Chapter 8: Magical Cores
Emma was frustrated. Most of her clothes were all over her bed. She had to interview five different healers for the hospital the following day and had nothing to wear. Her clothes were not fitting her anymore. She had refused to buy maternity wear, and now, her pants did not close at all. A soft knock brought her back from her thoughts.
"Come in," Emma sat on her bed.
"Good evening, dear," Dorea smiled at her. "Tolanthe tells me you need my help?"
"What? How? Tolanthe, I am fine… I just need to go shopping early tomorrow," Emma sighed.
"Shopping for what?"
"Maternity clothes."
Dorea's face lit up. "No need to buy anything. I still have Lily's, and the box has a preserving charm. Neesy?"
The elf came in coughing, "Attic needs a deep cleaning, mistress. Here are mistress Lily's baby bump clothes."
"Ten steps ahead, as usual, dear," Dorea smiled. "Thank you."
"Dory, I can't accept this…"
"Accio, Lily and James' painting," Dorea summoned.
"Whoa, mom, a little warning next time," James grinned and held on to the wall inside the painting.
"Lily, I need you," Dorea said.
"Hey," Lily came in with a smile as James walked away, feeling this wasn't a conversation for him.
"Emma says that she can't accept your maternity wear, Lily," Dorea explained.
"Why? It's not like I am ever going to use it again… Besides, it will look great on you. Dory can alter it to fit you better, and it is charmed to grow with you as the months go by," Lily smiled and looked at the box wistfully. "Please take them, Emma."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. Dory, please find the sunflower dress. It will look gorgeous on her," Lily gushed.
Dorea opened the box. Emma had been expecting things to smell dusty, but they smelled and looked like they had just been washed and pressed. The clothes were beautiful and high-quality. She went into the bathroom to put on the sunflower dress. It was stunning, so comfortable, and so flattering.
"Lily, I love it. Everything looks beautiful, thank you," Emma put her hand on the painting and felt Lily's giddiness through the canvas. She gasped.
Lily looked at Emma, eyes wide. "Did you feel that?"
"Yes?" Emma replied in a doubtful tone.
Dorea smiled with teary eyes and squeezed Emma.
"What is it? What does that mean?" Emma was confused.
"Your baby is a witch or wizard!" Lily squealed, and she left through the side door in the painting to tell James. "James!"
"How can you tell?" Emma was shocked.
"Only a magical core can feel magical energy like the one on this painting. Since you are not a witch, that means that the little one in your belly must be magical. You need to have Andy check you out. Magical babies take a lot out of women who aren't witches," Dorea took Emma's hand. A thought came to her. "You experienced a loss before, right?"
Emma paled. "Several. Most were very early. But the latest was at the six-month mark, and he didn't make it. After that, we decided not to try again. I hemorrhaged during a medically induced delivery, and after that, both Dan and I were terrified to go through it again. The pain almost ended our marriage. We were both severely depressed."
"I remember that's why you didn't want to tell Dan about this…" Dorea nodded in understanding.
"Yes, and I am still quite scared…"
"Don't be. Now that we know there's a magical core, we will make sure your body can take it," Dorea smiled.
"What does that entail?"
"First, weight gain. You are fit as a fiddle, and magical babies will eat you up if you let them. So, eat up with gusto. It should be healthy when possible, but if you want something non-healthy, just let me know, and I'll make it for you or have Neesy go get it for you," Dorea rubbed Emma's back in circles.
"Neesy didn't mention anything when she confirmed my pregnancy…"
"She probably felt it was obvious… since Hermione is a witch," Dorea smiled.
"Please tell me there are books on what to expect when magically expecting!" Emma was starting to freak out. She also felt guilty. Maybe if they had taken the precautions with Ajax… He would have made it.
Dorea stared hard at Emma. "None of that. It was not your fault. You didn't know. We will show you the books and take great care of you and the little witch or wizard, but you can expect a lot of potions in your future."
The door swung open to reveal an angry Charlus. Both women jumped.
"Pardon the interruption. The kids are fine, but we need to go to Hogwarts again. I will have Filius's incompetent ass removed as Headmaster by next year!" Charlus growled.
"What happened!?"
"A bloody mountain troll of all things got into the school and attacked children. The Weasley kid is hanging by a thread, and our kids were witnesses."
The two women gasped. "Dory, change me?" Emma asked. Charlus turned around, and Dory changed the doctor with a spell. "Where's Daniel?"
"He's still with Sirius and Remus. Should we stop by?" Charlus asked.
"No, I will call him from the lab. If Scamander is at the clinic, he can join us. Otherwise, I know he will stay…. Under protest, but still, as doctors, we are used to staying put when we must," Emma zipped up her jacket, "can you do that thing where people don't notice my belly?" Charlus did so, and they left the manor from the fireplace in the living room.
In the Headmaster's office, the kids found comfort in each other. They had sat together on the floor as it was the only way to be close to one another. Harry sat against the wall, holding Hermione with one arm, and with the girl sitting between his opened legs. Draco rested his head on Harry's thigh after Hermione pulled him down when she noticed he was starting to cry. Neville sat next to Harry and had his head on Harry's shoulder, crying mutely. Harry's arm was around Neville's shoulder. Hermione had her hand on Draco's chest, and she absent-mindedly rubbed Draco's chest in small circles. The only sounds were shaky breaths and sobs, as well as the tick-tock of the clock behind the headmaster's desk. Severus had left to find out how Weasley was doing. The fact that he hadn't returned yet terrified the children.
Harry couldn't shed a tear. Neither could Hermione, who was still shaking. The gargoyle opened to reveal their parents and guardians coming inside. Emma stopped to look at the kids. They seemed to be far away. They hadn't noticed anything. Her heart constricted at seeing them soothing each other as best as they could, but it was time for them to be comforted by their adults.
"Children," she said with her voice calm and volume low.
The kids didn't reply, but they did jump. Neville and Draco scampered and rushed to Augusta and Narcissa. Harry stood slowly and helped Hermione up. Emma engulfed them in a tight hug, only stopping to pass Harry to Dory and Charlus. The four were inconsolable. All the grown-ups checked their kids to make sure they were unharmed. Severus came in, followed by a teary-eyed Minerva. Everyone inside the office had an unspoken question.
"Mr. Weasley has been taken to St. Mungo's. His brothers left with him, and his parents have been notified. We doubt he can make it," Minerva informed them in as delicate a tone as she could muster. Seeing a child so hurt had shocked her to her core. Ronald was not a student she particularly liked, but he was a kid. A kid that got seriously hurt because a troll had somehow gotten into Hogwarts. There were no large or active populations of trolls near Hogwarts, and that meant someone must have brought it inside the fences. The children were still sobbing.
The Gargoyle opened once more to reveal a fuming Daniel Granger, who came in looking ready to murder someone.
"Princess, come here," he took Hermione and held her tight.
"I-It was h-horrible Daddy!" She hid her face in the crook of his neck. "There was so much b-blood!"
"Someone tell me where the headmaster is because I want to show him how us muggles duel!" Daniel growled.
McGonagall placed a hand on his shoulder. "He's a St. Mungo's, Daniel. There will be a lot of backlash on the press."
"As there very well should be! I want him removed!" Daniel replied with an angry scowl. "If he isn't fired, we are taking Hermione out of Hogwarts."
Hermione gasped. She looked at Harry in fear. They never wanted to be apart. Harry spoke up just to say, "If Hermione doesn't study here, I won't either." She smiled at his certainty despite the circumstances. Her smile widened further when Draco and Neville nodded decisively from their family's arms as well.
"Minerva, dear… Is there anything we can possibly do to convince you to retake the Headmistress role?" Augusta had a shaky Neville enclosed in her arms.
"Minnie, we will double your pay straight from our donations. Hell, we can even triple it," Charlus offered as he handed a handkerchief to Dorea, who was dabbing Harry's eyes.
"Charlus, it's not about the money. This position is haunting to me now. This office… I still see elven blood everywhere. I must take potions so I can sleep properly in my room. I can't come back to work here like this…"
"How about living outside of the castle?" Narcissa offered as she held on tightly to her boy. "Like Andy? Travel back and forth?"
"No, darling. If something like this happens, I would need to be on the grounds."
"Putting aside the fact that stuff like this should NOT happen EVER, isn't there like a hut for the Gameskeeper?" Emma asked.
"That's perfect! We can pay for the construction of a small home or a cabin right next to the castle. That way, you will be right here, but not inside the building where you have such bad memories…" Dorea offered.
"I don't know, the Board would have to approve this. They are not all fond of me," Minerva sat on the only empty chair.
"You leave them to me. Since Mr. Weasley is a pureblood, I can use their prejudice against them," Augusta said with confidence.
"Right, because that's all that matters," Daniel bit back. "Someone take me to see the troll."
"Why?" Severus asked. "It reeks," the Potion Master grimaced.
"I am a doctor. I have probably smelled worse. I need to see it because I want to know how blind this headmaster really is," Daniel stood up.
"I am coming with you," Charlus added. "Severus, lead the way."
Daniel Granger had to hold on to the wall when he saw the unconscious monstrosity bound on the bathroom floor. There was a significant amount of blood close to where they were standing. Did all of that come from the injured boy? His chances were slim to none, considering St Mungo's used no electricity or modern methods. The smell was horrible, but what terrified the doctor most was that this towering… thing managed to get into a school full of hundreds of kids.
"This school is a death trap!" Daniel said nasally as he pressed his nostrils shut.
"Daniel, before you make any rash decisions, please give me a couple of weeks to deal with Filius," Charlus said.
"Rash?! Are you insane?! Absolutely not. My daughter will not stay here another day. She could have been mauled by this thing. There is a professor here who is a unicorn vampire, and anything can get through the pathetic fences! When we were belittled by the headmaster, I expected you to call him out on it, but you apologized to him on my behalf. You had no right! I have no apologies for a man who cannot give a damn about my girl or my family!"
Charlus took a deep breath. "I am sorry I did that. I was trying to maneuver the conversation back to a course that would benefit most of us. Politics are about compromising. But you are right. I should have let you fight your own battle, and I should have never made you doubt that you can count on House Potter come hell or high water."
"Compromise?" Daniel gagged as he had let go of his nose to throw his hands up in frustration. "I will not compromise my daughter's safety. I would rather go back to having the children tutored at home. That is the only place they have been safe so far. Someone mentioned that this castle was the safest place in the wizarding world other than Gringotts. I would hate to see what a dangerous place looks like," the man ended with a furious glare.
"I understand that. I promise you that Filius will leave his post by the end of the week. Just give me these days. I will make sure he's gone and that Minerva or someone as trustworthy and qualified can take over," Charlus insisted.
"No. My daughter is not staying here. We are leaving with her and Harry tonight. Once the news of this disaster is out and Filius is fired, we may consider returning, provided that the replacement is up to our standards. Otherwise, they will be transferred to Ilvermony," Daniel turned on his heel. "We have already filled out the applications," the doctor said as he walked away.
"Daniel- Bloody hell!" Charlus pinched the bridge of his nose. Both wizards had clogged their noses magically. "Severus. Tell me what happened in as much detail as you can."
"Of course. Walk with me. We have to go back to the office. The DMLE is coming, and we need to be there for the kids."
"Dan and Emma will be a tough sell," Charlus sighed.
"He's right to be angry. But he can't take Hermione away, right?" Severus said, walking briskly.
"What do you mean 'can't'?" Charlus asked with a furrowed brow.
"She is an adult in the eyes of the wizarding law. They are married. Legally, it is their choice to leave or stay as emancipated minors," Severus rationalized.
"Do you want to tell the Grangers that? Because I would like to keep my head attached to my neck, thank you very much," Charlus told Snape with trepidation.
"No, I do not want to face their wrath. Dan and Emma can be quite scary when they choose to…" Snape replied.
"I am Harry's grandfather, but they are his legal guardians in the muggle world. They are only emancipated in the Wizarding World. That means I would have to fight for custody in a muggle court. Not to mention that Lily and James will kill me if I do that to the Grangers after everything they have done for all of us."
Minerva transfigured the chairs into a large plush sofa. The children sat and promptly fell asleep on one another out of sheer exhaustion. All the adults moved to the gargoyle so they could whisper back and forth without waking them. The gargoyle moved to reveal a furious Madam Bones.
"What are all of you doing here?" she asked without ceremony.
"What do you mean?" Narcissa replied.
"I was told to talk to the Weasleys."
"They are at St. Mungo's," Minerva replied. "However, we are glad you are here."
"I just left my team in the bathroom with a mountain troll. Anyone cares to tell me how in Morgana's name that thing got inside the school? It is bigger than any entrance doors, and if it came through the Forbidden Forest, the centaurs would have attacked it," Madam Bones put her hands on her hips.
"We don't know," Minerva sighed.
"What do you mean you don't know, Professor? Why were children alone with the troll?"
"Professor Quirrel came in the Great Hall in the middle of the feast…" Minerva told Amelia all she knew.
They were interrupted after a while by a fuming Daniel Granger, who walked past them with only a small nod of acknowledgment.
"Emma, let's grab Hermione and Harry, we're going home," he instructed.
Emma looked at him with concern. "They are not due home until Christmas," she said in a questioning tone. Her husband reached her in two long strides and pulled her away from the conversation.
"They will not stay here under incompetent supervision," Daniel whisper shouted as McGonagall went silent. Everyone heard him. McGonagall looked upset. Daniel turned to them, "Look, I am sorry. I don't mean to offend you, Minnie, or you, Severus, but you must understand that the children's security and wellbeing are our top priorities. We are certain that they would be far safer at home," Daniel looked at them with an apologetic expression, but one that left no room to negotiate. "I think they would even be safer at a non-magical school." This caused several gasps.
"Daniel, we should wait to see how this resolves," Emma whispered in her husband's ear.
"No, love. We are leaving. What I saw-" he shuddered at the memory of the monster in the bathroom. "I promise you that the children are not safe here."
"Daniel, if it makes you feel better, the children could stay with us in our quarters. Hermione could stay with me, and the boys could stay with Severus. Filius will not be back for a couple of days probably. It's quite likely that by the end of this week, he won't even be headmaster," Minerva tried to salvage the situation.
"Minerva. I love you. I really do. But nothing can convince me that anyone here can keep hundreds of children safe from a 12 feet tall monstrosity that has to weigh at least half a ton! I have never smelled anything that disgusting, not even in cadaver lab when the freezers broke down!"
The wizards looked at him strangely. There was a cadaver lab somewhere? Emma repeatedly blinked at her husband. Twelve feet tall? Half a ton? Worse than the cadaver lab fiasco? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Without a word, she went over to the children and shook them awake slowly.
They sat up bolt right, fearing a repeat encounter with an unknown creature. "Shhh, it's okay. Lead me to your rooms so we can pick up your things," Emma caressed their heads.
"Why?" they replied in unison.
"We're leaving," Daniel replied.
Just as the doctor was about to turn towards the gargoyle, there was a flash of blinding light, and Filius apparated behind his desk. Before anyone could say anything, Daniel had grabbed Filius by his cloak and pushed him by the neck against the wall. The Headmaster was not expecting anyone to still be in his office, let alone anyone who wanted payback. The children got up and rushed to stand behind their adults.
"You incompetent, negligent, stupid excuse for a headmaster!" Daniel growled. "That thing could have killed our children!"
"Daniel! Put him down!" Emma rushed to pull his arm back, but Dorea pulled her away and looked meaningfully at her abdomen before she could do so. Dorea dragged Emma to Augusta, who saw the meaningful look her friend gave Emma. Lady Longbottom immediately did a protective spell over Emma's belly from the Longbottom grimoire and pushed her towards Snape.
"Unhand me!" Filius' hand was inching towards his wand. But no one noticed until it was too late.
"Diffindo! Locomotor Mortis! Incarcerous!" Filius did all these spells in such rapid succession that not even Amelia managed to do anything. Daniel fell down bound from above his elbows to half his calves. Blood was coming down rapidly from a gash on his shoulder that was so deep that his bone was visible.
"Daddy!" Hermione rushed to her father without a care for her own safety.
There was an evil glint on Filius's eyes that reminded all those present of Dumbledore. Minerva threw a silent Expelliarmus at him, but he dodged it with ease. Severus and Narcissa pulled everyone away. When Minerva McGonagall got angry, lives were at risk. Severus even pulled Emma by the waist and turned around to cover her with his own body. Narcissa motioned to Daniel, and he nodded. Minerva sent a string of spells that cut Filius in several places. Charlus, Augusta, and Dorea created a triangular protective barrier to try to keep everyone they could safe, but Harry broke through and rushed to Daniel's side too. Hermione was trying to heal him, but her healing light kept shutting off. Harry reached her and began pushing his energy too. Narcissa ducked and rolled on the floor until she got to Daniel and created the most robust protective barrier she could encasing the four of them.
"I am sick and tired of you lesser people telling me what to do!" He raised his wand, and to the shock of all those present, he sent a string of curses in different directions to distract McGonagall, and while she battled to make sure those didn't hurt the people behind her, she didn't protect herself, and a jet of red light hit her square in the chest. Amelia stepped forward and began dueling Filius while trying to keep Minerva from being attacked further. Aurors followed their boss and started fighting as hard as they could. McGonagall writhed on the ground and ground her teeth so she would not scream. He would not have that satisfaction.
"Headmaster! You are under arrest for using an unforgivable curse! Surrender your wand!" she threw an expelliarmus at him, which only made him laugh maniacally as he moved out of the way. A team of Aurors came in and tried to arrest the man or at least disarm him, but he seemed to be dancing. Flitwick was, after all, a Master Duelist. He had been tied by Minerva once. Both professors had won once against each other, and Dumbledore had defeated Filius twice.
Several Aurors got hit by horrible spells and were now on the ground. Amelia was bleeding from the side of her head and her left arm. As Filius cast non-verbal spells, Snape looked at his wand hand and noticed something strange. Hogwarts' official Headmaster ring was missing. In its stead, there was a peculiar ring he had seen before but could not place. Was Filius cursed? Since when? Black veins seem to extend up Filius' arm. The spells were dodged, and the Aurors still standing, who were used to fighting people their same height, were struggling to hit him with anything, merely because his range of motion and center of gravity were so different than their own.
Harry and Hermione managed to make Daniel stop bleeding. Narcissa produced dittany from her robes and applied a generous amount. She had taken to carry a vial just in case. The children saw with awe how the skin stitched itself back together. Narcissa cut the ties on Daniel and a moment that Amelia managed to hit Filius and made him stagger was all it took. Daniel jumped towards the man and punched him once with such ferocity that the Headmaster was knocked out. The Headmaster fell with a thud, and the Aurors immediately took his wand and put him in magic-canceling cuffs.
Daniel took a few steps back and rubbed his fist. He turned around to see everyone looking at him in awe. Wizards were not very physical beings. It wouldn't have occurred to them to hit the man, exposing his physical wellbeing to any curses Filius had at the tip of his wand. The doctor helped Narcissa up and brought his kids towards Emma. She seemed pale and a bit sick. Severus squeezed Narcissa and moved forward to examine Filius' hand to the confusion of the Aurors. His heart started pounding, and his Dark Mark burned just like in his encounter with Quirrell. The veins on Filius' hand had gone back to normal, but the ring… No, no, no, no, please no! He gasped as it dawned on him. It's Riddle's ring!
"Everybody back!" Severus ordered. "Don't touch him!" The Aurors looked at him weirdly but didn't move. Amelia told them to step away, and they obeyed.
"What is it, Professor?" Madam Bones approached him and crouched down beside him.
"The ring! I-I think it's a Horcrux!"
"What?!" Emma had an intense bout of nausea. Daniel helped her sit down.
"Charlus, summon him," Dorea said, holding on to Emma, who seemed ready to pass out.
Charlus turned the ring he wore in a chain around his neck, and he turned it the way he was told. "Nagkrat. We need you."
As they awaited the goblins, the Aurors took everyone's testimony.
"Minerva," Amelia knelt down next to her and applied the few spells that could be done to alleviate the shakes resulting from the curse. "Can you stand on your own?"
The older witch nodded once. She stood on sore legs. "I knew s-something was wrong with h-him."
Hermione and Harry went to Minerva and held her hands. The professor was shocked that their hands didn't cause the excruciating pain she thought they would. She sat down on the sofa, and the two placed their small hands on the center of her chest and began pushing their healing energy. They channeled their energy hard for around 30 seconds, and while they ended up fatigued, they were happy to see Minerva didn't feel extreme pain anymore. Amelia saw the scene with awe. There was no known potion or spell to ease the effects of the Cruciatus curse.
Heavy steps marked an army of goblins surrounding their king had arrived, bringing Healer Bonecrusher and Healer Chainmaster with him. Most other people had either gone to bed or left. Hermione and Emma were sharing the girl's bed while Daniel promised to join Harry soon. Augusta asked Andy to keep Neville at the Infirmary, where she knew he would be safe. She couldn't stay because Frank and Alice had therapy early the next day.
Andy went by Hermione's bed to leave Emma's potions. The doctor drank them greedily after thanking the healer. Fortunately, Hermione was already asleep. Healing her father had taken a bit of a toll on her energy levels. Narcissa took Draco to Severus' room and fell asleep hugging her boy close, thanking her lucky stars that he was fine. She couldn't help but think about the pain and horror that Molly Weasley was going through tonight.
Back in the office, goblins went straight into business, approaching without any ceremony.
"Where is it?"
Charlus pointed at Filius. "He's wearing it."
"Do you think he's partial to that finger?" Nagkrat asked with a frown.
"You don't mean to cut it, do you?" Dorea asked with a gasp.
"It's the easiest way to remove it," Nagkrat smirked.
"Why can't we just pull it off?" Daniel asked. He needed to make sure that thing was taken away from the castle. Why did magical people have to suggest the most extreme outcomes first when there were more straightforward solutions?
"We can't. The dark energy will latch onto anything with a magical core," Severus explained.
"Meaning that none of you can do it, but I can," Daniel said like it was a no brainer.
"Are you willing to risk it?" Nagkrat asked.
"If you are sure my lack of a magical core will keep me safe, I don't see why not," Daniel said. He felt guilty for knocking out Filius.
Charlus took dragon hide gloves out of his cloak and handed them over to Daniel, and Nagkrat altered his own helmet to fit the doctor's head. Healer Bonecrusher took his upper body armor and modified it to fit Daniel too. The doctor took the ring, and as he began pulling, the gloves started to melt.
"I think there's a better way," Severus suggested as Daniel removed the ruined gloves and shook his hands to cool them.
"Do tell,"
"Grab Filius' other arm and manipulate his own fingers to pull it off. The Horcrux should recognize its host, and not attack it," Snape said with a deep frown.
Daniel looked uncertain at this, but he did just that with a bit of difficulty. Once the ring was removed and was pinched between Filius' other hand. The Healers rushed to contain the ring in a strange, ancient-looking box.
"King Nagkrat, can I have your word that you will destroy the ring?" Daniel asked.
Charlus's eyes widened, and he looked at Daniel as if he was utterly insane.
Nagkrat blinked and showed his teeth briefly. "Of course. I will not take that as an offense because you are an ally and because your punched knocked him out before he hurt anyone else."
"Pardon me, Your Majesty, but there was a fucking mountain troll that got into Hogwarts and probably killed a kid. Our children had to see that, and they could have been killed too. I need to make sure any dangerous things or beings stay the hell away from my family," Daniel seemed severe but apologetic.
King Nagkrat looked around as if expecting to be told it was a joke, "A mountain troll? How did that even happen? There are no such trolls in these territories."
"Well, there was one tonight. How about one of you tell the king about the unicorn vampire who happens to teach and share a castle with hundreds of defenseless children, and how you think that is okay?" Daniel's voice was angry and sarcastic. "I need to go check on my family. Professor McGonagall, I know you are tired, but can you show me the way?" Daniel requested.
McGonagall took the hand the doctor offered. "Let's go."
"Aurors, let's take Headmaster Flitwick in. Once he wakes, we will need his testimony. Taylor and Green, come with me to St. Mungo's. Your Majesty, I trust you will let us know if you need assistance disposing of the Horcrux," Amelia offered.
Nagkrat nodded. "Charlus, Dorea, I hope the next time we see each other, it will be under better circumstances."
"Let's hope so. You and your wife are invited to New Year's Dinner," Dorea offered.
"We will try to attend. Your holiday dinners are legendary."
The king turned and spoke rapid gobbledegook to his soldiers and healers. They all left after surrounding him.
"What are we going to do, Charlus?" Dorea sat down and put her face on her hands.
"We need to stand by the Grangers. Daniel is furious at me. I don't blame him. We need to call in a formal Family Meeting, even if we have to meet at Sirius' and Remus' bedside."
"Speaking of which, we should go check in on them," Dorea frowned. If Daniel was here, Scamander was with them, but she had a weird gut feeling. Augusta stood shakily. The protective spell she did on Emma took a lot out of her core.
"What about Harry?" Charlus asked.
"He's with Daniel. That man would face a freaking dragon for him. We can come back early tomorrow," Dory replied.
"Do you think he'll really take Hermione back home?" Charlus asked with a concerned expression.
Dorea sighed, "I think he will take both Harry and Hermione back home."
"Severus pointed he can't do that since they are emancipated minors…"
"Is he willing to risk his life and tell them that?" Dory countered.
"No," Charlus chuckled. After tonight, no one would want to do so.
Minerva deactivated the male repelling jinx from the girls' staircase so Daniel could join her in checking up on Emma and Hermione. They found the two sleeping peacefully. Daniel kissed their foreheads and left with McGonagall. He finally made it to the First Year boy's dormitory. The doctor merely took off his shoes and got under the covers with Harry. The boy stirred a bit and turned around to snuggle into the doctor's warm chest. Daniel kissed the top of the boy's head.
"Go back to sleep, son."
"Are you okay?" Harry asked sleepily.
"Yes, we can talk tomorrow. Sleep now, okay? I will keep you safe."
Daniel didn't sleep much that night. He was tense. As soon as the sun was out, Daniel got up and carefully packed Harry's belongings, making sure not to wake the other children. He noticed that Neville didn't sleep on his bed. Great! Augusta thinks I can't keep him safe. Perfect. Daniel rolled his eyes.
"Daniel?" Harry's hoarse voice asked.
"Morning, son. Let's get you showered so we can leave, alright?"
"How is Ronald?"
The doctor blinked. "We didn't get any more information. Go shower, and I'll try to find out."
Molly Weasley was an absolute mess. Her round face was splotchy and red from all her screaming and crying, and her hair was frizzy and frayed. She held Ginny, who had just fallen asleep from all her crying. Fred and George couldn't stop crying. Percy sat by his father with a blank expression on his face. The last time he talked to Ron, he had screamed at him and even slapped him. Right now, he felt horrible. His youngest brother was hanging by a thread. If Ronald didn't survive, his mother would never forgive him or the twins.
Bill and Charlie arrived while Ron was in magical surgery. Charlie took Ginny from his mother's arms and sat by Percy. Bill engulfed his mother in a tight hug as she wailed anew. Bill looked at the twins and Percy in furious reprehension. Arthur tried to approach Bill once he let go of Molly, but his eldest son looked down at him with derision. Charlie grabbed his father's hand and squeezed supportively once Arthur sat back down. Bill started pacing non-stop.
A healer came out half an hour later.
"Ronald Weasley's family?"
"Yes, how is he?" Arthur stood up the quickest.
"We have done everything we could. Your son is now on an induced stasis. There's no way to know if he will ever come back or what the consequences of his injuries will be," the healer said gravely.
"How long will you keep him on induced stasis?" Bill asked.
"Right now, we are estimating at least a month to use an anti-inflammatory protocol. Ronald had a TBI, and his spine has been compromised," the healer explained.
"That is very serious," Charlie stated.
"It is. I am going to be quite honest with you. Even if Ronald wakes up, he may not be the son you remember. He may not be able to speak, to move, to walk. If he does retain his cognitive skills, he will more likely still lose his ability to walk altogether," the healer sighed.
"What is the cost of him staying here for a month?" Bill asked with a worried frown as his mother wept with desperation on Percy, who awkwardly patted her back.
"In his case, since he needs around the clock care, you are looking at around 80 galleons per day," the healer said just as awkwardly. It was clear to him that the Weasleys could not afford that. Molly's gasp only strengthened his resolution.
"Is there any way we can pay in installments?" Percy asked with a frown. He looked mortified.
"You can go to the Payments Office on the second floor. They will give you all the information you need to know and also talk to you about different charities that can help you with the costs. Ronald cannot receive any visitors for the time being. You should go home and rest. If there are any changes, we will send an owl right away, sir," the healer addressed Arthur, who was now pale.
Without a word, all the Weasleys took off towards their home.
Once Molly put Ginny and the twins to bed, everyone else sat at the dining room table. Arthur could feel that his night was just going to keep getting worse. He sat down, defeated, at the head of the table. Bill came downstairs with an angry scowl on his face. He had packed the few belongings he had left behind when he moved out.
"We need to talk," Bill said gravely. "Percy, go to sleep."
"No, Bill, I am old enough to be here," Percy replied obnoxiously.
"I see. You are old enough to be here but not old enough to keep our youngest brother out of harm's way," Bill countered in an icy poisonous tone.
Percy mumbled something under his breath that sounded like, "It was the twins."
Bill hit the table with a fist, making everyone jump, "If you are not going to speak up to my face, get the bloody hell out of here and stop wasting my time, Percival."
Arthur stood up. "Percy, go to your room. Bill, sit down. There's no need to hit furniture."
"Do not tell me to sit down! You lost the authority to order anyone around here a long time ago!" Bill roared.
Charlie covered his face with his hands and took a shaky breath. He was exhausted, but he still loved his parents, and talking to them as if they were children didn't sit right with them.
"Bill, that is no way to talk to your father!" Molly screeched as she came into the dining room, and Percy crashed against her with teary, angry eyes on his way out.
"Be grateful I am hitting furniture, Arthur. If I was hitting you, things could get ugly," Bill narrowed his eyes at his father, who took a step back. Bill was two heads taller than his father and was all muscle.
Charlie grabbed Bill's arm and pulled down to make his brother sit beside him.
"Dad, this situation has reached its limit. Bill and I cannot keep giving you most of our salaries. The more we have given you, the worse the debts get. We have two full-time jobs each. We barely sleep a few hours each day. We are exhausted and every single time you write to us is to ask for more… We are not a bank. We have already paid you back for the money you spent on our Hogwarts tuition three times over," Charlie didn't look at either one of his parents.
"The level of irresponsibility here is off the charts. Arthur, you could have a decent paying job anywhere in the Ministry, but you have chosen to stay in a dead-end department that will never give you a raise. And you, mother, you need to accept reality and get a bloody paying job. Ginny is old enough to stay home alone," Bill was interrupted.
"She is ten years old!" Molly screeched, seemingly horrified at the idea.
"Precisely. Ginevra isn't a baby. Let her learn to do chores. After all, with this new financial disaster, she will definitely not attend Hogwarts, and as such, her best hope is that her looks and homely skills are enough to ensnare a husband!" Bill replied with rage.
"She has to attend Hogwarts!" Molly replied just as harshly.
"How the fuck do you even think that's possible? Do you not know how bloody poor we are now?"
Charlie grabbed Bill's hand and shook his head.
"Mother, we are done. If you want Ginevra to attend Hogwarts, you have to get a fucking job. We are already paying the first mortgage and all the debt from Ron's temper tantrum. We even send you money for food!"
Bill stood up and looked at his mother with contempt, "You don't give a fuck about us! We have been living countries away, and you never write to make sure we are still alive. You don't know how we feel, how we are doing, how exhausted we are!"
"Of course, we care about you!" Molly began sobbing.
"Bullshit! All you care about is the gold transfers we make, and I am sick and tired of this. Your remaining sons and daughter are YOUR responsibility. Charlie and I have no children, and you know what? At this rate, we may never have any children because we can't fucking afford to! We can't advance in our careers while holding two jobs! I should already be working at Gringotts, but I can't! Why? Because the training hours would allow me to have just one full-time job, and if I did that, you would motherfucking STARVE!" Bill yelled, making most Halloween decorations explode, pumpkins included.
A deafening silence followed Bill's outburst. Charlie took shaky breaths as he tried not to cry. Arthur took a good look at his children and felt shame gnawing at him. His sons had deep dark circles and pale complexions. Charlie was thinner than ever, Bill's face was breaking out in stress-induced pimples. He had cut off his beloved long hair. His eyes looked dead and old.
"I am sorry. I have disappointed you both as a father, and you are within your rights to be angry at me. I understand you cannot help us anymore. Go back to your jobs. I will let you know how Ron is doing."
"Seriously? Sorry is not enough," Bill yelled. "Don't bother writing. I will contact the hospital myself. I will not be coming back for Yule. Charlie, are you coming?" Bill said over his shoulder as he opened the front door. Charlie looked like he was about to burst into tears.
"I'm sorry, mom, dad, but we are tired. We haven't stopped working since we graduated. We have no weekends off, no vacations. We can't even come back here to visit… not that I even think you would want us too, but we miss our family," Charlie stood up. He squeezed his mom's and dad's hands and left behind Bill. "I won't be coming home for Christmas either. I want to rest."
Scamander sat down heavily. He needed help. He managed to stabilize the werewolves but had to move Remus to the office. Sirius had sat up and tried to attack Remus. His eyes were more of the wolf than of the human. It was his alpha that felt threatened by another alpha, and that made him reactionary. What would that mean for their marriage… or their sexuality? What the hell have I done? Damn, he thought.
"Newt?" Dorea said, placing a hand on the man's shoulder.
The magizoologist jumped off the sofa and jumped away from her and her husband.
"We didn't mean to startle you. Are you alright?" Charlus asked with concern. Scamander looked terrified and apologetic. They had begun to understand his strange reactions and read his body language since his eyes avoided everyone.
"We had a bit of a crisis. Don't worry. I have separated them, and they are calm again," Newt began. "Please sit down. I have been studying their genome… And I have discovered some things that leave me with more questions than answers."
Newt handed the Potters his research and studied their faces as they read. He wasn't that good at reading emotions. As they read, they would stop and look at each other, frown deeper and keep reading. When they were done, they looked up.
"So, they are not werewolves anymore?" Dorea asked.
"Not exactly. What I have found is that either this change is an evolution of sorts or a whole new species. Their alterations keep appearing. Sirius's alpha tried to attack Remus because it recognized him as another alpha. Sirius had one hand off the ties, and he had been holding hands with his husband, but out of nowhere, he woke up and pushed his claws into one of Remus' wounds. I don't know what this will mean for their relationship or their health."
The Potters gasped, "Merlin, are they going to be okay?"
"I was going to intubate Sirius, but I saw Remus had his wand, and he had done a choking spell, so I tried to fix it with magic, and it worked," Newt shrugged. Luckily because I have never intubated werewolves, and with my luck, they would turn me too, he thought.
"They are in separate rooms now?" Charlus asked.
"Yes, and I have strengthened their ties," Newt replied. "Lord and Lady Potter… Um, earlier, I showed my research to Doctor Granger. He told me I was hired?"
Dorea and Charlus shared another look. The doctor was right. Their hospital needed a world-class magizoologist, and who could be better than Newt.
"We want to hire you."
"I am no longer active-"
"We know. However, we think we can convince you," Dorea smiled.
"I told Dr. Granger that you would not want me since I was the one who injected Sirius," Newt looked at them. "Again, I am sorry."
"We will forgive you if you take the job. We know you are considering retirement," Dorea said with a sly smile.
"How do you know that?"
"Tina mentioned it the other day when we were having tea…"
Newt blinked perplexedly. He had no idea his wife and Dorea were friends. "Oh."
"Don't worry, Newt. I had no idea you would potentially work for us then," Dorea smiled. "Tina would not betray your confidences."
"I know that. I have to talk to Tina to see if I take this job. We wanted to travel for a while," Scamander sighed.
Charlus took a piece of paper from the printer and a pen, "Write your last salary."
Newt did just that.
Charlus smiled. "We will double it. But we need you to sign a non-disclosure agreement. We can give you significant resources to research whatever you want, in addition to our children's condition."
"I will talk to Tina and send you my reply. Do you think you can stay with them while either Dr. Granger comes back?"
"Of course, go home. We'll stay."
Once the Grangers were back at the manor, Daniel and Emma went into their room to have a long conversation. Daniel was not ready to hear that their baby was magical, but Emma had promised him no more secrets.
"If Filius was under the effects of that thing, maybe things will get better," Daniel said. "However, there are far too many things that are wrong with that place. There are moving staircases, unicorn vampires, inefficient professors, horrible security, a bloody giant squid, and a boxer-wannabe tree…"
"Honey. Sit down."
Dan's eyes widened. That tone gave him the chills, and not the good kind. "What happened?"
She took a deep breath. "The baby is magical," Emma said, sitting down next to her husband.
He spluttered without being able to form a coherent sentence. His face grew pale and a bit green, "And they are positive?"
"Yes. Dorea told me that magical babies take out a lot more from non-magical mothers… I-I think Ajax was probably magical too, and my body c-couldn't support the pregnancy," Emma replied with a sad sigh.
Daniel gasped. "And how can we help you? Make sure you are okay?"
"I am already on many magical potions, and Dorea told me she will give me books on the subject. Apparently, I need to put on a significant amount of weight. Andy is coming to check me up in a couple of days," Emma explained, holding her husband's cold hand. "You are scared."
"You didn't see that thing. I was worried about having two magical children, but now we will have three. I am not ready for this," Daniel sighed, placing his forehead against his wife's.
"Neither am I, love, but we are not alone," Emma reminded him.
"I may have yelled at Charlus…"
"Understandably. We need to talk to Dorea and him. We can't just take Harry across the ocean without their permission. They are his grandparents," Emma said with a frown.
"Do you think they'll fight us? I'm starting to regret moving here…"
"Do you think we should move out?"
"I don't know. Let's go to the clinic. Charlus and Dorea should still be there," Daniel said.
"Harry?" Hermione came into the kitchen. "Why did you leave? I was worried…" she said with a pout. They had been sleeping in the trundle bed, but Hermione woke up alone. "Have you seen my parents?"
The elves put her favorite breakfast on the table, and the young witch thanked them. Harry was already eating.
"They went to the clinic," Harry replied after dabbing his mouth with a napkin. "I went to talk to my parents. Sorry. I'll let you know next time."
"Are they really transferring us to another school?" Hermione asked, taking a few bites.
"They seemed very serious. Maybe since the Headmaster had that dark thing on… he will be better now that it was removed, and we can stay," Harry smiled, hopefully.
"I don't want to leave Hogwarts," Hermione sighed.
"Me neither."
"Want to go for a walk after breakfast?"
"Sure."
Daniel and Emma found Charlus and Dorea asleep on the couch in the waiting room area. The sight made both doctors miss their parents.
"Morning," Emma said. They waited for the Potters to straighten up.
"Good morning, dear. Did you have your potions yet?" Dorea asked, suppressing a yawn.
"Yes, all of them. How are Sirius and Remus?" Emma sat down across for them as her husband put on the kettle.
"Better, but Scamander separated them. Sirius attacked Remus."
"I'll go check on them," Daniel stood up and left straight away.
"Pardon my husband. He's feeling awkward about yelling at you," Emma smiled at Charlus. "We feel entirely out of our element again. I am kind of glad I didn't see the troll."
"Charlus understands. So do I. These are stressful times," Dorea smiled back.
Daniel came out and took his wife's hand, sitting next to her.
"What have you heard about Flitwick?" Emma asked.
"He's in a holding cell at the DMLE while we get a clearer picture. Amelia sent a message. The ring is, indeed, a Horcrux, but we don't know where he got it," Charlus replied.
"It doesn't really matter where he got it. Whether he put it on voluntarily or under coercion, all that does is prove my freaking point. That school is an absolute death trap. If the Headmaster, who according to all of you and what we saw yesterday is an incredible duelist. Who the bloody hell is safe?" Daniel whisper shouted with exasperation.
"I have summoned the School Board for this afternoon. We will be taking severe measures," Dorea began.
"Unless those measures include the unicorn vampire being fired and investigated thoroughly…"
"Daniel, we have no evidence of this second mouth thing," Charlus said with hesitation.
"You don't believe your grandson," Emma said without missing a beat.
"No, I do. At least I believe that Harry believes he saw what he saw if that makes any sense. I just think children are very impressionable and they haven't had the best time at Hogwarts. Maybe they just want out?" Charlus replied.
"Neither Harry nor Hermione are cowards. They are in the House of Bravery, aren't they? Or do you think that other kids would have gone after a gigantic monster to help a child that did nothing but hurt them?" The TV flickered on and off. All hushed arguing stopped. The Grangers looked at the Potters accusingly, but Dorea stood up and crouched in front of Emma's belly.
"You are going to be a handful… Emma, it was the baby, not us," Dorea caressed Emma's belly and pushed calming energy. "Magical babies perceive every emotion more directly than non-magical ones. And since you are not happy, the baby is not happy either."
"Great! Now I can't feel things," Emma whisper shouted. "How am I supposed not to feel things when I am pregnant and severely hormonal!?"
"Why are we whispering?" Charlus asked Daniel.
"We don't want to anger the husbands in there," he motioned with his head towards the small OR and office.
"Oh… What are we going to do with them?"
"Well, I am hoping Scamander will guide us. This is something that has never been done before as far as we know."
The four sighed slowly.
Quirrell had a massive migraine, and he was sore all over. He couldn't go to the Hospital Wing because they would ask questions. He stole dittany from Severus' storage space. That bloody Cerberus had used him as a chew toy. He didn't want to find out what else was protecting the thing Voldemort wanted.
"I am n-not going b-back there!"
"Yes, you are! I don't care that you got hurt! Use dittany! We need to get back in there!"
Quirrell cursed and hit the mirror in his bathroom. That bloody spirit was getting on his already fragile nerves.
"Of c-course you d-don't care! It isn't your b-body! I will try again once I recover and f-find a way to get past that f-fucking gigantic dog."
"They may move it!" Voldemort was in pain. He thought it was because he felt the pain Quirrell felt, but it shouldn't have been so intense. He had no idea another Horcrux had just been eliminated by the goblins.
"They will not! F-F-Flitwick will have to d-deal with the press and p-p-parents first! I will try again when I feel b-better. Until t-then, unless you want me t-to smother you with my p-pillow, I suggest you learn to exercise patience!" Quirinus stuffed a sock harshly into the annoying mouth, sent out the letter he had been writing to Grindelwald, and went to sleep on his side… for now.
A/N: Thank you for reading! :) I hope you are all safe and healthy. I will be grading students all day, every day, for the foreseeable future. Those of you who are religious, pray that my back survives these weeks. -Lux-