Magical Miracle
by Teddylonglong

Please refer to chapter 1 for my disclaimer and warnings. Thank you.


'Granddad, I need to speak with you immediately,' Bella contacted her grandfather through telepathy. 'Please meet me in the team room.'

To her relief, her grandfather arrived just a moment after her, and she quickly informed him what the headmaster had told her.

"Let's go and speak with Alastor Moody," Arcturus decided, and the two Unspeakables quickly made their way into the Auror department, where they introduced themselves as Ra and Medusa and told Moody everything they knew about Sirius and the Potters.

"I shall see to it that he gets a trial as soon as later today or tomorrow," Moody promised, wearing a grim expression. "I don't understand why Dumbledore told us otherwise."

"He must know it, as it was him who cast the Fidelius charm," Bella added in accusation.

"Perhaps we should extend the trial to Dumbledore," her grandfather added, grimly.

"If necessary, we will do so," Moody promised. "You will receive an invitation for the trial through the Unspeakables' Office in two hours at the latest."

"Thank you, Moody," Bella replied in relief.

"In the meantime, please head to Gringotts and ask for the Potters' will," Moody instructed her. "If I'm not mistaken, you have one of the goblins among the Unspeakables."

"Yes sir. I'll do that," Bella promised.

"Thanks Granddad," Bella said to her grandfather once they returned to their team room. "It means a lot to me that my favourite cousin doesn't end up in Azkaban."

"Oh, believe me, I don't want my grandson there either," Arcturus replied, smirking.

HP

First thing the following morning, Sirius' trial took place. To Bella's relief, Alastor Moody led through the trial. He questioned Sirius under Veritaserum and had him show his memory of the event, and the evidence was sufficient for Sirius to become free of all accusations.

The jury went as far as to accuse Peter Pettigrew of being a Death Eater, giving the Potters away to Voldemort and killing thirteen muggles. The question if he killed himself in the process was being left open, although it had been visible in Sirius' memory that he transformed into his rat Animagus form and got away.

Sirius received an official apology from the Ministry of Magic. However, the Marauder did not accept it.

"None of this was your fault," he replied to his boss, Alastor Moody. "I believe that everything was Albus Dumbledore's fault."

Arcturus Black, who was sitting on the Wizengamot as the head of House Black, raised his hand and was given word.

"I demand that this trial shall be extended to Albus Dumbledore," he said in a firm voice. "He purposely saw to it that my grandson was sent to Azkaban."

"I agree," Rodolphus Lestrange spoke up, causing Bella to cast her unwanted husband a grateful look from her seat in the witness stands.

HP

Thirty minutes later, the trial against Albus Dumbledore began.

Bella was asked as the first witness, and she told the court everything that she knew about the prophecy, the fact that Dumbledore wanted to send little Harry to his magic hating muggle relatives, that he tried to seal the Potters' will and get the guardianship over Harry.

"Thankfully, I was faster than him," she said, grinning broadly.

In the end, Dumbledore was stripped of his positions as the headmaster of Hogwarts and the head of the Wizengamot.

"I suggest that Sirius Black should become the new head of the Wizengamot. It is the least that the magical world can do for him after wronging him so badly," Frank Longbottom, who was occupying the Longbottom seat on the Wizengamot, spoke up.

"I second the motion," Minerva McGonagall immediately agreed, much to Bella's surprise.

"Me too," Rodolphus spoke up, making Bella cast her husband a rare smile.

'Today, he's really trying to support me and my family,' she thought, feeling very grateful to her husband.

An instant vote confirmed Sirius Black as the new head of the Wizengamot.

When the question came up who should be the new headmaster for Hogwarts, Bella was the first to raise her hand and was given the floor in spite of not being a member of the Wizengamot.

"Lady Lestrange?" Sirius called up on her.

"I suggest Minerva McGonagall as the headmistress. She has been the deputy headmistress and has done a brilliant job over years," Bella suggested.

"I second the motion," Frank Longbottom supported her, and a quick vote confirmed Minerva as the new headmistress.

HP

After curfew the same day, Bella and her colleagues met in her living room, where little Harry was sleeping in his crib under a silencing charm, to celebrate Minerva's new position.

"The problem is," Minerva said, letting out a deep sigh, "that first of all, I need a deputy, and secondly, I need someone to teach Transfiguration."

"What about Arthur?" Andromeda suggested. "Is it really necessary that Bella and Arthur share the Defence position? Shouldn't the curse be broken by now?"

"The curse should be broken by now, and Arthur was brilliant at Transfiguration," Minerva thought aloud. "If not, Bella and Arthur could still change between Transfiguration and Defence every other year. Arthur, Bella, what do you think?"

"If you deem me capable of teaching Transfiguration, I'll gladly accept." Arthur gave her a questioning look, and Bella nodded, smiling.

Severus, who was the new Potions Master and Potions professor, gave in to their demands that he should become the deputy headmaster.

Suddenly, a thought pressed itself to the forefront of Bella's mind. "What am I going to do with Harry, when I'll have to go to Lestrange manor over the weekends? Will you all be willing to look after him?"

"Of course." Arthur was the first to respond, and everyone else agreed quickly, making her feel very much reassured by her colleagues' kindness.

HP

Just after all of her colleagues except for Arthur had returned to their own rooms, her fireplace flared up, and Rodolphus' head appeared in the flames.

"Bellatrix, we need you at Longbottom Manor in ten minutes' time. I know that it takes you a moment to get out of Hogwarts, but hurry," he instructed her, before he ended the conversation.

Bella turned to view Arthur. "Did you hear that?" she asked – in spite of knowing that the fireplace was equipped with a silencing charm that prevented people in the room from witnessing conversations.

"No dear," Arthur replied, giving her a questioning look.

"My husband called me to Longbottom Manor. I assume that they're going to attack," she said. "Will you please inform Minerva or better yet Amelia or Moody? I'll call the Unspeakables and head there as a witness."

'Team 5, Longbottom Manor NOW,' she urgently thought to her colleagues, before she popped away, not bothering to throw her Unspeakable robes over. 'Rodolphus needs to see me. I must keep up appearances,' she reminded herself.

HP

By the time she arrived at the Longbottoms' place, Rodolphus and Rabastan had already begun to torture Alice and Frank.

Feigning to assist casting the Cruciatus spell at the two Aurors, she cast a silent counter curse that cancelled out the effects. It was extremely tiring, especially as she had to cast it at two people while feigning to do something else, and she was more than happy when her team colleagues arrived an instant later, closely followed by Alastor Moody, Amelia Bones and some other Aurors.

Bella observed in relief how Moody immediately took the two wizards into custody, just before one of the Aurors put her into a body-bind as well.

"Let Lady Lestrange go," Ra immediately hissed. "She was the one who warned us. She only had to keep appearances in front of her husband and brother-in-law."

"Can you prove that?" the Auror asked, sharply.

"She is one of the Unspeakables," Moody spoke up, apparently only now realising what was happening. "She told Arthur Weasley to call us."

"I believe that Professor Lestrange helped us," Frank Longbottom voiced. "Ever since she arrived, I wasn't subjected to the curse anymore. I think she saved our lives."

His wife Alice nodded. "I'm not sure, because everything was so terrifying, but I think Frank is right. Ever since Professor Lestrange arrived, I didn't feel the effects as badly as before."

"You're free to go," the Auror, who had set to arrest her, informed her. "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, Lady Lestrange."

"That's all right," Bella replied in a soothing voice. "You couldn't know, and as Unspeakable Ra said, I had to keep up appearances. I shall ask Arcturus Black as the head of House Black to annul my marriage with Rodolphus Lestrange as soon as possible."

HP

First thing the following morning, she received a confirmation from the Ministry of Magic that her marriage with Lord Lestrange had been annulled and that she had been reinstalled into the Black family. Bella felt incredibly happy.

"Arthur, I am Bellatrix Black again," she blurted out in excitement.

"Congratulations dear," Arthur replied in a soft voice. "I know that everything happened very fast, and I'm sorry, but I cannot wait to ask. Will you become my wife and change your name again to Bellatrix Weasley?" he blurted out in apparent eagerness.

"I will," Bella replied, grinning broadly. "Would Bellatrix Black-Weasley be all right though?"

"Of course," Arthur replied and gently pulled her into a firm hug.

HP

The wedding took place during the Christmas holidays, and all students who wished to attend were invited – along with the Black family, team 5 of the Unspeakables and Arthur's son Bill, who was already a first-year student at Hogwarts.

Neither Arthur nor Bella should know just how many surprises they were going to receive on this 28 December, 1981.

The first surprise appeared in the form of Bella's cousin Sirius – right after Arcturus Black as the head of the Black family had performed the wedding ceremony.

"As the head of the Wizengamot, I have received order from the Minister of Magic to award Bellatrix Black-Weasley the Order of Merlin second class for saving the lives of Lord and Lady Longbottom as well as giving her own former husband and his brother away to the Aurors for a lifelong stay in Azkaban. Congratulations cousin," he added, grinning broadly.

"Thanks," Bella replied, as she accepted some kind of medal from Sirius. "That was completely unnecessary though."

"Your mummy is a wonderful person," she suddenly heard Andromeda's voice and turned around, her eyes narrowing, as she spotted a young girl of about two years walk between Andromeda and her daughter Nymphadora.

"Hermione," she blurted out in shock.

The girl, who was dressed in a beautiful light pink dress decorated with laces and flowers, stood in front of her and Arthur. "Yes, I am Hermione. Are you my mummy?"

Grinning broadly, Bella nodded. "Yes Hermione, that's true. This here is your Daddy, and I am your Mummy," she confirmed. "This here," she added, pointing to the boy who was standing between them, is your brother Harry.

"Hi Harry," Hermione greeted the younger boy, giving him a broad smile, which he returned happily.

'Sorry Arthur, I wanted to tell you,' Bella thought to her new husband, 'but it's true. She's yours.'

'That was unexpected, but I am happy to have a little girl, especially with you as the mother,' Arthur replied, as he gently caressed the girl's bushy brown hair.

"Dad," Bill Weasley approached the young family, accompanied by a couple of red-headed twins. "Now that you have a new wife, will you please take Fred and George in? They don't get along with Mum at all."

"Yes please," the twins added, simultaneously.

'The more the merrier,' Bella thought to Arthur, smiling.

"Does your mother know about this?" Arthur asked, sternly.

Bill nodded. "Charlie and Percy were supposed to tell her at breakfast this morning, right after Charlie helped the twins floo to Hogwarts, and so far, we haven't received a Howler from Mum, so I suppose that she's all right with it," he said, matter-of-factly.

By the end of the day, the newlyweds had four children, and Minerva immediately asked the house-elves to extend their quarters to accommodate them all and still have space for possible extensions, even if Bella and Arthur were certain that four children would be enough.

HP

When the whole Black-Weasley family was asleep, Rowena and Helga vacated the portrait of Godric and Salazar that decorated the family's living room.

"Sorry, dears, but we just had to see this," Rowena apologized. "You know how many visions I had about Harry and his future, and I am so happy to see that everything has been turned upside down by Arthur and Bella. In my visions, he was abused by his muggle family, and his time at Hogwarts was disturbed by everything that Albus Dumbledore threw at him. Now, he has a loving family with three siblings at Hogwarts with a granny and many aunts and uncles who will teach and protect him."

"It is a magical miracle," Helga agreed, "and I am very happy, too. Still, there is that prophecy, which apparently applies to Harry and Voldemort."

Rowena let out a deep sigh. "That might indeed be a problem, but at least Harry is at Hogwarts, so that we might be able to help him through Hogwarts herself."

End of PART I

tbc ?

Thanks to the few kind readers for reviewing the previous chapter. Please share your thoughts about this story with me.