Chapter 2
Mens Rector
"Memory Obliviated. Very powerful work, too. Yes, very skilfully done and whoever did it did not mean for these memories to be recovered."
"What was used? How was it done?" Arthur Weasley asked anxiously with a glance at the ashen-faced, uncommunicative figure of Remus Lupin.
"Not any standard Memory Charm, no. I suspect Mens Rector, actually. I can't be entirely certain, but the way in which these memories were removed is unusual. Rector can leave that pattern when used on an unconscious victim."
"What is the treatment?"
"Oh no treatment, Mr. Weasley. This is irreversible."
Both men heard Remus stir and turned toward him as he asked in a harsh, hoarse voice, "How much time was taken?"
"Ah, yes. Well, that is the interesting thing. Certainly time was taken, but also specific memories were pulled out. There is a mark on the back of her head where the mnêmoneuma was disturbed."
"So something specific was being removed and then time for good measure?"
"Yes, that is the obvious explanation, isn't it? And I do not see any better answer for both procedures having been done. But the good news is that your baby is perfectly safe, Mr Lupin. You and your wife should still be right on schedule for birth in 7 months. I did a precautionary spell on the child in case the strain your wife will undoubtedly feel from the, erm, emotional trauma...well just a preventative measure after all, but I don't expect any complications. Of course you know that your wife's body is extremely delicate, Mr Lupin, so I would suggest that she stay here in hospital for the next few days. Just to monitor, you understand. Witches who have the Breochaid syndrome (Readers: please see note below) always need to be careful, you know."
Arthur saw the expression of complete shock and incomprehension on Remus' face so he spoke in his stead, "Thank you Healer Brownstead. I'm sure that will be fine. When can he visit her?"
"Well we have sedated her for now, so not for several more hours, I should think. But you should expect...well, I think you understand that she is still quite emotional at the moment."
Arthur nodded and looked once more at Remus, who had a desperate, feral look growing in his eyes that caused Arthur to catch his breath and lose track of his thought.
But before Arthur could gather himself, Remus asked in a low, growling voice that surprised both of the other men in the room, "Exactly how far along is my wife, please?"
Arthur peered with dawning comprehension at Remus. He hadn't known. The Healer, who seemed to have come to the same realisation, replied, "Erm, eight weeks. We can be certain to within a 36 hour period of the, eh, time, and I should say that it was exactly eight weeks ago from tomorrow."
Arthur noticed a strange, calculating expression pass over Remus' face and suddenly saw Remus' entire demeanour change. Remus stood straighter and looked the Healer meaningfully in the eye. "Thank you."
As though he were suddenly under a pressing emergency, the Healer quickly left Remus and Arthur alone in the waiting area. As the two men stood together in awkward silence, the frank, kind face of Arthur Weasley had formed into an expression of pity and thought uncharacteristic to him. He had not been aware that Edwina Lupin was a Breochaidie. Of course, she had the characteristic petite bone structure and colouring, but so did many British witches. Arthur wondered if Molly had known.
As he wondered what he ought to say, Arthur looked again at Remus and saw that the man was literally shaking from head to foot. Suddenly Arthur had a sense that not only had Remus not known his wife was pregnant, but, and Arthur could not believe that this thought was even passing through his mind; Remus believed that there was a possibility that the baby was not his. Why else had Remus looked quite that way when the Healer had told him the date? But as soon as the thought flashed into Arthur's head, he rejected it outright. Never had he seen a man more blindly, hopelessly in love with his wife than Remus Lupin and Edwina Lupin worshipped her husband. She had looked at Remus with a mixture of such deep hero worship and gratefulness that no one could have mistaken her feelings for Remus. Her devotion to her husband had been painfully abject and deep. If Arthur had privately thought that the power balance in the relationship was unhealthy, he had also thought that the extreme level of Remus' love for his wife and his natural tendency to put others first would keep him from imposing too greatly on Edwina's submissive nature. She would never have been with another man and even if she had, Remus Lupin would be the last man to ever contemplate his goddess having betrayed him.
"Thank you for coming, Arthur."
Remus' quiet words brought Arthur's attention sharply back to the situation at hand, so he said as lightly as he could manage, "Naturally, Remus. Of course I would come. Molly wanted me to say that she will come by to visit Edwina whenever you think it is a good time."
With a deep sigh and an expression of mortification, Remus said firmly, "The full moon is tomorrow. I won't be able to stay."
"Perhaps Molly could come during that time and sit with her a bit, Remus. It might help to have another woman with whom to talk."
Looking away from Arthur's pitying eyes, Remus cleared his throat and answered, "Yes. Thank her for me. That would probably be an excellent idea."
Author's Note (Magical fragility syndromes):
The fourth most common cause of miscarriage in wizarding families is magical fragility. Beernaert's disease, Jammern syndrome, and Breochaid syndrome are the three diseases known to cause magical children to experience adverse side effects due to magic. A fourth disease, Byzantine Fragility syndrome, has had no diagnosed case in over 230 years. Although it was common in Turkish, North African, and Middle Eastern magical families from the 2nd century B.C. through 12th centuries, it was recorded to have presented as far away as Gaul. This disease is believed to have been eradicated naturally.
Children born with Beernaert's disease rarely live past early childhood. In most cases pregnancies involving Beernaert's babies do not come to term. The effects of Beernaert's on magical children are horrific. Children must be shielded from even the simplest of magical objects and exposure to even protective wards placed round a house will cause haemorrhagic fevers. Onset of blindness is early and eventual extinction is generally due to stroke or complete systemic failure.
Jammern syndrome affects male and female children equally. The most common symptom to present is frequent crying or wailing during infancy. It is not known what causes Jammern children to eventually overcome their magical sensitivity, but in at least 70 percent of cases a Jammern child is completely free of symptoms by age 10. Families of Jammern children should make every effort not to shield their children from magical objects or spells. It is theorised that repeated exposure builds up immunity in Jammern children, leading to eventual cure.
Breochaid syndrome is unusual since its continued existence is due the popularity of Breochaidie witches in wizarding marriages from the 15th century until the early portion of the 20th century. The extremely fair skin, dark hair, and petite, fragile body structure of the Breochaidie witch was once considered to be a mark of beauty. Additionally, the Breochaidie witch's magical fragility, which makes her unable to withstand repeated exposure to powerful magic of any sort, especially Dark magic, meant that Breochaidie witches were often only trained in the basic domestic magical arts. During this era, it was not uncommon for powerful, wealthy wizards to contract marriages with Breochaidie witches, who could command a high bride price since there were so few of them, yet would not be any threat to the wizard's power. Although this practice almost completely disappeared by the beginning of the 20th century, several of the older, powerful Pure-blooded families of Britain and France, where this syndrome is most commonly found, still have daughters exhibiting Breochaid with varying degrees of fragility. Other physical characteristics commonly exhibited by Breochaidie witches include: 2 in 3 have an adult height of under 5'3" (although rare cases of Breochaidie witches have been recorded to reach over 6'), 1 in 4 have congenitally missing adult teeth, 2 in 3 have weak eyesight requiring prescriptive treatment, 1 in 3 have distinctively heavy eyelids or permanent shadows under their eyes, and almost fully 100 percent have extremely straight black hair and very little, pale blond body hair.