Sorry for the delay everyone!

My computer died, and I foolishly thought I could fix it by myself. Sadly, I only exacerbated the issue. I am now up and running once more and will begin posting more regular chapters once I get caught up to where I had left off in my notes. If you are still reading this story, I thank you for being patient!

Chapter 27

The following weeks were fairly busy for the group of friends as they were practicing their battle magic as often as they could. Sirius had finally sent the results back for the Flying Foxes and Lavender, along with a list of the most likely forms they could take.

While not the most powerful witch in the group, Lavender was still no slouch. She loved flying, and with Ron as a wyvern, she decided she would like to have a form that could fly as well. However, she wanted the form that she chose to be able to fly should she need to defend herself. After going through the list of creatures, she finally chose the form of a griffin. She was surprised that no one else in her house had selected the creature as it was both beautiful and powerful. Almost twice the size of a lion, griffins were quite powerful. They could fly, had powerful claws and talons, and their fur was mildly resistant to magical attacks. The squeal Lavender made upon discovering that she was compatible with the griffin was proof to her friends that this was her favorite magical creature. To say that she was excited to claim this new form as her own would be an understatement, to say the least.

Katie was next to choose her form and was content with the creature she had chosen. She had finally chosen the blood of a hippogriff due to her love of flight and because she could defend herself and her friends if they ever found themselves in too dangerous a situation. While not as physically powerful as a griffin, the hippogriff was much swifter in the air and could carry more weight than its feline cousin. Katie was quite satisfied with her choice and enjoyed flying through the Forbidden Forest with her friends after completing her ritual.

While in her bestial form, Katie ran amok with Ron and Lavender. The griffin and hippogriff could be spotted soaring amongst the trees while playing tag while a certain wyvern kept them in his sights. Ron had become very protective of his girlfriend due to his new draconic instincts, and in order to ensure his mate's safety, he never strayed far from her side. Lavender and Katie had become closer as Animagi and viewed each other as true sisters. In the eyes of Ron's wyvern form, they were now family. The two would never be safer than when together in his presence.

When Angelina and Alicia both chose their forms, Harry couldn't help but smirk. Hermione had to ensure they were certain, as they wouldn't be able to change these forms later down the road. The two friends wouldn't budge on their decision but told Harry and Hermione to keep the entire thing under wraps until after the ritual.

Everyone in the group was surprised when two new kitsunes appeared in the forest, tackling Fred and George to the ground. The fur of Angelina's new form was a lovely shade of chocolate, just like her own beautiful hair, while Alicia's was as golden as her own. The four kitsunes ran about the forest together, each yipping and growling as they played amongst the trees. Their friends watched them play as the two young women acclimated to their new forms. Fred and George helped them to master their new abilities, teaching them all that they had learned about their new bestial forms.

One evening, Fred asked Angelina to be his girlfriend before inviting her to the ball, while George did the same with Alicia. The two girls quickly said yes, as they had been waiting forever for the twins to ask them out. Each witch tackled their chosen partner, snogging them properly for the first time, until being chased away by Peeves, who wailed about the injustice of what was sure to be a distraction for the red-haired twins.

Harry was happy for the two new couples as she felt partially responsible for them coming together. After all, it was Harry who told Angelina about the twin's infatuation with her and Alicia. The fact that the two witches may have already known about the Weasley twins, and their secret crush, never crossed Harry's mind.

…

When the group of friends wasn't training in the Room of Requirement or the forest, they were helping Harry to figure out the golden egg. Hermione, Regulus, and the rest of Harry's companions tried their best to solve the puzzle, but none of them could recognize the unusual runes that covered the egg in its odd script. They spent nearly every day in the library searching for the answer to their latest conundrum.

One evening, when they were all together in the common room, Lavender took a look and thought the markings looked similar to Sanskrit, so she asked her friend Parvati to look at the egg. Harry was disappointed when the beautiful Indian witch told her Lavender's guess about the unknown markings was wrong. The elder Patil twin did not recognize the language, suggesting they ask her sister Padma.

Now Padma hardly ever left Ravenclaw Tower unless it was to go to class or to eat. Luna told them she was exactly like Hermione in that she loved reading. The blonde also revealed to them that the Ravenclaws had their own library in their common room with books the school's main library didn't have, thanks to Rowena Ravenclaw herself. The younger Patil twin loved to learn and believed that language should not be a barrier to gaining knowledge. She could already understand four languages and was currently mastering her fifth!

"Could you bring this to Padma, Luna?" Harry asked her friend as she began to write down the odd symbols on some parchment. "Tell her that if she is able to help, then I'll owe her one."

"Alright, Harry," Luna replied with her usual airy voice before cocking her head as though listening to a conversation. "It is getting late. I should be heading back to my own dorm before curfew. Oh, and Harry, the Nargles are positive that Padma will be able to help. They also say that you have quite a surprise coming up over the holiday. Goodnight Ginny. Goodnight, friends."

Harry just smiled and nodded her head as Luna got up to kiss Ginny before walking away. The younger blonde witch tended to say some unusual things but having glimpsed that odd purple imp with the creepy smile, Harry had thought it best never to doubt Luna again.

Once everyone had left and returned to their dorms, Harry brought Hermione and Regulus to their sofa by the fireplace and put on a serious face.

"Mione, Reggie," Harry started. "Before I start, I want you both to know that I love you and wish I didn't have to choose. Ok… So, Prof. McGonagall told me I could only invite one person to open the ball with me. After thinking about this for the past few weeks, I've made my decision. Mione. Would you please be my date to the Yule ball?"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes!" Hermione excitedly shouted as she jumped into Harry's arms. "I would love to be your date to the ball! I wondered what you were planning to do. Honestly, I was getting a little worried about how to approach the subject. Are you sure that you want to go with me instead of Reggie? I'm sure that everyone will have something to say if we both go together. Would it be better for you to go with Reggie instead of -"

"Hermione!" Harry snapped to get her to stop. "You are my wife! I don't care what anyone has to say about the matter. I want you there as my date. I'm sorry Reggie that I must choose, but I promise to save some dances for you. Is that alright?"

"Don't worry about it, Harry," Regulus told her with a smile before kissing her cheek. "I thought something like this would happen. I suppose I will need to find my own date for the ball. Just remember that you've promised me those dances!"

"You're not angry with me then?" Harry asked with a hopeful smile.

"No, Harry," he told her with a chuckle. "I'm not angry with you. I am disappointed that it won't be me that gets to show you off during the opening dance, but I have seen how much Hermione means to you. If it can't be me, then I am glad it is her."

"Do you know who you will ask?" Hermione asked him with a blush, happy that she could claim most of Harry's attention at the ball.

"Well," he said with a grin. "I think I know someone who may say yes. It's cutting it close, but I haven't heard that she has accepted anyone's offer yet."

"Oh really?" Harry asked as the flames of her curiosity ignited. "Do I need to be worried?"

"Not at all!" Regulus said before erupting in laughter. "I am fairly certain that you will have nothing to worry about. She is one of the few who isn't affected by my allure. This means that she is already in love with someone, or that she-"

"That she plays for the other team?" Harry interrupted with a mischievous grin.

"Exactly," Regulus replied. "If I am right, she isn't ready to be outed. If she does agree to come with me to the ball, you can't say anything about it, all right?"

"That's fine with me," Harry told him. "Hermione?"

"It's fine with me as well," Hermione agreed. "Just make sure that she has a good time."

"Of course," Regulus said. "What kind of friend would I be if I failed to ensure that my friend enjoyed herself at a dance? Just remember to find me for my turn on the dance floor. We can finally show off those moves that Mitéra taught us over the summer."

"Calliope taught you how to dance?!" Hermione asked Harry with a surprised look on her face. "Why didn't you tell me? This is fantastic news! We are going to have so much fun!"

For the remainder of the evening, the Potters and the Black heir enjoyed reading through their family grimoires, each resting comfortably by the fireplace. While Hermione and Regulus were busy enhancing their theoretical knowledge on transfiguration and charms, Harry had several ideas that she wanted to try out.

With Hermione and Regulus at her side, they began working on a new set of spells that they felt would help Harry during the tournament. Parstlemagic seemed to be much more powerful than ordinary spells, so Harry was curious how far she could utilize this branch of magic into her own repertoire of spells.

Of the trio, Hermione was obviously in her element. Within an hour she already had the arithmancy figured out and the foundations for each of the new spells. Harry couldn't help but be impressed by the bushy-haired witch. That evening, she showed Hermione just how much she appreciated her wife and her incredible mind.

As they lay together in bed, Harry couldn't help but run her hands over the soft hair of her sleeping partner. She smiled at how Hermione's bushy hair reminded her of a fluffy cloud as it continued to spring up every time she pressed down on it. Her tanned skin, which had darkened over the summer holiday, was lightening up again due to the coming winter in the UK.

As Harry watched Hermione sleep, she looked forward to giving the brainy witch the surprise that she had planned for the Yule Ball. She was both excited and terrified and hoped the surprise would be a memory that they could cherish for many years.

…

While Harry was off at school, Sirius faced his own difficulties. He found, much to his ire, that he was more like his father than he would have liked. After spending weeks bribing the tight people and gathering the appropriate evidence, Lord Black was ready to aid his imprisoned cousin.

After extensive planning, Sirius convinced the Minister that Bellatrix Lestrange was innocent of her crimes due to the harsh marriage contract that she was forced into. The man was horrified at the bad publicity that this would bring, but Sirius convinced him that the blame for this would fall on the previous administration for not investigating the matter.

Cornelius' decision was made easier with Lucius Malfoy missing and his fortune in tatters. Thanks to this, Sirius could step in and fill the gap the man left behind. With Sirius' gold lining the Minister's pockets, Fudge ordered Bellatrix to be secretly placed under stasis and to have her cleaned up and checked out by a healer in order to verify the claims of her innocence.

Once they got their hands on her, St. Mungo's was appalled with what they had discovered. The infamous witch was covered with many runic markings that had been forced upon her, binding her deeply to her husband's will. Even worse was that the dark lord's magical signature was incorporated into the vile bonds as well, which would make her unable to disobey the evil man's orders. It took some time, but after three weeks of extensive curse-breaking and mental healing, Bellatrix was on the road to recovery.

During her time at St. Mungo's, the healers learned that the tattoo on her right arm wasn't a true dark mark. Bellatrix informed them that the mark could only be taken by one who was willing. The mark on her arm acted in a similar fashion to a tracking charm should she ever manage to escape her supposed masters, which she had discovered the hard way. She had been tortured and raped by Voldemort personally for that transgression.

Narcissa and Andromeda had each regained their sisterly love for the other, and with the two witches providing Bellatrix company, the woman they had once known was slowly returning to them. Bellatrix loved to listen to the stories of her niece and nephew and wished that she could have been there for them as they grew up. She remembered seeing Nymphadora as a newborn, but she was quickly married off to Rabastan Lestrange and placed under his thrall before she could follow in her sister's footsteps and elope with her own lover.

Bellatrix's cousin, Sirius, would make periodic visits to ensure that she received proper treatment and requested copies of her medical records for her re-trial. He knew these documents would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Bellatrix Cassiopeia Lestrange née Black was innocent of the crimes she was accused of. With her accursed marriage contract as the final piece of evidence, she was sure to be released into his care.

…

One evening, just after midnight, an emergency gathering of the Wizengamot was ordered to convene. Fudge had waited for an opportunity where Dumbledore would be unavailable, and the members who typically voted in his favor would be unable to attend due to delayed summons.

Lord Sirius Black stood beside an iron chair wreathed in chains, Bellatrix seated and confined, with an auror on either side as they waited for the session to start. It wasn't long before the different lords entered the chamber and took their seats. Once everyone had taken their seat, Minister Fudge slammed his gavel to gather the room's attention and motioned for Sirius to speak.

"My lords and ladies!" Sirius started, "I welcome you all to this evening's session to see a great injustice undone. It has come to the attention of myself and my cousins that Lady Bellatrix Cassiopeia Lestrange née Black is innocent of her crimes against our great nation. My infamous cousin was, truthfully, enslaved to her own husband and the dark lord, He-Who-Must-Not-Ne-Named, through curses so foul that they have been outlawed for centuries. I would like to present this esteemed body with the information that we have discovered in order to free this woman from the unfortunate fate that has claimed so many years of her life!"

With a flick of his wand, and a silent Gemino, multiple copies of the marriage contract and Bellatrix's medical records flew to each member of the Wizengamot to allow them to verify his claims. It didn't take long before the room was filled with shouts of anger from the wizards and gasps of horror from the witches.

"Lord Black!" exclaimed Lord Alden Greengrass. "How is it that you have uncovered such a travesty? How has this information not come to light until now?"

"Lord Greengrass," Sirius began, "I first discovered these contracts hidden away by my late father Orion and his brother Cygnus Black. Both men were sympathizers of the dark lord and gifted the daughters of Black to his two most faithful servants to endear themselves to the wretch. Through my own investigations, I learned that their marriage contracts had effectively made them the slaves of their husbands! To make matters worse, Bella was cursed by the dark lord himself, which turned her into the raving lunatic that everyone had become so familiar with. Her will was suppressed for so long that it is a miracle she was able to recover her mental faculties. It has taken nearly a month of care at the hands of St. Mungo's finest, but Bella is a powerful Black witch and is quickly recovering from these most unfortunate mental and physical injuries."

"Are we supposed to listen to this blood traitor?" Lord Tiberius Nott asked dubiously. "That bitch is a menace, and everyone knows it! If this was true, why have you not yet destroyed the contract? I see nothing wrong with how it is written or how it could possibly legitimize your claims."

Several of the witches in the room hissed in anger at the man's words before he realized that he should have held his tongue. If Sirius was able to win this case, then his own marriage may be investigated. It would hurt his vault to lose the large dowry that he had won through the trickery and blackmail involved in obtaining his wife.

"Thank you for mentioning the contract, Lord Nott," Sirius said with a hungry grin. "I, Lord Sirius Orion Black, sovereign of my house, hereby annul the marriage of Lord Rabastan Cyril Lestrange and Bellatrix Cassiopeia Black due to his failure to produce an heir for the family within the allotted period of time and for physically and mentally abusing a daughter of the House of Black!"

In a burst of black flames, the contract binding Bellatrix and her husband was burned to ashes before being swept away by an invisible wind. The dull look in the witch's eyes suddenly flared with life, and for the first time in years, Bellatrix Black was finally free of her mental shackles!

"Is this real?" Bellatrix gasped in disbelief as the foreign sensation washed over her.

The witch couldn't believe that she was finally her own woman after all these years, and a giggle escaped her lips. Everyone present could see the sudden change, and the magic felt was impossible to falsify. The runes of truth carved around the defendant's box would not allow for deception.

"Hem-hem," interrupted the minister's undersecretary Dolores Umbridge. "While this is a sad story, I hardly see how Mrs. Lestrange belongs anywhere but in Azkaban. She is a murderess responsible for many deaths and is lucky that she was not tossed through the veil. A plethora of evidence proves a prison cell is exactly where she belongs."

"Silence toad!" roared the enraged Lord Black, his power amplifying his voice, causing the hideous witch to cower in her seat as black flames began to spiral around him. "You want proof?! I will give you proof! I, Lord Sirius Orion Black, request the great deity Heka to judge Bellatrix Cassiopeia Black and determine her guilt or innocence for the crimes levied against her by the Ministry of Magic!"

The lights within the courtroom were suddenly snuffed as the oppressive might of the powerful deity filled the room. The darkness whirled tighter and tighter as it compressed into a vaguely humanoid form that towered over everyone in the chamber, wrenching a gasp from the gathered witches and wizards. The powerful being inhaled deeply as it gazed around the stone room, causing many to feel as though their darkest secrets were laid bare to the deity's eyes.

"I see that you have finally found the need to request my assistance, little lordling!" Heka joyously exclaimed with his powerful voice, shaking the entire chamber and its wards. "It would seem that you were wise to do so. My poor little Bella. Look at what has become of you. I see that the healers have tried their best to repair the damage done to you, but mortal knowledge can only take magic so far. Allow me."

With a wave of his hand, black flames surrounded Bellatrix, causing many to scream at what appeared to be an attack. Once the flames dispersed, it became apparent that many years had been miraculously shed from Bellatrix's body. Her once withered frame, prematurely aged by her time in Azkaban, had reverted to her late teens. Her sagging breasts were lifted high and proud, thanks to the rejuvenation, and the graying hair upon her head was now as black as obsidian. Her mental scars were healed, lessening the anguish caused by her tormentors, and she was filled with the power of her family's magic once more. The once haggard witch was now the very visage of beauty that she had been prior to her forced marriage and enslavement.

Several witches around the room grumbled at how life was unfair until the power of Heka flared and reminded them of the current situation.

"Bellatrix Black," Heka intoned. "I see you and know of your suffering. You were sold into slavery by your own blood on the promise of power. You have been betrayed by those responsible for your care and abused by the masters that were forced upon you. By the authority granted to me by the council of the divines, which is above contestation, I absolve you of the crimes against your name. The youth lost during your time imprisoned has been returned, as compensation for your loss, and I have blessed you and your family on your path ahead. Let it be known that Bellatrix Cassiopeia Black is a free woman. A curse shall fall upon any that dare deny my words!"

With a thunderous crack, Heka vanished back to his realm, and light once again returned to the quiet chamber. Many were still trembling due to the display of power as a deity had not graced the ministry for nearly a thousand years. Not since the time of Merlin's ascension had these halls witnessed such power!

A foreboding silence now filled the courtroom, those in attendance too afraid to speak until-.

"I'm free?" a tentative Bellatrix asked with joyful tears pooling in her eyes. The renewed witch excitedly leapt into the arms of her cousin and shouted, "Siri I'm free!"

"Lies!" shouted Madam Umbridge in a fit of rage at her earlier impotence. She had always been jealous of Bellatrix Black's beauty and was one of the first to jump at the chance to have the witch thrown back into Azkaban. "All lies! There are no such beings as deities! This is all trick to-!"

The heinous woman was interrupted by a flash of black lightning striking her in the chest! She slammed into the far wall of the room, shrinking before their very eyes until-.

"Ribbit," she croaked as she turned into an ugly brown toad.

The room fell into pandemonium before the Minister quickly slammed down his gavel, declaring Bellatrix to be cleared of all the charges previously placed against her. She was promised remuneration for her long years of wrongful imprisonment before being ushered out of the Ministry, her cousin Sirius at her side. The Minister wished to be far from the presence of the House of Black as soon as possible. He was too afraid to say anything against them should the mysterious deity decide to turn him into a toad as well.

The Department of Mysteries soon collected the toad to determine if she could be restored. They would spend many years attempting to reverse the deity's transfiguration but would never find success. Dolores Jane Umbridge would never again torture muggles or muggleborn witches and wizards ever again.

Cornelius Fudge was quick to discover that he would need to find a new undersecretary before the week was out. Perhaps that sharp secretary of Barty Crouch would do the trick. The lad appeared to have a good head on his shoulders. Yes, young Mr. Percival Weasley would be an excellent candidate to replace Dolores after this fiasco.

The Weasleys may have lost their standing over the years, and there was that embarrassing mess with Molly Prewitt, but they were still an ancient pureblood line. If the rumors were true, Arthur Weasley was still on the mend after years of compulsions and potions being purged from his body. The poor man was nearly as bad off as Bellatrix had been, albeit blissfully unaware at the time of his situation. With the eldest Weasley sons living outside of the country, William in Egypt and Charles in Romania, young Percival was the most likely replacement for the ailing patriarch.

Maybe this new position would endear the lad to him and give him some sway over the healing family. As a direct descendant of the Prewitt bloodline, and with the right pressure applied, young Percival could become the next Lord Weasley-Prewitt if Cornelius could have the families' titles reinstated.

Yes, Cornelius could use this to his advantage. He wasn't sorted into Slytherin back in his school days for nothing after all.