Wizards of the Caribbean

by lucych.7

In a freezing tent in the middle of nowhere, a trio became a duo. Friendships died with a stab of betrayal. But a truer friend is about to help Harry and Hermione out of their horrible situation with a snap of their fingers. Not kind to Dumbledore or some Weasleys. Don't like don't read. Not Canon, obviously.

38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Of Sister Wives and Emerald Eyes

A/N: Trigger warning for sexual violence survivors. This may be too much for you. Please heed the warning. -Lux-

---

A crushed Nymphadora Tonks sat by Sirius' bedside, holding his hand, and taking deep, slow breaths. Andromeda had just left to treat Augusta. The baby was sound asleep in a vintage carriage that one of the elves had found in storage. It probably held both James and Harry at one point or another. The baby's hair was a deep purple. On her lap, there was a crumpled note. In the madness of missions, military moves, and sick humans and creatures, no one saw her take a letter meant for Sirius. She wasn't proud of it. Opening other people's mail was a crime, and she was an Auror. To make it all worse, she had used a safety pin and pricked Sirius' finger to get his blood and unseal the letter. That was a worse crime.

---

Lord Black,

I have gone into all my werewolf material. I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. I had to move my family to the American continent. I think I know what you are wondering about. Don't panic. I didn't investigate either of you, but Dumbledore often talked about The Marauders. Your antics always amused him, and I know what you and your friends did to help Mr. Lupin. It was remarkable that you managed to transform at such young ages and without any help.

I have been keeping tabs on your resistance's efforts via Mr. Malfoy. No, he's not spying for me. We became friends, I think. If I am guessing right, your friend has started developing certain attitudes toward you. They may present as possessiveness and protectiveness. They may show as a need to be close or a need to be touched and to touch you. There is something you need to know before you make any decisions. When a person is affected by lycanthropy, their very essence is split. They are two separate entities cohabitating in the same body. Each entity has different emotions and desires. None of it is deliberate or malicious, and it is truly out of their control. Just like they can't control turning into a werewolf, they can't control what the werewolf feels or wants.

Attraction and affection are spontaneous and not calculated, regardless of the species. We don't choose who we are attracted to or who we fall in love with as humans. Werewolves and many other humanoid creatures are the same. Mr. Lupin may be completely in love with his wife, devoted to her entirely, and Moony may be irrevocably in love with Padfoot. However, for werewolves, love is a matter of imprinting. If my suppositions are correct, Moony imprinted on Padfoot when you were teenagers. He just wasn't aware of what it meant or how far that would go. You thought you had a close friend that you loved and loved you and didn't think more of it. Your dog was submissive to his wolf because animals recognize hierarchy. That his wolf side was overly caring and protective of you was seen as merely him being a good friend.

If stronger symptoms or traits are starting to be difficult to hide or pass off as just friendly concern, his wolf is demanding to be embraced wholly and consciously as your mate. As Mr. Malfoy has noticed, I think everyone else did as well. However, he may be more observant than most, an unfortunate side effect of growing up in that house of horrors. Wolves typically mate for life. If Moony chose Padfoot, he won't choose another dog or wolf as his mate. Could he? Maybe if he was a full wolf and it was his only chance of survival. But as a werewolf, the part of him that is partly human can't even imagine moving on from you. This is why you remained his chosen mate even with your untimely death. If my assumptions are correct, Mrs. Lupin must have struggled a lot for him to even look at her romantically.

His grief over losing his mate would have led him to self-hatred and self-harm. He approached me for intel when he went on missions after your death. I had some maps that detailed the locations of certain packs. I warned him where he shouldn't go as the likelihood of him returning was slim. He went precisely to the angriest alphas, expecting -potentially hoping, I think- to be killed so he could rejoin his mate. He came back so close to death so many times. He didn't want to take his potion. He didn't want to interact with people. He would burn himself with silver on purpose.

Dumbledore told me he found him choking himself with a necklace. It was your necklace. The one your parents gave you when you got your Hogwarts letter. It had your family's crest with the motto embossed on the back. If he hadn't been found, he would have died. The chokehold was so brutal that the necklace burrowed into the skin, cutting several layers of tissue. If you look, you can probably still find the marks. Fawkes cried over it, but it didn't vanish all the way because it was close to the full moon. It was when he was recovering from this that he and his wife got closer, I think. I believe they can tell you this better.

Lord Black, whatever you decide regarding this issue, you must understand that Moony wanted to be killed. He didn't want to live without you in the literal sense. His werewolf suffered a lot when he lost you. He lost his best friend and mate in one brutal blow when you fell through the veil. Your magic will call out for him, even if you wouldn't be in a human relationship with him of your own volition. His magic will call out for you, even if he is happily married. If you choose to accept him wholly, that will grant you access to complex and unstudied aspects of magic. As your full mate and alpha, he can order you around, yes, but he can also heal and strengthen you. He can find you when no one else can. He can understand you at a base level that no one else can. Not enough is known about what would happen in such a bond. If you decide to proceed with it, I would appreciate any knowledge you are willing to share. Most male werewolves imprint on female werewolves. Not all of them, though. Whether your relationship transcends and has a physical component would be up to both of you. And up to Mr. Lupin's wife, I suppose.

I understand the situation is extremely complicated. It is quite a predicament. Mrs. Lupin will not like this at all, I am sure. I advise that you sit down and discuss it among yourselves and with her, preferably before you make any irrevocable changes to your relationship. As I understand, she just had a baby, and women who have just given birth need to be calm and relaxed for their benefit and that of the baby. I haven't seen a werewolf imprint on a dog until now, only other wolves or werewolves. The whole point of pairing up is strengthening the pack with different traits. Usually, both territorial and hierarchical species prefer the same species because of genetics and procreation. However, as dogs and wolves are genetically very close to each other, the werewolf may have decided those differences did not matter enough.

If you do become full mates, it would be the first case I know about. I will keep this to myself whether you decide to do it. If you do, I would be very grateful if you share the news and tell me what you discover of this bond. I will send a summary of all my findings on this topic via House Elf as soon as I finish writing it. Please don't hesitate to write if you have any questions that you think I can answer. I know that hypothetical scenarios may be among your considerations, and you may want to run them by someone without any skin in the game. I extend this offer to Mr. Lupin and Mrs. Lupin as well.

Your servant,

Newt Scamander

---

Tonks wanted to scream profanities until she lost her voice. She hated this situation. She couldn't even be mad at either man. She wanted to, but she had read the letter five times already, and they weren't trying to hurt her. They likely didn't even understand what was happening and were as muddled as she was. Tonks knew her husband well, and he had been exceedingly confused and doubtful since Sirius' return to life. Everything in the letter made his changes make sense. Sirius wasn't trying to seduce Remus. Remus wasn't trying to seduce Sirius. They just were the way they had always been… Before she existed.

Perhaps this was how things would have gone if Sirius hadn't fallen through the veil. Perhaps Remus and Sirius would have gotten together. It could have been the natural progression of their relationship. Perhaps they would have been a family. The way both men looked at each other… They didn't look at anyone else like that (herself included). There was always a special shine to their eyes, a special serenity when they were together. They agreed on things without even having to ask one another. They had whole conversations with one look. Deep down, Tonks always knew that there was no way Remus and Sirius would ever separate, and she wasn't even sure she could wish for that because she loved them, and that would hurt them terribly. She didn't want either of them to suffer.

Knowing her husband, he was fighting against all his instincts and urges, and it was a massive part of why he was losing his mind lately. True, they always had a bromance, and it predated Tonks' and Remus' relationship by ages. But if they were also mates, what was she supposed to do? If wolves did mate for life… Should she step aside? Should she divorce Remus? But then again, how was that fair for her or their son? Tonks sighed. None of this is fair. It's all so fucked up. I don't want to be in a polyamorous relationship with my cousin! Ugh. As good-looking as he may be, incest is not something I would ever take part in, nor he… I think… I hope. Tonks took deep breaths.

If Moony was devoted to Padfoot, but Remus was devoted to her… was it even cheating? Could she even be mad when Moony left to spend the full moon with his mate? Did this make Padfoot the mistress, or did it make her the other woman? No. She was fully married to the man… But then again, in the eyes of Magic, was a werewolf mate bond more significant than a legal marriage? FUCK. I need you to wake up, homewrecker, Tonks scoffed. If I don't get to be calm and relaxed, neither do you! But of course, you had to go and get yourself almost killed… again. And now I can't get mad at you because, on top of this mate thing not being your fault, you are convalescing. Fuck you and your awful timing, Sirius Black!

She felt his hand squeeze hers slightly. He groaned in pain.

"Finally!"

Sirius opened his eyes and blinked. The light bothered him. He felt dull aches and pain throughout his body, but he was alive. When he saw Tonks' face, his heart sank. His cousin looked like she had been crying for a long time. He didn't want to assume anything, "W-What's wrong?" his throat felt like the desert.

She took a glass of water with a straw and helped him drink without a word. She was trying to breathe slowly to calm herself. Sirius grimaced slightly. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?! Oh, I don't know…" she sniffed, "I always thought that you being my s-sister-wife was a metaphor and a joke… Apparently not."

"Dora-" Sirius grimaced, but she knew it wasn't from physical pain alone.

Tonks sat back down and crossed her arms and her legs, "Apparently, joke's on me, huh?"

"Dora-" Sirius croaked.

"Don't you 'Dora' me Sirius Black. You better start talking."

"I… I don't know where to begin. I- is that from Scamander?" he frowned, noticing the parchment on her lap.

Tonks sighed. "Here, read it," she handed it to him.

"You clearly already did," Sirius said accusingly.

"I am not proud of what I did. But I needed to know… You two weren't telling me shit, and as his wife, the mother of his child, and your bloody cousin, I fucking deserve to know what the hell is going on between you two."

Sirius nodded, "You are right..." He took the crumpled paper from her, and she turned to take the baby out of the carriage as he started crying. When Sirius finished the letter, he was crying just like the baby. He had just realized he perhaps accepted Moony as his mate entirely when Moony took in his pain. Tonks handed him a box of tissues without comment. He dabbed his eyes and blew his nose.

"What the hell are we going to do?" Tonks whispered as she rocked the baby.

He sniffed, "Whatever you want, Tonks."

"What?! Whatever I want?! Do you know what I want? I want the man I married. I want the husband I had before you came back!"

"Would you rather I was still dead?" Sirius whispered, looking down.

"DON'T YOU MOTHERFUCKING DARE! You don't get to play the victim or act like the drama queen you have always been! Not on this! You are my family, and I love you! Do you realize how painful this is for me?! The two men I love most, other than my father and my son, are involved with each other!"

"Dora, we are NOT involved! Not in that way!" Sirius sat up and grunted as his back protested.

"Then in what way?"

"We haven't kissed. We haven't touched each other in any non-platonic ways. We haven't had sex or-"

"There are-"

"I know there are many ways of being intimate, Dora, but I… We haven't… I… Bloody hell… I need you to know I didn't come back to life to spite you! I didn't want to cause any problems between you. I love you both and that tiny person you created so much! I will gladly leave England and relocate far away after the war, Dora, but I can't do that now. I will not leave until Riddle is dead and Harry can rest."

Tonks jumped up angrily and smacked the back of his head, "What the actual fuck?! You CAN'T leave! Don't you even think about it!"

"W-What?!" Sirius blinked in shock. He didn't dare complain about the smacking.

"Your death almost killed him last time! He was drinking five bottles of firewhiskey per night. He was baiting other alphas to end him! I don't know what we can do, but I know the solution isn't to try to sever your connection as mates because I honestly don't think either of you can survive that," Tonks whisper shouted.

"Then, tell me what to do!" Sirius whisper shouted back.

"I can't decide for you!"

"Yes, you can. You must. You guys are building a family. You have a beautiful son."

"Yes, and you guys are mates. What the hell can we even do that doesn't hurt that either? Whatever the solution we come up with, we can't choose something that will hurt you."

"Better me than you or the little one."

"Sirius, please! I meant both of you. You may be willing to stop seeing him, but I know he won't give you up."

Sirius looked down… Perhaps they could reach some sort of agreement. Ugh. Not that kind. Gross. "There are 12 full moons in a year. His symptoms are the worst for 3 to 4 days…"

Tonks frowned, "Are you suggesting we split him like a cake? He's mine when he's Remus and yours when he's Moony? Is that it?"

"Whoa! Dora, calm down. I am not suggesting anything. I am only pointing out that Moony will be with you two most of the year... The worst-case scenario is that it takes four days for him not to be dangerous or symptomatic anymore, right? That would still mean only 48 days out of 365 days in a year," Sirius replied slowly.

"My cousin, the mathematician…" Tonks rolled her eyes hard.

"Tonks, please…" Sirius groaned as he changed positions.

Despite her anger and frustration, Tonks summoned an additional pillow to help him sit up more comfortably, "Even if those numbers were right, Sirius, Moony will always want to be with you."

"And Remus will always want to be with you… Come on, Tonks, think about it. Moony only comes out to play 4 days a month."

"So?"

"So… We could treat it like you treat your period," Sirius said, blushing.

"My p-period?" Tonks' eyes widened.

Sirius nodded, and she hurriedly placed the back asleep baby in the carriage doing a ward to keep the noise out.

"Excuse you?!" she snapped.

"Before you AK my ass, please hear me out… You are usually very smart and level-headed. Clumsy, sure, but you are a wonderful person for the most part-"

"Gee, thanks," she replied sarcastically.

"However, there are some days every month when you are more dangerous and prone to kill people than the rest of the month, correct?"

"Your blatant sexism is giving me a migraine," Tonks massaged her temples.

"Don't give me that. I am not being sexist! I just have the inside scoop. I got some letters from Andi in prison when they weren't intercepted. You were a terror in your teens when your cycles were normalizing, and your temper means you probably struggle with your PMS still," Sirius shrugged.

"You should be bloody grateful I am not PMS-ing right now because you'd be dead-dead."

Sirius pulled as far away from her as he could with the pillows behind him, "Yes, I know… Hear me out… Hypothetical Scenario… If you and Remus were two women living together, you would each have your own cycles, right?"

Tonks blew her fringe up, "When women live together, our cycles tend to sync because we are sharing the same environment and diet and such. That doesn't count."

Sirius was silent for a few minutes. Tonks could see that his Marauder thinking cap was on. That can't be good. Suddenly, he smiled, "Wait a minute… Could we do that? Could we make it happen?"

Tonks blinked, a bit perplexed, "Huh?"

"Could we synch your body with the moon cycle so that you have your period when he's having his bad days? I think I heard someone say that witches' cycles should be aligned to the moon, but well… I know each witch is her own galaxy, so-"

"If we do that, we can avoid each other at our worst, you mean?" Tonks chuckled with a raised brow.

"That way, you can be together at your best," Sirius winked with a small smile.

Tonks paced and took turns staring at Sirius' calm expression and at her baby's angelic face. She stopped and threw her arms up in frustration, "How are you okay with this?"

"With what?" Sirius blinked.

"THIS! Everything!" she motioned between them. "How are you not freaking out?!"

"About what exactly?" Sirius frowned.

"Gee, I don't know. Being the other… man? Dog? Fuck, I don't even know how to speak about this."

Sirius tilted his head, "I am not the other dog… or man."

"You mean I am the other woman?" Tonks' hair turned fiery red.

"No! Neither of us is. You read Scamander. Remus doesn't want me as his mate; Moony does. To Remus, I am his insane, irresponsible, fucked up friend that can't be trusted not to ruin things… most of the time."

"That's bullshit with capital B, and you know it, Mr. I-like-my-back-scratched!" Tonks blushed scarlet.

Sirius gaped. He stared. He colored. Finally, he sighed, "So, we snogged ONCE! I knew this would come back to bite me in the ass eventually… DAMN IT!" he looked up in outrage, "Couldn't keep it to yourself, could you, Remy? Ugh. Fine. We were horny, stupid teenagers, Dora. Bloody hell… Remus was a handsome guy, and I don't have to tell you that he is a great kisser. Sue me. It was a prank that got out of control. But honest to Magic, Dora… Honest to Mischief, we never EVER kissed again."

Tonks had to believe him. His swearing on Mischief was other people's swearing on God or on the lives of their loved ones. She shrugged, "But what you have is not a normal friendship between men either."

"We have been through a lot of shit, Dora."

"Yes, but so have other people, and they aren't so touchy-feely. How do you think it makes me feel when my husband is publicly kissing someone else's forehead? Holding him by the waist? Speaking in hushed tones in the corner? Whispering in someone else's ear? I don't know if you even considered this, but this pregnancy was a fucking nightmare. It was bad enough that I have been feeling and looking like a whale for months. I haven't been able to help with the war because no one would let me… Then, the pregnancy difficulties and the fear of miscarriage. Then, Remus pulled away from me… from us… And having to see him seek you instead has been torture! I can't compete with you, and as a matter of fact, I don't want to… Fuck it all to hell! Amelia warned me this would happen."

Sirius was quiet for a while. He was an idiot. Of course, all of that, which apparently happened more than he realized, bothered her exceedingly. That was just how they always were in school. To them, they didn't necessarily amp up things; they just went back to how they always were. But Dora was right. "I am so sorry, Dora. I will make a conscious effort to minimize all physical contact. You are absolutely right to be upset. You are his wife. I need to respect your boundaries."

"I appreciate that," Tonks squeezed his hand.

"As for Amelia's perception and thoughts about this… We are over… for good, I think. She demanded I severed all ties to Remus."

"And you refused?" Tonks lifted a brow. "You refused your fiancée?"

"I did, and I would do it again. Like I told her, he's my only surviving friend… He's a part of my family. I won't leave him behind any more than I would abandon Harry."

Tonks frowned, "So, you were lying when you talked about moving away after the war?"

Sirius' face betrayed how crushed he was at that, "No, I wasn't, Dora. I meant every word. I wouldn't sever ties with him for Amelia, but I would do it for you. You are my family not once but twice, sweetie."

Tonks stared at Sirius. Her eyes filled with tears again. "Twice?"

"You are my cousin, more like my niece, really, considering our ages. But you are also my sister-in-law and the mother of my nephew. You ask me to take a swig of poison because that will save you, Remus, or the baby, any day, and I will do it. No questions asked."

Tonks sniffed and rested her head on the bed by his bandaged ribs. Tears started cascading once more, "I know that. Truly… But your w-willingness to self-sacrifice d-doesn't change how I feel…"

Sirius reached out and moved her hair away from her face, "I can't even imagine how awful this is for you, Dora, and I wish I could say more than I am sorry, but I don't know what else to do."

"Sirius… That's just it! You being sorry doesn't change anything!" She sat back up. "I already feel like a bitch! I read the letter; I understand this is not a choice either of you made consciously or maliciously!"

"I know, doll," he grabbed her hand. "But understanding it doesn't mean you have to like it. I feel all sorts of wrong about this. And you are allowed to be mad and sad and whatever else you may want to feel."

After a few minutes of silence, Tonks sighed, "Will you have sex with him, Sirius?"

Sirius paled and stammered, "I… Uh… Sorry, what?"

"As mates, can you be platonic forever?" Tonks frowned.

"Sweetheart… I honestly don't have a clue. You read Scamander. This hasn't happened before. It's not like there are other mates in our situation that we can ask."

"Do you think you can promise me not to?" Tonks' voice was small, and her eyes filled with tears again.

"Dora…" Sirius trailed off.

"Because I will believe you… If both of you promise me you won't, I will believe you."

"Can we pause this conversation, please, Dora?" Sirius took a slow, deep breath.

"You won't promise…" she sniffed.

"Hey, come here," He opened his arms, and she climbed onto the bed to rest her head against his sore chest like she did many times as a toddler. "I am willing to promise, Dora… I can't speak for Moony, though. We need to talk to him and show him the letter, so he makes an informed decision."

"Thank you. I agree… He's coming back tomorrow," Tonks said. After a pregnant pause, she looked up and asked, "Sirius… are you in love with Remus?"

Sirius stared into her eyes for a long time. He wasn't blinking. He was deep in thought. "No, Dora. I love him, yes. He is one of the most important people in my life. However, I am not in love with him. My animal side may somehow be, but I can commit not to transform again."

"You would give up Padfoot?"

Sirius smiled, "For you? For Remus? For your nameless adorable baby boy? Anything."

Dora hugged Sirius tightly. She truly believed him. "What about Amelia? Is it over for good? There's no chance to get back together?"

He took a deep breath, "How can I put this? I was getting married to the person I was deeply in love with, Dora. That love survived twelve years in Azkaban… It survived me dying and coming back. But it didn't survive this. Not on her side… I would still marry her today. But she won't accept me having Remus as a part of my life. Especially not now that we know this mates thing. And that is not a compromise I am willing to make with anyone other than you."

"I appreciate that more than I can say, Sirius… I am sorry that she won't accept this. I do understand, though."

"I understand her too… But it doesn't change the facts," Sirius shrugged.

"It is very telling that you are willing to sacrifice a whole side of you for our family. I think we can talk about it with Remus. Maybe you can forego Padfoot just the days when he's Moony… Maybe that way it can help."

"We will reach an agreement, I am sure. Now can I please give some love to my nameless nephew?"

Tonks smiled a bit at that, "Yes, but don't wake him," she moved slowly to get her son.

---

Harry had been unconscious for half an hour. He was completely limp; other than breathing and the small, serene smile on his face, he looked almost dead. Hermione had been pacing the infirmary with a frown. It wasn't just her father who had left to go somewhere unknown. It was her mother too. FUCK! She needed someone to go after them, but everyone was running around helping the injured and gathering with their planning groups so they could be ready to leave anytime. She couldn't leave Harry. He was mumbling in his sleep.

"Dear, you will make a ditch," Professor McGonagall placed her hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"Professor!" she jumped in fright.

"Sorry. Are you alright?" Minerva lowered a tray covered in potions and balm at Harry's feet.

"No. My parents left… with the sword of Gryffindor. I can't leave Harry alone."

"They are at the island, yes?"

Hermione sighed, "I think so."

"Don't worry. I will go after them."

"They wanted to kill Nagini. I don't know if they even can wield the sword. Anord says it needs a magical connection for the properties it has absorbed to work. Otherwise, it is just a very sharp and heavy sword."

"I'll call you with an update as soon as I can, dear."

---

On the island, the Grangers had brought Snape down to the beach to help them. Only he could open the blasted suitcase, which was password-protected, and they wouldn't risk a wild snake who hadn't been fed for days to attack anyone in the house, human or creature. Lady Greengrass refused to help them move him, so Daniel simply lifted Severus in his arms and walked him out of the Infirmary while Emma trailed behind them, holding the suitcase as if it was a bomb ready to blow up any second.

"Em, you open it and distract her," Daniel turned to Snape, "You freeze it. I shoot it," Daniel said one last time.

"Why did you bring the sword, then?" Severus frowned.

"Just in case the gun doesn't work. I'd rather not be too close to a giant snake. Thank you very much!"

Severus couldn't really blame him, and futile as he thought shooting Nagini was, she did deserve to die by ambush, "Aperta cincinno!" he said, pointing his wand at the suitcase.

The suitcase shook, and a deep voice said, "Password?"

"Lily Jade."

A snake slowly poked her head out.

"Nagini! Come and get me!"

Nagini seemed to frown, but she turned and faced the woman. GRANGER! The snake thought, mistaking Emma for her daughter. My master will be so pleased! Nagini lunged toward Emma. Fangs bared. Two spells lit up the sky.

A banishing spell threw Emma far from the snake while another spell hit Nagini, petrifying her midflight, and she fell to the wet sand. Her eyes were wide in fear. She had been played. Daniel went toward her. He grabbed her and positioned her head as flat as could be. He took his gun and shot it in the head without a second thought. Snape pulled him back harshly by the neck of his shirt before whatever was inside decided to change hosts.

In the blink of an eye, a viscous, yet smoky black substance came out of the bloody bullet wound with a screech. It looked around, seeking a worthy magical host. It started flying around, and suddenly it dropped itself onto Severus' head. He tried to swat at it with his remaining arm, but he felt it leech his magic and take over his consciousness. It got into his body through his ears. Minerva tried to banish it so it wouldn't get to him but couldn't. The spell bounced and hit the suitcase, making it disappear.

Severus' eyes went all black. No white in them at all. Minerva accioed Daniel so he would be next to his wife.

"Severus! I know you are still in there! Don't give up! Don't believe anything you hear! It's all lies!"

A cold, dry laugh followed. "Minerva McGonagall, patron saint of lost causes… Hypocrite extraordinaire, ironically cowardly Head of Gryffindor when all she should have been head of was the Complaint Department at Hogwarts. Tut-tut… so much wasted potential, Minerva. Why refuse me? Why not join me? Why survive the first war on the wrong side of history to become… this?"

"Severus, stay with us!" Minerva didn't reply to the entity.

"Fight it, Professor Snape!" Emma yelled, trying to distract it, but it was futile. It had zeroed in on Minerva.

Daniel looked at Minerva questioningly. The gun hadn't worked. The sword was too far away from him. What can I do?

"How does it feel to be the biggest of lost causes, Minerva? How does it feel to know you will die all alone? Never remarried. Never had children… You will end your days in a hospice, depending on the charity of strangers to feed you and wipe your wrinkly ass. No one will visit you. No one will hold your hand. No one will miss you. No one will even remember you. All the reprehensible things you did… All the times you capitulated to Dumbledore, to the Minister, to Umbridge, to Snape… You compromised your morals for nothing. You let others lead the fight because it was convenient for you… You could have been a worthy nemesis, but you let Albus take the lead when you knew full well that he couldn't do a decent job... Minerva, you may die tonight if I am feeling generous. You could have even been my right hand. But you bought Dumbledore's lies. Duel me, Minerva… Once you die, and the resistance loses its true head, I will then rejoin my master, and we will win…"

Minerva took a deep breath to steel herself and wordlessly petrified Daniel. She knew he was willing to shoot again, but all that would accomplish would be for the wraith to find another host.

Unbeknownst to everyone, someone else was approaching the scene. She silenced her feet and moved ever so slowly. She walked carefully in the shadows of the remaining palm trees. She picked up the discarded sword, which glistened even in the dark. Its weight felt reassuring in her hold. She felt the sword's magic connecting with her own. Years ago, she had a powerful magical object connect with her, it had almost destroyed her, but the magic felt cold and oppressive and intrusive and terrifying. The magic of the sword was warm, gentle, and empowering. She felt ready to take on the world.

Minerva's cat instincts saw someone move behind puppet-Snape, but she knew it was one of them. There were no new scents. She decided to show Riddle his mind games didn't get to her, "Should I be impressed or heartbroken, Tom? I know how I will end my days. I know all my flaws and every single mistake, and I have atoned for them, Riddle. You cannot manipulate my psyche like you did all the poor children you have tortured. I am much too old to give a fuck what someone like you thinks about me. I have come to terms with what awaits me, and I can handle it all. You speak of cowardice while you hide in objects and innocent people… You are the one who should be worried. It is you who has always been terrified of death… You are the one who has no idea what horrors await you. Come out and fight me in your true form, then!"

"My true form or the one you remember, Minerva? The handsome and brilliant young Tom that opened the Chamber of Secrets for the first time? I think I can manage. Snape's body is not what it once was anyway. It's a shame you don't look like your old self. You were so uncommonly pretty, then… for an academic."

The wraith jumped out of Severus' body by opening his jaw so violently that it dislocated. Severus fell, feeling all his magic had been drained. His magic was used by the dark substance, and it formed an eerie, ghost-like young grayish Tom Riddle.

"Merlin, I had good looks, didn't I?" Tom sneered.

"You were a charming liar, a wolf in sheep's clothing, but that ends today," Minerva replied. She wanted to keep him focused on her.

"You can't kill me, Minerva. I am not a person but an idea."

Ginny almost dropped the sword when she saw her tormentor in the disgusting image she remembered. She tightened her hold on the sword so much that her knuckles went white. She took a slow breath, "A horrible idea, really."

Riddle gasped and turned with a satisfied smirk, "Little Weasley? You came out to play? Color me surprised."

Minerva quickly sent lime green sparks to the ocean. It was their chosen spark color to ask for help. She hoped they were paying attention. She did a couple of spells to stabilize Snape while the wraith was looking away.

"You shouldn't be. I want payback for everything you did to me," Ginny growled as she took a couple of steps closer to him.

"Payback, you say, dear? I can't imagine why… You were rewarded for your services. You got what you wanted, Little Weasley. You were Potter's damsel in distress… He saved you like he supposedly saved so many others. Just like in those stupid stories you idolized."

"Fuck you! All I got was trauma, injuries, scars, nightmares, pain, fear, frustration, and feeling dirty, unworthy, and used for years, just like you bloody wanted!"

Emma and McGonagall shared a look and a thought, Oh no. Those who knew the extent of what had happened to Ginny had kept their mouths closed as they promised.

"You did," he cackled. "And every second of it was delicious. How tight you were, how you whimpered, cried, and screamed, and how you convinced yourself that taking it like a good girl would get you your coveted prize: Harry Potter," he laughed so much that he doubled over for a bit. "So pathetically in love with a mediocre boy that wouldn't have even looked at you twice if I hadn't forced him to come and rescue you…"

Ginny's hold on the sword loosened. She started feeling a panic attack approaching as she could even smell the moldy dampness of the chamber and the smell of her blood mixed with basilisk skin as if she was back in there. Charlie swam toward the group as fast as his tail would let him as soon as he saw the sparks and heard his sister's voice.

"Please, Ginevra… Do be serious. It has been years… How could he want you? You weren't even of age, back then, and you had been run through completely in all holes!"

The Grangers reddened in anger for what this young woman went through. McGonagall grimaced and kept her wand ahead of her, pointing at the figure. Everything made sense now. Ginny's anger, her aggressiveness, her isolation, her frustration, all of that was her way to cope.

"YOU RAPED ME! I didn't choose that!" Ginny snapped.

"Please… If you want to play victim, at least be honest with yourself, child. You were so eager to prove you were brave that it made you stupid… Admit it. You were stupid and naïve."

"I WAS ELEVEN YEARS OLD!" Ginny roared, tightening her hold on the sword.

Emma had to bite the inside of her cheeks so as not to gasp in horror.

"And all those eleven years were a waste! You had good pureblood magic in your veins… And yet, all you ever wanted… All you ever aspired to… was to prove you were worthy of being Lady Potter. So ridiculous, so ordinary," Tom laughed ironically. "You were always fucked up in the head Little Weasley. Even before I met you. You were nothing but a cheap little fuck toy… A convenient amusement for my forces. You were nothing more than a delusional slut who thought she could handle me, the Dark Lord, and make him do her bidding!"

"And yet, this slut is still standing! Still fighting! You didn't destroy me! And you are going to lose this war! When we are done with you, no one will remember you as anything other than a bad dream!"

Minerva did protective bubbles around the Grangers and Snape. She readied herself to summon the sword if Ginny failed so she could kill the bastard or die trying.

"No need to get snippy, little bitch," Tom sneered and shook his hair away from his eyes dramatically, "Remember who you are talking to, Little Weasley. I owned you then, mind, body, and soul, and if I wasn't so put off by your current body count, and I wanted to, I would still enter you now and relive all those nights full of your pained screams… But no. I prefer better, cleaner hosts these days..."

"Ginny! Don't listen to him!" Emma growled. "He doesn't get to touch you anymore, Ginny! He's not real! How about you mess with someone your own size, you fucker!"

Charlie had swam as far out in the sand as he could. His heart was hurting for his baby sister. Tears fell rapidly from his eyes. She needed to know she wasn't alone, "He's nothing but a bad memory, poppet! I am here for you! You can do this, sis! You can end him! He hurt you so much… but now he gets to feel all that pain! Give it back to him! You got this! Come on, Ginny! Finish him!"

The sword shook on Ginny's hold with unspent angry energy. She could feel her control slipping, and her eyes were stinging. Her heart was squeezing painfully in intervals.

"Funny how you think I am the bad memory… It was you who let my basilisk out to play. It was because of you that it petrified innocent students and even a harmless kitty cat! Pity it wasn't McGonagall. You terrorized a school by writing threatening messages in blood with your fingers. You petrified Hermione Granger, did you not? I bet you would have made sure to kill her if you had known she would take your long-coveted Lady Potter title!"

Ginny shook her head, "NO! I didn't want to hurt her! I didn't want to hurt anyone! You manipulated me! You used me! You abused me! I WAS A CHILD! You robbed me of my innocence, my sense of self, and my peace of mind!"

"Pffft!" Riddle cackled. "You never had any of those, Ginevra! Your brain was without a doubt the nastiest, most cluttered, most confusing mind I ever entered, and I am including Potter's!"

"Ginny, you are a survivor! He doesn't get to win! You can end this today!" McGonagall exclaimed.

Charlie bellowed, "Ginny, we love you! We are so proud of you! You are a fighter! You can do this! Come on!"

"What you made me do to others wasn't enough for you! NO! You raped me! You made others rape me! You hit me and cut me and burnt me and forced me to participate in your disgusting rituals! That would've been enough damage, but you cost me my friends! YOU COST ME MY FAMILY! It was because of you that I stopped being friends with Luna, who was only trying to help me! It was because of you that I pushed my family away and didn't confide in them! And now my father is dead, and I will never be able to apologize! AND IT WAS YOU WHO KILLED HIM!"

Charlie yelled, "Dad is with you, Ginny! He is with you right now! He's holding that sword with you! You can end this, poppet!"

The wraith looked around, suddenly not sure of who to manipulate or attack. But before it could decide, Ginny jumped forward, and with a stabbing motion, she pierced through the wraith's abdomen. It screamed in pain and turned in horror. He clearly never thought she would go through with it. Then, Ginny stabbed it again. It wailed horribly. "Little Weasley! H-How c-could you? I could have m-made you Lady Riddle!"

"I would rather die!" Ginny raised the sword above her head, holding it with both hands, and brought it down with all her strength.

The wraith yelled once more an angry scream of "POTTEEEEEEEEEEER!"

Once the mist was dispelled entirely, Ginny fell to her knees, dropped the sword, and cried desperately, hugging herself. Minerva had rarely seen anyone cry like that. Maybe Severus when he knew Lily died. Maybe Harry when he learned he could have had a sibling. She moved to console the girl, but she didn't need her professor. She needed her family. She stared at Charlie with a clear request.

Ginny couldn't stop crying or screaming. She pulled her hair back harshly. She hugged herself as she shook violently. She cried for her inner child. She cried for her stupid hopes and dreams. She cried for trusting a stranger. She cried for all the times she was raped. She cried for all the years she spent avoiding mirrors like she did anything wrong when she had just been an unprotected child. She cried for the people who were attacked when she opened the chamber. She cried for all the years she lost with her family. She cried for what she and Harry would never be. She cried for all the awful things she said to Luna, to Hermione, to her siblings who tried to help her… to her mother and father. Merlin, she had been so awful to her parents… And she cried even more because she could never apologize to her dad now.

Professor McGonagall shared a look with Emma and levitated Ginny to the water, where her brother was eagerly waiting to hold her. She didn't even notice she was moved until Charlie's scaly arms wrapped around her. She was so deep in her grief that she didn't react to the cool water either, "We love you, poppet. Nothing will ever change that. What you have survived will only make us love you more. We are all so sorry that we couldn't prevent or stop what happened to you. But we are here, love! If you want to scream at us, if you want to cry, if you want to destroy things, if you want us to give you space, whatever you need, poppet. We are here for you. You were alone then, and that never should have happened, but you will never be alone anymore. You hear me? You are so brave! I am so proud of you!" Charlie spoke softly, but all Ginny heard was her father.

"I am s-so s-s-sorry!" Ginny turned in his embrace and hid her face in the crook of his scaly shoulder.

Charlie shook his head, "You have nothing to be sorry for, Gin."

Ginny's body shook with her sobs, "I p-pushed you all a-away! I was so m-mean! I was a-aggressive! I hurt you! I could have k-killed that s-soldier! I–!"

"You were hurting, and we couldn't help you. We understand," Charlie kissed the top of her head.

"I w-was a b-brat."

"But you were, are, and always will be our brat, poppet," Charlie smiled and separated her from his body so he could see her face. He gasped. She had changed.

"I look awful, don't I?"

"You have never looked more beautiful," Charlie smiled. He pulled out a Marauder communication mirror and flipped the tiny switch, so it was only a regular mirror, "Here, look for yourself."

---

"Let me heal you," Minerva offered Emma. Her head had hit a coconut when she was pushed away from the snake, and blood was dripping down her neck.

"Thank you. She was so brave. I had no idea…"

"Me neither. She is a Gryffindor through and through," Minerva smiled, proudly. "Episkey!"

"Hmmph!" Daniel groaned from the floor.

"Finite incantatem!" Minerva pointed at him, and he felt he could finally move again.

"That was awful! Is she okay?"

"No, but she will be. She needed this. Maki," Minerva called. "Please take Professor Snape to the Infirmary. Tell Lady Greengrass he was briefly possessed by a Horcrux."

"Can you call our daughter? She must be worried sick."

"Of course."

---

Ginny looked scared at the compact mirror but took it with shaky hands. She was terrified of seeing her old, traumatized self. She looked at her chin first; it was sweaty and trembling. Her nose was the same as it always had been. Except, there were new freckles on her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. She saw the dried tears and the messy hair. Her eyes, which she had grown used to seeing in a muted shade of dirt brown, were reddened and blinking tears… but they were green. Her eyes hadn't been any shade other than brown since before she went to Hogwarts, after the first ritual she was forced to do.

When she was born, her eyes had been blue, like her father's, and they were the kind that would change with the weather and her mood. Her mother thought her eyes changed to match her own as she matured. Their theory was that family magic did that when she 'became a woman.' Ginny's broken psyche rationalized that her eyes went brown because they were reflecting how dirty she was. It was her facial feature she hated the most. Before Riddle, her eyes would switch colors. Sometimes they were grayish, others they were greenish, but they had never been this shade of emerald green, just like… Oh. Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no. FUCK!

"My eyes… They…" she turned to Charlie.

"They are beautiful, poppet," Charlie smiled through his own tears.

"H-How?" she blinked tears away.

"I think your magic has changed," Charlie pushed her hair behind her ears. The access he had to new magic had him feeling her own by touch. It was strange, but very interesting.

"I look like…"

Charlie grimaced and blushed, "Harry's cousin?" he suggested, trying not to make it worse.

"No… I… I look like his m-m-mother! Morgana! I have seen it... I can't unsee it!" she dry-heaved. "Charlie, I think I'm going to be ill."

Charlie chuckled, "I didn't want to say it… Professor! Ginny will need to sleep it off… and some nausea medication."

"Certainly, she has more than earned a- Why nausea-? Merlin almighty!" Minerva exclaimed when she looked at her student. She had to hold onto Mrs. Granger. Before her stood Ginny Weasley looking so much like Lily Potter did at her age that she felt her heart stop for a second.

"Please don't say it, Professor… I feel horrible. I saw it. I can't even… I just want to go to sleep and forget I ever dated him."

Minerva opened and closed her mouth several times. "Oh my… I understand, dear. Kumit!"

"Yes?" the elf bowed deeply.

"Please take Miss Weasley to the infirmary so she can rest and recover," Minerva nodded.

Kumit turned to Ginny and bowed deeply, "Kumit wants to say, Mistress Weasley… In names of all elvesies, creatures, and animals here… Thank yous for getting rid of the last bad juju!"

Ginny snorted and laughed nervously, "It was my pleasure, Kumit," she patted the elf's head.

The elf blushed but smiled happily, grabbed her hand, and popped them away.

McGonagall opened her mirror and called Hermione.

---

"Hey, love," Hermione smiled and pecked Harry after his yawn.

Harry caressed his forehead and grimaced a bit, "It's gone, isn't it? It feels… gone."

Hermione nodded happily, "Yes, McGonagall just called."

"Thank Merlin! Who did it? I want to thank them," Harry sat up. "Is Mrs. Granger okay? I need to apologize."

"My parents left with the sword to kill it."

"No! And they did?" Harry gasped.

"No. They did kill Nagini, but the Horcrux jumped to Snape, and then it became a mist or ghost of some sort like what you saw in the Chamber, I think."

"Shit."

"The professor went after my parents. She says that Ginny confronted Riddle… The Riddle from her past. The one that hurt her. She stabbed him and split him in half!"

Harry threw his fists up for a second, "Yes!" then hugged Hermione, "I am SO proud of her! But… is she okay?"

"She was exhausted and felt sick to her stomach, but she will be fine," Hermione smiled.

"I'd be sick to my stomach too. Hermione, where is P-Petunia?"

"I had her moved to the island. That way, the alarms here wouldn't drive us all crazy," Hermione sighed. "Harry…"

"I know what you are going to say, love. Don't. Please don't worry too much. Yes, I had a panic attack. Yes, it was awful. Yes, I need therapy. Yes, I will get extensive treatment once I am done with this war. I promise I will go willingly. You will not have to chase me or push me. I want to be the healthiest version of myself because you deserve that in a husband, and well… I think I deserve that version of me as well."

Hermione nodded enthusiastically with a smile. "We are all going to need mind healers and therapists… Maybe we'll get lucky, and they will do a groupon!"

Harry chuckled. "We can hope… Is Sirius okay?"

"I think so. He was talking to Tonks before. It looked… tense. I didn't think anyone should intervene," Hermione frowned slightly.

Harry blinked a few times, his concern for his father figures piking, "Is Remus back, yet?"

"No. He should be back tomorrow," Tonks walked toward them, holding the baby, and pushing Sirius on a wheelchair ahead of her with a spell. He looked to be in pain, but he was smiling.

"Hey pup…"

Harry got off the bed and hugged him tightly, "You scared me half to death!"

Sirius winced, "I am sorry, son. Andi says I'll be fine in a couple of days. My back was put through the wringer, but I will recover, and it hurts like a bitch."

"Hermione, can you please take your godson?"

"Of course, I can!" Hermione got into position, and Tonks handed her the baby and a bottle.

Draco approached them with a slight limp and a still shaky body. The Cruciatus after-effects were still active. "Potter… You okay?"

"Much better, you?" Harry frowned a bit. He didn't remember that Draco had been hit with that curse.

"I'm fine… Not my first round of torture," Draco tried to joke, "The previous ones were by meaner people... Harry, I need to talk to you. In private, if the rest of you don't mind."

Tonks and Sirius frowned but said nothing. Hermione stared at him without blinking but said nothing.

"I know you will hear everything, Hermione. That's fine. I just… please. This is difficult for me."

"It's okay, Draco. I trust you," Hermione smiled and nodded.

Harry stood up, "Don't get up. Stay here, all of you. Draco, follow me."

---

Lady Greengrass and Astoria managed to stabilize a shocked Petunia. It took a whole hour for the woman to react at all. She had been bathed in her dead husband's blood. They had to knock her out to wash it off. Vernon had been a brute. He was morally bankrupt. He was mean, uncultured, and prejudiced. But he loved her enough to sacrifice his life for her. Despite what people may want to believe, Vernon did love her. This realization meant a lot to her. After the hellscape they had been in for months, he should have hated her. It was her fault that they were kidnapped. If only she had a normal sister. Vernon should have fed her to the wolves, or the werewolves, which in this case weren't metaphorical.

Petunia was sure that if Dudley had been captured with them, Vernon would have protected him too. Petunia didn't know what to think through her mourning haze. Harry had come for them. After everything they did to him, he had come to rescue them. Why? Harry had to hate them all. They had earned his scorn and hatred. He should have told their torturer to do whatever he wanted… after all, that's what they used to do to him. Petunia felt shame pouring all over her. Why had she done those things? Why had she allowed her husband to vent all his frustrations on the kid? Why had she been so violent and cruel?

You were always violent and cruel, Lily's angry voice spoke inside her head.

"No, I wasn't. It was the kid. There was something wrong with him. Something dark inside him," she replied.

My son was an innocent angel! Lily's voice bellowed. Petunia tried to cover her ears, but it was no use. The voice was deep inside her head. Astoria looked at her with concern and went to get her mother. Petunia thought she was responding in her mind, but she was speaking out loud. The voice wouldn't stop. He wasn't at fault for any perceived grievances you held against me. He loved you so much. He reached out to you. He was all alone! And you… You swatted at his hands.

"He wasn't mine! He wasn't normal!"

"But he was MINE! He was all that was left of ME! Your sister! Your only sister! He tried to hug you, to love you. You pushed him away. He gave you Mother's Day cards that he spent hours making with care and affection. You ridiculed him for it and threw them away. How could you do that?!"

"I couldn't treat him any other way! Something about him was evil! I knew there was something wrong with him!"

You never tried to get him help! He never got vaccines! He never got his teeth cleaned! You never even dressed him in his own clothes! All he got was hand-me-downs!

"He should have been glad I didn't drown him in the bathtub when I had the chance!"

You are the most despicable person I know! All he wanted was a family! Had roles been reversed, I would have treated Dudley as if he was my own son. I would have loved him. I would have protected him. I would have died for him!

"Easy for you to say that when you are already dead!"

But you… being the petty little person that you are… You did everything you could to harm him physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, and still, he rescued you!

"Get out of my head, Lily!"

Get out of MY island, Petunia! The voice yelled. And stay the fuck away from my son, or else.

"Or else what? You will haunt me?" Petunia asked mockingly.

Or else, you will understand what happens to those who mess with Potters in a Potter property, bitch.

The bed shook harshly, almost throwing the skinny woman off the surface.

When the voice left her head, it was painful too. Like a waxing strip being ripped away from a sensitive area. Petunia took long deep breaths to try to calm herself. As loathe as she was to admit, Lily was right. Harry didn't owe them anything. He should have been indifferent. Or rather, he should have encouraged their captor to kill them slowly, painfully. Petunia looked down at her lap. A note from her son was flat on her thighs.

---

Mum,

I am so glad you are alive. Please let them take care of you. Drink the potions and accept the spells. You need to heal a lot. You are in a secondary property. Harry can't have you near him. We really caused a lot of harm to him. I have been trying to make amends all this time.

Love,

Dudley

---

Petunia sighed. She was glad she was no longer in pain. Whatever that vial contained was too effective. The doctor witch and the nurse witch, who looked very similar, had told her they needed to stabilize her before they could fix her hip. She insisted she wanted to be treated the non-magical way. The doctor told her it was up to her, but that rates of infection and injury in muggle hip surgeries were high.

Petunia didn't care. It felt wrong to be here. She could feel her sister in every aspect of this house and its inhabitants. She could practically smell the magic. She was moved to a spacious, well-lit bedroom with breathtaking ocean views, even at night. The doctor gave her a nutritional potion to help her with how underweight she was. She would have a liquid diet until her stomach could handle solids. Petunia had always been skinny, but now she looked closer to death than ever.

Petunia turned to the open door and gasped. She saw the end of a woman's long red hair flowing behind her as she walked briskly past the door. Petunia wished to go after her, but she was too weak to move from the bed. She was about to call for the healer person when an old woman in green stepped into her room without asking for leave to do so. She closed the door behind her. She looked somewhat familiar, but Petunia couldn't place her.

"Petunia Dursley, nee Evans."

"W-Who are you?"

"A friend of Lily's."

"Oh…"

"Yes, oh… What the bloody hell were you thinking?" McGonagall crossed her arms across her chest.

"W-What?"

"You locked a child -many times without supper- in a cupboard! With the spiders and the dust mites!"

"I don't have to listen to you. I-"

"As a matter of fact, you do," Minerva pointed her wand, and suddenly, Petunia could not talk, scream, or move. "As you can't talk, or walk away, you will listen. Your nephew is one of the kindest souls I have met despite your negligence and criminal abuse. When I saw his scars, I wanted to kill you with my bare hands. I held that unmarred, perfect, sweet baby with the brightest, prettiest eyes years ago. HER EXACT EYES. And now that he's grown, I saw him weep in shame and from all the pain you caused him. You broke his heart! His spirit! How could you take a child, your sister's child, and hurt him so?"

Petunia's eyes filled with tears, but she stopped struggling to talk.

"He only wanted to be loved and to have a family. If you didn't want him, you could have given him up for adoption, except you -and that disgusting monster you called a husband- wanted the money you received to keep him. You disgust me. You didn't even spend a penny on him. Always dressed in hand-me-downs. Never got a decent birthday or Christmas present. Never got a hug. Even after all your abuse, you took an outrageous amount of Harry's money from Dumbledore to relocate. The money you received to raise Harry was twice your husband's salary! You had the audacity to take and take and take while you gave nothing! And yet you seem to think you have a right to be on some high horse of morality? That you get to judge anyone? You aren't fit to pass any sort of judgment on anyone for anything. You should be dead. If Dudley hadn't done so admirably these months, I would gladly rid the world of you myself."

Ginny knocked on the open door's frame.

Petunia looked at the door in horror and started wailing and screaming silently, trying to get away from the door. Her reaction was so violent that Minerva had to knock her out.

"What did I do?" Ginny blinked, confused.

Minerva shook her head, "You may look a little too much like her sister now…"

Realization dawned on Ginny, "Oh… Oh! That is Harry's aunt?"

"Yes, Ginny."

"She's the one that keeps the alarms ringing, isn't she?" Ginny crossed her arms across her chest with a deep frown.

"I think so…"

"Can I please torture her?" Ginny smirked. "You just need to tell me how to style my hair and clothes, and I will break her."

"Ginny, I don't think-"

"Oh, come on! She deserves it, Professor! Plus, the wards won't shut up until she makes an oath."

"That's most likely the case… Ginny, I don't disagree in principle. But Harry wouldn't approve… probably."

"Harry is way too noble for his own good," Ginny shrugged.

McGonagall sighed, "That is true."

"Please?"

"Fine. Your goal will be to make her swear never to even think about harming Harry ever again. Maybe then the wards will calm down."

"Oh, believe me, Professor. She will swear whatever I want by the time I am done with her," Ginny smirked.

"Dear… Pardon me. I don't want to be insensitive or offend you, but… Are you taking your potions?"

Ginny chuckled and nodded, "Yes, professor. Every day without fault. Maki has been very diligent."

"I thought-"

Ginny laughed, "You thought I wasn't supposed to know she's been keeping tabs on me?"

"I thought so. I-"

"Hermione was right to get me a shadow… I did forget a couple of times, but Maki put it in my food or drink. She thought I didn't notice, but I did. Those potions have a particular taste that is hard to mask."

"I am glad you weren't offended…"

"I wasn't. Not this me. This me is very much looking forward to taking my potions every day. They really do help. I feel much better, I promise. Especially now that I got to kill Riddle, at least metaphorically. It's not 'unmedicated' Ginny talking, Professor. It's Ginny whose life was saved by Harry talking. It's Ginny who was treated the kindest by Harry both before, while, and after we were dating. Ginny, who is grateful that Harry's people came to fight for us in our hour of need. Ginny, who is thankful that Harry was patient with me and didn't boot me off this island after everything I did."

"Alright, then, dear. You want to talk to Ted and Narcissa," McGonagall said. "There are probably some photos somewhere in the attic or the library. I'd suggest Sirius, Remus, and Andromeda, but they're at the castle and probably busy."

"I know. I'll talk to them… I can be Lily Potter. I can make this woman rue the day Harry ever shed a tear because of her."

Professor McGonagall nodded. "The only way for this to work is for her to be convinced that only she can see you."

"Good. I will let everyone here know to act as if I don't exist."

Minerva nodded. "Don't forget to tell the elves and the creatures as well."

"Professor?" Ginny placed her hand on the older woman's forearm.

"Yes, Ginny?"

"For what it's worth… You are much too loved, appreciated, and respected to end your days alone. I hope you know that. We all love you. You won't be abandoned or forgotten. You mothered us all. You could have packed up and left the school. We all owe you a lot. All of us that survived Hogwarts do," Ginny squeezed the older woman's hand.

Minerva's eyes glistened, "Thank you, dear. That means more than I can say. I would never leave my cubs behind. You came looking for me?"

"Yes, Lady Greengrass needs to talk to you. Snape… well, you better go see for yourself."

---

Harry's jaw was hanging after everything Draco told him. He shook his head, "And just how long have you been working on this?"

"Since after Daphne passed," Draco shrugged.

"Bloody hell, Draco. That is a lot of time."

"I know it's dangerous and risky. I was careful. I know you guys weren't friends, but… he was my friend. I…"

"If you trust them, I trust them… You truly believe they can procure the exact locations for the next wave of attacks on muggle cities?"

Draco nodded, "Yes."

"Not even Snape had those. He was as close to the inner circle as could be, and all he had was cities."

"Potter, please! Think! It makes sense!"

"I don't know…"

"Why fight the muggles if they can be made to fight each other, ignoring the disaster brewing in the shadows in our world?"

"And what better way than putting one religion against the other… Of course," Harry pinched the bridge of his nose.

"If I have understood correctly, muggles are very easy to set off when it comes to religion, politics, and money," Draco shrugged. "Just like wizards when it comes to the Wizengamot, blood purity, and vaccines."

"Vaccines? What vaccines?" Harry blinked.

"You didn't get vaccinated?"

"I got the muggle ones, at school. A teacher made sure. If it had been for the Dursleys, I would have died of smallpox. Magicals have vaccines?"

"Of course. Some we share with muggles, I think, tetanus, measles, and polio, but we have some for things like Spattergroit and Dragonpox."

"Great. Yet something else I need to get…" Harry pulled his hair back with a groan of frustration, "The two specific locations you already suspect are among the targets they will confirm… We are all fucked. If they fight each other… Is Riddle wishing for the planet to cease to exist?"

"What do you mean? Now, I am the one that doesn't understand."

"Fuck, Draco… Do you even comprehend what muggle weapons can do?"

"I imagine they are very advanced and quite deadly. I saw the soldiers with those AK-47… Oh! And the flamethrowers! I want one of those!"

"Draco, that's nothing. What Riddle wants to do… The places we think would be attacked… They have nuclear bombs."

"Which are what?" Draco blinked.

"Hmm… How can I put this in terms you can understand? Let's see… A bombarda maxima is like the sneeze of a tiny flea in comparison to those."

Draco gasped and shook his head in disbelief, "Why would anyone want to keep those things if they are so dangerous?"

"To keep the peace," Harry rested his head on his hands with a groan. Mione, please come in. I need you.

Coming, love.

"You are mental… Why would keeping those planetary threats keep the peace? I don't get it. Wouldn't it do the complete opposite?" Draco blinked, confused.

"The only thing keeping peace a reality in the muggle world is the fear that if an armed conflict escalates to a nuclear showdown, all that can result from that is… Well, MAD," Hermione came into the room, followed by Jing and a general who had a satellite phone ready to make some calls. She had been listening intently through the bond as she fed the baby, and they needed help. A lot of it. So, she passed the baby to Sirius and took both military men out of the meetings they were having.

"Mad? You mean madness?" Draco blinked in quick succession.

Longwei took a deep breath, "No, Malfoy. She means MAD. M-A-D is an acronym. It stands for Mutually Assured Destruction…"

Draco had to sit down. His heart was starting to race. He scratched the back of his head as his mind tried to wrap around the idea of all life ceasing to exist.

The General explained, "It is a principle of deterrence, Malfoy. MAD is founded on the notion that a nuclear attack by one nation would be met with an overwhelming nuclear counterattack to such a scale that both the attacker and the defender would be annihilated… as well as the rest of the planet, in the aftermath of a nuclear winter."

"I think I don't want to ask… but… What's a nuclear winter?" Draco grimaced, dreading the answer.

Hermione took a deep breath. Magical schools needed proper Science lessons. "Nuclear winter is the term for a theory describing the climatic consequences of a nuclear war. The weapons cause smoke because there will be fires from the blast and the wave. That smoke, the very black smoke from destroyed cities and industrial facilities, would then be heated by the Sun. After that, it would go very high up in the sky to something called the upper stratosphere -which, before you ask, is around 6 to 20 km (4 to 12 miles) above us- and it would spread globally."

Draco paled. Hermione sat next to him on Harry's lap.

Longwei nodded, "This winter would last for years. The resulting cool, dark, and dry conditions at the planet's surface would prevent any crop growth for at least one growing season, and that enough would result in mass starvation over most of the world."

Draco's eyes were wide.

Hermione added, "There would also be massive ozone depletion, which means that the harmful radiation from the sun, yes, the one that turns your pale skin bright red, would be much worse. More people could die in the noncombatant countries than in those where the bombs were dropped, because of these indirect effects. A nuclear war between two countries could produce so much smoke that it would cause a global environmental change that would be unprecedented in recorded human history. So, we don't even know how bad things could get."

"Surely it can't be that bad," Draco whispered.

"Whatever you can possibly imagine, it's worse. Accio Hiroshima by John Hersey," Jing handed Draco the book. After a few seconds, a book zoomed into his hand, "Look at the pictures. Read. That was only one bomb. It is estimated that 145,000 people died as a result."

"Bloody hell," Draco stared at the book. He looked back to Harry, "Will you help them?"

Both Harry and Hermione nodded, "Yes. If they can get us those names and times, we will protect them. We will keep them safe now, and after the war, we will be witnesses and speak in their favor if it comes to that..."

"Thank you," Draco hugged Harry and Hermione. "I am borrowing this," he took the book with him and ran to a writing desk. He had a message to send immediately. Maybe he could save more than a couple of lives.

---

Harry paced as he digested all the information Hermione gave him about the missions while he waited for his dishes to finish baking. Cooking always helped him focus and calm down. He had many things on his mind. The Grangers were back, and Hermione had accompanied them to the Infirmary after he apologized profusely. He took a deep breath. What a way to make a lasting negative impression… Malfoy worked counterintelligence all by himself for months, and if successful, he could help them aid the muggle authorities to prevent what would essentially be the start of World War III. Harry poured himself some iced tea. It had taken abject begging for the elves to temporarily vacate the kitchen… his kitchen. Who was he kidding? He could own the properties, but they owned their use. Everywhere else, there were small groups of 4 or 5 people, with a couple of elves putting the final touches to their individual attack plans.

Then, there was the matter of a dead Hogwarts. of his little sister. Luna, who had, according to Hermione, killed eleven Death Eaters all by herself. His mind was still reeling from that. He couldn't imagine her ever harming anyone willingly, and yet, for her to survive that mission, she had to be ruthless. She did all that while looking like him and taunting the survivors so they could taunt Riddle. She had even managed to save a herd of unicorns. He was concerned about the toll that would take on her mental health. Luna was so particular that he didn't know how to approach the subject, so he decided to wait for her to do it if she ever wanted. Sirius snored quietly, sleeping on his chair with his head hanging. Dharma was perching on his shoulder and was similarly asleep.

Luna, knocked on the wall by the kitchen's entrance, "Hey…"

Harry opened his arms and hugged her gently. He kissed her hair, and she felt stress melt. "Thank you for turning me off, Luna."

"I'm so sorry. I know it feels awful to do it so suddenly. Let me turn it back on."

"Don't apologize. I needed that. It protected everyone… Only do it if you feel up for it."

Luna nodded with a small smile and chanted while touching his chakras in the reverse order.

"Better?"

"Always better, sweetheart. You have the golden touch," he smiled.

Luna nodded, but he noticed she was trying not to cry. She was terrified Harry would look at her like Neville did. To give her a second to gather her thoughts, he checked his pies, and levitated them out of the oven and into a cooling rack on the dining room table.

"Did Hermione update you?" Luna said in a shaky voice.

"Yes," he nodded.

"Harry… I… I want to tell you what I did at-"

Harry shook his head. He took her hands and kissed the back of both, "Luna, if it causes you pain… it's not necessary. The mission was a success from what I've been told. Honestly, you did amazing," he smiled at her as confidently as he could.

"I killed eleven Death Eaters today," Luna blurted out. Her bottom lip trembled as she avoided Harry's eyes.

Sirius had, at some point during their talk, woken up. That is to say, the pies had woken up Padfoot. He gasped and turned to her. His eyes went as wide as they could go, "You did what?! How?! When?! Where?!" Dharma frowned at him, in annoyance over him waking her up, and moved away to the perch in the living room.

A little help here, Mione! Harry knocked on Hermione's mind.

She told you… Okay. Try not to show you are freaked out. That's why I told you in advance. Luna is in a delicate mental state right now, and she needs our unconditional support, the same support she has given us. The Death Eaters were feeding off the unicorns she rescued, love. Some of them had groped her and Chyou in transit to Malfoy Manor. They deserved it.

I have no doubts about that, but is she okay? Harry probed Hermione's mind.

I don't think so. But she's strong. She needs our support. Neville… didn't take it well. He… I think he regrets it, but the damage was already done.

Harry took a deep breath. Luna had yet to answer Sirius. She was frozen, looking up at Harry expectantly, terrified of his reaction, of his judgment, of his scorn. He smiled a bit and lifted her chin. "You did incredible, Luna. I am so proud of you… Are you okay? Were you hurt? Can I help you in any way?"

Luna sniffed and threw her arms around Harry. "You d-d-d-don't h-hate me? You don't think I'm a bad person? A m-murderer?"

"What? Hate you? Luna, absolutely not. That's impossible. I could never hate you. What you did… Luna… I don't think I could have ever accomplished something like that and live to tell the tale. I am so sorry you had to do it alone, though… Please don't go off on your own like that again. What if they had hurt you? What if you didn't come back? You are the most amazing human being, Luna. We need you… I need you alive and well…"

"I'm sorry… I… I didn't know if my vision was a real vision or a nightmare… It was all so confusing and scary. If it was real, I knew I could be killed at any point, and I didn't want to cost the resistance any more fighters," Luna looked down. "Harry, all I have is my gut, and many times that is not enough."

"It's enough for me. I believe in you and your instincts. Always," Harry kissed her forehead.

Sirius looked at them in silence. His pup was so much like his parents that it was both joyful and painful. He was telling Luna exactly what she needed to hear, and he wasn't just saying it. He believed it to his core.

"As for those bastards, I am positive that they all got what was coming to them. You are fair and kind. If they pushed you to do that, they earned every second of agony they lived. We will all end this war as murderers," Harry stared and narrowed his eyes at someone over Luna's shoulder.

Neville had approached the group slowly, and he blushed and looked down. Sirius looked at the teens putting two and two together. Oh no. "Luna, war is awful in every way. If your life is at stake, you are always justified to act in self-defense or in the defense of others."

Harry nodded his agreement and cradled her head in his hands, wiping her tears with his thumbs, "You didn't kill for fun, Luna. Your kills were both righteous and warranted. Anyone who has an issue with that or with you has an issue with me personally. And they will not like the consequences of that. You are my sister, Luna, and I will support you unconditionally. So will everyone else here. Isn't that right, Longbottom?" Harry's lip spasmed angrily. Sirius nodded rapidly from his chair, and Luna smiled at him gently.

Neville couldn't have looked more guilty if he tried, and Harry thought he had never seen anyone pale so quickly. Harry's tone was that of a fierce animal ready to pounce. Luna turned to her boyfriend with a sad expression. Neville blinked. "Yes. Of course, Harry. Luna… I am sorry. I shouldn't have said anything at all. I was being hypocritical and petty. I should have sat with my feelings and figured them out before I opened my mouth. I was raised by a woman who believed the world is black and white because of what happened to my parents… I was taught a very strict sense of morality and right and wrong, and I…"

Sirius frowned and narrowed his eyes at Neville as well.

Neville hung his head and sighed. He didn't want to cry, "I know I have no excuse. I just… I was terrified, okay? Anything could have happened to you… Luna, I don't want to pretend that my reaction was justified, but you left. Love… You… We had a plan. The plan was set for our protection so we would all be safer. You threw it out of the window, and we had no idea where you were going or why. Dudley knew you had a vision, and that was it! That was all the information we had! And you took Harry's cloak with you! You could have been killed wearing it, and I never would have f-found you! I was wrong to pass any m-moral judgment, as I think I killed more than once there, but you shouldn't have gone rogue e-either."

Luna nodded and sighed, "I know, Nevy. I apologize for doing that, honestly, but I won't apologize for the results."

"Nor should you," Harry and Sirius said in unison.

"How's Augusta?" Sirius asked to break the tension.

"She is alive. Barely. She's been beaten, starved, and tortured daily. Healer Tonks isn't hopeful she will pull through," Neville sighed.

Harry stepped toward him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "How are you holding up?"

"I… I don't even know."

"Heir Longbottom," Queen Anord walked briskly toward them. "There's an old goblin ritual in which magic judges two possible Heads of House and weighs them. It chooses the best option. If Augusta does survive, we may propose that to her. Otherwise, you will have to go through a trial, and that -as you know- may take years."

Neville nodded. "Thank you."

"Lord Potter. Mr. Krum is ready to go and waiting for your broom. The Polyjuice flasks for the multiple Grangers are also almost ready."

Hermione came in carrying two maps and an empty mug, "I am still not happy with that idea. I am Riddle's sick wet dream."

"Indeed. But it is a great ploy," the queen shrugged. "Miss Lovegood," the queen bowed deeply before the shocked teen, "Bravo! Thank you for what you did. I couldn't have done it better myself."

"T-Thank you, Your Majesty," Luna smiled a bit. The queen winked, and Luna unceremoniously ripped some of Hermione's hair.

"OUCH! LUNA!"

"Perfect. We can't delay this anymore, Lady Potter. My apologies," the queen took the offered hair and walked away.

---

"Ready?" Queen Anord slapped his upper arms.

"As ready as I will ever be," Viktor nodded. He gave a final lucky tug to both gloves and rotated his, or rather, Harry's head. He did this before every game. Harry pointed his wand at Viktor to make sure the glasses stayed where they had to be.

"I will never be able to repay you for this," Harry squeezed Viktor in a quick hug.

"My family is alive. So are my fiancée and Hermione. You already have," Krum smiled.

"Please come back," Hermione smiled despite how worried she was.

"I'll do my best," Viktor hugged her and took the broom Harry offered.

"Oliver, I-" Harry began, feeling choked up.

"Don't say a word, pretty boy. Crying makes a flier's sight blurry. We can't afford that. As much as we love you, we are doing this for everyone. Whatever happens out there, we chose to do this. Don't forget that."

Harry nodded and hugged him and Angelina.

She turned and hugged the twins. "You better be ready for the next round, boys."

"We were born ready, gorgeous," they chorused.

Tapping their bracelets with their wands, the whole group tightened their holds on their brooms, and they said in unison, "Location 3!"

---

A/N: Thank you for reading and for your patience! I hope you are safe and healthy wherever you are. I want to thank Aztec for being my beta for this. Your comments are much appreciated. Things have been hectic and sad in my life lately. I hope you are all doing better than I am. I'd like to address a couple of things that newer readers have brought up. Readers who have stuck with this story from the start (years ago) need not read past this point they don't want to, but if they do, they may want to skip all the way to the last paragraph.

Some people seem to think I need to focus more on the 'bad guys' side and the logic behind their decision-making. This story was never meant to delve into that. We all know the reasons for the war. We all know the ins and outs of supremacy and fanatism (of different kinds) both in the HP world and in the actual world. Therefore, I chose not to focus on that on purpose. WotC is about the wizards (and witches, of course) who fled and have a primary residence -if you want to call it that- in the Caribbean. If I did go into all that has happened in the dark side in detail, this story would end up being twice as long. Believe it or not, I don't have the bandwidth for an 800K word fic.

My first long fic, A Solid Foundation, is almost 300k words, and it is complete. The second part of ASF, Tones of Gray, is 278k words, and is a work in progress that I halted to work on Wizards of the Caribbean. WotC is over 360k words so far (Congrats, by the way!). The average person reads 183 words per minute. That means you have roughly spent 1,967.2 minutes (32 hours if you didn't stop and have an average reading speed... Oh, and if you are not like me that -when a story I read gets to me- I want to scream and take to my laptop with a hammer! Have you thrown a book across the room? I have. It is a source of deep shame, but in my defense, Bruce Cameron's 'A dog's purpose' totally deserved that!). I am hoping to finish by 400k-500k words so I can go back to ToG and other stories that I suspended due to a lack of time and inspiration. You will see bits and pieces from the other side, but not the entire timeline. I do have the bullet points, but I have no desire to turn them into chapters, especially my kind of chapters which are the length of up to 3-5 chapters of regular stories.

I have seen comments regarding rape in this story: that it is too much, that it is unrealistic, that there is no way, etc. Rape was, is, and always will be (I'm afraid) used in wars. There is a whole office at the UN dedicated solely to sexual abuse in conflict zones. It is called The Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. The problem is so grave that Resolution 1888 establishes that "rape and other forms of sexual violence can constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity or a constitutive act with respect to genocide." If you want to pretend that this reality doesn't exist because it hasn't affected you personally, that is on you. People seem to think a war is all about the weapons and the killing. There are multiple ways to kill a person without actually killing them, and sexual is one of them. It haunts the survivors for the rest of their lives. It affects their sense of self, their confidence, their ability to trust others, their relationships, and even their love for life. I am not adding some ghost that just doesn't exist. I am including a real fear for millions of people in conflict zones. A real 'bogey man' that has harmed far too many.

I know that many writers prefer avoiding triggering subjects. That has never been me. At this point, after all these thousands of words we've shared, most readers have already decided whether they like this story or not. You don't have to read stories that trigger you or that you simply don't like. If you have a blueprint for how stories need to be, a preconceived notion of what characters do and don't deserve, especially if you are myopic to your double standards, or too set on your views, my stories are not for you. I will remind you that I don't put up with hate disguised as reviews. I am all for real constructive criticism, but many people have no clue what that even is. Any bullies or bullying attempts, both in reviews or private messages, I will block you and report you right away. All I am doing is sharing my plot bunnies for free for your entertainment, never think that I am willing to put up with abuse for views or 'being recommended' to people who follow you on social media. I appreciate you sharing my story with friends and people you think could like it, but it will not change my writing process of the storyline I have planned.

When I started writing these stories, I thought that maybe a handful of people would read them. Maybe a few would reach out. But this morphed into something else completely. I hadn't really paid much attention to numbers, but knowing that over 1000 people have set alerts for this and seeing the mind-boggling number that is 220,908 views, at least to me, tells me that perhaps I should have kept things to myself. But I cannot regret it because I have had the chance to form e-bonds with several people who have been really kind to me. Seeing their names in notifications always makes me smile. Thank you, truly. You know who you are. You have been with me through some of the darkest times of my life, shining bursts of light that have made me smile, laugh, and even cry. I wouldn't trade you for the bad parts of writing my plot bunnies and sharing them with the always ruthless, at times incredibly confusing internet. -Lux-