Disclaimer: As always I own nothing and my beta is my better half.
Augusta returned with Neville to see a blank faced Narcissa sitting back on her armchair and the two girls leaning back watching her with worry clear in their faces. "Narcissa?" She spoke up immediately, the girls looking up with relief clear in their faces despite the blonde not responding and after a silent conversation, Harry handed her the letter. The eldest Longbottom's expression became serious and quickly called for a calming potion, getting Narcissa to drink it was simple and the blonde came back to herself. Apologising profusely to the girls who both told her that it wasn't a problem, Augusta pointed out that the letter was yet more proof that Sirius was innocent and suggested that they speak to both Dumbledore and Fudge. Harry frowned in confusion not sure why, a much calmer Narcissa wrapped both girls in a hug not planning on letting either of them go any time soon more for her own comfort than theirs. She was concerned over what had happened and wondered if the issue with Spriggen Root had anything to do with the girls current situation after all Severus would have disregarded it as no-one had known that Harry was a Black as well as the family's issue being mostly unknown especially as she had forgotten it herself.
"I had probably better pop to Hogwarts quickly, I need to see if Severus is aware of Spriggen Root being an issue for Blacks." Narcissa looked tired, Augusta didn't particularly want to let the blonde go but Draco shook her head. She vaguely remembered seeing Narcissa like that once before and recalled that her Grandmother had told Lucius that is better to let Narcissa work through it before expecting her to explain.
Narcissa didn't even hesitate, shoving her head through the fire upon seeing Albus in his office she told him that she was coming through and that was the only warning he got before she flooed straight through.
Albus Dumbledore hadn't been having a good day, after Severus came to speak to him, he'd been about to view the memories but before he could Minerva had stormed in asking if there was any news on either of the two. He'd told her that Severus had left him the memories but told him they weren't for the weak of stomach and when she asked what they contained, Albus explained that he had been about to view them when she'd come in. Minerva had walked over to his desk and with a gentleness few saw suggested that perhaps it would be better that he had company in case they were as bad as she feared which was how the aging head of Gryffindor came to enter the pensive with her long-time friend and mentor. Despite Severus giving Albus only some of the memories he'd gained, the two still felt sick, the pairs faces going ashen when James threatened Marlene yet by the time they withdrew they were even more shaken.
The instant they were back to themselves, Albus put his head into his hands "How did I not realise?" He sounded his age, "We can't tell Harry." He felt as though he'd been kicked in the stomach, and was rather grateful that Severus hadn't included all that had happened to Sirius.
Minerva shook her head, wordlessly conjuring two glasses and summoning a large bottle of scotch pouring a large amount into each. She took a long drink before speaking, "We have to. Not the whole horrid affair but we have to tell her, I agree that it shouldn't be now. Perhaps we should speak to Narcissa when would be best to tell Harry."
The pair had sat drinking and going over the memories in their minds, both wondering how they had missed such an inner darkness. Several times one of them would open their mouths to speak but would close them again, it wasn't too far into the bottle when the fireplace flared and Narcissa stuck her head through only to step through before either of the two could properly react.
"Did you know?" Narcissa started, no acknowledging either of the two properly.
A confused Dumbledore shook his head, "I know many things Narcissa, but I'm afraid that you will have to be more concise."
The blonde shook her head, an annoyed scoff escaping her, "That Harry isn't James' child."
Minerva would shake her own head, drinking heavily from the glass even as Albus himself seemed to choke on his own drink, "We found out this afternoon, Severus gave me some rather disturbing memories." He spoke after a while, clearing his throat, "Truly Narcissa, we were planning to speak with you, once we'd recovered from the shock of watching the memories."
She frowned, "Arcturus knew. He'd left Harry a note in her trust vault." Albus and Minerva both frowned as she continued, "Harry's officially his Grandchild, and he made sure that Harry would never be discriminated against, she even has her own trust vault."
Albus' hand shook slightly around his glass, "Did he know the whole story?" Narcissa frowned in confusion prompting the age headmaster to continue, "Sirius and Lily having a child was James' plan. Neither of the two were aware that Harry was anything other than the child of Lily and James." Narcissa blinked in shock wondering what she was missing, "Severus' has discovered that James was not who we thought he was."
"How in Morgana's name did he do that?"
"We've found Sirius," Albus held up a hand to stop her questions, "He was in quite the state when we found him, Severus took a great personal risk and delved into his mind, I believe the Dementors weakened the memory charms which allowed Severus to see what James had hidden and trust me…bad is an understatement. It has made me wonder what truly happened to the McKinnon's."
Narcissa was lost in her thoughts again, and moved towards the door, "They're in the hospital wing?" At a nod, she was moving, leaving the office and heading straight towards Madam Pomfrey's domain. Minerva went to follow but Albus shook his head, letting the blonde leave.
When the door swung open, the mediwitch had turned ready to berate Albus about him having to wait for more answers seeing Narcissa she hesitated, the blonde was unlikely to push her patients too far and for her to have come to Hogwarts it had to be important. "Severus is in the one on your left." She spoke calmly, Narcissa looked up and smiled slightly.
"Thank you." She started to head over but stopped lingering outside of the other curtained bed, "Is…" She broke off, guessing that she was asking if it was Sirius Madam Pomfrey nodded and with a shaking hand, Narcissa gently twitched the curtain, looking in at her cousin. A woeful smile on her lips as she turned and headed over to Severus' bed instead, stepping straight inside. "Severus! How are you feeling?" She smiled at the dower man, taking in his drained appearance and exhausted countenance.
He gave her a weak smile, "I will be fine, but I doubt you came to make small talk."
She nodded sitting demurely on the edge of his bed, "Dumbledore told me when I came to ask him if he'd known about Harry being Sirius'," Severus blinked several times, "Arcturus knew not the how's or why but about Harry's parentage, Harry is an acknowledged Black." Severus blinked and Narcissa smiled again, "He'd left a letter as he suspected that he was the only one who knew, but he also added something I'd forgotten. Spriggen Root." The potion master gave her a blank look and with taking a deep she elaborated, "The Black family magic has issues with that particular ingredient."
Severus sat up straighter, "Arcturus acknowledged Harry?" She nodded and he closed his eyes for a moment, "I had wondered how that potion had created such a circumstance even adding Spriggen Root wouldn't have had such an effect unless there was something else involved." He rubbed his forehead tiredly, "I'm sorry Narcissa,"
"It's not an issue, get some rest. I'd say to come over for some quiet…but we both know that with the girls you won't get that." He laughed weakly as Narcissa slipped out of the room heading back to her girls although she fully intended to come back in the morning.
Harry had curled up on the couch, Draco had pressed a hot chocolate into her hands. "How are you feeling?" She asked softly, prodding at the folded legs until they moved enough for her to take a seat. Harry shrugged and Draco smiled softly, "I think Mum went to see if Dumbledore knew and if so why you didn't live with Arcturus."
Harry shrugged again, "Maybe he didn't want me."
Draco gently clipped her around the head, "He probably thought you were happy with your aunt and uncle." She poked Harry's cheek, "Besides he might have thought that he was terrible with kids." Harry cracked a woeful grin, and the blonde continued, "Plus didn't Dumbledore say that he wanted you to grow up away from your fame? Arcturus might have agreed that not only growing up with your fame but as part of the direct line of ascension."
"You think so?"
"Obviously. I desperately wanted to be your friend so why wouldn't he have wanted you? Besides," She smirked, "you're stuck with me and Mum now."
Harry laughed, "You mean you're stuck with me." She tried her best to do a menacing laugh but it caused a coughing fit which had Draco cackling. Forgetting that Augusta was there, Harry shoved her, Draco was still laughing as she hit the rug with a thud. She twisted around and before Augusta could tell either of them off, Draco grabbed Harry's legs and yanked her down. She ran fingers down Harry's side, quickly trying her best to pin Harry, the raven haired girl kicked out and squirmed as she started to laugh uncontrollably.
"Girls!" Augusta spoke finally, they both stopped guiltily twisting their heads to give her identical looks of pure innocence.
Morning would see them having their lessons, Harry and Neville were rapidly improving at potions, and the three children didn't make much headway into Occlumency but Narcissa gently told them that she didn't expect them to. If it was an easy thing to learn then everyone would do it, she'd told them meditate and explained that before they could learn properly they needed to know how to meditate. The three children had been grouchy about that until she added that knowing how to meditate was an important step if they ever wanted to become animagus which quickly got them interested again. It was when they were having their dancing lessons that she took her leave and headed over back to Hogwarts.
Narcissa let herself into the hospital wing after a quick conversation with Albus, Poppy had told her that Severus was sleeping but she'd told her that she wasn't there to see him, although if he woke up she'd see how he was and instead headed over to where her cousin lay. She took a seat on the chair by his bedside, gently wiping his forehead as she studied his face. He still looked gaunt, and from what she'd been told he had been having better meals since the children had found him, which made her more concerned about how his cheekbones stuck out further than they always had and she swallowed back grief as she tried to put this new image with her previous memories of the handsome and surprisingly upbeat man.
"Hey little cousin," She laughed weakly, "Look at me, finally succumbing to the Black madness and talking to myself." She shook her head, "Harry's safe, I think her and Draco are currently driving Augusta to distraction, apparently they had a tickle battle last night after she discovered that James isn't her father. Arcturus had left her a letter in her trust vault, he always had faith in you said as much in his letter." She laughed softly, "He called V-v" she took a deep breath trying again, "He called V-v…oh for goodness sake woman it's just a name…he called Voldemort an insane bastard." She beamed to herself glad that she'd actually gotten the name out. A weak laugh brought her out of her thoughts, "Sirius. How are you feeling?" He opened his mouth to reply, but instead coughed and she gently lifted a glass of water to his lips, "Not too much, I don't want to face Madam Pomfrey's wrath."
That got another weak chuckle, "I'm really getting a trial?" It took him several attempts to get the words out. Narcissa nodded and he smiled tiredly, "Good."
"Augusta thinks that with Severus' memories and Arcturus' letter you might not have to stand before them, especially with House Longbottom and Bones along with Minister Fudge pushing for you to be cleared. Amelia found that no-one had ever checked your wand…" She smiled at him, "Her poor department was terrified. So don't worry, you need to get your rest."
She smiled and went to stand but a hand weakly gripped her wrist, "Wait. Peter." She frowned in confusion, Sirius fought his eyes closing, "He's young Ron's pet rat." Apparently that had been what he'd been so desperate to tell her as his eyes slipped closed again and he released her wrist. Narcissa stood there frozen for a moment before deciding that she needed to have another conversation with Remus.
Harry spun, she let herself twirl as her feet finally remembered what to do moving in the complex pattern avoiding Neville's as the two spun and danced with a new found grace. Draco clapped her hands, Andromeda beamed at the pair, the two were bright red when they heard the clapping and their watchers congratulated them before Andromeda saying that it called for celebration and that she'd let Augusta know but for the time being she'd let them out of the lesson early.
The three looked at each other, "What should we do?" Neville regretted the question the instant there was two simultaneous calls of 'flying', he winced protesting, but an arm was slipped under each of his before the pair propelled him out of the room. "I can't fly!" He argued but the pair both grinned at him.
"That's why we're going to teach you." They said at the same time, he protested again trying this time to get his Gran to help him, but to his horror she just laughed demurely and gestured to them to carry on. "No brother of ours is not being able to fly!" Their words stopped his protests for the entire way outside it was only when they retrieved brooms that his complaints begun again. "Nev. You remember how Madam Hooch wanted us to call our broom to our hand?" Harry started.
"It forms a bond between our magic and the broom," Draco added.
"It won't come." Neville argued, "You both know that. It didn't happen originally."
"Because you didn't want it to." Harry spoke softly.
"The broom knew you didn't want to embarrass yourself,"
"Unfortunately it did exactly that." They finished. Neville nodded thoughtfully, biting his lip as he stared at the innocent looking broom lying being him. He moved trying to call it to his broom to his hand, as he'd expected it did nothing. "Close your eyes." Harry spoke softly, watching as he did so, "Hold your hand out," she took a deep breath thinking, "Want it to come to your hand, it's a broom, it isn't like a wand." Neville's brow crinkled, "It doesn't get to show you up. It does as you want and you want it in your hand so call it." Harry finished watching him carefully. The elder boy took a deep breath and while listening to the words decided that the broom wasn't going to show him up willed it into his hand, with his eyes closed he didn't see the broom slowly rising before it snapped up into his hand. Neville's eyes snapped open as it hit his hand and he nearly dropped it.
He slowly straddled the broom, knowing that the two of them were taking him through their first lesson, to his amusement they corrected his hands. The pair looked at each other and Draco slowly kicked off, Harry smiled gently at him, his hands shook on the broom. Harry smiled sympathetically, "Neville. Look at me." She waited until he did, "Take a deep breath, Draco won't let you fall and I'll be with you the entire time, I'll stay with you. You don't have to rush but remember. This isn't school. This is your Gran's broom. She wouldn't fly anything too fast or unstable." That got her a weak chuckle and a determined look grew in Neville's eyes, he took a deep breath raising his chin only to kick off. He rose shakily into the air, expecting the broom to rocket away with him but it didn't, he kept rising but Harry calmly explained him how to keep it pointed straight and to keep it level.
Narcissa knocked gently on the Defence Professor's office, waiting for the call to come in before she pushed the door open and stepped inside. Smiling gently at the tired man sitting at the desk trying to grade papers, he blinked several times before smiling at her. "What can I do for you Lady Malfoy?"
"I told you to call me Narcissa, Professor Lupin." She replied a mischievous smirk on her lips and the man laughed.
"I'm terribly sorry my lady." He replied, hoping that he'd read her mood right, the soft laugh and lightening of her exhausted countenance proved he was right. He offered her a drink which she accepted with a smile taking a seat demurely.
"Apparently Peter is a rat?" She rubbed her forehead, wondering if her cousin had meant metaphorically and she'd just miss understood. Remus sat back in his seat in shock, yet a wry smile tugging at his lips as she explained all that had happened, what they'd discovered at Gringotts, what Dumbledore had told her and even her visits with Severus and Sirius.
"How are the girls taking it?" He asked softly, listening to her response before telling her about Sirius being the dog Pansy had found. Narcissa frowned in confusion and with a laugh he elaborated about how all of the marauders (other than him) were unregistered animagus, the blonde's brow crinkled as she wondered if that had been what Sirius had meant, something she raised to Remus but even as she did she exhaled noisily. He'd proven he was smarter than he'd been given credit for being, which raised the question of how they'd capture the rat. "Arthur." Remus said after a fair few minutes of thinking, "You could speak to him at the ministry, you'd said you needed to speak to the Minister so perhaps you could speak to him then. He'd be in a better position to get the rat and you could even go with him as you've been over there before while he's been there so it wouldn't be too weird."
Narcissa's face lit up, smiling widely as the stress melted away, she hadn't realised how much she appreciated someone having an equal amount of cunning on her side. Not that it was anything against her friends but they didn't have the Slytherin or apparently Marauder level of plotting the situation called for. "You'll be coming to the New Year's Ball?" She asked softly. He shook his head regretfully, pointing out the moon phase that night, Narcissa blinked before quietly asking what he'd do if Severus was still out of commission. Remus sighed telling her, that he'd do what he'd always done, that this was the first year that he'd had access to the wonderful potion so it wasn't as if he couldn't manage.
After lessons the next morning, Narcissa and Augusta left the teens with Andromeda before heading to the Ministry. They'd agreed to meet Albus by the fountain and Narcissa was still trying to decide when she'd go and speak to Arthur as she was unsure if it was wise to do so with both Albus and Augusta present or to go alone. In the end she figured that it was better to speak to him after the Minister, as it would be better to give as little time between her talking to him and retreating the rat just in case the wrong sort over heard.
Narcissa smiled when the two entered the foyer to see the aged Headmaster deep in conversation with a seemingly random ministry worker, upon seeing the pair however he quickly excused himself and smiled widely at them with a quick greeting as the three headed to the lift. Reaching the Minister's office they were quickly shown inside, Cornelius Fudge greeted them, taking his trademark hat off as he swept a quick bow to the three.
"What can I do for you today?" His genuine interest was apparent, he knew from what the three had told him about the meeting that they had some information regarding to the missing Lord yet at the same time he found himself wishing that sometimes the three would just pop by for a social visit.
Narcissa smiled, "Harry discovered a letter from Arcturus Black," She'd gotten the teen's permission for the minister to read it, "She thought it would be enlightening for you to read."
Cornelius blinked a couple of times but took the offered letter, his guests stayed silent as he read, "The previous Lord Black…" He broke off thinking, "It would clear Sirius Black of being a death eater even if we can't find the man in question, although not of killing Mr Pettigrew nor of betraying the Potters even if it does remove a motive especially as it would put Harry in danger. The bond between a father and child…even an unknowing one is incredibly powerful."
"I think I can help on the other front," Albus spoke with a twinkling smile, "Young Sirius is currently recovering in the Hogwarts Hospital wing, however I have the memories in question for you to view, I myself have already seen them."
Cornelius nodded with a beaming smile, "If I may view them, we'd have to get the Unspeakables and DMLE to verify their authenticity but if they detail what I suspect them, his wand and the letter would clear him." Albus produced his pensive and a vial, tipping the shimmering memory into the device. He nodded and suggested that the whole room might be better viewing as one, thinking that they might notice something he hadn't. He'd only bought them the relevant memories there were some Severus had given him that he personally thought would be better if they never saw the light of day.
Narcissa was fuming after exiting the memories, regardless of his views at one point she had cared for her husband but after seeing what he'd said to Sirius…she was half tempted to show Lucius why people didn't mess with the Blacks. Augusta gently placed her hand on her arm, shaking her head, the contact grounded Narcissa and she reigned in her temper. He would get his, she met Cornelius' eyes and a wry smile grew on her lips when she saw the rage boiling beneath the surface. He was as furious as she was, legally they could destroy Lucius and she fully intended to do so perhaps even while they were clearing Sirius.
Promising Cornelius that she would pop in to speak to him again before the trial, she excused herself leaving the others chatting as she headed down to Arthur's office. There was a slight bounce in her step as plots and plans bounced their way through her mind. Reaching the door, she couldn't help but smile upon realising that Arthur now had a proper office rather than a cubical, she knocked before letting herself inside.
The wizard in question gave her a wide smile which she easily returned and they exchanged greetings before she explained about what they suspected about Scabbers as she recalled Harry saying the rat was called. Arthur looked disgusted and made to leave but she quickly stopped him explaining what herself and Remus had discussed about Pettigrew.
"Perhaps you are correct and we need to be smart about how we do this, although I…" Arthur hesitated, "I'm not happy about leaving the children with the man if Scabbers is him."
Narcissa nodded, "I fully agree, but at least we know that he doesn't intend to harm them unfortunately if he had he's had plenty of opportunities over the years." Arthur nodded as she spoke, "The main thing I'm concerned about is that he might turn hostile to the children if he realises that we're onto him. That was one of the things Remus mentioned and why he didn't ask to be involved." Arthur went white, and she felt sympathy for him, she could only imagine if someone was having this conversation with her but her brain had been going over the situation since the night before. In the end she'd had to ask Harry what she knew of the rat explaining what was going on and that she couldn't tell Ron yet. Harry had been rather indignant, until Narcissa had gently told her that she was concerned that if the rat the found out it might put Ron and his siblings in danger, and that she was going to get Arthur to help her catch it before the two explained what was happening. As such she spoke softly, "Harry said that Scabbers had been ill and perhaps we could use that, she suggested that we could get Ron to bring him down. Telling him that we're going to check Scabbers' health," she held up a hand, "I'm not happy about lying to Ronald however we don't know how good Pettigrew's hearing is, I fully intend to explain to him the whole thing after we've caught the rat with your permission of course." Arthur nodded, smiling in amusement at how well thought out the plan was although he mused he should have expected nothing different from a Slytherin.