Harry and Hermione stared at Nigel wide-eyed and speechless. Dan mumbled something under his breath causing Nigl to laugh.
"Yes, I know you're sorry. I knew back then you were sorry." Nigel shook his head looking at the kids and Tonks. "Don't get us wrong. It was a pretty brutal fight between us. Had Hermione not been bleeding out on my shoulder it's an uncertain thing if Harry and I would have remained friends."
"Not true." Dan said as he firmly caught Nigel's eye "We are more than friends, you are my brother. I'd die for you."
"And you know I'd die for you, Daniel." Nigel held his hand out which Daniel clasped firmly causing Emma to roll her eyes.
"Men… Well, do any of you have questions before we continue?" Emma looked over at the three and smiled as Hermione finally came out of her funk.
"You were bleeding out and they were beating each other up?" Hermione squeaked out sounding outraged causing Emma to laugh if a bit sadly.
"Oh sweetheart, Harry let me ask you. What would you have done if you saw Sirius fall through a strange arch and veil seemingly unhurt?"
Harry didn't even pause to think. "I'd jump through after him." He blinked at the sad smile Emma was giving him. "Er, was that the wrong thing to say?"
With a simple shake of her head, Emma got up and walked over to where Harry was sitting next to Hermione. Going onto her knees she took Harry's hands in hers encouraging the boy to look at her. When she was certain she had his full attention she licked her top lip. "That's what Neville was trying to keep Harry from doing, Sirius went through the veil of Death, Harry. Rather than letting Bellatrix have a chance to hurt one of us he chose to commit suicide taking her with him."
Harry looked up at the ceiling unable to bare looking into Emma's familiar brown eyes as he struggled to force the tears and anger back.
Emma kept hold of Harry's hands understanding what was going through the boy's mind. She frowned as she heard the doorbell. "Oh for God's sake that had better not be Dumbledore again!"
With a chuckle, Nigel held up a hand. "Peace Em, I'll go see who's here. If it's him I'll send him packing again." He stood up from where he had been leaning to answer the door. His frown quickly turned into a smile. "Wasn't expecting you! Come on in!"
Emma looked over to Dan who shrugged obviously as baffled as she was. It wasn't like they had that many friends especially ones that Nigel knew as well.
"Madam Bones!" Tonks leaped to her feet as her boss followed Nigel into the living room.
Amelia chuckled shaking her head. "Oh do relax Dora, I assure you I'm not here on business. Just as a friend." She turned to Daniel and frowned. "You should be aware however that Albus has reported that Harry is missing."
This news caused Daniel to roll his eyes. "Perfect, we promise the kids will be returning to Hogwarts and he still reports Harry missing. I'll head to Gringotts tomorrow and get it settled."
"A good idea I agree, so what's going on here?" Amelia took an offered chair as Emma got to her feet and headed to the kitchen to prepare tea.
"We were telling the kids how Harry, Hermione, and Neville became us," Nigel explained as Daniel ran his fingers through his fringe cursing under his breath.
"Language Daniel James!" Emma narrowed her eyes at him causing her husband to look sheepish. She handed the cup of tea to Amelia before she sat back down. "Really what was I thinking allowing you to breed?" She quickly covered her mouth but the damage had been done as Hermione leapt up.
"Breed!? But I… you're pregnant!" Hermione's eyes lit up in joy, she had always wanted to be a big sister. Then her shoulders slumped as she remembered her big sister Lily. "But...the doctors."
"Yes, Hermione love, Daddy and I are having a baby." Emma smiled gently at her. "There is no need to worry. Daniel dragged me to Saint Mungo's the day after the final task. The healer says my pregnancy looks perfect. Your brother is growing and developing just as he should be. I am on a potion regime because of my stillbirth but it's as a precaution."
Hermione's hands went to her mouth as tears ran down her cheeks. "H-he's okay? I'm going to have a baby brother?"
With a smile, Emma rested her hand on the small bump created by her growing son. "You are, he's going to be a wizard too. And if he takes after his Daddy a mighty good one." Daniel rolled his eyes as he remembered Hagrid tell him the same thing.
Though he said thumpin rather than mighty He shook his head and smiled as Nigel clasped his shoulder hard.
"When were you planning to tell me I was going to be an Uncle again?" Nigel grinned as Daniel winced.
"I need to remember how much stronger you are then me." Daniel rubbed his shoulder.
"Yes, yes poor you. Now, about my nephew?"
Emma laughed at the sight shaking her head. "We were planning to tell everyone once we finished the story. Harry, Hermione your baby brother will be born in late November or early December. His name is Cedric Sirius."
"Cedric…" Harry whispered before turning to Dan. "D-does it get easier?"
After a moment of thought, Daniel nodded. "You'll never forget it… But, in time it'll begin to hurt less. Like a bad wound scabbing over. There will always be a scar. But, it will get better."
The entire room was quiet for a bit until Amelia cleared her throat. "So, where are we in the story?"
"Uncle Nigel and Daddy just finished beating each other bloody while Mum was bleeding out unconscious." Hermione offered once she had sat down.
"Well then seems I arrived just in time! May I?" She questioned Daniel and Emma.
With a nod, Emma smiled "Go for it. I won't be any help in telling what happened for a bit longer yet."
"Alright, there I was! I had just left the cadets and was delivering some paperwork to an Unspeakable when an alarm started to sound."
Amelia winced as the alarm blared in her ears the woman she was delivering the files to frowned before shaking her head.
"Of course something has to happen when we are so understaffed. Bones is it?" She looked at the blonde girl just out of her teens.
"Yes Ma'am is there anything I can do?" Amelia pushed away all of her many questions as the Unspeakable gestured her to follow her.
"Until I say so, I am deputizing you as a Junior Unspeakable. I do hope you understand how important this is and just how much trust I am putting in you." The woman was walking quickly as she entered a circular room the threat on her lips.
"Yes Ma'am I am very aware. I Amelia Bones swear upon my life and my magic that I will never share what I see down here unless given permission by yourself or the head of the DMLE." Amelia crossed her wand over her heart before casting a Lumos satisfying the Unspeakable.
"Next time I'd prefer it be only if I give you permission but it'll do." The Unspeakable stopped in the middle of the room "Time room!"
Amelia squeezed her eyes shut as the doors began to circle before it stopped as quickly as it began one of the doors opened allowing them to walk through. Amelia's eyes widened as she saw three teenagers, two boys, and a girl in a pile next to a large shelf of strange hourglasses. She stood in place as the Unspeakable knelt next to them checking their pulses one at a time when she got to the girl she frowned.
"Are they alright?" Amelia asked having not moved she knew just how out of her comfort zone and pay grade she was.
"The boys are fine. Bloody but fine, the girl's pulse is thready. She needs to be cared for as soon as possible. But I don't trust Saint Mungo's enough to send her there." She got to her feet flicking her wand at the tanned girl she levitated into the air.
It was disturbing just how much the girl seemed to resemble a rag doll. There were gold particles clinging to her hair but all questions about them left Amelia's mind as she saw the blood stain on the girl's jumper it traveled from her shoulder to her hip. "Dear Merlin, what could have done that to her? She can't be out of Hogwarts…"
"Looks like an interrupted curse of some sort. If it hadn't been disrupted I'm certain the girl would be dead." The Unspeakable considered "Hogwarts, now that is an idea. Can you levitate the boys?"
With a nod, Amelia flicked her wand at the unconscious boys levitating them to follow behind her as she followed the woman back to her office as the Unspeakable dug into her desk finding a length of rope. "A port key?"
"The only one in existence which goes straight to Hogwarts' Hospital wing. Lay the boy's hands on it." She placed the girl's hand on the rope and waited as Amelia did the same with her charges followed by herself. The Unspeakable nodded as she grabbed it as well. "Hogwarts."
Amelia felt the normal hook around her navel but ignored it as she concentrated on keeping her levitation charm going even as they appeared in front of Madam Pomfrey. Amelia barely kept her balance but was very pleased the boys were still levitating behind her. The Unspeakable, however, looked as if she had just walked through a door she levitated the girl over to a bed allowing her to rest upon it and canceling her spell.
"Some type of interrupted curse. She's not bleeding out fast though I am concerned about her internal organs." The Unspeakable nodded over to the boys. "They just seem bloodied, perhaps a broken nose."
Amelia settled the boys onto a bed much as her temporary boss had done and watched as Madam Pomfrey ran her wand over the girl and began barking orders at Amelia on several different potions to fetch which were fed to the girl it was an hour or so later she was finally allowed a moment to rest when she noticed one of the boys was awake. He was fairly small with messy black hair not that attractive she thought to herself until she saw his eyes. He was watching as Pomfrey worked over the girl his knees pulled to his chest.
"Hey, how are feeling?"
"How is Hermione?" The boy seemed to ignore Amelia's question instead, keeping his focus on the girl.
Amelia rubbed the back of her head. She wasn't entirely certain what to say. Or even what she could tell the boy. Luckily for her, she was saved from answering as her temporary boss walked over.
"Hermione is her name then? A Pureblood?"
The boy shook his head and looked a bit put out. "No, Hermione is Muggle-born and she's quite proud of it, why did you think she was pureblooded?"
"My apologies, I simply assumed due to her name.." The Unspeakable was interrupted by the boy who snorted.
"Well, don't. Hermione's name is from Shakespeare you know a Muggle playwright. Now is she alright or did I get my best friend killed?" The boy's hands were clenched into fists as he looked over to the bed where the girl. Hermione Was lying as if dead to the world.
"Madam Pomfrey assures me that we got Hermione here just in time. Your best friend will be just fine Mister?" The Unspeakable smiled as the boy seemed to relax before he looked up at her puzzled. After a few moments, he lifted his fringe to show a lightning bolt scar. His confusion grew as this seemed to have no effect on the Unspeakable or Amelia.
Amelia looked at the scar before giving a small shrug. Maybe it meant something to him and his friends but she was clueless and from the silence, she was sure that her temporary boss was as well. Their silence caused the boy's eyes to widen.
"Are you serious? I'm Harry Potter!"
The Unspeakable glance to Amelia who gave another small shrug. The Unspeakable gave a small sigh before she pulled her hood down revealing a pretty black-haired woman. "Hello Mr. Harry Potter, I'm afraid I don't know you."
Harry Potter blinked a few times before he glanced around the room as if searching. When he saw Madam Pomfrey he gasped. "When are we?"
"I thought so, I'm afraid Mr. Potter that you are in the year nineteen sixty-nine." The speakable and Amelia watched as Harry Potter's eyes widened before rolling back leaving him in blissful unconsciousness once more.
"Well then, that went well." The Unspeakable smiled as Amelia simply shook her head. She could live to be two hundred and she'd never understand Unspeakables, never.
"What now?"
"Nothing to do until Harry Potter or the other boy wakes up. I suggest you make yourself comfortable Junior Unspeakable. I do believe we'll be here awhile." She then closed her eyes leaving Amelia to search for some sort of magazine to page through.
Next time Mister Crouch asks for a volunteer to deliver paperwork to the Department of Mysteries… Don't.