Chapter 28: Bloody Runes
Harry and Hermione were glad that Professor No-Name didn't quit. He was good at practical combat magic, and they wanted to learn from him. Ginevra was now in the Mind Ward of the new hospital. She would have to stay there for a while. Everyone who knew what happened really hoped that the girl would truly recover and that he could lead a normal, healthy, productive life. One where she could heal from her trauma and abuse at the hands of a still unknown adult. She had accused "Boss", but no one knew who that was. They had tried to track him down by that nickname, but Ginny had never seen him. She had only read his letters and heard him, and it was just impractical to try and track someone down by voice alone.
The hospital's opening was a success, humans, elves, and even goblins had attended. The Dagworth-Grangers were over the moon at this. All the sleepless nights, the long days, the long recruitment process, the even longer building process, and the procurement of technology and placement of wards that allowed both the use of magic and electricity... It was all worth it. The Potters didn't even have to pay for news coverage. The press was all over the hospital, celebrating its diversity and success. It took significant charming from Lady Potter and from the centaurs, but the merpeople were finally teaching humans how to treat them: what techniques they used, which plants had healing properties that worked for them, and which should be avoided. Scamander had assigned Charlie to work with them specifically. Charlie was used to temperamental, proud, potentially dangerous creatures and this would come in handy. Newt was training other magizoologists. They now had waitlists for some specialties. However, their healers and doctors were committed to this and decided to work long hours to lower the waitlists.
Hermione was gathering signatures from the girls to make it so that they could have the option to wear pants with their uniform instead of skirts if they wanted to. She believed that they would be more comfortable, not to mention that they wouldn't be so exposed to the elements in the harsh winters. So far, all of first, second, and third years had signed to her delight. Once this was accepted formally by the school, Hermione would lobby for a formal class of sexual wellness. It was very necessary. Considering the reactions and resulting gossip of her painful period incident, the classes couldn't come soon enough.
Fortunately, once tested, what Hermione expelled was not a cyst and after discussing her strong symptoms with her mother and her aunt Andromeda, Hermione requested to be put in the potion as it would help reduce her symptoms and discomfort. Emma agreed and authorized Andy to brew and administer the contraceptive potion to her daughter. After her talk with Charlus, Emma didn't need much convincing. She only wished they could create something similar for the boys.
Harry was enjoying watching the Quidditch matches now that the "plague from hell" -to quote Oliver Wood- had been dealt with. He really wanted to try out for the team when he was old enough. His father and grandparents were all for it, but the Dagworth-Grangers and Lily would not be happy. Harry loved having so many people that cared for him, but it sucked that instead of asking for permission from two people, he had to ask six. It didn't matter much, though, because he would choose his current situation over the horrible life that he had with the Dursleys every single day, no matter what.
The family had decided not to tell the kids about Narcissa. They were still taking their remaining exams and they didn't want them distracted. It had been going well so far. Exceeds Expectations across the board for all of them. Professors were very impressed with the group of friends. Severus had taken a leave as soon as they found out Narcissa was missing. Everyone at Hogwarts was helping cover for the Potions Master and that was why the kids hadn't realized something was going on yet. The Family was working around the clock trying to find her. The goblins, the elves, everyone was helping as much as they could. So far, all they knew was that whoever took her had sufficient means to leave very little trace of their dark endeavors.
Narcissa woke up in a dark room. Her wrists and ankles had been shackled to a bed frame without a mattress. Clearly, whoever took her wanted her uncomfortable. She could only hope her baby was okay. She knew the spell Armand used was not dangerous, but she had no idea what had been done to her while she was asleep. She could smell something familiar that made her gag. The smell was everything but reassuring. It smelled close to the disgusting perfume Walburga Black used to wear. It got up to your brain and gave you a headache almost immediately. But she was dead. Narcissa had gone to her funeral and saw her body being buried without a coffin as the matriarch wanted. Narcissa could hear the click-clack of high heels and the familiar sound of a robe being dragged behind as someone walked.
Narcissa blinked, trying to adjust her eyes. The room was simple, with no windows. Candles made it stuffy and uncomfortably warm. There was a blurry mannequin in the corner dressed in an elegant dress that was vaguely familiar to her. Where had she seen it before? Who wore that? Why couldn't she remember? She suddenly became aware of the smell of blood. Did they hit her head? The high-heeled steps grew nearer. Narcissa waited; her muscles were contracted with dread. The door opened slowly with a screech. The old woman that walked inside the room made a cold chill go through Narcissa's back. It was impossible.
"You!" Narcissa gasped. "You are alive!"
"How observant," the old witch replied with a raised brow and a bored tone.
"Where are we? Why did you kidnap me? What do you want?"
"You ask too many questions. All you need to know is that I have come to collect. You owe me handsomely, Narcissa."
"I owe you nothing!" Narcissa yelled, grimacing at her strained wrists.
"You owe me EVERYTHING. You took my son!"
"He's alive and paying his debt to society. That's exactly where he should be!"
The woman's face turned into one of cold hatred, "Don't make me start torturing you so early... I want your death to be slow and painful," the old witch stated with a sneer. Her monocle made the eye behind it look bigger than her other eye. The iris was such a light shade of gray that it almost looked white.
"Lucius deserves every punishment he has received, Adela. So did Abraxas!"
The older witch did a scourgify in Narcissa's mouth, "You will wash your mouth before you speak of my husband, may he rest in power!"
Narcissa struggled to breathe after coughing for a good minute, "A-Abraxas was a p-psychopath! A murderer! A rapist! A nazi!"
Adela's eyes filled with angry tears, "He was the love of my life! And he fought for what he believed in. So did my son!"
"Your son is a criminal, Adela."
"So are you, or have you forgotten?" Adela looked down at her with a disgusted sneer.
"I was imperiused!"
"Not from the start, you weren't. You loved power. You tortured and harmed your fair share of people for your own purposes," Adela snapped.
"You are delusional! I did NO such thing, not of my own free will."
"I have my son's memories of your crimes safely stored away. If someone were to come to your rescue and hurt me, my people have clear instructions to send the copies to the press and to the DMLE," Adela said haughtily.
"Memories can be faked. Did he give you a wizard's oath that they were genuine?" Narcissa countered.
"I believe my son."
"I don't doubt it. But I can give you an oath on my magic," Narcissa pressed.
"You are willing to risk your child, that little bastard in your womb?" Adela spat.
"My baby is NOT a bastard. He is the heir to House of Prince. A house older and more noble than yours!"
Adela backhanded Narcissa with fury. "I shall raise him well and far away from the likes of you. I will adopt him through adoption ritual, and he will grow up to be the Malfoy heir."
Narcissa yelled, "NEVER!"
"You will have no say in this. You will give me this baby once you push it out willingly or I shall pull a Bellatrix Lestrange and rip him out of you!"
Narcissa did some quick calculations and decided to play along. "Don't! Fine. I will comply. Just don't hurt us."
"That's more like it: pliable and obedient. Way more like the daughter-in-law I remember," Adela's smirk felt like a drop of cold water down a warm back.
The old woman left the room with the same clacking noise and Narcissa started to cry. Without her wand, the situation was hopeless. She had her safety amulet in the pocket of her Potion Master lab coat. Did Adela find it? It was under a concealment charm. She looked around. The lab coat didn't seem to be in the room. Damn it. Breathe. I can't lose control, or the baby will too, and things will get worse. A hurt elf appeared next to her bed with a tray of food.
"Mistress is saying to eat it all," the elf placed the tray over her lap. "For baby."
"Hello, what is your name?"
The elf looked very suspicious. "I is not to talk to prisoner."
"I am so sorry. I know she hurts you and I don't want to get you in trouble," Narcissa smiled slightly.
"Then eats," the elf offered her a spoonful.
Narcissa looked at the food, terrified. It looked delicious and she was starving, but what if it was laced with something. She looked at her belly with concern.
"It is being safe," the elf took a baby potato and ate it.
"Thank you," Narcissa decided to trust the elf. She began taking the food offered. Her baby needed the nutrition and Narcissa needed to get the elf to bring her the missing lab coat.
Headmistress McGonagall was excited despite her worry. She couldn't leave her post to help her coven look for Narcissa, but she had discovered some information that made her closer to finding Albus than ever before. There had been strange sightings of even stranger people around a monastery deep in a forest. She asked some colleagues and friends in her homeland and now she was writing to Martin to come to visit Hogwarts so they could go and do some recon. If they managed to pinpoint their location before Gellert and Albus acted against The Family again. That is if they hadn't already. Minerva dreaded the thought that either of those two tried the extortion route with Narcissa like they did with Emma.
King Nagkrat paced in his study. Lady Prince being taken in broad daylight was very concerning. The fact that someone took her, and no one heard or saw anything was even more concerning. It meant they were good, skilled, and had significant resources. It wasn't the usual suspects. The king was sure of it. This was too controlled and well planned. There had been no noise anywhere, no chatter in Knockturn Alley, nothing. His intelligence soldiers were working on Narcissa's disappearance around the clock and still no news.
Lucius hadn't been contacted by anyone and he hadn't written to anyone. He was patched up enough to keep living and do his time. The officers in charge reported he was working under duress from the other prisoners who weren't about to let him rest because that meant they had to work harder. His hands were covered in ruptured blisters and his body was a collection of blue and purple bruises. The skin on his ankle which had the shackle had peeled off and the area was raw and bleeding at times. His stomach wasn't happy with the raw meats and vegetables that he was being fed and to make matters worse, his Dark Mark was fading, and Lucius knew all too well that meant he was dying soon.
Queen Gankra had taken time away from her duties to design the study plan that The Goblin Nation would use to train Harry and Hermione in all their knowledge and fighting skills. She had already commanded their best armour to work on protection garments. Their blacksmiths were working on weapons that were small and light enough for children to conceal and carry. There had been some backlash from some of the goblin elders. They didn't believe any human capable of goodwill to the goblin community at large. They remembered the bloodshed and their shared history of humans thinking they were the greatest beings on Earth.
Narcissa's wrists were raw and bleeding by now. The ties on them were too tight. She had stopped freaking out. She needed to use her Black upbringing to her benefit. She had summoned a bit of chipped wood from the floor by the bed. It had exhausted her, and she had to wait an hour to do anything again. The elf came with a bedpan. She struggled a bit to use it and pretended to be dizzier than she really was. The elf looked concerned and healed her head. After looking around, as if to make sure no one was watching, he took a small vial of blood replenishing potion and gave it to her. She downed it right away. She thanked him profusely and he vanished. She needed to draw Black Runes on her belly. It would take a while and she would exhaust herself, but it was her only recourse until she managed to get the lab coat. The baby was moving a lot. Narcissa wished with all her heart for anyone to help them, but she quickly realized the house had to be very well concealed. She needed to draw the runes.
Martin was sore. He had been swimming furiously for over an hour. He wanted to tire his body so he could sleep. His spiritual dilemma was robbing him of his peace. He kept seeing Ianthe's face every time he closed his eyes. Remus and Sirius weren't helping. Remus was very tense, territorial even, with his husband. Apparently, it was a side effect of their mating period. Martin was in a room with many spells to keep the sounds out. The last thing the priest needed in his current state was to imagine all the sounds that he was sure would come out of the happy couple's room if there wasn't extensive warding.
Sirius was not helping either. He kept telling Martin throughout the day to get it out of his system. His hormones would end up forcing him to 'catch the bird.' He didn't want to catch the bird. Not in that way at least. If he were to leave the Church, it would be for a wholesome formal relationship, not for a 'good time' or a one-time thing. He should be focused on the mission with Minerva but his mind was turbulent. To make matters worse, he received a letter from O'Brian and he had even more reasons for concern. O'Brian was not the type of man Martin would trust. Exorcism or no exorcism. However, he had inside information from his Order and high-ranking religious officials. He went downstairs to use the one phone in the island. He needed to go back to England and speak to O'Brian, the sooner, the better. It rang several times before the call was picked up.
"Hello?"
"O'Brian?"
"Who is this?"
"Shaw. I will send someone to pick you up tomorrow at 10 am. Be in the lobby. You will be approached," Martin said with a frown.
"No. Tell me where to go and I will meet you there. I don't trust you," O'Brian sounded suspicious.
"I don't trust you either and you are the one who wants to talk to me. It is either my way or nothing," Martin countered.
"Why can't I come to where you are?"
"Because you can't get here."
"Ah. I see. Fine. I will see you tomorrow. I hope you are not making me waste my time," O'Brian stated with a bored tone.
"I won't. Bear in mind that I only have two hours to talk to you. I have prior engagements," Martin replied and hung up.
Martin poured himself a double whiskey on ice and went outside to calm down. His mind was a whirlwind. He still had no idea what to do with his confusion regarding Ianthe, but his Church needed him, and he could not do anything about it right now. He decided he could only tackle one problem at a time.
Grindelwald sighed as he looked at Dumbledore. Some ancient wiccan rituals had helped reduce the shaking, but the man was more morose than ever. He would ask about Ariana. He would ask if he was to blame. He would ask about Harry Potter. He would ask about Voldemort. He would ask about anything and everything. It all made no sense. He was like a child when they get to their 'why?' years. It was as if whatever happened to Dumbledore had somehow grown him the conscience he never had before. It was all very disconcerting. The man Gellert had fallen in love with all those years ago was suited for him precisely because his concept of right and wrong wasn't absolute. It was simply tones of gray. Some were lighter and some were darker.
Gellert did see the world more in a black and white scheme. However, his idea of black, bad or evil was what didn't serve his purpose or help him reach his goals. His idea of good was the opposite of what most people would perceive as such. That's why their slogan had been 'for the greater good.' They never said for whose or what greater good was. And yet, people followed them. Gellert had learned in his youth that he was very charismatic and magnetic. He looked at Albus and thought, Exhibit A. He had turned Albus from an idealistic fool to his idealistic fool complete with a change of core ideas and beliefs.
Now that he had surreptitiously taken over Scotland's government, his operatives were starting to work on taking Ireland's power. They would then move on to Wales. The agents they had sent to continental Europe had some concerning leads in France and Portugal. Gellert was crunching numbers. The money they had raised up to now was going to last them a while. They had been acquiring properties using some swishes and flicks to inspire people to donate them to the cause. They owned houses, apartments, cars, boats, and brooms.
Lady Greengrass paced in her office. The reports she received from France were disturbing. Romania had fallen at Grindelwald's feet without a fight. Russia was obviously next. If Russia fell, continental Europe would succumb soon enough. Merde. This can't happen. They will decimate us. Time to call the big guns.
"Allo ?" An old man's voice picked up the call.
"Palais Royal ?" Ianthe asked to make sure. [Royal Palace?]
The voice took a suspicious tone, "C'est qui ?" [Who is it?]
"Dame Greengrass," she replied. [Lady Greengrass]
The man gasped, "Oh, pardon ma Dame. A qui voulez-vous parler ?" [Oh, pardon my Lady. Who do you want to speak to?]
"Je dois parler au Roi de France," Ianthe replied. [I must speak to the King of France.]
There was a full minute of silence on the other line, "Laissez-moi vérifier si Sa Majesté est disponible." [Let me see if His Majesty is available.]
"Il doit l'être. Dites à Son Altesse Royale qu'il s'agit d'Harry Potter. C'est urgent." [He has to be. Tell His Royal Highness that this is about Harry Potter. It's urgent.]
The man on the phone made a bit of a strangled noise, "Attendez une minute."
Ianthe could hear the muffled sounds as he ran throughout the long hallways of the palace. He was probably covering the phone. All she could understand was Harry Potter and urgent.
"Allo ?" King Francis' deep voice resounded in her ear. [Hello?]
"Votre Majesté, merci-" Ianthe was interrupted. [Your Majesty, thank you-]
"Pas besoin de politesse, Ianthe. Dites-moi. Comment puis-je aider?" [No politeness needed, Ianthe. Tell me. How can I help?]
"And he said yes?!" Charlus had to hold on to his desk and tighten his hold on the phone.
"He did. He will be coming to Maison Dugard next week to make arrangements for his forces to join us here right away," Ianthe smiled confidently. The King was a man of his word.
"Merlin! Ianthe, I can't even tell you how much this means to House Potter-" Charlus replied.
"Nonsense! We are allies. If we need the big guns, all the allies must bring at least a rifle," she chuckled.
"Thank you, my dear. I will call an alliance meeting to prepare."
"Charlus... Will Martin be there?" Ianthe hated how hopeful her tone was.
"I don't know, my dear," Charlus winced. He was glad Ianthe couldn't see his face.
Charlus notified everyone about the meeting and sat down to drink a celebratory double scotch on the rocks that a joyous Dobby brought him when he explained what happened. Charlus could scarcely believe it. After the French Revolution that overturned the monarchy in September of 1792, the magical heirs to the throne of France had been taken to magical territories within the land, never to return. Both were the two youngest kids in the monarchy. The older two that were the heir and heiress were murdered with their parents the King and Queen. The Monarchs had gone to extreme lengths to cover up both pregnancies and there was no record in non-magical society that they ever existed.
Magical France had felt the need to protect the kids and they went undercover for a decade until things quietened a bit, at least in regard to the hatred towards the monarchy. Magical France chose to keep their monarchy and the new young King Louis endeavored to treat everyone fairly and with respect. He fought in the wars with them. He built bridges and rebuilt crumbled down homes with the families. Him and his children believed in equality. His magical prowess was quite well known and fortunately, he married a beautiful witch and had five children, all magical. They worked together to strengthen magical France and today magical society in France was one of the most modern and respected monarchies in the world.
Jump to today, generations later, King Francis was loved and respected by French witches and wizards, and he kept the tradition of his ancestors to work hand in hand with his people. Several families had come to him mourning their family members which were kidnapped and cruelly murdered by the English terrorists and Francis refused to give in to their reign of terror. He could have disappeared to Martinique or any other French island far away to keep him safe like several advisors begged him to do. He wouldn't leave. If his people were brave, the least he could do was pay them back in kind. His parents only had one magical child and that was why his advisors wanted him to leave. The monarchy could end with him if he had no children soon.
His sister Noémie was a squib and couldn't inherit. She still was unmarried so they didn't know if she would have a magical child that would be eligible for inheriting the throne. The king was a widower. His wife had died in childbirth with his firstborn who, although magical, didn't survive more than a couple of hours. He didn't feel ready to look for a wife, but the pressure was high. It was his duty to provide France with an heir or heiress to pass on the crown and the responsibility of leading Magical France. Perhaps he could find a queen in England. It would be controversial, but an heir would supersede the shock.
Luna was playing peek-a-boo with Baby Gabriel when her striking blue eyes went white. The baby looked at her strangely from his highchair and he started crying to alarm anyone nearby. Tremmy who was close by came in as Luna grabbed a nearby letter opener and cut her hand in a trance. She began to write runes with her hand on the wall. Tremmy snapped his fingers and put the baby to sleep. He was sure Emma wouldn't want her son to see that. Young Luna had no idea what any of the symbols meant when she came back.
"Missy Moon," Tremmy healed her hand when her eyes went back to normal. "I will go get Lord Potter."
Charlus rushed to the living room and healed Luna's wrist immediately, "Are you okay, Luna? Was it a vision?"
"I-I don't know... I was very scared. I was in a darkened room. I was cold and in pain... I think I was seeing through Aunty Cissa's eyes?... I saw her red shoes. The ones uncle Sev gave her for Yule... G-Grandpa Charlus, what happened to Aunt Cissa?" Luna's bottom lip trembled. "Where is she?"
Charlus' eyes widened. "Luna, I will tell you, but you can't tell Draco or the kids."
"O-Okay," Luna wasn't comfortable lying to her friends, but she wanted to help.
"The reason you have been staying here with us is that your father has been helping The Alliance look for Narcissa. We believe someone kidnapped her. No one saw her get taken. No one heard a thing. She just vanished. We have all been working around the clock trying to find her. It is very important that you try to tell me everything you saw in as much detail as you can."
"Grandpa... I-I saw her belly; it was not covered. Someone probably lifted her blouse. She had her shoes on. Her wrists were sore. So was her back and neck... She was on a dusty bed. It smelled like when clothes are pulled out from the back of a closet... Like humid? I don't know. There were no windows. A mannequin with a dress was in the corner of the room. The dress looked like a robe. The fabric looked quite old and was covered in dust. Aunt Cissa was scared too. But it felt strange... like a fear she felt before... I don't know how to explain that."
Charlus frowned but nodded, "Did you see or hear anything else, sweetie? A family crest perhaps? Voices? A train? Anything that could help us find the place?"
"Not really... I-I could hear a river a bit far away. At least I think it was a river..." Luna trailed off. She didn't want to push information she wasn't certain would help.
"Okay, that's good. Do you think it was daytime?" Charlus asked.
"I couldn't tell, grandpa. It was dark, and the only light came from under the door, but it was orange and it shifted, like light from a fire or a candle," Luna tried to explain.
"Thank you. Every detail helps. Now try to think back. This is essential, dove. Did you feel any cramping?"
"I don't know what that is, grandpa," Luna blinked.
"Like pressure in the lower belly and pain pushing down on the belly."
"No... just the places I told you. Oh! And her throat was sore. She was probably screaming for a while," Luna's lower lip trembled.
"And all these runes, darling?" Charlus couldn't recognize them.
"I have no clue... She wrote them in her belly with the blood from her wrists. The ties cut into her skin, and she was bleeding a bit. I don't know any runes though... I don't think she realized she was calling for help from any empath or seers around... Maybe it was the baby? Aunt Cissa is very scared for the baby, not for herself."
"Merlin... Please stay here with Tremmy while your dad gets here. I need to talk to Severus and get the runic encyclopedia... Tremmy, please get Luna a calming draught in hot cocoa," Charlus asked and left quickly.
Tremmy came back with a steaming mug and offered it to the pale girl. Luna drank her cocoa slowly. The drink was her favorite and it tasted like a hug from her mom. She hoped what she saw could help The Alliance find Aunt Cissa. It was so unfair of those bad wizards to go after people who were in no position to defend themselves. She sighed and tried to go back to what she saw in her mind. Maybe she missed something.
The runes were modifications of protective runes. But which modifications? Severus was losing his mind and Professor Babbling couldn't blame him. Something about the runes looked somewhat familiar to her, but after hours of looking into her books on runes of different magical traditions and even religions, they couldn't find the exact same. Severus was pulling his hair in desperation while Emma rubbed his back in circles trying to calm him down.
Sirius, Remus, and Martin got into the living room in a rush. Without even a greeting, the couple went to the wall painted with blood. Martin grimaced and he knelt to speak to Luna who was waking up from her nap. Sirius got very close to the runes and smelled them. Remus frowned. Both he and his husband could smell it from across the room. Their self-control was significantly better now, but there was no reason to tempt fate.
"I have seen this before..." Sirius whispered.
Severus ran to him and tried to pull him close by his shirt, but Sirius didn't move at all. "WHERE!? Tell me quickly!"
Sirius blinked and removed Severus' cold, shaky hands, gently, his wolf didn't appreciate this, but he understood how panicked Snape was, "Some details are very House of Black. I haven't seen these specifically, but I know Black calligraphy when I see it." Sirius called one of his elves, "Please go get the Black Grimoire. Be careful," Sirius asked the elf that popped in and out immediately.
The elf came back wearing dragon hide gloves with a thick tome that even smelled threatening to him. Sirius took it and waved his wand over it, closing his eyes. The grimoire opened near its end. Sauvegarde was emblazoned on the top of the page. [Protection]
"Here!" Sirius pointed, but to Severus the page was blank. "Remy, look!"
Remus approached a bit hesitantly. He really didn't think the Black grimoire would accept him as a Black. They never tested this. He was shocked to see he could indeed read the page. He quickly took out his wand and drew them in the air. "Protection, healing, good health, camouflage and deception... wait a minute... this is not a Black modification."
"Isn't it Norse?" Professor Babbling who had approached them as she read the runes Remus drew.
"Yes, it's a modification of... um-"
"Ginfaxi?" Bathsheda asked with a slight frown.
"Yes! That's the one!" Remus exclaimed.
"How does that help us?!" Severus tried not to start yelling profanities.
"Ginfaxi is a rune for location... If we get close enough to wherever she's held, we can use modified Black runes and Black blood to find her!" Sirius replied with a slight smile.
"And how are we going to get close enough? What even is close enough? She could be anywhere in this planet!" Severus exclaimed in exasperation.
"We have been following Armand since she went missing and it has gotten us nowhere. He's in that flat above Borgin's," Emma offered Severus a calming draught which he downed in one gulp.
"How can we get him to cooperate?" Martin asked once he got Luna distracted with a book he brought for her.
"What do we have on him?" Emma asked as she paced.
"What do Malfoys love more than anything else?" Martin asked.
"Money and power," Severus replied immediately.
"Armand wouldn't do this unless someone with enough money and power backed him up," Emma sighed. "That idiot is vain, but he's a coward and a bully. He knows The Alliance doesn't take things like this kindly..."
"Fuck," Sirius sighed. Emma was, as per usual, right.
"What?" Severus turned to him.
"He must have either been already given something he wanted... Something worth torture, murder, and prison... Or he is playing with forces beyond his subpar skills," Sirius replied.
"You don't mean-?"
"It wouldn't be the first time," Sirius interrupted.
"But Lucius is still paying his dues," Emma said with a frown.
"I meant the real threats..." Sirius frowned.
"Dumbledore and Grindelwald?"
"It's not them," Luna's sweet voice interrupted.
Severus knelt in front of Luna. "Tell me, please."
"I felt a dark female presence. The dress I saw on the mannequin... It was old and elegant, but it had a Wizengamot brooch," Luna squinted as she tried to remember.
Emma sat next to her, "Are you positive, Luna?"
"Yes, auntie. I am positive. I remember when Grandpa Charlus and Grandma Dorea placed the brooch on Harry and Hermione's robes the day they claimed their seats," Luna nodded.
"Thank you, Luna. This is so helpful. Why don't you go play with the elves? This next bit will be very boring..."
"Okay, um... Uncle Sev... I... I don't want to worry you further but whoever it is... When I was inside Aunt Cissa's body and looking through her eyes, I felt fear of revenge. Maybe it's someone from Aunt Cissa's past?" Luna said delicately.
Severus grimaced and took a shaky breath. "Thank you for telling me, Luna..."
The blond girl stood, before she walked away she added, "Uncle Sev... I have never felt any calling for empaths or seers from too far away. I think you can rule out anywhere outside the United Kingdom. I am not entirely positive, but I hope so," she smiled at him and walked toward the kitchen to find some elf to talk to.
Severus closed his eyes and prayed she was right.
"Do you have any idea who it could be?"
"Any of the Death Eaters' wives or widows could think they have an axe to grind. But why now? I don't understand..." Severus pulled his hair.
"The why is not important now. I will have the PIs Charlus hired to look into all of them and set up a tail on every single witch. We will find them," Sirius took Remus' hand and they vanished.
"Emma, I can't- This is- If something happens to her, I-" Severus broke down and covered his face with his hands.
Emma sat down next to him and held him. "We will find them, Sevy. We have to."
Draco and Hermione left their last exam with a pep in their step. They were free! Finally! Neville and Harry were still working on their exams. Hermione pulled Draco to a bench on the courtyard so they could feel some sun, even if it was cloudy.
"How do you think you did?" Hermione asked.
Draco's face was still downcast, "Okay, I think. The last question was a mean one, though."
"Who would have thought Headmistress McGonagall would include a trick question like that one," Hermione chuckled. Draco didn't respond. "Are you okay? You have been acting a bit odd lately..."
Draco sighed. "I don't know... I've been feeling like my Dad is pulling away from me. It's been days since I saw him or spoket to him... I sent him a note to ask if he could help me revise for this last test and a school elf told me he was too busy and asked not to be disturbed by anyone."
Hermione frowned. That was not at all normal. Uncle Sev loved Draco and he always made sure to spend time with him several times during the week. He was also a very responsible parent. It seemed unlikely to her that he would refuse to help Draco study. "Hmm... I don't think he's pushing you away. Maybe he is genuinely busy. You know how grownups can be."
"But my mom hasn't sent me any letters..." Draco pouted.
"In how long?" Hermione asked.
"A week and a half."
Hermione's frown deepened. "Isn't she supposed to be taking her Mastery Exams soon?"
"I guess... but she hasn't even sent me notes," Draco looked down at his shoes.
"The lunch notes?" Hermione asked. Aunt Cissa always sent Draco tiny notes telling him how the baby was growing or that she missed him or loved him.
"Not one for a week and a half... I am worried something happened and no one is telling me anything. What if something went wrong in the pregnancy, Hermione?" Draco took a shaky breath.
Hermione squeezed his hand. She understood that fear all too well, "Do you want to go talk to Aunt Andi? Maybe we can borrow her mirror and call grandpa Charlus... just to make sure everything is okay."
"Really? You'll come with me?"
"Of course. Harry can tell me when he's done through the bond and I can tell him and Nev to join us," Hermione smiled and stood up.
The Infirmary had a small sign stating the healers were in a "Staff Meeting," so Draco suggested they went to the Professors lounge, but they found it empty. Hermione suggested the Headmistress' office. The gargoyle now demanded an interesting fact that had to be right to be let up. Draco spoke of Slytherin's founder and how he never proposed blood purity as a requirement for Hogwarts' students to be allowed into his House. To him, magical prowess and ability, as well as cunning and ambition should be the only traits that mattered to become a Slytherin. The gargoyle let them in after congratulating Draco on his thorough study of his house.
Inside the Headmistress office, an angry discussion was taking place. Hermione's hand was about to knock, but what she heard made her stop.
"It's been almost two weeks since they took her and all we know is what we learned from Luna!"
Draco's eyes widened as did Hermione. They shared a tense look.
"Severus, I don't mean to be pessimistic, but at this point we must doubt whether the baby is okay... and if something happened to the baby, Merlin knows how she's doing," Andromeda replied.
"Shut up, Andromeda! I can't even think about that!" Severus exclaimed.
Hermione moved and covered Draco's mouth to stop him from making a sound. His knees had buckled slightly so she lowered him to sit on the cold stone floor.
"We are after someone who is a member or was a member of the Wizengamot. All active female members have PIs tracking their every move, but most former members are dead."
"It has to be someone who knew her and has a problem with her from ages ago," Tonks replied. "All our intel-gathering trips have triggered alarms from other laws being broken, but so far no one has seen, heard, or found out anything that could point to anyone being kept a prisoner."
Draco bit Hermione's hand. His eyes were full of tears. He opened the door unceremoniously. Hermione shook her hand. Harry was immediately in the bond asking her what happened. I am fine. Finish your exam.
"I KNEW YOU WERE HIDING THINGS FROM ME!" Draco yelled at Severus.
"Draco!"
"NO! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY MOM AND THE BABY!?"
Severus tried to hold Draco, but Draco stepped away angrily. "It appears they were kidnapped. We thought it was Armand, but he has been followed every day to no avail."
"I need to speak with Luna, NOW," Draco demanded.
"Draco, you are in the middle of your exams..."
"We just finished the last one, Uncle Sev," Hermione explained before Draco blew up further.
"I can show you the memories of what she said and did."
"NO. I need to speak to her directly," Draco insisted.
"We have asked her all the pertinent questions, son," Severus tried to placate him.
"No, you haven't! You wouldn't even know which questions to ask! I was a Malfoy then. I knew the people who came around and I may be able to recognize details you can't!"
"Severus, take him to Luna. The worst that can happen is that we don't get any new information."
Severus shook his head, "Absolutely not! The only reason I haven't gone mental is that I know Draco is safe here!"
"I'll go get Luna, then," Nymph ran to the fireplace and left in a huff of smoke.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me!" Draco yelled at Severus.
"I did what your mother would have wanted me to do."
"She's MY mother and that baby will be MY brother or sister! I have a right to know!" Draco started to cry, and he finally let Severus hold him tightly. For a while, all that could be heard was Draco's sniffs and Severus apologizing repeatedly.
Harry and Neville got to the office as fast as they could as soon as they finished their exam. The Headmistress was still waiting for the last students to finish. Hermione hugged both kids tightly and took them out of the office to explain all they knew. They went back in when they heard Luna and Tonks arrive.
"Luna!" Draco ran to her and hugged her.
"I am sorry. I was told not to say anything, Draco. Please forgive me," Luna pouted.
Draco shook his head, "Don't worry about that. I just need to see what you saw."
Luna nodded and placed her hands on his temples, "You need to let me in. Otherwise, you will have a massive headache."
Draco nodded and closed his eyes. Luna's hands glowed white and her irises got clouded and vanished. A couple of minutes later, Draco's face turned to one of pure horror. Luna lowered her hands.
"Does that help?" the girl asked apologetically. "Draco?" Luna asked as she noticed his terrified expression. He started to hyperventilate.
"What is it, son? What did you see?" Severus' hands squeezed his son's shoulders.
"I-I know that d-dress... I k-know that r-room..."
"Whose is it?!" Severus asked.
"Where is it?!" Tonks asked simultaneously.
"A-A-A-" he couldn't speak. Andi gave him a calming draught immediately. "It's Adela..."
Andromeda paled significantly, "Oh, hell no! It can't be!"
"Who's Adela?" Severus asked Andromeda.
"But she's dead... Isn't she?" Draco looked at his aunt Andi with wide eyes. "Mom told me she was dead!"
"One of you tell me now, who's Adela?!" Severus snapped.
"Lucius' mom," Draco replied with wide eyes as he crossed himself. "God Almighty, please keep them safe from her."
"But Lady Malfoy died like five years ago," Severus blinked.
"You met her?" Andi asked downing her own calming draught.
"I knew of her... I just never knew her first name," Severus replied.
Draco turned to Luna, who looked a bit weak. Any time she opened her mind to others she would end up exhausted, "Thank you Luna... I hated that dress. Adela was so mean and cruel, and that dress... it swooshed when she walked. I would hear her swooshing and the clack of her heels and the bang of her cane against the floors as she approached my room, and I would always pretend to be asleep so as to not talk to her. She creeped me out."
"Where is she?" Severus asked Draco.
"There are maybe three places she could be. I don't know which is which because we always traveled by floo. However, I know that there's a Malfoy property up in the highlands in Scotland, another in Oymyakon, Russia, and another in Hammerfest, Norway... I don't remember the specifics much but hearing the river and the humidity... my knowledge of geography tells me that the most likely place is Scotland," Draco paced and looked at Hermione to double-check. The brunette nodded.
"Scotland, great. Do you remember a city? Any landmark?" Tonks asked.
"It doesn't matter," Draco replied.
"What?"
"Only Malfoys can access Malfoy properties. People can't see them."
Hermione's brain was going so fast that Harry felt a bit dizzy. She suddenly gasped. "Do you remember during our non-magical classes that the registration of properties had to be done both in the non-magical and magical realms to avoid issues of inheritance, insurance, and such?"
"Yes?" Draco replied a bit perplexed. "You are brilliant!" He smiled at Hermione who smiled back.
Nymph nodded. "I know just the right person to talk to. It's probably in a sasine*... It looks like I'm going to Scotland," Nymph nodded at the kids. "Sev, you should stay here."
"NO!" Draco exclaimed in unison with his dad. "I love you Tonks, but my dad's knowledge of Dark Magic dances circles around yours. You will need him."
Tonks stared at Severus pointedly trying to make him see that if the worst happened, Draco would be better off with one parent than with none.
"I know the risks. Draco, I love you and I will do all I can to bring them home. Under no circumstances are you to leave this castle, especially not alone, okay?"
Draco nodded decisively. "I will be fine, Dad. Go. I will pray for your safe return."
Tonks and Severus left through the floo as the Headmistress came through her door. "What is going on here?"
"Draco thinks Cissa is being kept in Scotland."
Minerva looked around, and suddenly felt Luna's slender arms around her. "Hello Auntie."
"Hello, dear," McGonagall patted her back and called an elf. "Please bring us some tea and sandwiches... Kids, sit down and update me."
"Minerva, I will go back to the Infirmary. Poppy took the day off because she wasn't feeling well so I can't be away for long," Andromeda left as fast as she could. She had to call her husband.
"Dugard!" Madam Bones called the Auror.
"Yes, boss," the young woman stood up from her desk.
"Tonks is coming to brief you. You are leaving with her. This mission is quite dangerous. Any resource you need, just ask. Backup, funds, lodging, anything, understood?" Madam Bones handed Elloise a DMLE pouch for any purchases.
"Thank you. I will keep you updated," Elloise took the pouch.
"Before you go, get your dragonhide uniform," Madam Bones instructed.
"That bad?" Elloise raised a brow.
"Worse. I have 5 other Aurors and the Crow waiting for you in the location," Madam Bones was very particular about code names.
Elloise nodded. She was glad to finally be involved with this to help The Alliance, "Got it."
Madam Bones went back into her office to make more arrangements for other missions.
"Dugard!" Tonks exclaimed as she came out of the fireplace, "Armory room, now."
Elloise ran to join Nymph. "Finally!"
Nymph created a privacy bubble and updated her partner on the recent developments. She needed to have all the information to back her up appropriately. This mission was to be one of the worst she had been involved with since she began working in the British Ministry for Magic. Merlin and Morgana willing, they would rescue Lady Prince and her baby safe and sound.
*Sasine: An instrument of sasine (pronounced 'say-zin') is a legal document that records the transfer of ownership (usually a sale or an inheritance) of a piece of land or of a building. It will normally detail the names of the new and previous owners and will give a basic description of the property transferred
A/N: Hello, lovely readers. Thank you for reading... I hope you are doing well. I was finally able to recover the beginning of this from the laptop fiasco. It took me a long time to try to remember the ideas I had for ToG going forward. Sorry for the long wait. I have been quite busy with work and studying. To those of you who messaged me, I hope to answer in the coming days. We are currently in a bit of a weather crisis where I live. Send good vibes so that the possible hurricane coming towards us weakens. So far, from heavy rains alone there have been floods, bridges had been literally washed away, houses were destroyed, roads were closed by mudslides. It's quite bad. Fortunately, I am relatively safe, but I am very worried for neighboring communities. Stay safe and healthy wherever you are. -Lux-