The next morning, harry woke up to Daphne sobbing on his chest. 'what's wrong dearest? Is it your Father?' harry asked in concern. When Daphne didn't answer, Harry drew her into his chest and rocked back and forth, soothing her.

A crack saw Libby appear in the master bedroom with a tray of breakfast her master and mistress. She placed the tray on the bed and popped away silently while Harry gently coaxed Daphne to sit up and eat.

He was successful after a few tries. The meal consisted of: fresh berries and yoghurt, pumpkin juice, fresh croissants, buttered toast and scrambled eggs.

After cleaning their plates and showering, Harry and Daphne made their way downstairs to the dining area just off their kitchen where their children were seated, with their breakfast in front of them.

Daphne sat next to Andi and helped him with his food, as was her custom. Harry watched this while drinking his morning coffee, then he turned his attention to the conversation the twins were having.

'I still say France will beat Austria in the Quidditch grand final!' Alex snapped at his sister. Rosemary snorted. 'your dreaming! Austria has the superior team! Just look at their record for the season!' she retorted smugly. Alex grumbled under his breath, something which Harry was please Rosemary didn't hear.

'Alex! Don't say rude things about your sister!' Harry scolded him lightly. His eldest son looked contrite. 'sorry sis' he tossed across the table. Rosemary didn't indicate she had heard, but Harry knew she had.

'Dear one?' Daphne called from beside Andi, 'could you please send Mother a message telling her that we will be arriving later than planned?' harry looked up at Daphne who held in her hand a note from the office.

'I have to go in. there something the minister wants to talk with me about' she explained waving the letter in the air.

'that's fine love, I'll go do that now' harry replied standing up. He had taken two steps when his legs became weighted down with two small girls. Reaching over and picking them both up, harry blew a raspberry in each ear.

Alannah and Leah giggled and squirmed in his arms, trying to get away but he held tight. 'oh no! my dinner is escaping!' he cried in mock horror much to the girl's delight as they burst into laughter. Harry set them down and they ran off to their play room and Harry made his way to the fireplace.

Reaching up to the ever filling pot of floo powder on the mantle, harry threw a handful of the stuff into the fire and called out: 'Greengrass Manor!' and suddenly vibrant green flames erupted from the fireplace. Sticking his head in he called out 'Roxanna!' and waited.

A tall lady came striding over to the fireplace that had Harry's head in it. 'good morning Harry.' Roxanna greeted her son in law somberly. 'morning. We are going to arrive around noon today as Daphne was called into the office. Is everything alright?' he asked her carefully.

Roxanna smiled a weak smile that didn't reach her eyes. 'the healers are not optimistic; they say this curse is new to them. Its slowly killing him from the inside and they don't know enough to treat him' she explained sadly. 'oh, can I do anything?' harry asked, and Roxanna shook her head. 'you are doing the best thing at the moment' she replied gently as Harry sighed.

'will we see Tori?' he then asked in an attempt to divert the conversation, for which Roxanna was grateful. 'yes, she came home yesterday. It was she who sent Tatiana to you last night. Oh Harry I'm scared! I've been Married to Cyrus for nearly 40 years, what happens if he doesn't' she broke off as Harry said 'no. you can't think like that mum, you can't! you need to be strong for Daphne and Astoria! Think positive thoughts ok? We will be there as soon as Daphne gets back from the office'

'you are, as usual, correct Harry. Very well. I shall see you this afternoon' Roxanna stated and Harry ended the call.

He pulled his head out of the dying fire to see Daphne hand Andi off to Alex so that she could go get dressed for work.

'here Alex, I'll take Andi' harry called out to his son.

He reached over and plucked Andi from his brother's arms and sat on the plush sofa. 'hey there little guy. It's your daddy.' Harry explained as he pushed his magic toward the toddler in his arms. Soon the boy could feel the warm magic that was his father and he broke into a wide grin showing off his three white and very sharp teeth.

They stayed like that until Daphne came back downstairs in her work robes. 'I think you'd be disappointed you couldn't see your mother right now Andi, she looks stunning' harry stated to his son.

Daphne was dressed in a royal purple suit, with black dragon hide boots, her wand tucked up her sleeve.

'really potter? You are encouraging your child to hit on his own mother?' Daphne teased, her voice full of laughter. Harry shook his head, 'no I'd get jealous. If any man looks at you, I'll challenge them to a duel!' he declared in mock solemnity.

'you are such a dork, it's a wonder I married you' Daphne snipped as she bent over to kiss him on the lips, then she placed a kiss on Andi's head. 'mummy is a vixen Andi, a Vixen' harry tickled his tummy making Andi squeal in joy.

Daphne smiled and then threw a handful of powder into the fireplace. She called out 'French Ministry' and stepped through the roaring green flames and was gone.

…

The French Ministry of Magic is housed in the Louver museum, and unlike most ministries you can't apparat into it, you must either use the Floo network or use the main entrance under the glass pyramid. Of course the ministry is besepelled so that Muggles or Mundane people see the museum. The whole building in seven floors deep, with extension charms in each room. Each room also has a magical window that lets in Light, no matter the floor, indeed the windows often show different places from around the world.

Daphne arrived at the ministry foyer and headed down to her office on the sixth floor. As head of the Diplomatic Corps, she was one of the few people who had unrestricted access to Minister Rene.

Reaching her office, Daphne sighed and collected her notebook, which she used in all meetings. The notebook was spelled so that only she could open it, or even right in it, as some of the notes in the book were top secret.

Deciding to not put off the meeting, Daphne made her way to the minister's office, one floor below her. reaching the outer office of the minister, Daphne paused and collected herself. She passed the secretary, who was writing out a memo with an obnoxious peacock feather quill and entered the office of the French Minister for Magic.

At 65 years of age, Andre Rene was in peak shape. He had silver hair, a neatly trimmed goatee and deep brown eyes. His face was crescent shaped and his mouth was pale pink, but it was his broken nose that stole the show.

Rumer had it, that his nose was broken by his Spanish counterpart at the second anniversary of his becoming minister for magic, but Daphne was unsure of this. She had her suspicions of course but kept them to herself out of respect and loyalty to the man.

'ah Lady Potter, you're here. We have received reports from the Diplomatic corps in Britain which are troubling to say the least. They have asked us to send our best person over to help them, and we want to send you, as you are already going.'

Daphne frowned. 'what of the reports? Why are we worried?' she pressed, curious. The Minister sighed, and rubbed his face.

'we have received intelligence that a dark lord is rising in England. Since the end of the wizarding war, we have kept our eye on Britain, as they seem to breed Dark lords and Ladies.' The minister fell silent as Daphne wrote in her notebook.

'so you think a Dark Lord or Lady might be causing trouble?' she wondered as the minister handed her a file.

'we have nothing but whispers and the occasional hint here and there' Rene admitted and Daphne could see it pained him to be so open, after all, He hadn't become the youngest Minister of Magic for France in nearly 200 years by his smile.

'if there is nothing else Minister, I must be getting home' Daphne rose from her chair with all the grace of her upbringing. Her gut was telling her that something wasn't right about the whole situation, Rene was too cagey and the information he'd given her was far too Light on details, far lighter that his usual standard.

Making her way back to her office, Daphne looked through the folder of gathered information. When she arrived at her office, she told Roberta, her secretary that she was headed home, then to England.

Roberta nodded and wrote a quick note.

'ma'am you had a visitor whilst you were out, a Mr Nott, I believe his name was? Anyway he was looking for you, and had an angry look to him. when I told him that you were in a meeting and that you were not to be disturbed, he smiled and gave me this' Roberta handed Daphne a photo of a younger Daphne with her sister Astoria about six months into Daphne's fifth year.

In it, the sisters were flanked by Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott, Crabbe and Goyal, as well as Pansy Parkinson all with their heads scribbled over in thick black ink. Daphne's face and body were covered in a giant X. Flipping the photo, Daphne read the message written in someone's elegant script, it wasn't Theo's however as he had chunky block writing. This was feminine, and smelled lightly of Cloves.

"I know your secrets, as I know that you married the savior. You took my man so in five days I shall take that which is most precious to you"

Daphne looked up at Roberta. 'the man who gave you this. Did he walk with a slight limp in his right leg?' she prayed she was wrong, but she knew in her heart that she wasn't.

'No Ma'am, he didn't. he seemed to be in a hurry, though his hair began changing from brown to red' she replied with fear.

'red did you say?' Daphne demanded worried and stood transfixed Roberta nodded.

'I am going on extended personal leave, so Roberta I need you to keep this office running. While I am gone, Alderson is in charge' Daphne ordered and she saw a flicker of acceptance in Roberta's eyes.

Rickard Alderson was deputy head of the French Diplomatic Corps, a pureblood who held no qualms about sullying his hands with Muggleborns and Half-bloods.

He was respectable and well liked, charming and pleasant, sophisticated and an outstanding conversationalist. All in all, an excellent choice for second in charge.

Closing her office door, Daphne threw a pinch of Floo powder into her fireplace and called out "Pinegrove House"

And stepped through the emerald green flames.