The Eighth Year Universe
Love Wins
So Many Things That People Never Say
The chapter title comes from the song:
Saviour by OneRepublic.
Blacknot Castle
Tuesday the 31st of August
Ella yawned and threw a postcard onto the table, "Almina sent a postcard from some tiny Greek island. She obviously has no idea the world is falling apart."
"Good," Sadie said when she stepped into the room, "She's on her honeymoon. Let her enjoy it."
Theo announced himself with a click of his cane, and Ada looked up, "Where are Mum and Dad?"
"Doing a switcharoo to save the world," Theo joked.
Sadie rolled her eyes, "Emergency cabinet meeting, they've been in the ministry all night. Your dad becoming Minister, leaves the spot of the head of the DMLE empty. That spot can't be left empty, especially not during a time of war."
"So they're arguing about the best person to fill his shoes," Theo said matter of factly, "Because that's what politicians do, argue."
"No wonder Draco and Hermione are so good at it," Sadie murmured as she brushed past Theo.
Theo grinned in response but said nothing.
Cas sighed and threw his head back against the sofa cushions, "Mum was Minister, and that sucked, and now Dad is Minister, and that sucks even more."
"His speech was kind of epic, though," Ella pointed out.
Cas made a face, "Why are you still here?"
"Because I came back for a wedding, then the country went into fucking lockdown," Ella said with a roll of her eyes, "So now I'm doing remote learning, which would be fine if you could just leave me alone to work in the potions lab, Caspian!"
"Yeah, well, at least you didn't get knocked up and leave like your mother did," Theo said, patting Sadie on the shoulder and dropping into an armchair.
Sadie threw a hex at him, and Theo winced, "Ouch?"
"You were the one who knocked me up, Theodore!"
Theo grinned and pulled her onto the arm of his chair. The kids groaned at the cheesiness of it all, and Sadie went to smack the side of his head but got drawn into a kiss instead.
"Ugh," Ella muttered, "I'm gonna go do some work. Call me when breakfast is ready, and they've stopped being disgusting."
"Wait up, I'm helping you," Cas said, jumping up to his feet in his eagerness to escape.
Ada made a face, "I feel quite sick."
Dora snorted but didn't look up from her book, "Get used to it; I don't think they're going to change anytime soon."
Sadie chuckled and glanced from the twins to Theo, "Think we'll ever stop embarrassing them?"
Theo grinned boyishly in response, "Never!"
Potter Manor
The list of the dead was published on Tuesday morning in the Daily Prophet. There had been a lot of speculation between the attack on Saturday and the release on Tuesday.
Many of the dead had already been confirmed by the deceased's family members. Everyone knew about Sorenson for example. Lotus was already planning the funeral with minimal input from Clara because she just couldn't face dealing with his death by talking about what wood the coffin should be made from or other pointless bullshit.
"He's dead," She had said to Lilly, "Why does it matter if it's ebony or fucking mahogany?"
And Lilly had nodded and held her hand from her hospital bed.
The Longbottom kids were all sitting around the Potter's table when the news came in. They were still staying at Potter Manor, and they would do until Lilly was well enough to go home from the hospital and hold the fort down on her own.
Daphne supposed that would be a while yet. But she didn't mind having a house full for the next month until most of the kids returned to Hogwarts.
"133 people," Daphne said. She shook her head and looked at the list, which was in alphabetical order.
"Harry…did you know about Hagrid?"
Harry looked up from the paper, his eyes a little glassy, "Yeah. It was me who found him. It was the explosion that destroyed the Leaky. I think he must have been in the Apothecary when it hit."
Daphne looked at him warily, "Why didn't you say anything?"
He sighed and rubbed his eyes, "We had enough to worry about. Besides, it's just another father figure to add to the very long list of ones that are already dead, I suppose."
Daphne reached across the dining room table and took his hand wordlessly.
And Neville reached over to place a hand on Harry's forearm, "Harry, do you know how Howie Abbott died?"
"No," Harry replied quietly.
Neville sighed, "It doesn't detail the circumstances, just that it was in the explosion that destroyed Helga's Hotpot and he - "
" - always took the grandkids there for lunch before they went back to school," Harry finished, his throat tight. Howie talked about it all of the time; the two grandkids Hannah had given him were Howie's whole world. They were pretty much all that he spoke of.
"Are they all okay?"
Neville nodded, "What do you reckon his final act was to protect them?"
"I'm almost certain it was," Harry said. He put his coffee cup down and abandoned it; there was no way he was going to finish it now.
Alastor shook his head and said, "I don't think there's anything left to save in humanity."
Daphne frowned at her son, "Hey, don't say that. This was an awful thing, but it doesn't mean there's not any good left in the world."
"Your mum is right, Alastor," Harry agreed, "The way we all came together to help the survivors proves that there is still good in the world."
Alastor shrugged but didn't say anything more on the subject. Andrea reached over and patted her brother's hand, but Alastor just pulled away from his sister's touch.
"None of our friends died," Andrea said quietly, "So we have to take that as a positive, right?"
"None of our friends died," Alastor agreed, "But people we know did. I know you hated Connie Kelly at school, but she's dead now. Her entire family are dead."
"I know," Andrea said quietly.
"And Aunt Lilly nearly died!" Alastor said tearfully, "So none of this is okay. There are no positives!"
"Hey," Neville said softly, "Aunt Lilly is absolutely fine. I know lately, with your Grandpa dying, then your dad getting hurt and now this, it's making you realise that we won't be around forever, and that's scary. Of course it's scary when you realise that, but we're fighters, Al."
Harry smiled and patted his son on the back, "Uncle Nev's right. We don't plan on leaving you lot to fend for yourself just yet, alright?"
Alastor nodded and looked down at the table, sniffing as he wiped his tears.
Andrea grabbed his hand, and this time, Alastor let her.
Thea wasn't saying much, and nobody was pushing her to do so. She had been quiet ever since the attack.
Lareina sat at the end of the table – all of the kids knew about how not-dead she was now. But Daphne hadn't had the chance to tell Astoria yet, because she hadn't left Charlie's side since the attack.
"It's just not fair," James said quietly.
They all looked down the table at the boy, who was usually loud and rambunctious. He was hanging his head, and his twin brother, Harry, had his arm around his shoulder.
"I know it's not like these people are our best friends, but Poppy Hopkins, she was in our my year, and she died," James said quietly, "Her whole family died, and…Josie…she is my best friend, and her dad is dead."
"I know, sweetheart," Daphne said as she moved down the table to hug James, "And that will be hard for her. Losing a parent at any age is hard. She's going to need you when you go back to school."
James nodded and mumbled, "Thanks, Aunt Daphne," as he hugged her back.
Harry sighed from his brother's side and pushed himself to his feet, "Poppy died, and June died. Both of them, their whole families, they're just gone. It's like…one day, and it changes everything."
Daphne nodded and pulled the other boy into her arms, "It happens, sweetheart. One day, it changes everything, so many lives. The last time it happened was the Battle of Hogwarts."
Harry sniffed, and Daphne kissed the top of his head, "But everything will be okay again, even though it doesn't feel like that right now. I promise."
Neville smiled sadly and mouthed a 'thank you' at Daphne as she hugged his boys. His eyes shifted to Laurel, who was staring blankly at the newspaper, and he reached across to take her hand.
"You okay, baby?"
Laurel looked up at her dad with tear-stained cheeks and red eyes. She shook her head, "No," she admitted in a choked whisper.
"Ava was one of my best friends," Laurel whispered, "I love Ada and Dora, but sometimes I needed a friend in my own year, you know? And it was Ava. She always listened, she always made me laugh and now she's….gone."
Neville sighed and murmured, "Come here."
Laurel let herself cry when her dad pulled her into a hug, and Harry swallowed a lump in his throat and looked over at Thea, who still hadn't said anything.
Lareina was watching her carefully too, assuming she was on the verge of a breakdown.
"Thea?" Harry said softly, "Are you alright?"
"No," Thea said coldly. Her voice didn't break with emotion, and she didn't cry. But she did look up with an icy look in her eyes.
Harry couldn't help but think that she looked more like her mother than ever – the platinum blonde hair and blue eyes had always been the physical resemblance, but this was something more.
"I hated Freya Flint, but now she's dead," Thea said quietly. "And hating her for being a bully seems so stupid now! And Elroy Montague was an idiot who always thought he was better than everyone else, but I never wanted him to die! And Jess Wood," she stopped and shook her head.
"Jess Wood invited me to meet her and her friends at Madam Puddifoots on Saturday," Thea said, her voice finally cracking. "But I said no because it was her and her stupid Gryffindor posse that convinced me to go out with Zach Smith, and I listened to peer pressure like the idiot I am!"
She got to her feet and said, "And now she's dead! And her friends, they're all dead! Everyone is dead!"
"Sweetheart, stop," Lareina said, getting to her feet and grabbing Thea's hands as they began to glow.
She used a spell that the others hadn't heard of, which didn't suppress the magic, but instead absorbed it, turning it into an amber ball.
"I know you're upset, and with everything you saw, that's entirely understandable," Lareina said softly, "But destroying this house with your magic won't make anything any better. Stop being cold, and just cry."
And that was all it took for Thea to break down. Lareina pulled her into a hug and met Daphne's eye over her shoulder.
Daphne sighed and held her mother's gaze for a moment. Then she nodded and looked away.
"She looked like she had done that before," Neville said, looking up at Daphne.
"She has," Daphne said quietly, "Thea isn't the only one who had to learn to control her emotions when she was young."
Harry knew what Daphne was referring to, so he pulled her into a hug and sighed against her hair. Lareina had taught Daphne to control her magic and emotions when she was young when Cygnus was still an alcoholic. Because the volatile state of her home life affected her magic, and Cygnus would have sent her away if he thought there was something wrong with her.
It was what had shaped her into the ice queen, and Harry was pretty sure that he and Lareina were the only people who knew that.
"Maybe I should take her to France," Lareina said quietly, "The clean air and the isolation might help her heal."
Daphne nodded and pulled away from Harry to kiss Thea's cheek, "I think that's an inspired idea, sweetheart."
Thea nodded tearfully, and Lareina released her from the hug, "Go upstairs and pack. The sooner we leave, the better."
"Technically we're in lockdown," Harry pointed out.
"Exactly," Lareina said, "It's only a matter of time until they lock down the more difficult ways to leave the country."
"Which are?"
"Via boat," Lareina said with a smirk, "I presume she's still in the harbour, Daphne?"
"Uh-huh, Astoria's elves kept her running," Daphne replied calmly, "I never went out on her. You know how I feel about boats."
"I know how seasick you get," Lareina said with an amused smile.
With that, she left, and Alastor looked up in surprise, "We have a boat?"
"Your mothers family have more money than sense," Harry said matter of factly, "They have a yacht."
Daphne shot Harry a long-suffering look and picked up the paper to continue scanning through the names. That was when she saw one that made her feel sick.
"Cheryl's dead."
Harry looked up, "Oh, god, I…I know, sorry. I should have told you, but I pulled so many people out…."
Daphne swallowed and nodded, "Did you find her?"
Harry nodded, "She was gone by the time I got there. It was smoke inhalation, I think. The rest of the building had been evacuated."
"By her, probably," Daphne said quietly, "But she didn't go to Hogwarts, she doesn't know defensive magic. She couldn't have cast a charm to protect herself. She has children, Harry…Oh, Merlin, I need to speak to Bill."
"Daphne, wait," Harry said. He grabbed her by the wrist and caught her eye, "There's another familiar name here."
Daphne paused, "Who?"
"Phineas Greengrass," Harry said darkly.
Daphne set her jaw, "He picked his own fate."
"Still, you need to tell Astoria," Harry pointed out, "He's her father."
"No," Daphne said firmly, "Our father died, Harry. That man isn't her father. He's a waste of space who never even tried to connect with her when he came out of Azkaban. Astoria can read the Prophet, and I'm sure she'll feel the same way that I do when she finds out that he's dead."
"And what will your mother think?" Harry asked.
Daphne shrugged, "She cut ties with him years ago," she said shortly, "Now, let go of my hand. I need to talk to Bill."
Harry sighed but dropped her hand all the same.
Blacknot Castle
Draco and Hermione weren't long home, and they were both exhausted. Sadie put two cups of coffee down on the table and said, "Drink, eat, then go to bed."
Hermione yawned and picked hers up wordlessly.
Draco picked his up and sighed, "I don't know about the sleeping part. I'll probably have to go back into the ministry. I only came home because I know what's going to be on the front page of the Prophet this morning."
Theo looked across the table at him, "The death toll?"
Draco nodded and ran a hand through his hair, "You heard about Howie Abbott?"
Theo sighed too, "Yeah. I don't know how Lupin House is going to run without him."
"No, neither do I," Draco admitted.
Before they could discuss it in any great detail, an owl flew through the open window and dropped the Prophet.
The air in the kitchen was solemn. Hermione unrolled the paper and laid it out in the middle of the table. Their faces and hearts fell as they read the list, full of familiar names – colleagues, people they had gone to school with, or children that their children had gone to school with.
At least five minutes passed in solemn silence before heavy feet thudded along the concrete tiles, and Charlus's voice cut through the silence.
"Blake's dead."
"What?" Draco asked. His tiredness made him less perceptive than usual.
Theo looked down the table at his eldest son, "Blake Fletcher?"
Charlus was gripping a copy of the Prophet in his hands, "He worked in the Leaky."
Sadie got to her feet and sighed, "I'm sorry, Charlie. I know what Blake meant to you."
Charlus swallowed and shook his head, "It's over, and I love Vic. But…I hated him at the end, I really did, but I never wanted…."
"Nobody really wishes death upon anyone," Theo said softly, "And nobody really hates someone they once loved. It's just a lie we tell ourselves to make the heartbreak a little more bearable."
Charlus looked down at the paper again, "So many people I know died…Uncle Sorenson was bad enough, but now Blake, Skye, and Ivy. I went to school with all of these people, and…they're gone."
Sadie sighed and hugged her oldest son, "It will take some time to sink in, Charlie, but you know there are people to talk to if - "
Charlus shook his head and drew back from his mother, "If what? If I get suicidal again like I did after Blake broke up with me? is that what you all think? That I'm gonna get drunk and try to kill myself?"
Draco got up and placed a hand on Charlus's shoulder, "Charlie, nobody is saying that. You have Victoire now, and you're going to be a dad. I know that changes a person's perspective, but if you ever were to struggle, mentally, it would be now."
"And there's no shame in that," Theo added.
Charlus swallowed then nodded, "I'm not fine, but I'm not going to do anything stupid either because…I'm not some stupid kid who thought Blake Fletcher was his whole world. I'm a man, and I'm going to be a father. You're right, Dad, that does change how a person looks at the world."
Draco smiled proudly.
"So I am going," Charlus said, "But I'm going so that I can be with Vic."
Draco nodded at Charlus, his own eyes swimming with emotion, "And she probably needs you as much as you need her, so stay in the country, but do what's right for her and your baby because, in a few short months, that is going to be your whole world."
Charlus paused by the kitchen door, then glanced back into the room, "It already is," he said before he slipped out.
Sadie smiled a little sadly and looked over at Theo, "I think he's going to be okay this time."
Theo smiled too, although it was laced with sadness, "He has Victoire, so yes, I think he will be."
Draco cleared his throat and looked down, "He reminds me so much of you, Theo."
Theo looked over at Draco, "Me?"
Draco nodded, his eyes on the paper in front of him, "Victoire getting pregnant…it's made him grow up a hell of a lot. Just like you did when you found out about the twins."
Hermione smiled slightly, "Draco's right, and if Charlus has half as much good in him as you do, Theo, he's going to be just fine."
Theo smiled a little tearfully at that, "Thanks, Princess."
Normally Draco would have joked that he'd poured his heart out, and Hermione had barely said anything, but she'd got the 'thanks, princess' treatment. But before he had the chance, the kids appeared in the kitchen – all bleary-eyed with no idea what the morning had in store for them.
Ella noticed the mood, then the paper lying on the table.
"Is that…"
"The confirmed dead," Theo said with a nod.
Ella leant over to read it, and Cas, Ada, and Dora followed her example. The adults watched them carefully, expecting tears or breakdowns when they read the names of friends from school.
Being the Headmaster that he was, Theo could see the signs before any of the others could. He reached over and tapped Ella's shoulder, "You okay, baby?"
Ella sighed and sat down heavily in her chair. She shook her head and looked at him, "Honestly, Pops, I'm tired. I feel like I'm constantly on the verge of crying because the more I think about this, the more people I realise I know who are gone like Jess Wood and Connie Kelly and….it's hard."
"It's hard for all of us, sweetheart," Hermione promised, "I know to you, Hagrid was probably just a groundskeeper, but he was much more than that to me when I was at school and finding out that he's gone…it's awful."
Draco grabbed her hand across the table and squeezed it.
Hermione gave him a tearful smile and looked back at the kids, "So if you need someone to talk to, or someone to hug you while you cry, or even someone to throw spells at to get all of your frustration and confusion about all of this out of your system, we're here."
"All four of us," Draco agreed.
"Even the wizarding worlds answer to ole Winston Churchill has time for his kids," Theo joked with a smile in Draco's direction.
Sadie cracked a smile, and Cas snorted, "You gonna start smoking pipes and talking about fourscore and seven years ago, Dad?"
Ella rolled her eyes, "That's the Gettysburg Address, Caspian."
Cas raised an eyebrow, "You know the name of the speech?"
All four adults chuckled as Ella made a face and looked more like her mother than she ever had done, "Oh Merlin, do you know anything? It was a speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln, not Winston Churchill."
Draco smiled and leaned forward in his chair, "I would advise you to brush up on Muggle Studies before the NEWTs, Caspian."
Hermione bit back a smile and nodded, "Yes, I think that might be wise."
Cas's cheeks flushed, and he shot his sister a glare across the table. Ella would normally have smirked in response, but she wasn't feeling boastful today. The news was hitting them all as hard as their parents had expected it would.
"In all seriousness, though, Cas," Theo cut in, "Jess Wood was in your year, so we would understand if you were feeling overwhelmed by all of this too."
Cas shook his head, "Jess was in my year, and so was Freya and Elroy, but….call me selfish; I'm just glad all of you are alright and that…Thea is okay."
His cheeks flushed with Thea's name, but none of them was in any position to mock him for his crush on the Potter girl that morning, so they just nodded and let it slide.
Theo looked down the table at Ada and Dora, who had been remarkably quiet, "How are you two doing with all of this?"
"It's a lot," Ada whispered.
Dora nodded, "Yeah. Posey was our friend, and her whole family are gone."
Draco frowned and looked down at the paper, "Yeah, I understand that it hurts, girls. Posey's father, Wayne, he was my friend."
"We're all connected to this, somehow," Sadie agreed softly, "Reyna and Azriel Gibbon were my friends, and I'm so hurt that they survived the things they did, only for it to end like that. Just like I'm…" her voice caught, "… heartbroken by Uncle Sorenson's death."
The kids all nodded, but Sadie continued, "And that's the nature of a tragedy like this. It affects us all, and as your dad said in his speech, we can either let that divide us or unite us."
Theo nodded and held his head high, "So let's make their sacrifice worthwhile, yeah? Let's unite and power through. Let's get through this and emerge stronger and better."
Draco looked over at Theo and nodded, their eyes meeting.
"Exactly," He said, tearing his gaze away from the other man to focus on the kids, "When Pops and I agree on something, it's usually the right thing."
"Or a really stupid thing you both think isn't stupid," Hermione muttered, "But when it's sincere and/or political, then yes, it's usually right."
Sadie chuckled and nodded, "That's true. As a wise man once said, we're far stronger united than we ever could be divided."
Ella looked at Cas in disbelief, "Why did none of us inherit the ability to give epic speeches?"
"I don't actually know. I mean, all four of them can do it," Cas said with a shake of his head, "I feel robbed."
"Are you sure none of us are adopted"? Ada joked, and despite the metaphorical dark cloud hovering over them, they could laugh.
Bones Manor
"You're really great with her."
Susan looked up and saw Cassie, Oscar's wife, watching her from the doorway. She had Sage in her arms, fast asleep.
With a sad smile and a half shrug, Susan replied, "I know how to help grieving children. My daughters lost their father when they were young. Alyssa wasn't very far away from Sage's age, actually."
Cassie stepped into the room and said, "I'm sorry about your husband."
"Thank you, but he's been gone for a long time," Susan said honestly. She shifted Sage so that the little girl was lying beside her on the sofa and looked over at Cassie properly.
"I was lucky not to lose anyone else I loved in that attack, but not everyone was so lucky," Susan continued, "How is Oscar doing?"
Cassie sighed and shrugged, "Honestly? He's falling apart, even if he's trying his best to keep it together on the surface."
"Of course he is," Susan said softly, "Before Clara married Sorenson, all Oscar had was his dad. The bond between those two was always so strong."
Cassie frowned in Sage's direction, "I know, but I just think….maybe it's selfish to think like this, but I'm thinking of Oscar right now."
Susan cocked her head at Sage, "Go on…."
"Sorenson is dead," Cassie said quietly, "And as far as I know, he never told anyone who Oscar's mother was. If that assumption is right, then he took the secret to the grave."
Susan sighed, "I understand your concern, Cassie, but it's not warranted. Trust me, I was married to an Auror, and I lost him. I know how organised those people are when it comes to their own demise. Sorenson has a will, and if he's as much like Percy as I always thought he was, then he will have left letters for all of his children and Clara, too."
Cassie let out a breath and nodded, "He needs to know, Susan. Oscar….he needs closure."
Susan got to her feet and patted Cassie on the shoulder, "I know," she promised.
Cassie nodded again, and her gaze shifted to Sage, who was still fast asleep.
"I'm going to wake her up and take her home. Oscar is working himself to the bone to drown his pain right now, and…it would be better for Sage to be in a familiar setting."
Susan nodded too, "If you need us, you know where we are," she said before squeezing Cassie's shoulder and slipping out of the room.
The 'Secret' Greenhouse
Between the Potter and Longbottom Estates
Harry smiled half-heartedly when he stepped into the greenhouse and saw Alastor feeding the Venomous Tentacula that was Neville's first baby before the twins had come along.
"Thought I'd find you here."
Alastor turned around and said, "Hey, Dad."
Harry shoved his hands into his pockets and walked toward Alastor, "I know things aren't easy right now. We're all scared, and we've all lost people, but…there were some names on that list of the dead that you need to know about."
Alastor frowned and dusted his hands down, "What do you mean? I saw the same list that you did."
"I know," Harry said with a nod, "But there were three names on there that you didn't understand the significance of, and I think it's time you ought to."
Alastor's frown deepened, and Harry motioned to the benches around the potting table.
"Sit down," Harry said softly.
And Alastor knew when he took that tone that things were bad, that he had some bad news to deliver. So he sat down and watched his father carefully as he sat down on the opposite bench.
"Okay," Alastor said slowly, "Who?"
"Your birth mother, her husband and your half-sister," Harry said because there was no sugar coating that, unfortunately.
Alastor's eyes widened, "My…birth mother?"
Harry nodded, "Your mother and I have always disagreed on this one, Al. She felt you needed to know the truth at some stage, but I always felt like we should do everything we could to protect you from it unless your birth mother decided that she wanted to have a relationship with you. In the end, I won that debate, and we decided we would explain if she ever came calling, but now that she's gone…I do think you have a right to know the whole story."
Alastor knew some things, of course, his parents had told him that he was adopted at a relatively early age. When he was a little older, he learned about the blood adoption, and they had explained that he had four parents – them and his two birth parents. Alastor had asked about them then, and Harry had said he would explain more when Alastor was older if he wanted them to.
And Alastor had gotten older, but he hadn't asked. Maybe he knew and had always known that it was because his birth parents hadn't wanted him. But Harry and Daphne had never made him feel unwanted or unloved, they were open and accepting, and he wholeheartedly viewed them as his parents. He didn't need anything more, so he never asked about it or searched for it.
"You know that I found you on the steps outside of CPS on Halloween," Harry began a little shakily, "Lilly examined you and realised you had been born earlier that night, and I took you home to look after you until Lupin House could take you in. But your mother and I fell in love with you straight away, and at the time, we had spent a couple of years trying to have a baby. We had gotten so disheartened because those two years were probably the toughest we have ever faced as a couple."
Alastor frowned, "Worse than when you were an alcoholic?"
"Worse or on a par with when I relapsed, yes," Harry admitted. He cleared his throat, "So you were a dream come true, Al, and a few days turned into a few weeks. Then we decided to adopt you when you were a month old."
Alastor nodded.
"You also know that when you were around 3, your magic still hadn't stabilised, and we were worried you were going to be a squib. But I've never told you that it was because of your start in this world," Harry admitted.
Alastor frowned, "What do you mean? Was my mother a squib?"
Harry shook his head, "No, she was a witch, and quite a talented one too. She was a Healer, actually."
Alastor's frown deepened, so Harry continued, "But you were not born in a hospital because your mother kept her pregnancy a secret from almost everyone in her life, apart from her sister. You were born on a basement floor, your mother coached her sister through it during her own labour, then she left you on the steps of CPS because she knew I would find you there, and she wanted you to be brought up as a Potter."
Alastor was a little overwhelmed. He swallowed a lump in his throat, then shook his head, "Why?"
"Because your mother was called Emma Vane before she married," Harry replied, "And her mother was called Juniper Potter. By birth, you are the last of the secondary line of Potters, and by adoption, you're part of the dynasty we're creating because that's what your mother wanted for you."
Alastor nodded and looked down to hide the tears in his eyes, "Because she couldn't love me because I wasn't…wanted."
Harry sighed and reached across the table, resting his hand on top of Alastor's, "She loved you, Alastor. She wouldn't have made sure you ended up exactly where you belonged if she didn't. But….your birth father, who is now dead, was not a good man."
Alastor swallowed hard and kept his gaze down, "He forced her, didn't he Dad? That's why she couldn't want me, because I would always remind her of what he did."
Harry swallowed a lump in his throat and nodded.
Alastor shook his head, "Who was he?"
"Graham Montague," Harry replied, "He was killed some years ago in the Lucia Cross attacks. I'll be honest and say that…I wasn't sad to see his corpse lying in an alley."
Alastor sighed and rubbed his eyes, "No, I…I understand that. But you said my birth mother; she got married, so she got to be happy eventually, right?"
Harry nodded. This whole conversation was breaking his heart. He had never wanted Alastor to find out, but he knew it was better this way.
"She married a Muggle-born named Samuel Cox, and they had a daughter called June," Harry replied.
Alastor wiped his eyes, "And now they're all dead."
Harry could only nod.
Alastor pulled his hand away from Harry's and sighed, "Thanks for telling me the truth, Dad."
Harry nodded again.
"But…" Alastor shook his head, "You and Mum, you're my parents. This is my family, you wanted me, and you love me. She never did so…I'm glad I know the truth, but I'm not…I'm not really sad either."
Harry breathed out a sigh of relief, "You're not?"
"No," Alastor admitted, looking up to catch his father's eye, "How can you be sad about losing something that you never really had in the first place?"
Harry managed a weak smile as he pulled his son into a hug.
"You're a wise kid, Al. You know that, right?"
Alastor smiled weakly and said, "Yeah, well, guess I get that from my Dad."
Harry laughed, but it came out more of a sob, and Alastor squeezed him tightly.
"Thanks for being my Dad."
"Thanks for being my kid."
Shell Cottage
"How's the domestic bliss with Fleur going?"
Bill gave Daphne an exasperated look, "The sex is good. Keeping it a secret from my parents is less good."
Daphne scoffed, "Bill, the world is falling apart. Stop being scared of what your parents will think and live your life. People have died, people we love, our family and our friends…."
Bill sighed and ran a hand through his hair. They were walking along the beach together, and further along, Charlus was sitting on a large bit of driftwood with Victoire.
"It's not that simple. Felicity is gone, and Ron and Charlie are still in the hospital. It's not…the right time."
"And it never will be," Daphne said softly, "But one of you could die tomorrow. Life isn't promised to anyone, Bill."
Bill's eyes drifted over to Charlus and Victoire, and he paused.
"How is she coping with all of this?" Daphne asked.
"She's doing okay, all things considered," Bill admitted, "But Charlie isn't taking it quite so well. I think Vic's all that's keeping him together right now."
Daphne watched them and mused, "Well, with Almina being out of the country, I suspect you're right. Maybe it's a twin thing, but she was usually the only one who could break through to him."
Bill shook his head, "It's not a twin thing, just a sibling thing. Charlie and I were always like that."
"How is Charlie?" Daphne asked.
"He's okay." Bill said with a nod as if he was assuring himself as much as Daphne, "He gets out today, actually. They're moving Ron to the long-stay ward, he's in for a lot of physical therapy, and they still haven't let the kids see him."
"I know, they won't let the terrible trio in to see Lilly yet either, and she holds a lot of sway at the hospital," Daphne said with a shrug, "As more people are discharged and the hospital gets quieter, I think the rules will become less strict."
"Here's hoping," Bill agreed grimly.
"Did you read the list of the dead this morning?" Daphne asked. She was pretty sure that she knew the answer. If Bill had read it, he would have brought Cheryl's name up by now.
Bill shook his head, "I came out for an early morning walk along the coast. I knew it was due to be released, and I just didn't want to face it."
Daphne looked down at the wet sand beneath their feet, "Cheryl's name was on the list, and her children's names are on the plea that Theo and Lupin House sent out for people to help those orphaned by the attack."
Bill frowned, "What…what was she doing in Diagon Alley? The office was shut."
"She wasn't at the office," Daphne said quietly, "She lived in the Closes and from what Harry said, she stayed behind and organised everyone else as they evacuated."
Bill looked down and swallowed, "That…that sounds like Cheryl, alright."
Daphne rubbed her eyes, "Rowan is 11, and Lennox is 9. They're at the refuge centre right now. I could talk to Harry about taking them in, but there's so much going on with Thea…."
Bill shook his head, "I'll talk to Fleur. Rowan starts Hogwarts this year anyway, so he would only be here in the holidays, and Lennox is a sweet kid. I think Fleur would like her."
"Still," Daphne said, "Getting back together with your ex-wife and taking in two troubled orphans? It's a lot for you and Fleur."
Bill sighed, "Yeah, and sometimes you have to throw yourself in at the deep end, right?"
"Yes," Daphne said slowly, her concerned eyes on Bill, "Just try not to drown."
"Ah, you know me, I'm a strong swimmer," Bill replied offhandedly.
Daphne went to Astoria and Charlie's home later that same day. She had a brief chat with Amber, who said that Will wasn't coping with it very well, but she hoped he'd improve now his dad was home.
Charlie was asleep upstairs, and Astoria had gone into the office to sort things out. Amber didn't think she would be long, and Daphne was happy drinking coffee with Amber in the meantime anyway.
When Astoria clicked into the kitchen, she frowned upon seeing Daphne.
"Hello, sister?"
Daphne rolled her eyes, "Don't be so dramatic. How are you? And how is Charlie?"
"Charlie's fine, just a little more chargrilled than he's used to," Astoria replied sarcastically, "And I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because you're not an idiot, so you've read the Prophet, and you've seen the list of the dead," Daphne said, her eyes not leaving Astoria's, "So you know that your father is dead."
Astoria scoffed, "My father died a few weeks ago. We scattered his ashes on the Surrey hills, remember? Phineas Greengrass was our mother's lover, but he wasn't my father."
After all these years, Daphne was relatively good at picking up on Astoria's lies, so she nodded. As she had suspected, her sister was telling the truth.
"Okay, I just wanted to make sure you weren't upset about that before I tell you the next part," Daphne admitted.
Astoria dumped a bag of potions ingredients on the table and gave Daphne a sceptical look, "What next part?"
"Mother is alive," Daphne replied.
Astoria scoffed, "Of course she is. She faked her death, I presume?"
"Mn-hm," Daphne nodded, "She hid out in France for a while then found an orphaned girl who couldn't control her magic, and she somehow ended up running a magic suppressing camp in Eastern Europe for the kids that Lazarus fucked up."
Astoria frowned, "Wait…what?"
"Yeah, she's actually the good guy, for once, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around that one," Daphne admitted.
Amber snorted and topped up Daphne's mug of coffee.
Daphne continued with a wave of her hand, "The Statute Saboteurs are the kids that Lazarus captured and managed to turn into weapons. But they rebelled because they didn't want to live their life under his control. The kids he messed up have unstable magic and have to be kept where it can be dimmed or extinguished, to stop them hurting themselves and others."
"Shit," Amber muttered.
Astoria sighed and leaned against the table, "It makes it harder to hate her, doesn't it?"
"I can't, not after Dad and…." Daphne shook her head, "She looked after Thea for me during the Diagon Alley attack. I'm giving her a second chance which doesn't mean that you have to as well, but I am."
Astoria nodded and opened up the bag on the table, "Well, I'll think about that, and I might try. But honestly, I'm fed up of losing and gaining parental figures like they're buses."
Amber chuckled at the muggle reference and nudged Astoria playfully, "Buses, huh? I think I might be a bad influence on him."
Astoria shot Amber an amused look, "You're definitely a bad influence on me."
Daphne chuckled and shook her head, "Anyway, I just wanted you to know before tomorrow."
"Why?" Astoria asked, "What happens tomorrow?"
"Oh, Mum is taking Thea to France," Daphne replied, "They're going on the yacht, obviously, because the ministry has banned international floo travel and apparition. But Thea is going through a lot, and I think Mum can help with that."
Astoria looked over at Amber, who raised an eyebrow, "You ready to make amends with your mother before she goes?"
"Not tomorrow," Astoria said with a sigh, "But when they come back, maybe."
Daphne smiled at her little sister, "I hear you're staying in the country for a while?"
Astoria rolled her eyes, "Did you tell her everything?"
Amber grinned, "Just the important parts."
Daphne chuckled and got to her feet, "I'm glad, Astoria. I've missed you."
Astoria smiled and actually initiated a hug, "I've missed you too, Daphne."
TBC -
