Author's Note:
I went and saw Guardians of the Galaxy 3 last night and I cried like a baby! I really enjoyed it!
Reviews and Comments: To AQuickRead91: Haha, thank you for saying you need more, more is coming lol. Thank you! To CheesePuffQueen: Yes, making your heart stop was on the agenda. Sirius is definitely not sure of things. Thank you for loving it so much! To atrelis: Thank you! I enjoy showing Harry and Ginny happy in their respective career choices. Thank you! To marauders_mowopapr: No, Sirius did not recognize his on kids and yes, the parallels between Harry being orphaned at the same age as Mina and Leo are there. Ginny's schedule is definitely stressful! Thank you! To HarryGinnyLove88: He is confused. Thank you! To shuweet: Thank you! Sometimes I think my mind is a scary place so thanks for loving how it works lol. I thought the AIU was an important part to add because Aurors can't do everything, law enforcement works as a team and I wanted to show the different parts of that team working together. Thank you! To corneliastreet_28: Thank you! To SiriusLover93: Thank you! I wanted to show how despite the fact that Dean and Seamus are best friends and in love, sometimes it takes more. Communication is important and of course there will be struggles, but they can work through it. Where do souls go is an interesting question and yes, it will be addressed. Thank you!
To abhinav_india_17: Yes, the Nightmare Before Christmas is both a Christmas and Halloween classic lol. I think Harry was too terrified and worried to tell Sirius the munchkins were his. Ginny is definitely working her butt off. What character do I personally relate to? Um… I honestly have no idea. I think each character has a little bit of me. Seamus is a bit insecure and showing his and Dean communicating their struggles was important. Yes, Ron and Hermione are definitely still bickering lol. Thank you very much! To MABK_Potter_Fan: Ha, sorry that the suspense is killing you, but also you're welcome lol. Has Sirius suffered enough? Um… thank you lol. To Bosma18: Thank you for saying the Harry and Sirius part was incredible. Harry is a great big brother. I think Seamus and Dean sharing their emotions is important (and the drinks at the pub probably helped a bit). Our characters are grown up and with that comes new struggles. Thank you! To c_thru_the_looking_glass: Sorry to have broken your heart. Thanks for loving my many storylines and saying that I have fleshed them out beautifully. Thank you! To guest111: Yes, Dean and Seamus are okay. Sorry to have made your heart drop when Sirius showed up at the cottage. Harry is so smitten with Ginny absolutely lol. Thank you!
To Belle: Yup, Sirius walked right into the cottage. Sirius is definitely remembering a bit, but not enough to make connections. You're rooting for Sirius to turn on Crouch and the Bellas? Fair. Thank you for liking seeing the bits of everyone else's lives and for loving my Hinny. Thank you! To neumann: The iron key that McGonagall gave Harry? We will have to see. No, Harry did not give Ginny the key. Thank you! To reginahalange: Thank you! To katelyn453: Ron does have an interesting way of decorating (and he's not good lol). Thank you! To Fanfis01: Thank you very much! I love writing Theo and can't see him as evil in other works either. He's such a softie! Thank you for saying this trilogy is now your head canon. Thank you! To Bellmel: Thanks for loving my Deamus! It is a huge transition and I wanted to show how they're dealing with these changes in the next stage of their lives. Sorry to have given you chills, but yes, it does confirm that it is Sirius without a doubt. Sirius' appearances are infrequent enough that Harry's guard wasn't as high as it should have been and part of him, no matter how worried he is, can't see Sirius as a threat. Thank you for enjoying the Auror storyline, I wanted to show that they do have other cases to work on and deal with. It is different from ASC. They're not kids anymore and have grown up. Thank you so much! To scrappy8: Thank you! To mike3308: Harry and Ginny will make time for each other, always. Thank you! To Sets: Yes, it really is Sirius as the Animagus transformation proved and poor Remus is just as shocked as Harry is. Yes, Harry is more powerful than Sorcha. "Asking how his own children is sweet and creepy rolled into a fever-dream induced eventual insomnia" — well said. Seamus and Dean have worked things out (mostly) but of course, they will have to keep working at it. Ha, yes, tinsel Ron is entertaining. Ginny can definitely handle the pressure! Thank you!
To ITHersey: No, Sirius won't hurt the babies (promise)! Yes, him not knowing his own children is depressing. Sorry for making you so sad, but I'm glad you still love it. Ha, thanks for saying I'm an evil genius. Thank you! To Emma Janet: They did want to keep things normal for the twins, but also Harry never imagined anyone could get through the wards because part of him was still convinced it wasn't really Sirius. As to seeing James and Lily, yes, we will. Thank you! To Cassiopeia Anastasia Black: It is sad that Sirius didn't recognize the twins, but yes, technically he has never met them. Thanks for loving my bits of other couples peppered in. Thank you! To alix33: Thank you! To ellyann13: Thank you! To the Mandalorian terminator: Thank you! This story won't have as many couples as ASC did, but we will get glimpses. Thank you! To camazoz: Thank you so much for saying the notification of me updating is the highlight of your week! Thanks for loving Theo, he deserves to be a main character in my opinion. Thank you! To Nan001: I'm glad to hear that I didn't make you cry in that chapter lol. Thank you very much! To CrazyWithABook: Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Yup, life outside of Hogwarts is a big change and they have to learn how to deal with it on top of each other. Yes, Sirius is almost "scouting our his prey," isn't he? Yes, Dung has a daughter (because I made her up lol). Yes, hockey does. They play eighty-two games a season, not including the playoffs. Since hockey is the only sport I kind of sport, I used that as my benchmark. Thank you!
To saucyswimmer: Yes, I didn't make you wait too long for a Deamus update. Thanks for thinking the Sirius scene was intense. As to how I keep intricate threads continuing, yes, I have a massive and completely over the top charting system on google docs broken down into different sheets: Characters, Timeline, Locations, Birthdays, Spells, Family Trees, Government and Journalism, Playlist, Products/Other, Textbooks, Professors, Hogwarts Houses by Class, Phrases, Character Lists, and Moon Cycle on top of a bullet point list (and it's really not as properly updated as it should be, but I do my best). Thank you for saying Hinny is the sweetest! We'll see more Romione soon as well. Thank you! To Howl22: Animagus is part of him like his magic is. I don't think it connects to his memories. Thank you! To Nuno Neves: Thank you for saying the Sirius scene was intense. It's really fun writing Harry as an Auror and showing him working on cases. He was definitely born to be an Auror. Ron and Hermione arguing over a Christmas tree is very them, isn't it? LOL. Thank you for loving Harry and Ginny missing each other. Thank you!
To Ellieoryan7447: I love you for working so hard to leave me a review and I have no idea why it gives you so much trouble! The god of sexiness made me laugh so thanks for that. Yes, Dean and Seamus did fight which is understandable as things have changed for them. Thank you for saying those cracks in their foundation add depth to the story. Ha, didn't mean to scare the living crap out of you, but we all knew it was going to come. It is a serious threat and one that they now are redoing the wards to make it safe for everyone. Yes, Sirius not recognizing his own children and them fearing him is hard to read. Ha, the spatula or wooden spoon is pretty accurate, good thing Harry is a bit more savvy. Of course they call Remus "Moo!" You know Harry instigated that. Writing Harry as an Auror is a lot more fun than I expected. I agree, having him show compassion to Manya shows how good he is at his job. He's just being honest and genuine and it shows in his job. Even Higgins was impressed. Naturally Ron is not impressed with what they discovered and I think that as professional as Ron is, he's also blatantly honest lol. Thanks for loving the Romione bickering and Hinny missing each other. Thank you!
To ThomasJAvery: Thank you! It is a lot of new stuff for Dean and Seamus and I wanted to show that despite everyone being in love, sometimes shit happens too. They'll still have some more bumps, but at least the communication door is open. Thanks for thinking the Sirius walking in scene was super cool and scary. I don't think Harry considered the wards either because he was trying so hard to believe it's not really Sirius and now, not only has Sirius come through the blood wards but transformed into his Animagus taking all of those doubts away. I love Remus and Harry working together to redo the wards and keep everyone safe. Yes, the press definitely noticed when Harry missed matches or not. Thanks for loving the Fleming case. I just wanted to show something else they could be working on as Aurors. Yes, they are making it a home together. Thank you very much! To Gigi87: I love that story about you promising to get married in their vineyard! Wow, your godmother is making your dress? That is awesome! I'm very excited for you! Ha, yes, Seamus is definitely Irish but also, I think they were all giving Harry extra booze as they knew he needed it. LOL! Thank you for loving my line of "You know what I don't have shoved up my arse? Fucking anything — because you haven't bloody touched me in weeks!" So glad to make you almost spit out your water LOL. Seamus is definitely very blunt. Yes, I do believe Harry probably did the same thing at the Dursleys that the twins are doing, looking for Zee in every corner. His poor heart. As to Sirius showing up and wondering if he's beginning to connect the dots, we will have to see. Harry just wants to protect the twins and I like your theory about Sirius' soul being in the Department of Mysteries, interesting. Kreacher definitely has a soft spot for the twins, but Harry is worried he will listen to Sirius as well if he tries. Ginny is definitely killing it and yes, the tabloids will continue to cause ruckus. I love your denial about Sirius and Zee, thank you! Ron really hates spider lol. No, Ginny is not on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Thank you very much!
My posting schedule: Weekly.
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER SEVEN:
The One With the Melanotaeniidae
Reflection Potion
Ginny was exhausted. Her muscles ached. Her brain was trying to take care of her schoolwork and her work as Compass seemed to be an extra burden to her load, but she wasn't willing to change a thing.
Being a professional Quidditch player was everything she'd ever imagined. From the gruelling early morning practices five days a week that started at eight in the morning until eleven that included one hour of hot yoga, cardio and fitness training, and flying drills, to the matches that were littered throughout the week — it was amazing. McGonagall helped her work her schedule around her practices so she had all of her classes in the afternoon or was able to do makeup work for anything she missed. After classes, she would find time to get her homework done and have dinner and two to three nights a week, there would be a Quidditch match.
After each match, Harry was there to celebrate with her and she took the opportunity to snog his brains out and (although not as much as she would have liked) she went home with him to Clevedon Court to have sex in their big bed after some matches. She wanted to stay every night with him, but going back to Hogwarts each night was more important for both of their sleep schedules when it came to the stress they were both under. Not to mention the minor annoyance that she was supposed to be living at Hogwarts (which had never bothered her before now).
This didn't even include the whole other side of being a Harpy which was making her out to be an instant celebrity.
It was strange to have people cheer her name in the crowds at the matches, people who supported the rookie on her first season. But the part she found the most amazing was being at Hogwarts and having first or second year students approach her in the halls and ask for an autograph.
That was the coolest thing ever.
It made all of the workouts and the gruelling practices and the long hours one hundred percent worth it. Being a professional athlete was a lot more than just playing her heart out on the pitch, she had to keep herself healthy and strong to make sure that she could be out there doing her best.
Morning practices included a run, hot yoga, and that was all before they even made it out onto the pitch. Pull-ups off of their floating brooms, sit-ups, chin-ups, squats, and more before they worked into drills.
"It's about routine. It's about mental well being. It's about diet," Coach Mallory Miller proclaimed, her whistle in her mouth. "Following these guidelines will keep you strong and keep you healthy. The team's healer will be around for any guidance needed."
The team healer, a tall, thin witch named Winifred Voss, was very kind. She had soft brown eyes and a wide smile and took the time to get to know everything about her players. Ginny felt that Winnie was one of the nicest healers she'd ever met and was happy to turn over her medical care to her. She provided tips and guidelines on muscle relaxation, on proper stretches, and on nutrition. This did mean that living at Hogwarts was sometimes a cruel temptation when it came to a lot of the delicious foods she had to avoid eating in excess, but it was an easy thing to give up when the reward was being a Harpy.
Between the practices, her classes, keeping up on her homework, playing in the matches, and writing as Compass, Ginny felt that finding time to do literally anything else was sparse. She felt like she spent a few passing moments here and there with Colin and Luna as Sundays were usually her only day to get a break and even then, sometimes matches were scheduled on them.
The good thing about being so busy was that Ginny barely even registered missing Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Theo. Now it was almost Christmas and her final year of school was half over and she couldn't even believe it.
She'd finally managed to snag time to talk to Theo on the mirror and was still smiling at the excitement in his eyes as he explained to her how he and Sebastian were officially moving in together. She couldn't hold back her laugh at their realization that they'd been living together unofficially for months and neither of them had even noticed. She loved seeing her friend so in love and so happy and she knew that Sebastian was the right man for him because he made Theo feel so loved and so happy.
"We're looking forward to going to the Puddlemere match," Theo said. "Bas is really excited, but he says that he's going to feel torn on who to cheer for. He's a big fan of Oliver Wood."
Ginny chuckled. "I promise not to take it personally if he cheers for Oliver, but tell him if he cheers for me, I'll get him an introduction."
Theo gasped. "Bribery!"
She laughed. "A little. But in all fairness, Mum told Angelina to invite him over to the Burrow one day for dinner. He was in Percy's year and obviously knows Fred and George and Charlie from the Gryffindor team. Since he's a client of hers now, Mum wants to see him again. I don't know if you should tell Sebastian or not though, maybe it will be more fun to shock him when he shows up."
"Oh, you're evil, chick! I love it."
She snorted. "How is Sebastian?"
"Amazing. Sexy. Wonderful," Theo said. "We moved in the rest of his things on the weekend and are just finding places for it all. He has this amazing antique coffee table I love so we put it in our personal sitting room in the master suite. His sofa was old, but we kept his bright pillows and added them to the library. A few more of his antiques we've kept and have found homes for them and of course, I made room for him in my wardrobe."
"Enough room?"
"Haha," Theo said. "Yes, enough room, chick."
Ginny smiled. "I love seeing you so happy, Theo."
"I love being this happy," Theo admitted. "It will be a year in January since our first date."
"That's wonderful. I'm so happy for you, Theo."
"Thanks, chick," Theo said.
"What's Sebastian going to do about his flat?" Ginny asked.
Theo scratched his nose on the mirror. "Well, his lease goes until June so I think he's decided to sublet it in the meantime. His friend Yeona Jin has decided to take it over. She was looking to get out of her building and it seemed like a good opportunity. She'll take over the lease in June."
"That's great news."
"Especially because it means I get him here with me all the time," Theo said. "I mean, he already was, but now it's official. It's different, you know?"
"I know," Ginny said. "How's it been talking to Na'eemah again?"
"Good," Theo told her. "It's been really great actually. Well, despite the fact that my nightmares have come back pretty severely over the last few months, which is less fun, but Na'eemah assures me that it's because I'm processing everything in a way that I've never allowed myself to do before. It doesn't help that Finn made me suppress and forget a lot of it so it's all been coming back to me the more I talk to her."
"You sound bitter."
Theo let out a slow breath and brushed his fingers through his hair as his gaze met hers in the mirror. "I think I am a little. Finn loved me and I know that he was trying to help and I appreciate that, but at the same time… it's kind of like I've fallen backwards in the healing process as more stuff comes to the forefront it's… frustrating."
Ginny nodded. She could understand how her friend would feel that way. She couldn't imagine how she would have to cope with reliving everything from her second year all over again. The potion fiasco and the temporary amnesia had been more than stressful enough.
"How's Sebastian dealing with it?"
Theo bit his lip. "He's usually gone to be honest. I seem to have them a lot more when he's away. I don't know, but when he's in bed next to me it's like I feel… safer. My mind doesn't usually stray too far when he's in the bed with me. Not as often that is. When I do, he just holds me and talks me through it and he just makes me feel better."
"In other words, the Insomniacs Club might need to be reinstated for when Sebastian's away?"
He chuckled. "I'll keep you posted on that."
Ginny yawned and Theo gave her a sympathetic look.
"I'll let you go, chick. I know you've been working your arse off lately and need a good night's rest. I'll be in the stands cheering for you tomorrow. Goodnight, Ginny."
"Goodnight, Theo," Ginny said, smiling when she put down her mirror as she snuggled herself into her bed.
Yes, her life had definitely taken a turn for the busy life, but she wouldn't change a single thing about it.
~ TTTC ~
Theo looked up at his boyfriend as he put the mirror down, smiling at the sight of his man in nothing but tight black boxer briefs. He bit his bottom lip as he watched him stretch his arms up over his head, rising onto his toes as he did a full body stretch before he crawled into the big bed next to him.
"How's Ginny doing?"
"Tired, but otherwise wonderful," Theo said, shuffling closer so that he could trail his fingers over his boyfriend's impressive abs. "I told her we'll be at the game tomorrow and that you'll be cheering for Wood."
He winced. "Is she upset?"
Theo chuckled. "No, but she said that if you cheer for her instead, she'll see about getting you an introduction to Wood."
Sebastian's eyes widened and he started to sit up in excitement. "What? Really? She'd do that?"
Theo pushed him back down onto the bed and slid his fingers under the band of Sebastian's boxer briefs, stroking the skin just under the band. "She's not above using bribery, Bas."
"She's sneaky. I like that about her."
"She's the best," Theo said. "I miss her far more than I expected."
"It's only a few more months and then she'll be done school and I'm sure you two will be inseparable once more."
Theo knew his boyfriend was right, but it was still an adjustment to him. Not only didn't he see Ginny as much as he wished, but Draco and Blaise as well. Now that the house was taken care of, he was starting to get restless and anxious to begin his own lessons in the new year.
Sebastian leaned in and pressed his lips to Theo's cheek. "How did it go with Na'eemah today?"
Theo shrugged. "All right. About the same, I guess. I had a nap when I got home as I felt rather drained."
"I bet," he said, brushing his thumb down the side of Theo's cheek. "If you want to talk about it, you know I'm here."
"I know," he replied, leaning into Sebastian's hand. "How was work?"
"Long," Sebastian said. "D, J, and I are trying to work on this cold case at the moment and it's going nowhere. Until a new mission comes up, we sometimes go a bit stir crazy."
"Can you help Harry?"
Sebastian shook his head. "Not officially. I have to be asked by the DMLE to join their investigation and no one has asked yet."
"Ginny said something's going on with Zee's body and it was why they couldn't bury her properly."
"I don't know, baby," Sebastian said, linking his fingers with Theo's. "Until the case is solved, unfortunately her body is evidence. As of the details, I'm not privy to them."
"I know. Ginny doesn't know the details either. It's all secret Auror business. It's not fair! I want to know the gossip!"
Sebastian chuckled. "It's not gossip, Theo. It's evidence in an ongoing investigation."
Theo pouted. "But I need to know the tea!"
"Too bad."
Theo poked him hard. "Stop being, Auror Arsehole!"
"Stop being a troublemaker."
Theo started to protest and Sebastian covered his mouth with his palm.
Theo licked it.
"Fuck, that tickles!"
Theo stuck his tongue out at him. "I know, I know! Auror stuff isn't gossip, but this is different! I just wish we could help… I mean, they brought his godfather back to life, Sebastian! Why? Why would they do that?"
"I don't know," he repeated, kissing Theo's fingers. "Harry's going to need all of the support we can give him with however this plays out and the moment they ask us for help — us or my department — I promise to be there."
Theo snuggled closer into his boyfriend's arms, comforted by those words. "That seems fair, I guess. But you still can't tell me what's up?"
"No," Sebastian said.
Theo pouted. "Fine. Hey, it's late, are you hungry? Did you eat when you came home? Kiki made this amazing stew and we can warm it up for you."
Sebastian brushed his lips over Theo's. "Not hungry. I love when you say that."
"Say what?"
"That I came home."
Theo's eyes softened. "This is our home, Bas. Does it feel like your home?"
Sebastian shook his head. "No. It feels like our home and I love that."
"It is our home," Theo told him. "Yours, mine, and Oliver's. And of course the elves, too, but they technically don't live in the main house so yeah."
Sebastian kissed his forehead and Theo smiled against his chest.
"Do you want to listen to the newest Hidden Passions episode before bed?" Theo asked, running his fingers down Sebastian's arm.
"Yes," Sebastian said, his lips brushing over Theo's ear. "But after I make you come for me."
Theo's cheeks heated, lifting his head to meet Sebastian's gaze. "I like your plan better."
Sebastian chuckled and pressed his lips to his again as Theo rolled on top of him, deepening the kiss. The feel of Sebastian's hard muscled frame beneath him making him sigh in pleasure as he lost himself in kissing the man he loved and he thought this living together thing was definitely pretty great for all sorts of good reasons.
And having his boyfriend in his bed was only one of them.
~ TTTC ~
After talking to Professor Kasif again and getting a detailed report on the runes, Harry was starting to feel like they were finally getting somewhere. He send an owl to Greece to correspond with Althea and her husband Xander about Dragomir's notes and then brought them to Kasif's office with Higgins to go over the details of what she'd discovered.
It turned out that the runes they'd used had been hard to distinguish because each one meant a distinct thing that required its own separate ritual. Now they knew that the runes charmed into place during the ritual had all been separate.
Heart.
Soul.
Blood.
Tears.
Death.
Life.
Sacrifice.
According to Kasif, each one was a ritual within a ritual because a human heart was often attached to one's soul. Blood pumped through the heart. Tears were often a result of heartbreak. Death was the balance of life. Sacrifice was the death of an innocent in some form. Each one interconnected with the other.
"Can you break that down in layman's terms?" Higgins asked.
Kasif gave Higgins an annoyed look and he gave her a sheepish grin in response.
"As I was saying, each rune is embedded upon the other which means that in order for this ritual to have brought back someone who was dead, according to the runes that is, it means that they needed the heart of his soul. The person he loved, the partner of his heart was needed to bring his body back. However, because the sacrifice wasn't willing on her part, his soul didn't come back with him."
"Wait," Harry began, holding his hand up to stop her. "Are you saying that someone can be brought back from the dead if their soulmate sacrifices their life for them?"
"In theory, yes. Soulmates are… rare. It's not necessarily a soulmate you need, but someone that person loved wholly and truly and was loved wholly and truly in return, a chosen soulmate if you were. However, it would involve a lot of dark magic and to be honest, even if the person did return, you can never guarantee that they would be entirely right in the head. Pulling someone out of the beyond is… tricky at best and not to mention the longer they've been gone, the harder it becomes. They've been dead an hour, you might have a chance, a week is pushing it, but when we're talking years… there's no guarantee that what you bring back is who you think you did. Magic always comes with a price."
Higgins frowned. "And because Zacarias wasn't a willing participant in this ritual, that's why Black has appeared back with what looks like no soul?"
"No, it's definitely how he's come back," Kasif corrected. "A ritual like this, using these runes and this complex type of ceremony… there's no doubt in my mind that they returned Sirius Black to his body as if he'd never left outside of the one very obvious missing soul… there's no telling what that could entail. People without souls are decidedly untrustworthy and living without a soul is exceedingly dangerous. This whole ritual is… as I said, magic always comes with a price."
"Dangerous how?"
"Souls are the light that make us human, Auror Potter. Souls are the part of us that help us determine right from wrong, that guide us on the right path. Souls are what give us power in our magic. Magic might run through our blood and of course even without a soul, one can perform magic, but it's not the same. It doesn't have the same power, the same punch, the same… for lack of a better word — magic. Without a soul we can't love. We can't feel. We can't empathize. Someone without a soul would murder their own child without blinking an eye and forget about it two seconds later. They'd shag someone and then cut their throat without a single feeling about the moment they'd just shared. They have no emotion, no connection. They have no real heart inside of them. Souls are what make us feel and without one… you become a monster."
Harry let Kasif's words sink in as he thought about Sirius wandering around with no soul.
Did he even know that Mina and Leo were his children?
Did he know that Zee had been the woman he loved?
Did he even care?
The thought sent a chill down Harry's spine that did nothing to reassure him as Higgins thanked Kasif for her time before they made their way to Slughorn's office to meet with him about the sample of rainbow potion that Harry had given him.
Slughorn was his usual jolly self when they greeted him as he gestured them into his office. He pulled open some drawers, pulling out random bits of parchment as he mumbled to himself and then opened the lid of a cauldron and a fruity scent hit Harry's nose.
"Harry, m'boy! So glad you came down to see me!"
"How's it coming along?" Harry asked. "Your owl seemed very excited about what you've discovered, Sir."
Slughorn beamed, his beady eyes lighting up in his face. "This potion is… do you have any idea what you've discovered here?"
"No, that's why we came to you, Sir," Harry said, making Higgins snicker next to him.
"This potion… I had my suspicions as you know, but now that I've had time to examine it properly, I believe it's one of the many lost alchemical recipes over the last thousand years!"
Harry blinked, not knowing what that meant in any capacity.
"Alchemy, Professor?" Higgins asked. "How so?"
"Rainbow elixir!" Slughorn exclaimed. "It shines like diamonds and reflects like the scales of a Melanotaeniidae. This potion is made of the rarest ingredients from the tail feathers of the golden phoenix, the venom of a chimera, to the tears of a dragon that were crystallized by lightning… it's nearly impossible to replicate!"
"What does that mean, Sir?"
Slughorn placed a hand over his jiggling belly as he trembled in excitement. "It means that if I can find the exact string of ingredients used, I would be a legend. This potion, which I believe is the original Melanotaeniidae Reflection Potion lost nearly a millennia ago, does more than freeze one's body — it freezes time itself."
Higgins lifted an eyebrow. "Freezes time? How? Like a petrification spell?"
"No, no, no! That's completely different than freezing time! Well, not time for us exactly, but time for the person who drank the potion! By drinking a goblet of this, one's body becomes frozen in a state of being in which no one can touch them."
Harry frowned. Everything Slughorn had just said was going completely over his head while at the same time he was getting a funny feeling in his gut that felt a little bit like hope. He pushed it down, biting his bottom lip as he spoke.
"With all do respect, Sir, that doesn't make a lick of sense. Someone was given this potion and within a few hours, her heart was cut from her chest."
"Semantics!" Slughorn declared, waving him off. "It doesn't matter if the heart was removed, the potion stopped it from being permanent because of the frozen state of the body at the time."
Harry's brow furrowed. "You've lost me."
"And me," Higgins admitted, exchanging a look with Harry.
Slughorn scratched his balding head. "You must understand this is all just a theory of course, but if this potion does what it's believed to do then the person who drank it is trapped in a time bomb that they cannot escape from. I believe this means that whatever happened after they drank it can be reversed."
Harry's back straightened in the chair as his eyes widened to saucers. "Reversed, Sir? As in… are you saying that she could be… brought back?"
Slughorn's gaze held Harry's for a long moment before he gave the slightest nod. "My hypothesis would be that if the one who was raised from the dead with the power of her heart was killed, stabbed through the heart if you will, it would render the original spell null and void and balance would once more be restored, yes."
Harry swallowed, his heart pounding his chest as he took in his old professor's words and that powerful feeling of hope rose up in his gut again, warming him from the inside out. "She would be alive… truly?"
Higgins cleared his throat, making Slughorn's gaze meet his. "You're certain of this, Professor?"
"Entirely," Slughorn declared. "Balance must be restored in the universe and dark magic such as this… it requires a sacrifice, one heart for another. Magic always comes with a price. It's why necromancy is so dangerous and nearly impossible to pull off. There's always a dangerous element that can easily take back what was given."
"Thank you," Higgins said, standing up. "Harry and I will need copies of all of your notes to give to the AIU's."
"But… my research on this is new and I need to keep looking, to see what else I can discover!" Slughorn insisted, his eyes wide. "I'm helping the Auror Department, Auror Higgins."
"You are," Higgins agreed. "That's why I asked for copies, Sir. Perhaps, we could have you come down to the AIU and work more closely in an official capacity with our Potioneers. Someone of your intelligence and known presence would be an important asset on this, don't you think, Sir?"
Slughorn beamed, puffing his chest out at Higgins words. "Well, an old man like me can certainly find the time to help our red robed justice seekers. I'd be tickled!"
Higgins pursed his lips. "Good. We'll be in touch."
Slughorn nodded eagerly, reminding Harry of the Christmas party next Saturday that he'd promised to attend as Higgins put his hand on Harry's shoulder and guided him out of the dungeons.
"Potter, I know what's going through your mind right now and —"
"Do you?" Harry interrupted. "Because I sure as fuck don't bloody know!"
Higgins winced. "Harry, this is a theory that Slughorn has based on old texts. He said it himself: A hypothesis."
"And theories are about the only bloody thing that we have about any of this! No one knows for sure how the three of them even pulled this off! It's all based on magic believed to be lost centuries ago and now… bloody hell!" Harry exclaimed, dragging his fingers through his hair and making it stick up even more than usual. "If Slughorn's right, Rex… killing Sirius will bring back Zee."
Higgins squeezed Harry's shoulder. "We need a second opinion, Harry. Slughorn's a genius in his own right, but we need another Potioneer, someone who we can trust with this."
Another Potioneer… the ones at the Ministry didn't seem to be getting any closer to figuring things out. It wasn't that they weren't excellent Potioneers, it was just that this stuff they were discovering was ancient, thought to be lost. Only a special breed of potion makers would even recognize it and so far Slughorn was the only one who had even managed to pull together a theory on what this rainbow potion even was. Harry frowned as he thought about the new Potions professor, Penny Haywood before another idea came to him.
"What about Borage?"
Higgins' eyebrows rose up in surprise. "Libatious Borge? You know him?"
"Kind of," Harry admitted. "Would the Ministry get on board bringing him in as a consultant?"
"I'll talk to Lupin and get the ball rolling," Higgins said, looking pensive. "If anyone can convince Robards we need another set of eyes, it's her."
Harry let out a slow breath as they headed out of the dungeons and wondered how exactly he was going to convince his grandfather's portrait to bring Borage in as an expert.
He had a feeling that it wasn't going to be go over very well.
~ TTTC ~
Ginny was surprised to see Harry appear in the doorway of the Great Hall just as dinner was served. He stood there in his full Auror kit and a few girls nearby swooned; more than one made a comment about what a dashing figure he made in uniform and wished he was single.
Ginny ignored their comments and jumped to her feet. She hurried across the hall, practically running to meet him in the doorway, not even caring that they were in the middle of the crowded hall as she threw herself into his arms and kissed him deeply. He lifted her off of her feet, wrapping her legs around his waist and holding her in place as he kissed her back before he rested his forehead against hers.
"I miss you," he whispered, his eyes dark and chock full of so much emotion she couldn't decipher it.
Ginny kissed him once more. "What happened?"
When he didn't answer, she took his hand, hopping down from around his waist and led him out of the Great Hall. She pulled him into an abandoned classroom and closed the door. When she turned around, she found Harry leaning his butt against one of the desks, his eyes on her. Ginny went to him. She stood between his legs, linking her arms around his neck.
"Talk to me."
"I…"
Ginny's fingers played with the short hairs at the nape of his neck. "Harry, what happened? Are you all right? Did Sirius… did something happen?"
"I don't know," he whispered, his eyes on hers. "Higgins and I just spoke to Kasif and Slughorn and they gave some insight into the runes and the potion that was used for everything and…"
By the time he finished explaining, Ginny's eyes were wide in shock as she stared back at him.
"So Zee's not… she's not dead?"
"I don't know!" Harry exclaimed, his eyes wide. "I don't bloody understand any of it and Rex is right, we need a second opinion and the only person I can even think of is Borage and we both know how bloody hard it was to get him down here the last time when I needed help and what if Slughorn's wrong and… bloody hell, what if he's right, Gin? Did we have a funeral for her and she's not even…"
He pushed her away before he made it to the trash can in the corner, depositing his lunch in the bin. Ginny moved to stand next to him, running her hand up and down his back as he vomited. He used his hand to wipe the back of his mouth before he stood up and Ginny used her wand to clean up, not saying anything. When she finished, she took both of his hands in hers.
"Talk to Pop's portrait and explain to him what Slughorn thinks. Then send an owl to Borage yourself on top of having Pop go speak to him on your behalf," Ginny said, her eyes on his. "Until we know anything for sure, Harry, you can't think the worst."
His bottom lip trembled as he spoke. "Ginny, if I have to kill Sirius to save Zee I… I don't know if I'm strong enough to do it and what if… what if there is a way to get his soul back then…"
Ginny cupped his face in her hands. "Harry, one step at a time. That's all you can do. Just one step at a time. Okay?"
He nodded and she could see that he'd calmed down a bit at her touch and her words, but she couldn't imagine the inner turmoil he must be feeling at his discovery. It was more than any one person should be forced to endure.
"Are you done for the day?" she asked.
Harry shook his head. "No. I have to meet Higgins back at the bullpen. I just… I needed to see you first."
"Okay. Why don't you owl McCraight and see if he can see you for a late night session tonight?"
"I'm not due to see him until next week."
"And I think you need to see him tonight."
He stared at her a moment and Ginny thought his stubbornness was going to come through before he nodded. "I… you're right."
She stood on her toes and brushed her lips over his. "There's no shame in needing to talk to a professional, Harry. I don't have the answers for you and Merlin knows McCraight won't either, but he can help you sort it out."
Harry nodded and rested his forehead against hers, his hands holding her hips tightly. "I love you, Ginny Weasley. You are the most perfect woman in the world."
Ginny smiled, cupping his cheek. "I'm far from perfect, Harry Potter, but I am yours. Completely."
He kissed her once more, a long kiss that made both of them wish for more before he let her go. He cupped her face in his hands.
"You still heading to the Burrow tomorrow on the train?"
"Yes and no. I'm going to the Burrow, but I have a lot of practices upcoming plus a team meeting. Fleur and I have finally managed to make plans on Sunday to do some shopping. I need outfits for press conferences and I still need to find a dress for Slughorn's party next weekend."
"You'll come stay with me soon?"
"Promise," she said, kissing him once more.
Ginny waved him off and when his red robes disappeared behind him, she placed a hand over her heart.
She had no idea if Slughorn was right about the potion, but if he was and if Harry managed to get Borage to confirm it… the situation just became a whole lot more confusing and complicated than before.
~ TTTC ~
Harry thought confusing and complicated didn't even begin to cover it. He decided to talk to his grandfather's portrait when he got home later that night, but before he could do so, he'd taken his girlfriend's advice and sent an owl to Auden McCraight's office. The mind healer had been more than happy to see him and Harry hesitated only a moment before he knocked on the door to his office at ten after eight that evening.
"Good evening, Harry," McCraight greeted him, gesturing him to come inside.
Harry let out a slow breath before he stepped into the man's office, closing the door behind him. "Erm, thanks for making time for me, especially so late in the evening."
McCraight tilted his head a little. "Honestly, I was surprised to hear from you. You always arrive on time, but the moment that charm signifies our session is over, you're out the door pretty fast."
Harry's cheeks flushed as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his red Auror robe. "Yes, well… thanks."
McCraight gestured for Harry to sit down before he took a seat in one of the armchairs. Harry took a seat across from him, fisting his hands in his pockets as he did so. He could feel the healer looking at him, but he didn't look up, suddenly feeling rather self conscious for having come here on his own.
"What made you decide to ask to see me tonight, Harry?"
Harry bit his lip before he spoke. "My girlfriend, she um, she told me I should."
"And do you always do what your girlfriend tells you to do?"
A half smile twitched on Harry's lips as his gaze met McCraight's. "When she's annoyingly right, yeah."
McCraight chuckled. "Women do tend to often have that quality, don't they? Ginny, right?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
"Why does Ginny think you should be here tonight?"
Harry let out another slow breath, leaning forward in his seat and resting his palms on his knees. "There was a break in the case this afternoon. Well, sort of. A break in the case in the sense that more information has come forward that… well, it doesn't make a lick of sense to be honest and it… she's worried it's going to play with my emotions."
"Are you worried that it will do so as well?"
He hesitated a moment before he nodded. "It already has."
McCraight lifted an eyebrow, but didn't say anything else.
"It's… we had Professor Slughorn and Professor Kasif from Hogwarts help us learn more about the runes and this mysterious potion that we found in the warehouse in Liverpool and what they discovered is unnerving at best."
"Unnerving how?"
"There's a chance that Zee isn't really dead."
McCraight's eyebrow rose once more, but he again remained silent, waiting for Harry to elaborate.
"According to Slughorn, it's all about this potion they gave her. It's… well, he believes it to be an ancient alchemical recipe thought to be lost for centuries that more or less has frozen her in a state of in-between. Even though her heart was cut from her chest, he says she's not dead nor is she alive which fits in with what the AIU's said. That's where I'm a bit confused and disoriented by it. When you add it into what Kasif said about the type of runes used and how people can't return from the dead, it comes down to one thing… they brought Sirius Black back by using the heart of Zee therefore, if Black dies, Zee can be restored to… what she was."
"And that scares you?"
"Yes," Harry admitted. "It leaves too many unanswered questions and too much to consider! I mean, if it is even possible to restore my godfather's soul, that would mean I can save him, but… if I let him die, I could save Zee…"
"Harry, you've always placed yourself on this pedestal, not to say that you believe you're better than others, but you do believe that you're the one who must save them. You are a saviour and that's who you've become over the course of your life," McCraight explained. "Taking on this role, I believe you're holding more weight on your shoulders than anyone should be. This case would be a lot to take in for any person. Restoring a human soul is… nearly impossible. You know this. However, we both know that this ritual, which took the life of your found mother and brought back the man who raised you, all in a way that shouldn't be possible. Magic and spell work of this magnitude has been lost for centuries for a reason. People shouldn't be brought back from the dead. As much as we wish for those we lost to return to us, death is a natural progression of life. It is the next great adventure and when we die, the people we love grieve us, but they move on. You've moved on from losing your godfather. He was your father in every sense but biologically and even though you will always miss him, you've accepted his death. Zee is still very fresh, very much a grief you're still dealing with and because of that, you're very much in the bargaining stage."
"I'm not in the bargaining stage," Harry argued. "I understand that she's gone, but Slughorn is saying…"
"He's saying that she might not be," McCraight finished. "I can understand how terrifying and how implausible that all sounds to you. I've worked in this department for fifteen years and I've never once heard of a case such as this one. I've never come across anything remotely like it. It's a lot for you to be forced to deal with and even more for you to consider solving. It's a needless weight that does not rest solely on your shoulders."
Harry's shoulders sagged as he leaned back in the chair. "Auden… how can I choose one over the other? How can I make that choice and live with myself?"
McCraight licked his lips, his fingers tapping on the arms of the chair. "Soul restoration is nearly impossible, Harry. Sirius Black has been dead for three years."
Harry closed his eyes. "I know. I know it has to be Zee. I know that if Uncle Sirius was here, he… he would tell me to save Zee." A tear escaped from his eye and he hastily wiped it away. "But what if I try and I fail and I still lose both of them?"
"I can't tell you what the future is going to bring, Harry. I'm not a Seer. I'm only a healer. I can only be here to guide you and to help you understand what it is that you're feeling and experiencing for yourself. Zee's been a mother to you for almost a decade and you love and treasure her. She's been raising the two children who she had with Sirius after he passed. I'm not saying that you have to choose her over Sirius and I'm not saying that you can choose one over the other… ultimately it comes down to what is right which isn't always the easy answer."
"Bellatrix… she brought him back and she chose Zee to torture me."
"I believe she did," McCraight agreed. "Why do you think she's targeted you, specifically? She has a past with you that permeates years before you defeated Lord Voldemort."
"I don't know," Harry said, staring down at his hands. "She… I think it has to do with Uncle Sirius, mostly."
"How?"
"Well, they're cousins," Harry began. "And Uncle Siri never bought into the whole pureblood stuff. He… he fought with his parents over it and they kicked him out when he was sixteen. He moved in with my dad and my grandparents. His family basically disowned him and… when he refused to be a Death Eater, refused to join Voldemort's army it made her angry. I don't know why it bothered her so much that he chose her sister, who married a Muggleborn, over her and her pureblood beliefs. He was best friends with my father who was a known blood traitor and who married a Muggleborn himself and I think just knowing he fought against her and what she believed… I don't know, but it struck a chord with her or something. I've only heard stories of the first war, but I know that there was a lot of darkness, maybe more than we saw in the second war. I know that people were choosing sides under the cloak of darkness and when he continuously fought against joining Voldemort and stood alongside people like my parents, he made a name for himself. She went to prison the first time for torturing friends of his and when she escaped with Pettigrew, the man who betrayed my parents, he… Pettigrew, I mean, he reached out in an attempt to make amends and Bellatrix took it as an opportunity for revenge. From then on out, it was like she made an effort to hurt Uncle Sirius."
"Hurt him how?"
"She threatened me, she threatened Zee. Zee was attacked by Death Eaters in France and even though Bellatrix wasn't there, she was involved, I know it. It was Bellatrix who carved the word 'whore' into her arm with a cursed blade two years later. When we were in the Department of Mysteries, she taunted me and part of me believes that she did it to see Uncle Siri get upset and it was then that she… she murdered him, right in front of me, and she… she laughed."
"She's an evil woman," McCraight said. "Psychotic in a way that many of us can't entirely understand. Something in her broke many years ago and she lashes out."
"Maybe," Harry agreed.
McCraight stared at him for a long moment and the silence stretched between them. When he spoke, his voice was quiet and almost startled Harry out of his thoughts.
"Your nightmares are mainly about her, more than Voldemort. You've mentioned her more than once."
Harry shrugged. "Sometimes."
"Honesty is important here, Harry. I can't help you heal if you aren't honest with me."
"Does it matter if my nightmares are about her? I haven't had a bad one in a while and… they've only come back recently with… events."
"Do you think it matters?"
Harry's eyes narrowed. "Answering a question with a question is annoying."
"Does it make you upset?"
"Yes!" Harry glowered.
"Why?"
"Because!"
McCraight nodded. "All right. We don't need to talk any more about Bellatrix Lestrange today if you don't want to."
"There's nothing more to say," Harry insisted. "She's evil and foul and a predator."
"A predator? That's an interesting choice of words."
Harry slumped down in his seat. McCraight didn't say anything. The two of them only stared at each for almost five full minutes, the ticking of the clock the only sound in the quiet room until Harry swore he could hear his heart racing in his chest.
He didn't know how to say the words aloud. He didn't know how to tell McCraight the one thing that haunted him continuously in bad dreams and had for years. He didn't want to admit what had happened. It was stupid anyway, barely anything worth mentioning.
"What's barely worth mentioning, Harry?"
Shit, he thought, he hadn't realized that he'd said it out loud.
"Nothing you can say in here is stupid, Harry. Your thoughts, your feelings, your emotions… stupid is not a word that ever reflects them."
"It was nothing."
"Harry, something that is nothing doesn't eat away at you. It doesn't reflect in your nightmares and come back to haunt you again and again."
"It's not important," Harry said. "It's not like she actually raped me or something. It was just a touch."
At McCraight's look, he swallowed, his fingers drumming nervously on his thighs.
"It was a long time ago."
"Where did she touch you, Harry?"
His bottom lip trembled and for the first time in years, bile rose up in his throat as he remembered what had happened that day in the graveyard: How she'd threatened to rape him, to let others rape him, and then how she'd attacked him at Hogwarts years later. Ginny was the only person who really knew the details. He'd told Remus, but not like he'd told Ginny… he'd known only she would understand how he felt.
"She didn't rape me."
McCraight didn't say anything.
"She taunted me," Harry whispered. "Called me a baby. Claimed I was… a child and not anything more than that and then she grabbed my…"
His cheeks flushed and McCraight nodded.
"She touched your genitals."
"Not directly," he replied. "Just… over my jeans."
"How old were you?"
"Sixteen," he whispered. "I used dark magic on her in Hogsmeade months before, I… I thought I'd killed her."
"But she survived?"
Harry nodded. "I wanted… Merlin, I wanted revenge for what she did to Uncle Siri. She was taunting me about killing him, just laughing and I reacted and… when she came to attack Hogwarts at the end of my sixth year, she was very much alive and very angry with me. She used these vines on me, like she did in the graveyard when they resurrected Voldemort. But this time, unlike in the graveyard when she hit me, this was… she put her hand on my chest and she… she dragged it down until she was cupping my bollocks."
"Did you ask her to touch you?"
"What?" Harry spluttered. "Of course not!"
"Then it's not your fault," McCraight said. "No one is to blame when someone else touches them without consent."
Harry swallowed. "I was pinned to the wall and my wand had slipped from my fingers… I thought she was going to kill me."
He closed his eyes, the memory of that day clear in his mind.
Bellatrix stood in front him, blocking his view of Ginny. "Did you think that I would forget what you did to me in Hogsmeade?"
Harry spat in her face.
Bellatrix's tongue slipped out and she licked the spit off of her chin. The vines tightened hard enough that his wand slipped from his fingers and clattered to the ground. Her wand dug into his neck hard enough that he gasped for breath and then her other hand danced over his torso and lower, cupping him between his legs.
"Do you know what I did last night, Potter? I cut off my husband's cock and bollocks, tossed them into the fire where he could watch them burn, because he had the audacity to take a second wife without asking me." Her hand stroked over him and he watched her eyes widen in surprise as she cupped him and he fought the urge to vomit. "My, my, Rab is right. You are definitely a man with a cock like this."
Harry struggled against the vines and she laughed, making them tighten around him.
"When I bring you to the Dark Lord, I'm going to throw you at his feet, naked. Maybe I'll ride this big cock of yours while everyone watches and then we'll bend you over the altar and let everyone else take a turn. Would you like that? The Dark Lord rather likes to watch, you know," she whispered near his ear.
Harry struggled against her grasp again and her smile only widened.
"No, not interested in that? Shame," she said before her tongue licked his cheek like a dog. Then her wand sliced into his shoulder. "Guess we'll stick to the torture then, but I should warn you, it makes me rather randy."
She licked his cheek again and the vines split open as Harry broke free, his wand shooting up from the ground and back into his hand.
"She just touched me and she said… she said I was definitely not a baby anymore with a cock like this."
"How did that make you feel?"
"Angry. Ashamed. Furious. It was years ago and she… she barely did anything."
"Harry, it doesn't matter how little she did, she touched you without your consent. She made you feel insecure, ashamed, and even unworthy. These are normal emotions. Part of you probably feels like you should have stopped her, like you let her do it. This is not true. She is a grown woman and you were a sixteen-year-old-wizard pinned against your will. Nothing she said or did is your fault."
Harry licked his lips. "You probably think I'm mental. Having nightmares over something so stupid. People have real problems, you know, and here I am bitching about this when I should be worried about what her plans are now. What she wants to do with Uncle Sirius."
McCraight leaned back in his seat. "Do you think you're mental?"
Harry didn't answer. He wanted to say yes. He wanted to shout that it was a stupid moment, barely a blip on his radar, and one he'd told Ginny about in length when he had a bad dream. He wanted to say it was in the past and that he had more pressing things to worry about and he was ashamed to admit that the sound of her cackle brought all of those memories flashing back: Her cupping his balls, her killing Sirius, her bloody body flying back into the snow after he'd used the Sectumsempra curse on her…
"Bellatrix Lestrange has made a mark on your life, Harry. She's done things to hurt you, both physically and mentally. She tortured the woman you see as a mother. She murdered the man who raised you as a father. She assaulted you, whether you want to believe that or not. And now, now she's raised the man she killed, brought him back from the dead in a way to torture you even more, and she's left it open ended so that you will have to watch Sirius die all over again. How does that make you feel?"
"Disgusted. Angry. Furious," he admitted. "I want her to die and I want to kill her myself, yet, dying is too good for her. I want her to be suffering in Azkaban for years, knowing that I finally defeated not only her dark Lord, but her as well."
"And I believe you will," McCraight said. "But first, you have to come to terms with what happened to you. You have to realize that it was an assault, that it wasn't your fault, and that no matter what happens with Sirius and Zee in the future, whether you save one and not the other or whether you lose both of them — it is not your fault. Bellatrix Lestrange is to blame for it all, Harry. She's a deranged sociopath and sadist who will be caught and who will be punished for her crimes."
"And if she's not?"
McCraight leaned forward in his chair, his eyes meeting Harry's with an intensity that calmed him. "You've deemed yourself a saviour, Harry. That alone tells me that no matter what, you will make sure that doesn't happen and it's up to me to help you realize that being someone who wishes to help others, doesn't mean you have to carry the whole burden and weight of that upon your shoulders."
When Harry headed home, promising to see him on Tuesday for his regular scheduled appointed, it was almost ten that evening and he had to admit — he did feel lighter. He wasn't sure what it was about Auden McCraight, but Ginny had been right, he'd needed to talk to him. The subject may have veered off into a place he hadn't expected it to go, but McCraight was right, no matter what happened next, it wasn't his fault.
Sirius was back, but without his soul.
Zee was alive, but frozen, unable to live or die until the ritual could be reversed.
Harry might not understand what that meant entirely, but he would figure it out.
And when he did, he would have to make a choice: Try to save one or lose both of them.
Bellatrix, Crouch, and Brambilla were forcing his hand and no matter how it played out, it wasn't his fault. He hadn't asked for this. He wasn't chosen for this like he had been to defeat Voldemort.
But it was his job.
And if Harry knew anything, it was that nothing was going to stop him from solving this case.
No matter what the outcome turned out to be.
~ TTTC ~
The next few weeks seemed to fly by. Before Harry knew it, it was the week before Christmas and Harry felt like he had so much to do and not enough time to do it. He had promised Slughorn he would attend his Christmas party that evening and it felt like Ginny barely had a break in her schedule. The longest was five days between her match on the twenty-second and the following one on the twenty-seventh.
With the help of Slughorn and Kasif, the AIU's had narrowed down the ingredients of the potion and had figured out what all of the runes meant. Harry had received word from Althea and her husband, answering the few questions he had about Dragomir's notes, and the rest of the notes were at the DMLE to be used in the case as reference.
The conference room they were using had the runes pinned up all over the board with descriptions and explanations as to how and why they were able to bring Sirius Black back from the dead.
In the meantime, Harry had kept busy working on the Fleming case. Fleming was in the wind, but he and Higgins had found three more suppliers, connecting them to Fleming's criminal enterprise. The man was a lot more savvy than Harry expected, but the more players they discovered, linking him from things like stolen objects to illegal potions, the closer they came to catching the man himself. So far, Harry had made six arrests in the last three weeks relevant to the case and Robards had complimented him on his ability to make a dent in solving it. Despite the arrests, they had yet to find undeniable proof linking Fleming to what they knew he was involved in. However, one good thing was that the key Harry had taken from Manya Fletcher turned out to be for a safety deposit box.
The problem was knowing it was for a safety deposit box was one thing, finding the right box was quite another altogether. Everything that had belonged to Mundungus Fletcher had been closed upon his death, but they did catch a break when Harry spoke to Bill at Gringott's.
"If he gave it to his daughter, we do have this thing called a legacy account," Bill explained. "It allows family members to privately store things aside for their offspring without them knowing until they want them too."
"Do you have something for Manya Fletcher?" Harry asked.
Bill instructed them to speak with the Head Goblin of Accounts, a male named Blerm. Blerm was friendly enough with their request and fifteen minutes later, he found a legacy account box stored by a Dung Fletcher for "Manya."
Higgins and Harry took the box into evidence and promised Blerm the box would be returned after the investigation. When they opened it, they found some Galleons, three paperclips, and an envelope full of coded documents.
Higgins pressed his fingers to his eyes. "Of course it's coded. We'll have to find a cipher to decode it."
"It's a lot of numbers," Harry said, moving his finger across the lines. "These are dates and I think this might be times."
"But what's the numbers in-between?"
Harry shrugged. "No idea."
They took it down to the AIU and found one of the Aurors there who worked on codes to take a look at it. Harry explained what he thought it was and the Auror, a pretty blonde named Dana Helprin smiled.
"I'll get right on it!"
At least it was something worthwhile in the case to look forward to.
The other thing that Harry had done was talk to the portrait of Fleamont Potter. He'd waited a day after discovering everything, to try to give himself time to work it all out, but he didn't feel any closer to understanding when he finally stood in front of the portrait of his grandparents.
Fleamont Potter frowned, his dark brows furrowed under his shock of white hair. "You want me to ask who what?"
"Monty," Euphemia Potter's portrait exclaimed in exasperation. "Do we have to go over this every single time?"
"He's not the best, Euphemia! He's a quack!" At his wife's look, he cleared his throat. "Fee…"
"Don't you 'Fee' me, Fleamont Potter! Your grandson is here to ask for your help in trying to save Zahira and all you can do is whine about it!"
Fleamont grumbled. "I don't even know if he'll talk to me."
"Just ask, Pop," Harry said, making both portraits turn to him. "I'm going to send him an owl as well, but I'd really appreciate it. This is important and if Professor Slughorn is right, this is an old alchemical recipe, it's something any Potioneer would be excited to find."
Fleamont sighed and turned to look at his wife before he nodded. "He's right. If this is what he believes it to be… it was believed to be lost centuries ago. Of course, Harry. I'll see what I can do."
Harry wrote the letter to Libatious Borage ten minutes later and sent it off with Hedwig. He was pleasantly surprised when he received word less than four days later.
Dear Harry,
If this potion is indeed the fabled Melanotaeniidae Reflection Potion, I would be honoured to come and see how I can help. Despite the unfortunate relationship you have with Fleamont Potter, working with you was pleasant and I look forward to seeing you again.
Lara and I will arrive in England on the twentieth of December.
Sincerely,
Libatious Borage
Harry was thrilled to know the Potioneer would be coming to help. Slughorn was even more thrilled and had begged Harry to bring Borage and his wife to his Christmas party. It was where Harry was headed now, the night of the twenty-second, to attend Slughorn's last big Hogwarts Christmas party. He'd sent Borage's invitation for him and his wife to the hotel they were staying at before leaving Clevedon Court.
Harry had found time to make it to the beginning of Ginny's match earlier that afternoon, catching her in the change rooms before she went out onto the pitch.
"Harry! You can't keep sneaking in here," she hissed, grabbing his arm and pulling him into a supply cupboard down the hall.
"But on the days that I don't sneak in here to see you before, you don't win," he teased, locking his lips on her neck.
"I'm playing the Cannons."
He grinned. "You never know, they could make a comeback."
She laughed as he planted kisses down her throat.
"No marks," she whispered.
He kissed her quickly before he knelt down in front of her. "I'll be quick."
The sounds she made as she tried to be quiet while he used his tongue made him so hard, his trousers hurt. But he ate her out until she came and then he stood up and kissed her lips.
"Good luck out there, Harpy."
Ginny's cheeks were flushed and her bottom lip swollen from where she'd bit it. "Cheeky arse."
He winked and helped her fix herself before they snuck out of the cupboard. Unfortunately Harry had to leave halfway through the match to head to work, but he kept the wireless on in the bullpen and he and Ron cheered when Holyhead defeated the Cannons (well, Ron grumbled and claimed that the ref made some bad calls, but cheered for his sister regardless) and by the time they finished their shift, Slughorn's Christmas party was the last place he wanted to be.
"It's too bad you and Hermione aren't coming," Harry complained as he and Ron walked out of the Ministry together to head home.
Ron snorted. "It's not my fault Hermione's parents are planning a Christmas party with a bunch of their friends tonight. An entire evening with Muggles? It's going to be a real struggle to not say something stupid."
Harry gave his friend a sympathetic look as they stepped out of the lift. "Just tell them that you work in law enforcement. If they pry, say it's classified and if they guess M15, just shrug. That way, you can't accidentally say something you're not supposed to and you won't accidentally run into a real policeman who works in your so called division."
"You're brilliant, Harry."
Harry grinned. "I have my moments."
They Disapparated to Somerset and headed into Clevedon Court together. Ron headed into the living room to find Hermione and Harry headed upstairs to the master bedroom to shower. He was finally going to be getting some time alone with Ginny tonight and he couldn't wait. Best of all, she was coming home with him after the party and nothing sounded better.
Ginny had been staying at the Burrow in-between her practices and matches. But tonight she was coming to Clevedon where she would be staying with him for the remainder of her short holiday and Harry was ecstatic at the thought.
He hopped in the shower to get the grime of the day off, shaving and shaping his stubble beard to look cleaner over the sink before he dressed quickly in his dress robes. He paused a moment as he pulled on the deep red tunic that matched his Auror robes with gold embroidered leaves striped down the front of the sides that Zee had purchased for him a few months back after insisting that he needed more formal wear for special occasions.
"You'll be obligated to attend formal events both for work and as Lord Somerset and you can't wear your green robes all of the time," Zee lectured. "Try them on. I want to see my good work in person."
He'd rolled his eyes, but he had tried them on.
She'd gotten him three separate formal outfits in black, green, and this one which was red and gold. Harry chose a black shirt to wear underneath, the black and gold diagonal belt holding the red tunic-like jacket on from his right shoulder down to his hip. Black trousers and black dress boots completed the outfit. Ginny had told him she was wearing red and gold which Tonks said meant he had to match. He adjusted the jacket again before sticking his wand in his belt. He put his watch on, smiling down at the gold and black timepiece that had once belonged to James Potter, and then attempted to tame his hair. He gave it a few fluffs, figured it looked good enough to go and then he headed out to Apparate to the Burrow to pick up his girlfriend.
When he saw her step out into the garden, he was pretty sure his tongue hit the floor.
Ginny was wearing a floor length dress the colour of spun gold. It was so vibrant that it seemed to make the gold in her red hair shine. The dress was form fitting across her chest, held up by two finger width gold straps and dipping slightly between her breasts with a tight waist before it flared out around her legs. A high slit was on the right side showcasing a hint of leg covered in nude nylons. She wore two inch platform heels that were bright Gryffindor red with a gold heel and base that sparkled. Her hair was pinned up off of her neck in a low messy bun all intertwined with thick braids that gave it an elegant appeal. She wore the h & g necklace around her neck along with the black and gold choker necklace that Bill had given her. Gold rimmed ruby teardrops hung from her ears and Harry had to swallow his tongue.
"What do you think?" Ginny asked, spinning around to show him the full outfit. "Fleur and I went shopping."
"I think we should stay in."
Ginny laughed, grabbing her black velvet cloak from inside the door and covering her shoulders, buttoning it around her neck. "We're going. I want to dance."
Harry's eyes drifted down her body again. "We can dance. In bed. Naked."
She stood on her toes to kiss him. "Absolutely. But first we're going to dance in public, At Slughorn's party."
He sighed and reluctantly held out his arm. "You look stunning, Gin. Gorgeous."
"Thank you," Ginny said, her brown eyes warming. "I feel very Gryffindor-esque."
"You're beautiful."
"You look downright sinful yourself, Auror Potter," she said, taking in his red, gold, and black outfit. "I look forward to getting you out of those robes later."
Harry felt his cock jump at her words. "If you tease me, I'm not going to make it."
Ginny smiled. "Yes, you will."
They Disapparated to Hogsmeade and made their way over the bridge and into Hogwarts. Harry handed their formal invitations to Filch at the door before they headed down into the dungeons to where Slughorn was hosting his infamous Christmas party.
They could hear the music before they even entered and when they arrived, Harry was surprised to see everything was decorated in white, silver, and gold this year with hints of green thrown in. It gave off a very definite Slytherin vibe that he felt suited the old professor for his last hurrah.
Harry kept his arm in Ginny's as they stepped inside, past a large ice sculpture of Hogwarts, and into the crowded room. He could see a few Hogwarts students scattered around, Slughorn's pick of the best and brightest, along with a few professors. The rest were full of people he considered worthy of an invite.
"Oh, look!" Ginny said, squeezing his arm. "Gwenog is here with Mitchell!"
Harry smiled as she led him over to talk to her teammate, remembering how at Slughorn's previous parties she'd been so nervous to talk to the infamous Quidditch star. He shook Mitchell Payne's hand, smiling as the man complimented Ginny on her skills on the pitch.
Mitchell Payne's long blond hair was pulled up in a high bun away from his face where his full blond beard was sparkling in what looked like gold glitter. He noticed Harry squinting at it and he snorted.
"Gwenog. She glitter-bombed me. Insisted I needed to be more festive," Mitchell said, giving his girlfriend of look of annoyance and affection.
"And it looks great, doesn't it, Ginny?"
"It does," Ginny agreed. "It makes your beard look shiny."
Mitchell scowled and Gwenog laughed.
Gwenog was dressed in silver, her black hair straight down her back and over her shoulders. She wore a gold chain around her neck, gold bangles on her wrists, and thick large gold hoops in her ears. Her bright red lipstick popped against her dark skin and Harry appreciated the way Mitchell was admiring her — she looked beautiful.
"That's why Weasley's doing so much better than you on the pitch this year," Mitchell teased.
Gwenog waved him off. "She's doing great. Since she's on my team, I'm okay with her being better than me."
"She's going to win that Player of the Year Award," Harry told said.
Mitchell grinned. "It's pretty rare for it to go to a rookie, but I agree, she's competitive."
"She'll get it," Harry repeated.
Gwenog chuckled. "I love a man who's confident in his witch. I'm starting to think Harry's our good luck charm. Whenever he stops by before the match to give our Chaser a kiss, we win. We're starting to think when you don't show up it's a bad omen."
Ginny laughed. "Don't tell him that, Gwenog! We don't need him to get a big head."
Harry grinned and wondered what Gwenog would think if she knew he was giving Ginny more than a good luck kiss.
Gwenog smiled and immediately changed the conversation to Holyhead's upcoming match against Appleby. Harry spoke to Mitchell about his own team before they were joined by Professor Slughorn.
"Harry, m'boy! So glad you could make it!" Slughorn exclaimed, shaking Harry's hand enthusiastically. "And Miss Weasley! It's so exciting to have a professional Quidditch player right in my classroom! Thank you for coming tonight!"
"Thank you for inviting me, Professor," Ginny said as Slughorn beamed at her.
"Come, come! I want the two of you to meet some people!"
Harry tried not to roll his eyes as Slughorn led them around the room, introducing them left and right to people who's names he was positive he wouldn't remember. When he recognized Dean and Seamus over at the food table, he excused himself from Slughorn and led Ginny away.
"I saw Seamus and Dean," Harry said. "Come on!"
"You could have told me you saw Moaning Myrtle and I would have let you lead me away," Ginny admitted. "The man talks more than anyone I've ever met and that's saying something because I'm related to Fred and George."
Harry chuckled. "True. Hey, Seam! Dean!"
Dean turned at his name and elbowed Seamus as they waved at them. "Harry! Ginny! Nice to see you! Happy Christmas!"
"Happy Christmas," Harry said, reaching around Dean for a pastry. "How are things? We missed you at the pub night."
"Yeah, sorry about that. I had to work late. Things are great! I'm doing portraits for hire and Professor De Milo gave my name out to some portrait studios so I've been commissioned to work on some talking portraits and help restore old ones," Dean explained.
"Wow! That's great," Harry exclaimed.
"And I wrote my exams," Seamus said. "Passed with flying colours, obviously, but the best news, LFF Grant's giving me the PFF position at his fire brigade in Brighton. I start the second week of January."
"Congratulations, Seamus!" Ginny said. "Harry and I are so proud of you!"
"Yeah, mate that's brilliant!" Harry agreed. "What does PFF stand for?"
"Probationary Fire Flyer. It's usually six to eighteen months, but it depends on each fire flyer and the number of calls they endure in a brigade," he explained. "LFF Grant was just assigned a new house six months ago and he wants me to come on board to work with him."
Harry and Ginny caught up a bit more with them before Ginny moved away to talk to Colin and Harry recognized Borage and his wife. He excused himself and made his way through the crowd to talk to the Brazilian Potioneer. Lara Borage smiled warmly at him when he approached them.
"Harry Potter, it's lovely to see you again," she said, taking his hand.
"Lovely to see you again as well, Mrs Borage. Are you and your husband settling in all right at the hotel?"
"Of course! It was kind of you to offer us a place to stay, but Lib was insistent on a Fleamont Potter free household," Lara said, rolling her eyes. "He's been buried deep in research so I've been doing what I can to assist. It seems you came across a very important potion, Harry."
"Yeah, we did," Harry said.
"I don't have the answers yet, Harry," Borage said, his gaze meeting his. "Working with Horace has been a delight, the man knows his stuff, but I'm afraid we cannot confirm nor deny if it is the Melanotaeniidae Reflection Potion for sure just yet. We're working on brewing it ourselves and as I said when you checked in with us yesterday, it takes fourteen days to brew correctly and we still haven't procured all of the ingredients yet. Until it's correctly brewed, we cannot determine if it is the same."
Harry nodded. "I understand, Sir. Thank you."
Slughorn appeared to insist that Borage be introduced to someone and Harry slipped away, finding his girlfriend still talking to Colin while he took photos. He took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips.
"Are you going to dance with me?"
Ginny shot him a look over her shoulder, her chocolate eyes blazing. "When you ask me."
Harry's lips curved. "Will you dance with me, Ginny Weasley?"
Ginny's eyes danced in joy when he spun her around into his arms. "I'd love to, Auror Potter."
Then he pulled her close and led her onto the dance floor and Harry thought there were some parts of this party that were downright magical and every part of it had to do with the goddess before him. She was the reason he was still sane and he treasured every second he had with her.
"I love you," he whispered against her ear.
"I love you more."
Then he kissed her, not caring that they were in a room full of people; not caring that anyone could see them.
He just kissed her.
And felt whole.
