Harry was the first in the kitchen this morning, which was not surprising, considering that the sun had just risen. Ginny was still fast asleep and Kreacher had not yet gotten up to prepare breakfast. He studied the two letters that sat on the table. The handwriting was rather similar, but the content and the tone was definitely not. He would have to answer or react today, before he went to his weekly visit of Azkaban, at least to the second letter.
Potter,
Dr Mark Church, whose surgery is located at 13, Bloombury Drive, Sussex, has been jinxed (I suspect by elves) which led to a series of unfortunate events, a fact that is rather inconvenient for me and Hermione as I am his patient. I suggest you unjinx him and then use one of the perpetual scutum spells on him, so that further jinxing will be prevented.
D. L. Malfoy
Harry had absolutely no idea what this was about. Why would Malfoy ask him instead of asking Hermione to unjinx the hapless man? A scutum on a muggle would probably work, but Harry would have to be secretive about it. He sighed and wondered if Malfoy would drop random requests for magical work on him from now on. He had the feeling that the balance had definitely shifted in Malfoy's favour after their meeting.
Helping muggles who had been jinxed was one of his tasks as auror, but using one of the scutum perpetuals… It was not illegal, or at least not yet, because the Wizengamot had yet to decide what to do with the occamy eggs after the trials.
In any case, Harry would have a look at Dr Church.
The other letter was something else entirely, and worried Harry far more. It was much more polite.
Dear Mr Potter,
Please forgive me, if my question is impertinent, and feel free not to answer if you feel I intrude. I only write to you because I think it would be useless to search in the books on the second wizarding war while you are probably the only person who really knows.
I am aware that you probably think that it is far too early for me to think about possible career choices, but the incident with your cousin has made me realise that curse breaking would be an occupation after my heart.
I have read about Voldemort's defeat and my mother has told us about it, so forgive me, if I have some ideas and theories. I would be very much obliged, if you could either corroborate or deny my ideas and answer my questions.
At what time did you realise that your connection to Voldemort might be deadly? Did you have an inkling before you learned that you were one of his Horcruxes?
Do you think that your knowledge that Voldemort had to kill you personally to destroy the Horcrux influenced how you gave yourself over?
Would Voldemort have destroyed the Horcrux if he had killed you at an earlier time, e.g. after the Triwizard Tournament? Or did it only work because you went willingly to be killed and at a time when so many of the other horcruxes had been destroyed already? Did it only work because of your intention and the timing? If that is so, how did you know?
I apologize for asking about this and if I overstepped, but I honestly can't ask anyone else and there is no good guide how to ask someone about one of the times he died.
Thank you very much,
Sincerely
Colin Granger-Malfoy
Harry shook his head. The letter was still the same it had been, when he had first received it, and reading it again, would not change it. It made Harry feel very uneasy.
He had discussed it with Ginny, and his wife had given him the sound advice to tell Colin that he would only answer if Colin would allow him to at least tell his parents about the fact he had written. A short note by Colin had arrived immediately afterwards, informing Harry that he agreed, if it meant that he would get an answer.
Since Ginny would meet Hermione today, Harry should get to work on his answer. He was not in the habit of drafting letters, but he did not want to make mistakes. If Colin did something stupid Harry definitely did not want to be guilty of it. He shuddered just imagining it.
While he scribbled with a pencil on his notebook, Kreacher entered the kitchen. The elf held a parchment in his hands and was humming. He was apparently oblivious to Harry's presence. Of late his eyesight and hearing had become worse, but he still insisted on running the kitchen, much to Harry's dismay.
The elf jumped when he noticed Harry, and the parchment flew out of his hands and floated into one of the corners. Harry accioed it without thinking and handed it to the elf. It was a sketch of a man who held a jug and a glass and who had a full plate in front of him. He was a bit on the portly side, but his laughter looked good-natured. The style of sketching did look familiar to Harry and he looked closer. 'Galion' was written underneath the sketch in the same handwriting Harry had stared at for the last half hour or so.
"How did you get a sketch by Colin Malfoy?" Harry asked.
"Kreacher got this at the last elves meeting. Young Malfoy draws elves from muggle literature and gives the pictures to us."
"He doesn't look that elvish to me," Harry remarked.
"He obviously loves food, that is very elvish," Kreacher scowled, hugging the paper closer.
Harry should have known that it was not a good idea to voice something that could be taken as criticism of a Malfoy in Kreacher's hearing.
He looked at his draft, read it again and again.
Ginny entered the kitchen and he showed her what he had written. She boldly stroked out some sentences and then nodded.
"You'll go with Teddy today?" she asked.
Harry nodded. "And Viola and Baxter."
Baxter had recovered fully, thanks to a handy wand with occamy feather core lent by Ollivander.
"Kreacher, there is no need to cook today, not for us anyway," she told their elf. "I'll bring Lily to Penelope and Percy, and I'll be having an early tea with Hermione and Pansy. If you could do something fancy tomorrow evening though, when James and Richard will have returned from Hogwarts, that would be nice."
Kreacher nodded. "I'll do Richard's favourite."
The elf would always do Richard's favourite. He had a soft spot for Ron's son.
Harry began to carefully write his letter to Colin on parchment.
Ginny stepped closer and Harry's heart sped up. They were still so very careful in their interactions. As if handling raw eggs. Polite to a fault to each other, but they still had not found their way back to normalcy, and Harry wondered if they ever would return to their easy camaraderie, their teasing and banter. That Ginny had gotten pregnant for the third time, just before the big arrest obviously was no help either. They had agreed to try for another child, but Harry was far from happy that the pregnancy had come into the midst of their crisis. If anything, the pregnancy made it more difficult.
Sometimes Harry wondered if he was the one who had been jinxed. 'In your heart of hearts'. The questions Malfoy had asked on the bench in Russel Square would sometimes play on repeat in his mind. When that happened Harry did not know if he was to blame for Ginny's and his careful reserve in their interactions. If he should look at what his heart of hearts really told him about his reasons for holding back Snape's memories.
Harry was not sure if he liked the person Malfoy had painted in broad strokes that day. A man who thought he deserved it all, who tried to ensure that he would have it all. Not generous enough to let other people just be happy. Not generous enough to want a fulfilling loving marriage for his best friend. Just because he had wanted both a wife with a huge family and a best friend who had his back. If he were that person, he should loathe himself. Most of the days since that talk, he did.
Ginny laid her hand on his arm. "If your idea to remove the scutum on the dementors' anchor does not work, you will let it lie, won't you? I don't want you to endanger yourself."
"I promise," Harry said. "I'll also pay Sloane a visit. Although I fear it's no use."
"Leave it to him to put an ass to shame. He is stubbornness incarnate." Ginny made a face.
"Sometimes, I think, that would be too easy for me," Harry mused. "If I could just make him give in…." That was as close as they would get nowadays to addressing Snape's memories and the question of amends. Colin's letter had not made that any less complicated.
Ginny did not take his bait. Harry had half hoped that she would tell him, that it was enough that he tried, but she kept silent. Maybe trying was not enough. She rose on her toes though and gave him a short kiss. It was dry but at least she did kiss him on the mouth.
"The moment you'll have finished that letter, Lily and I will be off to Percy. You know, he seems to genuinely like having me over. I would never have guessed. He is so relieved to be rid of his boss. It is as if a weight has been removed from his shoulders, even though he got a reprimand over his treatment of Draco." Ginny shook her head. She had been silent for a whole day, when she had learned that.
Lily sauntered into the kitchen, hugging Harry from behind almost ruining his efforts in writing the letter, but Harry hugged her back, savouring her affection.
When Harry had finished the letter, he made a magical copy and gave it to Ginny. He called for his big snow owl, the third successor to Hedwig, and fastened the letter to her leg.
Azkaban did not lift his mood, but that was no surprise. Baxter was the auror who went in with him to Sloane and questioned him. It was as fruitless an endeavour as it had been every time before that. Sloane would not talk and was not willing to strike a deal, even though his status as the Malfoy heir was his only asset.
"You know very well yourself, Mr Potter, that your threats and promises are useless. If Draco Malfoy and his wife return the magic she and her children should not have, then I might reconsider. You cannot promise me how my trial will end, nor how the Wizengamot will decide. So, save your breath and pester some of the other prisoners. It is not as if you have a clean slate yourself."
Baxter shook his head, when they had left the cell. "He really believes that, doesn't he? That the muggleborns steal magic?"
Harry nodded. "It is a surprisingly persistent delusion, although no one ever found evidence how it could even be done. I do not doubt though, that Sloane thinks he set right an injustice, a magical imbalance. I fear that there might be sympathizers amongst the Wizengamot."
"Even though there is all that research on muggleborns now?" Baxter asked. "I saw that article in the Quibbler by Narcissa Malfoy that one of Dennis Creevey's ancestors in the 18th century was a squib Ollivander- Prewett bastard."
"It will take time for people to accept that." Harry adjusted his glasses. "Sometimes I wish I could just will people to understand."
Baxter laughed. "The only way to do that would be decidedly illegal."
"Yeah, forcing people to understand does not work…" He trailed off.
They visited other prisoners as well, but none of them were forthcoming. In the long run, it would not matter. The evidence against each of them was overwhelming. So far only Ms. Fawley had spilled everything she knew, in the hope of seeing her daughter. Viola had already played chaperone once when Ms. Fawley had been allowed to see her daughter.
With the uneventful and dreary questionings, early afternoon had arrived and Viola and Teddy joined them for their strike on the dementors' anchor.
With each patronus close by their sides the aurors descended into the bowels of Azkaban, Baxter leading them.
Harry was tempted to lay his hand on his stag. The lingering depression and the cold were almost enough to subdue him. He wondered if Luna's limpiepinkies had left him and if he could somehow make them return. The thought of Ginny was little comfort. He almost thought that his stag was duller than it used to be. Thinking about James and Richard was no comfort either. He had written to them and apologized that he had not made it to their match, but their answers had been cold and detached. He thought about Lily and the hug she gave him his morning and finally his stag seemed to gain more lustre.
The darkness pressed around them, when they had reached the stone anchor Baxter had found.
"Why did Wally not want this to be known?" Teddy asked.
Harry turned and saw that Teddy had black hair.
"Teddy, stop it, you're doing it again," Harry told him.
Teddy flushed and his hair changed back to pink.
"I think, this anchor is not secured with a tied off scutum spell, but with a perpetual." Harry knelt down and put his wand to the stone, wordlessly emanating some sparks from his wand.
And, indeed, the sparks died at the surface of the stone.
"I think they did not want us to look too closely on how something was sealed off with a permanent scutum decades before the second war with Voldemort."
"So, the dementors were not part of this conspiracy?" Viola asked.
"If so, nobody has admitted that yet, but there was an anchor in the hall, where they kept the occamies. They must have had some kind of understanding, at least with the dementors there."
Harry carefully explored the stone with his fingertips, searching for fractures, little holes, something that would give him a hint of where to strike.
He laid his wand on the floor, within easy reach, when he had found a tiny bumpiness just at the left side of the stone.
"Be prepared," he told his aurors. Their faces were tense.
The silvery shining patronus animals patrolled in a close circle around them.
"Pull me out, if necessary."
Harry put his left index finger firmly on the bumpiness and closed his eyes, his right hand reaching into thin air.
The sword of Gryffindor was a familiar weight and he put the tip of the sword just at his finger. And then he pushed.
A shining white line sprang up from where the sword touched the stone. Harry could almost feel the sword searing through the layers of the stone, ever so slowly.
He could feel a resistance, something that pushed back, something that had given in a tiny fracture only to rebound with more force now.
He put the sword in both his hands and put his whole weight behind it. He could hear heavy breathing and he could not have said, if it was his own or that of his companions. He could feel sweat on his brow, his hand became slippery and still the resistance in the stone would not budge.
He felt for his magic and put that forth, willing it into the blade of the sword. He thought he heard screeching, he saw blackness and there was a tang of decay in the air. He risked looking at his aurors.
Their faces were pale even though they all held on to their patronus spells. The dementors had realized that he was trying to destroy their anchor and had risked a return despite the heavy warding Harry had set up against them a decade ago.
He heard Teddy shout in defiance, his blood rushed in his ears, it was as if his magic bled out of him, into the stone, and the hindrance only became harder as if the shield on the stone was pressed into one point, the point where he tried to get in with the sword.
He knew he was close to fainting, the oppressive presence of the dementors weighed on his mind. With horror he heard his father, telling his mother to run, he heard his mother scream, but it did not stop there.
"Kill the spare," Voldemort rasped, and Cedric died.
Sirius falling through the veil, his face strangely calm.
Malfoy bleeding in alarming speed on the tiles of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.
'You do not understand' he heard Malfoy tell Dumbledore, his voice desperate.
'Severus, please', Dumbledore begged.
Snape spoke the killing curse in a crisp and precise voice.
A faint echo of Fred's laughter.
He heard Hermione pleading with him and Ron. He saw Hermione touching the envelope that was the transfigured vial, he saw Ron in despair after his divorce from Padma.
He saw Richard crying when he first slept at Grimmauld's, after the divorce.
He saw the light in Pansy's eyes dim when he told her what he had done, her eyes suddenly brimming with tears. He saw Neville laying a hand on her shoulders, his eyes avoiding Harry's.
He saw how Ginny's hand had dropped from his neck when he had confessed his enormous mistake.
He heard Hermione call him traitor.
Malfoy's voice. 'In your heart of hearts'.
It threatened to pull him under. He barely saw that one of the patronus animals had winked out. He could not have said which.
Just when he thought the pain was too much, when he feared his magic had flowed away from him, all fed into the stone without any effect, he suddenly remembered Snape's notes. 'Someone should be happy'.
A room full of balloons. He felt a sliver of a child's joy, the way it should be, unhindered, innocent, boundless, oblivious to the knowledge, that the joy would at one point be over, complete and blessed happiness. It was not for him, but it should be there for someone. It should be a possibility, even if he himself who had done right and wrong would never be able to have this feeling again.
He shoved with his last strength and when the sword at last breached through the hard barrier, it slid through the stone as if it were butter, up to the hilt.
The screeching rose to an eye-piercing wail and then stopped.
Harry feared what he would see, when he opened his eyes, but Teddy, Viola and Baxter were all there, unharmed, even if their faces were grey as ash.
"Uncle Harry?" Teddy's voice trembled.
"Did they vanish?" Harry whispered.
Viola shook her head. "No, but they fled again. I could have sworn that Baxter's patronus tore one of them in half, just as they fled. It might well be that they are finally vulnerable now."
Harry did not protest when the others picked him up and supported him, all the way up to the higher levels of the prison. His teeth shattered the whole time.
Notes:
Lots of love to @marydri who read this chapter in advance and who helps me coming up with the best things.
Shout out to all the lovely people who comment and make my day! I love it when people binge-read my fic!
Chapter 98: Social Justice Warrior
Summary:
Colin is on a campaign to right injustice and gets an answer to his letter.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Within the few weeks that remained until term's end, Colin managed to ruin his reputation as a well-behaved and rule-abiding student. Instead of answering questions, doing homework, he openly defied his teachers, especially Professor Thompson in Potions and Professor Hailey the Professor in History of magic. He mentioned Phoenix Potion, he insisted that the history lessons should cover how the house elves were cursed and how wizards and witches had committed crimes against humanity. He asked after ethical implications in Transfiguration. The only subjects where he refrained himself were Charms, Herbology and DADA. He was absurdly proud when he overheard Professor Thompson remarking to Professor Hailey that the 'Granger-Malfoys have become so difficult to handle'. He was tempted to tell Professor Thompson that it was his own fault that he had to eat his own words about Phoenix Potion, but shut his mouth at the last moment, when he saw that Uncle Neville was about to join the other teachers.
He still managed to get house points though, but he had to fight for them. He often produced the books that showed he was right and argued doggedly with the professors. He took the very flustered elf Lapsy into History classes to be questioned about the curse. He guided her to tell the whole story via carefully prepared questions. After the lesson, the whole classroom had been silent, including a pale Professor Hailey. It had been balm on his soul to see his classmates completely out of their depth. Richard Weasley had been very concerned, that the Weasleys had not managed to break the curse, that they hadn't even known that they were supposed to do so.
Colin duelled quite a few times with James Potter as well, despite the fact that James had received a howler by his mother about their public quarrel, a howler that had said nothing more but: 'James Sirius Potter, you promised!'.
His own mum and dad had been less public about it. Pushing Potter buttons might feel like a fun exercise, Dad had texted, but in the long run, it will leave a stale taste in your mouth. Mum had just written that he was better than that.
So far, pushing James' buttons had not become stale. Just one word about how the famous head auror could have taken care of dad's exoneration long ago, and James was at his throat. Colin knew that his parents were right and yet it was as if he was obsessed. He taunted James at every opportunity. Richard often trailed behind James and tried to keep him out of the reach of Colin's tongue, at one time even casting a spell that stuffed up James' ears.
James and Colin both made sure that they were not seen or heard by any of the professors, and if someone occasionally caught them, Colin could always claim that he did not start the quarrel. And if you only counted the drawing of wands as the start of a quarrel it was even true. David and Jane had caught them at one time and David had practically begged on his knees for them to stop it. He very reluctantly deduced house points, reducing the narrow lead of Gryffindor even further.
"As soon as James admits that he was in the wrong about my father. And that my mother was right about the house elves." Colin shrugged. "You know, I don't care about winning the house cup. This is so irrelevant if you look at the grand scale of things."
"You've managed to avoid each other since Christmas, why can't you just continue to do so?", David wanted to know.
"I'm done with hiding," Colin told him, twirling his wand. "As I said, James could just admit he was wrong, for once in his life."
Colin knew he should not be that contentious, but it was as if he was driven by anger about so many things, that he barely knew where to start. He visited the elves almost daily, and when he heard their stories about students, who were not so nice, he made an effort to do something about it.
He had an agreement with the elves that they would pull him out of the pickle if he ever were caught. He cursed one of the Ravenclaw prefects who had been pestering the pretty Hufflepuff prefect for quite some time. When the Ravenclaw had tried to rat him out to Professor Hailey about his expertly done nasty jelly leg jinx, Colin had lied straight to her face. At the insistence of the Ravenclaw, Professor Hailey had run a priori incantatem on Colin's wand that had produced nothing but a hair straightening charm Colin insisted he needed for his curls. Rachel who had witnessed everything stared at him with round eyes and the Ravenclaw got detention for a week for falsely accusing Colin.
Lizzie, who had come to witness one of his fights with James, was worried about him, and one time she had even collaborated with Richard to fetch Rina. By the time Richard and Lizzie had returned with Rina in tow, James and Colin were both down, sitting across each other and breathing heavily. Had it been anyone else, they might have looked like they were friends.
"Just get it over with," Colin heard Richard whisper into James' ear. "Just tell him that you were wrong. If aunt Ginny gets wind about this constant fighting, we will both never hear the end of it."
But James had stood up and had shaken off Richard's hand, scowling at Colin. He had not dared to raise his wand again in Rina's presence though.
Lizzie and Rina had banded together against Colin in preventing him from duelling James and from that moment on, James and he were never alone. They were tailed either by Hufflepuffs or Slytherins and in their common room David and Jane took turns to watch. Both his sisters must have said something to his parents as well, or maybe Uncle Neville had an inkling about Colin's stubborn insistence on getting an apology from James. Both dad and mum called him and inquired after school and how things were in way too cheerful voices.
James and Colin fights had died down after that, which might have been for the better, because Colin still had his hands full with righting the wrongs he happened to learn about. He hexed one Hufflepuff who had made a snide remark about the fact that Professor Greengrass had a girlfriend. Ellie had become common knowledge after an article in the Prophet that retold all details about the Greengrass trial. The article was accompanied by a photo of Ellie hand in hand with Astoria Greengrass. Uncle Neville's patronus had been quite busy fighting off howlers that day at breakfast.
Today was the last day of school, and Colin itched to have a go at James one more time before the holidays started. It happened that he got his wish. A large snow owl had arrived at breakfast, and James had stretched out his hands. But the owl had flown further on and had dropped a letter in Colin's lap, a letter from Harry Potter, the answer to Colin's question, that was long overdue.
James had begun a fight on a whim, and for once it had not been Colin's tongue that had started it. They were separated by the head boy, and Colin was sent to the hospital wing with a bleeding nose, while James got a scathing scolding by the prefects.
Colin wiped his nose and decided that the nosebleed was not strong enough to warrant a visit to the hospital. He opened the head auror's letter.
Dear Colin,
I must admit that your question had me thoroughly alarmed, and I didn't want to answer at all, lest you get yourself in danger.
On the other hand, I do remember vividly that I was very angry at the adults in my own school time who just would not give me the information I needed and wanted. Not giving me information never held me back. The only result was that I walked into dangerous situations blindly.
So, you get your answer, but I will give a copy of my answer to my wife who will meet with your mother today, because if I have learned anything from my own youth it is that children should be kept out of the adult's fights. I fear I have failed you and your siblings abysmally in this.
Here is my answer to your question: In a way I had always suspected that my connection to Voldemort was potentially deadly and when I learned I was one of his horcruxes, only a part of me was surprised. At that moment I knew that Voldemort had to kill me. I did not even need to orchestrate that or manipulate him into doing it, because he was set on this path anyway.
You could say he was hell bound on his own destruction. And yet, I agree with your supposition, that there was a right time to give myself to Voldemort. I doubt I would have survived, had it not been for the fact that Voldemort was already weakened by the destruction of almost all his horcruxes. The horcrux that was in me was affected by the destruction of the other horcruxes, I am certain. I also agree that my going there willingly affected the outcome as well. I doubt the result would have been the same, if Voldemort had killed me on that graveyard after the Triwizard Tournament, not only because almost all the horcruxes were still intact, but also because I would have died fighting. The willingness to give my life was the counter-effect to the killing curse and that was what allowed the horcrux in me to be destroyed, without a touch to my soul. It was indeed a question of timing, of the right mindset that was opposite to the intention of Voldemort and the fact that Voldemort's bindings to immortality had been weakened already.
You have been very vague about your reason to ask me about this and I must admit that I don't really buy your explanation that you're thinking about a curse breaking career. I assume this is about the elves and there, timing might indeed be even more essential.
If you want my thoughts, I advise you to be extremely cautious. If the events around the breaking of the elves curse so far are any indication, this is no curse to be trifled with.
So, don't be a Gryffindor about whatever you plan. I probably don't have to tell you that you should discuss this with your parents.
Sincerely,
Harry J. Potter
Colin fiddled with the letter. The head auror had confirmed his suspicions, each and every one of them.
His nosebleed had stopped, and for once he had escaped the ever present Hufflepuff – Slytherin collaborative tails on his doings. He made his way to the kitchen to talk with the elves, and give a helping hand, as he had done every day since he had forced poor Lapsy to attend the History lesson. He usually brought some of his sketches as well. He had begun to draw elves from every kind of Muggle literature, and the elves eagerly ripped his drawings from his hands.
When he entered, Lapsy gave him a nervous look.
Colin raised his hands. "I won't pull you to classes again! And I am really sorry, I did that! Is Prudy here?"
Prudy came and Colin showed her the head auror's letter.
Prudy's ears became even more pointy when they perked up with interest.
"You do have an idea," she stated.
Colin nodded.
"Mum and Dad told me that the curse won't be undone without some exceptional magic."
"That's for sure," Prudy shrugged.
"You don't have any idea about the chisel yet?" Colin asked.
Prudy shook her head.
"Well, whatever the chisel is…"
"Or whoever…" Prudy interrupted.
"Or whoever…." Colin studied her face. "I think that the person who wields the magic to undo the curse must come from a place of trust. Trust must be the key to defeat a curse that was made with betrayal. Just like wanting to save lives was the key for Harry Potter to defeat Voldemort's magic that killed others for the sake of his own immortality."
Prudy's big eyes had a shimmer to them.
"So, if I find out what to do, I will have to do it and I will have to trust you. It's not only the method, it is also the timing and what I feel."
Prudy's face was contorted with something that might have been worry or sorrow.
"And I guess it will have to be a trust that runs deep, like the trust between friends or even beyond that. I will have to trust you and the elves with everything, won't I?"
Prudy touched his arm, her eyes locking onto his face.
"And you will have to trust me, a wizard, when wizards were the ones who betrayed you."
Prudy nodded.
"I do already trust you," she said. "And you do know a lot about trust, Colin. You've known about it all your life."
"How so?" he asked.
"Imagine trusting the woman you wronged with your life, your heart and your happiness. Imagine loving the person who wronged you. There is strong magic in forgiving, in true forgiveness. Magic that forms a strong bond."
"Am I correct in assuming that dad would not trust you enough?" Colin asked.
Prudy nodded. "He doesn't trust anyone but your mother."
"Not even Aunt Pansy? Grandmadam?"
"Only after a fashion."
"Could I do it? I mean, I trust you. I've known you since I was a small babe."
Prudy's eyes were bottomless wells. "I think you can do it."
"I grew up with elves, but I was not raised by one, no elf nanny for the son of a muggleborn." Colin tapped his wand on his fingers. "Was this the elves' plan all along or was this the tide that works against the curse?"
"The latter," Prudy's answer came fast.
When Colin raised an eyebrow, she added: "Or at least I didn't plan this consciously."
Colin grinned.
"A wand that seems to have a knack for cursebreaking." He twirled his wand.
Prudy nodded.
"Meg took one of the occamy eggs that held a scutum." Colin watched Prudy's face.
She winced.
"Robert thought it was a balloon and he took it in turn and threw it up in the air. It might have hit Robert or me, if dad had not jumped in… It hit our van instead."
The point of Prudy's ears sagged, which gave her a decidedly unhappy look.
"How strong is the tide that works against the curse, Prudy?"
"Very strong by now."
"Pushing us in the right direction, but too fast, too strong?"
Prudy nodded.
"It could pull us under and in the rush the right timing for the breaking of the curse might be missed. Or the right spell might be misplaced." Colin said.
It was not a question, not really. He already knew the answer. He knew what needed to be done.
"You will tell me, Prudy, won't you? When the right moment comes?"
Prudy laid her hand on his arm. There were tears in her eyes, but she nodded.
Notes:
Marydri had a look at this chapter as well. Thanks!
And thanks to all my lovely readers, that keep me going by commenting and leaving kudos.
Chapter 99: The Portkey
Summary:
Rina's last day at Hogwarts.
Or: The shit hits the fan.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The praeda scandal continued to hold the public's attention as well as the Malfoy case. Dad was called to court to give testimony against Fawley, and Gringotts made a public statement that the unfair treatment of Draco Malfoy as a customer was in no way part of the official policy and that Fawley had acted on his own. Rina had rolled her eyes, when that article came out. She had muttered something under her breath that Percy Weasley should have been held accountable as well, and with more than a reprimand, but did not elaborate when Lizzie asked her what she meant.
The remaining cursed muggleborns were all found and Terry Boots, with the help of his lawyer Hermione Granger-Malfoy, had applied to get sole custody of his squib son and had been granted that in an expedite trial. Together with Professor Greengrass, Aunt Pansy and Uncle Neville, he had started a quickly set up childcare centre, that, for now, was run by all of them. Lessons on muggle studies were given by Dean Thomas, the muggleborn father of David Finnigan.
Somehow, dad's exoneration led to a string of articles on her parents. Mum's famous cases were dug up. All of a sudden, Slytherins and Gryffindors had all kinds of questions. Lizzie helped Rina and Colin there, she had, after all, experience with curious housemates. The Hufflepuffs were quite exuberant about the newest revelations. One time at lunch they had swung Lizzie in the air, cheering, until she had demanded to be put on the floor.
Once, reporters had caught mum and dad at St Mungo's and there was a photo in the Prophet. Apparently, mum and dad had refused to answer any questions, but speculations ran high. For some reason, the picture showed them practically doubled over in laughter.
Dad and mum had sent copies of articles in Muggle newspapers to the family chat. Apparently, the scandal had reached the muggle prime minister and one of his closest confidants was forced to resign, when it was discovered that he had withheld information on a cure for a rare but serious children's illness.
Rina had successfully brewed Phoenix Potion for her NEWTs and she had no doubt that she would get an O. To be fair to Professor Thompson, he had been supportive once he had swallowed his pride.
Grandmadam had found the charter for Armand Malfoy and Rina had taken the risk to call her and guide her through taking a photo with her phone. She had forwarded that photo to Ellie.
Ellie had made inquiries with her colleague from medieval history.
"He is beside himself. An unknown charter and land grant by William the Conqueror. He reckons the charter was tampered with though, it probably read et filio suo not et filiis et neptis suis, because by the time of the conquest, primogeniture was already in place and it would make no sense to grant the land to Armand and his sons (plural) and grandsons. What do you make of it?"
"Armand had no son, just a daughter. He married her to her cousin, the only son of his sister. Apparently, Etienne was officially his son, but not for real. He might have changed the charter in case someone found out."
If Rina remembered correctly from her Latin lessons with dad, filiis was the dative plural of filius, the son, but it could also be the plural of filia, the daughter, while nepos could be grandson as well as nephew.
"Juicy. Definitely forbidden, at that time, but then wizards and witches probably didn't care for church rules."
Rina wondered how many of the old pureblood families had skeletons like that in their cupboards. If you thought about it, it was highly unlikely to have unbroken male lineages over so many centuries.
She pocketed her phone again. She had decided that she would take a tour through the castle. It was her last day in Hogwarts after all. It made her feel a bit melancholy, but she also looked forward to travelling with her godmother, after the family holiday in France. It would be funny, not to see her friends and classmates every day and she wondered who she would stay friends with. Right now, everyone was incredibly emotional, and it was a bit too much for Rina. Crying in each other's arms how much they would miss each other was just not Rina's cup of tea, not even with John whom she genuinely liked.
On her solitary tour she chanced upon Rachel and they sat down together. Rachel was Colin's friend, but to Rina she was just another younger sister.
"I worry so much about Colin," Rachel confided to her.
Rina sighed deeply. "Me, too," she confessed.
"The other day he hexed our prefect, Peter – you know, the one who always pesters girls. When Professor Hailey ran a priori incantatem on his wand, it produced a hair straightening charm."
"Colin…. A hair straightening charm," she said.
"Yes, and Peter got detention for lying."
"Must have been some elf," Rina told Rachel. "Prudy hid dad's spells when he was in danger."
"He seems to be always angry, always on some rampage against injustice. It is as if he wants to get rid of every injustice ever in the span of a few weeks. As if he fears that he'll run out of spells." Rachel's laugh sounded off.
"I just want my friend back", she added.
Rina nodded. "And he keeps duelling with James Potter."
"By the way, has he returned from the Hospital wing?" Suddenly, Rina remembered, that Colin had just had a nosebleed. A feeling of dread suddenly washed over her.
"I am going to look for him." She stood.
Rachel seemed to feel the same unease as Rina, and that increased her own vague disquiet.
Rina forced herself not to run. When she had reached the hospital wing and Ms. Auren told her that Colin hadn't even been there, she gave up any pretence and picked up speed, leaving Rachel behind. The elves in the kitchen had seen him, but he had left already.
When Rina spotted Colin on the grounds outside, he was already deep in a new fight with James. They both held on to a big cloth that looked like an old shawl. James tried to wrestle it from Colin's grip. Richard and Lizzie were circling them, trying to separate them.
Rina could only understand what they said, because they shouted so loudly. They had attracted quite an audience.
"You leave Colin alone," Lizzie spat.
"Colin jumped me and attacked." James shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Will you just let go, bloody Malfoy. I will go and show everyone what Gryffindor courage is." James' face was an angry red.
Richard was trying to disentangle James from Colin. "We are not supposed to go, James. Uncle George said it's for fourth years."
"You will not take this from me, Malfoy. We'll have the House cup and the usual house party. This is all just your fault. If it was not for your cursed father…."
"I won't budge," Colin shouted. "I'm done with you, Potter. You think everyone should do as you say. Does David even know you took this from his trunk? And this has nothing to do with my father!"
James tugged again at the shawl.
"You're going to trigger it, James," Richard wailed.
Richard made another attempt to separate them, Lizzie held on to Colin, and James threw himself backwards, trying to disentangle himself and put all his weight behind his pull at the shawl. But he had misjudged his own balance or Colin's dogged refusal to let go and all four landed on the ground in a big bundle.
Rina had finally reached them, her wand drawn to hex the stupid children with body binding curses. But the pink spark of the body bind flew through thin air and hit the ground where just seconds before her siblings and the disaster twins had been.
Notes:
You probably knew that this particular Chekov's gun was going to go off...
It's somehow fitting that this is chapter 99.
Chapter 100: Just having tea with the girls
Summary:
Hermione has tea with Pansy and Ginny. She learns about Colin's letter and Harry's answer. She is very worried and soon has reason to be even more worried...
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Hermione listened to Pansy about her ideas for an educational reform for wizarding children with no magic. They sat in a tearoom in Muggle London, neutral territory for a meeting with Ginny. Hermione had been a bit unsure about how she felt about Ginny's suggestion and she was glad, that Pansy had agreed to come as well.
Hermione slowly stirred her tea and nibbled at her biscuits. The only advantage of being pregnant for the sixth time was that she knew how to handle the various stages of pregnancy. Even with Tatki's fabulous anti-nausea potion it was still better to have her stomach preoccupied. Swedish bread was her constant companion. Hermione couldn't wait for the first trimester to be over.
"With the whole praeda scandal, it would be just the right moment to make a petition to minister and wizengamot, don't you think?" Pansy's enthusiasm was visible in the colour of her cheeks and the shine of her eyes.
"You will look over our appeal, won't you? Just to be sure about the legal aspects?"
"Of course, I will." Hermione smiled. She was happy for her friends. Neville and Pansy had still to tire about having a house suddenly filled with children. That was probably because these children had not yet hit puberty.
Hermione chided herself. The children would be back from Hogwarts tomorrow. They would have the whole summer to talk with Colin and help him.
Neville was beyond worried. He had dropped by one evening and had told them, that Colin had gotten the reputation of hexing people without being found out. Neville had the suspicion that the Ravenclaw Prefect that had almost certainly been hexed by Colin had earned it, but according to Neville at least the Gryffindors tiptoed around Colin in fear of his ready wand.
Draco and Hermione had called Colin several times, but he had been as close-mouthed as an oyster, only telling them that he was fine, when he obviously wasn't.
The door of the tearoom opened, and Ginny entered. Hermione told herself, that she could always leave, if things became awkward. It was not as if she owed Ginny anything.
Ginny let herself fall on the third chair and ordered sandwiches. They chatted a bit about children, about the Hogwarts' curriculum, about the teachers in their own school days. It was not a particularly thrilling discussion, but Hermione thought it helped easing the tension. Ginny had always been so much better than her at just talking.
She relaxed enough to tell Ginny, that Draco was at Diagon Alley today, to buy a wand for Meg. She was surprised to hear that Ginny had dropped of her own Lily at Percy's. She had thought that Ginny was closer to George.
Ginny asked her what she had done at St Mungo's the other day, and Hermione reluctantly shared the news of her pregnancy. It would be visibly before long anyway, certainly with twins. Pansy knew already of course, which was just as well. This time around Pansy didn't take it as hard as when Hermione had been pregnant with Robert three years ago.
"Why did you laugh so hard?" Ginny wanted to know.
Hermione closed her eyes. Her first reaction was exasperation, but then she began to giggle.
"Because I expect twins. And then that goblin Gnorlin congratulated us on getting a quidditch team."
"So, I was already quite pissed. And then Draco had to poke fun at me." She imitated his voice. "Quidditch team, Merlin's ass… Colin doesn't even play quidditch. You know what that means, Granger?"
Pansy groaned. "He didn't say that."
Hermione arched an eyebrow at her. "Of course, he did."
"I hit him with everything available, and at some point, we just laughed. You know on top of what happened with Draco's doctor, it was either laugh or cry."
"Draco's doctor?"
"Draco wants to do a vasectomy, because we figure that might be the only thing that might work to prevent the bloody elves' blessing meddling with our contraception. The week before we had the appointment at St Mungo's, Draco's operation was supposed to take place, our third attempt by the way. Poor Dr Church's car was destroyed by a falling tree. Fortunately, he was not in the car. Give it to the doctor, he is determined. He took the tube and got stuck there. Draco is sure, the elves jinxed the poor doctor."
They all laughed.
"Maybe I could check if Dr Church is really jinxed." Pansy shook her head.
"If you do, don't tell me about it. Draco says, if I know, the elves magic might kick in. He has some plan, but hasn't told me about it."
Hermione couldn't be sure, but she thought Ginny's eyes got a mischievous glint for a second.
Ginny congratulated her on the twins, and told her that she was expecting as well and for a short time they shared tips about how to handle the early nausea in women's solidarity older than time itself.
Hermione was just about to actually enjoy the chitter chatter when Ginny pulled some papers out of her bag, that looked like a letter. Hermione frowned when she recognised Harry's handwriting. He would not have prepared some statement again, would he? She had been relieved that they had not heard from Harry since their meeting in the park at Russell Square. She was not sure she could handle that. So far, every time he had been asked about the evidence on Draco's exoneration, he had always answered that he should have seen it much sooner.
"Your Colin wrote a letter to Harry," Ginny put the papers on the table. "Harry didn't really know what to do about it. We thought about forwarding the letter to you, but Colin put that question to Harry, and Harry is the only person who knows the answer."
Hermione pressed her hands on her legs to stop them from shaking and let out a small sound of distress.
"He answered today, just before he went off to Azkaban, and asked me to show you his response."
"Why didn't you tell me at once?" Hermione frowned. She tried to keep the sudden bout of hostility she felt in check.
"I honestly did not know how to address this." Ginny's nose became scrunched when she grimaced in a failed attempt to smile. "And although Colin has not exactly said in as many words that his letter is confidential, it is a tricky situation. Harry first told him, he would only answer, if he could tell you about this."
Ginny flattened the letter, that had become crumpled in her bag.
"Your Colin certainly is well-behaved." Ginny said. "His letter was very polite."
Hermione bent over the table to read Harry's answer. She could easily guess what Colin's question had been from Harry's lines.
"Curse-breaking." Hermione breathed, when she had finished. Her heart clenched. She passed the letter over to Pansy. Pansy was Colin's godmother after all.
Pansy took her hand. "Colin really takes this very hard. But I am sure, we can help him. At least he doesn't seem likely to barge in like a Gryffindor. He seems to give this some thought."
"Small solace," Hermione pressed Pansy's hand in return.
"Oh Merlin," Hermione closed her eyes. "Is it boys that are so difficult? I never worried so much about Rina."
"That is because Rina 'I do this alone, thank you very much' would have been deeply offended if you had ever fussed about her." Pansy remarked.
Hermione had to laugh.
"Well, school year is over tomorrow. We'll have time then. Thank you, Ginny, for showing me this."
Hermione tried to calm herself. Colin was obviously troubled, but she had known that already and it didn't look like he would do anything foolish.
"By the way, what is Harry doing in Azkaban?" Hermione wanted to know.
"Checking one of his hunches on how to get rid of the dementors' anchor there and probably trying to grill Sloane again." If Ginny was worried, she did not show it. But Harry probably had been to Azkaban numerous times.
Pansy's face showed a flicker of uneasiness.
"He did not go alone, Pansy."
Pansy frowned and threw a look at Hermione. "I wonder that he has found anyone willing to go with him."
Hermione looked at her friend askance. She had wondered, if Harry had confessed to Pansy and Neville. He obviously had.
Ginny skidded on her chair, biting her lip.
"You can be pissed at him and still worry, Pansy." She patted her hand.
Pansy flushed. "I always wondered about his hunches you know. He always was amazing at getting into people's head and imagine what the bad guys would do."
She shook her head briefly as if to force her thoughts away. Silence followed her words and briefly Hermione thought about leaving again. She did not want to talk about Harry.
"I doubt Sloane will budge." Hermione changed the subject. She was not good at doing this subtly, but Pansy and Ginny jumped at the opportunity.
"It certainly doesn't look like it." Ginny shook her head. She sounded resigned.
"We've already booked our holidays in Normandy. If Sloane doesn't give in, we will find some obliging French cousin in the umpteenth degree who will step in to get a vast amount of money, inherit and undo the cut out."
"If there is any money left." Pansy remarked. "Narcissa is doggedly determined to get rid of it."
"Draco is quite sure, that there is still enough to tempt the alleged cousin in the umpteenth degree."
"But that is only because Narcissa can't just spend it in one go," Pansy remarked.
"And then?" Ginny asked. "Will Draco try to get rid of his scutum?"
Hermione frowned. "You do realise there is a catch."
She would not roll her eyes. She would not. The tea had gone quite well so far.
She inhaled slowly and explained. "He would have to do a spell which he obviously cannot do, because he is under a scutum, and he probably would have to cast at least a patronus, which he has never done before…."
Pansy nodded. "So far, the patronus or the strange semblance of patronus Neill did was the only thing that worked against the perpetuals. And wands with some kind of an occamy core."
That led them to talk about the muggleborns. Apparently, Pansy had thrown herself into the subject and Neville and she also wanted to appeal for a curriculum on wizarding society in Hogwarts for muggleborns.
"I think you should do that for all the students," Hermione argued. "It can't hurt if wizards and witches from traditional families learn about some of the more problematic aspects of wizarding society."
"Colin brought a house elf to class and forced everyone to learn about the elves' curse, or so Neville told me."
"Richard was flummoxed, that we Weasleys were supposed to break that. He even flood home to tell me about it." Ginny's face held the shadow of an amused smile. "You should have seen my parents' faces!"
Hermione had to giggle at that. In a way it was a pity that she could not ask Molly, how Arthur and she had blundered with contraception. Their stories probably were as hilarious as her own.
Hermione leaned back and allowed her muscles to lose tension. She might ask Draco to give her back a massage this evening. She had to make the best of the fact, that she could still lie on her stomach.
Pansy and Ginny carried on collecting ideas on the new 'history and society of the wizarding world' curriculum, and Hermione sipped more of her tea and occasionally came forward with her own ideas.
It was all going rather well, and she was tempted to write a quick text to Draco and tell him that the tea was surprisingly pleasant. Over the years, she had almost forgotten how easy it could be to talk with Ginny.
Her necklace began to burn at her skin.
She jumped up and yelped, her hand reached at her throat in fear. Her heart beat erratically and it felt like it would fly out of her throat any moment.
She looked at her necklace, Colin's garnet, and Lizzie's citrine were shining and pulsing.
Pansy's eyes widened.
"I'll come with you." Statute of secrecy or not, Pansy had already drawn her wand.
"What is it?" Ginny asked, alarmed.
"Colin and Lizzie are in danger." Hermione did hardly recognize her own voice. "I'll apparate to their magical signatures. It might take us a few steps. I've never done that before."
She grabbed her bag. Pansy reached for her and before she could prevent her, Ginny held out her hand as well.
The apparition crack resounded loudly in her ears.
They landed somewhere on a green meadow and Hermione checked her necklace with trembling fingers. Closer, but not yet there. At least it looked like Colin and Lizzie were at the same place.
It took them four jumps to finally reach the spot where Colin and Lizzie should be. When the whirl of apparition had settled, nausea threatened to pull her under. They were in a small grove that looked wild and unkempt but, in the distance, she could see a house she had never thought to see again. Malfoy Manor.