Harry Potter was filled with excitement. His sister, Mia, was getting married in a year, and she and her fiancé, Jace, had decided to wait until Harry and his friends graduated from Hogwarts to celebrate the wedding. For Harry, this was a significant event, and he had always longed for siblings, having watched Ron enjoy a close bond with his brothers. So when he discovered that he had an older sister, he couldn't have been happier.
However, their sibling relationship hadn't always been smooth sailing. Harry had held idealized expectations of Mia when they first met, seeing her as the two-year-old girl he had glimpsed in their parents' memories. When she didn't meet his childhood expectations, he reacted poorly. He understood that he had made mistakes. Mia already had her own family and friends, a life outside of the world he had known, and that initially unsettled him.
Harry didn't want to blame his behavior on hormones. He knew he had a short fuse, a trait he'd inherited from his mother, and he often got angry, saying things he later regretted. His pride, inherited from his father, often prevented him from apologizing. Mia had always cared about him, despite his moments of arrogance and selfishness.
Despite their differences and occasional arguments, they had learned to love each other in their unique way. Mia had always been there for Harry. She helped him in various ways, from assisting him in handling a boggart in a Defense Against the Dark Arts class to supporting him during the Triwizard Tournament. It was safe to say that without her sister right now he would be a piece of roast meat.
Mia, with her usual sincerity, was the person he could trust with anything. Mia always gave her unfiltered opinion, even if it wasn't what he wanted to hear. She was, in Harry's eyes, the best sister in the world.
One day, as Harry was sitting in the Hogwarts courtyard, Mia appeared before him. He was surprised to see her, as they were supposed to see each other in a month for the summer break. They exchanged a warm hug.
"What are you doing here at Hogwarts?" Harry asked, his eyes shining with curiosity. "We're see each other in a month."
Mia looked at him with seriousness in her eyes. "I have something to ask you."
Harry noticed her nervousness. "What's going on?"
With a sudden burst of emotion, Mia asked, "Would you like to be my best man?"
Harry froze, shocked by his sister's request. She was asking him to be the best man at her wedding. Seeing her growing nervous, he found his voice.
"I thought it would be Theo," Harry replied, clearing his throat.
Mia explained with a smile, "Teddy is going to be Jace's best man."
Harry was still surprised. "I…Why me?"
Mia took his hand and looked deeply into his eyes. "Because you're my brother, and I love you. I would be really excited if it were you."
Harry, his surprise turning into joy, finally said, "Yes, of course, I accept!"
Mia sighed in relief. "One thing less on the list."
Curious, Harry asked, "Is it a lot of work, planning the wedding?"
Mia seemed exasperated. "You can't even imagine. Between floral arrangements and wedding menus, they're going to drive me crazy. Don't ever get married, Hazz."
Harry chuckled, despite the warning. "Well, it's a shame, because I would like to marry Pansy in the future."
Mia looked at him thoughtfully. "How long have you and Pansy been together?"
"About a year and a half," Harry replied with a smile, his thoughts filled with his girlfriend.
Mia laughed softly. "I'm glad you remember because I forgot my third anniversary with Jace."
Harry was genuinely surprised. "How could you forget such an important date?"
Mia whined, "I know, I'm so stressed about the wedding that I don't even know what day it is anymore."
Curious, Harry asked, "What did Jace get you?"
Mia's face lit up as she recalled their special date. "He took me to Paris. It was one of the best dates I've ever had with him."
Harry smiled warmly. "I'm very happy for you. It's obvious that he loves you very much."
Mia, wanting to know her brother's opinion, asked, "I've never asked you, but what do you think of Jace?"
Harry responded sincerely, "I think he is the ideal husband for you. He cares for you deeply, loves you, and would protect you without hesitation. He makes you laugh, and that's very important. He values your opinion and includes you in important decisions. I'm glad he's the person you're going to marry."
As the hallways began to fill with students, signaling the break between classes, Harry knew he had to leave. "I have to go. Pansy will be waiting for me to go to Potions."
Mia, amused, waved him off. "Go ahead, and don't be late because of me."
Mia strolled through the halls of Hogwarts, a sense of relief washing over her as the wedding preparations had temporarily subsided. The only tasks left for Mia were her dress fittings and finalizing the guest list. She was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't notice her surroundings until she accidentally bumped into someone.
"I'm sorry," a male voice immediately apologized.
Mia looked up, her surprise evident in her voice. "It was my fault; I wasn't looking where... Draco."
Draco, clearly recognizing who he had collided with, took a step back, creating a considerable distance between himself and Harry's sister.
"Draco, what are you doing?" Mia asked with a mixture of surprise and curiosity
"I... the restraining order," Draco hesitated, stammering out an explanation.
Mia encouraged him, "Come closer, Draco. I won't do anything to you; I just want to talk."
With a visible amount of apprehension, Draco cautiously approached Mia.
Mia began the conversation softly, "How are you, Draco?"
"I... I'm fine," Draco replied, visibly uncertain, his hand moving to scratch his neck as he struggled for words.
"Harry told me that you're in therapy and seeing a psychologist," Mia said as she studied his face.
"They're helping me manage my emotions in a healthier way," Draco admitted, his embarrassment palpable.
Mia offered a supportive smile. "I'm glad to hear that."
For a moment, they fell into an awkward silence, which Draco eventually broke.
"I... I'm sorry," Draco began, his words hesitant and sincere, "I'm sorry for all the harm I did to you and Jace. I'm sorry for the way I treated you at the ball. I was selfish, immature, and jealous. I could have endangered Jace. I'm sorry for chasing you through the halls of Hogwarts. I'm sorry for the times I asked you out when you were clearly not interested. I'm sorry for making fun of your feelings for Jace. I'm sorry for telling your parents. I'm sorry for... for everything."
Mia interrupted his heartfelt apology, her voice gentle, "I forgive you, Draco. I'm glad you've realized your mistakes and learned from them."
"I... thank you. I don't know what to say," Draco said, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
Mia smiled warmly, extending her hand. "There's nothing more to say. We can start again. I'm Mia, Harry's older sister."
Draco cautiously accepted her handshake, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Draco, Harry's best friend."
After a few minutes of companionable silence, Draco spoke up again.
"What brings you to Hogwarts? I mean, why are you here?" he asked.
Mia explained, "I've come to ask Harry to be my best man. Now that I've seen you, I've also come to give you something."
From her bag, Mia pulled out a wedding invitation and handed it to Draco.
"It's an invitation to my wedding," she explained. "You're my brother's best friend, and I'd like you and Astoria to be there on the day I get married. I'll also ask Astoria to be one of my bridesmaids, and Jace will likely send you a letter this summer, inviting you to be one of his groomsmen."
Draco, his gratitude evident, managed to say, "I... thank you. But the restraining order..."
Mia assured him, "Jace and I believe you've genuinely changed and learned from your mistakes. It's clear that you're remorseful, and you've taken steps to manage your emotions. My brother has personally vouched for your transformation, so we have no issues with you."
Draco's eyes filled with tears as he expressed his gratitude. "Thank you so much."
Mia offered some words of encouragement. "It's time for you to start forgiving yourself for what you've done." She then got up and left, leaving Draco with a mix of emotions.
"Are you nervous?" Regulus asked Barty as he entered the room. "We're about to begin."
Barty, who had been pacing back and forth, nervously tugging at his shirt collar, paused for a moment. He wasn't sure if the room was hot, or if it was just him feeling hot under the collar.
"Yeah, a little," Barty admitted, finally stopping in his tracks. "I'm still somewhat of a persona non grata for most of the attendees."
"Mia is about to arrive," Regulus reassured him, trying to calm Barty's nerves.
As if summoned by their conversation, Mia entered the room with a smile.
"Are we all ready?" Mia inquired, approaching her godfather and Barty. "The room is packed with people, and the press is already poised."
Barty, adjusting his tie and trying to smooth down his hair, managed a smile. "Let's get the show on the road."
Mia, Regulus, and Barty shared smiles and left the room, greeted by enthusiastic whistles and applause from the attendees. Mia's family and friends were the most excited, while the press had their cameras ready. Regulus waited until the crowd had settled down before he began to speak.
"Many of you already know us, but for those who don't, I'm going to introduce ourselves," Regulus began, eliciting some chuckles from the audience. "My name is Regulus Black. The girl next to me is my goddaughter, Mia Borghese, and the young man next to me is my goddaughter's, Barty Crouch Jr."
Mia and Barty waved and smiled as the press cameras clicked away.
"We are here today," Regulus continued, "to officially present the CAS Project to you. We've prepared it with great love, and there are many people behind this project who have worked tirelessly to make today possible."
Regulus took a seat, and the applause and cheers filled the room before he handed the microphone to Barty.
"As Reggie said," Barty began, "my name is Barty Crouch Jr., and I am the cause of the entire debacle today, and possibly also the madness that is the CAS project that Mia will now explain to you."
Barty's humorous self-deprecation was met with laughter from the audience.
"I'm going to tell you the whole story," Barty continued, taking a sip of water. "Evan, Mia's uncle, and I were Death Eaters during Voldemort's rise to power. Evan and I knew what we were getting into when we accepted the Dark Mark. At the time, we felt very proud of what we did. However, Evan started having doubts when he found out that Voldemort was willing to murder a baby to remain in power."
The audience listened intently, the room falling silent.
"Many of you may think that Evan was a monster for kidnapping Mia," Barty said, his voice filled with a mix of regret and reflection. "But I knew him better than anyone. Evan had promised himself not to harm any children before he became a Death Eater. That's where he drew the line. When he kidnapped Mia, I was scared because if we didn't complete the mission, Voldemort would have killed us both. And Evan's life mattered more to me than the life of a baby."
Barty's words hung in the air, and the room remained silent as he continued.
"Evan disappeared with Mia, and I didn't see him again until the night he died," Barty explained. "I searched his house from top to bottom, hoping to find anything that could tell me where Mia was. But all I found was this photo, with no address or names."
A picture appeared on the screen, showing a two-year-old Mia in the arms of her mother, with Lorenzo hugging her, the Borghese Villa and its gardens in the background.
Barty took another sip of water and continued, "During the time I was in hiding, I specialized in magical imprints. I moved to different places every two or three weeks to avoid attracting attention, and I needed a way to detect if someone was following me. I thought that if I could detect who was following me, maybe I could detect Mia's magical imprint. It took me two years to find her, and here we are today."
The audience responded with applause, many visibly moved by Barty's story.
"Many of you may be wondering what a magical imprint is," Mia interjected as she took the microphone. "Every witch and wizard, when practicing verbal or non-verbal magic, leaves behind residual magic, which we call a magical imprint. Each imprint is uniquely ours, much like our DNA, and it identifies us."
Regulus added, "The blood wards that we have in our houses work thanks to these magical imprints. The house recognizes the magical imprints of each member, allowing it to function."
A journalist raised a hand and asked, "But Miss Borghese is not the biological daughter of the Borghese, and yet, I assume the blood wards of Villa Borghese recognize her?"
Mia explained, "In my case, when my parents adopted me, I grew up inside Villa Borghese. Since mansions have sentient magic, Villa Borghese recognized me as its own. So, it's as if it adopted me into the Borghese family."
"So what's the use of blood guards?" another journalist asked.
Barty replied, "The blood wards are there to protect, and the magical imprints indicate who needs to be protected. They both work in tandem. When the blood wards recognize the magical imprints and adopt people into the family, so to speak, they prevent harm from coming to them. The imprint magic influences the blood wards, letting the mansion know who is welcome and who is not."
Another journalist inquired, "What is the next step for the CAS project?"
Regulus answered, "We are going to collaborate with the Auror Department to assist in their efforts to find missing people and children, similar to what happened with Mia."
"Can the CAS project become a type of national security network?" another journalist asked.
Mia chuckled and responded, "At the moment, we are still receiving donations from investors, but our goal is to internationalize the project. However, we'll take it one step at a time. As they say, Rome wasn't built in a day, right?"
Barty added, "Any other questions?"
When no one else in the audience had further inquiries, Barty continued, "Thank you all very much for coming today to support us. We are happy to answer any questions or address any concerns you may have."
The audience erupted in applause, and camera flashes illuminated the room as Mia, Regulus, and Barty walked off the small stage, heading toward their family.
"Congratulations, princess," Jace said, giving Mia a kiss on the cheek. "I'm very proud of you."
"We are all very proud," James exclaimed, embracing his daughter.
"I think it's time for a toast," Sirius said with a playful grin, grabbing a bottle of champagne.
They all picked up champagne glasses as Sirius began to pour. Once the glasses were filled, Sirius raised his own and exclaimed, "TO THE CAS PROJECT!"
The whole room chimed in, raising their glasses and echoing, "TO THE CAS PROJECT," as they clinked their champagne glasses together in celebration.