(Edward "Ted" Tonks - PoV)

The door closes behind the children, and the room is silent.

...

Gainswell leans back in her chair and closes her eyes.

"Forty years. Ever since I finished Hogwarts, Arcturus has had me," she says.

"I don't mind it too much. He isn't unreasonable, and I owe the old bastard my career. If not for him I would have been fucked. But god damn, I was not expecting this...could have given me a little more warning at least..." she mutters.

Opening her eyes she looks at me. "Girl-Who-Lived huh...not who I was expecting as a patient today, and certainly not with all of this," she swings her hand over her desk, indicating the piles of parchment.

"So, what the fuck?"

"Dumbledore sent her to live with her muggle relatives. Her muggle, magic-hating relatives who didn't want her. From what we understand, he bullied them into taking her in." I explain.

Gainswell closes her eyes again and shakes her head.

"We found her in Diagon. The kids made friends, and we slowly noticed something wrong. Escorted her home, and once we met her "family," well, Andy refused to let her stay there. We brought her home with us."

I decide not to mention Dumbledore getting slapped. Proud as I am, technically one could argue it was assault.

The other healer sighs.

"I see. And now it is going to turn into a political shitstorm, great. Whatever."

She starts making copies of each parchment.

"Three copies of each. One for you, one for Arcturus, I assume to beat Dumbledore with, and one for my records. Mine, not the hospitals. I will keep them confidential unless the Ministry or DMLE legally demands them. Sound good?"

"Yes Ma'am," I agree with a nod.

"Alright then. Now, you were right to be concerned, and the girl is damn lucky. She is strong, very strong. It is probably the only reason she is alive."

I shudder from the chill that runs down my back at those words.

"Oh yes, I am sure Arcturus is going to love throwing those words in Dumbledore's face, but I am serious. Human bodies are pretty good at fixing themselves up over time, especially with magic, but they require support. Energy and nutrients. Food. Exactly what she was denied."

Gainswell shakes her head again, her teeth clenched tightly. Her entire body is tense as she speaks.

"Looking at all of this, she heals remarkably quickly. Her magic has been helping it along, which is common for powerful magical children, but she should have been eating a great deal more than usual to make up for it. Instead, her food intake is often near starvation level, especially the times when she is severely injured, which is when she needs it the most. The lack of energy alone should be a huge problem, but the lack of nutrients? She quite literally shouldn't have material to grow or repair her body. She is small and skinny but not that small."

She leans back in her chair, flipping her quill in her hand, her brow furrowed.

"The only thing that makes sense with these results is that she is drawing on her magic even more, to try to keep her body healthy. Something that shouldn't be possible, Gamps Law and all, but then accidental magic has a habit of breaking most magical rules. Still, looking at the results, it is getting less and less effective over time. The results are clearly temporary, like transfiguration. Every bit she replaces with magic has to then be maintained with magic, and powerful or not, there is only so much to go around."

She hands me a parchment. Some parts are a bit over my head, but I can get the gist of it, and I don't like it. I don't like it at all.

"You can see it, can't you? Large parts of her body are already starting to break down. Her organs will shut down entirely within a year if she doesn't get the chance to eat properly, replace some of that magic with real material, and even that would never fix a lot of the damage. Some of it is irrecoverable. She will never reach her full height, for example, but I am hoping that as long as we give her body what it needs, magic will do the rest."

"So we just make sure she eats well and give her some nutrient potions?" I ask.

That was rather the plan regardless, but Gainswell shakes her head.

"Well, yes to making sure she eats, but regular nutrient potions might not cut it, not with this level of what the fuck she has going on. I know a potion master that can whip up some very, very specialized versions that should be more appropriate. The fear with regular potions is that I don't know what her body will use them for. Will it rebuild her liver, which is currently her most damaged organ, or send them somewhere else? Or even waste them, since her magic has grown used to filling the gaps itself."

Gainswell scribbles on yet another piece of parchment.

"Here, I will put down a list of the order to take them in. In essence, these potions have "tags" that tell her body what to do with the nutrients, which parts to rebuild first. Once she is made of flesh and blood instead of magic, this situation becomes a lot less dangerous. I am honestly worried she might physically fall apart if she gets hit with a strong enough dispel, something I thought you only saw in bad novels."

Well, there is a fear I haven't had in a while, not since I read up more on Metamorphs after having Dora. I could certainly have done without having it returned.

"Once you go through the specialty ones on the list, you can switch to the regular two I put at the bottom for a couple of months, until she hits normal levels. Of those two the bone mix is more important, and she will need to stay on it longer."

She hands me the parchment.

"Thank you. Where do I get the special potions?"

"Everything on the list will be delivered. Arcturus is covering the entire bill."

I shouldn't, but I frown regardless.

I made my way honestly, and I hate relying on that man more than I have to...though from the sound of it, I would also hate knowing how much those potions are going to cost. And in the end, Hufflepuffs are not known for their pride. Family comes first.

"I see. Anything else?"

"Yes, there was one other major anomaly, but I couldn't make anything of it, and given circumstances...well, you might be in a bit of a bind."

"Not exactly reassuring..."

She shrugs.

"Whatever it is, it does not appear actively dangerous or detrimental, but, I am just warning you now that it is well outside of my expertise, or that of anyone at Mungo's. It is the sort of thing we would normally call Dumbledore to take a look at, and given circumstances..."

"Ah...I see..."

"Exactly, not really on speaking terms at the moment. Maybe Arcturus can work something out? That is between you all to deal with."

"What exactly is the issue?"

"The scar, the one she is so famous for. There is something more to it, some sort of lingering dark magic. It is buried deep though, tied into her magic directly, so that is about all that I can tell you. It is not the sort of thing to poke around in. Dumbledore is the only one who I honestly expect might be able to give you an answer, though if you are desperate you could try Moody or the Department of Mysteries...though I really advise against the DoM with her current state, they will not want to give her back."

Not a chance.

"No...No the DoM is not an option at all, even less than Dumbledore. I at least trust that he had good intentions, however misplaced they may have been. Moody...will probably just tell us to talk to Dumbledore, won't he?"

She shrugs.

"Most likely, I hear they are rather close. Sorry I can't be of more help on the matter, but as I said, as far as I can tell it doesn't appear to be doing anything, so there shouldn't be any reason to rush things. Beyond that, make sure she is careful for the next few weeks. Avoid heavy magic usage and serious injuries, keep her away from anti-magic effects, etcetera. Owl me if you have questions."

Nodding, I take the stack of parchment she offers me at the end of her speech, and make my way out.

Now I get to explain all of this to Andy...


(Coeus Black - PoV)

I want to ask about Iris's results as I see Ted exit the office, but with her right here...well, I don't think she would appreciate that, so I keep quiet. I can tell at a glance that Andy and Dora feel the same, and of course Phoebe does. But, instead we follow Ted down the hallway.

The trip home is mostly uneventful. We still have to take that awful bus home instead of the floo for some reason, ugh. Despite the fool of a driver's best efforts (I really should have gotten his name for later retribution) we all make it home in one piece.

Pizza is ordered for an early dinner. Our pepperoni is acceptable, while Dora orders some new abomination with 5 different things, none of them pepperoni. Ted gets a somewhat acceptable meat pizza, while Andy gets pepperoni...and ruins it with pineapple.

Phoebe and I cannot understand her at all. Dora at least is a Metamorph, maybe she accidentallied her tastebuds, where did Andy go so wrong?

Iris has the sense to take after us as usual, with the only real pizza. Ah pepperoni, you work wonders.

She looks rather tired after we finish, so Andy suggests that she turn in early.

"I know it was a hard day for you, and that was a lot of magic cast on you, it can be draining. Just go ahead and rest up, the twins and I have something else we need to take care of anyway."

We do?

Iris nods and slowly makes her way up the stairs to her room.

I don't like it, the way she moves, like she has no energy left. We didn't really do anything that tiring, did we?

"Nymphadora, The twins and I will be going to visit Arcturus soon, help Ted keep an eye on Iris while we are gone will you?"

"Yes, mom."

She doesn't even object to her name, clearly, she noticed it as well.

Also, we are going to visit Grandfather already? I hate to leave Iris, but that's good, we have lots to talk about. And some murders to arrange.

"Now, Ted. What exactly did the healer have to say?"

He sighs and slumps down onto the table. That...is not a good sign.

Sitting back up, he pulls a pile of parchment from his robes and sets it in front of him, before looking over at Phoebe and me consideringly.

"If you try to send us away I will just look until I find it," Phoebe warns him.

He grimaces at the reminder of who he is dealing with, hah!

We smile and bump shoulders.

Black 101, Always abuse your advantages. Fair fights are for suckers and idiots.

There is a reason we are almost all Slytherins.

Ted starts to explain, and the happiness over our victory dies.

I...try to look on the bright side. Iris is literally half magic. That is really cool honestly. She should totally get magic powers from that. I can see why they refuse to let the DoM look at her though because that is exactly what they would try to do. Experiment on her.

I sigh.

Yeah, bad idea all around. Then I would have to kill them all, and that would take forever.

And they would probably fail on top of that. For all their "Mystery" and experiments, they never really seem to actually come up with anything.

Bunch of useless twats. I could totally do better.

...

"No," Andy tells me.

"But I just-"

"Coeus James Black, you will not try any sort of experiments with Iris, do you hear me? Ted is a healer, but he cannot fix everything, and has mentioned repeatedly that this is beyond his capability to heal."

...

"Magic powers!"

"COEUS!" Andy shouts. "Were you not listening? She is incredibly sick. Incredibly damaged. We have a way to fix her, but any wrong move, and we could cripple her for life, or kill her. Are you going to take that chance?"

...

I slump into my seat.

"No..."

"Good. Now, get yourselves presentable, we will be leaving soon."

She gets up and wanders off to do..whatever. Woman stuff I guess.

...

Phoebe pats me on the shoulder.

"It was a really cool idea brother," she reassures me. "But Andy is right, it wouldn't end well."

...Damn.

"How bad?" I ask.

"..." she cocks her head to the side, eyes faintly glowing. "Wow. Apocalypse bad. Congratulations brother, it's been a while since I saw you manage that."

...

"Phooooebeeeee, you know that makes me want to do it more, not less," I complain.

Ted puts his head in his hands. "Blacks...why..."

Thankfully, we can floo to Black Manor. Now, that is not saying I like Floo travel, but I tend to dislike it the least. The spinning at high speeds is annoying, as is having to clean the ash off your shoes and robes, but it is at least over quickly.

Catching myself as I exit, it takes me a moment to reorient. Ugh, I do need to practice that, I hate being so vulnerable. At least I don't hit the floor like Dora I suppose...

I step out of the way of Phoebe and examine the Manor.

Red velvet curtains, dark walls, and my favorite, the black stone floors.

I stomp my foot, feeling the smooth stone beneath. Awful traction and they get hellishly cold in the winter but that is what shoes and warming charms are for. It just looks so cool!

Andy exits last, and Dipper, Grandfather's elf, pops up.

Dipper doesn't speak, he can't. I am not sure if he was born like that or if someone did something to him. Knowing a lot of our old relatives, it could go either way.

We follow Dipper through the Manor.

Black Manor is a lot cooler than Malfoy Manor I think, but by most standards less impressive. Grandfather explained that this was due to how often it had to be rebuilt. After the third time it got half-destroyed by infighting, they started building it smaller and easier to repair.

Really. Many families had their ancestral seats lost to various feuds and wars. We keep destroying ours ourselves but just put it back together after.

Blacks are clearly the best.

Dipper stops outside the door to the study and bows.

"Thanks, Dipper," I say, opening the door.

We enter to find Grandfather waiting in his high backed chair, sipping tea and reading over some parchment.

"Coeus, Phoebe, Andromeda. Please, have a seat," he says, not looking up.

Andy calls it a petty power play. Arranging a meeting then doing something else and pretending it is more important than whoever you are meeting with. After she explained it, I have noticed it a few times. Grandfather only does it when she is with us though, so I think he is just messing with her. She doesn't believe me when I tell her he has a sense of humor.

"Arcturus," she says frostily. "I take it you have gotten the reports from the healer then?"

It is so sad that they don't get along.

"Indeed," he speaks as if distracted, still reading the parchment.

"Have you looked it over?" he asks. "Fascinating. Terrible, but fascinating."

"No. No, I have not." Andy responds shortly.

I think Grandfather is indirectly insulting her again. He always makes jabs at her for not learning more magic. Maybe she will once we go to school and she has more free time?

Ugh, I hate listening to this, having to work out the subtext for every sentence. It is the downside of Slytherin. Luckily Phoebe is better at it than I am.

"A pity." He sets the parchment aside and removes his glasses.

"So." He begins, looking at Phoebe and me. "I must say, I was looking forward to this day. The day you get your wands and are known as true wizards. I am proud of you both."

We fidget a bit, unused to such direct praise.

"What I was not looking forward to, was everything else, everything that came with it."

Wait, what?

"Not because it is in any way bad, but simply because I would have never imagined it. Never have thought it possible to achieve such success on your very first day as wizards, even with the help of your new family. Coeus, Phoebe, and yes, you as well Andromeda. I am proud to call all three of you, Blacks."

He sits back in his chair, picking his tea up once more.

Andy is shocked, literally slack-jawed.

Leaning over to her I whisper "Told you Grandfather has a sense of humor."

She closes her mouth and looks at me, then back to him, but still seems lost for words. Phoebe is as amused as I am.

"Oh, and yes, Coeus, you are sealed in as the heir for myself and the Black family. Everything will be filed with the Ministry and the Goblins by tomorrow."

I frown.

"That doesn't mean I have to assassinate you, does it? I don't really want to, and I still need your advice."

He chokes on his tea. Grandfather, actually chokes on his tea laughing.

Andy snorts as well and covers her face.

"I...no," he begins, once he composes himself. "No, family members are not supposed to assassinate each other, despite how often it does admittedly happen.

Oh.

"That's good then. Umm.."

I look over at Andy.

Well...Grandfather said she is officially a Black again...

"Speaking of assassination..."

"Oh?"

I gesture at the parchment next to his chair.

"Iris. She is our friend and under our protection. The Dursleys hurt her, they hurt her bad. They have to pay."

I look Grandfather directly in the eyes.

"They have to die. I'd like for it to be bad, but it doesn't really matter I guess. But they have to die."

He matches my gaze for a long, long moment. But in the end, he looks away first.

"I see. My, you really are growing up. Barely have your first wand, and already insisting on your first murder. Ah, it's been so long..." he stares off.

"Arcturus," Andy says, "surely you can't just..."

"Andromeda, stop it. Did you not see him look at you beforehand? You are a Black again. Act like it. We are not plotting to torture innocents or burn down a muggle lover's house, but to take justice on a pair of child abusers who deserve it beyond any doubt. Unless you are trying to claim otherwise?"

She remains silent, but stares at me, a strange look in her eyes.

I raise my hands up in a questioning gesture.

What?

She looks away, shaking her head.

Ugh. Whatever.

"So, can you take care of them then? I would like to but Dumbledore is involved so I don't think I can get away with it."

He chuckles.

"Sensible, sensible. And yes, I will make sure it is taken care of. It may take some time to be cautious, but by Christmas, the matter should be settled."

"Great!"

"Now, as for why I called you here, I did want to ask about your time with young Iris in the Alley. Every detail you can remember. The more I know, the better my chances at dealing with Dumbledore."

"Well, we first saw her when we entered Ollivanders. It was a disaster, there were fires, and holes, and Dora almost got smashed, and ...


"Ted suggested some books to help her acclimate since she is practically a muggleborn and oh! That reminds me! I want to buy Flourish and Blotts!" I announce.

Grandfather hesitates at my slightly off-topic comment, while I hear Andy mutter under her breath.

"Really? I was under the impression you were less than fond of the establishment?"

"Exactly. But if I buy them, then I can make them change their terrible layout, and the place will be great instead of enraging."

"Ahhh, I see. Have you looked into the business at all?"

"Nope. I mean, it would be nice to make money off of it, but honestly, I don't care. I just want to be able to shop for books without the urge to kill everyone in the building before burning it down and salting the earth."

He nods.

"Yes, that is a reasonable desire. Hmmm." He leans back in his chair in his thinking pose. "I will help you buy it, and arrange for it to be managed for the next few years, but after that I expect you to actually start taking care of it as a business. You do need to learn these things."

I nod in agreement.

"If that is what it takes I will do it. Oh, I also have an idea I want to try out at school for selling muggle chairs."

Grandfather blinks in surprise.

"Muggle chairs? I...can't say I was expecting that. I am uncertain how I can assist on that matter?"

"Huh? Oh no, I am good on that, I have my plan."

I explain my idea.

He smiles.

"Excellent Coeus, excellent. Nothing overly elaborate, no huge investment. A simple start, with a decent payoff that requires little maintenance. It sounds perfect for your first attempt. Your father was always a disappointment as the heir, even excluding his personal choices. You are proving anything but."

Andy looks conflicted about the comment, I know she liked Sirius. I can't really say myself, having never met him.

Honestly, I am not sure if we would get along. He doesn't sound like a bad person, sure, but he does sound rather annoying.

"Now, I believe you were telling me about looking for books for Iris in Flourish and Blotts?"

"Oh, right. So, after Iris gave me the idea to just buy the stupid place and fix it...


"...And then, she slapped him so hard his stupid glasses flew off!"

A slow smile spreads on Grandfather's face as he turns to look at Andy.

"Oh? Someone forgot to mention that tidbit to me."

She flushes red.

"Yup. And right after threatening the muggle bastards with her wand too, she was in full Black mode that day."

"Indeed she was, indeed she was. I do wish she would embrace her heritage more often."

Turning back to me he asks "And afterward?"

I shrug. "Ted stepped on his glasses, we got on the Knight Bus and went home. Iris hasn't wanted to talk much about what happened before she came to stay with us, but she has had a lot of trouble adjusting."

Grandfather nods. "I understand. Thank you for telling me everything. I will be visiting Dumbledore tomorrow I think, and I don't anticipate any problems convincing him to allow her to stay with you."

I am out of my chair and hugging Grandfather before I even think about it.

Crap.

He stiffens at the unexpected contact. I let go quickly.

"Umm...sorry. Iris...really likes hugs, they help calm her down when she is having trouble. I think it is becoming a habit."

A bad habit, that I need to break. I could get stabbed doing that.

"That is...quite alright, Coeus."

I go back to my seat, ignoring Andy's quiet giggles.

Shut up Andy, Grandfather pranked you hard earlier.

Phoebe's smug smile is much harder to ignore.

Did she see this coming?

She did. Why didn't she warn me?

...

Probably helps things?

Ugh, so vague.

Seers. So annoying sometimes.

"Now, I do believe that takes care of all the essential business for the moment, unless any of you have something else?"

No one speaks up.

"Very well then. I will go deal with Dumbledore tomorrow. I would like to see you all, all of you, including Iris, again sometime before Hogwarts. Yes, Andromeda, Ted is welcome as well."

He answers her before she can make a sound.

"We can figure out exactly when later. For now, off with you! This old man needs his rest."