AN: I took this long to update because I've started writing a new fic and I wanted to put out more chapters for it in the beginning. In case you are curious, it is a Naruto/My Hero Academia crossover. Anyway. I will try to alternate updating between these two from now on. Here's the new chapter, enjoy.

Chapter 46 - Thomas Gaunt

Bellatrix was lost in thought as she climbed down a flight of stairs leading to one of the many subway stations in the Muggle side of London. Since Voldemort's attack on the Ministry of Magic and the murder of the late Chief Unspeakable Saul Croaker and two of his subordinates, it had become mandatory for all Ministry employees, be they low-ranked interns or Heads of Departments, to access the Ministry of Magic through the Muggle toilet entrances. Even the Minister of Magic obeyed that new regulation too.

That decision had not been well received by the majority of the employees. Many hated to have anything to do with the Muggle world, others found it humiliating to flush themselves down a toilet while others hated the idea simply because their nefarious deeds would come to a stop - casting the Imperius Curse on a human being was a one-way ticket to Azkaban for life but one could control others without it too. For example, the Confundus Charm was not illegal. Used by an intelligent witch or wizard, the Confundus Charm's potential could be not any less than of the Imperius in some circumstances: making their boss renegotiate their contract for a higher salary, sweeping cases of corruption under the rug or even for things as minor as being given a day off when they desired. Worth mentioning was also the fact that most witches (and some wizards too) protested vehemently against this new regulation because their Glamour Charms and Transfigurations would become null - Thief's Downfall cancelled everything. Regardless, after more than one year, people have gotten used to it.

Crossing the busy Atrium with quick steps, Bellatrix made a bee-line towards the elevator. She was hoping to avoid any sort of contact with people that she did not care about - namely, reporters or coworkers who hoped to get close to her. Nowadays, as the Head of the Department of Mysteries, she could no longer outright ignore people and bury her head in research, nor could pretend that she did not see them. To a certain extent, the funding of her department depended on her interpersonal skills too.

But why would reporters hound Bellatrix even in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic? That's because her fame from nearly two years ago had yet to die down. Quite the opposite, she was more famous than ever! By now, there was virtually no responsible magical adult in Europe that had not heard of her Magic Ancestry research. What even Bellatrix herself found incredible was that no less than 8 countries in Europe had already passed laws through which any kind of discrimination against Muggleborns and half-bloods was forbidden! Those countries were Spain (it was the first), France, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Greece, and Sweden. Other countries such as Italy, Bulgaria, Norway, and even the UK and Ireland were in the process of adopting a similar stance too.

Bellatrix's Magic Ancestry research had gained immense popularity not only in the Old World but on the other side of the Globe too. In Asia, Singapore, Taiwan and even Japan have followed Spain's example while most of Australia and Oceania's countries had never really had cases of discrimination due to blood purity. But then again, Australia and Oceania had a completely different society: due to the very large number of Merpeople inhabiting the coasts of the continent and the shallow waters around the islands - their numbers were estimated to be roughly equal or even higher than that of wizards and witches - humans did not even discriminate against sentient magical creatures or the so-called "half-breeds", much less on those with less than noble origins; the Magic Ancestry research only served to validate what they had always believed.

⁂

Bella's pondering expression when she arrived at the Ministry was due to the fact that she had an appointment with none other than the Minister of Magic. The problem was that Mrs Bones had been rather vague when she asked her about the reason for their upcoming meeting.

Irritated at being forced to greet and smile at nearly two dozen fellow Ministry employers and about half as many Aurors on her way to the Minister's office, Bellatrix let out a sigh of relief when she finally reached her destination.

'Things were so much simpler before!' she complained in her mind.

She missed the time when she could simply ignore every one and just concern herself with doing what she loved - studying the wonders and mysteries of Magic. But she squashed the thought of giving up her seat to someone else because the benefits of being the Chief Unspeakable outweighed the disadvantages. As the Head of her Department, she decided which magical materials and artefacts were to be acquired with the Department's funds, the projects that she would focus on, she had clearance to all kinds of secrets or ancient documents and many other advantages. ut when she was about to knock on the door, sounds of laughter came from inside the Minister's office.

'Amelia is laughing? She's giggling... ...and in a flirty sort of way? What is going on?!' She was a woman, she could tell. What she could not tell, however, was who in the world had made the ever serious and scowling ex-Auror giggle like a schoolgirl.

Her knuckles rapped on the door and a few seconds later, Amelia Bones' voice welcomed her in. When she finally entered the Minister's office, her eyes were involuntarily drawn to the person sitting at the desk across from Mrs Bones. It was a tall and well-built man in his forties. He was wearing an expensive tailor-made suit, his blonde hair was slicked back neatly and his blue eyes glimmered with intelligence.

Before Minister Bones had the time to introduce him, the man stood up from his seat and, coming in front of Bellatrix, he smiled warmly as he said while raising his hand for a handshake:

"Miss Black, I've heard so many things about you! I've always wanted to meet you. Oh, but where are my manners, I'm Thomas. Thomas Gaunt. It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."

An ordinary man introducing himself in that way could probably make others think he was overeager, needy or lacking manners. But when he did it, it seemed genial and warm, charming. It was all in that smile of his, his handsome appearance, and the confidence he carried himself with.

However, Thomas Gaunt's attractiveness was the last thing on Bellatrix's mind in the present. The moment that she heard his name, all colour drained from her face.

"I am Bellatrix Black. A pleasure to meet you as well," she said and smiled slightly but the tone of her voice showed neither excitement nor irritation. Contrary to the middle-aged man's warm greeting, her response had been formal and impersonal, politely and neatly drawing a line between them. Her surprise at hearing his name had lasted less than a second before her face took on an impassive and collected look, a veritable poker face.

Turning towards Amelia Bones, Bellatrix said:

"You wanted to see me, Minister?"

Having become rather close during the past year and a half, Mrs Bones noticed the subtle shift in Bellatrix's expression and her rigid behaviour. They were friends. Bellatrix called her by her title only in official situations.

"Yes, please take a seat. I wanted to introduce you to Mr Gaunt."

"Gaunt? I haven't heard of anyone wearing this name in decades." Bellatrix said.

"I'm a Muggleborn," Gaunt replied easily. "Your research on Magic Ancestry had inspired me to look up my genealogy. That's how I found I was a descendant of the Gaunts. Changing my surname to Gaunt after that was only a matter of time and money."

"I see," Bellatrix said. "I am not sure what is the purpose of this meeting though?"

Anticipating what the Black woman was about to say, Mrs Bones cut in before Bella's sharp tongue caused everyone's mood to sour.

"Now, now, I know what you're thinking: this isn't the first, nor is it the last man that tried to introduce himself to you in this manner, in hopes of courting you. But I assure you, your celibacy is not being put at risk this time," she said jokingly.

Bellatrix looked at Amelia Bones blankly for three very long seconds. Then, she opened the purse and took out a delicate and chic-looking black perfume bottle. Bending over the desk, she raised her hand and sprayed the Minister right in the face!

A shocked look appeared on Amelia Bones' now wet face and Thomas Gaunt next to her was no less startled either if the disbelief on his face was anything to go by.

"Bellatrix?! Are you out of your goddamned mind?!" Amelia Bones yelled. "I can't believe what you just did!"

Gaunt had yet to recover from his surprise when Bellatrix pointed her small perfume bottle at him too and sprayed. Her actions were even more vicious compared to what she had done to the Minister - she sprayed Gaunt on the side of his face, soaking his cheek, temple, and his ear. Most of the liquid went into his ear.

"I'm sorry, Minister, it had to be done. We've been friends for over a year but I've never heard you giggle and joke around like that. I had to make sure you weren't under the influence of some malicious spells or potions. And it looks like I was right, you're back to your normal behaviour now."

The Minister's complexion alternated between red and violet. Everyone would have their mood ruined if they were all of a sudden sprayed in the face! If it had not been for Thomas Gaunt's presence there, Amelia would have probably taken her wand out. She was speechless at her audacity. But, in the end, she took out a handkerchief and wiped her wet face, also taking the chance to cover her eyes and breathe in and out a few times to calm herself down and repress her urges to strangle the woman in front of her with her bare hands.

Done with that, her mood now sour, the Amelia Bones went straight to business, not feeling like wanting to exchange small talk and pleasantries anymore. She and Bellatrix had become rather close friends and she knew that the Black woman was missing something up there in the head. But she had still never expected her to act like that. In the end, she chalked it up to Bella being a paranoid nutcase and swallowed her anger.

"Mr Gaunt here has decided to take on his rightful place as the head of the Gaunt family. He had asked me to arrange a meeting with you since you are very difficult to get a hold of," Mrs Bones said. Her facial expression softened when she turned her head at the middle-aged man and called his name: "Thomas?"

The blonde man smiled at her before telling Bellatrix:

"I've tried to get in touch with you for a week now but all my letters have been returned unopened. My owl has become quite irascible as a result of that," he joked but Bellatrix did not smile.

"I have lost count of how many people have tried to kill me ever since I published my research on Magic Ancestry. Cursed letters, poisoned gifts, assassination attempts in the street and even here, at the Ministry of Magic, in the Atrium. You will have to excuse me for being cautious to the point of looking paranoid. My home is unplottable."

Her words were a complete truth. Aside from the assassination attempts of Voldemort and his Death Eaters early on, over the past year, other people had tried to poison and curse her through gifts no less than 30 times. She could not receive letters at the Blackthorn but owls could find her when she was at the Ministry. Luckily, working in the Department of Mysteries meant that even someone as low ranked as her secretary was not a simple person. Her subordinates had detected and prevented all the attempts on her life (and Bellatrix, as their boss, had made sure to reward them with monetary bonuses every time something like that happened).

Gaunt coughed drily into his fist to dispel the awkwardness before saying:

"It's regretful to hear that but I understand your position. That's why I decided to ask for Mrs Bones' help. With that said, I would like us to go straight to the heart of it: from what I understand, your ward is a descendant of the Gaunt family."

"My son. Harry Potter is my son," Bellatrix corrected him.

"-yes, my apologies. Your son is a descendant of the Gaunt family as well, through his mother's line."

"What is it that you wish from me, Mr Gaunt?" she asked him directly.

"My desire is to reinstate the Gaunt family. A new Gaunt family, one that would not follow in the dark practices from before. But, to do that, I need your help. Or, more exactly, the help of your son, Harry Potter. I need a Parselmouth."

⁂ Later that day ⁂

Seated on the luxurious leathery sofa in the vintage living room of the Blackthorn, Bellatrix, Harry, and Fleur were in the middle of a serious conversation. Had the circumstances been different, Bellatrix would have definitely taken the chance to show off her beautiful gothic manor to Fleur. But the current situation was too dire.

"This is definitely a trap," Bella said, her face betraying her anxiety. "Third time's the charm, he's probably trying to kill me and you one more time."

The moment that she left the Ministry, she Apparated straight at the Blackthorn and sent a Patronus Charm message to Harry. She had made use of her Occlumency to keep a neutral expression at the Ministry but she did not do that in the presence of her family, in her home. Harry and Fleur could see how distressed she was, her face even paler than usual.

"Are you sure this is the same Thomas Gaunt from your future?" Bellatrix asked Fleur. "The face I saw in the thoughts of that Death Eater that had tried to kill us was completely different from this guy. And Thief's Downfall didn't change his appearance. He also seems so genuine and polite, it's hard to imagine he's a murderous Dark Lord in disguise."

The blonde girl shrugged and said rather helplessly:

"I'm not sure of anything. I 'ave made too many changes, my knowledge of the future is of no use anymore."

"What does he need me for? Why does he need a Parselmouth?" Harry asked.

"He can't reinstate the Gaunt family without being recognized by the magic of the signet of the family head. That is the law and the tradition for all old pureblood families. But the ring is locked in a box charmed unbreakable. He suspects that the only way to open it is with the use of Parseltongue. He says he hadn't inherited the gift," Bellatrix explained.

Harry stood up from his seat and went to the window, looking at the gloomy clouds outside and the rain pouring from the rapidly darkening sky.

"Tell him you accept. I'll see that ring of his."

Both Bella and Fleur looked at him with undisguised worry.

"What if he isn't the Dark Lord? What if he is innocent?" Bella asked, playing the Devil's advocate.

"Some chap named Thomas Gaunt pops out of nowhere and suddenly decides to reinstate the Gaunt family? Miraculously, it looks like he's also seduced the Minister of Magic? Quite the coincidence, don't you think?"

A poignant silence was instilled, the sound of heavy rain making the atmosphere rather eerie.

"Whether he's innocent or not, it doesn't matter. I can't take any chances," Harry said, his voice quiet but firm. "I will capture him and squeeze out everything from his brain. If he's innocent, some memory charms will make him forget anything. But if he is Voldemort... he will beg me for death and I won't grant it to him. Not until I picked each one of his secrets out from his mind."

Bellatrix wanted to say something but she held her tongue in the end. That ruthless side of Harry secretly scared her. She had only seen a glimpse of it two times before: once, during their battle against the squad of ten Death Eaters in Diagon Alley when he had executed the remaining Death Eater despite being unconscious and captured. He had chosen to behead him in cold blood rather than handing him over to the authorities. And the second time was when he was ready to even breed a Basilisk just to petrify an innocent ghost, Moaning Myrtle, and force her through the Veil of Death if she refused to comply with his request.

"What about Minister Bones? If Gaunt seduced 'er, she won't just sit and watch 'ow we torture information out of 'er lover," Fleur said.

Those words served to remind Bellatrix that Fleur, this blonde teen girl with baby blue eyes and a sweet and attractive face was, in fact, a retired serial killer. She was just as ruthless as Harry.

⁂

What had started as a joyous day for Harry and Fleur due to Bellatrix's acknowledgement of Fleur and her offer to invite her into her secret home - it was all the proof that they needed that Bella had wholeheartedly accepted the Veela girl - had become sombre and filled with tension in the evening. When the time came, Harry and Fleur left the Blackthorn and Apparated at the train station in Hogsmeade, about 30 minutes before Hogwart's express' arrival.

Seeing as it was evening in September, it was dark as night outside. The darkness, the pouring rain, and the bad news made for a depressing end of the day.

Harry and Fleur were standing huddled together under an umbrella, her arms wrapped around his back in a hug and her head resting on his shoulder.

"To think that he'd come out and sink his claws into Amelia Bones. I've never thought she was the kind of woman to fall for someone like that," Harry said.

She raised her head from his shoulder and said:

"Maybe 'e gave 'er a love potion?"

"It wouldn't matter," Harry said. "Thief's Downfall is one of the most powerful enchantments I've ever seen in my entire life. The Disillusionment Charm, the Imperius Curse, the Polyjuice Potion, Amorentia - none of these can resist its effect. And Bella also sprayed both of them right in the face."

Fleur couldn't help a snicker at the mental image of that.

"Can you imagine the scene? They are all chatting pleasantly with each other when she suddenly whips out a perfume bottle and sprays them both in the face."

Her snickers were contagious and Harry found himself bursting into chuckles with her too.

"But if Gaunt disguised 'imself, why did Thief's Downfall not work on 'im?" Fleur asked in confusion. "You said it should dispel all forms of mind control and concealment."

Harry thought about it for a moment before replying:

"There are some old rituals that can change your appearance drastically, permanently. The least dark ritual that I know of is the Blood Adoption ritual. It was invented by pureblood families a long time ago. Those couples that were so inbred that they couldn't reproduce anymore resorted to adopting children to continue their lines. I think the Blacks did that too once or twice in the past."

"Oh wow. The more you know..."

He laughed at her reaction.

"I know of two other rituals: one that makes you become someone else by killing them and draining their blood in a magic circle. And another one that makes you take on animal traits. It's obscure and it's never been too popular, especially nowadays, and especially in Europe because of the discrimination against mixed-species people. It's also outlawed in most countries because it breaks the Statute of Secrecy. What would Muggles think if they saw some guy with wings walking around or some woman with scales and a lizard tail?"

"Going by that thought, aren't Madam Maxime and 'Agrid breaking the Statue simply by existing?"

Harry had to pause at that. He had never thought about it that way.

"I mean, it's not like super tall people don't exist among Muggles at all. They are very rare, but there are some of them comparable to Hagrid. Not as strong or as burly that's for sure, but still just as tall. Damn, I just had a thought, what if we took Hagrid to a Strongman competition?" Harry said, suddenly becoming excited.

"What is that?" she asked in curiosity at this reaction. She was far from clueless about the Muggle world as a whole but she had not heard about Strongman yet. There were even people among Muggles who had never heard of it, much less Fleur.

"Muggles lifting weights. Some men can even lift almost half a ton. Incredible for Muggle standards... but not as much for Hagrid. I can picture it in my head: Hagrid grabbing a 500 pounds heavy barbell in one hand and doing biceps curls with it while the Muggle athletes are picking their lower jaws from the floor in sheer disbelief."

The two burst into laughter and they couldn't stop for a few good minutes, starting to snicker anew every time they looked at each other. When they finally calmed down, Harry hugged her tight and pressed his lips on her forehead in a chaste but loving kiss.

"Thank you," he said.

"What would you do without me to break you out of your brooding phases?" Fleur said, looking very pleased with herself.

"You're right," he said, not contradicting her, and kissed the top of her head before hugging her again.

"Don't worry, 'Arry. We'll catch 'im. Between your strength, Bella's smarts, and my secret weapon, Gaunt won't be able to escape. It's only a matter of time before we find a chance to corner 'im and take 'im out."

Harry closed his eyes and buried his face into her hair as he hummed in agreement. The softness of her body and the spring-like scent of her long and silky silvery hair never failed to relax him and comfort him.

⁂

Harry and Fleur were not the only ones that were having a romantic time at that moment. On another side of the country, in the ancestral home of the Bones family, a woman's cries could be heard even from outside.

The Minister of Magic, Amelia Bones, known for her stoic and strict attitude in public, was crying out loud and moaning in pleasure. A woman who had forsaken love and relationships for the sake of her career was now hanging onto a man's body in rapture, her nails leaving red marks on his wide back as he drove himself into her depths repeatedly. Amelia Bones and Thomas Gaunt were having intimate, passionate sex, like lovers.

Minutes after they both found their sweet release, Amelia Bones was still out of it, the post-orgasmic bliss having muddled her mind completely. It was only when Gaunt scooped her into his arms and brought her head to rest on his well-defined chest that she finally started to regain her clarity of mind.

"You were amazing," she said and leaned up to press a lingering kiss on his lips.

But she did not escalate it into something more because, after a few hours of passionate love-making, she was exhausted. She felt her eyes becoming heavy and the warmth and comfort of her lover's chest were lulling her to sleep.

"Do you think that Miss Black will accept my request?"

Mrs Bones found it strange that he would ask her about that matter out of the blue, while they were basking in their post-love-making bliss.

'I guess reinstating the Gaunt family does mean a lot to him...' she thought.

"I am not sure, she said she'll think about it. But Bellatrix and I are friends. I will try my best to convince her on your behalf."

The smile that Gaunt revealed at her words made her stomach twist in a funny way. It was that charming smile that had made her fall head over heels in love with him.

"You're the best, Amy," he said affectionately and cupped her cheek before pressing his lips against hers.

When they parted, Amelia Bones sighed in contentment and happiness and snuggled herself closer to him. She had never thought that she would find love at such an age, after single-mindedly pursuing only her professional life for so long. Yet there she was, putty in the arms of a blue-eyed and blond man, her stomach fluttering with butterflies every time he smiled at her.

As she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep, a few murmured words escaped from her lips:

"I love you, Tom."