A/N: Now comes the dark part of this story I warned you about.

8th of November, Sunday. Several Locations

That morning, Bellatrix Lestrange – the only female Death Eater next to Alecto Carrow – was found dead in her single cell strangled with her own hair. A preliminary investigation showed that she had managed to do it herself.

When Moody read the scan of the spells on her that had been dispelled, he actually threw up.

The woman had spells on her cast by Pollux Black, Rodolphus Lestrange, and one Tom Riddle as the magical signatures indicated. He immediately sent out an arrest warrant for Pollux Black and the unknown Riddle. He would research that one later.

The Aurors that had handled Bellatrix Lestrange's case had messed up immensely! They had been content in the knowledge that the woman had quietened down with the veritaserum and had not engaged their brains to think what all the spells they had dispelled actually meant for the woman.

Later, when Bellatrix Lestrange had come back to her senses – for the first time in many years – she had only been able to scream, and no one came to investigate. She was just silenced.

The Aurors had been so sure of her guild that they hadn't even really listened to her answers. And there was much subtext going on in them, too.

Moody called in everyone and yelled at them for half an hour about assuming the guilt of the person they investigated. He showed them in great detail what the spells on the woman meant for her and how to interrogate someone under veritaserum and listen to the hidden things.

The two Aurors, who had been so gleeful to have been the ones chosen to question the wicked witch, were suspended and would soon be in deep waters when Lord Black filed a complaint.

[The case of Bellatrix Lestrange went into the training books as a horrible example of how one could really botch up an interrogation if one assumed the guilt of a perpetrator due to their heritage, their behavior, and what 'everyone knew'. – This didn't help her much, though.]

Poppy Pomfrey went back to Hogwarts to return to the post she had left a week ago. She did not regret going with her guts regardless of the spells on her. Much suffering had been prevented by that, she was sure.

After Casper had handed everything over and more or less ran out of the Hospital Wing, she chuckled and started writing a summons for the staff members.

Frank and Sirius had shown her in great detail how to scan, record and dispel spells on a person, Auror style. She even had the forms to document everything in front of her.

Minerva was the first who arrived huffing an exhausted, "What is it now?"

"Please sit down. I have learned of a way to find out why you might be so single-minded."

"Very well," Minerva huffed again, "But do it quickly. I have little time."

Poppy nodded and went to work.

Minerva had the expected spells on her and more. She clearly was under someone's thump.

When Poppy showed the results to the woman, she all but shrieked, "Dispel them!" and so, Poppy did.

Afterward, Minerva sank back in her chair and stared, "It is like a curtain is being pulled from my mind and heart. I feel like myself again. After many, many years! How didn't I notice?"

"That is a rhetorical question, right?"

Minerva nodded, stumped. She had spent most of her life under someone's influence.

"Was this Albus?"

Poppy nodded, "It was in most other cases, but to be sure I need to send the results to Moody."

Minerva nodded, "Do so. I need to... do so much. Will you scan the rest?"

"Yes."

"Good! Thank you, Poppy!"

The same scene played out again and again. The last staff member she had asked to come was Hagrid and Poppy had asked Filius to stay just in case Hagrid lost it again.

And after she had dispelled everything on him that Albus had found worked on a half-giant, he did lose it. Filius bound the man until Poppy had charmed what felt like a cauldron of calming potion into Hagrid's stomach.

The gentle man cried big fat tears afterward and Poppy and Filius did their best to console him.

What seemed to help the best was the argument that Hagrid had not been singled out because of his gentle nature, but others had the same happening to them. Even the smart wizards and witches that taught in this school had been Albus's victims for years.

When Poppy bundled up all the scan results, she wrote a note to Moody to investigate if Hagrid could be given back his wand rights. That man would be much less dangerous with a wand than with brute force.

In the afternoon she set the Hospital Wing back to rights and wrote an ad for the Daily Prophet that they were looking for a healer specialized in pediatric medicine.

She would start with the improvements Caspar had suggested tomorrow.

Sirius and Harry arrived at Castle Black at ten in the morning. Sirius was getting used to the earlier start of each day as Neville and Harry were up bright and early, every morning.

It looked like more elves than normal were cleaning the castle. It already looked much brighter and more inviting.

They went to Mel's room and found not only Arcturus and Regulus but also a blond woman and a blond toddler there.

"Cissy?"

The blond woman smiled, got up, and hugged Sirius.

While the adults talked, Harry went to the interesting human that was the same size as Nevvi and him.

"Me Hawwy." He introduced himself.

"Me Dwaco." The other said shyly.

"Dwato?"

Draco looked thoughtful for a moment and then nodded.

"Pafoo," Harry introduced his plushie, holding it up by its tail.

"Dwagon" Draco introduced his own friend by holding it up with both hands.

"B…play?"

"Yes, come."

"Otay!"

The adults had taken notice of the conversation and smiled, watching as the two toddled toward the play area that had slowly been forming during the last few days.

Sirius murmured, "I would have thought a son of Lucius to be much more stuck up."

"Fortunately, his father was much too busy fighting his lord's war to take notice of a toddler and now he is in a holding cell. And give him a break. Draco is one and a half. No one is stuck up at that age, don't you think?"

"Good point."

A good while later, after lunch had come and gone and the boys had been put down for a nap, a 'knock' was felt by Arcturus, "Alastor and Bones are here. On a Sunday? And they look grim. Regulus, would you welcome them and bring them here?"

"Certainly, Grandfather," Regulus nodded agreeably and went to the entrance hall to collect the unannounced visitors.

A short while later, the two Aurors had taken a seat and declined refreshments. Sirius knew it was serious then. They usually only did that when the possibility existed to be thrown out.

And it was more than serious. The news about Bella's death was devastating.

Narcissa had to drink a calming draught and was still inconsolable and Regulus wasn't far behind.

Meanwhile, Arcturus and Sirius sat there stone-faced and unmoving, listening to Moody explanations.

"…and I know nothing of that will bring her back and right the wrongs done to her," Mad-eye concluded.

Arcturus nodded angrily, "I will file a complaint on behalf of the Black family. This cannot stand."

Sirius nodded, now just as angry-looking.

Arcturus added, "Unofficially I have to say, I feel partly to blame. Had I spent more time managing my family, I probably wouldn't have been incapacitated by Riddle at Melania's wake. I shouldn't have let that happen to any of the daughters of my house. I knew Pollux was and is a greedy and vicious man! I should have…" Arcturus let his head sink into his hands.

"No, Grandfather! We left you alone when Father started making plans. You were more than occupied by Grandmother Melania's sickness and later her death!" Narcissa said decisively, if a little wetly.

"Cissa is right, Grandfather," Sirius added. "All we can do now is make sure this never happens again in our family!"

They all nodded and Moody added, "And I make sure this never happens at my end either. I promise you that!"

They spent the next half hour arranging for Bella's remains to be brought to the Castle and to file the harsh complaint, Arcturus had promised the Aurors.

The mood lifted a bit when the two boys woke up again trying to cheer the grown-ups up.

At Lestrange Manor, the mood was quite different.

Rabastan had noticed the demise of his sister-in-law on their (knock-off) family tapestry and was elated. At least she wouldn't be able to make his life a living hell anymore. Now if only his brother was being sent to Azkaban. And chances of that happening had increased considerably if the papers were to be believed. If Rodolphus had to take veritaserum he was toast, as Barty liked to say.

Rabastan grinned to himself.

That would mean, Barty could live here and his Mum could as well. It would be great! Away from all the family members that tore them all down, at last. They only needed to wait until Rod's trial had happened favorably (for them).

[Rab would be quite sorrowful when he learned of Bella's true fate. No one deserved this! He would implement quite the rule regimen - observed by the goblins at every Lestrange marriage in the future - to prevent such horror from ever happening in their family ever again.]

At Hogwarts Poppy turned off the lights for the night in the empty Hospital Wing and wondered what the next day would bring.

A/N: Somewhere in the middle of this chapter ended the writing I had done the prior year and I tried to add some more as seamlessly as possible. Hope it worked.

So, now the first November week is over and so is this story? I mean, I added the second Sunday already, right? 😊

Buuut the story ends at a rather dark point and I didn't like that. So, I tried to add some to it. How about another week in one chapter plus some summarized outlooks into the future? So, I wrote that as well, and about 1.700 words are yet to come. But now I am quite done with the story and want to move on.

So many thank-yous for all your interest and participation! It was great!