyx hear her call now that she and Rhea shared a bond? "Nyx?" The flutter of wings announced the Death Omen's arrival, looking at her with its piercing red eyes. The Omen gave her a soft hoot and lifted its leg, knowing what was being asked of her. Hermione attached the letter and petted the Omen. "Thank you, for bringing her back when you did and for being with her for so long." The Omen gave her a louder hoot and she felt the creature say something akin to "Of course I did. She is my Mistress." Hermione smiled. "Could you deliver this to my parents for me?" The Death Omen gave her a happy hoot and looked at the open door of her Mistress' bedroom.
Hermione nodded. "I will be with her for tonight, so don't worry. She won't be alone." Nyx hooted before vanishing on the spot. Hermione went to her guest room and changed into her nightwear. She entered Rhea's room and looked over her sleeping girlfriend. While they had gone a bit further in Beltane, they had never slept in the same bed. Tonight though, felt different. She almost lost her girlfriend twice. She wanted to feel her physically. To know that she was there, alive and well. Mustering up her courage she joined Rhea in the large bed and slipped under the covers. She blushed when she saw that Rhea was only in her underwear. She tried to remain still and not disturb Rhea, feeling stressed out. She stiffened when Rhea sighed. "My lady, if you are going to stay like that for the rest of the night, neither of us is going to get some sleep. Show me you are a Gryffindor and snuggle up to me." Hermione did as she was told and wrapped her arms around Rhea's waist and one of Rhea's legs between her own.
The two breathed deeply and felt contentment settle into their bodies. Hermione nuzzled into Rhea's hair. "I might get addicted to this." Rhea hummed and she felt the wards shift around her. "Well, you are free to sneak in here whenever you like now." Hermione sighed and she felt Rhea shiver. "My lady, please try and sleep. While I'm magically exhausted, you are… a very pleasant distraction. I might forget myself if you keep doing that." Hermione got a wicked grin and kissed Rhea's shoulder, earning another shiver. She did that a few times, avoiding Rhea's neck before settling down. Her girlfriend fell asleep quickly afterwards. Hermione closed her eyes and allowed her ears and nose to memorize the sensations of being in Rhea's bed. She quietly admitted to herself that she was really looking forward to more nights like this. She probably wouldn't resist sneaking in here next year. She fell asleep accepting there really wasn't anything wrong with wanting to do it and wouldn't hold back. She had a Necromancer as a girlfriend who loved to tease her. She'd tease Rhea right back.
Chapter End Notes
I did finish Chapter 16 of my other story, so I am keeping my promise. Remeber this means the next chapter of this story will be posted on the 2 of May, as I need time to recharge. I am dead tired today after a long day of not sleeping and writing.
Next Chapter?: Hogwarts students prepare to go home and a Wizengamot session.
So, how was it? Please Comment and Discuss. See you all in quite a few days, when we get back to the regular posting schedule.
Life Goes On
Chapter Notes
Here is the Next Chapter. Hope you all like it. If you haven't noticed, Chapter 1 of "The Ever Changing Face of Death", my next project, is up. Check it out and leave a comment if you're interested if you haven't already. Might post Chapter 2 early depending on how comfortable I get.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Rhea pulled herself back after placing the lid on the wall. The Ministry and Dumbledore's Order Members had raised a bit of a fuss but she had the DMLE and the DoM's support. It took a lot of paperwork but she was eventually legally allowed to move the body two days after the incident at Hogwarts. While Peverell Castle had many interesting things within its containment wall, a graveyard or a Mausoleum wasn't one of them. The Peverell family did have a habit of burying its dead wherever they chose, though they did have a building and a plot of land set aside for those who were to be buried among their kin. It eventually turned into quite the large graveyard, with everyone there either a Peverell by marriage or birth. Tom survived his way through a hard life, but spent most of it alone, leaving war and destruction in his wake. The Light and some Neutrals would have either cremated the remains or thrown them through the Archway in the Death Chamber, never to be seen again. Rhea may have hated what became of her life because of him but after reading about his difficult life, she could not bear to hate him. He, at the very least, deserved a resting place amongst family. While he hated the Gaunts and the Riddles, he probably had no feelings about the Peverells, so Rhea decided to bring him here. His sin made him an enemy of Necromancers, but even they refused to desecrate or abandon the dead. All life, no matter how twisted, deserved to be remembered and mourned in some way. So she brought his body to the Peverell Mausoleum, gave it the full funeral rites and closed the lid.
She ran her hands over the vertical stone, gently inscribing his name, dates and an epithet. The lid would be black to mark him as a sinner to the family. There were many black lids in the Mausoleum, with very few white ones. Funny, how one never heard about the ones who broke the rules until you go looking where everyone was buried. The Mausoleum, with its heavy wards, was probably built for those the family would wish to be forgotten, but never abandoned. Rhea held her hand against the stone. "This is the end of our path together Tom. For now. You made yourself an enemy of our house, a betrayer of our oaths. But here, in death, you are not alone. Despite the evils laid at your feet, despite your sins upon the innocent, you are a Peverell. Rest now in the company of your peers. I am sure we will meet again. Someday." Rhea bowed her head softly and walked out of the massive crypt. Her Head of House ring touched the wall and gears and magic pushed the massive slab of white marble into place, closing the entrance. Eventually the noise ended and wards as ancient as the family activated, sealing the stone structure and its residents until the next person is to be buried here by a Head of House. Rhea turned and stopped. She watched as the Grim of the Peverell Cemetery looked at her before coming over and pushing his head into her hand.
Rhea played with him for a little while, rubbing his belly and running through the headstones under the overcast sky. She'd leave a written prayer for them all as an apology, for disturbing their rest, but a Grim caring for a graveyard deserved, above others, her attention. Of the many Death Omens in the world, the Grims of graveyards were the least cared for or understood. They fulfilled their duties just like the rest, but they remained fixed to the area rather than wandering around. They basically fed off the Death Magic that lingered on the corpses. Sadly, many either starved or fled, as cemeteries were eventually abandoned because they were overfilled. Here, atleast, in a graveyard full of Necromancers and Wixen, the energy would hold for longer. Still, best not leave anything to chance. When she returned to the castle she would look for a ritual that could sustain them indefinitely if they chose to stay. If it didn't exist, she would just have to make one. A flash of Hermione's smiling face graced her mind and Rhea grinned. If her girlfriend became something more, this would be a perfect project to do together.
The Grim, sensing her desire to leave, called Rhea over towards an open crypt. Necromancers tended to leave one open for the Grims to take shelter in and rest. They also used it for something else as Rhea froze the moment she looked inside. There, resting on its belly was another Grim. Along with four little pups. A soft bark made her look to the side. Make that five pups. Rhea picked up the stray from the litter as it rubbed itself against her leg. The two Grims eyed her with interest. "Why bring me here?" The father came to her and bumped her with its head. He looked at her and the pup. Her breath caught. "You want me to raise him, don't you?" They both bowed their heads. Rhea looked down and saw it looking at her with its red eyes. It already had the puppy eyes down. She looked at both the parents. "I will because you asked, but I will bring him over for visits until he is of age and maybe afterwards. He deserves to know his family." Both Grims bark at her and give her a wolfish smile. Rhea played with the puppy's head and felt a familiar bond snap into place. She groaned. "Nyx isn't going to like this." The pup got up onto its back legs and reached up to licked her face, silencing her complaints.
The older Grim followed her out of the crypt and towards the front gate of the Mausoleum, the pup wagging its tail happily in Rhea's arms. Rhea rubbed its head. "I suppose I should ask Hagrid if he has any tips for raising a canine. He did raise a bloody Cerberus after all." She watched Nyx land on the pillar beside her, giving Rhea a stink eye. Rhea pouted. "Don't look at me like that, they asked." The Death Omen looked at the old Grim and the two had a silent conversation before she took flight and landed on Rhea's shoulder. Rhea tapped its beak. "No eating the pup." The Death Omen gave her an indignant hoot while the pup barked at her, a wolfish smile on its face. Rhea sighed and took one last look back at the Mausoleum. The massive stone edifice loomed in the back of the cemetery, a testament to the Peverells legacy of triumph and shame as raindrops fell from the heavens. "Let's go, Nyx. Time to show the new pet to Mom and Dad." The Omen hooted as they all vanished silently, Rhea's thoughts returning to the tomb she just filled up and the words she had carved into the marble slab.
Tom Marvolo Riddle
"Lord Voldemort"
December 31, 1927
-
June 19, 1996
Let him find in death
what was denied to him in life
- -
"Order. We will have Order! Silence!" The Wizengamot Chamber was a beehive of activity on the day after the Summer Solstice. Three days prior the Ministry itself had been broken into and a fight had broken out between the Death Eaters and the Aurors. Sirius looked around and saw part of the problems with today's meeting being evident. While most of the Dark faction followed Lucius' lead, a good number of the Seats were now vacant. Both Yaxley and Travers were sitting in the DMLE holding cells, awaiting a trial before joining Umbridge and the rest of the bigoted bastards in Azkaban. Unfortunately, the trials of the Death Eaters arrested in the Ministry wasn't the main topic of discussion today. It was his daughter, Rhea, and her use of Necromancy to defend Hogwarts Castle. Amelia had assured him that the DMLE and DoM would back Rhea up should the Minister actually listen to Dumbledore today. How the old coot found out about it wasn't discussed, as Amelia had the Aurors under Oath. Even James Potter couldn't say anything. He wondered if Henry might have shared the information with some of his friends, who then passed it on to their parents. In the end, the word had spread and many in the Light were clamouring for blood. He'd sooner let the whole of Britain burn down before he allowed that to happen.
Eventually the Chamber settled down and the Minister started the session. "Honored members of the Wizengamot, on this day, June 22nd, 1996, I, Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, call this extraordinary session to order. Chief Scribe, are there any outstanding requests for the Wizengamot to see today before we can arrive at the main topics of discussion?" Sirius did chuckle a little as the Minister looked sheepishly at Percy Weasley. He was having flashbacks at the previous sessions that involved him. Sirius looked towards his faction and the Dark, seeing everyone taking a greater interest. The Neutrals would defend the Lady Ravenclaw and Peverell while the Dark, what remained, would defend a Necromancer to the very end. Weasley looked at his papers. "There is a motion that the subject of today's extraordinary session is invalid as the matter of a Necromancer using their magic is not grounds for a Trial as of the current state of the law. Under the current review, no Necromancer can be charged with the crime of the practice of Necromancy until a ruling has been made by the ICW and the Department of Mysteries. Chief Witch?" The Minister sighed and went to sit down in his assigned seat, recognizing his part was at an end. The man's position in the Ministry was already in tathers.
Sirius leaned forward as did Sabrina to his side, waiting to see what Lady Abbott decided. He
had an objection ready to be thrown should she choose to go forward with this farce, and two thirds of the Wizengamot would object to any of the Light's claims. The woman looked over the documents provided by the bastards who brought the matter forward and sighed. "The motion for invalidating the Trial has merit. This session cannot move forward with the intent of charging the individual identified as a Necromancer with any crimes associated with the practice of their craft. While some charges of manslaughter have been filed by some members of this Assembly, the DMLE has ruled all those deaths as acceptable under the law by virtue of the deaths occurring within the Hogwarts Castle's ward boundaries and carried out by the owner of said land in an act of self defense and defense of the students of Hogwarts." The Chief Witch's words caused the Light to shout while the Neutral and Dark factions called for their silence. Rhea's use of magic may have been extreme as no Death Eaters survived, but no one in their right mind could fault her reasons. That the students had gone back to class as if nothing had happened the days later was a clear sign of how effective the defence was.
Lady Abbott activated a ward that silenced the entire chamber. "While this session will not pursue the matter as a Trial, I still believe we should hear from the Necromancer in question, to understand why they took the decision to reveal themselves in such a violent matter. As the Head of Hogwarts Castle, I am certain there are some concerned parents in the gallery and in the public who wish to know if the students are safe under her care, regardless of our own individual thoughts on the practice of Necromancy." Sirius sighed and sat back. The woman had a point. In the days since the incident, the castle had been besieged by mail from concerned parents. His daughter had to enlist the help of Minerva and the Hogwarts Elves to even come close to answering them all in a timely manner. While he hated placing his daughter under the scrutiny of others, he couldn't deny the need for an official notification before the Wizengamot. The notice released by his family in the Quibbler and repeated in the Prophet didn't seem to settle the public's nerves at all. Though he could understand, as a true Necromancer hadn't been around in centuries.
The session got underway, and though Sirius could see Dumbledore, invited by Lord Elphias Doge, sitting with said man and a few other of his supporters, he could tell the old coot didn't look too happy. He was probably hoping to paint Rhea as the next Dark Lady with a Trial, eliminating her without so much as a fight. Sirius hoped he didn't try. His wife was fingering her wand and looking at Dumbledore with murder in her eyes. He had received a letter from the Prasinos Matriarch asking the Black Family and its allies to keep their distance from Dumbledore. Sabrina and Rhea, as Prasinos, were exempted but still politely asked to let the old man be handled by the family. He had shivered when he read it and thanked the stars that Seraphina had actually liked him. The woman got terrifyingly poetic when talking about destroying a man. He rubbed his wife on the back, hoping to get Sabrina to relax. It didn't seem to work much. Sirius looked on as the Chief Witch called Rheannon Black to stand in the Chamber Floor before her. His daughter entered with Dora at her side, wearing her Ravenclaw inspired clothing. He also knew Nyx was with her, invisible to sight, just in case someone tried anything funny. His daughter looked positively annoyed.
"Chief Witch, Members of the Wizengamot. If you had wanted a discussion, I would have preferred an appointment. The students haven't left Hogwarts yet and I recently came to be owner of a very young pup who was most displeased with my leaving on such short notice. I shouldn't have to state how excitable young familiars are and how attached they could be in the early stages of a bond." Sirius grinned, seeing what his daughter was doing. To her this was just another day,
making it clear that she wasn't faced or cared about the accusations. Her comment on the Grim pup was even true. The little ball of energy had escaped from her room everytime she locked him in and no one could get him to settle down. Even a very solid Helena failed to sooth the pup. Thank the gods for Hermione. The pup actually settled down in her arms and tolerated her presence. Rhea had been happy she had found someone to care for the Death Omen, or she might have brought it with her. Wouldn't that have been a sight, a Necromancer cradling a Grim pup while glaring down at the bastards who summoned her in the first place. She was still glaring at them though, and Sirius knew she would rather be anywhere but here. "If we could get this over with, I have responsibilities to take care of. I did appoint a Proxy to this body for a reason."
Leave it to his daughter to even subtly threaten the entire Chamber. The Light looked at the Ravenclaw Proxy and paled. Ragnok had not been pleased with the Friend of the Goblin Nation being summoned. His scowl was not even an act. He had practically devoured much of Fudge's finances with an audit carried out in conjunction with the Ministry. Anyone who read that bit of news should know not to anger the Ravenclaw Proxy. Lord Doge rose up from his position and started asking questions of Rhea. "Heiress Black, you were summoned as the incident on the Hogwarts grounds was a clear display of why Necromancy is a banned practice. W-" Rhea cuts the man off. "Let's be honest here, Lord Doge, that the ban on Necromancy has nothing to do with me raising a few bone golems to defend a school full of children from being taken hostage by a bunch of terrorists and everything to do with paranoia and fear mongering. What I did was no different than what my Deputy Headmistress did with the Statue Guards, only with a different medium and at greater magical cost to myself. My bone golems completed the task for which I deployed them and were stored accordingly with all the respect they deserve. You can ask your Department of Mysteries representative, as the only bone golem found on arrival was the one of the Basilisk that your long bearded friend there refrained from informing the Ministry whilst it terrorized the school prior to its death. That one had been damaged beyond function and I was no longer able to influence it."
The Chamber all spared a glance at Dumbledore who didn't like the jab at his lack of transparency three years prior. Croaker, wearing his Unspeakable robes, stood up. "Lady Ravenclaw speaks the truth. The severely damaged Basilisk skeleton was the only physical indication found as to her use of Death Magic. Our scans of the area did show traces of it but nothing in any way harmful to the school or its residents. In fact we have seen an improvement in the area's magic with the extinction of the Acromantula Colony. I would also like to state, for the record, that the Lady Ravenclaw provided myself and Director Bones of the DMLE with a full, unedited copy of her memories of the incident. Another copy was submitted to the ICW with her documentation for entering the International Registry as an active Necromancer, willing to be evaluated before the international panel. A similar registration form was submitted to my Department the day after the incident." The man sat down and the Chamber descended into whispers. Dodge went to confer with Dumbledore, while Rhea tapped her boots impatiently, her lips moving in what Sirius knew to be counting. Doge returned with another question, "It has been reported that you, Heiress Black, took possession of the body of the terrorist Voldemort. There is concern that in the hands of a Necromancer you could restore him to life, if you even succeeded in killing him in the first place."
Sirius felt his wife's magic flare and he could only guess at his daughter's reaction. Rhea stared at Doge before turning to the Chief Witch. "The body of one Tom Marvolo Riddle, known to
everyone as Lord Voldemort, was provided to the DMLE and the DoM as required by law upon his death at my hands. Both departments scanned it with all known diagnostics, including ones designed to detect the presence of the magic that the puppetmaster with his hand up Lord Doge's rear suspects Riddle carried out in order to avoid death the first time around. Having completed their evaluations and found no cause of concern while confirming that Tom Riddle has indeed passed on, the body was returned to me as one of his few remaining relations and the Head of House Peverell, to which Riddle was a descendant. My apologies to the Potters, but I didn't think they would be interested in seeing their long lost relative buried in their own plot of land." The comment about Dumbledore made the Dark and Neutral factions snicker while James Potter looked ill at finding out he was related to the man that killed his parents. Dumbledore's face showed he was quite unhappy, being so vulgarly addressed and Sirius couldn't help but smile. His daughter was going to be a nightmare for the Wizengamot when she took up her Seats.
When Doge went back to Dumbledore, the Neutrals and the Darks openly laughed. Amelia rose up to address the Chamber. "Chief Witch, if Lord Doge is done being a mouthpiece to a man who has no reason to speak before this Assembly, I ask that the individuals who brought this matter forward be removed from the floor and if you believe no further questions should be asked, please dismiss the matter. The Head of Hogwarts Castle has to see to the safe return of Britain's children within a week's time. I am sure many parents, even those present here, are eagerly awaiting the company of their children after such a trying event." Lady Abbott looked at Doge and Dumbledore. "Lord Doge, return to your seat amongst your peers. Mr. Dumbledore, either move yourself to the viewing gallery or leave the chamber entirely. While the question of the day's events seem to be settled, I will proceed with a few final requests for clarification." Dumbledore rose. "I object, Chief Witch. This woman is a clear and present danger to our society and to the wellbeing of the children under her supposed care. I motion that Hogwarts Castle be seized from her and that the woman be banned from this chamber."
Lord Malfoy stood up a bit gingerly, having taken a dark cutting curse to the leg. "I object to Dumbledore's suggestion. This Chamber has never banned any member of the Assembly without them being formally charged with a crime. The Lady Ravenclaw defended our youth, ended the life of a man who tore our country apart and has constantly placed the students' wellbeing as her top priority, unlike the actions of the former Headmaster. I would motion that she should receive an Order of Merlin if I didn't already know she would reject it on principle. I motion that Dumbledore be removed from the floor. He has no further role to play here other than as a fear monger. Anyone here who allows him to speak should themselves be condemned by the Assembly." Lord Dodge and Dumbledore tried to protest but the Chief Witch had them escorted to their assigned places and ordered them to be silent. The woman then turned to look at Rhea. "You carry three family names here, to which would you prefer to be referenced as a Necromancer?" Rhea straightened her back. "While another of my families has a Necromancer in its line, my Death Magic is from the Peverell Line. If you wish to discuss matters concerning Necromancy, address me as Peverell. If it's about Hogwarts, then as Ravenclaw."
Lady Abbott nodded her head. "Very well, Lady Peverell. As the first registered Necromancer in Britain, can you explain what you expect of the population and its treatment of your person? Your actions may have been merited but many will fear your power, especially around their children." Rhea blinked. "I ask that I be treated with the respect afforded to me as a sentient being, that the people at least educate themselves as to the role Necromancers have in a
magical society and that they learn that they have no reason to fear anything happening to their children. I could have easily allowed the terrorists to take the Castle by force, allowing innocent lives to be destroyed irrevocably by the worst of our people. I chose to wield magic that so many of our own people frown upon in the defence of the innocent, at the expense of my own reputation, because even one innocent life lost or even stolen is one too many. I hope that my actions of that night and every night since I claimed my Ravenclaw heritage speak for themselves as to who and what I am. I doubt I will find said fair treatment, but it is my sincere wish to see it." Rhea's words left the Chamber silent before the Dark and the Neutrals gave her a respectful clap. The Chief Witch looked over her documentation.
"You have registered with the hope of allowing the DoM to observe your magic in action and to document its effects on your surroundings. You have also signalled that you intend to travel within the period of evaluation. Why?" Rhea straightened her back out a little. "Death Magic cannot be taught or learned, it must be lived. Only a Necromancer may write down and pass on their knowledge to another. As a Peverell and as a Ravenclaw, it is in my nature to broaden my understanding of the magic I wield. I wish to eventually travel and interact with the magical cultures of the world, gaining their perspective and understanding of the magic I was born with before I settle down and carry out the duties required of me by my families. Doing this during the evaluation of the ICW seemed the most prudent. Though my duties at Hogwarts may take two more years to settle." The Light were clearly not very happy but the Chief Witch looked over at the DoM representative. "The Department of Mysteries has no problem with this arrangement and in fact would welcome a more comprehensive study of the magics of Necromancy in two years time." Seeing no other reason to keep the young woman there, Lady Abbott called the session to an end and reminded everyone that the trials for the terrorists arrested in the Ministry would begin within two weeks.
Rhea walked up to her parents for a hug and a deep bow to her friend Ragnok. The Goblin smirked. "Here I thought that Gringotts would have been forced to exert its influence to keep the foolish wand wavers from harming my friend." Rhea chuckled. "Oh, I am sure a few subtle and not so subtle reminders of our status would go a long way in keeping the more foolish of them in line. Nothing like a frozen bank account to make anyone panic." The old Goblin grinned. "We will be sure to issue them. I just wished to remind you, my lady, that the Fae don't give things for free." Rhea nodded. "I understand that, Chieftain. My Ancestor suffered despite the support she received. I will not forget the support provided by the Fae and will work to fulfill my promises. You will see the proposals submitted by the elections." Lord Ragnok bowed his head, "Then know, my lady, that the Fae will watch over you. The fate of your Ancestor haunts their hearts and they will act to prevent its repetition." Rhea bowed. "My gratitude to all Fae. May our honor grow as our vaults fill with gold." Ragnok left them and Rhea turned to her parents. "Home?" Sabrina pulled her daughter into a hug and Sirius hugged them both. "Home."
- -
Rhea and Hermione watched as the Grim ran around the room, scenting everyone. The pup, visible to all by the grace of the Familiar bond, had become a new staple of the Castle. Hagrid had been most delighted when Rhea visited him and asked for some advice in raising the restless Death Omen. It technically didn't need to eat because it was syphoning some of Rhea's magic as a familiar, but Rhea agreed with the half giant that getting him used to some physical food was a good idea. The pup was too young for solid food so bottles of milk and water would have to do for now. Watching Hermione feed the omen the night before had made Rhea's heart warm and her mind saw the bushy haired girl holding a baby with raven black hair. Her mind, being what it was, instantly thought about how they would get there and her cheeks had quickly flushed and her body grew quite warm. She was going to enlist Hermione's help in figuring out how the Chambers worked. They desperately needed a shower with proper plumbing. Maybe even a jacuzzi they could both share.
They watched as the pup sat in front of Luna who petted its head before it scampered to Rhea's feet and begged her to be carried. Rhea sighed as she picked up the Grim, Luna giving her a pout. "None of your Grim like me. I thought your familiar would be less bothered by me." Rhea chuckled. "The Grim are all picky Luna. They don't usually attach to people like other animals. You could take it as a compliment, as none of them seem interested in giving you a sign of an early grave." Luna looked pensive before she sighed. "I guess. Have you decided on a name?" Rhea played with the Grim's nose. "This is Padfoot." Luna blinked. "Isn't Padfoot the name of your Patronus?" Rhea nodded. "And this little guy will grow up to be big and strong like my Patronus, won't you, little fella?" Daphne watched as Hermione sat down beside her. "Should I offer sympathy on congratulations on getting the equivalent of a baby?" Hermione blushed and slapped Daphne's arm. "It's not a baby. It's a puppy." Daphne snickered. "Tell that to your girlfriend."
Hermione watched Rhea coo at the puppy, with Hannah, Susan and Sally showing some very exacerbated faces. Hermione sighed. "Nope, not taking that bait. I don't need Rhea to melt my brain with her logic. We might end up with a Lethifold as a pet if I do. I'll just keep my mouth shut and say no more pets." Daphne laughed softly. "Good luck with that. Regular pets never, but Death Omens are going to follow her around like that puppy there." Hermione just slumped on the couch. Everyone sat down as the food was placed on the table. Daphne looked at Susan. "Any word from your House about people not coming back next year? All of Slytherin has voted to stay and the parents agreed." Susan looked a little sad. "A few from Light families. Though it's mainly 3rd, 4th and 5th years. The first two year groups all want to stay and while a few parents aren't happy, they can't argue with their kids' grades." Luna nodded. "Ravenclaw is sticking together. The students all trust Rhea and Professor Flitwick has been very involved with us these few years, so the parents aren't worried."
Everyone turned to look at Hermione, except for Rhea who was feeding Padfoot a bottle of milk. Hermione shook her head. "It's a mixed bag. The 6th year Gryffindors are definitely staying, as are the 1st and 2nd years. Like Susan, most of the 3rd through 5th years aren't as convinced. Neville might not be coming back, but it depends on what Augusta and Alice decide. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley have been having a lot of arguments with each other. Ginny has gotten better this year and Mr. Weasley knows it's because Rhea and McGonagall contacted him about the need for a Mind Healer. Mrs. Weasley is a strong supporter of Dumbledore, despite everything, and doesn't want her kids in a Hogwarts that's hostile to her idol. There are a few other parents who share the same sentiment, but their kids have seen an improvement in their grades. They could let them come for
another year to see if it stays the same. Henry actually wants to come back." Everyone looked at her with surprise. Hermione nodded. "I was stunned too. But aside from the nightmares and the incident at the end, this was his quietest year yet." Draco rubbed his chin. "He has a point. The year was pretty peaceful. Who knows, maybe next year we could just sit back and relax." Everyone turned to Rhea, who did finally look up from the pup.
"You do know it's not my job to guarantee a quiet year, right? I will keep the creeps, manipulators and thugs out but you all have to help too." Everyone chuckled and dispersed for the night. Hermione went to her guest room and packed everything, leaving her trunk ready to pick up for tomorrow as soon as the last Breakfast feast ends. She bit her lip before opening the door to Rhea's bedroom. She turned her eyes a way for a second, her ears going red. "Hermione, you do know knocking is a great idea, unless we are at the stage where we can show off to each other completely. Are we there yet?" Hermione shook her head and waited outside the room until Rhea called her back in. She looked at the bed, unsure if she should get in. She had the same mental fight every night since she shared Rhea's bed. She always joined her, even though Rhea never pushed her to anything. Rhea said she would set the pace and she has. She climbed into the bed and snuggled up against Rhea. Sleep took some time to claim them that night, since they would be forced to sleep separately again after heading home. So Hermione mustered her courage and kissed Rhea deeply. They both had some bruised lips in the morning, but nothing a Healer couldn't take care of easily.
- -
Rhea stood up and moved up to the Speaker's stand, as the Hall grew quiet. She was wearing her Ravenclaw formal clothes, though Laris on her head certainly clashed with the outfit. She didn't care, as having the Sorting Hat around helped keep him from getting stuck making songs and made sure there was a permanent record of her actions in an official capacity. Besides, Laris loved being on her head. Rhea's eyes scanned the Hall. "Another year at Hogwarts has come to its end. My congratulations again to the 7th years, who have completed their studies here and now embark on a journey into a much larger world. You have stayed the course and achieved your goals. Hogwarts wishes all of you the best of luck." The Hall bursts into claps as the students look around. Rhea's smile turns somber. "It is also with a heavy heart that a few amongst the younger students may find this to be their final year here. Politics may not be used to affect the studies and wellbeing of the students here, but they are a part of your life back home. I ask that those who choose to remain give a fond farewell to those who may not return. Hogwarts will remain a sanctuary to all youngsters who wish to study magic safely. Please, remember that as you return home."
The claps were much more subdued as the students chatted amongst themselves. Rhea gave them all as warm a smile as she could. "For those of you who do return, I have a few announcements to make. Your Professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts, Bellatrix Black, has agreed to extend her stay at Hogwarts. While her tenure in Defense may eventually end, as she does have aspirations in specializing in Spell Creation, we may just see her remain for years to
come as a member of the Faculty. I would also like to point out that a cursed object had been found in the Defense Classroom early in her tenure, which we believe was the cause of the infamous DADA curse. We all look forward to seeing what our DADA professor can do now that she had the chance to know and teach you all. The Dueling course will remain a jointly managed class, so please keep that in mind. We may also see a few new faces sitting at the Staff Table this coming September, but that is as far as I go. A magician can't reveal everything they hide under their hat after all." Rhea winked at them and removed Laris from her head. A hidden Padfoot sat up on Rhea's hair and barked at the students, making them chuckle and laugh.
Padfoot jumped down on the stand as Rhea replaced Laria on her head, his tail wagging happily in her face. "As the Head of Hogwarts Castle, it is my sad duty to wish you all a good summer ahead, with the hope that many will return for another year of magical education. Please be safe and enjoy your time with your family. My Deputy would also be crass with me if I failed to mention that you should all have your summer assignments completed on time before returning to Hogwarts. Please enjoy the meal, the Hogwarts Express will see you all home soon enough." The Great Hall descended into polite claps as Rhea went back to sit at the Staff Table, Padfoot sitting comfortably in her lap. Eventually the students begin to leave, the Prefects making sure they all make it back to the common room. Rhea noticed two students heading her way. "What can I do for our graduated Head Boy and Head Girl?" Diggory and Stimpson bowed their heads to her. "We wanted to thank you, Rhea, for what you did this year." Stimpson bumped Diggory on the ribs. "We have been here for seven years, and this one was certainly one of the best, if not the best. If every year with you here is like this, then the students are in good hands. We just wanted to make sure you heard that from us." Rhea blinked at them, unsure on what to say. "Thank you both for that. Really." Padfoot barked at them both happily. Patricia came up and played with Padfoot's head before they both left.
Rhea sensed a now familiar presence behind her. "What can I do for you, Profesor Potter? I must admit I was surprised when I didn't see a letter of resignation on my desk with your name on it." Lily chuckled humorlessly. "I suppose that would be an appropriate expectation, but no, I have decided to stay at Hogwarts." Rhea turned to Lily and scrutinized her. "I can't see your husband agreeing to this." Lily frowned. "We are in a rough patch. I was coming to ask permission to reside within the Castle for the summer." Rhea hummed and petted Padfoot. "And your son?" Lily looked conflicted. "I know it's against the rules, but I wish that Henry be allowed to spend some of his summer here with me." Rhea nodded. "You are quite right, it is against the rules. Or, at least it was." Lily looked up in surprise, as Rhea continued speaking. "It may surprise you, Professor, but not every student has a stable home to go back to. I and the Board agreed to eliminate the restriction on students remaining here during summer to ensure the safety of the most vulnerable. A few students have already approached me about remaining and I granted their request. I suggest you go see Minerva, as she is organizing a rotation of Staff to watch over the students, while I am reorganising several of the old private chambers to work as multi house dorm rooms. I suggest you sign up and help with the Staff rotation. Your son is welcomed to take the guest room in your quarters or be among the other students. Decide before you approach Minerva."
Lily smiled at her, "Thank you, Lady Ravenclaw. I will do that. Have a pleasant summer." Rhea stared at her. "To you as well, Professor. My condolences on your difficulties at home." Rhea left and returned to the Ravenclaw Chambers. Hermione was just pulling her trunk into the family room as Rhea entered through the door. Rhea felt a bit sad, knowing they wouldn't share a train
cabin together this year. It had become a bit of a tradition, really. Still, she won't miss out on a chance to tease her. "So, should I bother keeping the Guest Room as it is for you, or should your trunk be moved into my bedroom next year?" Hermione blushed. "I don't know." Rhea raised an eyebrow. "I'll just modify my room a bit, a separate wardrobe cabinet perhaps." Hermione nodded. "I would like that. Mom and Dad said we would be going to France this year, Paris first, before spending a week or two out in the French countryside. You wouldn't know anything about that, right?" Rhea winced. Hermione wouldn't ask her that if it wasn't warranted. "What name did the letter arrive in?" Hermione paused for a second. "S. Prasinos, why? Didn't your Mom send it?" Rhea sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Her grandmother had a weird sense of humor. "Nope, that would be my great grandaunt who adopted me as a granddaughter. Congratulations, you're meeting the rest of the family." Hermione frowned. "Isn't that a good thing?" Rhea shrugged. "That depends, are you up for a game of 20 questions with Al Pacino from the Godfather? It's going to be a bit like that." Hermione stared at Rhea. "Oh. Ok then. Should I bring a bottle of wine?" Rhea couldn't help but laugh as she pulled Heemione into a hug. She was looking forward to a peaceful summer.
Chapter End Notes
The aftermath of the end of the Death Eaters continues. From this episode forward, we will see as the world adjust to the new normal and how Rhea and Hermione grow as a couple. So, how was it?
Next Chapter?: Rhea takes a vacation with Hermione and Dumbledore runs into a rough crowd.
Just completed chapter 19 of TECFoD, and yes, it will be longer than B because of years 1 and 2 being covered. The Muse was merciful as I got the inspiration for the rest of year 2 story all the way to the end. Now I just have to write it. All I can say is that I am super hyped, despite Year 2 not being my favorite canon storyline.
Leave a comment, discuss and see you all in two days.
Getting to Know the Prasinos
Chapter Notes
Here is the next chapter. Hope you all like it.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
James looked at the photo of his family at the Hebridean Black Dragon Reserve. He turned to Dumbledore, who seemed to be expecting a positive response from him. "No." Dumbledore looked surprised, not expecting his strongest supporter to reject him. "James, be reasonable. The girl is a threat. She is a Necromancer in a position of authority and is surrounded by hundreds of impressionable students. She may even be the Dark Lady Le Fay that Voldemort was so concerned with. We can't just leave Henry and your wife there, at the mercy of someone who holds ill will towards them. The Wizengamot has failed to rein her in. The Order must do it themselves." James sighed. "My wife called for Separation between us and the family magic accepted it. I no longer have any authority to tell her to do anything, and any orders I could potentially give to Henry, she could just countermand them. I am literally powerless to do anything, Albus." He rubbed the edges of the photo's casing. "Any action I take against Rheannon Black could invite a Blood Feud from the House of Black and its allies, no matter what her magic is. The House of Potter would lose and be dissolved. Everything that my forebears did, gone." James noticed that Dumbledore didn't seem to be overly concerned about that.
Dumbledore sighed. "James, the Greater Good often demands a sacrifice. I had hoped that it wouldn't mean the loss of our students or people, but it often has in the past." James cut him off. "Like your plan to kill Henry and have Neville take his place as your Champion? That type of sacrifice?" Dumbledore went silent. "I don't know w-" James slammed his arms onto the desk. "Dammit Albus, your notes were submitted to the DMLE by Hogwarts. Amelia and Croaker blacked out references to what Voldemort did to keep himself alive, but they made it clear exactly what was happening to my son. He had a connection to Voldemort and you couldn't find a means of severing it. You were already planning to get him killed by Voldemort himself or you taking him out. It was all there, Albus!" Dumbledore paled. How? The notes were designed to destroy themselves if anyone else opened them. How did they get them? James came up to Dumbledore and pulled him by his robes. "I trusted you, Albus. I trusted you with my son and my family's future. And you were planning on ending it all for your Greater Good."
James tossed him back and drew his wand. "You have no idea how tempting it would be to kill you right now, Albus. Because of you my parents died almost 16 years ago. Because of you, I probably lost my daughter. Now my wife has taken my son from our home and my marriage is at the brink of divorce. I have already lost so much. I won't let my family be ended by you. Take this as my resignation from the Order and the end of my family's allegiance with yours. Go now, Albus, before I stop caring about what killing you would mean to my family's future. Get out and never show your face to me again." The wards of Potter Manor latched onto the stricken Dumbledore and
apparated him outside as James sat down on the desk and weeped. He had lost so much because of the war and his place in the Order and now, with the war finally over, there was no celebration, no grand reward. The Light was in tatters, his marriage in ruins and he doesn't even know if he can look his son in the eye after blindly following a man that planned to kill him.
He took a bottle of malt whiskey and made his way to the Library, sitting down before a Portrait. He had never dared to visit since the day they died. The painted image of his father stared at him. "I have seen your wife many times here though not recently, James. Had a young Miss Granger here too a bit back. Yet, never you. Why is that, son?" James gave out a bitter laugh. "Because I was too bloody proud, Dad. Too bloody proud to ever seek your counsel. I was Lord Potter, what did I need to come ask anything of a bit of enchanted canvas and paint?" The painting of Charlus looked down at him. "And what has this pride of yours cost you, James? Here you are carrying a bottle of whiskey, alone and poorly dressed. What did it cost you, to not ask of a portrait of your old man?" James took a swig from the bottle. "My daughter, our Houses standing in the Wizengamot, and now possibly my wife and son." Charlus' Portrait sighed. "Then you have lost it all son, because when it comes down to it, this entire Library of all of our family's accumulated knowledge is worthless without a Potter to read it."
James took two deep swigs of whiskey, taking a moment to feel the effects of the alcohol as it went down his throat, his cheeks beginning to flush. "I don't know what to do, father. Not a damn clue." The portrait shook its head. "Right now, with a bottle of whiskey in your hand? Nothing. Drown your sorrows if you have to, son. Unless you burn the house down, I am not going anywhere. When you're bloody sober and can think, then you can come back here and talk. I may be just paint, canvas and magic, but it seems to me I and the rest of the Potter Portraits are the only things you have left. Lets see if we can salvage this mess with you. For now though, go upstairs and don't come out till you are sober. You are no good to anyone drunk." James left the Library and stumbled his way up the stairs until reaching the master bedroom. For years he had dreamed of being in it, of running his Family like his father did, leading the good fight. Now… he hated the weight that came with it and how empty it was. His last thoughts were on his son and not being able to see him possibly for the entire summer as he drank himself into a stupor. He feared he may never get to see him again at all.
- -
Dumbledore went a few steps into the gathering room of the Headquarters of the Order before he realized something was wrong. The moment he drew his wand, a disarming spell launched it off his hand and someone kicked him on the back of his knees, sending him falling onto his hands. Arms latched onto his side and bound his hands in magic suppressing cuffs. He was powerless. In less than a minute into a heavily warded house, he was absolutely powerless. A woman's voice barked out some orders. "Get the bastard up on his feet. I want to look him in the eye." They pulled him up until he could stand on his own. Dumbledore looked around, confused. Death Eaters don't wear Green. Neither do the Unspeakables, the Hit Wizards or the Aurors. One of the hooded
figures came up to his face and grabbed his chin and cheeks. "Pathetic. All this time, we waited and this is how we catch you? Alone and powerless within your own sanctuary. I am going to have a lot to explain to my family when I join them in Hades if this is all it bloody took to catch Albus Dumbledore. Then again, my granddaughter and her family did a number on you as well, didn't they? Not that you didn't play a part in your own self destruction." She spat at his face.
Albus glared at her. "Who the hell are you? Are you the Lady Le Fay?" The figure all laughed at him, as if they were in on a joke, including the woman in front of him. "Oh dear, no. Though she is one of ours. A lovely girl with the most striking cyan eyes." Dumbledore paled. He couldn't let her control Hogwarts, she'd take over all of Britain. "You don't know what you are doing, letting a Le Fay have control of Hogwarts. All of Britain will fall to her. The Dark would win." The figures laughed again and one, a man by his voice, came forward. "You hear that, kyría mou? Our little moon is going to take over Britain. She could too if she wanted, but she is just like Selene. Never hurt a fly if no one tried to hurt her charges first. Bloody imbeciles don't know when to leave things alone." Dumbledore yelled. "Who are you!?" He got slapped so hard his ears rang. The woman grabbed his face. "You really don't know? I have to tell our little moon about this, she was so sure he'd remember. You, Albus Dumbledore, were warned several times of our coming. You owe us and 50 years later, we finally came to collect. We are the Prasinos Family."
Dumbledore looked at her. "I don't know who you heard it from but I have never met your family. I have no debts to you." The woman seemed to stare at him for a bit before she punched him hard in the gut, knocking the breath out of his lungs and forcing him onto his knees. A hand grabbed his hair and yanked him back hard. An aged woman's face stared at him with bright glowing sapphire eyes. "There are plenty of debts you owe us, Dumbledore. The most recent are for the disrespect, endangerment and sins perpetrated against my adopted granddaughter, Rheannon Black. She may not have been either a Black or a Prasinos then, but she is of our blood now. As for the rest? In 1945, you led a strike against Grindelwald and defeated him. Remember anything else, just before you faced your former lover just to keep a bloody stick from falling into the hands of another? Do you?" Dumbledore was indignant but tried to remember. The memory surfaced and he saw a familiar group covered by green cloaks. "I stunned a bunch of hit wizards dressed in green. Nothing else."
The woman released a guttural growl and pressed her wand tip to his neck, burning his skin at the point. "You didn't just stun them. You stunned them inside of the enemies stronghold. You took your stick and lover and fled, yet it took two more days to claim the godforsaken fortress. We found our men murdered, mutilated and thrown out with the trash! They were there to kill Grindelwald and you stopped them! You left them there to die, all because of your inability to allow your ex to die or be defeated by another wixen! My father and brothers died because of you! Crucio! " Pain unlike any he ever experienced blossom across his entire body. For minutes, pain was his only thought. The pain ceased and he sobbed. Seraphina didn't show him any mercy, pulling him by his hair again. "Now you cry? Where were those tears when the Continent was ravaged by your lover's machinations? When our men laid in the trash, broken beyond recognition as you celebrated the retrieval of a stick of wood? Where were those tears for the victims of the atrocities perpetrated so callously as magical and non-magical died violent deaths, when you later helped let the monsters walk free? You asked for clemency for many of Grindelwald's men, even as you sought to deny the rights of people whose only crime was to be born with a talent for the Dark Arts. Where were they, Dumbledore? Crucio! "
The pain consumed his mind again before he found himself able to breathe and think again. The voice filled his ears, filled with long buried rage. "Where were those tears when my beloved niece, whose only crime was to be a nurse caring for the wounded wixen of the war and guarding them from execution, was hunted down by those pigs you allowed to escape with nothing more than a slap on the wrist? I had to console my devastated great niece as my family scoured the wreckage of her parents house, looking for anything relating to her dead parents. Where were those tears then, Albus Dumbledore? Crucio !" The pain returned at full force and it felt like it lasted for far longer before it vanished again. His body wouldn't stop convulsing, even as the woman grabbed him by the face again. "I asked Sabrina to stay home today, because I know my great niece. She is a Healer and a Potioneer but the pain she carried for years was still very much with her. She would have used every single thing her mother taught her about medicine and would have tortured you to within an inch of death. I will not have my niece's life work, a work of mercy and life, be sulied like that, even if you rightly deserve it as every bit of muscle and bone was carved out of your body. No Dumbledore, you will suffer a far worse fate. But don't worry, you won't be suffering alone. After all, misery loves company." That was the last thing he remembered before blacking out.
Albus Dumbledore opened his eyes before closing them again. It was so bright. He tried to cover his face with his hands but they just kept shaking. Why couldn't he stop his hands from shaking? "My oh my, Albus. Who did you piss off to get a heavy dose of the Torture Curse before coming here?" He frowned. He knew that voice. He squinted his eyes until he saw the face of someone he had not seen for quite some time. "Gellert? Ah, they must have thrown me in Nurmengard with you." Gellert shook his head. "Oh no, Albus. I got grabbed too. This isn't my prison." Albus tried to sit up and barely managed, his body still shaking. He stared at his hands. there were no cuffs. He tried to call on his magic, but nothing happened. Where was his magic? The door to their cell opened and an ashen faced man with sharp teeth looked at them. "Looky here gents, we got ourselves a couple of celebrities. Gellert Grindelwald, The Butcher of Europe and Albus "too many names" Dumbledore, a wannabe Light Lord. Welcome gents, to the longest running prison in all of the magical world: Tartaros." Both men paled, hearing the name of a prison that became synonymous with Hell itself. Europe had assumed it had been closed down as it was never spoken off again. The man with sharp teeth licked his lips. "Oh, I hope you enjoyed your time outside. Because from now unto death, this is your whole world. Here, the only thing we accept from you is pain and we will collect as much of it every day as we can." He slapped his hands together and rubbed them with glee. "So, who wants to go first?"
- -
Hermione rumpled the hem of her dress. The time spent in Paris with her parents had been wonderful. Sure, they had visited before, but this time they had the chance to see the magical sights freely and together. Place Cachée was a definite surprise, seeing the similarities with Diagon Alley but enjoying all the cultural differences. The clothing styles were much more modern in style when compared to Britain. They particularly enjoyed lunch at a bistro with some great coffee and locally
sourced food. It was a great day out, showing her parents a bit more of her world and she was so glad they came along. The only awkward moment was seeing Fleur in the Gringotts Paris Branch. She was so glad Rhea had been away dealing with Hogwarts business, as she really didn't want to see the effect her girlfriend's ex had on her. Her girlfriend did make time for them on the last day, when they walked around the non-magical side of Paris. Hermione had been confused when she saw Rhea walk up to a random door. The man who opened it looked at her and had a bitter laugh. "Come here at last, did you Miss Black? How many Alchemic potions have you ruined since you darkened my door?"
Hermione was surprised at the apparent hostility and thought about drawing her wand when a woman came up from behind the man and whacked him on the head. "Nicholas, behave. She has brought company. I am also certain Potions Master Snape kept her safely away from any Alchemic mixtures. Isn't that right, dear?" Rhea chuckled. "Yes, Perenelle. Severus kept me away from his Alchemic stockpile. Nothing was wasted. Always a pleasure Nicholas. I thought that since we were in the neighborhood you'd like to meet the young woman courting me." The woman named Perenelle beamed and looked towards Hermione. "Ah, you must be the young soul who ensnared our young Miss Black. Welcome to France. Perenelle Flamel, at your service." Hermione shook her hand before freezing up. "Wait, Flamel? Perenelle? As in…" a flash of a camera started her and she glared at Rhea as she giggled, vanishing the device into a pocket. "Thanks for that Perenelle. I was thinking of starting a collection. Don't forget about her husband, Hermione. Nicholas has a bit of an ego." The old Alchemist huffed. "I most certainly do not." Rhea and Perenelle shared a look and laughed as Hermione finished processing everything.
"Was everything Dumbledore ever told us a lie? He said they would be dying soon." Rhea gave her a sad look. "Can't say for sure. I am certain Nicholas could show you a complete Philosopher's Stone, but he gets antsy with me being around them." Rhea glared at the man. "Even with multiple stones stored elsewhere." Nicholas huffed. "You, my dear, are a damn good Potioneer but I will be salted and burned before I let you near my life's work. Six months! Six months worth of Alchemic brewing, enchanting and transfiguration, all gone in a second from you touching the stirring rod. I kept that cauldron, rod and inert mixture as a reminder to never let you near my work again." Rhea grinned. "Awww, so you kept a memento. I am touched, Nicholas. I'll be sure to send my kids here one day and see if they can add a few more cauldrons to your collection." Nicholas sputtered and Perenelle laughed before pulling Hermione aside. "Don't mind them. They were like oil and water when they met. A Necromancer and an Immortal Alchemist aren't likely to mix well, yes?"
Hermione spent the rest of the day asking questions of Perenelle before Rhea spelled her silent. She had been so embarrassed but Perenelle took it all in great fun. Hearing she was considering studying to be a Ritualist, Perenelle gave her a copy of a very old Ritualist book. "This thing is probably a few centuries out of date, but Ritualists are a bunch of improvisers and experimentalists. A bit like Alchemists. I am sure seeing the older rituals and comparing them to the more refined ones of late should be quite the lesson." Hermione took the offered book and practically glowed. Her moment was interrupted when Nicholas spoke up from elsewhere in the house. "Bah, keep that Familiar of yours away from there! Who the hell gets a Grim as a Familiar?" Rhea's laughter made Hermione smile, which caught the eye of Perenelle. "Be sure to keep that young lady laughing. Even here it took her a bit to open up. With us as centuries old wixen, she found some odd comfort. For us to love each other for so long, she knew we wouldn't be interested in hurting her." Hermione
nodded. "Sounds like Rhea and her odd logic."
The rest of the day went quietly from there as they left the warm home of the Immortal pair of Alchemists. Rhea was there with them just before lunch the next day before portkeying them all to the Prasinos Chateau. It was a beautiful place. Her mom whistled. "House in the Countryside indeed." They all heard a bit of chuckling and Rhea rushed forward to embrace the man. "Jacques! How are you? You're still waxing your head?" The old man laughed as he hugged her. "Yes, little moon. No more hair for me. Serah has gotten used to it finally. And I am fine, as I am sure your magic is telling you." The older gentleman looked over at the Grangers. "I see you appreciate the countryside, young lady. We Prasinos love wide open spaces. We do get the oddballs like Sabrina though, enjoying the crowded streets just as much. Why don't you two join me and my daughter while the little ladies go inside. The wife has been looking forward to seeing who caught our little moon."
Hermione watched her parents leave, her mom asking Jacques about what animals they keep on the property. She gave Rhea an amused look. "Little Moon?" Rhea blushed and had Hermione follow her inside. "Rhea is a moon's name and my grandmother in the Prasinos family was called Selene. Seraphina started it and now everyone is calling me by that nickname. Even our cousins in America call me that." Hermione giggled as Rhea pouted. "It's not funny. I had a business meeting with a cousin there and I felt so humiliated I almost left before getting everything done." Hermione grabbed onto Rhea's hand and squeezed. "Do I get to use your nickname?" Rhea groaned. "Between maiden, princess, raven and little moon, could I interest you in making your own? Please?" Hermione kissed Rhea on the cheek. "I will try, my maiden." Rhea sighed and Hermione giggled. They reached a door on the third floor and Rhea went to open it. "Grandma Serah already drilled me so you are on your own. Please don't get killed. I really don't want to try resurrection on you." Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat and kissed Rhea softly on the lips. "Don't worry, I'll be back."
Hermione walked in and sat down in one of the open chairs in front of the very serious looking older woman she knew was Seraphina Prasinos. "Did my granddaughter tell you about how she sees me?" Hermione bit her lip and crumpled her dress. "She said you resemble Al Pacino from the Godfather." Seraphina chuckled. "She called me that when we met before her eleventh birthday. Funny, the things a child can perceive without realising it. I am not a mafia boss, Miss Granger, but I am the Matriarch of this family. I will do anything for any member, be they born or married into it." Hermione saw those blue eyes staring at her and she held her gaze, even lowering her Occlumency barriers. She felt a touch of magic in her mind for a brief moment. The woman took a sip of tea. "You may raise your Occlumency if you want, Miss Granger. The gesture was greatly appreciated." Hermione breathed out a heavy sigh. Seraphina looked at her. "I want you, Miss Granger, to understand what it is you are courting into. Should you marry, you will hold the names of Peverell, Ravenclaw and Black as will your children. All important and worthy names in Britain. While the Prasinos name won't be among those, you will be tied to use by magic and your children by blood."
Seraphina took another sip of tea. "That means that should you marry Rhea and you or your children be harmed, we will come to your aid. You will never be homeless and your children will
never know hunger. We are Prasinos and we have cared for our own since the time of the Greek City-States." Hermione nodded, so far not seeing anything concerning. Seraphina got to that quickly enough. "Your enemies will be our enemies and when we have enemies, even if it takes decades or centuries, we will eventually pay them back ten fold. Your former Headmaster harmed this family greatly on several occasions. Rhea knows what follows as she helped disable his home's defenses, though left before his arrival, as I asked of her. Dumbledore is now effectively dead to the world. Does that bother you?" Hermione closed her eyes and thought for a second. She remembered the grandfatherly old man of her first two years and then the man who tried to manipulate her in her previous year. Hermione released a deep breath before opening her eyes again. "It does, in that I don't like to see or know of people suffering. At the same time, he acted against your family and possibly endangered my own. If his actions or inaction were unforgivable to you, then I have no right to question it." Seraphina hummed. "If someone came into your home and attempted to harm, kill or kidnap your children, what would you do?" Hermione didn't hesitate. "Anything and everything to keep them safe."
Hermione watched as the old woman's features softened. "It must have been hard for you, reaching that conclusion. You have a kind heart. Even I can see it. Those born with a kind heart are not quick to answer violence with violence." Hermione thought about what to say. "Rhea told me once that I was fortunate to have only met the best extreme of people but that I should learn from Halley's fate. Lily Potter made a great many mistakes but her first was abandoning her daughter. I refuse to be the type of mother who would ever abandon their child. If I die, I want my children to be proud that I would do everything in my power to see them live happy lives." Seraphina nodded. "Then you are more ready to be a mother than most young women of your age." Hermione blushed. "Not that ready, Ma'am." The woman laughed. "Oh, don't worry, I am sure you know when the right time is upon you. I am glad to have met you, Miss Granger. We will make a Prasinos out of you yet. For now, you have my blessing to continue pursuing our little moon, Rheannon. Care for her deeply, Miss Granger, for she will do no less for you."
Sensing a dismissal, Hermions made to leave before she paused. "Lady Prasinos, I sort of owe your granddaughter a spa date. I wish it to be… private. You wouldn't happen to know a place in France that would provide such services and privacy for an intimate evening?" Seraphina stared at Hermione. "My granddaughter called you quite forward. A Gryffindor trait." Hermione blushed. "Yeah, that seems like something she would say. I apologize if what I asked was improper." Seraphina gave her a bright smile. "Unusual, but your desire to honor your debt to Rhea is more important than being proper. We have enough thinkers and schemers here. A bit of a forward personality is most welcomed. As to an establishment for spa treatment and a decent amount of privacy. There are a few in the French Alps. It's not the season for skiing, but it is for hiking, so you might find a good room at a decent price that has what you are interested in. I will have the elves bring some of the brochures we keep to your room." Hermione nodded. "My thanks, Lady Prasinos." She stood and made to leave but the old woman' voice stopped her at the door. "Please remember to be aware of yourself, Miss Granger. Just because Rhea is acquainted with the acts of physical intimacy and now craves them, it doesn't mean either of you should over indulge." Hermione took those words to heart, bowed to the Matriarch and left the room. She had a weekend to plan for.
- -
Rhea dipped her feet into the warm water of the jacuzzi and moaned in relief. While she was no slouch in exercise, a trek on a hiker's path on the French Alps was certainly a new experience for her. She did have quite a few moments along the trails to tease Hermione. She found her bookworm to be adorable and her invitation to have a romantic weekend alone in the Alps was something Rhea was more than happy to agree with. Why Hermione agreed to the hiking trails was a mystery to her. She spent most of the hikes breathing heavily, taking quite a few pit stops. She was so out of sorts that she didn't complain about Rhea's use of magic to refill the water bottles and cool them. Padfoot had loved it all, running around everywhere. Rhea had smiled a lot, watching Padfoot encouraging Hermione whenever she was out of breath. She had thought about teasing her girlfriend with kisses, but taking her breath away high up in the mountains felt like a bad idea, apparition and Veil travel notwithstanding. By the time they made it back to the hotel, Hermione had been close to passing out.
Two long showers and a late dinner led to the spa portion of their stay. Rhea had actually blushed most of the time while resting beside Hermione. While her girlfriend's moans hadn't been anything indecent, she had been very vocal. There was a part of Rhea that wondered if she was doing it on purpose, but the cramps the masseuse unwound from Hermione's legs were definitely serious. Rhea was already trying to come up with a date they could go on where Hermione wouldn't need medical attention by the end. She really liked her girlfriend and the date in the Alps was wonderful, but she hated seeing her in pain. Bloody Gryffindors and their stubborn pride. After the massages, they returned to their little cottage and had a tasty dinner before Hermione fell asleep. Rhea didn't have the heart to wake her up. So she spent some time reading a few letters from the ICW and the Blood Mages before taking a dip in the jacuzzi. She had thought about going nude but decided against it. Hermione was still very careful about showing too much skin and she didn't want to make her feel like she was pushing her to it.
A yawn made her look towards their shared bedroom. Hermione rubbed her eyes and looked around before spotting Rhea in the jacuzzi. "Couldn't wait for me?" Rhea gave her a sheepish look. "Sorry, but you passed out for a few hours. I decided to take a dip, in case you didn't wake up till morning." Hermione sighed. "I can't blame you, my legs still hurt. You better not say anything though, it was worth it." Hermione glared at Rhea who held her hands up in surrender. "There is a town down the mountain road with some cool old world structures and local food. We can head down there tomorrow." Rhea watched Hermione's eye twitch for a moment before she sighed. "Fine, but I am spending an hour back at Hogwarts everyday exercising. I am not going to let my stamina stay the way it's been." Rhea smiled. "Sure, I won't mind. Pretty sure Padfoot will need a walking buddy. He had way too much fun today to not want the same back home." Hermione nodded and glared at her. "You stay right there. If you start wrinkling, it's your fault. I'll be right back."
Rhea settled into a stronger jet of water and closed her eyes. A few minutes later she heard her girlfriend clear her throat. She turned to look at her and her mind froze. Hermione was wearing a bikini. One that looked like a size too small for her and very revealing. Rhea's mind started
thinking of doing too many things to Hermione before she had to let out an audible groan and slam her Occlumency shields down. Hermione gave her an odd look. "You don't like it?" Rhea whined. "I like it too much. There is a part of my mind that wants to do some very intense things to you right now Hermione. You may want to change." Hermione bit her lip and walked closer to the jacuzzi. "I don't want to. I want you to see this. I also want to give you something." Rhea closed her eyes as she felt Hermione enter the water. Her heart stopped for a second when she felt a weight settle onto her legs. Rhea opened her eyes and stared into the dark and very dialated eyes of her girlfriend. "Hermione… if you stay, I am going to touch you."
Hermione was breathing heavily, her mind also having trouble staying coherent. She was used to feeling Rhea cold, but feeling her warm was really enjoyable. She took Rhea's hand into her own. "I want to go further with you, Rhea. I want more and I know you do too. So my rules for tonight are simple. No touching our intimate areas. Everything else is fair game, but the hands stay above the clothes, always." Rhea gave a strangled whine. "Hermione, are you sure?" Hermione leaned forward and kissed Rhea deeply. For a second Rhea didn't respond until she kissed her back. At first it felt like a typical night for them, but then Rhea's hands started exploring. Her lips soon followed. The moment Rhea found a sensitive spot on Hermione's neck, she lost all proper thought for the night. She knew they eventually left the water and found themselves on the bed. Hermione also knew that she might have been a bit more aggressive than usual. The hickies covering Rhea's body matched quite a few on her own.
The thing that had probably got her to go over the edge was the moment she felt their bond shift. Before it had felt soft and cold, a constant reminder of their night of Beltane and the gift they had inadvertently given each other. The magic that flew between them was an interesting part of it, but she refused to study it. She wanted to feel her way through the bond, just like their relationship. Last night though, something happened to it. It was definitely stronger now, but during their time blowing each other's minds out, she felt it open up. Feelings cascaded into her mind and she knew what they were. They were Rhea's feelings for her. Most of them were warm and full of what she saw in Hermione, which drove Hermione to be a bit more aggressive. A few were colder though, and seemed to be full of Rhea's fears. Rhea had started shaking when Hermiome felt them and had been close to crying. Hermione refused to let her girlfriend be consumed by her fears and kissed her passionately over and over again, trying to push her own feelings through the bond. Rhea had blacked out after the onslaught from her girlfriend.
A cold hand rose up and rested on Hermione's chest. She looked over and locked eyes with Rhea's, those cyan orbs glowing and full of warmth. Rhea tried to speak but her voice broke a few times. "Than… k you." Hermione caressed Rhea's back with the arm she still had underneath her girlfriend's body. "Does that happen often, you losing yourself in your fears?" Rhea nodded. "Sometimes. It comes and goes." Rhea buried her face into Hermione's side. "I suppose it happens when I am feeling so happy that I start to fear losing that happiness." Hermione turned onto her side and kissed Rhea deeply, getting her girlfriend to groan. They pulled apart, short of breath. "I am not going anywhere, Rhea. What I feel for you…I don't ever want it to stop. We will take things slow but I promise, I won't leave you." Rhea hugged Hermione deeply and the two eventually fell asleep, their bodies interwoven. The next night, Rhea surprised Hermione with some dessert in bed and Hermione lost track of how many times she blacked out or of how many marks they both now sported on their bodies. Their underwear still stayed on and her girlfriend didn't panic that night.
- -
"Rhea, when you said you had a Castle, why didn't you elaborate? I thought it was going to be a five story structure that was more tower with walls, not a full castle that could rival Hogwarts!" Rhea had a sheepish look. "Uhm, sorry?" Hermione's eyes twitched while her parents couldn't decide whether to gape at the stone edifice or chuckle at the behaviour their daughter and her girlfriend had. With a few days before the start of term, Rhea had decided to give her girlfriend a tour of the Peverell Castle, since it was now far more habitable than it had been in the previous year, when only the essential areas had been cleaned up and updated. Hermione glared at her girlfriend until a Raven landed on her shoulder and cawed at her. Hermione looked at it and petted its head, with the bird responding and enjoying the affection. Padfoot, being on the ground, saw his part mistress playing with the bird and jumped, starting Hermione when the little Grim landed on her chest. The bird flew away as the Grim was cradled in her hands, his tongue licking Hermione's cheek.
Shaking her head, Rhea leaned over and rubbed Padfoot's head. "Looks like Padfoot is a bit jealous. Might want to stay clear of the Ravens though. They are the friendlier Death Omens but they do still like to steal shiny stuff." Hermione sighed as she ended up carrying the jealous Grim in her arms. She stared at Rhea. "Anything else you are omitting by understatement?" Rhea thought for a second and blushed. "Uhm, I do have a few things I just don't want to share right now." Hermione leaned over and pulled on Rhea's cheek. "And why is that?" Rhea looked at Hermione incredulously. "Because from what I understand, there is such a thing as too much information when in the proximity of future inlaws." Hermione blinked and then flushed. "Ok then. I expect a full disclosure some time." Rhea rubbed her head. "Uhh, I can promise that by the time we are engaged, there won't be any secrets left between us. Does that work?" Hermione thought for a second. She couldn't really blame her for keeping secrets and their engagement was a good enough time away that they had time to share what was still missing. "Deal. Just please try and give me a heads up."
Rhea leaned over Padfoot and kissed Hermione on the lips, "I'll try." She took Hermione's hand into her own and guided her to the entrance of the castle. The moment the main door opened into the foyer, six loud pops echoed out. "The mistress is here!" Rhea felt her proximity wards trigger but at that point it was too late. She was already getting knocked over by six excitable elves. "Oof." Hermione watched as Rhea settled the elves down before getting back up on her feet. The elves then turned their eyes to her. "Is there a new mistress? Did the mistress fetch a bride? We must get the bridal chambers ready!" Rhea blinked, "No, wait…" but the six elves already popped away. Hermione looked at an exacerbated Rhea. "Do you naturally make all elves hyper or is it just your elves? Also, why do all elves practically consider us married?" Rhea sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Because you carry a bit of the Peverell Family Magic in you from the bond and elves see bonds very differently. Kreacher calls me Little Mistress because my mom is his Mistress
now and we have our own bond. As for excitable, they either know I am Le Fay and therefore I am to be smothered or word about my treatment of the elves from Hogwarts has spread. It's complicated. Rigsby."
The head elf of the Peverells pops back. "Yes Mistress?" Rhea glared. "You and the others won't stop calling me that, will you?" Rigsby blinked. "Mistress is Mistress." Rhea shook her head. "Rigsby, this is Hermione Granger and her parents. We are in a courtship and are neither betrothed or married." Rigsby looked at Hermione who waved. "A pleasure to meet you Rigsby." The elf looks between them, confused. "Rigsby sees a bond between mistress and new mistress. Rigsby not blind, Mistress." Rhea sighed again. "The bond formed over Beltane, and regardless of its existence, Hermione is not yet married to me. Please tell the others to leave the Bridal Chambers alone for now. I promise, we will let you all know when we are ready to use it. We are spending a few nights here so Hermione and her family see the grounds and give some pointers about anything needing renovation. They have lived in the non-magical world longer than me and can better see anything in need of improvement." Rigsby looked unsure. "No little ones?" Rhea and Hermione blushed. "Rigsby, Hermione has two more years of school and probably three to work on a Mastery. Little ones will be around after that." Rigsby looked disappointed. "If Mistress is sure." The head elf pops away.
Dan shook his head. "Rigsby looked like you killed their puppy." Rhea counted to ten in Greek, trying to control her emotions. "Elves are tied to the family magic. The six of them sense Hermione as tied to it, so that means there are two active Peverells. Family Magics are… a bit finicky with few people tied to it and the elves can feel it. Everything will settle down in a few years once new members enter, hence why the elves are a bit over eager." Emma chuckled. "And the Bridal Chambers?" Rhea blushed. "A room with runes designed to … encourage procreation. Wixen who go in there will usually leave once a child has been conceived. " Hermione blushed. "Oh." Emma looked between the two. "Do I want to know how that would work out for you two?" Rhea went really red. "Nope. Not now. Maybe when you and Mom are planning the wedding. I would rather not talk about it. Like, ever. Can we move on now? There is a Library that hasn't seen a new book in centuries added to it. Pretty sure I saw some Shakespeare originals in there too, which were brought over from the Peverell Vault." Hermione's eyes went wide before rushing up the stairs, Emma following close behind. Dan chuckled. "Nice distraction."
Rhea gave him a sheepish grin. "Logsby." One of the elves popped in. "Yes Mistress?" Rhea smiled. "Could you go guide my girlfriend and her mother to the Main Library? They took off without a guide and the castle is made to be confusing to the untrained." Logsby bowed. "Of course, the new mistress and her mother will be safe with Logsby." The elf popped away. Rhea looked at Dan. "Care for a tour?" The two walk through the lower floors, with Dan having some trouble with the scope and scale of the rooms. "They look too big to fit into the Castle proper." Rhea nodded. "A lot of Magical families have homes with expansion charms tied to the rooms. Each room in the Castle has their own independent ward designed for it. They can only be expanded by people controlling the primary wards, but it works as a good security feature should the Castle ever get overrun." Dan remembered the outer walls. "Guessing security isn't an issue for the place?" Rhea chuckled. "There are some wards that were active for centuries that I had to set on a lower setting, but the place should be inaccessible to entry. I was thinking of getting a Floo Terminal into the outer wall, probably in the main gate, for visitors while having communication only terminals in the Castle and one exit only terminal for emergencies. Might put an apparition
point there too."
Dan looks over at Rhea, concerned. "The war is over, what are you concerned with?" Rhea didn't slow down her steps as they moved into the hallways. "This war is over, but you and I both know that human nature isn't the most friendly. The Dark and Light Lords are now gone, with the Neutrals taking the reins. Yet, the fanatics will still linger. Dumbledore's sycophants will always distrust the Dark and as a Necromancer I will always be a threat. Peverell Castle was built for war, I am just keeping it updated and improved. Family is the most important thing in our lives after all and I refuse to let my families end because of me." Dan nodded. "It is and I am glad to know that my daughter will be safe here." Rhea opened the door into the central dining room. Dan whistled. "I am guessing this place serves multiple purposes." Rhea nodded. "Ball room, War room, massive Ritual Chamber. Anything that needs the space." Rhea closed her eyes. "Has Hermione mentioned how courting differs from dating?" Dan's face straightened out. "She did. The idea is that it has an expectation of being a final agreement." Rhea fidgeted. "I know this feels soon and everything, but I am getting to the point where I can't see a future without her. With respect to you and your family, I will not ask her hand in marriage till after she graduates. Still, I want you to know my intentions towards your daughter and that I intend to propose to her when we are both ready."
Rhea felt Dan's piercing look before he chuckled. "You make giving the shovel talk very difficult. I know I don't have to ask whether you can provide for her or her children, you have the means of seeing she has a proper home and you will clearly see to her safety. The fact you could raise an army of skeletons means any threats of mine about hurting Hermione are mostly moot." Rhea smiled bitterly. "Sir, as endearing as all that is, I care about Hermione too much to ever conceive hurting her. I am paranoid after all." Rhea rubbed her lunar bracelet. "I want to see us work, Mr Granger, more than anything in the world. But I know it will only work if we are in this together. I promise you, everything that happens will be because we agreed to it." Dan sighed. "Guess that's the best I can ask for." Rhea led him to an adjoining chamber. "This is meant to be a Lounge for receiving guests and business partners. My Dad already came in and provided his input and some of the Black Family's liquor. We have some bottles left by the last of the Peverells but I am not sure how good 800 to 300 year old alcohol works. Any tips for the place before I introduce you to 100 year old magical whiskey?" Dan smiled and the two spent a quiet time making some adjustments and Rhea writing down some notes while they shared a few drinks. Emma's amusement and Hermione's disapproving gaze were worth it for getting Dan buzzed when they finally showed up. Rhea didn't see why Hermione was angry though. The two ladies did spend several hours in the bloody library afterall.
Chapter End Notes
Being Ancient has its perks, like knowing of a literal Hell on Earth. So, how was the chapter?
Next Chapter?: Return to Hogwarts
Currently working on TECFoD chapter 22. So far I feel switching to a three day posting schedule is for the best as most Chapters have around 5 scenes in them and they take a bit more to write. Just wanted to let you all know. B will remain on its
2 day cycle.
Leave a Comment, Discuss and see you all in two days.
To a Quiet Year
Chapter Notes
Here is the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy it. I have updated the status of the story to include a series for potential future expansions. Subscribe there to be updated should those come to pass.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Rhea stood at the speaker's stand, watching as the students entered the Great Hall, a soft smile on her face. The articles posted in the Quibbler and the Daily Prophet concerning Necromancers and their importance for Magical communities weren't as well received as she would have liked, but it did settle the minds of the Neutral faction. The Light had been vocal in their condemnations of her but most of it was ignored. With Dumbledore gone and Potter having excused himself from any activities not of the Wizengamot proper, the Light was effectively running around with its head cut off. Rhea knew the Dark had a few people asking for the Neutrals' help in finishing them off, but Lucius and Sirius calmed them down. Rhea was more concerned about the future. The power vacuum left behind by Dumbledore would be filled and there were discussions among the Neutrals of helping in the selection of someone fair and friendly to take the position. Augusta had the reins for now and she was keeping the radicals quiet, but her time would end when Neville Longbottom came of age. Wishing to avoid another hostile Wizengamot faction, the Neutrals had set their sights on someone, leaving Rhea feeling conflicted.
Henry Potter was very much the poster boy of the Light, and seen as a successor of Dumbledore. Rhea had rolled her eyes when her Dad filled her in. The irony was not lost on her, as Dumbledore had already planned to get Henry killed should he fail to free him of the soul fragment. At her family's instance, she had turned over the redacted copy of the notes she took from Dumbledore's office to both Henry and Lily, though she had refused to sit with them as they read them over. She didn't care. The current split of the Lord and Lady Potter came after the revelation, with Henry apparently choosing to remain at Hogwarts with his mother for the summer. She turned a little and saw him out of the corner of her eye. He sat at the Gryffindor table, with Neville Longbottom, Ginerva Weasley and Hermione as his companions, with Ronald opting to not return to Hogwarts. Hermione had confessed that Henry had asked her out on a date before New Year's, which had bothered her at first. Now that she knew the depths of Hermione's feelings for her, she would trust her girlfriend to not encourage him. Still, the fact the Neutrals hoped he took command of the Light bothered her.
The Henry she knew was arrogant, bullheaded and prejudiced. If he took over the Light, the hostilities would only escalate. Rhea hoped that the boy learned from his experience at the end of June and took a good look at himself. A quiet year or two at Hogwarts where he wasn't the center of attention anymore might actually do him good. She wouldn't hold her breath though. She wasn't that optimistic. The fact that several students were removed from Hogwarts this year said as much.
Ravenclaw and Slytherin remained intact, Hufflepuff lost a few, but the majority of the students that left were from Gryffindor's 4th, 5th and 6th years. Her eyes caught on Mara who smiled and waved at her. Rhea smiled back, happy to see the girl doing better. The first gen witch was very much like Hermione, though with red hair. Rhea looked forward to seeing what the young witch got up to in her later years. Seeing the Great Hall's doors close signaled that the students from the express were all here and McGonagall was fetching the first years. She focused her mind. Ready to sort through the minds of 11 and 12 year olds again?
Laris sighed. Having your thoughts rattling in me has been pleasant, but I do miss not having to deal with hormonally fueled images. Rhea pouted. I resent that! The hat chuckled. To be fair, it was nothing like listening to Godric's thoughts. The man had some very peculiar tastes in bedpartners. Rhea groaned. Did not need to know that. She watched McGonagall walk up, the 1st years standing and waiting. Rhea smiled. "I wish to welcome everyone to Hogwarts for the coming academic year. I will go further into what new things we have planned for the Castle, but for now I will turn things over to your Deputy Headmistress." Have fun. Rhea took off the hat and handed it to McGonagall. The Deputy eyed her cautiously as Rhea smirked. Shaking her head, the Scotts woman stuck her hand into the Hat. She pulled out Padfoot by the scruff of the neck, the Grim barking and wagging his tail happily. The students chuckled as the Transfiguration Professor placed him on the ground and kept pulling out other items before returning them to the hat. The woman froze when she pulled out a familiar looking sword, eying Rhea who just smirked, before letting it go. After finding the list, she proceeded to Sort a much more relaxed group of students.
After the last student was Sorted to Gryffindor, McGonagall returned Laris to Rhea, her eyes suspicious. Rhea gave the Scottswoman her best innocent look. "My Lady, that look works better on your Familiar, not on you." Rhea pouted before turning to the Hall. "A big welcome to our first years who today embark on a 7 year journey of discoveries, where we hope you learn as much as you can about yourselves as the world we live in. You will be the first students taking the new courses of Magical and Non-Magical Customs, which we hope will help situate everyone here into a better understanding of your peers. If you were raised in a mixed cultural environment, please inform your Professors so they can give you a placement test. Passing it will change your class into a free study period. We are also hosting a Recreational Period for 1st and 2nd years while those taking the Dueling elective will be seeing a Physical Exercise section for their course. As forewarning, proper Physical Education and later Fitness and Sport courses will be added to the curriculum next year. The ICW and the Ministry are currently evaluating potential instructors, so I suggest you all take your workouts seriously this year. It will help prepare you for the next."
The Great Hall was a buzz after her announcements and Rhea saw some interest in the older years. The fans of Quidditch would probably enjoy the Sports course. Carrying on with the announcements, "Now, we do have some change in faculty this year. First, a big round of applause for Bellatrix Black, who has chosen to remain your Defense Instructor this year." The students applauded as Bella stood up and gave an exaggerated bow. Rhea turned back to the Hall. "A big welcome to Professor Josephine Greene, graduate of Ilvermorny, holder of a Mastery and licence with the ICW and your new Magical Rituals Instructor. She will also be incharge of overseeing all Communal Rituals in Hogwarts, so if you are not taking her class but wish to know about the Communal Rituals, she is the person to see." This got the students buzzing, many of whom took part in the Samhain ritual from last year. Her distant cousin from Louisiana was the perfect choice, having spent most of her life around the rituals of the magical denizens of the bayous and studied
their ways as compared to the European and African styles. Rhea looked forward to what Josephine could teach Hermione about what being a Ritualist meant for her life.
Calling for silence, Rhea started up again. "Another round of applause for our newest Divination Instructor, who will handle the students up to OWL level, Firenze. Please be respectful and if interested read up on the customs of the Centaurs from the books in the Hogwarts Library. Having him here is a great honor and privilege to the Castle." While a bit muted compared to the previous applause, Rhea could see a lot of curiosity and wonder from the students concerning their new Professor. "Professor Potter will continue as the instructor for the new Non-Magical Customs course while she continues receiving training to take up the Non-Magical Laws course by next year. Please welcome Narcissa Malfoy as the new instructor for Magical Customs and Law." The response was a bit muted from the Gryffindor side, but for the most part her Aunt received a warm welcome. Rhea eyed the students. "The Magical Law course will feature guest lecturers. This year we have secured the visits of Director Amelia Bones, Head of the DMLE, Madam Augusta Longbottom, long time member of the Wizengamot and Lady Elizabeth Abbott, our very own Chief Witch. They will come to discuss their roles in Magical Britain's government and law enforcement. These lectures will be open to all students so you are all welcome to attend." Securing Narcissa's job had been more complicated, but the guest lecturer format and the submitted curriculum had convinced the more light minded members of the Board to agree to her employment.
Rhea pulled out her wand and conjured a table as the Hogwarts House Ghosts came up and stood behind her. "Lastly, a new Study Hall has been opened in the Castle. The location includes exclusive books, a few more comfortable seating arrangements and will display a few select artefacts." Taking Laris off her head, she wandlessly conjured display stands before placing the artefacts on the table. "The originals which you see here will remain secured elsewhere until proper security measures can be taken, but I wanted to present to you Salazar Slytherin's Locket, Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem, Helga Hufflepuff's Cup and Godric Gryffindor's Short Sword." Rhea watched as the announcement caught everyone by surprise, including the Professors. She had announced the Hall to them but not the recovery of the artefacts. "Replicas of these will be displayed in the Study Hall as well as a portrait of the Founders together, though its enchantments are those of a Wizarding Photograph. Managing the Study Hall will be the Ghosts of Hogwarts, with Helena of Ravenclaw being the Administrator. You are welcome to ask her about the Founders if you are respectful and are accompanied by others. The Sorting Hat will also be at the Hall, so you may ask him about the Founders as well. Word of warning, he doesn't know the term too much information, so be careful what you ask or say." The hat on her head huffed. "I resent that!" Rhea and the students laughed. "The Forbidden Forest is currently forbidden to all students, though we are working with the Centaurs on securing sections of it as safe for students to visit, whether it's for retrieving Potions supplies, carrying out Herbology assignments or simply enjoying the wonders of nature. Notes will be posted in your Common Rooms when said safe days are available. With that said, may the Feast begin."
Hermione and a few other Gryffindors clapped as the food appeared and Rhea went to sit at the Staff Table, Padfoot now resting at her feet and eating from a plate of food provided by the elves. Hermione looked over to Henry, seeing him looking comfortable for once. The summer with his Mom seemed to have done him some good, he was a bit more quiet and didn't take offense with everything Rhea had announced, especially the Ritual class. She was really looking forward to
studying rituals with a proper Ritualist. She knew Daphne also took the course and quite a few Heirs too, as they would need to prepare the Rituals for their own families. Having a Ritualist instruct them on how to do them safely and with what materials could be substituted would help a lot of them. "Hermione?" She turned to her friend. They hadn't spoken much since the end of June. Would he bring up the things he saw in the Hospital Wing? "Yes, Henry?" He played around with his food. "What classes did you take this year? We didn't get together to discuss them." Hermione sighed in relief. Hermione wondered whether it was wise to tell him but decided that it wouldn't matter. She wouldn't be able to hide it for long. "Defense, Charms, Transfiguration, Arithmancy, Runes and Rituals. I dropped Potions and Dueling since I didn't see myself using those beyond what we know now."
Henry blinked at her. "No Magical Law? I thought you wanted a job at the Ministry." Hermione shrugged. "I thought about it but it didn't feel right. I talked it over with some of the Professors and they suggested Curse Breaker and Enchantress. I was also told about Rituals. After Samhain and the Ritual in June, it seemed like an interesting field of magic and when they announced it as a class, I went for it." Henry nodded. "I suppose that's fine." Hermione looked at Neville and Henry. "What did you two pick?" Neville finished his bite of chicken. "Herbology of course, Defense, Dueling, Charms, Transfiguration, Runes and Magical Law." Henry nodded, "Same for me minus Herbology. I wasn't sure what other class to take. I was a bit unsure about Magical Law but Augusta talked to Mom and had given her support of the course." Hermione though for a moment, "Guessing you don't want to take Potions or Arithmancy?" Henry shook his head. "I … actually talked to Snape over the summer. He actually apologized for how he treated me and offered to tutor me in Potions." Hermione blinked at Henry. "You didn't accept the offer?"
After closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Henry turned to her. "It's not easy, not thinking about the way he treated me. He told me a lot of it was for his cover, but it's hard just trying to see where the act began and ended. I can't tell the difference right now. I did take some tutoring from him in summer with the other students and it was comfortable but I still don't see myself as liking Potions. As for Aritmancy, I would have to take it with the 3rd years, so no thanks." Hermione thought for a moment. "You could ask for personal tutoring. Lady Ravenclaw wouldn't mind negotiating for you to take a class in something that interests you." Henry had a sour look for a moment and then looked almost ashamed. "I doubt she would agree, after the way I treated her." Hermione sighed, hoping she wasn't going to make her girlfriend mad. "She is incharge of your education, something which she takes seriously. She has to listen to you if it's about your education. Maybe arrange for a meeting?" Henry ran his hand through his hair. "Kay, I'll ask mom to come with me and see what we can do." Hermione ate quietly after that, keeping her eyes from looking at the Staff Table. She knew she did a good thing, but she also knew her girlfriend. She was sure Rhea would make her pay for this.
- -
This had Hermione written all over it, Rhea was sure of it. After all, why would Henry Bloody
Potter and his mom want to see her first thing in the morning? Despite the truce they had at the end of the last academic year, Rhea would never let them into her Ravenclaw Chambers again. So on a Monday morning, Rhea had to leave the warmth and comfort of her bed with Hermione to deal with the Potters in her first floor office. If her girlfriend had anything to do with this, she was going to be getting some payback on her birthday. So far Rhea had spared her of the more… ostentatious gifts that Rhea had every right to give her as a Heiress and as a Black. She took a deep swig of coffee as she thought of her revenge before turning to the unwanted company. "So, Professor Potter, what can I do for you and your son this early in the morning?" There must have been some irritation in her voice because Lily looked at her with some concern. Early morning on a Monday with less than a cup of coffee in her system would do that.
Lily took the lead. Brave woman. "My son was wondering if we could arrange some tutoring for him. He is taking a good number of classes but he has dropped Herbology and Potions, giving him a lot of free time. We were thinking another class would be enough, even if it was in private." Rhea hummed and looked at the itinerary for Henry. "I am going to guess Potions is out as an option and Henry here isn't interested in taking a course with third years." Henry looked sheepish while Lily nodded. Rhea sighed. Too bloody early in the morning. "Mr. Potter, what are your career plans upon graduation? Since you dropped Potions, I am guessing Auror is out of the question?" Henry gulped and nodded. "I… don't want to be an Auror. I think I had enough mad wizards trying to kill me for one lifetime already." Rhea hummed, thinking this was the smartest decision she has seen from him. Progress. "Is there a Profession you want to pursue before or during your time as the future Lord Potter?" Henry blinked at her before looking at his hands. "I honestly don't know. I was always thinking about Voldemort and making it out alive."
Rhea sighed and pinched her nose before looking at Lily. "I am guessing none of the adults in his life addressed the issue at any point from the moment he was told as to why Magical Britain's population were addressing him as the second coming of Christ?" Lily lowered eyes. "No, we didn't." Rhea looked at her coffee before chugging it down. "Typsy." The Hogwarts elf popped in. "Yes, Lady Raven?" Rhea handed her the cup of coffee. "A refill would be appreciated." Typsy nodded. "Second cup coming up. Typsy reminds Lady Raven that only two cups are permitted. Lady Black's orders." Rhea rubbed her eyes. Leave it to her mom to get her hooked on coffee and still puts a cap on how much she can drink. "Understood." The elf popped away and Rhea turned back to the Potters, writing a few things down. "Before I go any further, how would you prefer I refer to you, Mr Potter. I have a sinking suspicion I am going to be seeing you too often and would rather get that out of the way."
Henry looked at her as if unsure what she meant. "Henry would be fine." Rhea nodded. "Ok Henry. What do you find pleasant to do? Since you are giving up Potions but not Dueling, is a career in the Dueling Circuits an interest?" Henry thought about it. "Maybe? I can hold my own against most but I don't see myself as the best." Rhea jotted that down. "You have been on the Quidditch team for 5 years now as Seeker. Is that something you see yourself doing?" Henry thought about flying and smiled. "I like flying and Quidditch is fun. I wouldn't mind trying out for the professional teams." Rhea noted that down. "A reminder, there is competitive broom racing as well, you don't have to be dodging cannon balls for the rest of your life. It's not as widespread as Quidditch but it does see a good share of athletes who refuse to take another bludger to the face or to find themselves wrapped around a goal post." Henry winced. "Noted." Rhea wrote a note on a seperate piece of paper before animating it into a bird and watching it fly away out the window.
"While that message is received, I will cover what I would like to see, Professor Potter."
Lily straightened out and took the paper offered to her. "As a Healer, it's my medical opinion that your son should see a Mind Healer. He is showing signs of prolonged trauma from his years under the stress of the expectations heaped on him as well as the fear of getting killed by Voldemort or his followers. This is usually referred to as Survivor's Mode. We all have it but spending years under it can have negative effects and your son is showing them. You are free to consult Madam Pomfrey for a second opinion and potentially sign up with the Mind Healer helping Miss Weasley. As you are her Head of House, I don't have to tell you about how much she has improved as a student in the time she has received aid." Lily felt her shoulders sag. As much as she wanted to disagree, Rhea had a point about Henry. Ginny, while still overly fond of Henry, was integrating better with her peers and doing better in class. "I will talk to Pomfrey and see to my son's health." Henry listened and had at first wanted to object but decided against it. Maybe it would be good, having someone to talk to.
A knock was heard from the door and Rhea bade them to enter. Madam Hooch looked at Henry and Lily before fixing her eyes on Rhea, "You called for me, Lady Ravenclaw?" Rhea nodded and pointed at Henry. "Mr. Potter here has brought to my attention that quite a few students have a bit of extra time in their hands. I had hoped to get the Fitness and Sport program in place this year but getting accreditation and licensed professors takes time. In the coming year we may have it, but perhaps you'd be interested in running a training course for the students interested in Professional Quidditch during this academic year? I can get you the salary increase and the new brooms should already be in stock, ready to be tested out properly." Rolanda smiled. Hogwarts was now the owner of four teams worth of good brooms, with a few extra. They weren't all from one brand, with a variety selected to make sure the players had a broom to match their position. This year would probably see some of the best games and having the best players training under her would see much improvement in the games and their future careers. "I will reach out to the other flyers and see how many are interested. We can form a schedule based on everyone's free time."
Rhea finished writing the missive and handed it to Hooch. "Here is my tentative authorization. I will take this to the Board and get it cleared, which shouldn't be a problem as it's a minor change and would only impact the students' free times. See you at breakfast." Rolanda left with a spring in her step as Rhea picked up the fresh cup of coffee and took a sip before turning to the Potters. "I believe that covers everything. The Mind Healer will probably agree that Henry's participation in the training course will do him good in relieving stress and maintaining his physical education. I will say that Henry should consider whether he wishes to continue in the Dueling class or to discard it. Discuss it with the Healer, as the stress of the course and its association with the source of his condition could exacerbate his symptoms if officially diagnosed. I would suggest you two have a private Breakfast in your quarters and discuss this at length, Professor. The Great Hall isn't the best place to discuss private matters with your son." Lily nodded and stood up. "Thank you for your assistance in this Lady Ravenclaw." Rhea sighed. "Despite the animosity between our families, your son is still a student here. I have no desire to allow any of the students of Hogwarts to leave the school with lingering issues. Henry, as unlikely as it sounds, I hope you get better and have a bit of fun while you are at it." Henry stood up and bowed his head. "Thank you… Rhea."
Watching the two leave, Rhea eased her Occlumency barriers. The meeting wasn't the worst that could have happened and it could be a sign of the relations finally easing. She wasn't too confident but then again, old habits die hard. She summoned a bit of parchment and started writing down a letter to Gringotts. While she didn't outright ask, Rhea was certain the issues were brought up by Hermione, otherwise Lily Potter would have discussed it with her prior to the term starting. Her Gryffindor Bookworm needed to learn how much Rhea appreciated her, as well as when to be considerate about her need to help people. A monday morning at the start of term where Rhea was required to leave her and the bed early was not being considerate. Rhea smirked. She had been planning on spoiling her for Christmas. Her birthday would do just fine. She was courting a Black after all. Elsewhere in the castle, Hermione felt a cold shiver run down her spine at breakfast but wasn't sure where it came from.
- -
Hermione was reading a letter sent to her by her parents on her birthday as she enjoyed breakfast in the Great Hall. They had sent her gifts which were delivered by owl to Rhea's Family Chambers, since she had officially moved in to be with her girlfriend. She still asked for the Guest Bedroom to be kept ready for her but if she was honest with herself, she was just stalling. Every night was spent with Rhea in bed, with a few being after very amorous makeout sessions. She was so bloody tempted to do away with her clothes and commit but she wanted to wait for the right time. Sure, she was 17 years old today and was officially an adult in Magical Britain, but she was still getting used to the idea of a long term relationship. Which was exactly what she was in. She hadn't said the words to Rhea but Hermione was sure she loved her. She wanted to marry her and spend her every waking moment with her. Thinking about Rhea often made her squirm in her seat. She was curious as to what her girlfriend had planned for her today. The last two years, she had received a birthday party among the study group, with cupcakes Rhea got from somewhere, probably the Hogwarts elves.
She heard a bit of conversations from the students beside her. "Another Daily Prophet article came out today. Still no word on Dumbledore or Grindelwald's disappearance. Rita Skeeter thinks they either ran off together or got caught by the same people. The ICW has apparently closed the investigation on Grindelwald's disappearance from Nurmengard but aren't saying anything yet. She's even got an interview from Bathilda Bagshot about their early conversations with copies of their letters." Another student joined in on the conversation. "Heard Aberforth in the Hog's Head Inn has been seeing a lot of reporters come in, even from the Continent. There is a lot of chatter about several prominent Grindelwald supporters that got a light sentence from the ICW Courts under Dumbledore's recommendations being found guilty of several more crimes committed after the war, many on muggles. The ICW is looking to see if Dumbledore might have lied about their character under oath. This could see a lot of the old families there getting in trouble." Hermione thought about what Lady Prasinos had told her, how Dumbledore's actions may have come from mercy, but to give it so freely only brought more pain to the innocents. At least the man's reputation was sinking quickly. Was that something the Blacks and Prasinos were actively doing or was it happening on its own? At the end, her only thought was if it mattered to her if they were
actively shredding what was left of his reputation.
With her thoughts circling, Hermione failed to notice that the Hall was quiet as a large Eagle descended onto the table in front of her, a package under its feet. She blinked a few times as she looked at the bird, the Gringotts seal shown prominently on its chest. "For me?" The Eagle nodded its head. Hermione untied the package from its leg before the bird took off. She glared at Lavender and Parvati who leaned in to see what was in the package. She opened the box slowly and removed a felt cover before her breath caught. It was a necklace made of precious blue gems, the largest at the center, a sleek silver metal, exquisitely intricate and utterly beautiful. It screamed expensive, which was appropriate since in Lavender and Parvati screamed beside her. "Hermione! When you said you were courting, you never said they were bloody loaded!" Neville looked over and whistled, "That has to be either platinum or mithril. You never said you were courting." He looked at Henry who shook his head. "Not me. I knew she was interested in someone. That was it." Hermione looked at Henry. She knew he saw her kiss Rhea in the Infirmary. She gave him a soft smile in thanks for not saying anything and she saw him give her a brief nod. Despite everything that happened, she was glad they remained friends and that he wasn't judging her. This summer must have been really good for him. The rest of the table looked at her and she sighed, feeling a headache forming.
"Yes, I am courting. No, I am not saying who. Our courtship was supposed to be private. I don't see why they would send this to me." Lavender looked at the box. "Maybe there is a note underneath. The box looks a bit thick to just be the necklace." Hermione frowned and touched the edges, finding she could indeed lift the box containing the necklace. She peaked under before lowering the box quickly, her face going bright red. Parvati booed. "Come on Hermione, it can't be that bad." Hermione glared at her, her face still flushed. "It's private. You and Lavender can gossip about the necklace but what's under is not for you to see." Hermione saw them block their eyes with their hands, though they were clearly peeking as she lifted the lid and pulled out the note that was resting on some very sheer lingerie. They felt expensive too! Hermione was so tempted to turn and glare at Rhea on the Staff Table but chose not to. Her girlfriend clearly knew what she was doing, being as subtle as possible when gifting hundreds of galleons worth of jewelry. She opened the envelope and read the letter silently.
My Dearest Hermione,
While I would normally celebrate your birthday quietly, you recently provided me with a bit of a headache first thing in the morning. Was this a childish response? Probably. My family's courting traditions did dictate a certain degree of exuberance and it felt like an appropriate time to respond in kind. The necklace is something that I am sure you won't wish to see worn until an appropriate occasion. The garments underneath will probably suffer the same fate. I do hope you like the book underneath everything. A mutual acquaintance of ours provided me with a copy. Hope you have been keeping up with your Egyptian Hieroglyphics. I certainly look forward to your reactions and response upon finding me in private, especially if you ever hear about their true value. Dad says the value is in how well you like them, and I will stick to that. I know I haven't said the following words out loud but it felt right to write them somehow.
Love you, my lady
Hermione stared at the note, a thousand thoughts going through her mind before her mind just imploded. She rested her head on the table, trying to cool down. Of all the men and women in the world, she ended up falling in love with the single most insane, irritating, sweet and loving of the lot. She knew why Rhea sent it all and it was bloody childish as all hell. Yet, no matter what, she couldn't bring herself to get angry or think about yelling at her. Because despite knowing that the necklace was probably worth more than her entire personal possessions, the insane woman had also professed her love for her in writing on her birthday. So she closed all other thoughts related to the matter, made a personal note to contact Sabrina and ask how she managed to keep her sanity around the clear evidence that Blacks were insane, and got back to eating. She also refused to look at the Staff Table. If she did, she knew her mind would just melt. Her damned girlfriend was insane but the sight of her was probably enough right now to make her forget about decorum.
The rest of the day proved to be a bit more quiet for Hermione, doing her class work and getting teased by her friends. Draco had smiled at her and whispered to her quietly. "Don't ask about the price. Dad apparently had a heart attack the moment my mom responded to a gift of his with one of her own and he enquired how much it was worth. The tie pin is one of his favorites but he refuses to use it except at her request. Gifting lavish items is entirely part of the Black Madness. Congratulations, you went 9 months without experiencing it first hand. Oh, and fair warning. You are marrying the Heiress, meaning it's only going to get worse. Whatever you did to incite it, try not to do it again, for your sanity's sake. Best of luck tonight and happy birthday." Hermione felt a shiver down her back at the warning. "Thanks for the heads up, Draco, and for the well wishes." She still ended up in a short birthday celebration with the group, which she spent glaring at Susan and Daphne as they gave her some knowing looks. Her day complete, Hermione found herself in front of the Ravenclaw Chamber's door.
The room looked exactly the same as usual, except for a lit birthday cake that sat on the coffee table. She felt a couple of cold arms wrap around her waist from behind. Rhea wisely kept her face away from Hermione's neck. She was sure that she would have jumped Rhea if she whispered to her just then. "Happy Birthday, Hermione." Hermione took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for sending the Potters your way first thing in the morning on the 2nd." Rhea pulled away and giggled as she sat next to the table, cutting out a serving of the cake and serving it for her. "Apology accepted. Did you like my gifts?" Hermione took the offered cake and took a bite. She groaned. "Mom made this, didn't she?" Rhea grinned. "There is a portkey with your name on it for saturday morning. You have the whole weekend to spend with them back home." Hermione ate a few more bits. "The necklace is stunning and the book on Egyptian Rituals is great, though I do need to brush up on Egyptian Hieroglyphics. Sorry to say the lingerie was the wrong size." Rhea smiled, finished her piece of cake, placed the rest in stasis and snuggled up into her girlfriend. "That's because it's for you to ask me to wear it in your presence, silly." Hermione's brain misfired as the thought of Rhea wearing the provocative underwear filled her head, before she tackled Rhea onto the sofa. Waking up the next morning was a bit of a hassle but Hermione didn't care. She had the most insane girlfriend in the world and she loved her back. Even if they never went fully naked the previous night, Hermione made sure her girlfriend knew how much she loved her. Insane or not.
Chapter End Notes
So, how was it?
Next Chapter?: Samhain, one last time
We are nearing the end as the new peace settles in. As stated in some comments, a sequel to this story is a real possibility. Eventually. For now, other projects are in my mind and my Muse demands they see completion.
Leave a comment, discuss and see you all in two days.
Another Year, Another Samhain
Chapter Notes
Here is the next Chapter. Hope you all like it. Sorry for the slight delay.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Rhea walked to the Speaker's stand and waited for the students to settle down. This year's Halloween and Samhain preparations had started a full two weeks prior to the night and the results spoke for themselves. There were two floors full of transfigured abandoned classrooms, with the 2nd Floor sporting the Halloween centric house of horrors. The marsh and tomb ones were back, though modified a bit, with the Egyptian tomb now sporting a few animated statues and sphinxes, the marsh being more in line with British marshes and featuring Grim-like hounds and black jaguars, as well as a Dullahan pulling the carriage. Professor Greene, having been raised in the bayous, helped craft a massive haunted swamp and southern homestead, filled with animated Rugarous, monstrous animated trees and the Gill-man. Rhea was particularly proud of it being able to knock over boats and scare people away from the docks. Without being concerned about being ostracized, they had managed to create a Frankenstein inspired house of horrors, showcasing the monster's creation and the recent film version of both man and creation's end. The message of caution and not crossing certain boundaries was well received by the more Light oriented families.
With Josephine around and more participation from the students, the Third Floor abandoned classrooms were converted into traditional Samhain celebrations, featuring traditions from the different factions. Narcissa had her Magical Customs students work on these, teaching them how to prepare the decorations of each group. The more Light oriented traditions of carving radishes and pumpkins, forming and lighting candles with homemade wax was a pleasant change for the typically academically focused class. The Neutral traditions were a bit of the same, with more focus on gestures like leaving a candle next to an open window and a plate of food for the deceased. Josephine took care of the Dark traditional rituals, with the Ritual students, Narcissa's students, as well as the rest of the school being invited to observe a few of the other Samhain Rituals, including a few aimed at easing the troubles of the dead and cleansing a property of violent spirits. While Hermione recreated and enhanced her Phantom of the Opera house of horrors, she spent a lot longer helping and participating in the Ritual Class' extra curricular activities for Samhain.
Two months in and Josephine had endeared herself to the students taking the course about Ritual Magic, even forming a friendship with Babbling on their shared interest in Runic Languages. Her respect for magic, gentle instruction and hands on approach to teaching has made the students of the class comfortable with carrying out Rituals on their own, though always with an eye to safety. Hermione had taken to the class like a fish to water, with Babbling even giving her more advanced work in Runes so she could try more advanced Rituals. Mahad's book on Egyptian Rituals was often seen in her hands, even with Josephine being a bit unfamiliar with most of them.
The work put in by the students of the class and Josephine's own expertise were the reason Rhea would be making a change to the Ritual of Calling. She had someone to call on this night as well. Rhea eyed the back of the Great Hall, seeing representatives from the Board, the Department of Mysteries and the ICW, all gathered to observe the Ritual and document it. Mahad was amongst the latter.
Once the Hall was silent, Rhea, wearing her Necromancer Regalia, began to speak. "It is that time of year again, students of Hogwarts. With the conclusion to the Feast, we prepare for the Communal Ritual of Calling on this night of Samhain. With the presence of a licensed Ritualist and a class of students who have been studying and preparing Rituals since September, it has been decided they will construct the Ritual under Professor Greene's watch. I would also like to welcome members of the Ministry and ICW who are present to document the event and its magical effects, so as to assure everyone of its safety for tonight and the years ahead. While I won't lead the event, my presence will still affect it, so those who were here last time can be assured that a similar effect will take place, with a heavier Ritual Circle being established than the typical ones to prevent any lingering magical residue. To the students who don't wish to participate, Staff members are waiting to escort you all back to your Common Rooms. A reminder to be careful who you Call on, as not everyone will be friendly to being brought across the Veil. Professor Greene, the floor is yours."
Josephine began to call the students as the tables and benches were whisked away. Hermione watched as Ginny and a good chunk of Gryffindor still left. Seeing Neville and Henry staying though, surprised her. "You two staying?" Neville nodded. "Mom was a bit unsure but my great uncle is here from the DoM, so they think it's safe for me. I … want to meet my Dad." Hermione nodded and looked at Henry. "I want to try it. Mom confessed she did it last year and that it helped her out loads. I want to meet Grandma Dorea. To talk to her again." Hermione remembered that Rhea had explained that Henry and Halley survived the night because Dorea used a really obscure defense that only Blood Mages could manage. She knew her oldest friend was having issues with everything since before June and had gone to a few Mind Healer sessions. She hoped the Ritual did more good to him than harm. She went to help establish the Ritual and watched as everyone started falling asleep. Hermione nealt down and meditated, watching over her friends.
- -
Henry blinked and looked around, finding himself in an unfamiliar apartment. There was a lit fire in the chimney and snow was falling outside the windows in an unfamiliar street. "Henry." The voice he had only ever heard in the Riddle Graveyard broke the silence and he turned to see Dorea, her hair long and curly tied in a braid. She looked so much younger than the wizarding photographs he had seen back at the manor. "Grandmother?" Dorea gave him a soft smile. "You are looking better since we last spoke. Though I can imagine the strain a fight in a cemetery would have on you." Henry found it hard to speak. "Thanks. Where are we?" Dorea laughed and sat down on a sofa, bidding him to sit with her. Her eyes inspected her surroundings with warmth and
longing. "This was an apartment of mine in Toulouse, during Grindelwald's War. I shared it with a dear friend as we worked as nurses caring for the Allied Wixen. Your Grandfather and I technically courted me while I was living here." Henry looked around, "I expected to see you at Potter Manor." Dorea raised an eyebrow. "I had plenty of memorable moments there, but I hope you understand that I don't hold much fondness for Potter Manor after what James did. The man he became was not the boy I and Charlus raised." Henry bowed his head. "I … probably aren't the grandson you would have wanted either, am I?"
Dorea sighed, looking over the boy. "We don't get to pick our family, Henry. I was not able to look in on you for your youth, as my spirit was accidentally tied to Halley's for many years. But I have seen what your years at Hogwarts were like. Care to tell me how you behaved?" Henry winced and lowered his head in shame. "I thought I was doing the right thing." Dorea glared at him. "By demeaning a quarter of the school for their house's association with a madman? My own former house? You may have helped the school by destroying the Basilisk, but you did so by endangering your own life and that girl's. You, my grandson, have a great deal to offer this world, and you endangered it at every turn for much of your youth. The house of Potter would have fallen with you at the slightest error." Henry slumped his shoulders. "Sorry I can't be more like Rhea." Dorea slapped him on the back of his head, causing Henry to yelp. "What good has come of my granddaughter didn't come without a price. I am proud of her beyond words, but I would have given anything that she would never have lived the first 8 years of her life like she did." Henry looked at Dorea, rubbing the back of his head. "Then what am I supposed to do? I lived my life thinking I was the Boy Who Lived, that I was the Light's champion and hope against the return of Voldemort. But none of that mattered. I didn't matter. Rhea did."
"If you didn't matter, you would be dead right now, Henry." He froze as Dorea stared him in the eyes. "I know the person Rhea is. If you didn't matter to someone, she would have killed you, not bother to save you. But you do matter. You matter to your mother, who has risked her marriage to give you a shot at a better life. You matter to your father, who is driving himself insane trying to keep his family from falling apart. You matter to your friends, even if some could have been better for you than others. You matter to me, Henry. I risked much when I carved that mark onto your forehead, hoping to keep you alive even as I embraced my own end." Henry's eyes watered as he hugged his grandmother. To hear about the danger that his grandmother went to for his safety, and the price she paid made him lose what little control he had over his feelings. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for never realizing. I tried to do right by my family, but I failed in honoring you, despite everything you did for me. I am so sorry, Grandmother." Dorea rubbed his unruly hair. "But now you know and can change. Now you have a chance to finally live your life. Not as the Boy Who Lived or as Dumbledore's successor, but as Henry Potter. Remember to live your life, because once it's over, there is no going back. Rhea, for all her talents as a Necromancer, can't bring the dead back to life, nor does she want to. She can't turn the hands of time back and give you both the childhoods you both deserved. Learn from her what it is to live in spite of your past and find the happiness you deserve in your present."
The walls turned dark as Dorea kissed Henry's head. "I wish the best for you, Henry. I hope you can move on from the tragedy of your past and the damage done to your family." Henry hugged her tighter. "Will I ever see you again?" Dorea hugged him back warmly. "Perhaps in another Samhain. It is our only time after all. Until then, get better. Oh, and remember. Never make an enemy of the Blacks and the Prasinos Families. They protect their own with a viciousness
that devours their enemies in their wakes. You, as my grandson, were fortunate to be considered family, if only just. Don't squander their mercy." Henry nodded as he pulled away, noticing the walls vanishing. "I won't." Dorea pulled away and walked into the dark as mist covered Henry's feet. The last thing he saw was his grandfather taking his grandmother's hand and another woman, one with bronze hair and blue eyes, waving at them both with a man beside her, a smile on her face.
- -
Rhea moved among the chamber as Tom's eyes focused on her. "How… Why am I here?" Rhea blinked at him. "I called you here, silly. Is this Salazar's Chamber? Henry lost his ability to speak Parseltongue so we weren't able to open it after everything quieted down." Tom felt his eye twitch as he looked at Rhea Black inspecting the inside of the Chamber of Secrets. "It is, and I realized you called me. The question is why?" Rhea inclined her head to the side. "Because I wanted to talk to you, of course." She waved her hand and two leather chairs took form in front of the pool of water and the face carved into the wall. "Care to join me for a chat?" Tom sighed and took one of the seats as Rhea took the other, her eyes looking everywhere. "Rowena left her own Chamber in the Castle. Might have to see if Godric and Helga did too. I might hire a Parselmouth from India to open Salazar's as well. Would that bother you?" Tom stared at her coldly. "Why bother asking, you could just do it anyway." Rhea bristled. "I could, but this is more than just a nest for a Basilisk. This is your family's legacy. As it is right now, only the locket serves as a reminder of it."
Tom stilled. "Where is the Locket?" Rhea waved her hand. "In a Vault kept safe, minus the piece of your soul. A replica is currently being displayed in a newly opened Founders Study Hall. Once the security measures are acceptable, it might get moved there eventually. Why?" Tom sighed, burying his face into hands. "It was my mother's." Rhea hummed and rubbed her bracelet. "It's comforting, isn't it? More than a picture or a bank certificate. Perhaps even more than an empty Chamber full of books. To own a piece of your family, carry it with you every day. To know that it means you belonged to something more." Tom gives her a conflicted look but nodded in agreement. "It was also a reminder of what was taken from me." Rhea nodded, knowing that even if she had met Selene, it wasn't the same as growing up with her. "That too. That's why you took things from the other kids at the orphanage. Not just as a power play or ransom. Not even as trophies. Owning them meant they were yours. That you had something more than the blood in your veins. Stolen or not. That you could take as much as was taken from you." Tom eyed her carefully. "Dumbledore sharing his memories?" Rhea smirked. "More like the old man didn't think about keeping important and private information out of memory vials."
Rhea watched as Tom shook his head, dispeling a memory of the old man. "So, what do you want from me?" Rhea conjured two cups of tea and sat back with hers. "I want to hear your story. Not Dumbledore's rambling about a child born evil. About having a thief and a sadist running free in his school. You and I both know that we had to steal to survive. That violence was the difference
between another night with an empty stomach or having a bit of bread to keep the pangs away for a few hours. Violence didn't keep me alive because I was too injured to make use of it. But you had no choice. Violence or starvation." Tom eyed her carefully. "It started that way at first, but I eventually enjoyed hurting people." Rhea nodded, a sad look on her face. "I imagine you did. But that isn't what I want to know. I want to know about your life as Tom, about how you found the Magical World and were constantly torn between it and the Non-Magical. I know Magicals forget, but you lived in London during the Blitz. Probably not the best place to be in on your own."
Tom growled. "I begged Dumbledore and Headmaster Dippet to let me stay at Hogwarts in the summer but they refused. I couldn't afford new books or clothes, let alone a hotel room in Diagon Alley or a room in Hogsmeade. Without my wand, I was defenseless against the bombs." Rhea smiled softly as she drank from her tea. "That particular rule is gone now. Any child with difficulty at home or having no place to go can spend their summers at Hogwarts. Almost two dozen did this year." Tom blinked at her, surprise clear on his face. "Is that why you are asking about my life, to see where things could have been better?" Rhea gave him a sad smile. "I promised you, didn't I? From the moment our paths in life ended, I would try and make sure no one like us was ever born again. My parents are working on a sturdier Child Services Department in the Ministry, Hogwarts will be a sanctuary to those not of age, free of prejudice and discrimination. Children will be allowed to be children until the day they graduate, while also being taught about the world. All of it. And what places they could find in it." Tom closed his eyes. He felt tears watering them. He wouldn't cry.
Rhea nealt down and touched his knee, startling him. She gave him a soft smile. "For you, this is all too little too late. But not for the next person, or the next. We have a chance to make something better of this cold, cruel and vile world. Will you help me get it there?" Tears slipped from his eyes and he nodded. Rhea sat back and waited as Tom drank from the conjured tea. "It's a long story." Rhea chuckled and drank from hers. "It usually is. How about we go through what we can. What stood out to you." Tom closed his eyes, memories coming back to him. "Wools wasn't the best of places to grow up in. The Matron hated me. She was a religious zealot and saw everything through the lense of her faith. To her I was the Devil's Child. I remember my first exorcism being in…"
- -
Lily walked up and stood besides Severus. The last year had done her friend well, with the end of his stint as a spy and being able to relax more into his position at Hogwarts. She wasn't sure but it did look like he was enjoying his job more. "No one to call for tonight?" Lily shook her head in answer to his question. "My mother gave me some sound advice and I am sticking to it. Dad would probably yell at me and Petunia never answered the first time I tried. Mom simply said that Petunia didn't exist." Severus winced and Lily saw it. "What?" Severus looked over at the resting form of his former student. Rhea still checked in with him and joined him for an advanced brewing session, with the two brewing the same potions but with different brewing procedures. The results had been
quite interesting for their studies. Though they never discussed her past, Severus knew Rhea simply didn't care for her relatives. Perhaps it was more than that.
"There is a thought that the dead won't answer if the person has already reincarnated or simply ceased. As we don't know what happens beyond the Veil, that is all conjecture. What isn't conjecture is that a soul must be intact in order for the individuals to answer or even exist as ghosts. It stands to reason that if Petunia can't answer and Jane said she doesn't exist, then something happened to that soul." Lily blinked and thought about his words before looking at Rhea. "You don't think…" Severus sighed. "Lily, whatever happened, remember that she was an untrained, unaware eight year old girl probably being abused at that very moment. Whatever her magic did that night to your sister and her family, she had no say in it." Lily nodded and sighed. "I suppose that would explain Vernon not answering either." Severus gave her a sharp look. "The Lady Ravenclaw had warned me and Minerva about you making foolish decisions that night. It seemed she had ample reason to worry, if you sought out the man responsible for a lot of violence in the young girl's life." Lily closed her eyes, feeling his glare. "I don't always make good decisions."
Severus lifted an eyebrow at her "Clearly." Lily opened her eyes and shook her head as if clearing her mind. "I am trying to do better. For Henry." Severus looked over at the sleeping boy. "That you are." An elf popped in infront of them, offering them some drinks on a tray. "Lady Raven wished Professors to be kept comfortable. Drinks for you to choose." Severus nodded and took a cup of coffee. "Thank you." Lily picked up a cup of hot chocolate. "Thank you." The elf beamed before popping away. Severus took a sip and felt the warmth spread across his body. Lily nursed her drink. "She certainly likes to look after us." Severus smirked. "She asked me every few weeks after the Third Task if I wanted to get the Mark removed. I always told her no. One time I asked her why she insisted. Her reply was, "Because neither of your masters would ever think to ask if you'd want to leave. They would both assume you'd stay. I refuse to do the same.""
Lily thought for a moment. "I am sorry I never questioned Albus about the danger he placed you in. You might have started out as a Death Eater, but we all made mistakes those early years." Severus thought back to his fifth year and the incident at the lake. He never stopped regretting the words he yelled at yer in anger, or the pain he saw in her eyes. Despite everything that came to pass, he would always regret hurting her friend the way he did. "We certainly did." Lily drank from her chocolate. "I can say one thing though. Something I don't ever regret, despite everything." Severus eyed her carefully as she turned to him. She smiled and lifted her cup of chocolate. "I will never regret being your friend, Severus." Severus sighed before giving her a soft smile. "Neither will I." Lily offered her cup as a toast. "To us being friends?" Severus tapped his cup against hers. "Always." The who watched as the students, staff and visitors began to wake, with both heading for the students under their charge. A few would have need of their Heads of Hogwarts Houses tonight and both of them would make sure they were all cared for.
- -
Hermione snuggled into Rhea's side. The end of the communal ritual had left her a bit wired, her magic singing under her skin. Rhea and Josephine told her it was going to happen since she was in the circle but didn't partake in its magic. So she and her girlfriend walked back to the Ravenclaw Chamber, changed into their nightwear and sat against each other, the other person's magic and body warmth helping to ease the effects. The two spent a few minutes like this in comfortable silence until Hermione closed her book and laid her head against Rhea's shoulder. "Would it bother you if I asked who you called?" Rhea hummed, "Not really. I called Tom Riddle. We had a bit of a chat." Hermione was confused for a second until she remembered where she heard the name. "You had a "chat" with Lord Voldemort?" Rhea kept on writing on a notepad, "Having your soul whole and intact made him a bit better of a conversationalist." Hermione pulled away from her for a second and looked at her girlfriend. "Rhea, he is a psychopath."
Rhea looked at her, unsure why she lost the warmth they were sharing. "Psychopath, racist, a bit of a misogynist and definately a murderer, but he was still human, Hermione." Hermione tried to wrap her head around what her girlfriend was saying. "Why did you call him again? And don't you dare say it was just for a chat." Rhea, sensing Hermione's emotions going a bit out of control, closed her pen and lowered her papers. "Because not every monster is born, Hermione. Most of them are made. I called him to hear about who he was before he graduated. To know what led to him choosing to abandon his humanity and becoming the monster you still seem to fear." Hermione dropped her eyes, unable to look at Rhea. She released a deep breath after calming down, chasing away the fear that had reared inside of her after hearing his name again. "Sorry, it's just hard to think he was just a man. It's easier to think of him as a monster." Rhea pulled Hermione to her, her hands rubbing up and down her back. "That's what the priests did to him when he was a kid. And the Magicals of his time. That's what my relatives did to Halley. She wasn't a person to them. She was called "girl," " waste" or "freak.""
Hermione teared up. "I … why do I forget these things?" Rhea rested her head against Hermione's. "The easiest label anyone can give to another is enemy. It's how we can go from not wanting to kill to doing it without a second thought. The trick is to remember. The moment it's over, we have to remember that the enemy was still human. I called him because he was still a Peverell and, from what I gathered from Dumbledore's notes, a victim. He was a boy struggling to survive in a London Orphanage during the Depression, he was a wizard forbidden to use magic to save himself or to flee anywhere during the London Blitz as bombs rained from the sky. He wasn't from a Magical family at a time when tensions and suspicions between the Magicals and the first gen wixen were high because of the war and he had a Deputy Headmaster who was looking at him constantly with suspicion and mistrust." Hermione closed her eyes and thought. "Our world made him choose, whether to be a victim or a monster."
Rhea huffed. "He still ended up as both. His own desperate fear of dying a meaningless death convinced him to split his soul. Fear of death made him into a survivor and he just forgot to live. He spent decades dedicating himself to learning everything he could so no one could ever best him. Then he came back and sought to take control. When you control something, you don't fear it. Control Britain and no one there could threaten him. Or that was his logic. He heard a Prophecy about the end of the Lords of Albion and panicked, thinking that Fate was against him and even his precautions would fail with her intervention. Every step he took outside of that bloody orphanage
was always to survive just one more day." Hermione snuggled into her girlfriend's side. "You wanted to know, to understand him. To make sure it doesn't happen again." Rhea nodded. "The triggers are still there in the world; religious extremism, racism, apathy to the underprivileged. Everything that gave rise to him is still very much a part of the world we all live in today. The best we can do is make sure that our people are safe and that we can take care of them. No matter what."
Hermione kissed Rhea's neck. "Sorry about the freak out. It's going to take some time to not think of him as just a monster." Rhea kissed her back on the lips. "We can work on that together, along with not blaming Dumbledore for everything, or not seeing Henry as a prat." Hermione giggled. "Some of those are easier than others." Rhea hummed and picked up her papers before starting to write again, while Hermione went back to her book. The two lingered a bit longer until Rhea finished an outline of what she planned to write. The two went to bed, embracing each other as sleep took them. Hermione dreamt about her grandfather again, the two of them setting up the Christmas tree at his house, which made her think that Rhea might have had something to do with that. She gave her girlfriend a very pleasant morning in thanks.
Chapter End Notes
Well. How was it?
Next Chapter?: Yuletide with the Grangers
A bit of a rough few days. My writing slowed down because I took a day to myself and slept. The next day I tried to write, only to be interrupted every 5 minutes. Seriously, hearing my name called out every five minutes has made me hate it. Lost any motivation to write after all that. Today's plans went to hell because of the poor food delivery options in my area. This is why I write ahead of my posts. Here is hoping I get a chance to write today, I am the final confrontation of year 2 and I want to write it well.
Leave a comment, discuss and I will see you all in two days.
A Granger Christmas
Chapter Notes
Here we are with the next chapter. A bit early, but sleep is calling me more often and I am not waking up as early as usual, so I am posting it now. Hope you all like it.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Rhea looked at the entrance to a tomb with Mahad by her side. "Now, I know Gringotts has been reviewing their rules concerning tombs in the last few years. So tell me Mahad, who are the morons currently getting a taste of Inferi after breaking into the three thousand year old tomb?" The Dark Mage sighed and covered his mouth as a gust of wind dragged sand into his face. "They are Curse Breakers not associated with the Goblin Nations. They tend to do their work through the Norwegian Dwarven Banks." Rhea pinched her nose and closed her eyes. Of course it was the few morons who weren't part of the initial discussions about the review of procedures with exploring tombs. "Remind me to pay a visit to the Dwarven Kingdoms then. Ragnok got their approval through negotiation to name me as the next Le Fay. This is an issue that I need to cover in an official capacity. We can't have Grave Robbers continue assailing the Tombs of the Ancients willy nilly. I don't want to have to deal with a Ritually activated Plague or Sandstorm Curse spiraling out of control."
Mahad winced. "We have had a few of those. They aren't the most pleasant to undo, especially when they are built with hundreds of defenses around them. One of our long lost Pharaohs had some nasty conjured monsters defending his tomb once while a massive sandstorm covered much of the Sahara. It took several Temples worth of Mages banded together to get through the storm and even then we just barely dispelled the Ritual. We lost many to the beasts and sands." Rhea hummed as she ruffled Padfoot fur. Her Familiar had been growing extensively since she brought him back from the Mausoleum. Since he was born to a Graveyard Grim, Padfoot should have a better grasp of the intricacies of burials and magics that defend them. Rhea wanted to snap the Inferi creation wards and ritual circles without disturbing the protections built into the tombs, that was if she even had to go that deep into the tomb. She had no real intention to help anyone break deeper into another's final resting place. She would not endanger the resting places of the dead to save the lives of a bunch of thieves and morons.
"Alright Padfoot, let's go down there and see how many idiots are still kicking. You see a bag of rotten flesh and reanimated bones, you are free to smash it. I'll get you a nice chew toy to take back home." Padfoot gave her a loud bark and rushed into the cage. Mahad smirked, as he lifted his rod and casted a lighting charm on it. "Having one of your spectral hounds as a familiar will be quite handy in dealing with Inferi infested tombs." Rhea glared at the High Priest. "He is family too, you know. Let's also try and make sure less of these incidents happen. I swear if I get a call on my wedding day or Honeymoon, I am cursing you and replacing you with Maana." She summoned an orb of light and ventured into the Tomb, Mahad close behind her, gripping his rod tightly.
"Please don't jest with that. She is my only choice as a replacement and I dread the day she becomes High Priestess." Rhea chuckled. "I'll be sure to send you some high grade Calming Droughts for the day then."
Descending into the dark corridors, Rhea thought back on having to leave the warmth of her bed. It was the Friday morning before Yule and the day everyone was going home. It was also the day after the school had enjoyed their Yule themed seminar lectures. While the ones from last year had been memorable, especially Lily's comparison of Christmas traditions that were imported from the Yule festivities, the ones this year were a lot more fun. Rhea had given permission to do the same to the 2nd and 3rd Floor abandoned Classrooms as they did for October. Those raised in the Non-Magical world gathered together to create scenes right out of a Christmas Village or Festival on the Second Floor, with Hermione and Sally working on several animated Golems to create a proper Christmas choir, which was tied to all the rooms to have the music played constantly. Hermione was able to acquire quite a few Vinyl Records from her family with Christmas songs to place on an enchanted Record Player. The children of the Magical World were quite surprised with how festive the Christmas decorations were.
On the Third Floor, there were several life sized dioramas of Yule Festivities, with Narcissa and Josephine discussing the traditions around the Yule logs and the typical Rituals associated with the longest night of the year. The Board had agreed to extend another Seminar-like day for the Summer Solstice, as to maintain a balance between Dark and Light oriented festivities and Rituals. They had still refused to consider a Beltane celebration, though they did agree to give the of age students a pass to head out to a place celebrating Beltane for the night. Rhea considered that a win. Still, the upcoming Festivities had her a bit nervous. She would be spending this year with the Grangers. Her mom, as Lady of House Black, was taking care of the typical gifts that would be offered. That just left the more personal gifts. She had already secured the gifts for Hermione, but not the ones for her parents and grandmother, who had been told about magic this last Easter Break and this would be her first experience of Wizarding Culture.
The sound of screams broke through Rhea's thoughts as they entered a wider chamber and found the Curse Breakers hiding behind a magical barrier while Padfoot was ripping his way through the Inferi, some of whom finally noticed their presence. Rhea sighed and waved her hand. " Na Eísai Akínitos, Na Eísai Skóni. " A wave of magic impacted the Inferi and they disintegrated into dust. Mahad whistled as he lowered his rod. "Please tell me that spell doesn't need Death Magic to work?" Rhea shrugged. "It won't be as potent. Might need to rapid cast it to keep yourself safe from an oncoming horde. I was going to register it with the ICW but I wouldn't mind your Temple testing it out first." Mahad nodded. "Much appreciated." The Curse Breakers came up to them after dispelling their shield. A dwarf bowed to her and Mahad. "Much gratitude. May I enquire as to your names? Our Bank could use some Mages with your skill as private or independent contractors."
Rhea raised an eyebrow. "I imagine it could but our services are not for sale, nor do the locals appreciate you waking an Ancient Tomb without prior agreement and permission. We are here because a security ward tied the Tomb to a Temple where my companion stands as a priest." The dwarf looked with concern at the two mages. "Not interested then. We have a permit to excavate
tombs." Mahad eyed them carefully. "Then you also know that any excavations require you to gain the support of the Temples associated with the Tomb and their permission and supervision. You did not." The dwarf waved his hand dismissively. "We will pay the fines. Now if you excuse us we must be returning to our camp. We appreciate the aid with the Inferi and will now make the appropriate changes to our excavation work." He made to leave as Rhea sighed. " You are required to approach the local Temples and gain their permission, subject of the Scandinavian Dwarven Kingdom. As the Lady Le Fay, it is my duty to advise and act as mediator in disputes with the Fay and Mages. This is my ruling, which I will pass along to your superiors. Your kin are known for their lavish Tombs. Failure to adhere to this declaration would insinuate that Dwarven tombs are free to be pilfered as you pilfer others. Is that how the Dwarves feel? "
The Dwarf looked at her with dawning horror as she spoke Fae Speech. Ragnok had been kind enough to share a book on it with her and she and Luna had been studying it together. "Not at all, my lady. We will cease all excavation until the permits are acquired. My apologies for any misunderstanding." Rhea smirked. "Sure, just a misunderstanding. Padfoot! We are leaving." A bark echoes from a dark corridor as the sound of a dog's footsteps grow closer and closer. Rhea adjusted her eyes to the dark and sighed. "I said we will fetch you a nice chew toy, drop the bone." The Curse Breakers paled at seeing the Grim pop into the lit chamber, an Inferi's leg in its maws. Rhea bent over the Death Omen and tapped his nose. "Mama Mione won't let you on the bed if you bring that home." Padfoot whined before spitting out the desiccated leg. Rhea rubbed his head. "Good boy. We need to get you a bath so how about a stop at the temple? You fine with some guests, Mahad?" The Priest chuckled. "Your Death Omen is more than welcome. I suppose you want to look at our library for some books to take home while you are there?" Padfoot shot up the dark corridor leading to the surface as Rhea and Mahad left the Curse Breakers terrified in the knowledge they just saw a Death Omen. Rhea hoped it might get them to avoid the Tomb for a bit longer.
Rhea thought for a second, "How up to date are your Healing Magic archives? My Healing Instructor and I haven't been able to spend much time together with everything that happened in the last year since I got my license. Giving her a book on advanced Egyptian medical practices would be a good apology and great Yule present." The two had to shield their eyes as the corridor opened up into the rocky and deserted region of the Valley of the Kings. Mahad thinks for a moment, "It's up to date and we do have a few more advanced medical texts. We have been using Healing Magic for longer after all. You are welcome to copy a few of the more General Healers Books." Rhea nodded and bent down slightly to grab Padfoot by the scruff of his neck. Mahad took her arm and the two apparated away from the desert, all the while Rhea kept thinking about what to get the Grangers.
- -
Hermione heard a knock on the front door and stood up. "I got it!" Opening the door, her eyes lit up at who she found. "Grandma!" Roberta Richardson took her granddaughter into a hug as she
rushed her. "Good to see you too dear. How was school?" Hermione pulled back and beamed, "It's been great. We have been learning so much more in the advanced courses. That and the changes to the school have made it so much more fun." Roberta smiled and padded her back. "Since you're 17 now, you are free to cast magic right?" Hermione blushed. "Yeah, I can show you a few things." She sat down and did some spells of transfiguration and charms. Hermione was happy that her Grandmother had been so accepting about her having magic. Roberta had been more furious with her parents for not trusting her, but she finally understood after being informed about how the law worked with first gen wixen families and the Statute of Secrecy. What Hermione was most worried about was when the Blacks arrived. They had agreed to spend the 21st, 24th and 25th together before seeing each other again for New Years, with the Blacks keeping any presents shared with the Grangers closed until Christmas morning.
While they wouldn't be doing any rituals in the Granger's House, they were going to light a Yule log and spend the night over. Hermione blushed up a storm as her thoughts went elsewhere. With her Grandmother here she'd be taking her room, while the Blacks slept in the Guest Bedroom. She and Rhea would be sleeping in the living room next to the chimney and the Christmas tree. If her Grandmother and the parents weren't around, it would be the most romantic setting possible and they could have… her mind went blank as her body flushed. Nope, mind out of the gutter. Hermione was sure she was going to snuggle up to Rhea. That alone would be a bit hard to explain. She had told her Grandmother about magic and some of the customs of Magical Britain. She had yet to tell her she was dating a girl, whom she was sure would be her wife one day. The fact that they already behaved as if they were married had warmed her heart. Rhea had left her a note explaining how she got called on an emergency in Egypt yesterday, along with Hermione's favorite breakfast. She had returned from her trip, carrying a few bags, and told her about the Curse Breakers and stopping by a few places for some personal gifts.
The thought of receiving a gift from Rhea made her blush in embarrassment. Rhea hadn't been splurging on her yet, but if the gifts she got for her birthday were an indicator, she had a good idea that she would be glaring at her girlfriend on Christmas morning. Sure, the amount was a drop in the ocean to the Blacks, but she couldn't wear something as ostentatious as the necklace she got on a daily basis. She was planning to wear it for New Years Eve, but she really didn't spend enough time in formal settings. She really hoped her next gift wasn't as exuberant. She rubbed the bracelet that she now wore on her arm since she was home. Hermione wouldn't say anything, but she really wanted something she could wear everyday and in plain sight. She hated hiding her relationship. Rhea and her had gone over the issues a lot of people could have with them courting as her being a student at Hogwarts. Rhea had already filed motions that effectively removed her from having any authority over Hermione. She had even secured permission from her parents as to her sleeping arrangements. That had been really awkward to explain to them.
"Thinking about a boy, Hermione?" Hermione "eep" as she almost dropped her wand. She shook her head and gave her Grandmother a sheepish look. "No?" Roberta lifted an eyebrow. "Really, then why are you looking like a tomato?" Hermione tried to control her blush as Emma sat down, placing some coffee in front of everyone. "Now Mother, don't be such a tease." Roberta huffed. "Just curious dear, I haven't heard a peep from either of you about my granddaughter's interests. I don't expect to be a great grandmother soon but it would be nice to know if my granddaughter has her heart set on someone." Hermione looked at her mom who nodded. She bit her lip as she looked at her Grandmother. "I am … dating someone actually. Their family will be
joining us for today and for Christmas." Roberta hummed. "Must be serious then." Hermione nodded. "We are. It's just… it's not a boy." Roberta looked at Hermione and then back at Emma, seeing that they were both looking at her. She drank from her coffee. "Does she make you happy?" Hermione nodded. "I've never been happier."
Roberta sighed. "I won't say that I can just accept this completely, but I won't do anything to hurt you, Hermione. If she makes you happy then I am happy for you. Just remember this is all quite new to me and I need time to… adjust. You being a witch was quite the surprise as it was." Hermione nodded and hugged her grandmother. "Thanks for being understanding. We won't do anything to make you uncomfortable." Roberta hugged her back. "You can be… close and kiss, just don't go too far, ok?" Hermione kissed her grandmother on the cheek. "Thank you. We will be discreet, I promise." Emma looked at the clock. "Hermione, why don't you finish up getting your room ready for your Grandmother. The Blacks will be here soon." Hermione went up to her room as Roberta looked at Emma. "You don't have a problem with that?" Emma shrugged. "I met the young woman and I can see how much she cares for Hermione. She has her issues but none that bother me. Hermione adores her and they are quite cute together. Fair warning, she is a bit of a tease. She will adhere to keeping things acceptable but she'll make you work for it."
Roberta chuckled. "Sounds like you and Dan early in your relationship. You loved teasing him so much in front of me, just to see how he would panic when he noticed I was there." Emma blushed but had a smile on her face. "I've been doing that with Hermione recently. We had a lot of fun last summer teasing her but this year she learned how to block the sound from reaching her room." Roberta laughed at that. "The poor girl." Hermione came down the stairs. "Room's ready. Why are you two laughing?" The two women gave her teasing looks and Hermione got a bad feeling. The sound of the door ringing was just the thing she needed to escape from them. "I got it!" The moment she opened the door a black mass of fur knocked her onto the ground, it's cold nose tickling her neck. "Padfoot, stop!" A bark at her side made her look and she saw the red eyes of her friend's familiar. She frowned and turned back to the Grim on top of her, seeing a pair of familiar cyan eyes and what she knew was a devilish grin. "Rhea! Get off!" The cyan eyed Grim shot off and went back outside, Padfoot chasing after her as Sabrina and Sirius helped her back onto her feet.
Hermione glared at Sirius and his grin. He knew. "You put her up to this?" He looked affronted. "Of course not, I would never tell my daughter to prank someone. I would definitely not tell her not to." Sabrina whacked him on the head. "Don't mind him. He is just happy to be away from France this winter. He gets railroaded into the snow by the kids of the family all the time and is just happy to have a quiet year." Hermione could see that and she could imagine how nervous the Lady Prasinos made him. She had been nice but she still got some goosebumps thinking about her. She stood to the side. "My Mom and Grandma are in the family room while Dad is in the kitchen." Sirius and Sabrina cleaned their snow covered boots while taking the off. "Might want to either invite those two in or join them outside. Padfoot has been dying to play in the snow since Rhea brought him back from Egypt. The Grim aren't fans of the heat." Hermione nodded as she stuck her head outside, watching the two Grim chase each other. She sighed and went back inside. A few minutes later the two Grim were tumbling in the snow when a snowball hit one in the back. Two furry heads looked towards where the ball came from and spotted Hermione besides an open gate. She threw a few more before she rushed into the backyard as the two followed her.
The adults watched from inside as Hermione dodged the two furballs as they played in the snow. Emma looked at Sabrina. "How do you tell the difference?" Sabrina smiled. "One of the Grim has bronze streaks on its body and cyan eyes, the other is pitch black with red eyes. You can probably also guess on who goes first. Rhea is much more sure about her movements while Padfoot likes to hang back." Roberta blinked. "Wait, one of those dogs is a person?" Sabrina jabbed Sirius in the ribs. "My husband and daughter are Animagi and have dog-like forms. Rhea just doesn't use hers as much. The cold snow and wanting to tease Hermione made her decide to show off a bit." The adults watched as the two dogs tripped and played with Hermione until one of them shot straight at Hermione and shifted form. The bushy haired Gryffimdor looked at Rhea's flushed face and mirthful eyes as she smiled down at her after tackling her to the ground. "Was this really necessary?" Rhea smirked, "Of course, my lady. It's Yuletide! Besides, the look on your face was priceless." Rhea leaned down and kissed Hermione lightly on the lips. "Anything I should know before going inside?" Hermione sighed, feeling her body flush warm. Of course her girlfriend would get her away to make sure everything with her Grandmother was fine.
After filling her in and brushing off the snow, the two witches and the Grim entered the house, Rhea greeting the Grangers warmly, including Roberta. Padfoot looked at the Christmas tree and after smelling it for a bit he curled up in front of it and took a nap. Rhea sat down beside Hermione who was surprised to see her wearing a lot more green than black. She chatted happily with Hermione's parents and Grandmother. Roberta looked between the two young women and could see how comfortable they were together. She gave her granddaughter a fond smile and a nod. Dan eventually called everyone to eat at the dinner table. Rhea looked to enjoy the Roast Beef that Dan had been working on for the day, as well as the mashed potatoes and oven roasted vegetables. After some English Trifle for dessert, the two families gathered at the Chimney as Sirius lit the Yule Log on fire. Hermione watched as Rhea closed her eyes and her magic flared, wrapping the log in it. "Guard and warm the lives within these walls from the spirits and the cold of the dark on this longest night. Let the fire burn long and true until the year that is past and a new year has dawned." The magic settled as the flames seemed to take a more steady and even burn.
Sabrina looked at a surprised Roberta. "Yule to us is as Christmas is to you. We are delaying ours this year in honor of your family's traditions but the Yule Log is one that is quite necessary. By applying magic to it, it acts as a temporary ward, keeping the house comfortably warm, keeping dangerous spirits out and doing so until the New Year. We actually left a Yule log burning in our home as well, with our Elves looking after the house in our absence." Roberta hummed. "Reminds a bit of the old customs from my county. The Christmas Wreaths were made by our Reverend and passed around the homes to be hanged out on the front door." Rhea, with Padfoot's head on her lap, nodded. "The Yuletide traditions and those of Christmas aren't all that different, it's just a matter as to who is being worshiped. In the end, most are prayers aimed at asking for a safe and short winter and a blessing for the New Year. With Magic involved, the practices take on a bit more literal effect. What you described as being done by the Reverend used to be done by the Celtic Priests, with them coming to each home, lighting the Yule Log for the families in their charge and placing a warding wreath at the door."
The evening carried on as Dan and Sirius traded alcohol with Roberta joining in, catching Hermione by surprise. She did glare at Rhea though, who wisely kept to wine with her, Sabrina and
Emma. The families eventually turned in, with Hermione transfiguring the sofas into mattresses as she and Rhea settled in for the night. The two sat at the edge of the mattress, rubbing Padfoot's back as they watched the Yule log and Christmas tree. Rhea rested her head on Hermione's shoulder. Feeling a little bold Hermione pulled Rhea back onto the bed and straddled her. The two kissed deeply as they settled into the bed, enjoying the warmth of the log and from the other's body as sleep took them.
- -
Rhea grinned at a clearly annoyed Hermione. After the last few days where the Blacks spent the days away taking care of their responsibilities and coming back to the Granger home for dinner, Christmas Day finally dawned. As a rule the youngest went first, which meant Padfoot got his new doggy bed and chew toy, which looked a lot like a real femur to Hermione. Rhea followed with getting a heavily enchanted journal from her mother for her to use to document her own work as a Necromancer. Sabrina had already given her one for Healing Magic when she got her Healer's certificate, so the new one for Death Magic had been very appreciated by her daughter. Sirius gave her a stuffed toy Owl that looked like Nyx, which the Owl familiar eyed with some ill intent before Rhea admonished her. The stuffed owl sat in her lap with Nyx on her shoulder as she opened a gift from Hermione. She stared at a black and gold wristwatch. Hermione felt warm at seeing how much Rhea liked it. "I know you have a pocket watch which is a Magical tradition for Heirs and Heiresses but I thought you could wear this when you had business elsewhere and wouldn't need to keep track of time to the second."
Hermione received a strong hug from Rhea. "I love it. Thank you." Which led to Hermione digging through her own gifts which included a few bits of clothes, a photo album with pictures of her and her grandfather that Roberta made for her which made her tear up. She had given Roberta one of the two Richardsons together the previous Christmas at her Grandfather's suggestion from Samhain. Which left three boxes from Rhea, one being quite large. Her eye had twitched at that. She pulled the larger box and glared at her smirking girlfriend. "Which order should I go with?" Rhea hummed. "Big to small." Hermione sighed and pulled open the big box. Her breath caught and she eyed a lot of bronze and wood implements. "It's a Ritualist kit. The box is to store as many implements and materials as you want, with a few extra compartments built into it. The bowls, knives and brushes are all enchanted to resist lingering magic and to stay clean." Hermione bit back any complaints. She was studying to be a Ritualist and this was Rhea showing her support. "Thank you." She proceeded to open the next package and found an empty journal like the one Sabrina gave Rhea. It was covered in leather and bronze trimmings. She eyed the last gift.
Rhea's Ritualist Kit was expensive, and the book felt heavily enchanted. Did Rhea spend on the last one or did she go more conservative. Hermione unwrapped the present and opened it. She eyed the item carefully. It looked to be a necklace made of cloth, with a beautiful blue teardrop pendant ringed in silver. She looked closely at the pendant and could see an image within or behind the gem. It was that of an open book with swirls of magic leaping from the pages and a crescent moon cradling it from beneath. She touched the gem pendant and felt magic tied to it. It also felt a bit heavy. She turned it around and saw an inscription. For a Wonderful Year, The First
of Many. She looked at Rhea who looked sheepish. "Do you like it?" Hermione nodded. "It's perfect." Rhea smiled. "It's a locket. Pressing the top unlocks it. It can hold two photos, for when you find something worth putting inside." Hermione pulled Rhea into a hug. "Thank you." She kissed Rhea lightly on the lips, leaving her flushed as she pulled it over her head. She felt magic settle into place on her skin.
Hermione eyed Rhea. "Do I want to know what enchantments are on it?" Rhea scratched Padfoot's head. "Wards against poison, tripping, blunt force and magical attacks. They can't stop everything but anything lethal becomes non-lethal." Hermione went through that in her mind. "I didn't think sapphire and silver could hold that many enchantments." Rhea hummed as Hermione looked at the Blacks. None were looking her in the eye. She had a bad feeling. "Rhea, how expensive is it?" Rhea had a thoughtful look but it didn't convince Hermione. "It's not as expensive as it looks." Hermione glared. "That means it's less or more. My guess is on more." Rhea eyed the backyard door. "Yeah, a bit more." Hermione was feeling a headache forming. "Rhea, an honest and straight answer would be nice." Rgea sighed, defeated. "It's not Silver, it's Mithril. The stone is still a Sapphire, one that took a bit of work to get the image to form. The pendant is just as expensive as the one I got you for your birthday, just less flashy." Hermione sighed. "I still like it Rhea, but please go easier on the price. I hate to think what my engagement ring is going to be like."
Sirius coughed after his drink of tea went into his lungs, while Sabrina hummed. "Trust me Hermione, the engagement ring will be expensive, regardless of what you say. Just be happy that your necklace was somehow still cheaper than mine. I am putting it on the Goblins liking Rhea enough to get her the raw materials for a cheaper price." Hermione blinked. "It's not Goblin made?" Rhea chuckled bitterly. "Nope, anything Goblin made is property of the crafter and I don't want any further issues with Gringotts about Goblin made items. I had to pay a ridiculous amount to keep Godric's sword in Hogwarts hands permanently. The Swiss Magical Community is surprisingly well versed in Mithril and gem work, with them even using modern engraving tools for rune work. That Locket is staying with you and your family till the end of time." Hermione dropped the issue about it then, but spent the rest of the morning attached to Rhea's side.
- -
Unlike Yule and Christmas, the Blacks and the Grangers were gathered at Grimmauld with the Black allies and extended family. This year Rhea managed to spend the entire event with her family, making it a wonderful day as she made sure to leave Ragnok a nice bottle of Scorpion Gin from his favorite cousin in America to keep the Goblin Chieftain from calling her in for business on the new legislation being prepared for the first Wizengamot Session of the year. Watching Aunt Bella try and tease Amelia throughout the whole night was absolutely hilarious, especially as more liquor entered their system. It was hardly an hour before midnight when the two disappeared upstairs, leaving behind a very flustered Susan who was being teased by Draco and Dora about becoming cousins soon. Rhea was not above joining the teasing, especially when Sally kept taking
pictures. Hermione had been a bit annoyed with Susan about the previous New Years photos and wanted revenge. While Rhea hated hypocrisy since she did collect a copy of any and all photos from the year prior, she wasn't above getting her girlfriend a bit of material. She and her friends were a bad influence on Hermione but they all refused to apologize.
Watching the Grangers and Roberta talk with Narcissa and Andromeda was an interesting experience but apparently Arcturus and Melania loved to take their grandchildren out to Castle Black for horseback riding, which was Roberta's previous occupation. It was nice seeing what little things in life could get the oddest of people to talk amicably. Rhea walked over to Uncle Lucius. "How was the proposal met?" The Slytherin eyed her with barely restrained mirth. "Some complaints from the more Traditional elements, but the projected profits and the request distribution of votes got through to most in the end. It's a big change and will take some time to get fully realized but we will see it through." Rhea bowed her head to the man. "My thanks Uncle Lucius, for your help with this. I was wondering when would you like to see me make the claim to the title and my ancestry clear to Magical Britain. While I feel it might aid in dealing with the Dark, it could sour the Light's support that Augusta managed to get."
Lucius looked pensive. "I would say it would be best to wait for the time you officially sit on the Wizengamot yourself, if not later. This would place your own position within the Neutrals clearly, your new allies would be in position to support you and any backlash would not impact Hogwarts or its students." Rhea saw his points and nodded. She had wanted to wait about revealing her ties to Morgana of Ravenclaw and possessing her Ancestor title of Le Fay for later but it was hard being overly patient while the Wizengamot was still recovering from the chaos of Dumbledore's disappearance and the arrest and imprisonment of several Dark faction Heads of Houses. "I agree with your assessment and I thank you for your time, Uncle. Was the gift you secured for Narcissa as well received as expected?" The typically stoic man blushed. "Indeed it was, my niece. Narcissa was most happy with it. Thank you for the recommendation. I'll be sure to see how we can help sponsor them further for further British business." Rhea smiled. Getting in touch with the Swiss crafters had been an unexpected boon. Maybe negotiating a local store would be in their interests.
Rhea continued to mingle in her usual formal attire, spending some time with the Greengrass family. The matter of the upcoming Minister for Magic election was present in everyones' minds. Fudge's career had basically imploded from the moment his Undersecretary was found guilty of harming a student, with the woman rambling about doing it all in service of the Minister and the future of the Ministry. The Quibbler and the Prophet, both now protected by law from political pressure and held to higher standards of honesty when reporting public events, ate away at his public support, leaving the man very unpopular. The Goblins themselves took his initial dismissal of their Chieftain from the honor of representing a Noble and Most Ancient House poorly, freezing his accounts and releasing his bank statements to the DMLE. Amelia had recused herself as a Ministry employee and placed the investigation under Lord Abbott's control, leading to an audit of the Ministry's funds in the years Fudge worked there. Lucius' testimony and payment of fines for his part in the Minister's bribes saved the Malfoy's and the Dark from being dragged down with the man.
Eventually an election was called, as well as placing Fudge under reduced capacity. He would remain as Minister until the election by the Wizengamot but would be utterly powerless to do anything in the meantime. The man was lucky he wasn't under house arrest or in Azkaban, as his trial would officially begin in the days after the election was over. Word had reached the Neutrals that the Light had sought to elect Dumbledore, but since no one had seen him since June, it was a toss up if Lord Doge or Lord Diggory would be their official nominee. The Neutrals were already preparing their own nominee, one they had already discussed with the Dark. The election would not be a close race. Rhea eyed her wristwatch and excused herself as she went looking for Hermione. Her beautiful girlfriend was talking with Josephine, who as a distant cousin to the Prasinos had been invited, the two discussing the proper care of a Ritual Magic kit. It warmed Rhea's heart as she heard how careful Hermione wanted to be with it. It also made her laugh because the kit, while expensive, was not the most expensive one in the market. She had picked it because it was the one all the Prasinos and Greene Ritualists swore by, being one they manufactured themselves.
Rhea reached out and touched Hermione's arm feeling her body react to her touch positively. She was also unusually warm. "Been drinking from the grown up table?" Hermione pouted at her, "Not as much as you think. I was just trying out the selection." Dora, who stood nearby, chuckled. "Sure she did. Took a swig of that Dwarven Champagne and her cheeks lit right up. Where did you get the stuff anyway?" Rhea shrugged. "The Dwarf leading the Curse Breakers I rescued in Egypt from Inferi might have made a bad impression with me and the High Priest of the local Temple of the Dead. The King got word of it and sent out formal apologies to myself and the Temple, along with a lot of Dwarven Ale and Champagne. Heard Mahad had to pry Maana away from the stuff. She likes to drink but one sip makes her head spin and the Dwarves like their Alcohol content to get as close to rocket fuel as possible." Josephine huffed. "The Dwarves were lucky then. We get some nasty Voodoo Zombies out in the Gulf and Caribbean territories. They are slower than Inferi but much harder to take out. Fire does nothing but make them more dangerous."
Dora looked at Josephine. "You have Auror or Curse Breaker training?" Josephine shrugged. "Not enough to qualify for them but enough to not be a bother in missions where a Ritualist is needed. It was a requirement for us in Ilvermorny. No Auror would take anyone out as a specialist if they could get themselves or others killed." Dora hummed. "You think you could keep in touch with me? Bonesy wants to revamp the DMLE to be a bit more efficient but we don't have a clue about hiring specialists. The Unspeakables have them of course, but getting Croaker to let his eggheads out under the sun is nearly impossible." Josephine nodded. "Send me an Owl and I will see what I can do. My brother Luke is an Auror and we keep in touch so I can probably get a copy of their guidelines." Rhea nodded to Josephine and Dora, "We'll let you two get on that." Rhea guided Hermione to what they both now called their window as the minutes ticked by. Rhea hugged Hermione from behind, her chin resting on Hermione's shoulder. "Any plans for tonight?" Hermione grew warm. "Would I be allowed into your room for tonight?"
Rhea hummed a positive response. The two waited as the minutes were counted down before Hermione turned to Rhea and kissed her deeply as the clock struck twelve. Rhea and Hermione mingled a little as the guests wished each other a Happy New Year before they escaped to Rhea's room. Hermione took it in, "It reminds me a bit of your Chamber at Hogwarts." She eyes the two plushies on her bed. "You didn't strike me as the type." Rhea went to her bed and pulled both onto her lap. "I didn't have toys growing up. Mom got me Padfoot here as my first Yule present. Dad
getting me an Owl now was probably to keep Nyx happy with me having a plushie of both of my familiars, though Nyx at first didn't see it that way." Hermione frowned. "How many Padfoots do you have?" Rhea thought about it. "Three, four if you count Dad's Animagus form." Hermione sighed. "You are not naming the kids." Rhea pouted. "Hey, I am not that bad." Hermione gave her a soft glare before leaning in for a kiss. "Fine, but I get veto over the names." Rhea's mind was filled with warmth as she tasted her girlfriend. She saw no point in arguing further. "I can live with that." The two kissed for a bit, their hands roaming each other's bodies.
Hermione pulled back. "Can you turn off the lights?" Rhea waved her hand and the lights went out, leaving a blue light as the only illumination in the room. "Turn around." Rhea looked away from Hermione as she heard her shuffle with her cyan dress and jewels. "Ok, you can look." Rhea turned and her mind froze at the sight. Hermione leaned over and kissed her lips gently. "I made you wait a year and in that time we have only grown closer. I love you Rhea. I am sure I can love you for the rest of my days. Even when you drive me insane, even when you tease me. Even then I can never stop loving you. So, from tonight onwards I am yours entirely. Will you be mine?" It took Rhea a moment to process her words, her mind still having trouble getting past what her eyes see. "Yes. I am yours." Hermione helped Rhea undress until they both slipped into the bed, Rhea's lips locked onto Hermione's neck, their hands wandering everywhere. Hermione's voice drove Rhea onward, leaving the brunette panting and recovering from losing consciousness before she tackled her raven haired lover and paid her back in full. The two eventually collapsed onto each other, bodys exhausted and hearts full of warmth. It wouldn't be until morning and the two trying to go again that Rhea had a moment of panic. She forgot to silence the walls.
Chapter End Notes
So, What did you think? Roberta is based on a character from one of the first fanfictions I ever read, "Vox Corporis" by MissAnnThropic, which is currently reposted on FFN and elsewhere. Its by no way a perfect story, but at the time I read it the story impacted me. The grandmother of Hermione in that story was funny and I atleast wanted to have a moment for my version of her to appear after Hermione bonded with her Grandfather on Samhain.
Next Chapter?: a look into the lives of everyone else
Well, the Year 2 finale is almost done in my other story. Finally. Already touching Year 3 and setting up Year 4. Focusing on that is helping with the nerves about Blood and Magic, as we only have 2 more chapters to post. Hope everyone has been enjoying themselves.
Please leave a comment, discuss, and I will see you all in two days.
A New Balance
Chapter Notes
Here is the next chapter. Hope you all like it.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Lady Abbott spent a bit of time with the mallet until the Wizengamot Chamber went silent. Sirius looked around, trying to guess how the session would go. The election of a new Minister was always a noisy affair, especially when said standing Minister is being removed forcefully, rather than them retiring peacefully. Because of the election, the visitors gallery was packed to the brim with reporters from Britain, Europe and ICW observers. While the ICW had been happy not to have another war brewing in Britain, the problems presented by Dumbledore and Fudge had made the International Assembly quite unhappy. There was a lot riding on this election, especially for the coming years. Of course the most significant thing about this election was the fact that Ragnok would be casting a vote. Sure, it was in the name of Rhea, but the Chieftain of Gringotts Albion was part of the Wizengamot and would be voting for a new Minister. The entire world was curious to see just how this would play out. Sirius smiled, as he knew they were all going to be in for one hell of a shock afterwards.
"Order! This Session of the Wizengamot on January 2nd of 1997 will now commence. Chief Scribe, any business to complete before we officially begin?" Percy Weasley looked over his notes. While Sirius wasn't a fan of the Weasleys as much as James, he had been surprised to see the third son stick to politics while his former boss was politically gutted. He would have to keep an eye on him. Charlie Weasley's Neutral stance was well known as he was more interested in magical creatures. William Weasley, however, was one to watch. He was close to Dumbledore during the last year. Whether he was a believer in the Light's superiority or not was still up for debate. At least under Gringotts he could be observed. The Goblins didn't force his hand to stay Neutral because he served as an unknowing ear into the Order's business. The Goblins certainly had their own interesting use of magic, ones that Wixen had yet to learn. "No pressing business, Chief Witch." Lady Abbott nodded and hammered down. "The Session has now started. Following a vote of no confidence, this Assembly is to nominate its three candidates. All those in favor of a vote of no confidence against Cornelius Fudge, raise your lit ring."
The entire Chamber lit up and Lady Abbott turned to the Minister. "Cornelius Fudge, under a unanimous vote of No Confidence, you are hereby removed from your position. The Aurors will escort you to your home where you will remain under house arrest until your scheduled trial beginning on the 14th of January. You may leave." Fudge left the Chamber, his green bowler hat in his hands. The Chief Witch called for silence. "As per the Wizengamot's laws, the first faction to make their nominee known is the Light." James Potter stood up. "The Light nominates Aimos Diggory for Minister." The Chief Witch waited as did the Chamber. No one else seconded it immediately There was some snickering among the Neutrals and Dark. Finally, Lord Doge sighed and stood up. "I second the nomination." Sirius could barely control his smile. There had been some debate among the Neutrals about who would be nominated. Most thought it would have been
Lord Doge, but it seemed Lord Potter forced his way in. The silence to his nomination was a clear sign that House Potter had lost its place among the Light.
Lady Abbott spoke up. "The Wizengamot will now hear the nomination from the Neutrals." The Neutrals waited patiently as Chieftain Ragnok stood up, catching everyone else by surprise. The Elder Goblin smiled. "The Neutrals nominate Cyrus Greengrass for Minister." Amelia stood up. "As Regent of House Bones, I second the nomination." Sirius sat back and watched as the Visitors Gallery erupted into murmurs loud enough for the Chief Witch to silence them. "The Dark may now name their nominee." Lord Nott stood up. "I nominate Luicus Malfoy for Minister." The Lady Rosier stood up. "House Rosier seconds the nomination." Lady Abbott called the three nominees to the floor of the Chamber. "The three of you have been nominated. What say you?" Both Aimos and Cyrus accepted the nomination. Lucius, on the other hand, spoke up "With the greatest of respect to my peers, even I can see my colored past and mistakes would only harm any administration I directed. As such, I formally withdraw, happily awarding all the votes of my peers to Cyrus Greengrass."
The maneuver caught the Light by surprise as Lady Abbott asked Lucius to return to his seat. The Chief Witch looked up to the Dark faction. "Any of you willing to change your vote or abstain may do so now." The Dark deliberated for a bit and nothing changed. The Chief Witch nodded and turned to the Chamber in full. "I now call for a vote on the candidates for Minister for Magic." The vote went as expected. With the exception of Doge, Potter and a few more of Dumbledore's former allies, the majority voted for the Neutral candidate. Lady Abbott silenced the Visitors Gallery again. "By large majority, the Wizengamot hereby confers the office of Minister for Magic to Cyrus Greengrass." The applause covered the chamber in noise as Cyrus took his non-binding oath before taking Fudge's former seat with Lady Greengrass taking her husband's seat among the Neutrals. Lady Abbott called for order. "With the election completed, representatives from the three factions are submitting an agreed-upon proposition on the restructuring of the Wizengamot, including the inclusion of Seats and Votes for representatives of the non-noble families and organized magical creatures."
Sirius laughed as his wife, Madam Longbottom and Lord Malfoy began to pass the package among their factions, with the visitors gallery clearly in chaos. The proposed bill was accepted and tabled for discussion in the next Wizengamot meeting. Sirius stood up and bowed to Chieftain Ragnok. "Our hard work is now in the hands of the Assembly." The elder Goblin nodded as he stood up. "Indeed, Lord Black. With the changes to the Wizengamot and the Ministry, the time for a new age seems to be upon us all. I will go inform the Elders Council and our Lady. She may not need to go public soon but she has the authority to call for a Court. When the measure is discussed, having representatives ready to add their voices to the proposition should make the process run smoother." Sirius nodded. "Do try and be polite, my daughter is currently nursing a bruised ego after getting caught with her consort without silencing wards in place. Our House Elf silenced the chamber a bit too late." The Goblin laughed. "I will be sure to send her some drinks to help her forget the humiliation. To a new alliance, Lord Black." Sirius felt his wife's hand on his arm as he made to leave. "To a more profitable future for us all, Chieftain Ragnok."
- -
Amelia opened the door leading to Director Croaker's office. "Usually we meet in my office." Saul Croaker smiled at Amelia and motioned for the seat in front of him. "I wanted to be the one to inform you, as well offer a gesture of bipartisanship. This is the first major corroboration between our Departments in years. It seemed only fair." Amelia nodded and eyed the bottle of Scotch on the table. "That bad?" Saul smiled wider. "On the contrary, we got quite a bit to celebrate. Our Unspeakables have been given quite a bit to work with alongside the DMLE. My investigators are quite excited to get started." Amelia sat down and rubbed her eyes. She really shouldn't have spent another night with Bella. Sure, she would be going back to Hogwarts and Amelia would get bogged down with work in the next few weeks, but spending two nights in a row in the bed of the Black Witch had not been the most restful. "I would appreciate some coffee more than alcohol right now." Croaker went to the coffee maker and served Amelia a cup. He waited until his collegue nodded before he started.
"Our experts that study Magical Creatures and Death Magic have been given quite a bit to work with. Our observer in the Hogwarts communal ritual was surprised by the readings they got from it. It matched the Archway, formerly known as the Veil. We asked the Lady Peverell for her thoughts on both." Amelia was hoping the matter of the stolen loket didn't come up. "And?" Croaker looked at his paper. "While our diagnostics can detect the presence of Death Magic, we aren't capable of distinguishing what it's doing. The Archway emits the same as the Ritual, as one of Lady Peverell's animations and the same as the Creatures associated with Death. The Lady Peverell believes this is not that unexpected, since only Necromancers are supposed to understand the nuances of Death Magic. We have begrudgingly agreed." Amelia nodded. "What does this mean for your studies on the subject?" Croaker chuckled. "They are at a standstill with one new objective. Helping to identify Necromancers. We are submitting a request for a joint ICW venture to help identify Necromancers and get them to learn from each other. The reason I am informing you should be obvious."
Amelia looked at Croaker. "Enforcement. You want to have the Necromancers study, understand and observe Death Magic and to give them the authority to enforce any practitioners of the magic should it be used inappropriately." Croaker drank from his own coffee, "Exactly. Lady Peverell has agreed to help in the instruction of any willing Necromancers under the understanding that the information becomes disseminated to Necromancers only. Considering we all get a few Necromancers helping to uncover any mysterious incidents and this should both reduce the likelihood of Necromancers becoming an out of control danger, it does seem like the most beneficial arrangement." Amelia sighed as she nursed her coffee. "I would be fine with it as long as we get it all in writing, from within the Ministry and between us and ICW." Croaker nodded. "Then we are in agreement. Oh, what has the DMLE uncovered about the incident last year at Azkaban?" Amelia thought about what James had stated. "The Dementors acted on an old directive that was never rescinded. What triggered them is up for debate though my Head Auror's less than legal associates mentioned a "Mistress" being responsible for the renewed order."
Croaker pulled out a folder and handed it to Amelia. "The official document of the order in
question. The name of the person who gave it is of interest." Amelia opened the folder and read the orders. "Alexander Peverell." Croaker nodded. "Indeed. The last Lord of House Peverell in its full capacity before Rhea Black. Also a suspected Necromancer, though never confirmed." Amelia looked at Croaker in the eyes. "What are you suggesting?" Croaker placed a memory vial on the table. "Lady Peverell wants a friendly working relationship with the DoM. She was kind enough to offer us her memories of the attack. She also notified me that you were also aware of them? At least in part?" Amelia sighed. "I am. Not sure what she neglected to inform me about." Croaker hummed. "One of the Dementors was destroyed in the attack. However, instead of vanishing into dust it reformed into a soul, whole and untainted, that then vanished into the Veil." Amelia stared at Croaker before looking at the vial.
"What does the DoM intend to do with that information?" Croaker lifted both his hands. "Right now, nothing. We do agree with Lady Peverell, however, that the DMLE should begin to look up alternatives for the Guards of Azkaban. We aren't sure if they may all eventually cease to exist or how long it would take, but best to be prepared for that eventuality." Amelia finished her cup of coffee. "Since Potter has been asking for a desk job while he deals with his Family drama, and since he brought the issue to me, I think I will hand it over to him with some help." Croaker nodded. "We would be happy to lend some of our experts on wards for the job. Might get us something worthwhile. We do have some experience in wards established in cell structures." Amelia frowned. "Something tells me I don't want to know about that." Croaker only grinned as he served her a shot of Scotch and served one to himself. "To our future joint ventures into an interesting new world." Amelia tapped her shot with his. "To a good night's sleep." Croaker chuckled at that as Amelia down the drink.
- -
Lily watched as James sat down on the bench in front of her. Their marriage had barely survived after Dumbledore's notes had been provided by Amelia. James had been very careful not to piss her off or try any underhanded tricks to worm his way out of the mess they were in. Time to see what he wanted to say. "So, what did you want to say to me, James?" He rubbed his hair and the back of his neck. "I am sorry about everything. Like I said, I had no idea about Dumbledore's plans for our son." Lily glared at him. "I want to know what you did know and what you expected out of it. There is a Truth Runic Circle under your seat that will keep you honest. If you stand up and leave, then it's over between us, James. Got that?" James swallowed the lump in his throat. "Ok. I knew that Henry was supposed to confront Voldemort. Albus had us train him to win and cement his position as Chosen One and Conqueror. With that the Light could galvanize the Neutrals and end the Darks for good." Lily huffed. "Sounds like that planned backfired in its entirety."
James couldn't disagree. The Wizengamot and the Ministry had now fallen under Neutral control and with his former Allies all shattered and arguing with each other, there was little chance of that changing. After the disastrous vote in the election, the Light bloc he had worked so hard to
lead dissolved completely. Augusta had gathered what was left of the Light families and consolidated them into a new bloc more focused on negotiating with the Neutrals so Light values, beliefs and traditions weren't dismissed out of hand. The Neutrals had happily accommodated her. Now they had the new proposed legislation that would give more rights and representation to Muggleborns and Magical Creatures. He honestly couldn't find any way for the Light to fight against it. It was probably going to pass, shifting the balance of power further away from the Light. Everything they had worked on for the last 16 years, gone. He had listened to his father's portrait and agreed to just let the Wizengamot do its thing, maybe even appoint a Proxy. He could then focus on what really mattered. Doing everything he could to fix his family.
"I was thinking about stepping back from Politics. Appointing a Proxy for our Seat and Vote. I also asked Amelia to be off the field roster." Lily lifted an eyebrow at that. "And what do you intend to do with all this free time you now have?" James looked at her with pleading eyes. "I want us to be a family again, Lily. I want to wake up beside my wife and see my son in the mornings." Lily stared at him hard. "It's not going to be as simple as asking, James. You practically dragged our family into its current crisis because of how we worked. If you want to see all that, if you want to be a family again, we will have changes. I refuse to be left in the dark again." James, seeing no point to disagree, nodded. "Ok, what do you want?" Lily glared at him. "You and I are staying as equal coheads. That is non-negotiable until we both agree to hand over the Headship to Henry. This Proxy will be appointed by the two of us. If we can't agree, then we don't have a Proxy and neither of us has a voice in the Wizengamot. I get access to all the same files you do that aren't from the DMLE. This relationship will be a partnership or it will be over. Got that?"
James felt his heart break. He had worked so hard to be the Head of the Potter family and now he was being asked to give it up partially. Then again, if he refused, there would be no family left. Just him. He closed his eyes and thought back to how dreadful the Master Bedroom had felt all alone these last six months. How suffocating it had been. Maybe sharing the burden would make it easier. He would still have a family at least. "Agreed." Lily blinked at him, surprised he had accepted so readily. Maybe there was hope for them yet. She didn't want Henry to go the next few years without his father. She had already taken his sister from him. Maybe, just maybe they could just be a family again. "Any thoughts on who you would put as our Proxy?" James thought for a second. "I had thought about Shacklebolt but I think Arthur would be better. He has been a lot more settled lately and he has experience with the Ministry." Lily nodded. "Considering we just trusted our son to him while we talked here, I would say that he is our best bet. Now, how soon can we start looking over the Potter family finances?" James whined. It was going to be a long day.
- -
"Look, they got the Firebolt MK II." Henry followed Ginny into the Quidditch supply shop as her parents watched on from outside, talking with the Twins about their shop. Henry didn't know where they got the funds from but Weasley Wizarding Wheezes was a great place. They had a lot of neat trick items as well as a few interesting ones like the Extendable Ears and shield hats. The
store had clearly gathered some clientele as it had been quite full when they visited the place. Henry could see that Mrs. Weasley wasn't exactly happy about the jobs the twins had but he could tell they both enjoyed it. Ron had been helping them out since dropping out of Hogwarts, helping with setting the wares. Henry had been quite bothered by not having Ron at school with him, but there was nothing he could do as he didn't care to come back and his mom didn't disagree. At least Ginny had come back along with Neville. The dynamic between all of them had changed since the start of the new year, which bothered him at first until he realized why everything felt different.
He wasn't looked at as the celebrity or champion everyone wanted him to be. He was just another student at the school. He remembered what Hermione had told him at the start of the last year and he felt guilty. He would go apologize to her when they got back to school. He had been a jerk to her for not following his lead and taking things seriously, but she had been right. He was only a 16 year old boy still studying. He had no idea how Rhea had faced off against Voldemort twice and survived, though from what Hermione said she wasn't alone the first time and had caught Voldemort in a trap the second time around. He had been so happy everything was over he really didn't care about her not returning the Cloak. The worst moment in the summer had been when his mom and Alice had sat him and Neville down and explained what Dumbledore had been planning, how he had already made a plan should he fail to save Henry from the link with Voldemort. Albus Dumbledore, who he had looked up to as a grandfather, had planned his death. All because of the Prophecy.
Spending the summer away from it all had been actually a lot of fun. While he didn't get to fly as much, he did get to talk with the other students who stayed behind. He had been surprised to see the Carrow Twins there, who had been given sanctuary as their relatives settled a legal dispute over their custody, though he heard they just might stay in Hogwarts until they graduated, essentially bypassing the whole mess in the courts. He had also met a few kids who were from foster homes and didn't exactly have the best lives out of Hogwarts. They were given sanctuary too, with the Ministry settling their custody issues as well. All of them made him think about Rhea. She had been a lot like them, left behind and abandoned in a horrible life. He had been so mad at her when she chased Dumbledore out of the Castle. Now he could look back and see what she was doing. She was looking after the kids who had been like her, ignored or passed over by people who just didn't care. She kicked Dumbledore out because he had been part of the problem.
Being saved by the Blacks had felt so odd at first. He had looked at them as the enemy, and they had still saved him. All because he was Dorea's grandson. Because his mother, desperate to save him, had gone to Rhea for help and she and Hermione had convinced her to do it. He had remembered seeing Rhea and Hermione together in the Hospital Wing. At first he had been a bit jealous but in the end he could see why Hermione fell for Rhea. In the five years he knew her he had been a terrible friend, while Rhea knew her for two years and had never taken her for granted, ignored her or tried to tell her what to do. They had just been friends who cared about each other. Now they were more and they still cared about each other. The fact Hermione would still sit beside him in the Great Hall a few times made him feel so guilty. He owed a lot to her and Neville for sticking by him despite how horrible he had been to them.
"You know, when I brought you in here, I didn't think you would get all pensive over a
broom." Henry blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry Ginny, got lost in thought for a moment." Ginny gave him an understanding look. "I can imagine." He looked at Ginny and saw that he owed her too. He had been beside her since her first year and he never noticed the damage the diary had done to her. He had thought of her as shy at first, until he learned about how Tom had twisted her to do his bidding, isolating her from her friends as he tried to drain her. He had been so thankful that he had learned how to spar with swords while training with Neville, or he would never have managed to save her. It gawled him, though, to know he had still failed her as she struggled with the things Riddle made her do. She had essentially made him the focus of her attention as Riddle had once been, just so she could cope. A little bit more than a year after seeing the Mind Healers, Ginny had finally been breaking out of her trauma. She had taken Angelina's place in the Gryffindor team and was doing well besides Katie and Robins.
Henry looked over the store. "Want to try out some gloves? The ones at school might fit you, but having your own pair helps out a lot." Ginny looked at the gloves displayed. "I don't know. Mom has been a bit less tight with money now that it's just Ron and me at home with her and Dad, but I don't want to presume." Henry touched her on the back and guided her to the glove selection. "I owe you a lot over the years. I know I sent you some candy every year but you deserve a proper Christmas present. What do you say, a pair of gloves and some goggles for the days of bad weather?" Ginny looked unsure but went to try on the gloves. She came back with a decent pair and Henry went over and got a matching set of goggles. Though she had been reticent about it, he could tell she was happy about them. "I was thinking, how about we try out a few more flying drills when we get back? Cormac, Jimmy and Ritchie could use more flying practice and Katie will probably want to try out some new formations with you. We can't let Malfoy and Nott beat us again after last year." Ginny gave him a bright smile. "Sure. How about some hot chocolate from Fortescue's? It's just as good as his ice cream." The two sat down and Henry looked at Ginny enjoying her drink and talking about Quidditch. He could honestly admit that this was a lot better than worrying about some silly politics.
- -
"Oh, these are pretty!" Astoria watched on as her sister dragged her and Luna through the family greenhouses. Though to be fair, it was a great place to be during the Yuletide. The greenhouses kept a variety of plants all year round, which meant that they could technically be outside without a heavy jacket or a warming charm. She did envy Luna though, since her locket had a warming charm tied to it by Rhea which apparently was perfect for keeping her comfortable in any weather as long as she wore appropriate clothes. There was no saving cold naked feet from the cold if she wasn't wearing shoes. Astoria looked at her sister explaining to Luna the different colors the plants naturally come in. The three eventually make it to the center of the greenhouse which has a table and viewing gallery. Their House Elf popped in and placed their tea and pastries. Daphne nodded to the Fae. "Thank you, Elsy." The three settled in and Luna looked at Daphne. "Did Professor Sprout tell you if she could take you as an apprentice?"
Daphne smiled and drank from her tea. "She did. With the changes coming to Hogwarts and the school gaining a stronger academic position among the European Academies, the Herbology Department is going to see an increase in its resources. Neville will be working alongside me as we get the newer Greenhouses in order. I asked if I could start next year but the construction work and licenses won't be done, not to mention she didn't want to impact my grades." Astoria bit down into a pastry. "What about you, Luna? You haven't said anything about your NEWTs. What are you going for?" Luna blushed. "I am keeping the core classes and following through on Runes and Care. I am also going to take Magical Law." Daphna blinked at that. "Because of the changes to the Organized Magical Creatures getting representation?" Luna had a dreamy smile. "The smaller Fae are trying to see if they can organize behind one of the larger groups and get protection and representation with them. They are hoping the Centaurs and Merpeople get separate Seats, as they can band behind the group they share a territory with."
Astoria hummed. "I have actually seen a lot more fairies around the edges of the Forbidden Forest. They tend to be there a lot on the days it's safe to explore." Luna nodded. "The Centaurs have been organizing with Rhea, the Department of Mysteries and the DRCMC to clear out the remnants of the Acromantula and other invasive species while they negotiate what creatures can be safely reintroduced. The Fairies, Dryads and Unicorns have been spreading out a bit more. Hagrid even got permission and a translator for classes along with the Merpeople in the Black Lake, though we do have to wait for Spring." Astoria glowed, "That sounds so cool. I hope we get to those classes too. I want to see a Kelpie." Daphne glared at her sister. "Mom and Dad would freak out, Tori." Astoria pouted. "They are safe if the Merpeople are riding them. I won't go for the wild ones. I am in Ravenclaw, you know." Daphne conceded the point as she sighed. "Somedays I swear you act like a Gryffindor. I am so glad you got over your Henry Potter crush."
Luna smiled watching Astoria flush in embarrassment. "That was only because you bought me those stupid books. At least you and Rhea got me over it quickly." Daphne looked sheepish. "I thought they were nice, at least the first few books. I just hope he doesn't get to be Head Boy next year. Rhea would blow a gasket." Luna giggled. "She warned the Professors to think it through and be impartial, but if Henry Potter got picked she would ignore the fact she had recused herself from picking and would veto it. She said Lily had been a bit annoyed until Rhea pointed out that while Henry was a better student, he wasn't Head Boy material." Astoria went over the boys from her sister's year. "Who do you think is getting it? I don't see the Hufflepuffs, which leave Draco, Neville, Theo and Tony." Daphne eyed Astoria suspiciously. "Oh, Heir Goldstein is Tony now?" Astoria pouted. "Not interested. He is just a bit childish and doesn't deserve to be called an Heir yet." Daphne thought back to the Prefect meetings. "I see your point. Padma has complained about him a few times when she would sit with us in the group. As for who would be Head Boy, it's a toss up between Draco and Theo, though Blaise is going out of his way to distract Theo quite a bit this year. Neville might be decent as a Prefect but he doesn't stand out academically." Luna finished her pastry and grabbed the pudding Daphne had ordered just for her.
Astoria smirked and decided to tease her sister. "So, who is getting Head Girl?" Daphne huffed. "It's going to be me, Sally or Hermione. Goddess do those two swallow books every morning." Luna giggled. "At least Rhea is out of consideration. Going into 7th year with her Healers Certification and her nearly completing a Mastery in Potions would have ruined all your chances." Daphne had a bittersweet smile. "True, but I hate that she won't be graduating with us. She technically did last year in June, though she didn't get a certificate with the rest of the students.
Said it wasn't right after she skipped two years and only managed two full years of proper study. At least she is staying in the Castle until our year graduates." Astoria eyed Luna. "You sure you don't want to ask her to stay longer?" Luna shook her head. "It's ok. She plans to keep in touch and while she has to travel for her Necromancy studies, she still has duties as the new Le Fay. We will be getting together for the major meetings and catching up in summer." Astoria nodded. "You could always try and get the title of Le Fay too. She'd be your sister in a way." Luna beamed. "Oh, I like that. I can get to be Hermione's sister too when they marry."
Daphne was drinking from her tea when Astoria added, "And when you marry Daphne, we can all be sisters!" Daphne fealt the tea go down into her windpipe as she coughed. "Tori!" Astoria giggled as Daphne and Luna blushed. Her sister glared at her. "I told you, I don't know if I want to marry. Luna and I aren't even technically dating." Astoria grinned. "So I shouldn't have sent my sketch of you two to all our friends for Yule? You were quite cute in the empty study hall. Especially when Luna kissed your cheek." Daphne went full crimson. "You did not." Astoria pulled out her sketchbook and showed her her sketch. "Did too." She jumped out of the chair as Daphne lunged after her, the two rushing through the greenhouse as Luna kept eating her pudding. She giggled when an out of breath Daphne paused right next to her. "You get back here, Tori!" Luna passee her a plate with Daphne's favorite strawberry pastries. "I didn't think she could outrun you." Daphne huffed out of breath. "She got really into running after she got cleared. She'd be in the Quidditch team if it wouldn't give our parents a heart attack."
Luna hummed. "So, should I follow Hermione's example and send your parents an official courting request or keep it informal?" Daphne glared at her. "I already told you about my problems, Luna." Luna gave her a dreamy look. "And I already said it didn't matter. Besides, you kissed me first." Daphne sighed dramatically. "It was an enchanted Mistletoe! I swear Rhea placed it there knowing I'd get stuck." Luna smiled. "So? You said you liked it." Daphne slumped onto the table. "Fine, but we are keeping it informal. Astoria is probably getting Mom all worked up about it as it is. I don't want to get her hopes up." Luna took her last spoonful of pudding. "So I shouldn't say that Astoria might be crushing on Draco?" Daphne shot up, "What!?" Draco felt a shiver running down his spine as he sat with his cousins after a long day with the family. "You guys felt that, right?" Dora eyed him carefully. "What?" Draco looked around. "Like someone walked over my grave." Rhea snorted. "Doubt it. It's probably Daphne planning how to give you the shovel talk." Draco eyed her carefully. "Why?" Rhea and Dora giggled. "Oh, you will know." Draco shook his head. "Women." He swiftly regretted that when two boots slammed onto his shoes. Draco got no sympathy from his aunts either. You just don't say that around the Blacks.
Chapter End Notes
So, how was seeing everyone else's point of view? Magical Britain is heading in a new direction and everyone is looking for their place in it.
Next Chapter?: Rhea steps out into a larger world.
So here we are, second to last chapter. We are at the end. Hope you all like it when I
post it in two days. Currently working on Chapter 29 and Year 3 has begun in earnest of my next story. The Ever Changing Face of Death is long and I am somewhat intimidated. Still, we must move forward.
Leave a comment, discuss and see you all in two days.
To New Beginnings
Chapter Notes
The time has come. The Final Chapter of Blood and Magic. Hope you all like it.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Hermione did her best not to fidget as she felt the eyes of the entire school and guests on her and her yearmates. This year's graduation was the largest Hogwarts had seen in a century, as the invited guests now included the parents of first generation wixen. Rhea might have done it to be fair to all students, but Hermione knew it was a gift for her, one she and the staff kept quiet about until the Breakfast of the day. Her girlfriend was going to get one hell of a thank you when they went back to their shared room in the evening. She had been surprised when she got the position of Head Girl, with McGonagall swearing to her the decision was made in absence of Rhea. Her help with the younger years of all houses in the previous year and her academic performance had just barely scraped her above that of Daphne and Sally, who was in consideration despite not being a Prefect. Of course, Daphne didn't take it lying down, successfully out performing her in academics in the year and being Valedictorian for the graduating class, with Sally taking second place and Hermione third. Hermione would have blamed Rhea for distracting her, if her girlfriend hadn't been exceedingly understanding and a non-issue for the whole year. Poor Theo didn't get as lucky with Blaise monopolizing his time, not that he ever complained.
Draco's own appointment to Head Boy had surprised some of the 7th years, those who still looked to Henry as a walking idol. At least her friend had mellowed out a lot, especially after he apologised to her a year and a half ago. He at least got to win the Quidditch House Cup in his final year after Slytherin won the year prior. The party in Gryffindor Tower that night had been loud enough that she left for Ravenclaw Tower within the first five minutes. Rhea had been in a partially pleasant mood, as she had spent most of the day talking with Pomfrey and no students ended up needing their services, a first for a game that decided the Cup. Hooch had gotten certified as a Professor and had taken her position as the instructor for Physical Education and Fitness and Sport with a terrifying zeal. The younger years enjoyed the course's use of magic and friendly games, while the older years bemoaned getting dragged out early in the morning and driven into the ground. Henry swore Hooch was somehow worse than Wood had ever been. She was so glad she stuck to private exercise in the mornings with Rhea. Hermione was proud she had only ever needed a Pepper Up Potion the first week.
Her attention snapped back as her girlfriend of two and a half years addressed the crowd. "Congratulations to all our Graduates on this fine day. Soon you will all be taking your final trip back on the Hogwarts Express, and pursuing your dreams into the wider world. For those in the crowd who will be staying, I do have some announcements to make. As you know, these students were my fellow yearmates when I arrived at the gates of this Castle. Though I will remain Head of Hogwarts Castle, I can no longer continue the role of Headmistress until I see to my own
responsibilities as Head of House. As such, when the Hogwarts Express leaves with the last student aboard, I will step down from my position." There was a lot of noise coming from the first four year groups of students. Rhea had continued to provide the first two years of students with a recreation period, where they learned to apply the magics taught in Defense, Charms and Transfiguration to fun activities. A lot of what she taught in her first year as a Prefect was made part of the Recreation Period class and applied in the Physical Education class. Rhea made a motion for all to settle down. "I have it on good authority that my curriculum will be maintained for the Recreation class under the supervision of Professor Black."
The complaints turned to cheers, which made Rhea's heart sore. Bellatrix had really taken to her position in the Castle and had opted to stay indefinitely, or at least until Amelia decided to retire from her job at the DMLE. Amelia being Amelia refused to just quit when Susan reached the age of 17 and could claim her father's place as Head of House Bones. Susan took that in stride, and applied for the Auror Academy, asking to be mentored by Nymphadora Tonks. The word on the grapevine was that Amelia had summoned Tonks and managed to reach some kind of agreement which left Amelia visiting the Castle and spending the night with Bella, while Dora began to prepare to have an Auror Trainee shadowing her for a few years. None of the ladies involved would discuss what the deal was. Rhea waited for the cheers to subside before she continued. "Professor Greene has agreed to take up the position of Interim Headmistress while Professor Snape concludes the training of his replacement as Hogwarts Potions Master before taking on the full responsibilities as Headmaster." Rhea allowed the student to vent a little before silencing them.
"Let me say this to all! The position was offered to Professor McGonagall who politely turned it down. She would rather remain teaching you all than sitting back and doing a ton of paperwork. Professor Snape requested the position so he could fully dedicate his spare time to developing new Potions, something he can't do if he has to supervise all 7 years of Potions students. This decision was agreed to by the Board of Governors and Hogwarts Faculty. AM I CLEAR?" The silence that followed made Hermione smile. It was a rare thing for the student population to piss off her girlfriend. This was only the third time since she took over the school. The second had been in the aftermath of the Gryffindor Quidditch Victory Celebration, when word had spread about Henry and Ginny being caught in an awkward position in the Gryffindor Locker Rooms. There had been some complaints about it all, including a lot about a failure to maintain decency and a visit from an irate Mrs. Weasley. Molly had been rendered mute by embarrassment when McGonagall aired out her own escapades with Arthur at Hogwarts. The dinner after had been funny though, as Rhea felt ill having defended Henry's honor in front of the whole school.
Rhea took a calming breath. "Now where was I? Ahh. Yes, Professor Greene will be Interim Headmistress until Snape has prepared a proper replacement to his position. That should cover all matters for our returning students. A reminder that while the Graduates have officially completed their education, they must still behave appropriately within Hogwarts Grounds until they are back at King's Cross. From there on they are the concern of their families, the Ministry and the ICW. My condolences to the representatives of all these people present, we can only guarantee academic excellence, not character improvement." The invited guests chuckled, including the Minister, who had been very proud to see his daughter top all the students academically. Rhea smiled. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have one final matter to attend to." Hermione watched Rhea turn towards her and had a sinking feeling when her girlfriend kneeled down before her, pulling out a small ornate box. Sabrina had dragged her to a pensive last January and showed her the memory of her own
engagement with a warning that once she graduated, a request for engagement wouldn't be far behind. She had no idea it was literally going to be right after her graduation, in front of the whole school!
Hermione's heart practically melted when she saw the ring. She could only assume it was a ring made of Mithril like her Locket, with a matching sapphire gem nestled in the open pages of a book. She looked into Rhea's eyes and saw quite a bit of terror there. She hated crowds too, but her position demanded she do it in public and it was best to be amongst friends. This was the only rightful place in her mind. "Hermione Jane Granger, the last two and a half years of my life have been filled with love and joy. In that time, you have been my constant friend, confidant and partner. Today I ask you to take one further role. Will you do me, Rheannon Sabrina Black, the Honor of accepting me as your fiancée and future wife?" The stunned silence remained for a good minute, with the exception of Sirius in the audience, whose mouth was covered by Sabrina who was hesitant to silence him. Hermione closed her eyes as happy tears ran down her cheeks. "Rheannon Black! You are a conniving Witch who probably planned this moment from the start. I should say no just to wipe that smirk off your face. Except that I can't and you know that too. I am going to pay you back for this! My answer is yes!"
Rhea felt a bit of her fear vanish, with the rest turning to concern as to what Hermione would consider payback as she pushed the ring onto her fiancée's finger. She hardly had a second to think before Hermione had pulled her up and locked her lips unto hers. The pure feeling of joy and love that filled their bond from both sides drove them into deepening the kiss until they ran out of breath, only then hearing the applause and well wishes around them. Rhea went a deep crimson as did Hermione, both having gotten lost in the moment before the two left the stage. Hermione was quickly hugged by her friends from the group, before turning and seeing Henry. He pulled her into a soft hug. "Congratulations, Hermione. Take good care of each other." Hermione smiled at her oldest friend. "Thank you, Henry." He looked at Rhea and offered her his hand. Rhea would rather not but he had gotten better in the last two years. She took his hand and shook it. "You take care of her. She deserves the best." Rhea chuckled. "I will take care of her for as long as she lets me. She can take care of herself quite well too." Hermione wrapped her arm with Rhea's and the two headed towards their waiting parents. The day was going to be long, but both couldn't be happier with their last days before stepping out of Hogwarts Castle.
- -
Rhea clapped as the Supreme Mugwump finished his declaration. This day had been one of many long in the making. Since the review of the laws started in December of 1994, the process of reviewing the more obscure and frowned upon magic had taken much longer than anticipated, mostly because of the fear that the practitioners would be ostracized should their identities be made public. Blood Mages like Mahad and his allies from India, Central America, Louisiana and Indonesia had gotten the ball rolling, banding together and becoming the face of the movement. Whatever would happen, their own countries supported them fully, resulting in them becoming the face of the review. Many Blood Mages, with the aid of the Greene and Prasinos families, submitted
their own notes and journals anonymously, allowing the group to review and add the spells, rituals and counters to their own presentations. The Compendium that Mahad had suggested was established, where the Blood Curses, like the one that had burdened the Greengrass family for generations, and Slave Contracts were included as being considered illegal magic by Blood Mages themselves.
The actions of the group and their observers notes as well as the reviewers all reached the same conclusion. The ban on Blood Magic was created by propaganda and the demonization of the practice for the crimes of the minority. That the Blood Mages had been enforcing their own laws themselves for centuries helped change the opinion. The other one under review, Elemental Magic, was a bit more simple to study, as a good amount of the population had some Elemental affinity. A few True Elementals, those who could manipulate all the natural elements freely, managed to come out of the woodwork, mainly from high in the Himalayas and in the Andes Mountains. Since the children born True Elementals were somewhat dangerous, they were purposely moved to isolated locations with temples and magical communities. In safe isolation, these people learned their magic and gained control. The Temples kept extremely detailed observations that spanned centuries, resulting in plenty of work for the ICW reviewers to go over while the observers documented the practitioners skills. The observations and understandings that came from it resulted in a better grasp as to what to do with True Elementals when identified. The Temples in the documented territories, and a few others in deserts and prairies, were identified as viable locations for future children who would need to learn control of Elemental Magic safely.
The review of Death Magic took the longest of all the other practices. While whispers of a Necromancer in Mongolia persisted, they never materialized. Considering how the Mongolians wixen had a strained relationship with Necromancers, nobody was surprised that the suspected Necromancer chose to never appear. The only Necromancer to register initially had been a Shaman of the Native American Navajo tribes of MACUSA. Though unassociated with the magical community, his otherworldly spirits informed him of the initiative and the old man, with his deeply tanned skin and white hair, had decided to register and allow his people's ways to be documented. Unfortunately for the ICW, the man refused to travel or linger anywhere far from his home for long. That he made it to the convention at all was considered a miracle. The study of his craft had been one that Rhea had skimmed over and found intriguing. She hoped to get a chance to talk to him. Rhea's registration had set the ICW on fire, with her being a bit more open for observation and travel. She had forced the ICW and the Unspeakables to come to Hogwarts for the first two years, refusing to be seperated from her duties to the Castle.
Padfoot had been very unwilling to help, but had eventually settled down and allowed the observers to study him as a Familiar Death Omen, which no Magicals had ever done before. Rhea herself showed them her bone golems and how she carried out certain rituals, though her ability to vanish into the Veil was not displayed for them to study. She doubted they could ever block it but was worried about how far they might go to prevent Necromancers from accessing restricted areas. Nyx herself never allowed the observers to even see her. Though her retinance wasn't appreciated, her explanations and the Unspeakables' recommendation of a Necromancer enforcement group were well understood. She had heard that of the reviewed magics, Necromancy had been the most heated in its debate and discussion. The results for the other magics were as much as they could expect. Elemental Magic was made fully free to practice, with Healers and educators being informed of the needed training and the safe locations identified for each country. A certificate
would be provided when an Elemental was in full control of their magics.Blood Magic was also declared a free practice, though the Compendium was added to the list of banned spells, curses and rituals, with Blood Mages being free to be contacted to aid in the enforcement and undoing of the crimes perpetrated by their kin. Mahad had looked satisfied with that Rhea knew that Seraphina and Cassandra were happy with it too, since the Prasinos and Greenes had a lot of Blood Mages in its ranks.
Rhea had sat forward when the Supreme Mugwump reached the entry on the decision regarding Death Magic. "Lastly, we will now read the decision of the ICW Assembly regarding Death Magic, also known as Necromancy. Of the magics studied, this one was the most difficult to evaluate, not helped by the fact that there are only two registered Necromancers in the world. Both were partly uncooperative, though the fact many of our scans could do little to differentiate their magics at all would indicate that Death Magic on its own is protective of its secrets. Many temples, academies and research divisions agreed that Death Magic's ties to a fundamental natural phenomenon that mere mortals are not supposed to interfere in may be part of the issue concerning our flawed observations. After great deliberation, the ICW Assembly has reached a conclusion. All bans on Necromancy and Death Magic are hereby deemed in violation of ICW law. The magic will be listed as "free" in all member states. However, like Blood Magic, the practitioners of Death Magic will play a larger role in the enforcement of said magics so that it's dangerous aspects are not used against the Magical and Non-Magical populations. The academies and research departments will help identify Necromancers but that information will be kept private as the registered Necromancers interact with them to determine their needs. This Assembly of the International Confederation of Wixen held on June 21st of the year 1999 is now officially concluded."
The loud sound of the Supreme Mugwump's book closing signalled the end of the assembly and people began to stand up in the large amphitheater as they moved about. Rhea spotted Mahad and went to see her old friend. She was pleasantly surprised to see him speaking with the man she thought to be the other registered Necromancer. "High Priest Mahad, it is a pleasure to see you again, my friend. Looking to get another Necromancer to grace your Temple's hallowed halls?" The Dark Mage chuckled. "Sadly, that seems unlikely. My Lady Peverell, may I introduce to you Shaman Sani of Monument Valley. Elder Sani, this is my friend and your fellow Necromancer, Lady Rheannon Black, of the Peverell Line." The aged eyes of the Native American fell on Rhea and her heart skipped. He felt so weathered. The old man smiled at her. "No need to be concerned for me, young lady. I am close to seeing my Ancestors but not that close." Rhea gave him a sad smile as she presented her hand to him. "Even so, while life may be destined to end, it should always be treated with kindness and warmth." The old man took her hand in both of his. "Much wisdom in you, for one so young. Tell me, Miss Black, would you be willing to visit my people this summer? I believe there is much my people could show you and much they could learn as well."
Rhea smiled. "It would be my honor. I had plans to see the Central American villages and walk its abandoned Temples of the Dead. A detour further North won't be a problem. Though I hope your invitation includes my fiancée. She is currently head deep in the Magical Vatican Archives that were recently donated to the ICW after the renegotiated treaty. There is much knowledge there of our fellow Magicals and I desperately need an excuse to drag her out of it. Especially if I hope to get married to her this year." The old man laughed. "You and your intended are most welcomed to
join us when you visit. The Valleys are a bit warm this time of year, but the sunsets are stunning. Bring plenty of water and covering and you should be fine." Rhea nodded. "I have some clothes from my visits to Mahad and his people's tombs deep in the endless sea of sand he calls home. The heat won't be a problem. Fair travels, Elder Sani." The old man bowed his head. "Fair travels, Mistress of the Veil." Rhea stared at him as he walked towards a portkey point, on his way home. Mahad sighed. "I thought he was being stubborn about not visiting, as did many in the ICW and MACUSA observation teams but he doesn't have long, does he?"
Feeling the lingering traces of the faint soul she touched, Rhea shook her head. "No, he doesn't. He may not see the New Year. He feels ancient, not as bad as Nicholas, but not far either. He may be pushing 300 years of age or more. Goddess knows what he has seen of the world. That he has asked me to visit is a good sign that things are changing for his people. I hope he has had a protégé. To lose his life experience and knowledge would be a travesty." Mahad nodded. "Agreed. Are you satisfied with the ICW decision?" Rhea shrugged. "If I am honest, I thought they would have delayed it further, or made a special condition. To have Blood Magic and Death Magic be enforced by our own is as good as we could have hoped. By the way, how is Maana?" Mahad shuddered. "I should never have agreed to having her graduate from apprentice. She is a terror. The rest of the temple occupants are laughing their heads off at me as they go along with her experiments. Gods if she manages to awaken something from beneath the sands or the Nile itself, I may just quit early." Rhea smiled. "Now don't go vanishing too soon, I had hoped the two of you would be at our wedding, maybe officiating. My families are already looking up everything they will need to see it concluded soon. I swear they are more insistent than the Elves back home." Mahad slumped his shoulders. "Fine, but if she opens a portal Gods know where, you are helping me close it!" Rhea beamed. "Deal."
- -
Rhea leaned her head against Hermione's shoulder as they both took in the sight. The views of the Valleys of the American West, and the Jungles atop the Temples of the Yucatan had been splendid, but none matched the sight in front of them. High up in the Himalayas the two were staring as the Earth pulled away, clouds and mountains standing just beneath them as the sun began to set over the horizon, the mountain peaks casting long shadows over the clouds. In the three and a half years of travels, they had seen many of the sights of the world. The two had visited culture after culture, Hermione studying with the priests, shamans and ritualists everything she could about the old practices and the more modern rituals. What she couldn't find amongst the people, she would research in the most obscure archives, with the Magical Vatican Archives and MACUSA's Magical Wing of the Library of Congress being constant haunts of her. At least Rhea knew how to get her wife out of those places when she would go past the 48 hour mark. Hermione might have been willing to eat and sleep in the mazes of books, but screaming her head off in ecstasy was something she refused to do there. Not that Rhea didn't try to get it to happen, multiple times. In the end her wife would be more than happy to take a break from her research.
Things had been changing with Hermione slowly, something Rhea began to notice. She was still the same lovable bookworm who asked too many bloody questions about everything, but Rhea
could feel a stronger longing for home. Their visits to Magical Britain had been few at first, but they grew longer and more often. At least Hermione's Mastery Dissertation was nearly complete. "Your gears are grinding, love." Rhea chuckled. "Sorry, just thinking." Hermione hummed. "About?" Rhea kissed Hermione's neck, her teeth tugging on the black choker her wife now wore, getting a delicious shudder out of her. "That thing that you have been thinking about every other night since we got here. The sky burials and the locals may have kept your attention in the moment, but every night after I could feel you thinking about something else. Care to share?" Hermione pouted. "Pretty sure you already know." Rhea nuzzled her neck. "I have a guess but I want to hear you say it. Don't make me have to go on you like our wedding night just to hear you say "I love you" again. We are high up with low oxygen and I don't want to test out how long you can last before passing out." Hermione blushed at the memory.
Their wedding took place on the day after Samhain after a wonderful and research heavy summer and early Fall in the American Western Valleys and Central American Jungles. Rhea had gotten an emergency call by the ICW about a group of Curse Breakers at a tomb in Northern Italy that woke up a lot of Inferi, so she had been forced to return to Europe. Hermione, not wanting to continue their travels alone, returned to Britain and spent a wonderful time with her family, with Samhain closing in on them. Sabrina and Sirius had visited them and invited them over to Peverell Castle, saying that Rhea had messaged ahead and would be heading home soon. Hermione had been planning to give her fiancée a surprise upon her return, only for the surprise to be on her. Rhea had been in Italy for the first two weeks since she left, with the weeks after being in Britain, preparing their wedding. Hermione had agreed to marry her soon and had begrudgingly given control of it to her mother. Apparently that had been a partial bad idea, because she had been surprised on arriving at Peverell Castle, the entire place decorated for the wedding and the Blacks, Prasinos and her friends already staying there.
Following custom, she spent a week with her female friends and family in a seperate part of the Castle, getting the royal treatment from everyone. Then came the day of the wedding. She should have known Rhea had asked for a November 1st wedding for a reason. That reason was plain to see when she walked down the aisle with her Dad as her eyes landed on her Grandfather, standing next to Roberta. He was clearly a spirit but he was there. She looked around and saw two ghosts on the other side of the aisle, whom she recognized as Dorea Potter and Selene Prasinos. Her eyes did eventually fall on her future wife at the altar. Even on her wedding day, Rhea refused to put on a dress, opting for a much more loose black jacket, her vest being grey over a white dress shirt. Her hair sported a few flowers and golden threads woven into the braids, though she kept most of her long hair free tonight. It practically melded with her jacket. Standing at the altar, staring into those cyan eyes that seemed equal parts terrified and happy, she could honestly say she almost forgot her traditional vows. She did get them right, as did Rhea, as Mahad wrapped the golden ribbon over their joined hands. Rhea's fears had vanished the moment Heemione said "I love you." She had said it will all her heart too.
The rest of the wedding had been a blur of well wishers and a lot of crying on her part as she hugged a more solid version of her Grandfather, who wished her a wonderful marriage and lots of children. Meeting the infamous Dorea Black had been interesting, as she and Rhea were so much alike. Seeing Henry and his fiancée Ginny there with them had also been a surprise. Rhea had told her afterwards that since they were Hermione's friends, they were invited. The other Potters, despite the more cordial relationship between Rhea and Lily, were not. Something about Dorea
potentially killing them both on sight, despite being dead. Having met the witch now, she could believe it. Even in death she was terrifying. That night Rhea had carried her to the Master Suite, much to the Elves dismay. Rhea had begged Hermione to hear her say "I love you" again and Hermione had teased her by saying no. What followed was the longest either of them had spent making love to each other, with Rhea asking for the words over and over again. Hermione, being her stubborn self, only managed to say it a few times, usually when she forgot what she had been doing after blacking out. She blacked out several times that night and regretted none of it.
Back overlooking the Himalayas, Hermione debated being stubborn about it, just to see what Rhea would do, but she could see Rhea was serious. She kissed her wife on the cheek. "I… think I am ready to settle down and stay home." Rhea rubbed her nose with Hermione's. "If you are sure, where would home be? We got quite a bit of a selection." Hermione chuckled. They did have a pick of places. Hogwarts was technically Rhea's still, as were a few Black properties scattered across Britain and France. Sirius and Sabrina had both remained at Grimmauld, with Sirius having buried all his bad memories with all the good that came from having his family there, especially his wife. Which meant that even Castle Black was available to them. None of those really appealed to Hermione, though the summer villas in the Mediterrenean Coast were definitely going to see use. No, there was one place she had in mind. "Would it bother you if I said we should settle in Peverell Castle?" Rhea eyed her. "You absolutely sure? It's a bit big and it will feel rather empty, even if we close off the guest wings." Hermione turned so that she and Rhea were face to face. "I am. I like the feel of it. I always liked open spaces, despite spending most of my time in libraries. As for it feeling empty, I was thinking… about filling out a few rooms."
Rhea blinked at Hermione. Did her wife just… " Hermione, are you asking for us to have children?" Hermione blushed and nodded. "I … went off the potion a week ago. I am sure that this is what I want." Rhea was perfectly still. "Are we still going with our agreement? With you going first, and me after you've given birth?" Hermione nodded before she "eeped" as Rhea tackled her into the blanket they had lain on the ground, charmed to be comfortable and bug free. Those cyan eyes stared into brown as Rhea fought her desires. "Hermione, be careful what you say next. Because it will mean us leaving here and now to pack up our stuff and head home. Or it will mean that I am going to get started on driving you insane right now, everything else be damned." Hermione fought the desire to bite her lip, knowing what it could trigger her. Rhea had taken to pulling on her lower lip herself. "Home Rhea. You are to take me home and then you are allowed to have your way with me." Rhea breathed deeply as she pulled herself from her wife. Hermione blinked as Rhea magically packed everything they brought with them to the Himalayas. The locals bid them farewell and welcomed them back if they so wanted. An exceedingly long trip through the Veil and Rhea popped them out just outside the Bridal Suite in Peverell Castle. Rhea's eyes never left her own as they pushed through the doors, or when Hermione fell onto the bed. They didn't leave her as Rhea wandlessly vanished their clothes away. Hermione was pretty sure she spent the next few days practically as a nudist. Not that she was complaining.
- -
"Grandpa!" Sirius had no time to dodge as three kids took him down as he opened the door to his daughter's home. Sirius would complain after years of being ambushed but he honestly loved
his granddaughters too much for that. Sabrina looked on and grinned as the girls stood up and high fived each other for successfully knocking him over. "Aethra, Theia, Dianna! What have I said about disillusioning yourselves!" The three girls vanished behind Sabrina and popped their heads out to look at their mother. "But Mama, it's Granddad! Great Uncle Alastor says he needs to practice his vigilance. He's getting rusty." Hermione glared at the youngest of the three." … What did Mama Rhea tell you all?" The twins looked at each other as Dianna looked a bit abashed. "That Grandma would tell us when we have had enough fun if Mama Hermione didn't approve?" Hermione sighed and pinched her nose. "Sabrina, please?" Sabrina chuckled and rubbed her granddaughters' heads. "Your Mama Hermione is mad enough at you three, so how about you head on to the dining room. Grandma Emma and Grandpa Dan should be here soon." The girls let out a happy "Yes!" As they rushed out, with Dianna vanishing on the spot and the twins yelling out, "No fair!" as they rushed after her.
Hermione looked tired before turning to Sabrina. "How did you manage with just Rhea? The three are just as devious as her and Dianna shouldn't know Veil Travel so early." Sabrina smirked. "The same way Rhea does anything, giving them something in return, just like I told you the last thirteen times you asked. Also, Dianna needed to learn her mother's craft. Of the three the gift is particularly strong with her." Hermione sighed. "I should never have agreed to her middle name being Persephone. She spends way too much time in the Veil as is." Sabrina patted her on the back. "You give her and the rest Familiars, they might just stick to this plane for longer." Hermione glared. "Or I might have to call Rhea to pick them up again. Aethra and Theia grabbed Nyx the other day and gave Luna and Daphne a heart attack. I had to give them all a version of "The Talk" a bit too early after catching those two in a very odd and embarrassing position." Sabrina winced. "How did Rhea take it?" Hermione waved her hand. "She just watched them with a disappointed look, before telling them to only travel to the front door welcome mat. It's not funny!"
Sabrina stopped laughing and smiled. "Hermione, they are magical kids. You are lucky that their bouts of accidental magic are less accidental and more intentional. Now, let's go into the dinning room. Pretty sure Sirius is getting chased as a dog around and under the table." Hermione nodded as they headed to the side dining room on the first floor. While the main chamber served as the main dining room for ages, Rhea and Hermione both agreed it was too big for the kids, so a chamber was remade into a smaller dining room, one fit for the family of five, with room for 4 more. Hermione had been surprised by the decorations Rhea commissioned for the Castle, with a lot of portraits and paintings of the Black family, a few from the Prasinos family and, to her surprise, one of her parents and grandmother in the study Rhea had commissioned just for her. The painting in the dining room wasn't like the rest, made to be like a wizarding photograph, but it was a beautiful family scene from the Peverell family. Rhea was still looking for the names of the people she saw in a vision, but the records room was massive. Her kids were indeed chasing around their grandfather in an animagus form, diving over and under the dining room table.
"So, have you told Rhea about the job offer?" Hermione shook her head. "Rhea was called to oversee the younger Necromancers cleaning up the mess left behind in Mongolia. The local Necromancer was found to be quite real and after decades of abuse, torture and isolation, he finally snapped. The whole village was killed and then turned into Inferi. Rhea went in and calmed down the Necromancer but there was nothing she could do. After pulling him into the Veil and getting him to relax enough, he walked straight to the other side." Sabrina frowned and silently offered a prayer to Persephone. That could have been her daughter. "Is Magical Mongolia getting sanctioned
for it?" Hermione nodded. "After Rhea was able to calm down, she transferred all the memories from the young man to an evidence crystal. The ICW Enforcers are going to be running a lot of investigations to figure out who else knew and kept quiet. Mongolia is going to take a hit for this." Sabrina nodded but nudged Hermione with her shoulder. "And the offer?"
Hermione watched as Dianna took out her grandfather after fading into the Veil. They really needed to put a bell on her or something. "I was interested in a few years down the road, not now. Why is Josephine leaving so suddenly?" A very human Sirius dusted his shoulders and knees as the girls sat down, the elves popping in some of their books while they waited for dinner. "Because my dear little cousin Nymphadora got Josephine pregnant and her wife, while mad because of the timing, is more than happy to carry the child to term. Josephine refuses to work at Hogwarts while being a mother." Hermione hummed. "How did you get word of this so fast?" Sirius grinned. "Because Nymphadora is hiding in my guest room at Grimmauld from her wife, who isn't above casting a form lock on her for 9 months just so she knows exactly how much trouble she got her in." Hermione made a face. She could relate. She would never regret carrying the twins ever, but it had been a long 9 months, with a lot of swearing from her. How Rhea stood by and took the curses she hormonally threw her way, she wasn't sure. Though to be fair, her wife dodged all of the ones she accidentally casted too.
Then, on September 22nd, a day after Aethra and Theia were born, the two bundles of black hair and cyan eyes being absolutely beautiful, Rhea downed the bottle they had prepared days prior that would cause her to be impregnated by Hermione without a second thought. Hermione had some shame in her as Rhea went through her entire pregnancy without so much as a complaint, all the way up to the birth, though she knew her wife's tolerance for pain was much higher than hers. Little Dianna, named after Rhea's ancestor Diana of Ravenclaw, had been born on June 22nd 2003, her hair a mix of brown and bronze, gold flakes in her brown eyes. All three showed signs of Necromancy early on, which was confirmed on their 7th birthdays, with Aethra and Theia also inheriting Hermione's Mind Magic affinity and Rhea's Blood Magic as well. Dianna inherited Rhea's affinities in full, with her having a stronger connection to the Veil. Rhea had to teach her control much earlier, hence her being able to Veil Travel without external help, unlike the twins. The three were inseparable, with Dianna being a lot like Rhea; a troublemaker and a bundle of restless energy, while Aethra and Theia were a bit more restrained, unless they chose otherwise. She might complain, but Hermione would never trade them for the world. She loved them all with every fiber of her being.
"Any other retiring Professors we should know about?" Sirius gave her a sheepish look. "Snape and McGonagall have signalled they would retire by the end of the next year." Hermione blinked. "They are retiring, just before our daughters get their letters for school? I am sensing a conspiracy here." Sabrina chuckled. "I said as much. There is a bit of concern about the Second Coming of the Black Sisters, especially with all three entering together. Severus has applied to the DoM Potions Division and McGonagall is looking forward to retirement." Hermione sat down and glared at Sirius. "And who is taking the positions of Head and Deputy?" Sirius and his wife joined her on the table. "Fillius outright refuses to take the Deputy position on a permanent basis, as does Firenze. No one will put Trelawney up to either and Sprout is only willing to take Deputy if someone takes her place as Head of Hufflepuff House. Professor Bones would be happy to take Sprout's position, though Sprout is having a fit at the news." Hermione had to smile. Susan had taken the Dueling Circuits by storm after completing her Auror Training, taking the championship
several times. She even defeated the Durmstrang student who sent her to the Hospital Wing in their fourth year. Amelia had been both proud of her niece and terrified for her entire time on the Circuit. When Bella switched out to the Spell Creation course, Susan jumped at the chance to be the new Defense Professor. The students loved her class, though her fellow Professors hated how much energy she had at every Staff Meeting. She could see why Sprout would hesitate to give her control of Hufflepuff House. It would be a madhouse.
That still left the position of the Head of Hogwarts open and she had a bad feeling. "Is the Board hoping Rhea takes the job?" Sirius looked smug. "Absolutely! She still drops in for the annual reviews. Just think about it: Rhea, Bella and Susan Bones all as role models for the kids." Hermione and Sabrina had a shiver run down their spine. Hermione dropped her head onto the table. "Amelia had the right idea, refusing to let Susan represent the Family. Rhea has been driving the Wizengamot insane on her own. With Susan there, the Light and Dark factions would be toast." The Wizengamot had changed a lot since the election of Minister Greengrass. Sally had taken a position as a First Generation Witch representing the Neutrals, while Ragnok took his place as the Goblins Representative alongside the Centaurs, Merfolk, Dwarves and Elves. Getting a representative for the Elves was the hardest part, as there were few who were technically free but understood the desire to serve a family. One of Lucius' elves, Dobby, requested to be freed so he could represent his people, tying his magic to the Wizengamot. The laws since then became far more inclusive to all Magicals, much to the Light and Dark extremists displeasure. The Potter seat remained in the steady hands of Arthur Weasley as Henry continued his Quidditch career, switching with his wife, Ginny, every season to take care of their two children; Charles and Euphy. The Lord and Lady Potter remained married, but there were several moments when a divorced seemed likely, with Lily spending a few summers in Hogwarts alone.
Rhea had been the busiest out of everyone, even with Hermione as the Lead Ritualist of Britain taking in a lot of commissions. The ICW Necromancer Initiative was practically run by her alone for years until younger Necromancers started graduating in the open, all signing up to learn under her. She also worked as a diplomat for several countries going through crises, helping them understand the roles of magicals in their society, especially concerning the Fae. The Statute of Secrecy was still intact, if just barely, even as Fae grew far more confident, with whispers of some potentially wanting to return from the Otherworlds. The Lady Le Fay, acting openly as a representative of the Fae races, but still keeping her ties to Morgana Le Fay secret, was getting a lot of requests for mediation along with Luna, who acted as her representative while she was away. What really ate Rhea's time up was going from excavation site to excavation site across the world, settling down the spirits of the deceased, cleansing Inferi hoards and keeping looters from disturbing the gravesites. If it weren't for her Veil Travel, Hermione was sure Rhea would have been a lot more restrained in accepting work, as Rhea refused to sacrifice too much time with the girls. There was always at least one parent home with them, unless they both took a break together.
Hermione lifted her head up and glared at Sirius. "Remind me to help Josephine out with Dora and to send a few letters to Snape and McGonagall. I was planning to get off the potion soon so we could try for another girl or two." Sabrina winced and rubbed her daughter-in-law's back. "I can see how raising a baby in Hogwarts Castle might be difficult but not impossible." Hermione frowned. "There is a reason Josephine is stepping down. You can't run rituals while pregnant." Sabrina nodded. "You can't, but Rhea can carry the child in the next year, before her term as Headmistress would start. She has enough people in the ICW to take the brunt of her job and Luna does also
carry the title of Le Fay now, much to Daphne's chagrin. She can just settle down and raise the kid with you at Hogwarts. I am sure Helena would love it too, along with Susan and Bella." Hermione shivered. "You are giving me more reason to not ask her. Those three-" The girls screamed. "Mama Rhea's home!" They all popped out of the room, leaving behind a slack jawed Hermione. "Did they just…" Sirius started laughing wholeheartedly as Sabrina smiled. "Looks like none of them need familiars to travel through the Veil anymore." Hermione sank her head back on the table. She had another thing to discuss with her wife, before she made her black out in bed.
- -
Rhea took a calming breath as she pulled back her sleeve, checking on the time. She smiled as she saw it was actually early for dinner. Thank the Goddess for Mara. Her old friend had actually had some Necromancy affinity, something that only fully manifested at the age of 17. Rhea had been surprised when the redhead had shown up at the ICW Necromancer's Initiative and looked so grown up. Of the other Necromancers, she was by far the best combatant, something she worked hard at everyday. Which was why Rhea had felt quite confident about leaving her friend in charge of the Inferi mess. She hated that she had to drag the poor soul of a fellow Necromancer to the Veil, but the man had looked so relieved when he was in the Veil itself that she honestly couldn't regret it. She had lived a nightmare for seven years of her life, she couldn't imagine what almost twenty must have been like. Still, such thoughts were best to bury in her mind until she had a chance to talk to Hermione privately. She would never let her girls feel the weight of the horrors of the world, even though she didn't blind them to it. She made sure her girls knew there was just as much bad in the world as there was good.
Her daughters were the only reason she kept her ties to Morgana of Ravenclaw secret. The moment she announced herself as a Le Fay, several members of Light extremist groups, even some claiming to be acting on behalf of Dumbledore's ideals, attacked her home. The wards held and the attackers learned the hard way that you don't attack Peverell Castle thinking you will come out of it fine. Rhea didn't keep a pack of Grims tending her grounds for decoration. Sure they were cute and her daughters loved playing with them, but they were Grims with a territory to defend. The attackers all made it back to the Ministry in bags of torn meat and bones. A few Light families tried to paint this as a sign of her being a Dark Lady, but the Department of Mysteries and the new Department for the Preservation of Magical Creatures agreed that the attackers were in the wrong and that the Grims acted well within their rights in private property. The Peverells weren't foolish enough to erect the walls at the exact edge of the property line. Any morons snooping around the walls were already in the Peverell property. Whatever happened to them after that was their own damn fault. Still, Rhea knew the moment she announced she was a descendant of Morgana Pendragon, the excuses would no longer work. She refused to have her daughters face any more danger, especially when they were almost one year away from going to Hogwarts.
Rhea smiled as she thought of her and Hermione's girls. She loved all of them so much. Theia and Aethra looked just like her at that age, even getting a few traces of bronze in their hair, but they
were closer to Hermione in temperament. They loved reading and studying anything about magic they could get their hands on. Rhea might have been teaching them a bit of wandless magic to help them have better control, much to her wife's displeasure. Dianna, though, was just a ball of energy, looking like a mix of Hermione and Sabrina, but Rhea knew her daughter was closer to her in personality. Like Rhea, Dianna's connection to the Veil was strong and after a few terrifying slips into the Veil, Rhea decided her daughter needed to be taught early. Which meant the twins learned too. The three were inseparable after all and while Dianna may have been the youngest, she tended to be the leader of the group. Not to say Aethra and Theia just let her do whatever she asked of them. They knew how to get their own interests met, but they also adored Dianna. The one time Hermione invited Henry and Ginerva over, Charles had made Dianna cry. The kid was lucky all the sisters did was conjure a few birds to peck at him as they tried to console Dianna. No further invitations were sent to the Potters and Hermione couldn't blame her. Not really. Though her daughters had playdates with other children, mostly Susan and Sally's daughter, Samantha, none were close to them with the exception of the youngest member of the House of Bones. The redhead was the one kid the girls truly liked, even if they loved to ambush her. They enjoyed ambushing everyone, especially Rhea.
Which was why Rhea always arrived at the Castle at the entryway, like everyone else who apparated or Flooed in. The draw bridge began descending as Padfoot waited patiently by her side, his tail wagging in excitement. The moment the bridge was low enough, her Familiar charged out at full speed. Rhea smiled as she took a few steps inside before looking at Nyx. "You want to fly out, my friend?" Nyx hooted. Rhea allowed the Death Omen to land on her wrist. "Ok, but don't be late. Aithra and Theia need a bit more practice with Veil Travel." The not quite owl looked at her with an indignant expression and Rhea chuckled. "Alright. See you later, my friend." The black mass of feathers took off towards the setting sun as Rhea felt three very lively souls rushing towards her, their appearance masked but not their scent or sound. They still had much to learn. Rhea shifted into her Owl form, still quite small much to her displeasure, but in this case it worked. All three of her daughters landed in a dogpile exactly where she once stood. "No fair!" "Mama Rhea cheated!" "We'll get you next time!" Rhea shifted into her Grim form and ran circles around the three until they charged after her as Rhea led them back to the Castle, Dianna trying and failing to catch her through the Veil several times. There was just no place like home.
Meanwhile, Nyx flew the skies over Britain, eventually turning around and going deeper into the growing darkness of the night sky. She flew higher and higher until she was above the clouds, with nothing but the stars as company. She silently slipped across starry skies as she grew nearer to the ground, puddles of water stretching beyond what eyes could see over short hills of grass. Nyx approached the lone figure sitting beneath an ancient yew tree before slowing her descent and landing on an immaculate white shoulder that stood next to a cascade of raven black hair. The Death Omen hooted as she felt fingers tease her beak. The figure smiled at the bird as she turned to look down at the puddle beneath her, its reflection of stars fading away into a view of her dearest friend and her family sitting down for dinner. Nyx hooted next to her and she nodded, her green eyes filled with warmth. "See you later, my friend."
Fin
Chapter End Notes
And so ends my first fanfiction. What did you all think? As mentioned, this story was a thank you to all the authors that have given me so much to read in the last year. It is also a thank you to all the commentators who helped in shaping it into a better story for everyone. As you may have noticed, I left quite a bit of room for a sequel. In time we may see the lives of Aethra, Theia and Dianna Black at Hogwarts with the next generation and further out. For now, TECFoD is my new main focus. Hope you all enjoyed my story. Leave a comment, discuss anything you'd like to know that isn't likely to be a Sequel Spoiler and I will see you all soon enough.
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Blood and Magic
In the Dead of Night
Getting Aquainted
What the Dog dragged in
The Start of Something Beautiful
Joining the Family
Of Stones, Rites and Chambers
Summer Days and Meetings on a Train
Making Friends, Acquaintances (and Enemies)
Echoes of the Dead linger in the Living
Not Everyone goes Home for Yule
Hard Truths and Messy Relations
Breaking the Unbreakable
Home is with Family
Encounters, Near and Far
New Happenings at Hogwarts
Honored Guests and Honest Discussions
Champion Selection and Pleas of Help
First Task and Yule Ball
Answers have Consequences
Fallout and the Price of Knowing
Valentines and Second Task Chaos
How to Pick Yourself Up
Of Mazes and Graveyards
New Reality
A Summer of Revelations
Hogwarts, but with a Pink Toad
First Blood
Duty Calls
The Changing Tides
Moments in Autumn
All I Want for Yule
The Second Coming
What is in a Name?
What we Value Most
Calm Before the Storm
Storm Clouds over London
To the Last Breath
Life Goes On
Getting to Know the Prasinos
To a Quiet Year
Another Year, Another Samhain
A Granger Christmas
A New Balance
To New Beginnings