Chapter 11: A New Ally?
The Burrow was how the Weasley's called their home. It was impossibly tilted and had seen better days. The paint was peeling off in different walls, the roof could use some reinforcing, and the yard was full of overgrown grass and infested with annoying gnomes. Arthur Weasley had aged a decade in the past two months. He was bent over the family's vault statement. His head in his hands, the tips of his ears were red, and his eyes shut tightly. In his twenty-five years of marriage, there had been ups and downs. Marriage was a lot of work.
Arthur and Molly had been blessed with many children, though if he were honest, he wanted no more children after Percival was born. Three children were plenty. He didn't have a high paying job, and Molly insisted on being only a homemaker. According to her, no one would raise their children better than their mother. How stupid was he to think this would be the case? The same woman who ensnared him with love potions and got pregnant to force him to marry her… Of course, she would not be a good influence, especially on their youngest children. William, Charles, and Percival turned out okay because they were good kids by nature. Molly had been a good disciplinarian then, but after such a harrowing pregnancy with the twins… well, she essentially gave up.
As Arthur read the last line of their statement, he felt that he had never wanted to divorce Molly as much as he did right now. She had done everything she could to dig them into a more giant ditch than they already were in by now. Bill and Charlie's refusal to help them financially anymore had made them more vulnerable than ever. But he couldn't blame them. They were right. It was his responsibility to provide for his family, not theirs. They had been outstanding sons: respectful, supportive, and remarkably patient. Mr. Weasley dreaded to think he had lost Bill and Charlie forever. They would not come home for Yule. Would they ever return? Who knew.
Percy was doing great at Hogwarts, as expected. His grades did falter a little due to Ron's situation, but the professors were understanding and allowed him to make up the work. The twins were behaving and not pulling pranks. That was as depressed as they could get. Ginevra was either more petulant than ever or had always been that way, but her father never noticed because Molly kept her in check. Ronald was still in the hospital. The healers thought he may never wake. His stay in the hospital had increased their debts significantly. Mr. Weasley had contacted several charities and received no reply. Apparently, they were now infamous for their debt. The charities that replied demanded bank statements to see if they were actually in need or were just irresponsible with their finances. As he poured over the documents, he realized no charity would help them and that they were very careless, his wife in particular. The number of galleons she had spent on superfluous items was mind-boggling.
He couldn't even complain to her because she was deeply depressed over Ronald and would not even leave the bed. Arthur had been sleeping in Ronald's room with his son's memories haunting him because Molly would not let him in to comfort her. As he stood to leave for work, he received two letters. Either had the potential to change his and his family's future forever. The first one was from Lord Potter and the second one had no return address. Both envelopes demanded blood to make sure it was him who opened them. Arthur chose to open Lord Potter's first.
Mr. Arthur Weasley
Head of the Ancient House of Weasley
First, I would like to tell you that I am very sorry about your son's condition. Young Mr. Weasley was never particularly pleasant or friendly to my family's children, but he is a child, and he should have never been at risk in a school. A troll trespassing into a school full of young children is an absolute nightmare.
This letter may surprise you. I write to you to propose an arrangement that will be helpful in your situation. I have been informed of your financial difficulties. Lady Potter and I have decided to open a hospital. It will be a few months until it is up and running. However, once it is operational, we would like to offer to move your son there and have him participate in our charitable program. This would mean that House Potter would pay St. Mungos for Ronald's treatment, the move to our hospital, and the costs of the treatments he receives at our hospital.
Additionally, House Potter is willing and ready to buy up all your debts. That way, instead of owing as many patrons as you do, you would only owe us and pay one reasonable sum per month. This would give you a semblance of financial freedom and would reduce the stress you are now under. With this lifeboat, you may even be able to send your youngest to Hogwarts, provided that you manage your resources well. That being said, I am a businessman. What I just proposed is a business arrangement that will benefit us both. In exchange for our financial intervention to support you, we would want a pledge of allegiance from Ancient House Weasley to The Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter and all of our allies, both present and future.
We can discuss the specific financial terms in the Potter New Year's Eve Ball. I am aware that you may not feel like attending a party. Therefore, I am not asking you over for the party. You may come in through the Ministry's floo (Madam Bones has been informed, and you can use hers) at 8 pm sharp. I shall bring you to my study, we can talk, and then you are free to leave. I would appreciate you coming alone as our clans' encounters with your wife have been unfortunate. If a deal is made, I fully expect you to inform your wife of what it entails. Do talk to your heirs before you make any decisions. I wouldn't want to start a Feud for their failure to comply, nor would I want you to cast them out to avoid negative consequences. You have 24 hours to reply.
Regards,
Lord Charlus Potter,
Head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter
Head of The Family Alliance & Member of the Wizengamot
Proud Sponsor of The Marauders
Arthur took a deep breath and moved on to the second letter. Providing blood for this one hurt. As a few drops of bright red blood fell on the wax seal, ink began to form words on the parchment.
Dear Arthur,
Please forgive me for this cryptic message. As you know, I was unjustly accused of several crimes, and I'm currently in hiding. I am terribly sorry about your son. If I had been Headmaster, that would have never happened. I hope he recovers.
Because you were a member of The Order, I feel like I can ask you for a small favor. I need to retrieve a personal item I left behind at Hogwarts. It is warded, so only I can get it. I will be in and out in about two hours. The item is very well hidden. All I ask is that you send an official Ministry owl requesting Headmistress McGonagall's presence at the Ministry for some matter regarding the school so I can get in and out without running into her. I'd rather avoid a confrontation. The DMLE has brainwashed her, and she believes all the lies they have printed about me all these years. She would hand me over to the authorities without any consideration. I promise you, doing this will not harm you or your family in any way.
Can I count on you to do this for me, Arthur? It is for the Greater Good. This item will be essential to defeating Lord Voldemort once and for all. He didn't die. I am positive he's waiting for the right opportunity to come back. To mark your agreement, place your thumbprint in blood next to my signature, and sign your name too. The letter will vanish, and I will know I can count on you.
APWBD
Arthur blinked repeatedly. He could do both, right? The McGonagall thing had nothing to do with the Potters. Dumbledore needed this thing. The Potters didn't need to know. He quickly placed his bloody thumbprint and signature on the second letter, which vanished, and then replied to Lord Potter. Mr. Weasley wouldn't consult with his children. They wanted nothing to do with the family. They didn't need to know about this deal.
Lord Potter,
I appreciate the opportunity you are offering my family. I have talked to my heirs. I will floo to your home from Madam Bones' office on the date and time agreed. Thank you.
Arthur Weasley
Head of the Ancient House of Weasley
Arthur sighed. He could go to the DMLE to press charges against Hogwarts for the endangerment of his youngest son. That way, he could nick official parchment to send a letter to the Headmistress. If he waited longer, until the party, he feared that Dumbledore would be caught as he searched the castle. By using DMLE parchment, if something went wrong, they would take the fall. His family couldn't stand any more trouble.
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Ginevra?"
"Are you mad at me?" the girl asked, pulling on his sleeve and leaning over his shoulder. Her bright blue eyes piercing him.
"No."
"Are you mad at mommy?" she insisted, laying her head on his shoulder and snuggling close as he sat straighter.
"Yes. But that shouldn't concern you. Married couples fight and make up all the time," Mr. Weasley caressed his daughter's head in a way he hoped was calming. She sounded distressed. After a few moments, she smiled against his shoulder and looked up with a pout.
"Can I go with you to the party?"
Arthur grabbed his head with both hands and sighed. Ginny was too much like her mother in all the worst ways. She hadn't been affectionate just now, not because she felt lonely, worried, or wanted his attention, but so she could use the advantageous position to read the letter over his shoulder. He was mildly glad that Ginny would not be a target of any titled purebloods for the marriage market. She had no dowry. Mr. Weasley had to use that money to cover the most urgent expenses. When Molly found out, she would lose it. It didn't matter anymore. Lord Potter would take care of their debts. In any case, an allegiance with such a family was a good thing in his books. His children would have to bow down after him. He just hoped his young Ronald would be around to live a better life.
"Absolutely not, Ginevra, you cannot."
Several glasses and cups exploded around them. "But, daddy, I must!"
"Control yourself. Lord Potter wants to speak with me alone."
"He said not to bring mother. I wasn't mentioned! Please, daddy! I want to meet Harry Potter!" she whined with a petulant pout. Her resemblance to her mother was uncanny.
"You asked me a question. I have given you an answer. You will not come, and that is final. I expect you to do the dishes and put them away by the time I come back from work," Arthur stood and peeled his daughter off him.
"Daddyyyyyy! Pleeeeease! I need to meet Harry, so he falls in love with me and marries me. We will have everything we want then!" Ginny pulled on her father's pant leg.
"Listen to me very carefully, Ginevra. Regardless of what your mother may have told you, Harry Potter will never marry you. I will not have you scaring Lord Potter's protection of our House away because you think that harassing that boy is okay. If we manage to pledge to Lord Potter, and he gets rid of our debts, we will have many obligations to the Potters. If we do not fulfill those, the entirety of House Weasley could stand to lose our magic. The sooner you put those ideas out of your head, the better. I will be back around five," Arthur stood up angrily, turned on his heel, and left.
An irate Ginny Weasley trashed the kitchen and living room. She broke everything she found that could be broken, stabbed the pillows, burned papers, the works. When Molly came out to get a spot of tea, she found the mess and decided to leave it as it was. Ginny told her why she was upset, and Molly felt so distraught she almost messed up the rest of the house. Mrs. Weasley regretted, today more than ever, marrying Arthur instead of Lucius Malfoy. She should have gone with lust, not with love. At the beginning of her marriage, she had hopes that her husband would one day grow a backbone and get a better position at the Ministry so he would be a better provider, but his obsession with muggles was in the way of that.
Stupid love potions. Their marriage had grown so cold once he became immune from long term exposure. Fortunately, it took quite a bit for that, and she managed to get pregnant several times. Pureblood men could request that their marriage be dissolved with little in the way of consequences unless they had children with their wife. Because of this, Mrs. Weasley had endeavored to give Mr. Weasley many children. Molly wanted to provide him with a daughter as it was Arthur's dream, but it had taken borderline illegal, not to mention immoral rituals, to accomplish this, and as a result, Ginny was a bit… dark and twisted. Of course, she wasn't evil. She was just set on her ways. In any case, Molly would find a way to sneak her daughter into Potter Manor with her father. Harry needed to meet their lovely Ginny. Once they were married, the Weasleys would have access to the Potter fortune, and their days of financial struggles would be over.
Lord and Lady Potter had requested Sharptooth to do the inheritance test discreetly in their home. Emma should not be traveling by magical means until the day of the birth. It was dangerous for both her and the child. Daniel was too busy to take the trip. Gringotts was happy to make things easier for their allies and friends. The goblin came into their Library carrying a ceremonial dagger and a roll of parchment. Modern paper was too flimsy for this.
"Mr. Granger, if you would be so kind as to cut your palm. A nick will do. I just need 7 full drops. Put them in the seven boxes drawn in here—one drop per box. You will see an M next to magicals and an S next to squibs. If there's a MPS, that means Magical Potential Squib."
Daniel obeyed. The parchment began floating, and an ornate tree began forming. However, it contained only initials for the first generations that began in the year 800. Full names appeared in the 1500s. The Dagworth-Grangers had one nameless child who died. But among the others was John Granger (MPS), and he had a great-great-grandchild called Michael Granger(S), who had a son named Daniel Francis Granger (MPS).
The Potters smiled and hugged each other. Daniel was amazed that they could tell all of that from a few drops of blood. Emma gasped and placed her hands on her belly. The baby seemed to be having a party in her womb. "Magical Potential Squib means?" she asked since her husband was still in a daze staring at the parchment.
"That even though Daniel himself did not develop the gift of magic upon conception, he has magic in his DNA and can have children who are magical," Sharptooth explained. "As an official from Gringotts, it is my great pleasure to revive the Dagworth-Granger house," the goblin did strange motions over the parchment, and it vanished. "It will be encased in glass and in your vault. You may want to visit and audit your vault sooner rather than later. Also, your daughter's maiden name will be updated within our registers. She is now the heiress of House Dagworth-Granger. She may either choose to keep her maiden's last name and title or fuse it with the Potter title."
"Really?" Dorea asked, puzzled. "I thought that was no longer done."
"It is when the families are from the Mighty 13. It's the only exception," Sharptooth smiled, a calculating look on his face. "She can eventually be Lady Potter, scioness of Dagworth-Granger, as both as Most Ancient and Noble Houses her status in the wizarding world is as close to royalty as it gets."
Charlus gasped. "But that would mean… that our alliance has the potential to finally control the Wizengamot!"
"Indeed," the goblin smirked.
"Wait, what?!" Emma's math brain did a short circuit.
"We have nine votes each. By us, I mean the Potters, the Blacks, and the Dagworth-Grangers!"
"18 votes can't control an entire country… Can they?" Emma asked, sitting down, feeling a bit overwhelmed.
"But it's not 18. We have an alliance -that needs to be updated, of course- and it's our 18 votes, 9 more Greengrass' votes, and 9 votes for the Longbottoms as well."
"No, Charlus. Your math is not up to date. Listen, if all the mighty thirteen's lines were alive, they would make up 104 votes. But six no longer exist, that we know of, and that's 54 votes that no longer count," Sharptooth explained.
"Has Gringotts requested potential heir screenings?"
"Yes. We made it public worldwide and sent way too many letters. No one has come forward in five years."
"That's a shame," Dorea sighed.
"Additional to your votes, you must consider the other Houses that are your allies as well. Ancient House of McGonagall has 4 votes, Noble House of Prince has 4 votes too. Minor House of Lupin has two votes, one by status and one by prize, the Order of Merlin First Class, that when Mr. Lupin married Lord Black was added to the Black votes.
"I completely forgot about that, but then?"
"Yes, James and Lily had two votes each for their Orders of Merlin as well, so those 4 are added to the Potter votes, and Frank and Alice also had two additional votes each for their Orders of Merlin, raising the 9 Longbottom votes to 13. So far, your alliance is up to 63 votes. I recommend trying to get that number up to 70 at least. But together, your votes will sway most voting sessions."
"House of Prince?" Daniel asked, coming out of his reverie.
"Yes, Severus Snape is Head of Noble House of Prince. His mother decided to step down. She wants a quieter life without political obligations. Severus decided to keep his surname Snape because that is how he is known in the Potion Mastery realm and as a professor, but he has 4 votes."
"Marvelous!" Dorea smiled. "He probably forgot to tell us. We need to win over a couple more allies, and then it will be much easier to pass the legislation that our Lily wrote!"
"We will. And more than a couple too!" Charlus smiled.
The party had to be a resounding success. They hadn't tried to find allies because, in the past five years, they had to see to their health and their family's affairs. Now that all that was resolved and their positions in the muggle peerage were good again, they decided it was time to get into their other roles.
"Lord Dagworth-Granger, you must put this signet ring on," Sharptooth handed a small velvet box to Daniel. The ring had an interesting coat of arms. Was that a phoenix? Holding a knife? "Lady Dagworth Granger, this is your ring."
"Me?"
"Naturally. You are Lord Dagworth-Granger's wife and, therefore, the Lady to his House. If you would rather someone else do your duties, he can have a concubine. But for formal functions, you must be by his side unless you two divorce," Sharptooth explained.
"A concubine?" Daniel looked a bit green at the thought.
Emma raised a brow at the goblin. The account manager took a step back and blushed. "No need for that, Lady Granger, I am just trying to be thorough as is my duty. Many a Lady has approved a concubine, so their husband doesn't importune them when they are… um… with child."
"I see. We will not be considering that possibility, but I understand that you are doing your job. We would appreciate an audit of the vault," Emma nodded at the goblin who blushed as her husband nodded decidedly.
"Of course. If there is nothing further, I will return to Gringotts. Once I am there, I shall start the audit of your hereditary vault. Your daughter's vault will be affixed to this one."
"Thank you."
"Sharptooth, will you and Jawbreaker be joining us for the ball?" Charlus asked with a small smirk.
"Of course, we will be delighted," the goblin nodded with a furious blush, gathered his things, and left.
"I'm sorry, Jawbreaker?" Emma asked curiously.
"His mate."
"I didn't know he was married. I feel awful about never asking. Does he have baby goblins?"
"No, it's a… um… recent development, it seems," Dorea smirked.
"Oh, no wonder he blushed. Goblins are so set in looking scary that it makes them cute," Emma chuckled.
Charlus chuckled. He remembered his Lily saying something similar. When he told Nagkrat, the king had doubled over in laughter.
Near Ottery St Catchpole stood a particular looking home. It stood on top of a hill that had a beautiful stream at the base of it. The house was cylindrical, made of stone, and it looked like a giant chess rook. When Pandora Lovegood died, her distraught widower, Xenophilius, had painted the entire house black. The color remained until this day. Luna would have preferred to paint their castle in whimsical colors, but her father's heart was still broken, and every time her mother visited her in dreams, she would remind young Luna to be patient with her dad.
Tonight, Luna had to be almost dragged away from Potter Manor. Her friends were there, and they had missed each other a lot. But she needed to go home with her father on the 30th. That way, she could get ready in their house for the 31st so they could go to the ball and be there early. The young girl tossed and turned in her bed. Xenophilius came in to turn off the lamp his daughter kept by the bed. He tried to wake her, but it was all in vain. Suddenly, her eyes opened, she got up and went to a blank canvas by her bed. She opened a jar of dark red paint, dipped her fingers in, and began painting abstract forms. Her prophetic adult voice began:
"Blood… Blood will be shed. Innocent blood will start a war. Darkness is looming. The cage is weak. Light isn't strong enough yet. The bonds are meek. Species will choose sides, the skies will darken, and the waters will become polluted. Lives will end with the end of this year, two will be forever cursed, and countless will know that the war never truly stopped," the girl's eyes, clouded in white, shed tear after tear as she said this. She kept painting. Her motions slow and deliberate.
Xeno had to hold on to the wall behind him. Lives will end. As in more than one? Whose? Where? He needed to talk to Professor Trelawney. Luna kept painting, and he summoned writing supplies to her room. Leaving her alone after a prophecy terrified him, especially when she didn't go right back to sleep. He made three copies of his memory and put them in unbreakable memory vials.
Dear Sybill,
I am sorry to contact you so late. Luna has made another prophecy. I am scared for her and for whoever it may concern. It has been the most violent yet. She's painting and hasn't gone back to sleep. Please let me know how to proceed. I am sending you the memory. I will wait for your reply.
Xenophilius
Luna lifted her pajama top and drew strange shapes on her belly, then she pulled her sleeves up and drew different lines. Lastly, she painted her calves and her feet. She closed her eyes, reopened them to her natural blue hue, and promptly fell back asleep. Her father barely caught her on time. He rested her on the bed and wrote two more short missives.
Dear Madame Bones,
The vial attached has a memory of my daughter's latest prophecy. She just made it. People may be at risk. I think you should know.
Xenophilius Lovegood
The journalist wasn't happy to contact anyone at the Ministry since they had made fun of his claim that Luna was a seer repeatedly. However, the Potters told him that Madame Bones would not take any threats of violence lightly. The Potters! The Ball! He quickly penned a short missive.
Dear Dorea,
My Luna made a prophecy tonight. I am afraid for everyone's safety as it wasn't specific. My memory of it is within the vial. Perhaps the ball could be postponed? I don't think we will be attending. I want to take my Luna to a mind healer.
Xeno
The last day of December was here. All the guests had RSVP'd yes, almost instantaneously. Getting invited to the first New Year's Eve Ball that Lord and Lady Potter had decided to hold since their comeback was a high honor indeed. Those invited would be very loud about it, so everyone who did not get an invite would writhe in jealousy. In households all over England, people bought the fanciest attire, the most expensive accessories, and exotic perfumes. Several hundreds of pounds were spent to look the part. Couples with children could only bring their firstborn. The only exceptions were friends of the Potters that were notified of this.
Potter Manor was a vision. The ballroom at the manor was elegantly decorated. Emma had suggested for the balconies to be lit with twinkling yellow lights and flowers. Thirty-three round dinner tables were decorated with tasteful floral arrangements. Most tables had bottles of Veuve Clicquot champagne. However, the main tables, where the allies and close friends would sit had Dom Pérignon Rose Gold champagne bottles and vintage Blishen's Firewhiskey. At a hefty price of over ten thousand galleons a bottle, the Potters did not limit expenses to please those closest to them. It was a subtle way to impress those impressed by wealth and stir envy in those who wished the Potter generosity to be bestowed upon them.
The purebloods who would be in attendance were a bit scared of the Goblin Queen and King, but in any case, the royals would sit at the main table. They were not likely to mingle with others. The main table had Nagkrat and Gankra, Lord Potter and Lady Potter, the Grangers, Lady Longbottom, Frank and Alice, Lord Black and Lord Black-Lupin, Lady Greengrass, the Tonks, and Martin. The children had their own table, next to the main one. Daphne and Astoria would sit together, Draco and Neville on each side of them, and Harry and Hermione would be across. Madam Bones had worked with the goblins to make sure there would be several Aurors and goblin guards working with each other… just in case shit hits the fan as it tended to do around The Family.
Neesy was in charge of walking guests to their tables. Her uniform was the fanciest one she had. It was all black: a jacket with a thin red lining in the cuffs and pants with a thicker red lining on the hems. Her hair was brushed back and held together by a clip. Her hands had long white gloves, and her shoes were black leather. The Head Elf was ecstatic to be given such an important role. Neesy had personally triple checked the decorations, the seating arrangements, the flowers, and the wine. Both the Potter and the Greengrass elves were ready to dazzle and impress. The food choices were delightful, the drinks elegant, the desserts mouth-watering. Neesy made sure the bathrooms had everything Emma had suggested. Additionally, party favors would be given per each house invited according to a concrete list of stipulations given to Lady Potter's elves.
The children had been a bit fussy due to all the fittings they had to attend to. The boys would look quite dapper in their tuxes. Dorea, Lily, Emma, Narcissa, and Ianthe had chosen the color palettes the children would wear. Harry was going to wear black, like his grandfather, with a burgundy tie and handkerchief. Neville would look quite handsome in his blue tux with a light blue cravat and light gray vest. Draco would wear a light gray suit with a lavender tie and handkerchief.
The girls would look beautiful and elegant in their long pastel dresses. Hermione would wear pale pink, Luna icy blue, Astoria purple, and Daphne refused to wear any pastel. She said she was too old for princessy dresses. She had dragged her mother to Madam Malkin's, where she had commissioned a dress to be made while they were still in France. The Greengrass heiress had left the store with a puzzled mother and an ear-to-ear smile. Ianthe was confused, and a bit worried. The Potters may not be fond of her daughter wearing a short dress to such an elegant soirée. She insisted on having the seamstress add a spell so the dress could be lengthened to the floor if they disapproved.
The children looked forward to meeting some of their classmates' parents and some political figures they heard about. Draco had suggested they gathered intel through the night. He told Harry and Hermione that most pureblood adults tend to dismiss children, and so, they could spy for The Family Alliance, and no one would know the information came from them. Neville added that most pureblood children only start caring about family duty and politics at fifteen when they get all the information they need as potential heirs. Hermione was quick to find pictures and make a small notebook with crucial information on key guests.
The headquarters of the Unholy trinity were full of movement. The intel provided by the rogue elf had been most useful. Grindelwald and Dumbledore were quite proficient at the Imperius curse. As such, the villagers of the tiny, remote town where they lived were an army of extremely willing minions. It wasn't as convenient as having elves. But with imperiused humans, they weren't scared that their slaves would use magic against their captors.
Together, both powerful wizards had planned a massive escape from Azkaban that would culminate in the kidnapping of a key figure of the resistance. This figure wasn't key to the logistical or weaponry areas. But it was powerful in other ways. The public, gory blow, would make those interested in joining the alliance think twice. The stakes would be higher. This would scare away all those neutral and dark families, and even the light families would.
In Azkaban, the crazed cackle of Bellatrix Lestrange drew the dementors in. She felt the strong pull on her magic as the Dark Mark darkened more than when Voldemort had been at the height of his power. The grief suckers surrounded her cell as she danced to no music, waving around a parchment that could only be read after she covered it in her blood. Most humans would be terrified of dementors as the creatures make them unable to feel anything positive, and all the nightmares, fears, and bad memories are brought forth for the eerie creatures to feast upon.
Bellatrix relished in all things dark and suffering. She moved her hand, and the dementors moved away. The creatures only obey beings more aligned to the dark than they are. The fact that they obeyed her was chilling. Other prisoners looked at her apprehensively. She licked the blood that was still coming from the deep cut on her palm and smiled evilly. "We are getting out of here!" she cackled louder and twirled inside her cell. The sound of stones against metal bars of former Death Eaters in other cells echoed throughout the prison. Aurors were outside. They needed breaks from the dementors. They did hear the ruckus, but they thought it was just crazy people doing crazy things.
A few hours later, four Azkaban Aurors fell dead to the ground as Grindelwald himself attacked them with ease. He did a spell that would explode their bones from the inside out. The heaps on the floor didn't even look human. The pain they must have felt was the stuff of nightmares. The dementors steered clear from both Grindelwald and Dumbledore. They were wearing robes soaked in a concoction that the creatures were seemingly allergic to. A couple of bombardas and blood oaths later, they all flew away with the engorgioed brooms towards their headquarters. The prisoners needed potions and food before attempting the coup they were planning. Unfortunately for the Potters, Dumbledore knew exactly where the home was. There were wards, of course. A significant amount of security was in place. However, the dark power couple practiced almost daily using the strongest bombardas maximas and fiendfyre simultaneously. Wards -no matter the type- wouldn't hold very long with this combination.
Dumbledore had sent Quirrell to Hogwarts as soon as he got the news that Minerva was gone. Getting the stone without her would be a piece of cake, especially since the obstacles to get to the stone were the same he had put in years ago.
"Professor Quirrell, how yer doin'?" Hagrid asked with a smile. "I thought no one would be here tonight. Want to join me for-" The smile would freeze on his face as the professor hit him with a petrifying curse, a full-body bind, and then gagged him for good measure. Soon after, the half-giant was obliviated. The professor then placed a notice me not charm on the man and on himself and walked briskly to the third floor. He had a flute in his robes and started playing a slow song that he remembered from his youth.
The gigantic beast's eyelids fought to stay open, but soon enough, sleep took over. The wizard kept playing as he opened the trapdoor with his foot. Quirrel went down half expecting some stupid little task but landed on devil's snare. The roots immediately started to wrap themselves around him. What was he supposed to do? Of course, light!
"Lumos Solem!" he waved his wand. The roots screeched and immediately let him go. He could hear the flapping of wings in the next room. After an immobilizing spell, he saw hundreds of keys that were floating in the air. Bloody hell! He would have to try them all one by one.
Tonks had been feeling decidedly feminine lately. She suspected that it had a lot to do with her encounter with Remus. In her assignment for the DMLE, Nymph had to play a housewife. Although the Auror never dreamt of being a kept woman, she did feel good in the dresses and skirts. For the Potter's New Year's Eve Ball, she was going to wear a bright red dress with a slit that went almost all the way to her hip. Emma had insisted she wore it since the doctor herself was months, if not years away, from being able to fit into it again. Her chocolate locks had burgundy lowlights, and her skin was slightly tanned. However, as she saw herself in the mirror, looking like a snack, she remembered Remus cornering her and thought that wearing this was not a good idea… or maybe it was. No. Tonks. NO.
Stupid hormones. Remus is your uncle, your very gay, very married uncle. He cannot control the animal within. You must keep yourself unappealing. Should I wear a tux? No… I wouldn't want Sirius to think I am trying to get him more interested in me. Fuck it. Using her wand, she changed the dress's color to a deep blue, almost black shade. She made an alteration so her cleavage wouldn't be as deep and made the slit reach just above her knee. There. Decent. She would keep her wand in her clutch as was authorized. She grabbed a pair of trainers with socks inside them as well as a change of clothes (just in case) and made them barbie size, throwing them inside her clutch as well.
King Nagkrat and Queen Gankra came in early so they wouldn't be gawked at as they walked in. This way, they could look formidable from afar and be comfortable at the same time. The queen looked around appreciatively.
"Welcome, your majesties," Emma curtsied. She feared if she bowed, she wouldn't be able to get back up.
King Nagkrat looked at her disillusioned belly, approached her, and kissed her hand. Emma smiled. Dorea had told her the king and queen would be able to tell by smell apparently.
"Lady Dagworth-Granger, congratulations," Nagkrat smiled.
"Emma, please," she said.
"May your little one be a brave, resilient warrior, Emma," Gankra added, squeezing her free hand.
"May we do a protective enchantment?" the kind asked.
"I suggest you say yes. Goblin protections are wonderful for all mothers to be, but especially for non-magical mothers expecting magical children," Sirius said as he bowed deeply to the royals.
"Lord Black, always a pleasure. I have laughed a lot at the practical joke you played on Jawbreaker. She was beside herself with worry at failing your House."
"Well, it was about time Sharpie got some love," Sirius winked.
"Indeed. Emma?"
"Should I sit?"
"No, worries. Tolanthe, we need Lord Dagworth Granger."
The doctor was brought by the house as he finished working on his tie. "Whoa! Tolanthe, you almost gave me a heart attack."
"Sorry," Tolanthe's echoey voice replied with mirth.
"Please stand directly behind your wife and hold both of her hands. We shall be placing a protective enchantment on her and the child. It will help her feel better, and the baby will be a bit less restless the last weeks,"
Daniel looked at Sirius with worry, but the marauder nodded decisively. This was a great thing.
"Alright. Do I need to do anything?"
"Just send positive energy to her."
"Would this be better with more positive energy?" Charlus asked as he came arm in arm with his wife, followed by the rest of the alliance.
"Naturally, my friend. Everyone, please make a circle around Emma. Hold hands. Harry, Hermione, you should be the last at each end of the circle, and only your hands should touch Emma's belly. You will feel clean energy flow through you. The baby and Emma will absorb it all," Gankra explained with a smile.
Everyone did as the queen requested. The king and queen began a slow chant. They moved around the circle clockwise, taking short steps. After a while of everyone pushing, the royals stood behind Harry and Hermione and put their hands over the children's heads. Harry and Hermione's faces broke in a smile. They had so much good, happy energy that they felt as if it tickled. The kids placed their hands on Emma's belly, and golden light got in her belly, swirled, and began expanding until her entire body was glowing for about a minute.
The chanting stopped, and the glow receded. Emma felt significantly better. Her back wasn't killing her anymore, her feet felt less swollen, and her lower belly didn't feel as heavy anymore. "Oh, this is wonderful. Thank you all. I feel much better."
Mr. Weasley stepped through the floo to Potter Manor. He arrived at a pristine, elegant living room that was entirely empty except there was Charlus Potter, who stood holding a glass of firewhiskey and reading an ancient tome.
"Lord Potter," Mr. Weasley bowed first as was appropriate.
"Welcome to Potter Manor, follow me to the study."
"And all I have to do is be faithful to the alliance and its goals? Be an ally to your allies?"
"Indeed, but you must swear on your magic and the magic of your heirs, which is why I asked you to talk to them. You did, didn't you?" Charlus lifted a brow. "Jonsy, please bring Mr. Weasley a drink of his choice," Charlus said to the old elf that popped in.
"Brandy, please. I did talk to them," Arthur lied easily. "Two of them are already adults, so this should not concern them much."
"I disagree. I am making a deal with the Ancient House of Weasley. That includes them, their future spouses, and any children they have. Unless you cast them out, everything we agree on will affect them. I am a grandfather of many a child now, I know that we cannot control what our heirs do. However, you must inform them of all the stipulations. I will not strip the whole family of their magic for one person's insubordination. However, they need to be keenly aware of the consequences of betrayal to us or ours," Lord Potter said all that slowly so it would resonate with Mr. Weasley.
"Indeed. I assumed you would say something like that. I told all my children… except Ronald, of course… that you are fair," Arthur replied with his best poker face.
"Good. Here is the contract. Please take a seat and read it carefully. I need to check on my guests. I will be back in a few minutes," Charlus walked away, and Jonsy came back with a full glass on a silver platter.
"Thank you, Jonsy. I will be here, Lord Potter," Mr. Weasley began to read. Jonsy didn't move from the room. He simply stood next to the fireplace. Arthur tried not to take this personally. Potter Manor had many expensive things. The Weasley patriarch could see the first editions, the gold artifacts, the art, etc. The mansion was like a homely museum. Arthur realized he had yet to inform Dumbledore that the castle would be open for him for about an hour. He quickly took a piece of parchment and wrote a simple you have 2 hours.
"Jonsy, can I ask you for a small favor?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Please take this note to this address. You will see a mailbox. Put it there. Make sure no one sees you," Arthur said, expecting full compliance.
The elf looked suspicious and a bit confused. As the creature was about to protest, Arthur moved his wand discreetly, and the elf's eyes glazed over. Jonsy took the letter in Ministry paper and popped away. He did what was requested and came back to stand where he was. He looked a bit green. Going against the best interest of masters sickens and weakens elves.
Arthur Weasley had just left. He signed the contract with a smile on his face. His Ginny would go to Hogwarts. They could afford it now. He shook hands with Lord Potter, thanked him again, and left using the same floo. When he got to the office, the Aurors were gone. He took advantage of this and used the floo to go back to the Burrow. As he got there, his wife's screams full of questions followed him through the house. He got so sick and tired of his wife's decibels that he bound her to a chair and silencioed her.
"For once in your life, shut up, Molly!" Arthur roared. Her eyes widened comically, and she frowned deeper than Arthur thought possible. "Yes, I was at Potter Manor. No, I didn't have to tell you. No, you were not invited. Lord Potter wrote that you specifically were not to come. He didn't think it was a good idea to have you at the New Year's Ball lest you step on some toes. The man is fiercely protective of his family and friends, and he doesn't like you or the way you treat them. Starting today, you will never inopportune that family or their allies again."
Molly cocked her head to the left in confusion. He could almost hear her question in his head. What? Why?!
"Because as of tonight, Lord Potter owns all our debts, and we owe him everything. Understood? Lord Potter bought all the ridiculously high debts we have thanks to your financial stupidity and Ron's rage, not to mention all the medical bills. Your son will be moved to a hospital that the Potters are building, where he will be treated for free. Charlus and I agreed on a reasonable monthly payment that will allow me to put money away for Ginny to go to Hogwarts. You need to undo all the brainwashing you did on that girl. She will never be Mrs. Potter. If she acts in an unbecoming manner, or tries to do something rash to gain his favor and Lord Potter or any of his allies -present AND future- feel betrayed, we can lose our magic."
Molly's eyes widened again. Our magic?
"Yes, our magic. I have signed the contract in blood, Molly. It includes the entirety of House Weasley, so you may want to talk to your daughter. I will write to the boys and ask them over for a Family Council. I do not want to hear any negative comments from you. This situation is all your fault. I have never lived beyond my means. You knew I wasn't rich when I married you. You married me because you were pregnant with Bill and wanted to keep a husband. Don't think I am not aware you have used love potions against me. If you try to jeopardize this alliance with the Potters, I will divorce you and accuse you before the DMLE," Arthur said the last bit with a smirk. Molly looked scared. She knew exactly what the punishment was for brewing and using love potions without consent. It amounted to rape in the eyes of the law.
"Now, I will go write to our sons and wish them a happy new year. Ginevra!" Arthur looked pointedly at the table, where a thud resounded as the girl jumped. She clearly did not expect her father to know she was there. Arthur knew his daughter would not be able to resist the urge to listen in on her parents' conversation, hoping to get some information on Harry Potter. The girl refused to come out. "Fine, stay there," Mr. Weasley took out his wand and made a copy of the contract. Then he placed it on the table. "I will end the spells once I am locked inside our room. You can sleep on Ron's bed tonight. I am exhausted. I'll take a shower and go to bed, and I do not want to be disturbed until tomorrow. I am done with your moping, Molly. Ron is not dead. You cry all hours of the day about him, and yet you don't go see him at the hospital. I have had enough. Oh! And Ginevra… If you EVER read my correspondence again, I will disown you. Am I making myself clear?" he bellowed to the girl.
A scared "Yes, father," came from the table.
"Good night. I hope you can rest better knowing we are not going to lose this house and Ginevra will have an education. Tonight, I did my duty as both a father and a husband by going to this length to undo all the shit you have done, Molly," Arthur said with a sigh. "There will be no further meetings with the Potters unless they call us, and if they do, neither of you are coming."
He went upstairs and, as promised, ended the spells that were keeping Molly on the chair. She shot up, grabbed her wand, silencioed herself, and screamed with all the anger and the frustration she felt. Ginny would never forget in years to come thinking of this moment as the day that changed everything for the worse.
Emma and Dan were swaying in place. It was a bit awkward since her belly was in the way, but they managed. The kids were laughing at their table as Tonks contorted her face in different ways for their entertainment. But none of the kids were as giddy as Father Martin, who kept suggesting different things for her to do. Remus was sitting with them too, Sirius' arm around his waist. Both had serene expressions. Most guests had been a bit shocked at their open affection, but then they were introduced as Lord Black and Lord Lupin-Black, and as guests put two and two together and realized they were truly legally married. The Auror and the Professor had talked and their bond was stronger now than before. Snape managed to alter a potion meant to fix a stuffy nose, and it would now clog Remus's nose for an entire day, and he had it just before the party.
It was strange for Moony not to have access to one of his most acute senses. Luckily Padfoot's nose was just as sensitive. Remus' left ear moved a bit back as the howling of wind grew louder outside. There was a slight flash of yellow and red, but if the guests blinked, they missed it. Sirius dropped his arm from his husband's waist and grabbed his wand tightly. It smelled like… like something was burning at a distance, but there was no fire, and fireworks wouldn't start until after the countdown. Remus grabbed his wand, mirroring his husband, and Tonks looked at them strangely but got on defensive mode. She kicked off her heels, engorgioed the trainers, and put them on discreetly. Hermione looked at her questioningly. The Auror simply made a face and said her feet were killing her. Martin narrowed his eyes slightly at Sirius, who nodded briefly. Something was wrong.
As they were about to alert Lord Potter, he stepped on the small stage where the band was and tapped his wand to his throat. "It is a great pleasure to have you all here. House Potter is glad to see so many of you are willing to rekindle our long-standing relationships. Lady Potter and I are glad to announce that we have just added an Ancient and Noble House, Maison Dugard, to our alliance," Lord Potter raised his glass towards the patriarch of the family, who raised his glass as well. "Bienvenue!" he smiled and winked at Lady Greengrass, who had won the stern Matthieu Dugard with her charm and knowledge of French culture and law. He went on, "Ancient House of Sprout has also joined us. We will be meeting with seven more families this coming week. Regardless of the end result of those meetings, my heart is filled with hope at-"
Charlus stopped talking as the building shook slightly. The chandelier chimed a little. An earthquake? Sirius and Remus had immediately rushed to the balcony as discreetly as they could as the guests looked around and waited. They heard something only the goblins did. King Nagkrat stood quickly in perfect synchrony with his queen, and they pulled out their weapons of choice and shields. The goblin guards rushed to form a protective circle around the royals. This got everyone's attention. Nagkrat waved his hand over the locker behind them, and wands flew to the grateful hands of all those present who were unarmed.
Sirius called Dobby to the balcony. "Stop anything you elves are doing. Get as many guests out of here as you can right now!"
Dobby's eyes were wide and terrified as he saw Bellatrix Lestrange waving her wand, moving a giant gush of Fiendfyre like a whip against the property's defenses. The elf vanished.
"Everyone, our elves will be taking you away safely. Remain in your tables," Charlus said as he saw the royals react.
Inside, people were starting to get scared and stand, but it was still quiet. The only sound was that of elves popping in and out. Daniel pulled Emma behind him protectively. She whispered, 'the kids.' No sooner than she said this, there was a deafening metallic clang. Remus and Sirius fell to the floor, their ears were bleeding, and they grabbed their head in splitting pain. Charlus whipped his wand, and Tolanthe moved him next to his wife. They stood back to back and began casting protective spells on the kids. The children were all standing in a defensive formation, but as the building shook harshly, they fell down. Harry flipped Hermione so she would fall on top of him. Tonks had pushed Astoria towards her sister and pulled them both close to her back. Elves were popping in and out, getting guests out as ordered.
"We are under attack! Protect women and children! Combat elves, show yourselves!" Remus bellowed as the remaining ward fell.
Twenty elves and eight goblins stood at the balconies' doors. A gush of Fiendfyre burned 4 elves and 1 goblin to a crisp where they stood, and several hooded figures came in on brooms. Madam Bones shook her amulet to order back up, but as she did this, three Death Eaters threw Auror heads on top of some tables' centerpieces. Draco recognized his crazy aunt as she dived towards his mother, who was dueling someone else with her back to the crazed witch. Forgetting about his own safety, and anything else for that matter, he ran and tackled his mother to the ground before Bella could grab her. Severus turned his attention from a new Death Eater that was now unconscious to the crazy woman. A vicious duel began. She was attacking him savagely. If there was something Lestrange hated was traitors like Snape. Narcissa pushed Draco towards Martin with a spell and began helping her husband.
A stupefy hit Daniel as he and Emma tried to get to the kids. Emma was falling down on her belly, and Sirius transformed to reach her. He pushed her to her back and put himself in a position where she would fall on him. As soon as she hit the ground, she groaned in pain. Lady Greengrass helped her up and began pulling her towards the children. Several different curses missed them as the witch moved her wand flawlessly without even looking back. Most guests were now gone, except for the ones that chose to stay and fight. Over the kids' heads, a chandelier was severed by Carrow Jr., and Emma experienced a cold horror she had never felt before. It all happened in slow motion. The children didn't see it, and Tonks had just run into battle. Martin saw Emma's face and looked up as the chandelier fell. He pulled all the kids down and tried to cover them with his body as much as possible as he pushed them partially under the table. He expected the pain of impact, but it never came. Suddenly, they were falling beyond the floor.
Minerva McGonagall stood formidable and furious in the middle of the chaos. Everyone in the alliance breathed a bit easier. She had just blasted the chandelier away as both Emma, and Lady Potter told the house to protect the children. Tolanthe opened the floor so they would land on the training basement. This was done on purpose. There were muggle weapons in the basement. Father Martin was a great shot, and he would keep the children safe. The door to this part of the basement could only be opened from within, and Martin knew that.
"I should have expelled you on your first year Carrow!" Minerva growled. The kid had always had a penchant for hurting others, especially younger, defenseless children. She moved her wand in a spiral, and wind swirled around the young man throwing him so hard against a wall that it cracked. Carrow fell unconscious with a shocked face. Alexandra Carrow saw this and ran towards Minerva, throwing all the curses she knew. For a woman of McGonagall's age, she moved like an energetic teenager. She dodged, derailed, and protected those she could.
"How dare you attack a child!?" Alexandra yelled.
"He is a grown man. A horrible one at that! He could have killed all those children!" McGonagall replied as she sent a myriad of curses so quickly that they left Carrow gagged, unconscious, and with horrible burns all over the place.
As he lowered his wand, with his gaze firm on Emma, Severus was blasted against the fireplace by a junior Death Eater that attacked him from behind right when he would have overpowered Lestrange. Narcissa had rushed to help Frank and Alice to safety. As Bella turned to keep attacking people, she felt the sharp pain of teeth on her left ankle as Padfoot bit her with more strength than he had before. His animagus form was more like a wolf than a dog at this point and her bones cracked under the pressure of the mighty animal's jaw. She yelled and tried to kick him with her other leg as she threw a Crucio his way, but the animal was faster and better at physical confrontations. As she raised her other leg, he pulled her harshly by the injured leg, making her fall.
The dark spell hit Emma, who was being taken out of the room by Ianthe, as Remus tried to approach Daniel to revive him while fighting off two dark hooded wizards. She screamed in agony: not even contractions felt this painful. Ianthe felt herself grow incensed. How dare that bitch attack a pregnant woman?! A muggle one at that! She threw a powerful blasting hex at Bellatrix as soon as Sirius jumped back to transform. He looked at Ianthe and Emma and ran to them, lifting Emma in his arms and trying to apparate away. He couldn't. He asked Tolanthe, but the house never replied. It was using most of its energy to keep the children safe and the house upright. Bellatrix broke a few bones as she landed on a table with a thud. Her crazy eyes zeroed in on Emma. She accioed a broom and threw a bombarda close enough to Sirius to make his ears hurt. He loosened his hold on Emma for a second, and that's all it took.
Bellatrix grabbed Emma, who was still too muddled from the pain to resist anything and flew towards one of the open balconies. Remus and a revived Daniel rushed behind the two but cursing or throwing knives was too dangerous as Emma dangled from the other woman's hold a few feet over the ground, stretching her legs to try to reach the balcony's railing with her feet. Sirius ran after his cousin, but as he was about to leap forward, Lestrange pulled Emma's hair back harshly and brought one of her famous poisoned daggers, pressing it flat against the doctor's skin. Bellatrix did a sonorous and what she said that froze everything:
"Stop! Throw your wands away, or preggers here dies!"
Remus held Daniel back by the waist. Every member of the alliance or DMLE threw their wands down. Sirius was running calculations to see if he could save Emma by leaping forward and biting her to pull her to safety. As he flexed his muscles to jump, a curse hit Bellatrix's back and she let go of Emma to who fell forward. Emma screamed as she fell. She would land on her belly and that would have horrible consequences. Both Remus and Sirius jumped towards her in unison. They were at a similar distance from the doctor. Daniel ran but there was no way he could reach his wife on time.
A/N: I hate cliffhangers too! So sorry! But I needed to cut this or it would be to chapters in one. Working on the following one right now. Thank you for reading! XO -Lux-