Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
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Chapter 1315 Feb 24
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This time on Duel of Fate: Hannah's fate…
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June 15, 1995Hogwarts, Scotland
Filius walked out of Albus's office as the impromptu staff meeting broke up. He had stayed a few minutes late to talk with Pomona. As he left, Severus fell into step at his side as they made it to the bottom of the stairs. "Do you have a few minutes, Filius?" the younger man asked.
Looking up at the tall potions master, Filius gave him a curious look. Filius and him had come to an understanding years ago. Severus would mostly leave his Ravens alone and grade them fairly or Filius would not be pleased. Severus had never crossed wands with him and didn't seem to want to. Thus, the man usually only came to him if there was a problem student or situation that he should know about.
"Of course, Severus. I was going to head up to my office and have lunch up there today," he told the man. Filius needed to get some work done and prepare for his meeting with Sue and Harry. Filius had been in contact with the Li's and Harry's new guardian to setup a summer program that should see them ready to be at the top of their tier in the fall. He was even thinking of taking them to a competition in Australia in August, since the Pacific League usually ran March through November, while the European league ran November through July. If not, there was an invitation only event in Zurick just before they came back to school.
"I can accompany you for a moment, but I am on lunch duty today," Severus replied.
With a nod the two men made their way towards the fifth floor. They didn't say much, until they got to the main stairwell. Students were gathered around the landing. Severus pursed his lips. "What are you all lallygagging about for?" the man snapped at the assembled crew.
"There is something going on up there, professor," an upper year Gryffindor said, indicating up the stairwell. Filius couldn't really see above the students' heads, so had to push through them to get to the banister. He could hear the sounds of spell fire and the resultant explosions, gongs of shields and other sounds.
"What are the dunderheads doing now!" Severus snarled. "Get to the great hall for lunch."
Most moved at the barked order. Severus and Filius were kept from starting up the stairs as the group took off like frightened animals. Severus started up the stairs, two at a time, as he rushed upwards. Filius caught Minerva on a fourth-floor landing on the opposite side of the tower. She was stepping into the Gryffindor common room. She looked at them, a small look of surprise on her face to see them rushing up the stairs. Filius thought it odd she hadn't dispersed the crowd or started towards the fight.
They were only halfway up the stairs to the fourth floor when there was a scream. Filius looked up to see a blonde girl fall between the gap of a closing banister as a set of stairs moved to the other side of the fifth floor.
He reached for his wand as she fell through the air. He was fast on the draw and thought he would be able to get her when she suddenly stopped her decent. She hung there in the air for a second, apparently saved. He let out a sigh of relief, thinking that Severus had gotten her.
He looked to the man, grateful for his quick reactions before seeing his wand was pointing down as well. It was just starting to dawn on him that someone else had saved her, when he looked back to see a sight that would haunt him for years. She was still screaming. When he looked back, she was falling again. She was already level with them.
His wand came up, ready to catch her. He would never know if it was fate, shear dumb luck or something else, but his spell left his wand at the same time Severus did. Filius cast a silent 'Wingardium Leviosa!'. The white spell leapt from his wand. A blue spell had also leapt from Severus wand. His eyes widened in horror as they impacted just before the girl. Instead of stopping her, the impact of the spells caused a small magical backlash. She screamed in sheer terror as she careened across the expanse, then slammed into the bottom edge of a moving stairwell.
He tried to cast another spell, but she was flung under the stairwell, her screams had stopped, and his spell missed. A second later her body impacted the floor two stories below. The stairs moved to their new location. He looked down in horror at a blonde girl that was now in a lump on the floor. Severus looked just as horrified.
Minerva had rushed back out the portrait to look over the banister at the unmoving form of Miss Abbott.
"No," Severus said in a small voice.
Filius was frozen. In all his years as an educator, he had never lost a student. He had trained dozens in duelling, been the Charms Master, who had taught benign, as well as very harmful spells, and seen several fights that had forced students to go to St Mungo's but had never lost a student. The pool of blood that was now starting to collect around the girl and the way she wasn't moving left little doubt that she was dead.
Someone screamed from up above. It was a pained scream of loss and agony. It had him jump. "Severus, go see what happened above. I will go check Miss Abbott," he said, already rushing down the stairs. Minerva was now moving as fast as she could towards the bottom of the stairs. There were more screams as students on their way to lunch saw what had happened.
"Hannah!" a girl's anguished scream came from up above.
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Later that day…Hogwarts, Scotland
It was a beehive of activity around the hospital wing as Amelia Bones charged into the room. Professors, parents, students on beds, Aurors and the Headmaster were all over the room. The call that something was going on at Hogwarts had come in almost two hours ago, but she hadn't been told until about ten minutes ago. The duty Auror was going to get an earful when she got back to the office. Something like this she should have known right away. The staff should have notified her as well. If what she had heard was true, her Susie had been involved in a fight. There was also word that a student had died.
Dumbledore was talking with two Aurors. He seemed a calm rock in the maelstrom of emotions, but she didn't miss the way his eyes were pinched or that he was frowning. Not a normal look for the usually implacable man.
Two beds were surrounded by curtains. She frowned at that, especially since Madam Pomfrey wasn't visible at first glance. She did see Susie on a bed towards the end of the ward. The girl was wrapped around herself, her arms pulling her legs up tight to her chest with her head buried between her knees and her auburn hair covering her face. She couldn't see anything immediately wrong with her niece, so she turned to Dumbledore and her Aurors.
Just behind them she recognized Arthur Weasley and his wife. Her brow scrunched to see a young boy that was manacled to the bed with a bandage around his arm and leg. Next to him was another redhead that was sleeping. She saw the manacle attached to his wrist and the bed sticking out from under a blanket. The normally loud and boisterous matriarch of the family was sitting in a chair. She was pale and looked far too calm to be under the influence of anything but a strong calming draught.
She marched over to the Aurors, needing to understand the situation before she rushed over to Susie. The need to go to her niece and be the Head of the DMLE warred with her, but seeing the young men in manacles had her needing to know.
"Stebbins, report," she barked out, interrupting the quiet argument that was happening between the Auror and Dumbledore.
The man started, his wand coming to his hand as he spun before realizing who it was. She felt comforted by his response. Williams, a shorter woman next to him, had seen her come in and didn't seem bothered.
"Director. It's not good, ma'am," Stebbins started.
"I don't think this needs a full investigation," Dumbledore said, as though he had been trying to make this point for a while. "Do you really have to arrest four of my students?"
"Arrest? Who? Why?" she demanded of her Auror.
"Neville Longbottom, George Weasley, Fredrick Weasley and Ronald Weasley. They got into an altercation. I have one student that will be in the infirmary over the night, another being healed with help from St Mungo's, while another is dead," Stebbins reported.
"It was just an unfortunate accident. I think this is an overreaction," Dumbledore pressed.
She felt her ire peak right away. "You have another dead student in a week, Dumbledore? I think a review of this school is exactly what is needed." In the back of her mind, she was starting to piece things together. Susie had gotten into a fight. She knew that Longbottom and Weasley had had issues with her in the past because of Harry Potter…
A certain trepidation started to seep into her subconscious as she demanded, "Who died and what happened?"
"It was just an accident that had a very unfortunate ending," Dumbledore tried to placate.
She cast a quelling look to the headmaster. The Wizengamot was threatening to remove him as Chief Warlock and she had heard the ICW was already starting proceedings, led by the Bulgarians, to oust him from their ranks as well. "Unless you want to be charged with obstruction, you will let me talk to my Aurors and we will be investigating this," she told the man directly.
Dumbledore looked very unhappy. "Amelia, today has already seen a great tragedy, do we need to compound it?"
"That is Madam Bones or Director Bones, Headmaster Dumbledore. Now, stay out of this. Stebbins, who died and what happened?"
She was proud that her Aurors didn't blink at the way she was going after probably the strongest, and until recently, the most politically powerful man in the country. "Hannah Abbott, Director. There was a fight," he said as he looked at his notepad. She blinked, feeling as though the floor had just dropped out beneath her. She was here to take care of one niece to be told her other was dead. Stebbins went on, not noticing how her face paled or that she took a step back as though punched in the stomach. "We interviewed four of the eight students involved so far. Luna Lovegood said they were ambushed on the fifth floor. Harry Potter pushed her out of the way before a suit of armour crashed into him. He saved her and told her to run to find a professor. She said she found Professor McGonagall, but was brushed off, so she tried to get to the Great Hall."
He flipped the page over. Amelia was starting to feel like she needed a seat. Her eyes wandered over to Susan…
Dumbledore looked at her worriedly. "Amelia, are you alright?" the old man asked.
"You said, Hannah Abbott?" she asked, interrupting Stebbins in his recitation of the interview.
"Yes, ma'am," he said, looking up.
She put a hand to her mouth, unsure if she was going to be sick or not. Sarah was going to be a wreck. She turned her attention back to Stebbins. "Dear Merlin. I want everyone you need here now!"
"Amelia, do we really need more Aurors here? The students are already afraid and bothered enough," Dumbledore said.
She straightened up, her grief turning into anger. "I want this man arrested and out of this castle! He is trying to obstruct an investigation into the death of a student. I declare this a DMLE investigation in compliance with the rules and laws of the Wizengamot and the Hogwarts charter to allow third party investigations of any death or serious crime. Williams, contact the Law Department to notify the board of governors." Her wand was out and pointing at Dumbledore as his hand had gone for his sleeve. The tip was already glowing an ominous purple. "You pull that wand, and I will have you in a bed in St Mungo's for a week before you are sent to the holding cells in the Ministry."
Her threat must have been clearly understood as he moved his hand away from his sleeve and held his hands out in supplication. "Are you sure that removing me from the school is a wise decision? The students will need to be counselled and watched after what has happened over the last few days. It would also leave a large hole in the defences to protect all the students here."
She growled at the man. "Stebbins, escort Headmaster Dumbledore to his office. He is to remain there under house arrest while the Aurors and DMLE investigate this. Williams, get every available Auror here ASAP, then notify the Law Offices."
"I think this is a little heavy handed," Dumbledore said.
"Albus Dumbledore, you will either stay remanded to your office and quarters or I will remove you from this castle and request the governors to declare a temporary Headmaster to ensure the wards are maintained," she ordered.
The man sighed. "I think you are making a mistake, Amelia."
"I don't think I am going far enough!" she snapped back.
By now, everyone in the infirmary had stopped what they were doing and were looking at them. The Weasleys all looked terrified at her anger and the way she was challenging the 'Great Albus Dumbledore' in his own domain. Hannah was as much a daughter to her as Susan was. Hannah was her niece. The daughter of her sister. Truth be told, she was only keeping herself together through a professional toughness that she had gained through twenty-four years as an auror, hit wizard, Head Auror, Investigator and Head of the DMLE.
Dumbledore shook his head and looked at her disappointedly. He turned to the redheads behind him. "I will make sure the truth comes out, Arthur. No one else is to be removed from this school until Madam Pomfrey releases them," he said in a harder tone as he turned back to Amelia.
"We will follow standard procedures," she told him. If one of the Weasley boys in manacles had been the one to kill Hannah, then her aurors may need to keep her from tearing the boy apart.
Williams had already moved to the matron's office to use the floo. Stebbins put his pad and small self-inking quill into a pocket. His wand was pointed at the headmaster. "Headmaster Dumbledore, if you please," the man said. He looked a little uncomfortable at what he was doing.
"Minerva, please ensure all the children are taken care of," he said to a woman that was standing off to the side.
"Of course, Albus," she replied.
Dumbledore was led out of the infirmary at wand point. The austere transfiguration professor stepped up to her. The woman looked pale and concerned. "Amelia, I hope you know what you are doing. Albus is needed more than ever right now."
She had to take in a few sharp breaths to keep from breaking down. "Professor McGonagall," she said rather formerly, even though they had become friends over the years as she had worked with the woman for special training in the summers for those in the DMLE and for other special projects. "You will stay out of this."
The woman looked very bothered. Her voice dropped lower. "Amelia, I know how close you and Susan were to Hannah. Are you sure you are thinking straight right now? There are things that you don't know about. You-Know-Who is back. Taking Longbottom out of here in cuffs and locking Albus away is not the type of publicity we need right now."
Pure rage crossed her face for a moment. "Professor McGonagall, are you trying to influence or intimidate an employee of the Ministry into turning a blind eye to a crime?" she replied in a deadly calm voice. "Because if you are, I will gladly see you in a cell and talking with one of our investigators to understand why."
The transfiguration professor took a step back. "I… I… I would never, but you must understand…"
"I understand that a fifteen-year-old girl is dead. She was entrusted to the professors of Hogwarts with the implicit understanding from her mother that she would be safe and protected here. I do not know what has happened, but I promise you that I will find the underlying cause of this and the perpetrator, and possible conspirators, will be tried under the full force of the law," she told the old woman. McGonagall took another step back.
"My boys are good boys!" Molly Weasley whinged from next to the bed. "They wouldn't hurt anyone."
She turned to the family. "I would advise you to not say anything unless an Auror asks you. Your boys were read their rights?"
Arthur put a hand on his wife's shoulder, stepping before her. "We were informed, Director Bones. We have called for a solicitor," he told her.
Amelia nodded. Williams came out of the matron's office followed by seven other Aurors. Shacklebolt was among them. "Yaxley, Robards and Robbins, go with Williams. She knows where everything happened. Everwand and Shacklebolt, you are with me. Richards and Westford, go reinforce Stebbins outside the headmaster's office."
"Yes, boss," most of them said.
She felt like she was just barely keeping it together now.
"Is this all you have?" she questioned her Senior Auror.
"This is all that was in the dog pen," Shacklebolt replied, giving her a curious look.
"I want every available person here. Get a few from Magic Reversal to reconstruct the crime scene. I want to know every spell, who cast it, in what order and what happened," she barked at her Senior Auror.
Shacklebolt looked taken aback for a moment before saying, "Yes, ma'am. Everwand, get a team from Magical Reversal."
"Yes, boss," the younger man said and walked back into the matron's office.
"Director, what's going on?" Shacklebolt enquired.
"Did Williams tell you anything?" she demanded.
"We are here for a possible murder investigation. Did someone really die?" he asked in his deep baritone.
She closed her eyes for a moment. Even through her hardened exterior, she felt herself fighting back tears. "I need you to take over this entire investigation, Senior Auror Shacklebolt. The girl that died is my niece. I find myself emotionally compromised at the moment and need to get to Susan and my sister."
Shacklebolt kept his mostly implacable expression. She could see he was worried for her. "I see, Director. From this moment forward I will take over the lead of the investigation as Senior Auror on site."
"Thank you. Now, if you will excuse me," she said.
Susan had tightened her hold on her legs and was obviously crying. She moved over to the bed. After sitting on the edge, she reached over to Susan to touch her leg. "Susie?" she asked, her own voice thick with emotion as she was starting to lose her composure.
Susan looked up. Tears were streaming down her face. "Oh, auntie!" the girl cried out. She unwrapped her arms from her legs and threw them around Amelia. Her niece immediately fell apart into great wracking sobs as her head burrowed into her shoulder. Amelia held her niece, her own tears falling into the girl's thick auburn locks.
Susan finally cried herself to sleep almost an hour later. By now the sky was turning dark and it was past supper time. Her Aurors had taken the Weasley boys away after getting permission from Pomfrey. Molly had burned through the calming draught and wailed as her boys were removed from the infirmary. Arthur had to support her as they followed. Amelia had been running her hand through Susan's hair when she looked up at the sound of the curtains opening across from her.
A wizard and a witch in the green robes of a St Mungo's Healer were just inside the screen. Madam Pomfrey was talking with the man. "If I didn't think it would do more damage at the moment, I would say we should have vanished the bones."
"I'm afraid of splinters we might have missed . The Skele-Gro will knit them back together, and if we need to look at vanishment after that, we can," Pomfrey replied. "You think he will be stable enough to move to St Mungo's tomorrow?"
"I think so, as long as the Skele-Gro works tonight. His magic is low," the St Mungo's healer replied.
Amelia got up to see what was going on. Inside she saw Harry laying on the bed. His torso was bound in bandages with his left arm secured in a sling. His face, neck and upper torso were heavily bruised. Andromeda was sitting next to him in her own green robes. The woman looked tired and careworn. Pomfrey and the other healer looked towards her. "Madam Bones, when did you get here?" Pomfrey enquired.
"Over an hour ago. How is he?" she asked.
"I have to get back to the hospital, Poppy. They will want a writeup of this. Madam Bones." The man nodded to her.
"Of course, Roger. Thank you for your help," Pomfrey said. The matron looked back to Andromeda. The woman met Amelia's eyes. There was worry and anger there. "Do you mind, Andi?"
"Amelia can know," the woman said, getting up to join them.
"How is he?" Amelia asked, looking back to the bed.
Pomfrey sighed while Andi growled. "He's lucky to be alive," she spat. "If I ever get my wand on Longbottom or those Weasleys, they won't be."
"Andi, you can't do that," Pomfrey said back to her sounding scandalized.
"Don't' give me that, Poppy. He was lucky that his broken ribs didn't pierce his heart. You know how close it was. His entire left shoulder, upper arm and rib cage was shattered, not to mention the various cuts and the hole in his leg from a piercing hex," Andi said angrily.
Amelia took in a sharp breath. "Dear, Merlin. What the bloody hell happened?"
"I don't know," Andi said frustrated. "I was too busy making sure he lived to find out."
She turned to Pomfrey. "Severus brought him in here saying that there was a fight on the fifth floor. I only know that the Weasleys and Longbottom were involved. And that poor girl," she said, as though what had happened today was just starting to hit her.
Amelia's face hardened. "I am going to bury whoever did this."
"Not before I do," Andi said. "Who was it that died?"
She looked to Pomfrey. The woman shook her head. Amelia felt the sting of tears again as she looked at Andi. "Andi, you will want to be prepared for this. Harry is going to need some help."
There was a look of fear in her eyes. "Who?"
"Hannah," Amelia said. Her throat clenched as she said her niece's name.
Andi blinked a time or two before her face crumpled. "No," she said in a faint voice.
"I'm afraid so," Pomfrey confirmed.
"Oh, Amelia, I'm so sorry. Anything that you and Sarah need, don't hesitate to ask. Merlin, this is going to devastate Harry," Andi said, looking back at the sleeping boy. He was breathing a little unsteadily, as though it hurt to breathe.
"It is devastating all of us," Amelia said. "Madam Pomfrey, where is Hannah's body? I need to identify her and then I should go see Sarah."
"It's Poppy, by the way. Miss Abbott's body was taken to St Mungo's. Misses Abbott was going to meet the Healers there," she said.
Amelia let out a long sigh. This was going to be a long night. "Are you alright if I go to St Mungo's to see if she is still there? My sister is going to need me."
"Go to Sarah. I can keep an eye on Susan and Harry for the night," Andi told her in a caring tone.
"Thank you, Andi. I'll be back by morning. I will be taking Susan home," she informed the matron.
"I fully understand and will inform Pomona. I will have the house elves retrieve her things," the matron replied.
She gave Andi a hug, ran her hand through Susan's hair a few times and then nodded to the Aurors standing outside the infirmary as she headed towards McGonagall's office. The floo in the infirmary was only to be used in emergencies and this wasn't one, as much as she felt it was on a personal level. She knew she had to stay out of this, with how close she was to Hannah, but she would do everything she could to see justice done.
She was also going to have to take care of Susan, who was devastated over this. After what just happened, she was wondering if she needed to get Susan out of the country for her own protection.
-oOo-
June 16 ,1995Hogwarts, Scotland
Andromeda felt well enough to leave Harry for a short bit. His last readings showed that his magic was stabilizing and the Skele-gro was doing its job. She knew that this was going to be a hard week or two for the boy she now saw as her nephew. The damage was not easy to heal because of the extent of the injuries and how low his magic was right now. When he found out about Hannah, she knew it would be worse.
Thinking of the damage, and how close it had come to having his ribs pierce his heart or a major blood vessel had her ire peaked. NO! Peaked wasn't the right word. Not after what she had heard from Luna Lovegood.
The waif of a girl had shown up to see how Harry was doing after dinner last night. Andromeda could tell she was distressed and allowed her to see Harry for a few minutes while she monitored from the curtains. The girl should have been taken to the hospital and given a calming draught much earlier.
"You have to get better," Luna had said. "I noticed the blumhingers when I went to McGonagall, but they were too strong. I tried to find a professor. Percival used to be so nice to me but didn't believe me when I found him. By the time I found someone not infected with the blumhingers…"
The poor girl sounded broken. When she didn't say anything for a few minutes, Andromeda poked her head around the corner. The very light blonde had tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please don't leave me. My mum can wait for a bit more," Luna had said in a broken voice.
She frowned as what the girl had said sank in. "Are you alright?" she asked stepping into the curtains. The girl quickly moved to wipe the tears off her face.
"Oh, yes. I am quite well. It's just the spray from the torgnarls. It's like cutting onions," she said, still trying to wipe the tears from her face.
Andromeda gave her a small smile. "He will get better. Harry is strong and you found help just in time."
Luna sniffed. "But I didn't. The blumhingers kept blocking me. I didn't before…" she said, trailing off. The girl's already distraught demeanour grew even more sombre, and she looked like she was staring off into an abyss that that no one else could see. It had Andromeda worrying and wondering if she should recommend the girl to a mind healer.
"I thought I heard you say you told Professor McGonagall?" she asked, being as kind as she could.
Luna made a face that Andromeda couldn't interpret. "The blumhingers had her all fuzzy. Harry and I had just talked about it. She didn't believe me and sent me away."
Andromeda pursed her lips. Soon after she had the girl lay in a bed next to Harry and gave her a calming draught and dreamless sleep potion for the night.
After that, she stewed all night on what Luna had said as she kept an eye on three teens in the infirmary. Minerva McGonagall didn't show her face in the hospital wing all night. Nor had she shown this morning. As the Deputy Headmistress, her job should have been to check in on her students. Something was wrong.
It was this wrongness that had her knocking on the woman's office in the midmorning. Harry wasn't going to wake until later today, so thought it safe to leave him in the hands of Poppy and Sirius.
When she came to the closed door, Andromeda found herself pounding her fist on the door. She was usually much more proper, but after a night of little sleep and having to save Harry, she was not worrying much about decorum at the moment.
She banged on Minerva's door again. She was being persistent and kept at it until she heard a Scottish brogue from behind her. "Andromeda, how long have you been waiting outside my quarters?"
She turned on the woman and crossed her arms under her chest, broadcasting her irritation. "It's been at least a half-hour. You are supposed to have office hours this morning according to your door," she snipped.
Minerva frowned. "Normally I would agree, but all the students had to be sent to the train station to go back to London. Surely you were told about that?"
Andromeda sighed. Was it really that time? "I admit, I forgot. I've been a little busy the last day or so."
Minerva frowned as she came up to her. "Yes. A horrible business, that."
"Yes. Horrible. Horrible enough I thought you might come to check up on the students in the infirmary," she said a little icily.
"I have been busy with Albus under house arrest," she said as though that was the final word in the matter.
Andromeda's brow rose. A sure sign to anyone that knew her that she was feeling annoyed. "It would have taken a few moments," she said in a sarcastic voice. "Even just to floo Poppy to ask about Harry or Luna? You are the assistant headmistress."
There was a quick look of distaste. "I don't see the need. He is Filius' apprentice and student. Now, is there a reason you were seeking me out?"
Andromeda's eye twitched. "So, it is true."
"What is true? You must be more succinct. I have much still to do today, especially with the tragedy of Miss Abbott," Minerva said in a clip tone.
"It's true that you supported your Gryffindors in almost killing a boy and murdering a girl," she said in an acid tone.
Minerva blinked, looking taken aback. "Excuse me? Are you accusing me of condoning the death of Miss Abbott? That was a tragedy that is affecting us all deeply. There are four innocent boys in the hands of the Aurors at a time that something like this can ill be afforded. You know what happened at the last task?"
Andromeda moved to palm her wand in her pocket. "Innocent boys?" she asked facetious. "Innocent boys? You mean the ones that nearly killed the heir to the House of Potter and House of Black? Or the ones that ambushed an innocent boy? Or the ones that tried to seriously harm Luna Lovegood? From what I understand, it was one of those boys that cast Hannah Abbott off the stairs. Tell me who are the innocent in this situation?"
"That is yet to be proven. From what I understand it was Potter that levitated her over the stairs and then dropped her," Minerva said back.
Andromeda slowly removed her wand. "If you dare blame Harry for this, I don't care who your friends are, Minerva, I will hunt you down. I know that you were told by Luna Lovegood that a fight was going on and did nothing. I also know that others that belong to the House of Weasley actively kept her from finding help. Are you Deputy Headmistress, Head of Gryffindor and a tenured professor, or are you some petty little schoolgirl that thought she would condone actions against a boy and a house that has seen nothing but tragedy?"
"Why, I never! I never condone fighting," the woman said, her composure finally falling. "What happened was a tragedy that no one could have prevented. I am just as upset as everyone else with what happened to Miss Abbott, but the facts are that Potter jumped my Gryffindors and they were just defending themselves. Albus assured me that Lovegood was just a red herring sent to try to discredit those boys…"
Andromeda snapped. Her wand came up, pointing right between Minerva's eyes. The tip showed a worrying maroon. The action had the older woman stop and take a step back. Andromeda advanced to keep her wand in place. "You tell me right now, Minerva McGonagall, that you didn't set this up. Tell me that you didn't brush off Luna Lovegood because you wanted Harry to die. The fact that Hannah Abbott did is a tragedy, but I know your allegiances. You believe what that bint Longbottom espouses and Albus is just trying to protect his golden child. Isn't he!"
A spark shot out of her wand. Minerva gave out a cry of pain and started to swipe at her face. She stopped when Andromeda's wand was back between her eyes. "You tell me I am wrong. Tell ME!"
Minerva stood there, a small burn mark between her eyes. It was obvious that Andromeda Tonks nee Black actually had some of the Black madness and bloodlust. There was the look of conflict in Minerva's eyes, but she didn't say anything.
"Tell me," Andromeda said in a deadly tone.
Minerva's face fell. "I didn't know they were going to attack him. It really is a tragedy that Hannah Abbott died. I thought they were just going to give him a tough time and prank him. Potter deserves it. After what his parents did, you can't possibly think he can be saved?"
Andromeda growled. "You ignored a student telling you that there was a fight? You believe the sin of the parents is the sin of the child? You believe that the Potters did what your friend Longbottom believes? Did you even bother to find out the truth?"
Minerva steeled herself some. "The truth is a terrible thing that I believe you are deluding yourself into not believing."
Andromeda's face screwed up in rage, the tip of her wand starting to glow a green that had Minerva look at the woman in absolute fear. It took all her force of will to keep the curse from coming to her lips. She was Andromeda Tonks, not Black. She was not like her family.
Her wand dropped to her side. Minerva looked relieved for a minute. "I swear that I will do everything in my power to destroy you, the Longbottoms, Dumbledore and anyone else that blames Harry or his parents. Did you know that Lily and James were Neville's oath sworn godparents? Sirius and Alice made the same oaths that the Potter's did. I was the witness as the Healer to see both boys born. Think of that as I make sure you will spend the rest of your life with the swill that live in the mud and dirt."
The force of her vow had her wand glowing blue and a surge of magic flow from her. Minerva gasped. Essentially Andromeda had just declared a blood feud against the woman, while dropping a bomb shell that few knew.
"Enjoy your last days in your job. Today was the last time you will ever be trusted with any child," she said.
"You can't…" she said. "I never wanted Hannah to die."
Andromeda's face held no compassion. "Magic will judge you, and Merlin help you once Harry and Amelia find out about this. You are lucky that I am not like my family. They would have just killed you. I will enjoy seeing you suffer."
She left the woman. Yes, her family would have just killed her. Andromeda was going to enjoy seeing her and everyone around Longbottom burn and keep burning.
-oOo-
About the same time…Hogwarts, Scotland
Pain.
It was the dull, achy pain of his whole left side that slowly brought Harry back to consciousness.
It took a few moments before he opened his eyes. Things were blurry as he had troubles focusing. Blinking rapidly for a moment allowed his eyes to see straight above him. A stone ceiling came into focus. It was arched. He knew of only a few rooms like that in the castle. It slowly dawned on him he was in the hospital wing.
His throat was very dry. Smacking his lips together and running his dry tongue over them didn't help. Needing some water, he tried to roll on his side. The movement shifted his left shoulder. His arm pulled tight in the sling. A groan escaped him as the pain increased. It wasn't anything like he remembered it being, but it still hurt.
Someone stirred on the right side of the bed. Harry rolled his head, being careful to move nothing else.
A man was sitting in a chair. He looked to have just sat up. Harry hadn't seen Sirius in almost two months. The man looked different. For one, his gaunt face had filled in. The clean-shaven skin now supported the start of a goatee and sideburns. The man looked healthier. More like a man should in the prime middle years of his life, instead of the emaciated form of someone who had spent almost thirteen years in a coma.
Sirius rubbed his eyes. It was the first time that Harry realized he looked tired, as though he hadn't slept in a bit. He tried to say Sirius's name, but his throat was too dry. His lips and jaw moved, but only a slight croak came out.
This was enough to catch Sirius' attention. The man's grey eyes fell on Harry. It took the man a moment to realize that Harry was awake before he suddenly exclaimed, "Harry! Oh, thank Merlin, you're awake. Poppy!"
Harry tried to say something else, but not much came out.
"Easy there, pup. Don't move or anything. Let's get Poppy over here and then I can get you something to drink or whatever you need," Sirius said to him. There was a worried caring on the man's face that Harry appreciated. "POPPY!"
A curtain opened. Harry tried to turn to see what was going on. Instead, he groaned as he moved his left shoulder again. A shooting pain went down his arm and spine.
"What are you yelling about? Easy there, Mister Potter. I don't want you moving much until I have a chance to look you over," the matron ordered as she came into view. Harry just lay there as her wand moved over his body, spending more time around his left side. After a few minutes, she nodded. "Blink once if you are in a little pain, twice if more than a little."
Harry blinked twice. His shoulder was starting to throb now.
"I figured as such. Sirius, why don't you see if you can get some water into him? The potions from yesterday will make him thirsty. I will get some pain relief potions and then we need to discuss his transfer to St Mungo's," she said to his godfather.
"Is it that bad?" Sirius questioned. Harry was concerned that he had been hurt so much that Madam Pomfrey couldn't heal him.
"I think it better we discuss it in my office," she told him.
Harry wanted to protest, but his throat was still too dry to make intelligent sounds. Sirius came into his view with a glass of water. "Easy there, Harry. I'm just going to support your head," Sirius said gently and lifted Harry's head enough to get a straw to his lips. "Poppy, I am not going to keep any of this from Harry. It's his body."
The woman sighed after a moment. "As we feared, we were not able to get all the bone shards out. The Skele-Gro did what it was supposed to, and the shards reattached themselves. The issue is, they didn't go back properly. His clavicle, shoulder joint and humorous is a mess that will need to be vanished and regrown, not to mention a few spots on his ribs. Given the damage, that will take about two weeks. His lungs are healing, but the potions are working slower than normal due to his low magical reserves and the other injuries. His healing was also dampened by the confusion and slowing potions that were in his system."
Harry took in what she was saying but was too focused on the way the water was wetting his cottony mouth and parched lips. His body was finding instant relief as he swallowed the tiny amounts. All too soon, though it took minutes while Sirius and Madam Pomfrey talked, the half full glass of water was gone.
"More," he managed to get out.
"In a short bit. I was told not to give you too much at a time," Sirius said in a gentle tone. Harry didn't like it. "I do have a pain relief potion for you though."
Harry greedily took in the bitter tasting red potion. It was only a mouth full, but as it went down his sore throat felt soothed. Sirius gently put his head down. Harry sighed and relaxed as the pain in his shoulder dulled to a light annoyance.
"How do you feel now, Potter?" Pomfrey asked.
"I can still feel it, but much better," he told her in a weak voice.
She nodded. "I would like to just monitor him for a few more hours and then I can call for transport to St Mungo's."
"Andi was supposed to be back in an hour or so. I would like her to just do a once over as well," Sirius told Pomfrey.
The woman gave a curt nod. Harry was surprised she didn't seem offended that Sirius wanted another opinion. "As his treating Healer, I would expect her to do nothing else. Call me if his pain increases again or any other change. I know he may be hungry, but I don't want him to eat anything until we know if St Mungo's is going to do any more work on him first."
Now that the pain was about gone, and his thirst partially quenched, the events from yesterday were starting to filter in. He moved his head to his side to look at Sirius. "Hannah?"
By the way the man's face crumpled before he could recover told Harry everything he needed to know. Harry felt his eyes start to sting. Apprehensively he asked, "How bad?"
Sirius reached out to take his hand. "I think you should just concentrate on getting better," Sirius told him.
The pain that was starting to build in his chest was nothing a pain relief potion could stop. "How bad?"
There were supposed to be cushioning charms at the base of the tower to prevent anyone from getting seriously injured. In the moment of everything happening he had forgotten that Hogwarts: A History said that. Didn't it?
"Let's get you to St Mungo's first," Sirius told him.
"Sirius?" he said, a certain desperation entering his scratchy voice.
Sirius closed his eyes, let out a long breath through his nose, and then looked to Harry. There was a sadness there that had his heart breaking before the words even came out. "I'm sorry, pup."
He looked at the man to try to understand what that meant. "About what?" he finally asked.
Sirius swallowed as though what he had to say was extremely hard to say. "Your girlfriend didn't make it."
He blinked at Sirius. "I… I don't understand."
Sirius let out another long breath. "Hannah didn't make it, Harry."
Tears started to build in his eyes. He blinked a few times to try to clear them. "But… there were enchantments… she is just hurt. Right?"
Sirius's hand squeezed his. The man shook his head. "I'm sorry, but Hannah is… she's dead, pup."
"She can't be," he protested. "Hogwarts: A History… it said there were cushioning charms and other protective wards…"
"You are right, Mister Potter, but I think that particular book hasn't been updated in a few decades. The charms were reworked about fifteen years ago to prevent any student from falling off the stairs to begin with. That happened after a group found out about the enchantments and were jumping off and using the wards to catch them before they hit the floor. When that happened, the ward stones that protected anyone from hitting the floor were channelled into protecting the stairs to prevent it in the first place," a sad, wizened voice said from the end of his bed. "We didn't know that there was a hole in the scheme as a staircase was moving."
Harry didn't look towards the headmaster. He needed confirmation from Sirius. The man looked livid. "Headmaster, I would appreciate that you keep out of this right now. I thought you were also locked into your tower?" His face calmed as he turned back to Harry.
"I understand, Sirius, but there are items I need to talk with you about right away," the headmaster replied, ignoring the question.
Sirius let out a small growl. "That is Lord Black, headmaster. I have nothing to say to you right now. If you need to talk to me, send it to my solicitor. I'm sure Ted Tonks will be more than happy to deal with you."
"Sirius?" Harry asked, needing to have a confirmation.
"I'm sorry you feel that way, Lord Black. I would still like to talk with you before you leave today," the man said.
"Get out of here," Sirius said through clenched teeth.
There was a silence for a moment before he heard the man turn and walk away. Harry pleaded, "Sirius?"
Sirius just shook his head. Harry understood and started to cry. He shut his eyes tight. Hannah was gone. He had only just started to feel the gaping hole in him when the doors to the infirmary slammed into the walls. Harry jerked, his automatic fight response to sit up and flick his wrist for his wand to come to his hand. He just barely had time to realize it hadn't, or that the movement cut through the pain relief potion, when a woman demanded, "Where the hell is the whelp! Accusing my grandson of a cowardly act! Neville didn't kill anyone!"
"Augusta, I do believe I told you to wait in my office," Dumbledore said.
"What the bloody fuck does that cunt want now?! You stay. Lay back down," Sirius told him as he stood. Harry noticed the man's wand was already in his hand and he put Harry's wand into his hand. Harry was thankful to have its warmth as his magic reached out to the core.
"Don't tell me what to do, Albus! This is all your fault. How could you let that boy attack Neville…" Madam Longpiddle screeched.
"Shut up, you old hag!" Sirius bellowed over her. "If you don't want to be in a cell next to your grandson, get the bloody hell out of here now. I have already declared the Longbottoms in breach of the old alliances. Are you now accusing him of something your brat did?"
"How dare you, you son of a dark bitch," the matron Longpiddle shot back.
"Now, both of you…" Dumbledore tried to say over the yelling pair. There was a hint of annoyance in the old man's voice.
Was she accusing him of attacking Neville? The overwhelming grief in him started to roil and turn.
"I won't deny my mother was a dark bint, but that is a hell of lot better than being a blood traitor and liar, you old vulture," Sirius retorted.
The woman screamed in rage. "I am not a blood traitor! It was you and the Potter's that broke the pacts!"
"James never broke his word. He would have died before he did that, you old twat," Sirius roared back. "As soon as I take up my seat in the Wizengamot I will use my regency of the Potters to declare judgement on an oath breaker!"
"That is enough!" Dumbledore said with some authority in his voice.
The feel of the man's power had Harry reacting. He was a fighter and wouldn't be cowed. An anger started to grow in him.
"I don't know how the hell you did that, but I swear that the Longbottoms will get eternal vengeance on you and Potter. I'm only glad that whore is dead. He deserves to feel some of what I have for the last thirteen years. That bastard of two Death Eaters deserved to be put down…"
Hearing her say that about Hannah and his parents had something snap in Harry. Hannah was not a whore! Neville was the one to attack them! Longpiddle had always started it! His parents weren't Death Eaters!
He let out a primal roar of rage and grief. It came out of him as a surge of magic that ripped through the hospital wing. The curtains were thrown away from him. Beds were blasted over. Magically reinforced windows cracked or shattered. Harry was leaning over, panting as the magic around him responded to his call for it.
Looking to his left, he saw that the other beds had all been thrown away from him and were now piled against the far wall. Sirius and the bitch were in lumps on the floor while Dumbledore had his wand out, a partially transparent white shield before him. Through the shield he could see the man's wide eyes looking at him.
Harry saw Sirius move. Then the Madam Longpiddle. He moved to get out of the bed. Adrenaline and his magic were pushing the pain down. Dumbledore dropped his shield and moved towards Harry. "Mister Potter, I think you need to lay back in the bed and calm down," the man said, sounding a little trepidatious.
Harry lifted his own wand. A ball of light gathered on the tip. It crackled and sent out small spikes of electricity that arced a few inches before dissipating or curving back in on themselves. He didn't realize that the same was happening on the tips of the fingers of his left hand. "My parents were not Death Eaters," he said in a faint voice. He took a stumbling step towards the woman that had moved to her hands and knees to look at him. Harry saw fear in her eyes and got a certain satisfaction from it.
"I do not believe they were," Dumbledore agreed in a placating tone. "Now, please lower your wand and lay back down in bed."
Harry narrowed his eyes on the woman as Sirius stumbled to his feet. Sirius's wand came up to point directly at the headmaster's head. "Lower your wand, headmaster. No one is going to threaten my godson."
"I did not attack your cowardly grandson. Longpiddle and the Weasels attacked me and Luna from behind," he said in a calm voice that seemed even deadlier for it. The ball of light on the tip of his wand grew. The electrical arcs started to go down the length of his wand, while the ones on his other hand started to bounce between each fingertip.
"Sirius, he cannot be allowed to do this. This is a dark path to walk," Albus said.
"This is justice according to the old laws and customs. Laws and customs that the Longbottoms defied and have been proven to be oath breakers. It is Harry's right, should he declare it," Sirius said. "Now lower your wand before I blow your head off."
Harry wasn't fully sure what Sirius was talking about, but his magic responded to the meaning. It was his right. His voice cracked and waivered as he said, "Hannah… Hannah was not a whore. She was my girlfriend, and she was murdered!"
Tendrils of lightning shot out of his wand. They hit the floor and the walls around him. The smell of ozone started to permeate the room, and small streaks of carbon scoring collected on the flagstones.
"I can't allow this. This is a school," Dumbledore said in a hard tone.
"Augusta Longbottom, I declare you and your family oath breakers, traitor to the blood of our pacts and unfaithful to those that only protected you," Harry said in a voice that shook the infirmary. Magic responded to his words.
The woman swallowed. "We never broke any oaths…"
"YOU DID!" Harry bellowed. A bolt of lightning streaked out of his wand. It only missed the woman when Dumbledore moved faster than anyone knew he could. A shield popped up before her. Sirius cast a blasting hex that just narrowly missed Dumbledore. He spun to attack Sirius. The lighting made a reverberating 'gong' sound that jarred his teeth when it hit the shield. He spun his wand towards Dumbledore at the same speed the man was moving.
The aged wizard, far more experience in duelling, caught Harry's move just in time to get another shield up as a second arc of lightning blasted from his wand. The man's wand didn't stop moving as he deflected another curse from Sirius. This time, though, the rage in Harry for being denied his due, blasted the solid white shield. It sounded like a small explosion as it cracked the shield. Dumbledore's eyes grew wide at the power in Harry's spell. Harry screamed at the draw in his magic. It hurt as his core was pressed to its limit already being depleted and pain worse than yesterday burned through him.
Sirius, this time, had a bludgeoning curse land on the old man. Dumbledore was sent flying across the room to smash into a turned over bed. Harry gave out one last primal scream before the pull on his magic was too much. The ball lightning that had built on his wand collapsed, sending a sharp thunder crack echoing through the infirmary. Sirius and the bitch both put their hands to their ears.
Harry fell to his knees. There were tears in his eyes. "Hannah was not a whore," he said in a whisper.
"Avada Kedavra!" Madam Longpiddle screamed out.
Sirius's wand flicked out, sending the woman careening into a wall. There was a sickening crunch at the impact. The curse from her wand sailed wide of Harry.
"Harry!" Sirius cried out as he rushed towards Harry. Harry's wand fell out of his hand as he fell forward. Part of him wishing that curse had connected with him. Oblivion overtook him as the floor rushed up to his face.
-oOo-
The next time on Duel of Fate: The final goodbye and Black shows he's a snake in lion's clothing…
A/N: For all that that have been on this journey so far, thank you. I think we are about a third through the story. Fear not, the House of Longbottom, the Weasleys and others will pay for all this, it just will take a little time for all the cards to fall, and they will all fall hard.
