Theo had been dozing on the floor in the room where Jace lay in bed, which he had made as comfortable as possible. He was awoken by a ghostly silver light that filled the room. Rubbing his eyes with his fist, Theo squinted and saw a Patronus in the shape of a direwolf standing before him. Mia's voice flowed from the Patronus, filling the room with her words.
"Teddy," Mia's voice spoke softly through the Patronus, "I'm fine, but I need to know where you are. Jace is dying. Tell me where you are, and I'll get there as fast as I can."
Theo quickly got up and left the room in search of Magnus. Magnus was sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by candles, deep in meditation.
"Magnus," Theo whispered, trying not to disturb him. "Magnus, are you...?"
"I'm awake," Magnus replied without opening his eyes, sensing Theo's presence.
"Mia just sent me her Patronus," Theo explained urgently. "She said she's fine and wants to know our location. She knows Jace is dying."
Magnus nodded and stood up, writing the address of his loft on a piece of paper. "Tell Mia we're at my loft in New York," he instructed. "And tell her to hurry. I don't know how much time Jace has left."
Theo nodded and summoned his Patronus, a direwolf, to relish the location information to Mia. With a swift motion, his Patronus shot out of the window, racing toward its destination. Theo then collapsed onto the couch, tears streaming down his weeks of relentless worry and fear had taken their toll.
"She's okay, they're going to be okay," Magnus reassured Theo, coming over and embracing him. " Don't worry, Theo."
Meanwhile, Mia, still somewhat weakened, approached Vhagar, her loyal dragon. She spoke to her dragon, her voice soft and reassuring, "Vhagar, nyke jorrāelagon ao naejot return naejot Hogwarts. Nyke'll sagon sȳz yn nyke jorrāelagon naejot save Jace, ziry's dying, ao shifang bona, paktot?" (Vhagar, I need you to go back to Hogwarts. I'm fine, but I need to save Jace. Do you understand, my friend?)
Vhagar emitted a concerned growl, clearly worried about Mia's condition and her ability to travel alone. Mia smiled and gently stroked Vhagar's massive nose.
"I'll be fine," Mia assured her dragon softly. "I'll see you at Hogwarts. Please say hello to Balerion and Meraxes for you for coming to rescue me"
Vhagar nodded understandingly and offered a gentle growl of affection as she briefly nudged Mia's body before taking to the sky with a powerful roar. Mia watched with a smile as Vhagar soared away before turning her attention to Theo's Patronus, which had just delivered their location.
Summoning her strength, Mia cast a portal to Magnus's loft leaving behind the treacherous waves of the Black Sea. Moments later, she appeared in the living room, stumbling slightly as she landed. Theo and Magnus rushed to her side, helping her to the couch.
"You look very different from the last time I saw you," Magnus remarked with a hint of surprise.
"Is it a good kind of different or a bad kind of different?" Mia asked with a weak smile.
"Good different," Magnus replied honestly,offering her a glass of water.
"Thank you," Mia said, taking a sip. "Where's Jace?"
"He's in the room at the end of the hallway," Theo informed her, his eyes filled with concern. "He's in bad shape, Star, really bad. He's been delirious for two weeks, and Magnus can't do anything more."
"What do I need to do?" Mia asked, determination evident in her voice.
"What are you willing to do?" Magnus inquired.
"Anything to bring him back," Mia replied resolutely. "I'd give my life for him."
"This way," Magnus instructed, gesturing for her to follow him.
As soon as she entered the room, Mia rushed to Jace's side and took his hand welled up in her eyes as she saw how pale and frail he looked. He appeared so calm, as if he were peacefully sleeping. She brushed a strand of his hair away from his face, resting her hand on his extended a black stone with the Parabatai rune etched on it toward Mia.
"You know what to do," he said softly.
Mia nodded, taking the stone and placing it between her and Jace's hands. The stone flashed with a golden light, and Jace stirred slightly in his delirium.
"Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee," the young version of Mia began, her voice filled with warmth.
Mia held the stone tightly, repeating the words, "Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee."
The young version of Jace continued, "For whither thou goest, I will go."
Jace moved slightly, and the stone slipped from his hand.
Theo asked with a trembling voice, "What's happening?"
"He's slipping away," Magnus said, his worry palpable.
"Your people shall be my people, and your God shall be my God," Mia continued, her voice quivering with emotion. "When you die, I will die."
Jace took one last, shallow breath and was gone. Mia gasped in pain, tears streaming down her face as she clutched Jace tightly.
"And more also," Mia sobbed, "if aught but death part thee and me. Please don't leave me, Jace."
Theo, too, was crying silently, his heart heavy with grief, as he watched Mia embrace Jace and hold him close.
"If aught but death part thee and me," Jace's weak voice replied cutting the silence.
For a moment, Jace appeared disoriented, his eyes searching and confused. He looked at Mia and then around the room, his confusion evident
"What... What the hell is going on?" Jace asked frowning
Mia locked eyes with Jace, tears of joy streaming down her face. "It's all right, Jace," she said, her voice trembling with emotion as she hugged him. "All that matters is that you're back."
Theo and Magnus quietly exited the room, leaving Jace and Mia alone.
Theo couldn't help but voice his concerns, his fear and helplessness evident in his voice. "Why... why haven't I been able to do anything?" he asked Mia. "Mia, Jace, and I also share a bond similar to the Parabatai bond."
"Because it is angelic magic," Magnus explained. "Magic, as you wizards conceive it, is nothing against Angel Raziel's magic. Don't beat yourself up over it."
Theo looked downcast, his shoulders slumping. "So, what I did was of no use?" he asked with a touch of sadness.
Magnus shook his head reassuringly. "It's not the same, Theodore," he said gently. "Jace was using his Parabatai bond to find Mia. Any other external signal was blocked by him. As I said before, don't beat yourself up over it."
Theo expressed his concern about not being able to help if such a situation were to occur again. "I'm worried I won't be able to do anything if this happens again," he admitted.
"Let's hope it doesn't happen again," Magnus said with a faint smile. "And if it does, you call on me, and I will come to your aid."
Theo expressed his gratitude. "Thank you," he said sincerely.
Magnus reassured him, "There's no reason to give thanks. I like you, not like the Shadowhunters."
Regulus Black was going out of his mind at Grimmauld Place. It had been over two weeks since he had heard from his goddaughter, and he was consumed with worry. Never in his life had he been so worried about someone, and he couldn't help but attribute it to the infamous Gryffindor recklessness that seemed to run in the Potter family, much to his chagrin.
Perhaps it was the influence of the Potters that had made his goddaughter, his own father, and his younger brother all possess such a troublesome habit of diving headfirst into dangerous situations without a second thought for the consequences. He couldn't fathom why they seemed to believe that problems chased them, rather than the other way around. To Regulus, it was a mentality that invited disaster.
Regulus couldn't help but wonder about the Sorting Hat's choice for Mia's Hogwarts house. He had often thought that, had she attended Hogwarts in her time, she might have been sorted into Slytherin like him and Narcissa. But now, he found himself doubting even that. It was a testament to his deepening worry. His intrusion into the lives of others had led to this predicament, and he was beginning to regret his involvement in a world that was not his own.
Regulus and Sirius had grown up in a household where unconditional love was an alien concept. Their mother, Walburga, had taken it upon herself to teach them that nothing in this world came without a price. In the eyes of the Blacks, everyone had a price, and they had two ways of dealing with problems: throwing money at them or making them "disappear" permanently. Regulus had come to realize, thanks to his uncle Alphard, that their mother hadn't always been so bitter and cruel; the true monster of Grimmauld Place was Orion.
Sirius, despite his defiance, had always been the braver of the two brothers. Whenever they got into trouble as children, Sirius would willingly shoulder the blame, even when it was not his to bear. Regulus had never seen the extent of his father's cruelty until that one fateful day when he accidentally broke a vase in the hallway. It had sent Orion into a fit of rage, and Regulus found himself caught in his father's unrelenting grip as he was dragged into a room within the house. Regulus couldn't comprehend what was happening, only that his father's wrath was causing him immense pain.
But it was Sirius who had stepped in, intercepting their father before Regulus could be subjected to further harm. In the end, Orion had released Regulus and seized Sirius by the arm, leading him into another room. Regulus never saw his brother at dinner that night, and when he timidly inquired about Sirius's whereabouts, his father had merely told him that Sirius was unwell and resting in his room.
That night, before Regulus went to sleep, he crept quietly to his brother's room. What he witnessed was nothing short of horrifying. Sirius lay on his bed, trembling and drenched in cold sweat, his body wracked with shivers. His arms bore veins that had turned an ominous shade of black. Regulus immediately called Kreacher and begged the house-elf to help his brother. He was terrified of losing Sirius, the one person who had taught him that not everyone in the world was cruel or opportunistic.
Regulus and Sirius never discussed what had transpired that night, but Regulus had taken it upon himself to avoid trouble and prevent his brother from being subjected to further punishment. Things changed once their mother discovered that the Black heir had been sorted into Gryffindor and befriended the Potter heir. Regulus quickly learned the criteria for friendships within the Black family, and he realized that Mia would not have met their standards.
From that point onward, Orion made it clear that Regulus needed to be sorted into Slytherin or face dire consequences. Regulus had pleaded with the Sorting Hat to place him in Slytherin, and to his surprise, the Hat had agreed, despite suggesting he would be a better fit for Ravenclaw.
Regulus couldn't help but envy his older brother as he observed Sirius having fun with his friends in Gryffindor, apparently forgetting about Regulus entirely. Regulus began to harbor a deep resentment toward Sirius for abandoning him at Grimmauld Place and never looking back. Surprisingly, their father never resorted to cursing Regulus, a fact that weighed heavily on his mind.
However, amid the darkness of their family, there was one beacon of light: Mia. Little Cassie, as he fondly called her, loved him unconditionally, even though she didn't truly know him. She was a unique gem in a sea of cold hearts. Seeing her through her brother's magical mirror, her wide hazel eyes brimming with curiosity, had made Regulus fall in love with her innocence. In a world plagued by war and darkness, Mia's presence had been a breath of fresh air, a ray of sunshine at the end of a long, dark tunnel.
Regulus realized that he would do anything for Mia, who deserved to grow up in a world filled with happiness rather than the grim reality of war. He had made it his mission to orchestrate Voldemort's downfall from within, and every moment of pain he endured, every Crucio he faced, felt justified when he saw Voldemort's lifeless body on the floor.
But then, on that fateful night, something terrible happened. Someone had kidnapped his goddaughter, the very night they had finally destroyed Voldemort. Someone had stolen his identity to deceive Narcissa and had taken Mia away from them.
Mia's disappearance had indeed taken a heavy toll on the Potter family, and James was perhaps the most affected of them all. Regulus couldn't help but feel that he was partly responsible for this tragedy. His identity had been used to deceive Narcissa and take Mia away, and the guilt weighed heavily on his conscience. He couldn't shake the feeling that if he hadn't repaired his relationship with his brother, this might not have happened. However, he also understood that there was no way to know for certain, and the uncertainty was torturous.
Regulus had spared no expense in his quest to find Mia. He had offered vast sums of galleons to his contacts, scoured every lead, and followed any clue, but it seemed that Mia had vanished without a trace. It was a helplessness that gnawed at him day and night.
In his desperation, Regulus had turned to darker avenues, delving into books on blood magic and black magic that he had discovered within Grimmauld Place's hidden library. The knowledge he sought, however, remained elusive. His resources were vast, but the boundaries of his search were limited by the vast bodies of water surrounding the United Kingdom. He couldn't venture beyond those borders, leaving him with an ever-narrowing scope.
Although he yearned to ask Narcissa for assistance, he knew she would vehemently reject the use of dark magic to find her goddaughter. His own feelings of guilt and responsibility weighed heavily upon him, leaving him with a sense of despair that he had never experienced before.
As Regulus was lost in thought, he suddenly became aware of a presence in the room. It was a raven, its dark feathers glistening in the dimly lit room. What caught Regulus's attention was the raven's eyes, which were unlike those of a typical bird. Instead of the usual dark, glassy orbs, this raven had eyes that were almost human-like, light eyes.
The raven stared at Regulus with an intensity that was unnerving. Its gaze seemed to carry a message, but Regulus couldn't decipher it. The eyes of the raven reminded him of someone he couldn't quite place, and it left him both puzzled and intrigued.
The living room in Grimmauld Place had been shrouded in an eerie black mist, and Regulus found himself choking as he struggled to breathe. When the mist finally cleared, Barty Crouch Jr. stood before him, dressed in an Auror uniform, his expression deadly serious.
Regulus, still recovering from the coughing fit, asked, "How did you get in?"
"I'm an Animagus," Barty replied calmly as he took a seat, "it wasn't very complicated considering you have the window open."
Regulus glanced at the window in realization. Since he had inherited Grimmauld Place, he had made extensive renovations to the house, including opening all the windows to dispel the oppressive atmosphere that had always hung over the place. The fresh air and open windows had transformed the house significantly.
Barty's presence, however, still puzzled Regulus. "What are you doing here, Barty?"
"I'm here for Mia," Barty replied curtly.
Concerned and confused, Regulus asked, "What's wrong with her?"
"I know she's missing," Barty stated, rising from his seat and distancing himself from Regulus. "And it's my fault."
"What the fuck did you just say?" Regulus asked, his voice trembling with fury.
"It's my fault," Barty repeated, running his hand through his hair, his guilt evident.
In an instant, Regulus had Barty cornered with his wand pointed at his throat. His eyes were filled with fury, and Barty couldn't help but acknowledge the unpredictability of the Black family's temperament.
"The first time she disappeared, it was your fucking fault," Regulus hissed, his grip on Barty's shirt.
Barty realized that he was dealing with a Black, and that meant unpredictable and dangerous emotions. He knew that the Black family had a reputation for greatness and madness, and he was witnessing it firsthand. Everyone said that every time a Black was born the gods would toss a coin and hold their breath to see which way it would land. Greatness. Madness. Two sides of the same coin.
"I've already asked for forgiveness for that," Barty replied, "and when my time comes, I will pay for my sins. But that doesn't matter now."
Regulus's grip on Barty's collar tightened, and he demanded, "What do you know about her? How do you know she's missing?"
"I asked for her help," Barty explained, trying to free himself from Regulus's hold. "I asked her, Theo, and Jace for help."
Furious, Regulus pressed further. "And how can a sixteen-year-old girl help you? You're under a national search warrant. Don't you dare involve my goddaughter in your fucking mess."
"She agreed," Barty replied, struggling to speak as Regulus finally released him. "I didn't force her into anything."
"What did she agree to?" Regulus demanded. "Tell me, or I will kill you."
"I told Mia that I needed Vhagar to break into Azkaban once the Wizengamot prosecuted Dumbledore and Snape," Barty explained.
"James is the Head of the Auror Department for Salazar's sake " Regulus exclaimed, "and you're asking my daughter to help you break into a maximum-security prison surrounded by Dementors?"
"I repeat," Barty insisted, "she accepted."
Regulus ran his hand over his face in exasperation. "What do you know about Mia's disappearance?"
"What I suspect," Barty began, "is that Mia, Theo, and Jace went to Azkaban with Balerion, Meraxes, and Vhagar on a reconnaissance mission, and something went terribly wrong."
"How bad?" Regulus asked anxiously.
"Bad enough for them to disappear for two weeks," Barty replied. "From what I know, Mia fell into the Black Sea, and Jace passed out."
"Fuck," Regulus couldn't contain his frustration. "Fucking hell, Barty! What else do you know?"
"I followed her magical imprint," Barty continued, "every wizard and witch leaves a magical imprint, a sort of magical residue unique to them. Mia's is quite distinctive. She's a very, very interesting witch, to be honest."
"How did you manage that?" Regulus inquired. "I'm Mia's godfather, and I haven't been able to locate her.
"Evan placed a kind of magical tracker on Mia," Barty explained, "although Evan never spoke to Mia or Isabelle, I know that Evan went to check on Mia once a year to ensure they were safe."
"What kind of tracker?" Regulus asked.
"I don't know the specifics," Barty admitted, "but it likely involves blood magic. After all, Evan was the one who changed Mia's appearance and erased her memories."
"And how did you locate her?" Regulus questioned.
"During my time in hiding," Barty began, "I specialized in studying the magical imprints of wizards and witches and how to differentiate them. Mia's is unique, as is Jace's."
"Why?" Regulus asked.
"Because they have angel blood," Barty revealed, "and that's something incredibly rare."
"Where is she? Where is my goddaughter?" Regulus demanded.
"She's in New York," Barty said. "In the loft of the High Warlock of Brooklyn."
"Name. I need names, Barty." Regulus voice pressed
"Magnus Bane," Barty answered, "the man you're looking for is called Magnus Bane."