Chapter 34: Of Goats and Other Issues
Molly woke up feeling dizzy, stiff, and emotionally spent. Her Ginny had moved to her bed at some point and was softly snoring. Her face had dry tear marks and was still reddened. Molly sat up slowly, trying not to wake her. On a very uncomfortable-looking chair, Draco Malfoy was instantly up as soon as he heard her shift.
"Mrs. Weasley," he whispered as he smiled slightly while he helped her sit up.
"You slept there, dear?" she whispered back.
"Yes," he blushed. "Bill asked me to stay… He felt awful because he had to leave. How are you feeling?"
Molly's eyes, to her disbelief, filled with fresh tears. She thought she was cried out.
Draco felt like the biggest idiot. "That's a stupid question… I'm so sorry… I meant if you feel agitated."
"I feel… Numb… and very tired."
"That's probably because the medication's still working. Let me measure you, and I'll go ask Lady Greengrass whether she still intends to up your dose," Draco smiled.
Her measurement was high, but not out of the bounds of a person with her condition. He helped her stand up so she could go take a shower.
Mrs. Weasley hugged him tightly, "I really appreciate everything you are doing for me, dear."
"You have done a lot for me, too, Mrs. Weasley," Draco smiled with sincere gratitude. He had been equally humbled and welcomed in the best way by the matron.
"Perhaps, but you could be out there with people your age, having some fun downtime, and you have taken to be my personal healer's assistant when you didn't need to. You are one of the good ones, Draco."
That last sentence made Draco pause. His eyes widened. It had been a long time since he had felt genuinely good. He kissed the top of Mrs. Weasley's head. "I am glad you think so, Mrs. Weasley."
"Call me Molly, dear," Molly closed the door to the bathroom behind her.
Draco smiled wider at that. He walked back and made the side of the bed where Molly had been lying slowly, without magic, so as not to wake Ginny. Right as he was about to finish, the girl's dark eyes fluttered open slowly.
"D-Draco?"
"Red," he replied with a nod and a small smirk. No more 'Malfoy,' apparently.
"Thank you…" she smiled sleepily. Her long hair was over her shoulder, and it looked sleek and shiny. How could someone look so good so early in the morning? It just wasn't fair. The most embarrassing Malfoy secret was that their bedhead was astounding. They would go to bed with perfect locks and wake up with a bird's nest unless they wore a silk bonnet or braided it when it was long enough. Even in a braid, it would get frizzy on the top. Draco would be mortified by people knowing his hair looked like Potter's in the morning.
"Whatever for?" he frowned slightly.
Ginny grabbed his hand, "For staying. For caring. For being here for us… I am sorry I misjudged you… and that I bit you," she blushed.
"Oh… Of course. I promised Bill I would make sure your mom slept through the night and that she had her blood pressure measured first thing in the morning."
"You know that's not what all I mean," she looked at her bed and then at him.
Draco feigned ignorance well, but something in her expression was suspicious, and he didn't want her to think he did something untoward, "Look, Red… I only moved you because you kept mumbling in your sleep. You were calling for your mother, so I thought if you felt her near, you would calm down and-"
Ginny placed her index finger over his lips. "I understand... Thank you."
"I know you are probably not comfortable with a stranger touching you… Least of all… well… me. That's why I levitated you."
"The second time," she smiled a bit teasingly.
"W-What?" he paled.
"You physically carried me last night… I was frozen with grief, and you carried me. I remember."
Draco blushed deeply. He really thought she wouldn't remember that, "I-I…"
"You do know that at least five generations of Malfoys rolled over in their graves when you did that, right?" Ginny chuckled.
Draco blinked, "Why would they? You are a pureblood…"
"But I am a Weasley," she replied deadpanned.
"So?" He noticed she didn't move her hand from his jaw.
"What do you mean 'so'?" Ginny turned her head, confused. "You say that like any of your lot would approve of us…"
"You descend from the Prewetts on your mother's side. Your lineage goes back further than mine…" Draco trailed off, shrugged, then smiled cheekily, "Why are you suddenly interested in my family's approval, Red? Have you set your sights on me? Was your bite your way of marking me for later?"
Ginny lowered her hand and turned away to hide her red cheeks, "I am not. Just pointing out the irony, it's all. If you wanted to carry me about, all you had to do was ask."
"I will keep that in mind, Red… Angering my ancestors is a better incentive than you think," Draco smirked. "I'll have the elves bring your mother's medications and order you some breakfast."
"Can you please ask for-?"
"Black coffee, no sugar, porridge with strawberries and blueberries with a dash of honey for Mrs. Weasley. Scrambled eggs with bacon, cooked not crispy, whole-wheat toast with butter, and green tea with one sugar for you," Draco nodded.
Ginny gaped, "How do you-?"
He shrugged, "I pay attention, Red," Draco chuckled and left the room.
Outside, Draco leaned on the wall and took a deep breath. Daphne's smiling face popped up in his mind, as it often did. Her smile vanished, and her eyes filled with tears. Guilt began gnawing at him. Had he just openly flirted with Ginny Weasley? And she flirted back? With him? She hated his guts. It made zero sense. It was all sorts of wrong. You are in love with Daphne, he reminded himself. Stop this nonsense at once.
[FLASHBACK]
In all his years as a double agent, Severus had never been in so much pain. Whatever sort of nasty ritual Riddle had carried out once he found out about Bellatrix had drained so much life force that he was barely conscious in short intervals. It was a very precarious position to be in due to his current location. He could smell it in the air. He was in Potter Isle. He kept waking up, only to fade away in mere minutes. He knew he had to do a Fealty Oath or an Unbreakable Vow, but as his core was now… He doubted he could survive that. If he did, he could potentially lose his magic.
Narcissa sat next to Severus' bed. She needed to know if Bellatrix was alive. Every time Snape woke up briefly, she tried, but he couldn't manage more than grunts and moans of pain.
"Lady Malfoy," Lady Greengrass cleared her throat. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"Why?"
"Lord Potter wishes to speak to the prisoner. He will not allow anyone other than us healing personnel and Hermione."
"I see," Narcissa stood, and as she left, she whispered, "If our children's relationship meant anything to you, please find out for me if my sister is still alive."
"Lestrange?" Lady Greengrass asked with a grimace.
"Yes."
"I can't promise anything. If there's a chance to ask, I will try."
Narcissa squeezed the woman's forearm gratefully and left.
It had been 28 hours. Enough time for the potions to help Snape. True, he would be in pain, but no more than he deserved. Lady Greengrass checked on him, and she deemed he could survive being forcefully awakened, so she tapped her wand against his temple. Slowly, he opened his eyes. The well-lit room slightly blinded him, but he blinked and tried to move…. unsuccessfully.
"M-My w-wand," he whispered.
"You are not getting it…" Hermione said softly.
"G-Granger?"
"What do you want, Snape?" Harry asked with a sneer.
"Oath…"
"You want to make a loyalty oath to me? Wouldn't that kill you, looking at the state of your arm?" Harry raised a brow at the man.
"P-Potter… I h-have very little m-magic left. I… I must do it n-now, or I won't be able to d-do it later."
"If you try to hurt anyone, this location will harm you or even kill you."
"P-Potter I-Isle Magics… I… I know."
"Fine," Harry turned to see a concerned Lady Greengrass handing him the wand. He looked at her and Hermione, and both moved away from Snape. Harry was touched to see Dudley still covering Hermione.
Snape did the oath and began trashing violently. His Dark Mark arm was swelling up alarmingly quickly. "C-Cut it off!"
"What?"
"My arm!" Snape grunted.
Harry looked at the arm, but he was not about to risk cutting Snape in half with how angry he was in case the man had useful information.
"Out of my way, Harry!" Lady Greengrass pushed him away. "Astoria! Hold his arm away from his body and straight out!"
Astoria rushed to do as her mother ordered with a disgusted grimace. "You may want to step back."
Lady Greengrass grabbed Snape's face and pushed it to the opposite side. Amputations were awful, and he didn't need to see that. Death Eater that he was… he was still her patient. "Everybody, look away! You, bite this!"
Severus bit a rag. Harry wouldn't turn away, but he felt Hermione did from the way her hand pulled his.
Lady Greengrass traced a line with her wand a bit above Snape's elbow joint "Sectis Adurendum."
Harry should have turned away. The spell severed the arm by layers, and once it reached the bone, Andi had to grab a bone saw and finish the job. It was a mess of blood and gore, and he couldn't even blink. The expression of agony on Snape's face was horrifying. Harry thought that seeing the man in pain would feel good, given all the shit he had given him throughout his life, but it didn't. He would have thought the man would lose consciousness, but he didn't. With the first cut of the saw, he almost vanished into unconsciousness, but it wasn't for long. He started screaming past the gag.
It felt like an eternity. In reality, Snape had his arm amputated, sutured, and bandaged in less than five minutes. Astoria left with the severed limb, gagging, and looking green. Lady Greengrass gave Snape several potions, and he finally stopped spasming.
"He won't wake up for a couple of days; I think," Andromeda turned to Harry.
"Shit. That was…"
"Awful. I know."
"Fuck. We will have to plan around this. Follow me, love," Harry walked toward the family library, pulling Hermione behind him.
[END FLASHBACK]
Hundreds of beautiful tropical birds peered curiously as Harry and Hermione circled a funny-looking box. They were always singing, but now, they felt they should just stare quietly. Other curious animals peered out from behind trees, bushes, and rocks. They had been very scared of the dark presence that made the earth shake. Animals were very sensitive to energy, and as magic was another form of energy, they were attuned to what was going on on the island. They liked the energies of several people on Potter Isle. However, they kept their distance because there were werewolves and other powerful animals and half-animals around, as well as many creatures.
The couple stopped walking around the box, which was vibrating in apparent fear. Harry took a firm hold of the sword. Hermione and Harry shared a look, a nod, and with a few drops of Harry's blood, the door opened with a slow creaking sound. Harry undid the charms on the box, and Hufflepuff's cup levitated out, landing on the wet sand of the lake with a metallic clang. Harry raised the sword over his head, ready to swing with all his strength.
"STOP!" An echoey voice pleaded, coming from the cup.
Harry felt a stabbing pain in what he thought was his healed scar and froze in position. Perhaps some scars never truly heal.
"Shut up! You twisted, bigoted motherfucker!"
"PLEASE! We can bring them back, Harry! Your beloved mother and father! Imagine them here with you, attending your graduation, giving you all their… love. Just think of all the things we could accomplish together! Join me, and we will be unstoppable!"
Hermione frowned. Harry's eyes glazed over as, from the cup, some smoke came out and showed the ghostly bodies of Lily and James Potter smiling down upon Harry, tenderly.
"We miss you so much, son," his mother spoke with shiny eyes.
"We are so proud of you, Harry," his father added with a wide smile.
"Bring us back, and you will never be alone again," Lily said with a soft expression.
"Your parents would never want you to do that, Harry, focus," Hermione said behind him. Her arm wrapped around his waist to prevent him from moving toward the specters. His arms remained frozen, holding the sword above his head.
Lily looked at her angrily, and her smile turned into a sneer, and she snapped, "You don't know that! You social-climbing whore!"
Harry grimaced in seemingly physical pain at the expression on his mother's face and at her hateful tone.
"Yes, I do. Lily Potter would never try to manipulate the son that she died trying to protect, and she would never call his soul-bonded wife a whore. Only you would, Riddle. You who are nothing but a sexist arsehole!" Hermione exclaimed.
Lily's ghost vanished. James Potter advanced toward Harry menacingly, "I should have run with your mother and left you there! You were all he wanted! We were so young! We had our whole lives ahead of us! We sacrificed ourselves for what? For you to end like this? With someone like her? Losing the fight?"
Harry's upper lip spasmed in a fury, "My father would have never criticized Hermione because he married a muggleborn too, you pureblood-obsessed hypocritical arsehole!" Harry's magic snaked up his arms and enveloped the sword, which he then brought down in one smooth move down. The cup broke into two pieces, and a cloud of black smoke screeched as it vanished into thin air.
Hermione barely caught Harry before he fell from exhaustion. "Okay, no more magic for you today."
Animals ventured out from their hiding spots; their eyes seemed to be questioning if it was over and if they were safe. Hermione felt the need to explain, as absurd as she was sure she would look.
"Hello, everyone… Look at me, talking to the local wildlife… I must be losing it. It's still not over, I'm afraid. I'm sorry. There are two more dark things left."
The animals look… concerned. Is that even a thing? Hermione thought. Probably. They have families; they must them want safe too.
"We will do our best to get rid of them as soon as possible, okay?"
She got approving chirps and actual nods. That can't be normal, she thought. In any case, she smiled apologetically and vanished. She dragged Harry to their bed.
"Just a ten-minute nap, Mione..."
"Sure," Hermione sighed with a small smile. Harry fell asleep right away. She took the sword and placed it back inside the safe.
Chyou wouldn't let go of her mother's body. After a couple of hours, she was cried out, but she couldn't let go. Longwei and Jing were sitting on the floor covered in blood, sweat, dried tears, and snot. The elves had been moved by the family's grief and treated them right where they were, as they wouldn't leave the young woman or Lady Chang's headless body. Anthony had his uninjured arm wrapped snugly around his girlfriend. He felt useless, so he did the one thing he could do. Be there, even with his untreated dislocated shoulder and badly burnt leg. The elves tried to get him into the Infirmary, but he refused.
Sirius had come out after feeding and changing the baby to give them his condolences and to offer any assistance they could need for the funeral rites. Jing had looked at him with such resentment, sadness, and disappointment that Sirius left almost immediately.
"Who did this to her?" Chyou's broken voice said after she raised her head from her mother's dragonhide-covered abdomen.
"Does it matter?" Anthony whispered.
"What did you just say to me?!" Chyou's fury made the very room grow cold.
"Sorry," Anthony let go of her and moved to another seat.
Jing began, "Chyou, knowing that won't bring her back."
"Do you think I don't know that, Father?! I need to know!"
Longwei shook his head at his father. They feared that Chyou would run to get revenge immediately. That had proven deadly today.
Luna had seen the whole scene since the Changs arrived with injured soldiers and creatures. Once Chyou started talking, Luna came near her.
"Chyou… I… I saw it as it happened."
"Luna, this is family business. Do not interfere, please," Jing grunted.
"Sir, it will help. I promise," Luna looked at him with such honesty and compassion in her eyes that he could only nod. Luna pulled Chyou up and placed her hands on her temples. Chyou closed her eyes and did her best to open her mind.
It was a scene of chaos, violence, loud noises, and horrid smells. Chyou saw her mother using the family ceremonial blades to carve the House of Chang symbols on the chest of a petrified Cormac McLaggen, who was bleeding out in a pool between his legs. Just as Daiyu raised both blades to plunge them into his heart, McLaggen senior, who looked like an older copy of his son, sent a severing curse at her neck and summoned her head to the horror of Jing and Longwei, neither of whom managed to cover for her in time as they were fighting their own battles. However, as her downward stabbing motion had started, it continued, and the blades ended up buried in McLaggen Junior's chest. An elf had tried to reach her on time as well, but the older wizard's magic fatally pushed him away against a pair of fighting goblins that killed him accidentally.
Chyou took a deep shaky breath as Luna removed her hands. Luna nodded at her once slowly as if to say, 'She avenged us both.' Chyou nodded back. "She avenged Luna and me. We will avenge her."
"Of course," Luna replied. She moved Chyou slowly toward her family, "But not now. Now you mourn."
Jing opened his arms, and, finally, both his children embraced him and wept like they did when they were mere school kids. Now, they were soldiers. Soldiers who had more reasons to fight than they did before.
"And you," Luna turned to Anthony. "Infirmary. Immediately," she said as she helped Anthony walk to the impatient elves.
"Hermione," Queen Anord groaned into her mirror.
"Your Majesty," Hermione frowned. The monarch was clearly in pain. "Are you okay?"
"Yes. It's a flesh wound… I'll be fine. How is Remus?"
"Alive, thank Merlin! But it was a very close call," Hermione sighed.
"I am so glad. My nation owes him a life debt… and so do I, personally. Tell him to contact me so I can repay him."
"I will let him know."
"Mrs. Lupin?"
"She delivered a healthy baby boy after a really long and painful delivery," Hermione replied with a small smile. "She's a warrior."
"It is so good to hear positive things… It reminds us that life goes on no matter what," the queen smiled after a long sigh.
Hermione nodded.
"Hermione… Remember that in one of our meetings, Remus posed the question of how Riddle has been financing all this madness?"
Hermione nodded once more. I forget nothing.
"We now know… I am enraged and embarrassed to admit that my kind has helped… a lot. Especially the branches abroad."
Mrs. Xu's voice added, "We also know that the old international factions… Grindelwald's surviving followers and their offspring joined Riddle. They have been forcing squibs to help, and with their insights, they have broken into muggle banks… The police have sent over their reports to our liaison squib officer... We are talking small local banks, larger branches above, casinos… You name it."
"That's how they've been financing this hellscape? By robbing motherfucking banks?!" Hermione was shocked and even a bit underwhelmed, considering the alternatives.
"Yes, and with very deep pockets from their followers. They are making counterfeit as well with doubling charms to deceive none the wiser muggles when they purchase what they need."
Hermione opened and closed her mouth several times. Then she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and sighed. She could feel Harry getting stronger in the bond, and that prevented her from blowing up.
"I know," Mrs. Xu said. "Makes you want to pull your hair out."
"We haven't been paying enough attention to the muggle news. Damn it! This is so frustrating! Yet another thing to look out for!" Hermione blew her fringe up.
"Well, we will add it to the list. Your Majesty, how are you feeling?"
"Sore… and ashamed… I am calling to let you know… I closed the branch."
Hermione gasped, "You what?"
"I know… I am moving my remaining loyal community underground. We moved three dragons to the entry hall and clerk area for protection," the queen replied. "You can still call me to battle, and if I am able, I will help you."
"Did you find the traitors?"
"Yes. I had to behead 17 of my goblins…"
Hermione grimaced, "We are… Wait, are we sorry?" she asked a bit awkwardly.
"No. They had it coming. They knew what their treason would get them, and they did it anyway. I am sorry I didn't see it sooner. Many innocent lives could have been spared… I am so sorry for Lady Chang and Mr. Weasley, though. For the soldiers and the elves lost, as well as for Mr. Lupin's injury… If there's anything we can do, let us know."
"We will. Your Majesty, how can we get funds while you are shut down? I don't want to be indelicate or a bother, but we still have things we need to acquire."
"Of course. I just handed Lord Black coin bags and muggle cards for you and your… main people. They are linked to each person's vault. As long as you have gold in it, you will be able to use them. Please make sure they get them."
"Definitely," Hermione nodded, wondering who the queen meant by main people.
"Did you manage to end the Horcruxes?"
"Hufflepuff's Cup was destroyed."
"Neville and Luna are bringing the diadem, and we should get rid of it too, probably today or early tomorrow."
"Lady Potter," Kreacher knocked. "The twins want to ask you something."
Hermione frowned. That could be okay or really bad these days, "Your Majesty… I will talk to you later. Thank you for everything."
"No, Hermione. Thank you both for everything."
"This all looks very promising, but you need to talk to General Xu and Harry about this," Hermione nodded, looking at the map on the table.
"Yes, we just wanted your go-ahead," Fred nodded.
George added, "If you thought it was stupid, we would not even bother calling the general," both siblings shrugged.
"I appreciate the vote of confidence, guys. However, you should be with your family now. Let's pause all this until we have held a memorial for all our fallen."
The twins nodded, more solemn than she had ever seen them.
"Harry and I really appreciate the awesome work you are doing with Xeno, publishing the Quibbler and making it available to the public in these insane times," Hermione squeezed one of their shoulders.
"We are happy to help... It's... It's what Dad would have wanted," George replied. Fred nodded resolutely.
After checking on Harry, who was still happily in deep sleep, Hermione went to the beach so she could call the castle and check on the Changs and Tonks. Luna picked up the call and told her that she was getting ready to leave with her father and Neville and that they would be bringing both the diadem and Percy's body. Luna warned her that she needed to talk to her as soon as she got to the island. She then handed the mirror to the Changs.
"Lord Chang, Longwei, Chyou," Hermione began.
Their faces were a mirror of their pain and loss, "Lady Potter," they replied in unison.
"I have no words… T-There's nothing I can say which could in any way alleviate what you are feeling right now."
Jing shook his head, "There isn't."
"In any case, I need to say that we are very sorry for your loss and that Daiyu was a remarkable woman. We are extremely grateful for all she did… All you have done for the war efforts."
"And I need to say that I hope it was worth something," Jing growled.
"Sir?" Hermione blinked, confused.
Jing frowned, "My family's sacrifice giving aid to your people, who acted in a most reckless fashion, has come at an insurmountable loss for us personally, as well as for the Weasleys, the soldiers and their families, and the elves that died… Did. You. Destroy. It?" The question he emphasized between gritted teeth.
Hermione cringed at his anger, although she knew it was deserved, "Yes, sir. The cup is gone. We didn't call earlier because we had to tell Mrs. Weasley the news… and well, after Charlie… telling her about Percy was rough."
"What do you mean? What happened to Charlie?" Longwei asked with a frown.
"Murcus bit him," Hermione frowned.
"What?! To turn him?!" Chyou paled.
"More to show what she was capable of, I think," Hermione replied.
"Why?" Longwei blinked repeatedly. He had always felt that creature would be trouble.
"Harry had given the local merfolk a wooden box which was enchanted and contained the cup for safekeeping… We had a sort of mutiny… or uprising. Murcus attacked Omari's clan to steal the box and use it as leverage to get Harry to sign over the rights to Omari's clan lake. She had two guards from his clan killed, Omari got hurt too, and we think Charlie tried to de-escalate the situation as he speaks mermish, but Murcus snapped and bit him."
"Bloody hell. What happened then?" Longwei asked, pulling his hair back.
"Harry sent me away with Charlie so that Lady Greengrass could look after him... He fought Murcus and shattered her fangs. Doing that made him Chief of her former clan, and she died. Her clan… ate her after Harry had to cut her head and bite her to stake his claim officially," Hermione tried not to gag as did the Changs.
"Um… He recovered the box then, right?" Chyou asked.
"Yes. After we spoke to Mrs. Weasley, we went to destroy the cup. It's gone, thankfully."
"Is Mrs. Weasley okay?" Jing asked. Grief was truly the most selfish emotion. He forgot that there was a woman who was already a widow and who had lost two sons to the war, and now one had been turned into a creature.
"Is Ginny okay?" Longwei asked as well. He wanted to apologize to her but had no idea how to do so without putting his foot in his mouth.
"We managed to get the healer to give her a muggle mild sedative beforehand as she had already had a potion to calm down after Charlie's attack, so more wouldn't help. Ginny has been keeping up with her potion regime, so… I think they both took the news as well as could be expected…"
"All of that happened, and Lord Potter couldn't deign himself to call me to let me know?" Jing tried not to sound as bitter as he was but failed.
"Please don't think he didn't want to. He is resting. He fought Murcus, then he went to help Remus, and now he has destroyed a Horcrux, which drained all energy he had left in him. All of that happened in less than two days. I had to literally drag him to bed after the cup shattered," Hermione replied, feeling a bit panicky. The worst that could happen was for the Changs to abandon the war efforts, although she wouldn't blame them if they did.
"I need to talk to him, Hermione."
"Of course, I will have him call as soon as he is up… Sir, I don't mean to be disrespectful or indelicate, but… What will you do with Lady Chang? We would like to honor her memory but want to follow your lead regarding any ceremonial or religious aspects. Whatever your family decides, that's what we will do."
Jing took a deep breath, "We are going back to China."
Chyou and Longwei hurt their necks from turning so quickly. They hadn't discussed this.
Hermione stammered, "S-Sir?"
"You cannot expect my family to lose more than we already did," Jing replied.
"I am not going anywhere!" Chyou exclaimed.
"Neither am I!" Longwei nodded decisively.
"You are my children, and you will do as you are told," Jing grunted.
"We are of age! You cannot make us leave," Chyou replied, stubbornly. "I will not leave until I avenge my mother!"
Jing looked at his children in a clear command to shut up, and they did, momentarily.
"Lady Potter, see that your husband contacts me as soon as he's up. Children, the decision has been made, and it is final."
"Alright, Father, then you will go back to China alone."
Jing looked about to scream at Longwei. Hermione had to intervene.
"Lord Chang, Harry, and I will support whatever your family decides, but please think about it for 48 hours. We will not impede you if you choose to leave. As a matter of fact, we will personally help you pack and send support to keep you safe in your journey, but consider that everywhere is unsafe..."
"Do you think I don't know that, child?! Our family home is protected by wards older than this castle and the island combined."
"That's if it's still standing," Longwei murmured.
"Don't say that!" Chyou gasped
"I told you the rumors I heard, Father! You must admit there's a possibility we don't have a home to go back to!"
"What rumors?" both Hermione and Chyou asked.
"I have a contact in the ICW… There is a large cell of blood purists aligned with Riddle in Beijing. Apparently, there have been many attacks on magical villages," Longwei replied.
"I don't believe it. They don't have those pockets! Not even the entire Malfoy fortune could afford that."
"Sir, they might… I spoke with Queen Anord. We have received intel that the Death Eaters have been stealing from the muggle world to finance the war. Their resources are far greater than we expected. We have been having some issues gathering some potion ingredients because Riddle insists on buying all that is produced, so we can't get it. Our greenhouse will produce a lot of what we need, but we are months, if not years, away from it being fully functional."
Jing closed his eyes and prayed for patience. He wanted to scream. He wanted to punch something. He wanted to hold Daiyu's hand. "That's just brilliant," he sighed, bitterly.
"I know. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Will you think about it and let us know?"
Jing blew air out of his nose, "Yes. Is Minerva taking care of our familiar?"
"She is. She dotes on her," Hermione smiled a bit.
"Good. I will think about this but have Harry contact me. I am sorry about Dharma."
"Thank you, sir. I will," Hermione nodded and closed the mirror, ending the call.
Mr. and Mrs. Granger lay on the warm sand holding hands. Tears streaming down their eyes and toward their ears. They had just finished watching six years of their daughter's life. They had been in her life for those years, but somehow it felt like they hadn't truly been there. Their daughter had kept so much from them. It was physically painful that she had felt the need to do so. They had taught her that honesty was always the best policy. They thought she knew that she could come to them with anything, no matter how scary, embarrassing, or upsetting. They had impressed upon her that she could count on them, that they would always be in her corner, and that there was nothing she could do that would make them stop loving or supporting her. But things had been so dire, and the risk of literal death (or worse) had been so poignant, so close, and so real that for once in her life, their daughter didn't put logic first.
Each year that went by at Hogwarts, she would share less and less. Her answers to their questions were vague. She would only talk about academics with them. Up until her third year, she would at least talk more about her friends and the broom sport, but after that boy Cedric died, she was evasive and circumspect. Now it all made sense. Of course, she could not tell them. They would have put packed their lives and been on a plane with a one-way ticket not only out of England but Europe in a heartbeat. Hermione was their only daughter, and there would have been no sacrifice or expense that would have stopped them. They would have sold the clothes off their back to keep her safe. Knowing what they knew now, Hermione would have never forgiven them if they had ripped her away from Harry and her friends. They would have lost her forever.
Hermione had made an emotion-based decision heavily influenced by panic… and genuine love and concern. Now that they had watched all her memories of teenagers battling seasoned murderers, her own brush with death, Sirius Black's actual death, Harry's depression and fury, the psycho professor that tortured Harry and turned Hogwarts into a nightmare, the cold-blooded murder of a Headmaster that Hermione admired, the attack at the wedding, the months of deprivation and fear, running from one place to the end with yet more terrorists, the fight with who she thought was a dear friend, coming to the island and all the losses that followed… it was enough to end up in a mental institution.
And yet, their incredible daughter was standing tall, fighting like a lioness, leading the only rebellious group standing between a monster and total anarchy and dystopia. It was hard to accept that she felt there was no other choice but to send them far away with empty brains but seeing all her memories of how muggles like them were an after-thought at best and completely ignored at worst… it made sense that she felt no one would help her protect them. Now that they saw headlines through her memories with dozens of muggles tortured and murdered in horrible ways in terrorist attacks all over England and Europe, they understood.
Their daughter felt stuck between the two families she had. On one side, her parents, who she loved and needed. On the other side, Harry and her chosen family, complete with dozens of people and hundreds of house elves. Daniel and Emma took a deep breath. Life was never going back to what it used to be, and neither of them was about to stay on the sidelines. They were all in, whatever that meant. As long as it helped their daughter and… her husband, they were going to support it. Andromeda was right. Hermione had probably harmed herself more by disappearing her family when she needed them the most. No matter how powerful, how brilliant, and how strong their daughter was, she was still a very young woman with more questions than answers about life, especially a life as chaotic and painful as living through a war with all the losses that entailed.
"It looks like we are going to war too, love," Daniel sighed. "Whatever happens, Hermione comes first."
"We need her to know we are here for her no matter what. She needs to know we understand she won't turn her back on this world or, heaven forbid, her husband," Emma added.
"We just want to be a part of it," Daniel turned to her.
"A permanent part of it," Emma turned to face her husband. They sealed their sort of promise with a quick peck.
"Let's go find them."
Harry woke up very cozy. Hermione had snuggled up against him. It was still dark outside, but he felt much better. He kissed her forehead. "Love?"
"Hmm?"
"Fancy going for a run?"
Hermione blinked. "Yes, but you have to call Jing first, Harry."
"Isn't it too early?"
"No. They are five hours ahead."
"Right… Of course."
"Let's do it."
"Now that we have discussed the cremation ceremony, I need your assurances that you will not stay behind next time."
Harry blinked, confused, "Sir, you ordered me not to go with you."
"Because you had exhausted yourself correcting a massive fuck up courtesy of your two fathers," Jing replied, rolling his eyes. "It looks cowardly and weak if you are not on the battlefield with your allies, but worse than that, it affects morale. The soldiers want to leave, and I am still considering going back to China!" Jing snapped.
Harry took a deep breath. It was true. Sirius and Remus had done something reckless and stupid, and people and creatures were dead. "Yes, I understand the timing couldn't have been worse. Is there anything we can do for the families of the soldiers? Repatriate?"
"You should get here. Talk to them. Apologize. Offer support. It won't mean the same if I say it. They have lost people for you. It can't be platitudes of politically correct bullshit, son. It's starting to feel like your people are using everyone else to fight their battles for them, and that kills any revolution. Do you understand?"
Harry blinked slowly. He had never done anything to be politically correct. Hermione's hand was steady on his own, calming him down so his tone wasn't as irate as it would otherwise have been, "Lord Chang, it was never my intention to come across as fake. I never meant for what I have said to our people and creatures to sound like platitudes or anything like that."
Jing's eyebrows went up at that last comment.
"Yes, sir. OUR people. Everyone who has fought and contributed to this war is a part of our people, and if they haven't felt my unwavering support and eternal gratitude, I will fix that. I am sorry I wasn't at Gringotts to help you, but I was dealing with other things at the time. I wish I could split myself up and attend to the many things that need my attention 24 hours a day, but I can't. I don't mean to excuse my ineptitude, sir, but you do remember that I am a teenager, right?"
Jing blinked, a bit shocked at that. It was easy to forget that the lad was indeed seventeen. He was so mature and talked with such gravitas that it aged him. Lord Chang sighed but didn't comment.
"Many times, I am scared shitless of the magnitude of this war, and all that is at stake, but I must put on a brave face and do my best. I never chose to be a hero; it was forced upon me. If Riddle didn't exist, I could be enjoying my education with my girlfriend and friends, worrying about classes and Quidditch and the House Cup, but I don't get to do that. I have never run from my responsibilities, responsibilities that, again, I didn't choose but have anyway."
"War is never fair, Lord Potter," Jing took a sip of the tea in front of him.
"I get that… It's just… People aren't generally as a-alone as I am, sir. I.. I wasn't raised by loving parents who taught me about being a lord or about feelings and relationships. And no, I don't want your pity, but the fact of the matter is that as much as I love Padfoot and Moony, they are not my parents. You have your children, and they have you. It fills me with so much guilt and self-hatred that Lady Chang is g-gone and that it is my fault. But you still have each other."
"I wouldn't pity you, Harry. I appreciate your condolences, truly, but I was not trying to blame you. My wife died avenging my daughter and Luna. She killed McLaggen, but his father beheaded her."
Hermione gasped. They hadn't been given any details yet, "Merlin…."
"Fuck. I will get there as soon as I can. I still have hopefully two Horcruxes to destroy and a prisoner to interrogate."
"Yes, well. I have one word for you, young man: delegate," Jing frowned.
"I will do my best. I appreciate your advice, especially because I have no parents to ask… The Horcrux… it taunted me by showing me my parents and having them try to convince me that they could come back to life to be with me… I haven't been having a blast while everyone fought. The last 72 hours have been a clusterfuck of catastrophes, and yet, I am still standing and willing to keep fighting because I simply don't have a choice, so I may as well fucking get on with it... That I may spend the rest of my days in fucking therapy or in Bedlam is not considered by anyone other than my wife, and I don't expect it to be, but at least you, sir… could do me the courtesy of a bit of patience and grace while I try not to drown in the hundreds of decisions that I need to make with my endless years of experience in war and strategy," Harry stood and left.
Hermione grabbed the mirror, "Well, he's going to have to run a lot today so that he can calm down."
"Hermione… Is he alright?" Jing motioned toward his head.
She forced herself not to roll her eyes, "Obviously not. My parents still do not accept him. He pulled Remus back from the clutches of certain death. He dealt with a fucking mutiny and had to tell a mother that she lost yet another child to this bloody war. He then was taunted with the ghosts of his parents by the fucking Horcrux, which promised if he joined Riddle, they would bring the Potters back to life, and he has the weight of the guards' deaths, the injuries that Omari and Firenze suffered to help him, the death of your wife, Percy, the soldiers and the elves as additional burdens on his shoulders. That weight will lead him to yet more self-hatred. His psyche has been through the wringer. Not just for 3 days but for years, sir. He has never complained or asked anyone to take it easy on him. His anxiety and fear of disappointing people are almost crippling his decision-making skills, sir. With all the respect and gratitude that I have for you, I still have to warn you that if you push him like this again, he will snap. You don't want him to snap."
Jing nodded. "I wasn't trying to get him to snap. We just need his physical presence here."
"Will you be going back to China?"
"No. My children will not leave, and I am not going to leave without them."
"Will you continue to fight with us?"
"Yes."
"Thank you, sir," Hermione nodded and closed the mirror.
Mr. and Mrs. Granger were waiting in the kitchen for Harry and Hermione to come back from their training session. They came in soaked, with reddened cheeks and messy hair. Both stopped in their tracks when they saw Daniel and Emma there, finally out of their pajamas.
"Good morning," Mr. Granger lowered the Quibbler that had just got here.
"Breakfast?" Mrs. Granger offered.
Hermione nodded, a bit dazed. Harry shuffled his feet. Should he stay?
"Harry, how do you like your eggs?" Mrs. Granger asked.
Harry blinked and blushed. He wasn't used to other people cooking for him. "Scrambled. But I can do that, Mrs. Granger."
Emma shook her head as she whisked a large batch of scrambled eggs, "No, Harry. Please sit. Both of you."
"We need to talk," Daniel put down The Quibbler. He was still fascinated with moving pictures.
Harry and Hermione sat down. Should I worry there will be poison in the eggs? Harry thought. No, I haven't had a chance to tell you, but they apologized. They are still not happy with me, but seeing your memories from first year and all my memories from Hogwarts has helped a lot, I think, Hermione replied. This calmed Harry a bit. Daniel poured coffee for himself and his wife and made tea for his daughter.
"Is black tea okay?" Daniel asked Harry, who nodded. There were like fifteen different containers of tea. "Milk?"
"Yes, and one sugar, if you don't mind."
Daniel did as requested and handed both teens their tea. They sat and then ate in awkward silence. Once they were done, Kreacher vanished their plates and got to work in everyone else's breakfasts. Harry was glad that the old elf didn't complain about humans cooking.
"Can you do something so our conversation is private?" Daniel asked.
"Of course. We can talk in the Library."
Hermione offered her hand to apparate them, but they shook their heads.
"We just had breakfast, sweetheart. We'd like to keep it in our stomachs."
"Right," Hermione blushed. "We can walk."
Once in the library, Harry made himself small next to Hermione, who was growing exponentially more anxious by the minute. The conversation Harry had with Jing had been difficult enough. Harry didn't need more berating from her parents.
"First of all, we want to apologize to both of you," Emma began.
Harry's head snapped up at this, but almost immediately, his eyes went down.
"We couldn't have imagined the actual status of your world and its repercussions. I want to apologize for watching your memories of your first year without your express permission, Harry. As a veteran, I wouldn't want people to see such difficult moments of my life. It felt wrong and intrusive. But I went to war as an adult. Now I know you started as a child… You must be exhausted. I am really sorry," Daniel added.
Harry was stunned and quiet for a while. He realized they were waiting for him to say something. He gathered his Gryffindor courage and looked up after a deep breath, "I d-don't mind, sir. I… Well… M-My life has been a p-public spectacle since I can remember. If watching my m-memories helps you in any way, you can watch them all. I… I really have nothing to hide. All I have done… is try to be the… the wizard people decided I had to be before I could even w-walk. The price has been… Considerable. However, the alternative is such a nightmare that anything is better than that. When I think of what Riddle would do to H-Hermione… To you… I… This fight is worth it. Everything is at stake."
Daniel nodded and felt a surge of affection and pride for the young man before him. He had tears in his eyes that he refused to shed or to dab. His voice cracked, but determination and honesty were clearly behind every word. This was the hero people chose. This was the man, not the boy... the MAN people and creatures followed into literal hellscapes of battle. This was the man that could fight and hurt those who hurt his people but was gentle, kind, and fiercely loyal to creatures that many ignored and saw as worthless. Harry stood up and motioned for Hermione to stay sitting down.
"I want you to know, sir… I am aware that… from where you are standing, I have very little to offer your daughter."
Emma had to grab Hermione's hand to prevent her from interrupting. Emma just knew this boy wasn't the kind to open up like this for strangers, which was what they were to him.
"Hermione could have anyone… Anyone would be better. Someone less f-fucked up. Someone less… h-haunted," Harry paused. Daniel felt chills down his spine. He had never seen the ravages of war in the eyes of someone that young. What an unmeasurable burden.
Harry shook his head to clear it and continued, "I marvel every day at the series of cosmic events that must have happened for any universe where she loves me the way she does to exist…. H-Honestly, sometimes I think it's just a nice dream, and I don't want to wake up," he smiled at Hermione, who was barely keeping it together. He turned back to Daniel, "I c-can't promise you that she will not get hurt. Lord knows I wish I could… But I can't. Nobody can. I can't promise you that we will win either… All I can promise is that, as long as I am still breathing, I will fight with everything I have and everything I am to keep her as safe and whole as I can. I will n-not give up, no matter how harrowing the circumstances," Harry took a slow shaky breath. He forced himself to stare into Mr. Granger's eyes despite how much fear it made him feel. "I can promise you that she is a-and always will be my top priority. I can promise you that I will n-never intentionally hurt her or put her at risk if I can help it. I can promise to support all her dreams and aspirations… I can promise never to make her dim her shine for me. I can promise that I will never look at another woman. I can promise that when this is over, I will live the most boring and safe life possible so she's never at risk of anything again… I can also promise you that if she survives me, she and any children we may be able to have one day will be taken care of for the rest of their lives."
Daniel smiled and placed his hands on Harry's shoulder. The young man flinched slightly. He expected to be hit. "That is all I need, son."
Harry gasped, and tears finally cascaded down. Daniel hugged him tightly as his own tears fell.
Emma stood up and lifted Harry's chin as Daniel let go of him. Hermione jumped into her father's arms immediately. Emma pulled Harry in for a gentler hug.
"We could have never hoped for a better man for our daughter. Thank you. For protecting her, for loving her, for being there for her when we couldn't, for caring so deeply for her and her future, Harry. Welcome to the family, son," Emma smiled. "You are an incredible human being, Harry. Your parents must be absolutely glowing with pride watching the outstanding man you've become."
Nothing, absolutely nothing, could have soothed Harry's heart and mind after seeing his parents' specters as this. This was all he ever wanted. Acceptance. To be a part of her family meant everything to him because all offs were stacked up against him.
"Now, we've been talking," Emma let Harry go slowly. "Daniel and I want to be a part of the war efforts."
"You don't have to do that," Hermione said, immediately wrapping her arm around Harry's waist supportively, and squeezing her mother's hand.
"We do, sweetheart. We want to be here for you in whatever capacity we can. We want to pull our own weight and help you fight the good fight," Emma insisted.
Harry took a deep breath and nodded, "We can talk to… Fuck. No, we can't…"
"What? Why? They still haven't returned?"
"They did… Um… We had some casualties… We must allow a mourning period… I may have said some things I shouldn't have said to Jing..."
"Oh? What happened?"
"Take a seat, and we will tell you."
Harry and Hermione were walking around the island, checking on various things on their list. While they walked, Hermione told him about her conversations with Draco and Dudley. Behind them, a goat bleated loudly. Harry jumped and turned around. His hands were ready to smite anyone. Hermione stood next to him, ready to attack too.
The goat transformed into an old, slightly familiar bearded man. He threw his hands up after dropping his wand.
"You have two seconds to tell me who the hell you are and how you got into this island!" Harry's staff pressed against the man's jaw.
"ABE!" Neville ran toward them with a few assault rifles in his arms. "Harry, don't hurt him!"
Neville placed the rifles down in a rush and stood in front of the stranger protectively.
"Abe?" Hermione frowned.
"Identity oath, Abe," Neville hurried toward him. Luna placed a large wooden box next to the rifles and approached them slowly.
"I swear on my magic that I am Aberforth Dumbledore, and I mean no harm to Harry Potter or his allies," Aberforth made the oath while only touching his discarded wand with his bare toe. Golden sparks came off the wand's tip. It was true.
Neville hugged the man. "I am so glad you are alive! And here!"
"Good to see you, lad. Lord Potter, I have been coming back and forth to your island for months. If I recall correctly, you actually jumped over me once while you were training," Aberforth smiled slightly. "The day Ms. Weasley was brutally thrown around like a rag doll by that bast- by the trainer."
Harry's eyes widened. He did jump over a goat… And he did wonder how the hell a goat got to the island. But he simply assumed it was brought as food by one of the soldiers. "That was you?! Bloody hell! Why are you here?"
"I have been spying on the Death Eaters, of course... How do you think you have been getting intel all this time when your people rarely leave the island to gather said intel?"
"Why wasn't I told about any of this?" Harry looked at Neville with a deep frown.
"Don't look at me! I didn't know! I was worried sick about him," Neville replied. "I didn't even know he was an animagus."
"Who is your point of contact here?" Hermione asked.
"Jing Chang. Neville mentioned me to him at some point, and he wrote to me and arranged a secret meeting in Florida. He left at night while everyone else was sleeping," Aberforth said. "I did the fealty oath like everyone else. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here."
"Fuck… Fine. I assume you are here with important information… I appreciate you making the trip," Harry replied with a crooked smile. He had to trust Jing's judgment just like the man had trusted him.
"I am… Bellatrix Lestrange is dead."
Everyone around him gasped with wide eyes. Neville staggered back into Luna's arms that immediately wrapped around his waist.
Harry paled and stammered, "W-What about the-?"
"Abomination she was carrying? Dead. As far as I know, Lestrange died as a result of a forceful termination spell," Aberforth replied.
Gasps and wide eyes were the only indications that the teens heard him.
"And you are absolutely sure of this?" Hermione asked, still incredulous.
"Yes, positive."
"Why?" he said, noticing Harry's suspicious expression. "They crucioed me and took all my best liquor to toast to her memory while they burn her and… They… Um," Aberforth took deep breaths.
"Mr. Dumbledore?" Hermione asked, hesitating.
"They… They d-desecrated my brother's corpse. Brought me his s-severed head… They took his tomb and turned it into a pyre."
Harry's eyes widened. The man sounded numb. It was a long time since Harry felt any affection for Dumbledore, but this was awful. Fucking Riddle and his Death Eater scum.
"Fucking hell, Abe. I am so sorry," Neville replied. Luna let go of her boyfriend for a few seconds to hug Aberforth.
"Thank you… I… Albus and I weren't close anymore… Not since Ariana… but h-he was all the family I had left, you know?" Aberforth looked at Neville, who nodded. He was in the same boat with his grandmother. Merlin knew if she was still alive.
"Mr. Dumbledore?" Harry asked. If someone could have any information on the prisoners, it had to be Aberforth.
"Yes, Lord Potter?"
"Do you know who the people kept in the dungeons at Hogwarts are?"
"Lady Dowager Longbottom is one. Two muggles. I was hoping my…" Aberforth's face turned into a grimace full of pain. He took a sip from a glass of water Dobby brought him, "I was hoping Mery made it, but I saw them haul her body out to another pile they burned last night. They gauge her eyes out for a ritual."
Neville gasped, "Madam Rosmerta? We thought she had just sold her business to Tom... Wasn't she leaving England? I didn't know she was kidnapped! We never heard anything on the wireless!"
"Yes…" Aberforth sat down on a washed-up log and took a deep breath. He didn't want to start weeping in front of these kids. "They… They forced her to get pregnant, as they did to m-many more. I am told she asked elves to get her some herbs... You know, she t-trained to be a h-healer but inherited her family's business, so she didn't practice. The elves managed to get her a concoction of angelica, chamomile, and tree bark. She tried to cause a miscarriage and… She was apparently successful but started to bleed out… A Death Eater found her and tortured her to death… Just for… fun," Aberforth spat that last word with hatred.
"Merlin! That's awful!" Neville hugged the man. He knew Abe had a crush on Rosmerta, and they had almost become an item right before she sold her business.
"I am very sorry for your loss," Hermione said, catching onto the loving tone the man had used to speak about her.
"Thank you…"
"Aberforth, I don't want to be indelicate but… Do you know how they… got her?" Harry asked a bit lamely.
Aberforth nodded, "She… She was running away to go stay with her family, but she was traveling with others… Strength in numbers, they thought… But they were ambushed and taken. Some you already helped free. They had been taken to Malfoy Manor."
"Wait a minute… Are they keeping other pregnant victims at Hogwarts? Or was it just Rosmerta?" Hermione asked.
"There are several pregnant witches that they are moving… or rather were moving around. After you took the Elder Wand, they stayed at Hogwarts."
"Where?" Harry frowned severely.
"They are being kept in the professors' quarters, last I heard," Aberforth replied. Kreacher appeared next to him with a calming draught.
"Harry, do you have a picture of the Dursleys by any chance?" Hermione whispered.
"The Dursleys? As in your mother's sister and her husband?" Aberforth asked. "Bony, frail woman. Big fat man with a mustache?"
"Are you an occlumens?" Harry asked. "I can push the way they look to your mind so we can be sure."
"Go ahead," Aberforth nodded and stared into Harry's eyes while lowering his shields.
Aberforth took a good look and blinked to shut the connection.
Harry asked with dread, "Is it them?"
"It would appear so. All I can tell you is that they look like the people in those scenes… but a lot worse for wear… I can't guarantee it's them… The Death Eaters created an enhanced form of Polyjuice. It can hold the person's appearance for up to 48 hours."
"Bloody hell," Neville scratched his neck. "How?"
Aberforth drank the draught in one shot, and grimacing, he whispered, "Evil harvest."
"Huh?" Neville blinked. Luna covered her mouth with her hand. She felt nauseous all of a sudden.
"Oh, God!" Hermione grimaced as she imagined the horrors of dark magic involving flesh, bone, blood, saliva, and other things she didn't want to think about. Harry saw it in his mind as well and dry heaved.
"They take enough from the person usually through torture… Then, they kill the person and do some Necromancy shit that… I… I can't even speak about it. They have dozens of vials of Polyjuice ready to go."
"Killing the person is what keeps the appearance for that long? I mean… the Necromancy…"
"Instead of hair, they use blood for appearances… A significant amount of blood. This Polyjuice means cannibalism. That is all you need to know," Aberforth grimaced.
Harry took a deep breath to try and calm his frayed nerves. The past three days had been insane, "How feasible would it be to get some people out of Hogwarts?"
"Right now? No way in hell… Riddle is more paranoid than ever. Bellatrix is dead. One of his best soldiers ran away, and his pet snake is missing," Aberforth frowned.
"Nagini is missing?" Harry frowned. "Since when?"
"I thought it was by his side always," Neville scratched the back of his neck.
"She."
Hermione gasped, "Beg your pardon?"
"Nagini is a she, not an it."
"Animagus?" Harry repeatedly blinked, remembering Pettigrew with distaste.
Aberforth shook his head, "No. Maledictus."
"Shit," Neville pulled on his hair harshly and sat down with Luna, who just stared at Aberforth in disbelief. Neville grew up on horror stories of what happened when Maledictuses went on a rampage. Luna grew up on stories of poor women who were hunted down and forced into violence until they blew up in self-defense. Both were horror stories… just of a different kind.
"What is that?" Harry and Hermione asked.
"Maledictuses are cursed women. Always women. The Maledictus carries a blood curse from birth, which is passed down from mother to daughter," Aberforth replied. "It's very old magic. There aren't many Maledictuses because the women who have the curse choose not to have children instead of passing on the curse to them. There is no way to predetermine the sex of a child," Hermione frowned. There should be. A look at Harry, and she knew he agreed. Aberforth carried on, "And so, as the odds of having a boy are just 50% if not lower... many of them think the risk is way too high."
"Fucking hell…"
"Is Firenze here?" Mr. Dumbledore asked, suddenly remembering.
"Yes, sir. Why?"
"I have a message from his mate," Aberforth said.
Hermione crouched in front of Aberforth and held his hands, "His mate?! Are you sure? I thought all centaurs were slaughtered… Most importantly, so did Firenze."
"She ran away with their foal. They are safe in my basement. She wants to come here… Join him, if you will allow it."
Harry blinked, "I think that would help Firenze heal... Bring them as soon as you can. Firenze saved my life; his family is welcome to come and stay. Dobby, bracelets," Harry helped Aberforth up and placed the bracelet on his wrist, handing him two more for Firenze's family. "We use this to move around. You can request location 1, which is this island, or location 2, which is Potter Castle. Aberforth nodded, gratefully, "Dobby, please take Aberforth to Firenze's area of the island."
Harry and Hermione apparated with Luna and Neville after deciding to wait to destroy the diadem until Aberforth left.
"A-Aberforth?" Firenze croaked. He was lying down with thick plasters in his wounds. The dittany had healed the internal damage, but centaurs' skin -being as thick as it was- took longer to heal.
Aberforth frowned, "What happened to you?"
"Nothing. Just fulfilled a promise, that's all…"
"Well, I bring good news, Firenze… Your mate Raniezi and your foal are alive and well. They are staying with me."
Firenze simply stared in shock. His eyes filled with tears, "Please, promise you are not lying! They are alive?"
"I promise. Raniezi is a remarkable centauress. Her contribution to end Riddle will turn her into a legend," Aberforth nodded.
"Wait, what do you mean?" Harry asked, dread in his stomach. "What did she do?"
"Remember Peeves?" Aberforth asked.
Harry and Hermione nodded, "Of course," they replied in unison.
"He helped Raniezi take Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem out of Hogwarts and into Gringotts."
"What?!"
"Indeed. Peeves created a… distraction so she could leave with the diadem and get it to Gringotts through the tunnels. I am glad to know it made it safely to you. Am I right to think it will be destroyed soon?"
"Yes. Today. We will have to thank him…"
"Of course… Aberforth, if it's within your possibilities, please let us know if you think we may have a window to try and get the kidnapped people out," Harry replied.
"Definitely. But coming here takes time, and I am always exhausted at the end."
"Here, Abe. Have my mirror. You can just say property 1, and it will connect you to us," Neville offered after Hermione stared at him meaningfully.
"Ah, like the Marauders' mirrors?"
"Yes. Made by Moony," Harry replied with a small smile.
"Wonderful. I will get going then," Aberforth walked away, and after a few paces, an elf he called apparated him away after Harry nodded in acquiescence.
Harry turned to his wife and his friends. "Let's destroy another one, guys."
They nodded, and the four vanished to get the sword.
A/N: Phew! Thank you for reading! I am exhausted from writing this. I wanted to stop at 8k words or something, but I couldn't decide where to split what I had, so here you go. Thank you for your patience and for your lovely comments. I hope you are safe and healthy wherever you are. -Lux-