Chapter 30: The Scottish Wilds
Headmistress McGonagall was currently trying hard not to smile with pride or even smirk smugly. Her kids were changing things at Hogwarts. Madame Malkins had received over one hundred orders for the new Hogwarts uniform pants. It had only been a few days since the resolution had passed, and now Sex Ed was coming to Hogwarts. Hermione had roped in Harry, Draco, Daphne, and even perennially shy Neville, who was red as a beet the whole time, to help present her proposal for a Sex Ed class in Hogwarts right before the end of the school year. All professors stared, impressed at the colorful signs the kids had made with information on puberty, sexual diseases, hormones, unwanted pregnancies, relationships, and even psychology. Madam Pomfrey and Healer Tonks had helped the children find information from the Health Department of the Ministry for Magic. Their case was solid, and even while blushing at some terms and student requests, their delivery was perfect.
Augusta Longbottom smirked. This whole ordeal was straight up her alley. She had volunteered to attend the meeting representing the School Board as she had been warned by Minerva about the topic at hand. She knew exactly how to present this to all those uptight, repressed, sexist inbreeders of the board. All she had to do was make them think their children were getting involved with children of less pure backgrounds and that it had led to pregnancy scares and the potential compromise of their pure lineage. The kids had presented strong numbers that would scare them enough. She could hardly wait to see their scandalized faces. She would have to memorize it so she could watch it repeatedly in her pensieve.
"Does anybody have any questions?" Hermione asked with a smile.
"I do," the Headmistress replied as she finished taking some notes.
"Yes?" Hermione was nervous, but Harry quickly took her hand reassuringly.
"Not for you, Ms. Granger," Minerva turned to Augusta. "Is this in any way feasible, Lady Longbottom?"
"We will make it so, don't you worry, Headmistress," Augusta nodded.
"There will be financial questions," Minerva added with a lifted brow.
"Minerva, dear," Augusta smirked. "As Merlin is my witness, if push comes to shove, House of Longbottom will donate the whole program. So long as the kids are well informed and can be responsible while they become off age."
Minerva smiled. "Hogwarts appreciates your contribution. As you know, I am about to take a leave of absence and-"
"You are leaving?" Harry asked with wide eyes.
"Only for a couple of weeks," Minerva smiled reassuringly.
"Why?" Hermione asked, instantly worried. "Are you okay?" The bond hadn't picked up any sickness or anything.
Daphne turned away. She could feel an omen coming. Not again! Neville noticed Daphne's discomfort and squeezed her hand, motioning to Draco to help cover her as her eyes clouded. Draco looked puzzled, but he moved, nonetheless.
"Yes, dear. I am perfectly fine. I just must attend to some boring adult business in my homeland during the break. That is all," Minerva smiled slightly. She didn't feel good lying to the kids, but if they knew the truth, she would then have to involve The Family, and it would take too many meetings to do what she already knew she wanted to do. She wasn't a young lass, and she didn't need anyone's permission. It was already extremely difficult to get the coven to support this venture. Charlus would be annoyed to lose his wife for a few months, but it was necessary. She hoped Dorea would truly be coming along.
"Oh, alright. So, you will let us know what will happen?" Draco asked with a small frown.
"As soon as I get this passed, I will let you know for sure," Lady Longbottom winked.
"I would like to teach how to brew the contraceptive potion to years 4 and up," Severus said. "I am aware that the students can go to the Infirmary to request it, but many are quite shy," Severus looked at Neville in passing, and his ears went bright red. "And I am afraid that if they have to talk to healers to get it, they may go without."
"Good point. They would also be taught the spells starting in year 4," Minerva replied.
"Great. This will give the rest of us time to link our courses curriculum to all this new content," Professor Sprout added.
"More content!?" Hermione exclaimed excitedly, happy to see that all the other kids looked as happy as she did.
"Yes, eventually," the professor smiled indulgently at Hermione.
"Isn't that awesome, Daph?" Hermione looked at the girl over her shoulder, immediately frowning at the older girl's expression
Daphne turned a bit pale but smiled, "C'est magnifique!"
"Now run along, kids. We have some more things to discuss," Minerva dismissed them.
"Yes, Headmistress," they chorused and left.
Daphne lingered. "Headmistress? A word in private?"
"Is it urgent?"
Daphne nodded once; her eyes were fearful, "Yes."
"I trust you can wrap this up, future Deputy?" Minerva asked Pomona.
"Aye, aye!" Pomona made a fake military salute.
"I am intrigued, my dear," Headmistress McGonagall sat behind her desk, her hands with interlaced fingers, an impassive expression on her face. "How can I help you?"
Daphne sat and took a deep breath, closing her eyes softly, "I need you to know that having this... gift I have... is not easy for me... I always need to be doing the math on whether I should or shouldn't tell people what I have seen."
"I can only imagine, Daphne," Minerva smiled sympathetically at the young witch.
"That being said, I did make a commitment to my mother in writing about any foresight or visions I have regarding The Family, so I must honor it, no matter what," Daphne grimaced.
"Meaning?"
Daphne looked up at the Scotswoman. Her eyes were full of tears, "You can't go there, headmistress."
"Go where, dear?"
"You know where," Daphne looked at Minerva's travel coat that had a Scottish sash.
Minerva looked at the sash, then back at the girl, "Whyever not?"
Daphne looked in physical pain for a moment, and after a deep breath, she whispered, "You will die."
Minerva's eyes widened, and she blinked several times. "Beg your pardon?"
"You and I both know you are going after Dumbledore because of the intel you received, Headmistress... However, what you don't know is that you will not come back if you go alone."
"What did you see? Tell me everything. Even the smallest detail can make a difference."
"I will... but you have to give me a witch's oath that you are not going alone," two fat tears traveled down Daphne's cheeks, and she looked so scared and heartbroken that Minerva could only nod. "I really want to join your coven when I graduate, and I will not have anyone else as my High Priestess, Aunt Minnie, I refuse."
Minerva stood and went around her desk to hug the upset girl. After providing a witch's oath, she pulled Daphne toward the sitting area and asked for some tea to be brought in. "Now, tell me everything you saw."
All marriages must have at least, at some point in their wedded life, a serious crisis. Charlus tried to remind himself that his marriage was still as rock solid as always, and this was just a hiccough. "This too shall pass" had been his mantra the past few days. It had been a week since his wife last spoke to him. It was one of the worst weeks of his life. In retrospect, he knew he really shouldn't have used the words 'I forbid you.' He winced at the memory. If there was something his wife didn't like was to be told what to do... or not to do. They had always acted as equal partners in everything they did. They respected each other's ideas, initiatives, and capacity. He knew he didn't have the right to forbid her anything. This wasn't the 1800s, and even if it was, Charlus was certain that he wouldn't have been able to do it back then, either.
Dorea had always been a free spirit. She would never challenge him in public, as wizarding society was patriarchal and extremely backward, but in private, she never held back. It was one of the things that made him fall in love with her. She was unapologetically herself. Charlus had been a good-looking, rich young man, the son of powerful and influential parents. The name Potter had significant weight and status. Magical society was very aware that the Potters financed a large percentage of businesses in both Diagon Alley and abroad. They traded within magical societies and with non-magical people as well. They had the respect and admiration of wizards and witches but also of many magical creatures as well. This and their unprejudiced charitable nature made them many friends and business allies wherever they ventured.
Charlus knew, even as a teenager, that many young women just saw him as a stepping stone to access fame and fortune. It annoyed him to no end that all women who approached him seemed to be trying to get his parents to like them more than him, who was the supposed object of their 'affection.' They thought that, since the Potters were an old noble family, they would arrange a marriage for Charlus. Incidentally, upon reaching his majority, this was exactly the opposite of Charlus' wishes. All young Potter heirs and heiresses were granted one wish by their Head of House at their coming-of-age party, and after considerable analysis, Charlus wished to be able to select his future wife himself.
His father, Fleamont, had been a tad concerned with his choice of wish, as he thought Charlus was still too young and immature, but his mother, Euphemia, saw the merits of his idea. Were he to be unhappy in his marriage, he would only have himself to blame. Many a Noble family had generational rifts with their children precisely because of arranged marriages. Charlus had been quite happy that his own son never had to wish for freedom of choice. James knew since he was a child that he could do whatever he wanted and be with whomever he wanted as long as he was a good person and a credit to his House... And he did just that, however briefly. Charlus sighed.
When he met Dorea, what impressed him the most were her eyes and her intelligence. She was smarter than him (he was very sure of this, although they never did measure it). Dorea was a strange chameleonic creature. When she was with him in private, she was free and unrestrained in both her opinions and her actions. When they were in public, like at a ball, she was the picture of elegance and propriety. She was a lady with all that society expected of her: someone restrained, innocent, shy, pleasant, and agreeable... someone who knew her place in the patriarchy. But she was also someone who knew exactly what to do to screw the patriarchy from within and do whatever she wanted behind the scenes. Charlus had always been happy to help her get what she wanted. Not just to please her but because he shared her ideals.
Dorea had been raised regally. She moved like a queen. She had the grace of a queen. Her poise, her manner of walking, her sense of style, her diction, her pretty smiles, her slight blushes, her ability to talk to anyone about anything... they were all aligned with her family's background and her extensive education. She was well-versed in history, both magical and non-magical. She could speak several languages. She knew politics and law. She had her own views and opinions on everything. This was impressive, considering the time she grew up in. Dorea knew how to use her femininity to get anything she wanted.
Like many women of her generation, she had evolved to be good at maneuvering people (manipulating was such a horrible word) because, in their context, there was little else she could do. The first time they saw each other was at Hogwarts. Dorea was entirely focused on her studies. Not many women were allowed to attend at the time. Families thought it unseemly, and parents expected to make an advantageous marriage to their girls. Hogwarts graduate wasn't an attribute most noble or rich families were looking for in a bride for their heirs. However, Dorea's parents had been very excited to send her where they could foster her talents. She was brilliant, and her brilliance gave her eyes a spark that still to this day drove him to her like a magnet.
As she grew older and more progressive ideas about women and their roles started to gain some traction, she championed all of them. Of course, she would walk it like she talked it. Damn it. Charlus knew he should have seen this situation he was now in coming the moment the women in his family decided to create a coven, but he thought he had a few more years of relative safety before he had to go back to the sleepless nights of the first war. Going to Scotland like that was too risky. He was happy to hear that Minerva wasn't going alone anymore, but if the coven was going to act, they should act together.
He didn't mean to be dismissive or to underestimate them. The witches in that coven were a force to be reckoned with... but Grindelwald and Dumbledore, whatever their shortcomings, they were extremely powerful wizards. Knowing their general location in Scotland versus taking them down by themselves were entirely different situations. He had offered to get both The Family and the DMLE involved. The King of Magical France had offered his army as a backup. Minerva adamantly refused all offers. That could only mean one thing. She wasn't trying to find Dumbledore to imprison him. She wanted him dead. Charlus took a deep breath as his wife came into their room to finish packing.
"Let me go with you, love," he requested once more.
"No. We have been through this. You need to stay. Harry needs you. Heaven forbids something happens to me... He needs to have at least one of us," Dorea replied as she closed her luggage. "We owe it to our children that our Harry grows up in a family," she looked at the space where their portraits had been before.
"Love, stop. Look at me," Charlus turned his wife by holding onto her waist.
"I am not going to have this conversation with you again, husband," Dorea frowned, pushing him away slightly.
"This is too dangerous. I know you are all very capable witches. You are smart and strong, and resourceful... But this is Grindelwald and Dumbledore," Charlus kissed Dorea's forehead. "Please..."
"We are all very aware of the precariousness of the situation, I assure you. I have gone to Gringotts to update my last will and testament. It may relieve you to know that the coven has forced Minerva's hand, and we are all going, not just the three of us that were going at first. Considering it's over Minerva's end-of-year vacation period at school, we have agreed it's for the best. We have procured several emergency portkeys for all of us. I am bringing the invisibility cloak, and we are even carrying non-magical weapons. We are wearing all the protective clothes, amulets, and charms we can. I don't really know what else you want me to do."
" . .You," Charlus insisted between gritted teeth.
"Charlus Fleamont Potter... I am leaving, and you are staying, and that is final. Do remember that you should be looking into how to bring Tolanthe back to our home, and our Martin is expecting you to help him with O'Brian," Dorea said in her sternest tone. "You need to take care of Harry and Athena in case you forgot."
"Dorea, if I lose you over this, I will not forgive you," Charlus whispered.
"If I die killing the man who helped Voldemort murder our son and daughter-in-law, sent our grandson to the Dursleys, and kept us kidnapped for years, it will be worth it!" Dorea grabbed her suitcase and left in a hurry. She got into their brand new floo at the new Potter Manor and disappeared in a huff of smoke.
Charlus rushed after her, but it was no use. She had left, and he had no idea where she would go. This was the first time in their long marriage that they had left each other angry and without saying 'I love you.' Both shared a prayer unknowingly, Merlin and Morgana, please protect my love and loved ones and allow me to see them again.
The children were ready to board the train to go home right on time. Their luggage was packed, and they were talking about where they would sit on the train and what they wanted to do over their vacations. When they were about to leave the common room, Taffy popped in front of them.
"Hello, Taffy!" Harry smiled at her.
"Hello, Harry... For yous," she smiled back and handed him a heavy fabric bag tied with a ribbon while she motioned to his friends. Harry took it and felt it was warm.
"What is this, Taffy?"
"Foods for the train," Taffy replied in a hushed voice. She didn't want all the other kids to think this was something they did for everyone.
Hermione knelt in front of the elf, "Oh! That's... You didn't have to do that, Taffy..."
"Miss Hermione upset at Taffy?" the elf looked scared.
"No! Not at all, Taffy. I am so grateful. We just didn't want to give you extra work. You all work so hard," Hermione took Taffy's hands and gave them a gentle squeeze.
"Taffy is being happy to helps. Harry Potter and his friends is most kind to us elvesies," Taffy squeezed back. "You has a good vacation," the elf smiled.
The kids chorused, "Thanks, Taffy. You too."
The elf bowed and vanished.
"That's so nice of her," Harry carefully tied the food parcel to his luggage using a spare tie.
"Let's get going," Neville began pulling his heavy things with a grunt.
"Nev... I know you can't wait to see Luna, but... Swish and flick," Draco smirked at his blushing friend as he levitated his things behind him. He could hardly wait to go home to see his sister. Neville facepalmed and followed Draco, Harry and Hermione quickly going after them.
Aurora Jade Prince-Black was proving to everyone that she was a fighter. Her first few days were an uphill battle with her mother being so ill and her having been taken out of her cozy home inside her mom's body so soon. Little by little... she was improving. Narcissa was still quite ill. Her body had been put through the wringer, but she was alive, and her baby was doing better than expected under the very careful eyes of Em and Dan, as well as a couple of healers who were fascinated at all the technology in the NICU. This c-section was Narcissa's first big surgery. Draco had been delivered naturally, so she didn't have a scar before. To her eyes, it was gruesome, but she had already been gifted jars of scarring balms that the nurses and assistant healers were applying religiously. Her elves insisted on bringing her homemade meals that were honestly helping a lot. Narcissa hated that she couldn't breastfeed her baby. Her milk had dried up from all the treatments, and once the baby was ready to be out of the NICU, Emma had offered to nurse her as long as needed. Baby Gabriel was moving to solids and needed to nurse less at this point. Narcissa had been surprised once more by the doctor's loving and giving nature.
On the train, the kids found the same compartment and quickly settled in. They started playing gobstones on the floor of the compartment while they made plans for their break. After a while, they stopped to open the door for the trolley lady.
"Hi Mary!" they all greeted her.
"My favorite customers," she smiled. "Anything from the trolley, dears?"
The kids nodded, and, one by one, they purchased what they wanted to have for the break. The lady gave them a discount and left quite happy to see that the sweet kids she had met were still the same. Harry wanted to have all the sweets, but he quickly reminded himself that the elves had prepared something probably healthier. With Hermione's help, he began unwrapping the elves' food. It was a feast. The elves had included different sandwiches, containers with tomato basil soup, and pumpkin juice. They even made sure to add chips that, to everyone's surprise, were still crunchy and hot. The friends ate in companionable silence. Once they were done, a slice of warm apple pie with a ball of vanilla ice cream appeared on their plates. Elves were amazing. Hermione immediately made a mental note to ask elves if they could teach them how to do that.
"This is next level!" Neville exclaimed. "How did they do this?"
"No idea..."
"We should get them something nice for... Wait, is there such a thing as an Elves' Day? There totally should be one," Hermione said as Daphne opened the door to the compartment.
"Well, goblins don't have a day, and they run the country's economy... Fat chance of elves having a day," Daphne said, sitting down next to Neville with a sigh. The group of friends had noticed Daphne seemed very concerned lately, but she wouldn't tell them what was happening.
"We should totally have grandpa Charlus lobby for that!" Hermione exclaimed with a smile, handing Daphne a sandwich.
"I think my mum would like that," Harry smiled.
"Where is Aunt Lily, Harry?" Draco asked. The portraits weren't with them.
"Mom and dad will be at Gringotts for a couple of weeks. Since they have their magical travel improvement project, she wants to consult with the goblin elders and with the royals."
The family's hospital was taking care of a still paralyzed Elloise Dugard. Tonks was visiting her often. She felt so guilty... like the worst partner. Elloise had been the best, and she hadn't reciprocated as she should. After assuring the Dugards that she wouldn't leave until they came back, Tonks sat by her bed. She tried not to react to how much worse Elloise looked as she took the witch's frozen hand and made a silent promise that they would catch Adela Malfoy. Whatever the matriarch did to the Auror was lasting... scarily so. The doctors and healers were working around the clock trying to find a cure, but the more time that passed, the worse her symptoms got. Treating the effects of poison without knowing which poison was affecting a patient was a risky and complicated business. Elloise was dehydrated. She had to have vomit aspirated several times. She was burning up. Her vitals were concerning. Her skin and hair were starting to show symptoms. Doctors and Healers were still not certain as to what the hell Adela had used on her. They had run many tests, but whatever it was, it was quite rare and didn't show up in the regular tox screens. Lady Malfoy's face was all over the press. The pictures weren't recent, but they were clear. Tonks looked at the clock.
"I have to go, Lo," she said. "I will come back after my trip. Your parents should be here any minute."
Sirius, Charlus, Emma, Frank, Alice, and Luna were waiting for the kids at King's Cross. Neville was over the moon that both his parents could now walk. His father needed a cane, and both of them walked slowly, but it was really exciting that they had more mobility. He was also very happy to see Luna. She had even kissed his cheek.
Draco was expecting to go with Sirius, but he still would have loved to have his mom waiting for him. Both kids were pleasantly surprised when grandpa Charlus told them that their parents had agreed that they could stay at Potter Manor. They scrambled to the cars with all their luggage. It would be unseemly for them to leave a train station with nothing in their hands.
"Auntie Em?" Draco asked after putting on his seat belt.
"Yes, honey?"
"When can I go see my mom and my sister?" Draco asked, fidgeting with his jumper.
"As soon as we get home and you get changed, sweetheart. Your dad and Daniel are with them now. I will go relieve Dan, and you can stay for a while," Emma smiled at the boy while she squeezed all kids one by one. "Oh, I missed you all so much!"
"Grandpa, where's grandma?" Harry asked with a slight frown.
"She's gone on coven business," Charlus replied, trying not to sound concerned.
"Are you okay?" Hermione asked with a similar frown.
"Yes, sweetheart."
"Grandpa," Harry squeezed his shoulders. "We are here for you. We love you... and grandma knows you love her."
Charlus nodded, and his eyes teared up. These kids always seemed to know the right thing to say. "Who wants pizza for dinner?"
Potter Manor was full of kids running around and elves ecstatic to have more work to do. Emma was waiting for Draco to change into hospital-appropriate clothes while she watched Hermione feed Gabriel. Xenophilius was coming later to have dinner with all of them. The adults were currently trying to convince Charlus that everything would be alright both with Dorea and with the meeting with King Nagkrat and Queen Gankra. The royals arrived as punctual as ever. While they were having a cup of tea with Charlus, a loud commotion outside alerted them all that something strange was happening.
Dobby ran in carrying a battered elf, followed by a very scared Harry and Neville.
"Dobby, come in! Who is that?"
"Master, this is Lady Poison's elf... He survived... but he is unwell. He was looking for Mistress Cissa. He keeps trying to tell me something, but it means nothing to me," Dobby explained with a frown as he held the elf in his arms.
Emma took the hurt elf and placed him on a loveseat while Dobby kept trying to heal him, "Hey, there. You are safe here. No one is going to hurt you."
"Th-Th-" the elf tried to inhale.
Emma placed her stethoscope on his back, and his lungs were quickly filling with fluid. "Calm down, please. We will do our best to help you."
"No, li-listen... Au-Auror... Poi-Poison... Th-Tha-Thal..."
Emma's mind raced... Th, Tha, Thal... "Thallium?! Do you mean Thallium!?"
The elf nodded once and fell unconscious with a smile at presumably being understood. Draco came back in a rush due to the commotion, and he looked around confused. Emma stretched her hand toward him, and he ran to take it, no questions asked.
"Emma, what-?" Charlus frowned.
"It makes sense!" Emma took the vintage phone and called her husband's office.
"What makes sense?" Harry asked.
"Mum?"
Emma ignored the question as she waited for her husband to answer the phone, "Dan? No, I can't talk about that right now. Dan! LISTEN! Thallium... We think the poison is thallium! Elloise's best bet is Prussian blue! Yes! I am going to the hospital right now!" she ran to the fireplace with the elf in her arms. "Draco, stick with me. Everyone else, I will update you as soon as I can."
Charlus nodded. "While we hear back, let us proceed with the meeting Your Majesties."
"Yes, of course."
"Should we go, grandpa?" Harry asked.
"Yes, son. We will call you in if we need you."
"I agree with Nagkrat," Sirius nodded.
"I don't," Charlus sighed.
Nagkrat blinked at his friend to signal that he was listening.
"Dorea wanted me to look after our grandson while she was away... He is a kid. They are all kids, and they need to be able to be kids."
"I am with Charlus," Remus nodded. "They should train, but they should not train all day."
"It's more of a train and study program," Gankra smiled. "They would have one hour of lunch and a couple of hours after we are done to be kids."
"It's too little time," Charlus sighed. "They are on vacation. They have just spent a whole year studying. Dorea wouldn't agree. Also, Daniel and Emma will not approve."
The royals shared a side-eye. "This whole having three sets of parents thing is too much," the king closed his eyes. He could feel a headache coming.
"Charlus, pardon me, but they were on vacation while in school," Sirius interjected.
"What?" Charlus frowned, clearly puzzled.
"Come on! They knew most of the curriculum already! We made sure of that. I don't even know why we are sending them to school to begin with, really. They would learn more and be better prepared by tutors right here," Sirius groaned.
"Love, school is a social exercise, not just a mental one. They are building relationships, making friends, and growing up... We can't isolate them from the world," Remus squeezed his hand.
"I think our children should be allowed to weigh in on what they want," Lily frowned from her painting. "I know I am not really there, and I am... dead, but if you didn't want me to say anything, you could have left me in the bank. I will remind all of you that I am entitled to an opinion because I did push one huge raven-haired head out of my body with a lot of pain."
James shuddered behind her but nodded emphatically, "We still have rights."
"Of course. We want to include you in this," the king replied with a slight blush.
"Bring them in and ask them," Lily said, James was nodding behind her.
"But can our friends participate?" Harry asked.
"Yes, but we are mainly interested in preparing the two of you. After all, you two are going to lead the coming war," Gankra replied. She placed her hand on Nagkrat's knee so he wouldn't make a caustic comment about growing up and letting go of the illusion of lifelong friendship.
"Hermione?" Harry looked at her, seeking her help.
"Your Majesties... We should all be prepared for war. Harry and I can't do this alone, and if we know our friends can defend themselves, we can focus on fighting for everyone else," Hermione said slowly, trying to weave in Harry's ideas with her own.
"Diplomatic and thoughtful," the king praised her as he stood, pulling up his queen. "We start on Monday at 6 am. You better have had your breakfast by then."
"We are assuming all parents will want their kids to participate," James blinked at the king.
"If their parents disagree, we are not interested in training their kids anyway," the queen replied in a bristled tone.
"Of course, we understand. I think-" James began.
"Dad... It's okay. They can't wait to start training with us," Harry smiled at his parents. "I am sure their parents will be honored at the opportunity and the great compliment this is to their families," Harry bowed at the king, who chuckled. This kid was learning to navigate inter-species relationships far too quickly. James smiled like the cat that got the milk within the canvas and winked at his son as Harry passed the frame to the king.
"Indeed," the king smiled. "We should get going."
"First lesson will be on Goblin Healing Basics," the queen nodded, stepping onto the fireplace with Nagkrat. "Be ready to take a lot of notes. Our learning is mainly oral tradition," the queen winked, and they vanished with the Potter's painting frame.
"What does that mean?" Harry scratched his head.
"No books?!" Hermione was aghast. "We have to write everything down?"
"I'll teach you a trick later," Remus promised.
"Thanks, Uncle Moony," Hermione sighed in relief.
"Can we go enjoy our last afternoon of freedom?" Harry pouted dramatically.
"Yes, of course. Which toppings do you fancy for the pizzas?" Charlus asked.
"Pepperoni, prosciutto, and extra cheese?" Harry salivated at the thought.
"Mushrooms, tomato, and basil?" Hermione asked with a smile.
"Alright, go ask your friends if they agree and let Tremmy know," Charlus smiled back. Once the children left, Charlus sat down, and with a sigh, he covered his face as he tried to calm down. He didn't feel as comfortable or as safe talking to the goblins without his wife there.
"What is it, Charlus?" Sirius sat down next to him.
"We have never left each other in anger..." he sighed.
"Dorea will be fine," Remus squeezed the man's shoulder.
"What if she isn't? It has taken days even to have a clue what happened to Elloise... Gellert and Albus know so many curses, rituals, and horrible spells..." Charlus felt tears fall. "What if she doesn't come back to me?"
"She knew the risks. She will be fine... And if she isn't, we will find her and bring her home and make her better," Sirius tried to reassure him.
Charlus knew both kids meant well. To him, they would always be his kids, regardless of their current burly and much taller appearances. He pulled both their heads to his shoulders and hugged them to him. "I remember the good old days when I would hold my boys like this and not feel like you would crush me flat between you without effort," Charlus chuckled.
"We would never!" Remus shook his head emphatically.
"Or if we did... you would like it!" Sirius wiggled his brows at Charlus.
"PADS!" Remus told him off.
"What?! I ain't lying!" Sirius and Charlus laughed at Moony's red face.
"That is SO inappropriate!" Moony and Charlus tried not to laugh, but they failed.
"You are right," Sirius chuckled. "Remind me to use it on Martin!"
Back in England, the rest of The Family alternated between visits to Narcissa, Goblin Bootcamp, and helping grandpa Charlus research on ways to bring Tolanthe back to the house. The manor felt awfully quiet without her omnipresence. While Harry and Hermione researched in the Potter Grimoires, the rest of the kids would write notes and cross-reference information. They were making strides for just a few days. Charlus would sometimes be in and out of the house going places with Charles O'Brian, Sirius or Remus, and Father Martin. A couple of days ago, the priest had been having supper with them. Lady Greengrass and her daughters were also invited. The girls and Luna would stay the night. When supper was over, there was a floo call. A tall and burly black man stepped off the fireplace and greeted Lady Greengrass with a kiss on her cheek. The kids noticed that Martin looked quite sad at that. No one commented anything. The man was introduced as an Auror, Mr. Kingsley. Soon enough, they had left through the fireplace.
"I think he's nice," Astoria shrugged after her sister whisper shouted something in her ear angrily.
"I don't," Daphne replied with a frown. "Martin, a word?"
Martin sighed but followed the girl to the garden.
"What the hell, Martin?" Daphne stood with her hands on her hips.
"You are going to have to be more specific, monkey," Martin blinked.
"Don't you monkey me! You know what I'm talking about. You let her leave with him. You didn't even say a word!"
"I have no right to comment on your mother's personal life, Daphne," Martin replied as gently as he could.
"Yes, you do! You love her! She loves you! Why do you both want to suffer like this?" Daphne exclaimed, stomping her foot angrily.
Martin took a deep breath, "Daphne... It isn't that simple."
"Yes, it is! You would make her happy, and she would make you happy. Why do you want to over-complicate it?!"
"Because it is complicated, Daph. Okay? I took three vows when I was ordained: poverty, chastity, and obedience. Deciding to leave the Church would leave me homeless and destitute. I am a priest. That is all I have ever known... I grew up in a convent. I know no other life. I never wanted anything else... I followed my calling. Your mother was very clear in telling me that she wouldn't wait for me to figure out what I want, and she is within her rights to do whatever she wants with whomever she wants," Martin said this last part in an even tone while the words felt like acid on his heart.
"You can work doing many other things where you could still help people! Why do you have to choose the one thing that keeps you from us?!" tears fell from Daphne's eyes.
"Daphne... Please don't do this... You know it's not like that. I-"
Daphne raised her hand for Martin to stop talking, "When my father died, I was sure I would never accept or welcome anyone else to be with my mom... to be a father figure... but then we met you. You have changed us all."
"You changed me too," Martin whispered, but Daphne ignored him.
"You helped us all through our grief and the madness that we have been through. You made my mom trust again. You made her fall in love with you. Astoria loves you. You made me l-love you... And you were always going to l-leave us behind for a goddamned fucking church that is vile, corrupted, and hypocritical to its flock and the world, and yet you prefer it over us?!"
"Daphne, don't speak of the Church like that," Martin admonished. "The Church is not perfect, but it has helped millions of people through charity organizations and community projects, and-"
"Spare me the apologetics! I am not a child! I have done my own research. If your church were to sell only the art that it owns, it could solve world hunger! Let alone what they have done to my people!"
"Your people?" Martin stammered.
"Witches and wizards! We are the servants of the Devil, right? Deserving of burning or hanging like they did in so many places like Salem and-"
"The Salem Witch Trials were carried out by the Puritans, not the Catholics, Daph!" Martin whisper shouted.
"Malleus Maleficarum*! Need. I. Say. More?!" Daphne snapped. "You would truly rather serve a bloody god that is cold and indifferent and judgmental and full of hatred and indifference for so many people!? A fucking bigoted, morally gray, and aloof god that has caused bloodshed and injustice and so much drama, violence, and death in history!"
"Do not take the name of the Lord in vain!" Martin said this as a reflex. He didn't even intend to say that at all. It was the worst thing he could have said. He felt he saw Daphne's heart breaking from the look in her eyes.
"WHY ARE WE NOT ENOUGH?!" Daphne exclaimed, tears cascading down her cheeks.
"It's not about that, Daphne. You are more than enough. You are all incredible, and I am so proud of you. You know I l-lo... If I was a free man... If I wasn't tied to the Church, I-"
Daphne gasped. "You speak of us as if we are 'the other woman'! How the fuck do you reconcile your beliefs while hanging out with witches and wizards?! How are you all about your Church when it doesn't give a fuck about your well-being?! You defend it come hell or high water, but they don't care about you!"
"His Holiness cares, Daphne-"
"Your Pope is a very old and very sick man that will die soon enough, and then another old man will replace him, and I guarantee you that whoever he is will not continue what you are doing! The Church is not a living, breathing being! IT'S AN INSTITUTION! It has been here forever, and it will be here when you are long gone! The way it has lasted all these years is by weeding out idealistic rebellious fools like you! Fools who think they can change the system! News fucking flash, Martin! The Church can live without you! It doesn't care! We do!"
"You don't know the Church like I do... I understand that you are hurt, and it's my fault, but you don't get to speak so dismissively about an institution that has withstood the test of time, war, famine, poverty, natural catastrophes, politics, and media," Martin frowned. "I am aware that I am a very unimportant person within the enormity of the Church and nothing but a grain of sand in the magnitude of human history... I didn't know you considered me a fool, but I am not offended by that because, using your logic, I understand where you are coming from. It makes no sense to a young girl like you for a person like me to sacrifice the possibility of having a family or being happy for what you see as just my job."
"MARTIN! Don't be obtuse! You have been hurt, attacked, chased, and exposed to all sorts of calamities for trying to bring change to your 'company'!"
"And yet I am still here! My faith has kept me standing through it all. I don't expect you to understand how sad and difficult it is to go through life on your own, expected to be an example in all circumstances and without any comforting presence beside you. That will not be your life. Daphne, you cannot understand me because your life has been very different from my own. You are blessed to have family and friends. I don't ever get to experience that because I made a choice when I became a priest."
"EXACTLY! It's a CHOICE! You can choose to get out. The Pope even offered a way out, and you said no!"
"Daphne, I refuse to continue this conversation... You are too upset, and I don't see any good coming out of us speaking further. You are too young and fortunately sheltered enough that you cannot see my side and my not giving up my faith, and my job is perceived by you as a personal slight against you and your family when it isn't."
"Too young and sheltered?! My father was murdered by terrorists! My grandma was murdered at his funeral in front of us! We were attacked in our home! We lost everything! Then we were attacked here where we thought we were safe! Then we had to leave the country! My life hasn't been a walk in the park! How dare you?! I am perfectly able to see your side, but at this point, I don't bloody want to, alright, Martin? So, fuck your god and your Church, and quite frankly, fuck you too! For making us believe we could be a family! For acting like you cared! For acting like you wanted us! Like you loved us! For being the biggest disappointment of our lives!" Daphne's magic pushed Martin a few feet away, knocking the wind out of him, and he landed flat on his back. She looked shocked that her magic had seemingly hurt him.
Martin felt tears roll down his face. Not from the pain, although he did hit his head. Every word she said felt like a whip against sensitive skin. By the time he managed to get back up, Daphne was gone. Martin fell to his knees, looked up, and tried to connect with the Lord, to ask for some solace, some advice, some guidance as to what to do now... All he heard was nothing, a deafening silence. He tried to feel for that something that was the foundation of his faith. He felt empty. Martin finally understood the words of a heartbroken Jesus on the cross, and he repeated those words, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" [Psalm 22:1]
A couple of weeks into her run from the DMLE, Lady Poison landed in a forest with a pained grunt. She truly felt her age today. Her knees complained as she landed. She had been apparating too much since she had to run away from the house she had been staying in. She walked through a thick misty forest. Her lungs protested at the excessively clean oxygen. Up ahead, she could see a clearing where she was sure she'd find him… them? Who is that? Adela froze when she heard the rustling of leaves that announced someone had apparated to the area. She was suddenly glad to be wearing her camouflage robes and her mask. Another witch was walking in between the trees. She was followed by two other witches.
They were all wearing robes with big hoods, and their faces could not be seen. She could hear no accent because none spoke a word, but Lady Poison noticed something very curious. They were wearing pants under their robes. Specifically, dragonhide pants. Adela bit her lip to trap her gasp. Sensible purebred witches of any importance would never dress like a wizard. Adela went on the defensive and pulled out her poisonous darts thrower. If I am going down, I am not going down easy. This decision, however, would be taken away from her when the witches seemed to reach an invisible glistening curtain and vanished right through it. Weird. Was that-? No, they couldn't have traced me so quickly. After all, they all have things to do, and if their whole bloody alliance were moving against me, I would have heard something by now.
Inside a tattered building in muggle London, Boss sat on a rocking chair. His once platinum hair kept falling off his head in thick tufts. His symptoms weren't letting up. He still had fevers, his throat was sore all the time, his head was constantly pounding, his body ached, and he was exhausted. It was just his luck that Adela decided to cast him out when he was already sick. He had lost so much weight. He had to alter his clothes. Not even that stupid child had helped cure him. Syphilis... what a horrible punishment for simply having some fun. Even the name was horrible. Ugh. Not to mention all the sores and rashes he kept getting. He hoped the stupid child was equally affected. It was the least she deserved.
He should go to that sketchy healer in Knockturn Alley and give him a piece of his mind. Defiling a virgin was supposed to be the best cure for what he had. It was unappealing, as he was never into redheads, and this particular redhead kid was getting too old for his preferences... Ginny Weasley was as close to a demon as he had ever seen. She would tell him such horrors that she wanted to cause Lady Potter. She flat out told him she just pretended he was Harry Potter, and that's how she could stand his advances. Armand hated that she had seemed to be into it for a while. The whole point of his proclivities was to have uncooperative victims. He loved it when they put up a fight. When they enjoyed it... it was really off-putting.
Armand sighed. Not having access to the Malfoy vault had effectively ruined his plans. He had it all figured out, and it had all gone like dry sand between his fingers. He was going to kill Adela and take over the Malfoy seats in the Wizengamot for good, but the bloody Family had intervened to save Narcissa, and it had all gone to hell. He decided that he would have his payback one way or the other. If he had to sell his soul to the devil himself, he would do just that. His soul in exchange for punishment to those that ruined him was, in his opinion, a bargain. With the news of Lucius' expected demise in the goblin mines... soul-bartering was the only thing Armand could do.
The wilderness of Scotland was breathtaking. The air smelled magical. The witches could feel all the energy from both old and new rituals all over the place. The Coven reached Minerva's family home and settled down for the night. Once they ate supper, they started to talk over Irish firewhiskey.
"Minnie," Augusta said in the most neutral tone she could muster.
Minerva could feel her back tensing at this, "Yes?"
"I need you to know that, as a member of this coven, I respect you and support you. But I would be a bad friend if I didn't ask this. Have you really thought it through?" Augusta swirled the drink in the cup.
"Our plan?" Minerva blinked.
"No, this decision. You want to kill him in cold blood," Augusta replied.
"I do."
"For revenge?" Augusta asked to make sure, although she knew the answer.
"Yes."
The witches around her exchanged an uncomfortable look. Minerva had to make a conscious effort not to react to that.
"Minnie... You know that we are with you no matter the consequences..."
"I sense a but coming," Minerva frowned a bit.
"No buts... We are simply concerned. This quest has taken over your life. Other than work, this revenge plot is all you do with your time... Don't get me wrong, none of us think that man deserves to keep living, but wouldn't handing him to the authorities be a better choice than you personally severing his head off of his body?" Andromeda asked with a grimace.
"The authorities were holding him, and they were ineffective... as were the goblins. It has taken me years to pinpoint his location, and I will not let him get away again. I know that he's with Grindelwald. I am worried about that too, but with the elven magic done to Dumbledore, I highly doubt he will be able to defend himself as he used to. He doesn't even have his wand," Minerva replied with a huff. "I really doubt that Grindelwald will object. Dumbledore has been more of a drag than a boost lately, if my intel was correct... Had Dumbledore kept his façade of respectability... Were he still in his previous positions at Hogwarts, the Wizengamot, and the ICW, I would agree. As things are today, I doubt he has more than mere sentimental value to Gellert... if any."
"High Priestess," Tonks said with a sad expression. "I know that I am too young to provide any sort of counseling to an experienced fighter like you... But in my line of work, I have seen people turn dark from killing someone, whether the kill was deserved or not. Please consider that when he's dead, you will have to live forever with the knowledge that you killed him."
"Nymph, dear," Minerva smiled sadly. "I don't really talk much about the previous wars because it hurts too much, and I think the dead should rest in peace... All you need to know is that he wouldn't be the first man I have killed. Nor would he be a man that doesn't deserve what's coming to him."
"That's true..." Augusta nodded, refilling her glass.
"In the words of Robert Burns..." Minerva tapped her chin as she remembered, and then she recited, "Nature's law/ That man was made to mourn. / Man's inhumanity to man/ Makes countless thousands mourn!/ O Death, the poor man's dearest friend, The kindest and the best!"
"Here, here," Augusta raised a toast to that, but everyone else looked uncomfortable. "Don't mind me... I am old enough where I firmly believe I would embrace death if it came to get me."
"This is the hill I am prepared to die on," Minerva raised her glass to her friend. "Cheers!"
Nymphadora blinked some of her shock away. "Um, so... Will this be a kill-on-sight deal, then?"
"No," Dorea answered before Minerva could.
"No? I thought we agreed-"
Dorea interrupted Minerva, "We need information, Minerva."
"And how do you suppose we get it?" Andromeda asked. Dumbledore was a great Legilimens.
"Nothing that a good dungeon and some significant torture, say waterboarding and muggle electrocution –just off the top of my head– can't fix," Augusta winked.
"Pain is indeed a strong motivation to speak," Andromeda shuddered.
"What if he has no information we can use?" Minerva asked with a frown.
"We remind him of all his wrongdoings and kill him anyway," Dorea shrugged.
"Fine, but if we are to kill him, it must be in goblin territory so the DMLE can't get involved and prosecute us," Tonks replied. "Amelia will join us when she can. She's worried about the conflict of interest. The Minister has been sniffing around."
Minerva nodded, "Thank you for that information, Tonks... I already spoke with Queen Gankra, and they would be delighted to serve as a ritualistic space for our Blood Feud collection."
The witches went to bed early. They would have to do significant hiking and even camp for a few days before they could reach their next destination.
Charlus was relieved that Dorea would be happy to see he was doing everything he could from her list of homework for him. The kids had been playing when they could, and they all seemed happy and healthy. They had managed to get Tolanthe back too. It had taken a couple of weeks, consults with the family Grimoires, elder elves, and goblins that knew the details about the original Potter Manor's design and warding. Everyone had to help with the research, and against all odds, they succeeded. All his homework was going well, except where Martin was concerned, but that was a whole different story. Charlus had spoken to the priest, who had been extremely circumspect about what happened. Martin apologized, and he requested to use the study where he was locked in for a while. Charlus really did try to talk to a distraught Daphne, who had been crying her heart out. In the end, he got more information from young Astoria about what happened. Martin had left the same day of his disagreement with Daphne. When Ianthe came back late that night, she found a letter from Martin waiting for her. She took it to a room where she read it and presumably cried a lot, seeing how she looked when she came back. Charlus asked her if there was anything he could do for her. She shook her head. "Only my daughters' needs matter right now" was her only comment. Ianthe had taken a portkey back to France with her girls to see the king and advance the logistics of his visit. Charlus needed Emma and Dorea to help him with Martin. It surpassed him. He had even contacted Martin's aunt. So far, she hadn't replied.
Sirius and Remus were glad to test Tolanthe's return. "Tolly!"
"Sirius, as formal as always," the house replied.
"You even got your sense of humor back!" Remus smiled.
"I did," mirth was evident in her voice. "It is good to be back, children."
"Hey, I will have you know we are married men now, not school boys!"
"Pish posh... you will always be in your nappies to me," Tolanthe opened a cabinet, spanking Sirius's bum to illustrate her point. Remus laughed at his husband's shocked face.
"In front of my husband? You have no shame, Tolly! At least buy me dinner first, damn it!"
"Sue me!" the house laughed.
Gellert paced outside of the tent where Albus slept through his fever... again. He had left his wand inside lest he was too tempted to set the whole forest ablaze to calm himself. Albus was getting on his last nerve. Each time he got sentimental, he would burn up almost instantly, and as this was a common occurrence... Gellert was a patient man, but this test was proving too much for his skills. Whatever had been done to Albus... Whoever did it was a brilliant spellcaster. He really wanted to know who it was. None of their minions, who could have had a chip on their shoulders, were that skilled or had such finesse. Albus couldn't enjoy food, and he had lost about 25 lbs since Bellatrix blew up. But worse than that were all the emotional and psychological issues that kept pilling on. He was reliving all the bad things he did. This wouldn't have been so bad, except that he was reliving them with a brand-new conscience that apparently the spellcaster gave him.
Gellert had tried to trace back the magic that turned the Albus he knew into a man of values and morals, but nothing came up. It was most perplexing. He researched and contacted international magical libraries under a fake name, but nothing had come up. It wasn't a known spell. If he knew what the hell had been done to Dumbledore, perhaps he could reverse it or help in some way. As it was, he was starting to feel Albus was more of a drag than anything else. Inside the tent, he could hear Albus complain as if in pain. Gellert stepped on a large rock by the edge of the water and finally allowed his fury to seep out. He let some raw magic escape his core, making the water in the small lake explode up and instantly evaporate. The wind swirled, making the trees dance vigorously. The owls hooted in complaint as their trees moved beneath their sharp talons. One of these days, I will murder him in his sleep with my bare hands, he thought as he tried to calm himself down with deep breaths.
Inside, Albus woke up drenched in a cold sweat. Ariana had blamed him so vehemently that he was sure it was his spell that killed her. Dumbledore inhaled shakily; it was as if he had no control over his emotions anymore. He took the cane that Gellert insisted on giving him and pushed himself up to go find him.
"Gelly?" Albus's weak voice called out to him between the trees.
Gellert tried in vain not to roll his eyes. "Yes, dear?"
"Can we go home?" Albus pouted.
Gellert tried not to grimace, "Why?"
"I am scared," Albus' shaky voice replied.
"Again? Of what?"
"The owls... They... They h-haunt me."
Gellert took a very slow breath to simmer down his core, "Owls are simply wild animals. I have told you time and time again, Albus. They are not here to spy on you or harm you in any way."
"Ariana-"
Gellert snapped, "Ariana is dead! Has been dead for many years!"
Albus grimaced, and his eyes filled with tears. "I see her every time I close my eyes... She blames me!"
"So what? You lived your life just fine without her for decades. You never had any doubts that I had been the one that killed her! Your implied blaming of me destroyed us back then... And yet you moved on. You were doing perfectly fine in your quest for glory until someone or something put this maddening spell on you and killed the man I had so admired. You are nothing but a shaky, fearful, delicate burden with the capacity to explode like a bombarda, and with every day that goes by, you are more unstable! You are slowing me down! You are not the partner I signed up for!" Gellert said all this in a cold tone that had Albus shivering underneath the blanket wrapped around his bony shoulders.
"I am the partner you get!" Albus exclaimed indignantly.
Gellert whispered under his breath, "I don't have to put up with this!"
"Yes, you do!" Albus replied. Apparently, his hearing was as good as ever.
Unbeknownst to both wizards, they were being watched. Gellert was only able to duck in time because of a sudden image that flashed in his Eye. He threw himself to the ground only to see how Albus was wrapped in chains that seemed to be scalding hot and pulled toward the edge of their camp while he screamed in pain. How had they been discovered? Worse still, who had been able to break the wards? Gellert sent a myriad of wandless spells toward the masked figures, but it was too late. They left through the curtain-like wards. For a second, he thought about just letting them leave. They were doing him a favor, really. But Dumbledore had a lot of delicate information. Gellert had left his wand inside the tent. He summoned it and went after the group. Outside, he found them fighting another figure. One of the witches was levitating Albus away while she fought an attacker that wasn't Gellert.
Damn it! Gellert could recognize those eyes anywhere. The masked woman fighting their attackers was Lady Poison. She saw him, and this distracted her. She received two stunning spells to the chest and fell stiffly to the ground. Gellert began dueling the remaining witches. He was not dressed for this. His dragonhide was back in their lair. They were supposed to leave in a few hours. He fought hard and was surprised to find these women could stand their ground against him. They were quite hurt by his skills, true, but they were not giving up. Gellert was holding back. He didn't get into this path to kill skilled witches and wizards. He would need them to rebuild a better magical society. It was clear to him that they were fighting with both their hearts and their cores and that combination often proved lethal.
Desperate times called for desperate magic. He was sure he would regret this, but it had to be done. While holding his strongest protective spell wandlessly, he took out a dagger, cut his palm, and burrowed the tip of his wand in the cut, coating it with fresh, bright crimson blood. Many spells crashed against his protective spell.
Gellert found his core, focused his magic, and whisper shouted, "Frigidus aliquantisper corpora!"
The spell froze time and all motion. No one but Gellert could move from where they stood in their fighting stances. The spells stopped mid-air.
"Witches, I don't want to end your lives or hurt you further. You are far too valuable to kill. Don't force my hand," Gellert warned them.
Minerva found that she could speak but not move in any other way, "He owes us."
"I know, Headmistress McGonagall. I propose a deal. You get to take him with you without any resistance from me or my friend over there, as long as I can obliviate him first," Gellert felt his core screaming at him to stop. Blood magic was nearly impossible to master for good reason. "You have my word that I will only obliviate the most recent events."
Albus' tears fell to his beard in rivers. He couldn't move or speak. He howled through closed lips.
"I am sorry, Albus. They have come to collect as is their right. You owe them handsomely, and I believe in the old ways... Headmistress McGonagall has a Blood Feud against you, as does Lady Potter. I cannot stand in the way."
The grief-stricken and terrified look on Albus' face would haunt Gellert for the rest of his life. Gellert did love him, but not in the way most people conceptualize love.
Minerva looked at Dorea questioningly, and Dorea, who had been fighting the hold of whatever this was, blinked once hard, "Deal, but you let us all leave alive. No more bloodshed."
"Yes. However, she leaves with me unattacked as well," Gellert grunted through his pain.
Dorea's eyes strained as she moved them to stare at the masked woman. Who is that?
Minerva did some quick calculations and nodded. "Take her with you, but she better not attack us either."
"She won't," Gellert lifted the spell, and all the fighting stopped Albus fell to his knees and begged Gellert to help him and, when that didn't work, to kill him.
"At least have the decency to end my life!"
"No. I don't need to do that, love. They will... Obliviate!"
Albus tried to duck, but Tonks and Andi's hold on him was too strong, and he was much weaker than when their world domination project started. As soon as the obliviation finished, Minerva knocked Albus for good measure. The coven and Gellert exchanged nervous glances. Were they really going to let each other go? Lady Poison stayed low on the ground even after Gellert ennervated her. Her face was covered by her mask and forearm. If they learned who she was, they wouldn't keep their word. Everyone's knuckles were pale from how tightly they were holding their wands.
Gellert took one slow step toward Lady Poison, and in a sedate, calming tone, he said, "Walk away, witches... I have no interest in killing such marvelous casters as yourselves. We were just on the defensive. Please leave with my best wishes," Gellert bowed slightly.
Minerva motioned for the witches to activate their portkeys, "Please leave with our worst wishes, Grindlewald," she replied, and in a flash, they vanished.
Gellert downed a modified and improved Gran Pepper Up and rushed to help Adela up, "Are you hurt, dear?" He felt exhaustion catching up to him.
"No, darling. Nothing that a few spells and vials can't solve," Adela removed her mask. She pulled Gellert's shaky arm around her neck, and they walked away together.
Up in one of the trees, neither element noticed a beautiful owl wearing what looked like a bangle on her claws. When she saw the face, she widened her eyes but stayed motionless as the man and his new companion went through a ward and disappeared. The owl flew about a mile away, just to be sure she wasn't followed, and she went to the ground to transform back.
Madam Bones twisted her family ring portkey and vanished after her coven with a severe frown. The infamous, never-caught serial killer, Lady Poison... The woman who had kidnapped Narcissa, killed one of her Aurors, and made another severely ill... not to mention all the people she had killed covertly in the first war... was now in the eager and happy hands of Gellert Motherfucking Grindelwald... and their coven had allowed it. Great. Just fabulous.
Charlus almost had a heart attack when the coven called him over to Augusta's home. The first thing he did was check on the women. His wife welcomed him with a kiss that took him back to when they started dating. Dorea had cuts all over. They had already gone to the hospital for their major injuries, but the rest they would heal at home. Dorea's dragonhide had been pierced several times, and it was caked with blood. Her hair had been cut unevenly by an errant spell. She looked stunning to him because she was alive and she was back.
"I am so sorry, love," Dorea said in between kissing all over his face.
"Don't. I am the one who is sorry. You have to tell me everything, love."
"Of course," Dorea nodded. "Let's brief Charlus. We need to decide what to do."
Back in England, Andromeda was the first to down a myriad of potions that Emma Granger had waiting for her. The doctor had grown to know significant magical healing knowledge through the years, and being ready for when the coven returned was the least that she could do as she couldn't join them in their quest. Andromeda knew she needed to feel better to help her fellow coven members. The Healer was so glad that Doctor Granger had come to welcome them. She had everything necessary ready for them: potions, bandages, salves, and even a few of the great muggle feel-good drugs that were effective and simpler to use.
It took a while for Madam Bones to calm down after she saw what they had just unknowingly done. She arrived at Longbottom Manor after hastily healing her broken wing/arm. The head elf directed her to the living room, where there was the usual chaos of an Infirmary. I can't tell them until they are all healed. No point in upsetting them when they are in pain. Even if we were to return now, they are already gone for sure.
Tonks got in through the floo and started helping her mother heal left and right.
"Where in the hell were you?!" Andromeda snapped. "I thought you were attacked in transit!"
"Sorry, mom. I had to go see Lo," Tonks replied. "Update her. Emma, the Dugards want to speak to you."
"They do? But she's much better. Except for the fact that she's still in a coma," Emma replied with a sad sigh.
"I think they are worried about long-term consequences," Tonks replied with a grimace. "Her brother is coming possibly this week. They want you to explain things to him, I think."
"Are the Dugards with her now?" Dorea asked as she winced when Minerva pulled a sharp piece of stone from her side and began healing her with strengthened dittany.
"Yes, they were coming back from speaking with her healers," Tonks replied as she applied burn salve down Augusta's exposed thigh.
"This is not the kind of burning sensation I enjoy," Augusta muttered under her breath.
Tonks chuckled. Augusta never failed to amuse her.
"Is he downstairs?" Amelia asked.
"Yes, and out cold still," Augusta nodded.
"Good."
The doorbell rang, and after a few moments, King Nagkrat and Queen Gankra came in and started to help heal the witches without a word. Madam Bones waited until they were all sitting down and having some tea to drop the bomb.
"There's something I need all of you to know," Amelia said.
"It is bad news, right?" Tonks asked, reaching out to hold her mother's hand.
"Yes," Amelia sighed.
"Do tell," Queen Gankra tapped her staff with her long claws.
"I stayed behind in my animagus form as we had agreed to see how they left," Amelia began.
"They?" the king frowned. "I thought it was just Grindelwald and Dumbledore."
"A masked woman attacked us in the woods."
"I am not following," the queen blinked.
"Grindelwald agreed that we could take Dumbledore with us but under the condition that he would obliviate the most recent events and that the woman who attacked us could leave with him," Amelia explained.
Minerva frowned. She didn't like where this was going.
"It was her... The masked woman was Adela Malfoy... Lady Poison herself," Amelia covered her face with her hands as the shame finally started to suffocate her.
Andromeda could have killed anyone with just a glare. That's how incensed she was. Her magic made the windows rattle, "You mean to tell me we could have captured that bitch too?"
"That's not the worst part," Emma sat down as her knees began to feel wobbly. "The worst part is that Lady Poison is in the hands of Gellert Grindelwald... That's like giving a terrorist all the nuclear codes and a 'go ahead'!"
Deafening silence followed. They could all feel stress and anxiety begin to creep up their backs.
"We need to start checking everything we eat and drink, and... oh my God! It could be spores! The very air we breathe could kill us! What the hell are we going to do?!" Emma whisper shouted more to herself than anyone else.
The royals shared a concerned look. "Emma... You non-magicals have better protection than we do, yes?"
"Yes, but poison is still poison."
The royals whispered to each other in their native language.
"Whatever happened to the elf that told us about the thallium?" Charlus asked Emma.
"He's still in the EICU, unresponsive," the doctor replied.
"We need him healed as soon as can be. That elf can be the difference between genocide by various poisons and a fighting chance," Dorea said with a sigh.
Amelia cleared her throat, "I have called a meeting of the Wizengamot."
Charlus looked confused, "I haven't been-"
"I know, I brought them myself since I was coming here anyway," Amelia handed him and the other members an envelope. "We need to declare a state of emergency. This is too dangerous."
"As soon as that is done, we are all relocating to Potter Isle. Unless there is something that cannot be done from there with the help of our elves or the goblins, we are all staying away," Dorea announced.
"Agreed. We have to deal with him first, though," Charlus pointed to the floor.
The royals looked strangely at Dorea, but they didn't say a word about what she said, "We can witness your Blood Feud proceedings tomorrow. That should give you a few hours to extract the necessary information. If you fail, floo call us, and we will send our best extractor," the king nodded.
"Extractor?" Emma asked, almost afraid of the clarification.
"Torturer," Amelia clarified, narrowing her eyes.
"No. He's simply security personnel with training in advanced interrogation techniques," the queen looked at Amelia with narrowed eyes.
"Right. Of course."
At Potter Manor, the children were making the most of their time quizzing each other regarding goblin remedies and anatomy. Dobby had just told them the coven was back, and they were all reasonably well and healthy. Somehow, the kids' bond picked up on something that was happening at a meeting in Longbottom Manor. Harry mind-spoke to Hermione.
Did you feel that?
She nodded. Draco looked at her questioningly. She just moved her hand in between Harry and herself, so Draco shrugged and went back to his notes.
They were deeply insulted by that, Hermione thought back.
Harry blinked, They didn't mean it like that.
We know, but they may not... perception is reality, Hermione replied.
"We need to talk to them as soon as possible," Harry nodded.
"To whom?" Neville asked, taking a baby carrot and dipping it in hummus.
"Said that out loud... sorry. We need to talk to the king and queen. To prevent a misunderstanding we just felt from having serious consequences," Harry explained.
"You felt it all the way from here?" Neville frowned. That was weird.
"We can never catch a normal break, huh? Can we at least help?" Draco asked.
"Of course. We should craft a very good letter," Hermione nodded.
As the kids finished the letter, they saw Daphne run in crying and rushed upstairs. Apparently, the Greengrass family was back from France. It had only been a few days. The children were about to go after Daphne when an unknown, elegantly dressed man came into the manor. The children weren't scared because the security elves were nodding at them discreetly from the main door. They had vetted the man outside. Ianthe was holding onto his arm, and Astoria was holding onto his free hand.
Draco rushed to stand up and bowed as stiffly as all his good manners allowed. Neville did the same, if a bit less gracefully. Harry and Hermione frowned at their friends. Draco pointedly stared at them, so they bowed and curtsied, respectively.
Ianthe smiled at the children, "Children, this is His Majesty King Francis. King Francis, Heir Potter, and his soul-bonded wife Heiress Dagworth-Granger, Heir Longbottom, and Heir Black," she smiled.
The children smiled at the tall man, "Nice to meet you, Your Majesty."
"It's a pleasure to meet you all as well. Ianthe, I would like to meet with Lord Potter as soon as possible. I thought he would be here," King Francis looked puzzled but not upset.
"The Coven is back, and they are okay. Grandpa is at Longbottom manor," Harry replied.
"I see. We will go there, then. Thank you," Ianthe replied. "Astoria, occupe toi de ta soeur." [Take care of your sister]
"Oui, maman, je sais. Excusez-moi, Votre Majesté," Astoria curtseyed prettily and went to stand by Draco. [Yes, mama, I know. Excuse me, Your Majesty]
Once the king left, the children went upstairs to check on Daphne. Maybe now she would speak to them about what happened.
A/N: I am alive! :) This took a lot of writing and rewriting... I am uploading an extra-long chapter (almost 12.5K words) due to my long absence from this story. Consider it an early Christmas present. I hope you are safe and healthy wherever you are. -Lux-
*The Malleus Maleficarum, usually translated as the Hammer of Witches, is the best-known treatise on witchcraft. It was written by the German Catholic clergyman Heinrich Kramer (under his Latinized name Henricus Institor) and first published in the German city of Speyer in 1486. It's horrific. Zero stars. Do not recommend you read it or peruse it.