Chapter 46: Hard Truths

Somehow, she had managed to leave Sirius's side if for Cissy. She periodically checked on her from time to time. Not that she really could do much other than look at her and maybe perform a couple of charms to check on her health statistics which Sirius had asked her to do today.

"I don't know what good it will do, she's not exactly human."

"Humor me," he said. "I still want to check on the fetal development and her general health. Some things shouldn't change that much."

He hadn't seen Cissy like this though.

She was more or less a beast.

Cissy was still in the barn. Like Lisle mentioned her basic needs were being spelt into and out of the structure. There was no way she could leave. Seeing the raw meat she was being fed made her want to puke. She actually did puke when she saw Cissy eat it especially with the way that she ate it.

Or the thing that was Cissy.

It was odd thinking she could transform into the same creature. Only, she hadn't lost her mind.

She sighed wondering if any of her sister was still there as she took in her harpy form.

She seemed even larger than she was before, which she guessed made sense since she was still pregnant. Apparently, the birdlike creature she had became still gave birth like a mammal. She really wished she had taken Care of Magical Creatures for an elective rather relying on what the coven had just told her.

Though to be fair, she wondered if veela harpies were even covered in the Care text since they were sort of in that fine line between creature and human. Usually, they retained their human mind except for the exception of turned veelas.

She frowned as she waved the healing spells that Sirius told her to perform to check on her sister's vitals. She had wanted him to come here himself, but the coven was particularly protective and really did not like men at all. She might be able to bring Andi here before it was time…Andi.

She still hadn't talked to her other sister and wanted to desperately. It had been so many years…

Sighing she looked at Cissy who was eating a raw hippogriff leg of all things with gusto. No table manners for little Miss Perfect Manners now, she thought as her sister was ripping through the leg like it was a piece of chicken or something. The hippogriff's blood all over her harpy beak. No wonder she was so big. She guessed she should just be glad it wasn't sugar. She knew Sirius suspected she had gestational diabetes. If harpies could get such things.

She performed the series of tests. She didn't know what a lot of the numbers meant since she only made it partially through the first year of healing classes and hadn't paid much attention to anything in the months she was forced to attend said classes. However, one thing that she did know that shocked her was when she checked on the babies. The three pink hearts were no surprise, but what was shocking was that now there were two more hearts that had appeared.

"I think we need to tell, Harry." He told Bella after she had returned from seeing Narcissa.

He hated that Cissy was essentially imprisoned in that barn for the next few months or even considerably more if she didn't change back right away.

He didn't try to think of the impending birth of the triplets not when he had already way too much to deal with.

"As much as I like to talk about our son right now, I need to talk about the vital scans I just performed on Cissy."

He raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think you knew what any of the numbers meant."

"I don't," she said. "But two new hearts appeared when I checked on the babies."

"What?" He said, "Let me see your results."

Sure, enough there were two other souls that were accounted for. It did not make sense at all.

Somehow Cissy was now having quintuplets if the results were to be believed which really made no sense to him whatsoever since medically that should be impossible.

He looked at the other numbers and it was confirmed or at least it was confirmed as it could be without him examining her that her numbers were even more elevated. It looked like she had conceived again while pregnant with triplets. It would explain the surge in hormones that caused the change to occur so early on in the third trimester. It also would explain the increasingly erratic behavior the past few weeks she was there.

"Merlin" He said.

"So, she's having quintuplets then."

"Somehow, I think if the charm was performed correctly. I really need to study up on veela anatomy more." He said eying her.

"Don't even think about it, Black." She said rolling her eyes. "I'm in no mood for a practical lesson today. Not now."

"I wasn't…." He said, "I don't even know what we're going to do. You really need to have them at least let Andi look at her. We need to confirm if this is true or not. It shouldn't be."

"Not something they teach in healer school, huh?"

He glared at her. "No, turned veelas are exceedingly rare. And regular veelas don't seem to have these issues."

"Thank Merlin," She said putting her hand on her belly.

He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were on the drought."

"I am, but I'd like to try again when…well, everything's settled. Not that I know if it's possible….I never conceived all those times I was his…"

"When you were raped," He stated bluntly knowing what she was going to say.

He hadn't talked to her about it since he realized who she was. It wasn't exactly something you mentioned seeing especially when you were having your reunion, but he had seen those memories of You Know having her torture herself before he forced himself on her.

It wasn't that he hadn't expected seeing that. He remembered rumors that she had been that monster's lover. But he hadn't realized just how depraved Riddle was.

"Siri…I was willingly."

"You were potioned out of your mind," he said looking at her. "Did I tell you I was looking into said potion?"

She shook her head.

"Lucius procured some for me," he said. "Potter was messing with dangerous stuff. The fact she tied it to our son's blood made it even more unstable. The fact you kept being fed the regular potion did God knows to you."

She shuddered, "It still doesn't change things…that I was his whore."

"Bella, I saw your memories, sweetheart. It was not consensual. Seriously, don't blame yourself for what happened. You couldn't control yourself. The marriage vows didn't view it as infidelity."

"They didn't," she said still feeling their bond odd as it was after all these years.

"It probably protected you from having his child if that monster was even fertile. Although, I do think before we try again, we probably need to have you checked out. I don't want to risk losing you again. I've lost my family for way too long.

"Me too." She agreed.

"Narcissa's possible quintuplets and our possible future baby aside, we need to discuss Harry. I think he deserves to know the truth."

"I would agree, but you thought it was too dangerous. You said his shields were still primitive."

"They're getting better," He said, "I asked him about the engagement today and he's upset."

"Why?"

He gave her a look, "Because you 'died' only a few months ago."

"Merlin."

When Sirius had gotten her the ring she had been so happy. She never really had been fond of her first engagement ring an ugly Black heirloom jewel. Like most everything in the vault, it was hideous looking but expensive. This ring though suited her.

"We really didn't think that one out, did we? You do realize he's not going to believe us when we tell them the truth."

"I believed you."

"Because I used specifics spells and combinations we used in dueling together and I let you read my mind. He doesn't have the past history that we do."

Sirius frowned. "An unbreakable vow maybe?"

"That still doesn't take care of the security issue."

He frowned. "Maybe we should tell Andi he trusts her if we could convince her to be secret keeper we could maybe use Fidelius…."

She sighed, "Maybe. If I can convince her that I'm me."

"Besides, we might want to loop Ted in on what's going too."

"Ted," She said, "Why?"

"Because I want you to have a solicitor on retainer just in case something happens and I do not want it to be Lucius Malfoy."

Draco Malfoy was pissed for a lot of reasons. Like usual, the only thing he wanted to do was go home. But he couldn't. At least Father had replied. He was sort of surprised that he did and his writing didn't look quite right, but he told Draco he was going to arrange for him to come home and soon.

Maybe he would finally got Mother in line.

She had been such an embarrassment wearing those muggle clothes that didn't fit and becoming that thing. And she knew she had been sneaking around with that werewolf. He remembered coming in one morning late in those harlot robes. He almost preferred the ugly muggle clothes she had been wearing.

He knew she said she had to go back to a coven or something to have his siblings. He still couldn't believe she had been pregnant and that she was keeping him and them away from Father of all people.

Father.

His father.

He hoped he would find her and bring her home and then maybe get him out of here. He glared at Harry and Hermione who were currently dueling with each other again.

No one had wanted to duel with him. He saw the way they were glancing at each other and it annoyed him.

She's just a filthy mudblood, he told himself even though he knew she was a halfblood.

He didn't know why he was upset. She was no Susan Bones. And she wasn't as half as good looking as that bitch, Greengrass, but it annoyed him that she clearly was interested in his stupid cousin than him.

He had gotten his Hogwarts letter today. He had failed fucking Transfiguration of all things and there was a note saying he would have to repeat it with the first years next year.

It was fucking unbelievable. He hoped Cousin Sirius wouldn't be getting said note, he ended up even being worse than Mother if that was even possible.

He wasn't like that to freaking Harry.

"Sulking again, Draco." Cousin Sirius said looking at him and interrupting his inward monologue.

Draco glared at him.

"I got your grades," Sirius said. "If that's the cause for your angst. Might as well not execute any grand plan of hiding your Troll in Transfiguration from me."

He groaned. "I'm not in a mood to hear about how awful my Transfiguration grade is. I'll be humiliated all next year having to attend the class with firsties."

"And to think I had a lecture all planned out." His uncle said. "I guess I'll give you the short version, tutoring for you is no longer optional it's mandatory.

"The rest of my grades are fine."

"There were a lot more As than Es and Os," his uncle said. "Your mother would not impressed. Members of the house of Black generally maintain an O average."

"Why would I care what she thinks?" He said. "Or for that matter the house of Black I am a Malfoy."

Even though he wasn't a Malfoy that is because of her. He was a Black. But he was a bastard. Almost a nothing. All because of Mother.

His uncle sighed. "I felt the same way about my mother when I was your age. Only difference was my mother was actually a bitch and didn't care shit about what happened to me."

"It's the same for me. She has been keeping me away from my father and shagging a werewolf." He snapped.

"She had her reasons," Cousin Sirius said. "Though if you want to talk to Lucius maybe it can be arranged."

He gave him a weird look, "Really, you are willing to arrange a meeting for me to talk to Father?"

"Within reason," Sirius said. "Your mother had her reasons for leaving your father. You do know that he hurt her, right?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Sure, he hurt her."

Uncle Sirius waived his hand and a series of photos appeared one with Mother with a black eye another with a hand-print on her stomach like someone had hit her and had tried to cause harm to her and his siblings.

"What…"

"Your father did this," He said bluntly. "That's why your mother left him. Now do you really want to see him, Draco?"

Draco couldn't help but stare at the pictures. There was no way, no way Father would've done this.

Right?

Lucius Malfoy's mind was in complete disarray. Every square inch of him had felt like it was on fire. What had happened?

He couldn't remember what had happened. The last thing he remembered was pouring himself a shot of fire whisky. He probably needed to get another if he could get up. He couldn't see a single thing though.

His head hurt so much….he tried to remember the last thing that he thought about clearly and that was Bellatrix going through with it.

Wait, what….Bellatrix was dead wasn't she?

But she wasn't.

Something told him she wasn't.

It didn't make much sense. Much like what he had done to Narcissa and his daughter. He wanted to kill himself for what he had done to her

Images of the look of terror on her face and looks of hate on his face after he touched her filled his mind. He wondered why….

He hated veela those creatures, those monsters…

His mother had been a veela. He loved his mother. He didn't care one bit about her heritage only that it could hurt Narcissa.

What the hell was wrong with him? He hadn't hated veela. No, he despised them.

"This is just going to hurt a little," A voice said before laughing. "Well, a lot."

"Who….who….are you?" He managed to choke out.

"Just be glad I decided to be extra careful with you, the guinea pig had a hard time with this potion. But I fixed all the bugs. You won't become Lucinda. Pity that hair would look so nice on a woman. I guess I could always give you the original version after I'm done with you if you really want it. You might after we get through."

"Potion?" He said as seared in pain. Something was wrong with him.

"One of many you'll be taking, but probably the only one you'll be glad to take." She said with a laugh.

The laugh oddly reminded him of a memory long ago at one Slughorn's Slug Club meetings. His annual Christmas party.

An affair fit for a Slytherin. He remembered most of the club members were Slytherins. Most were purebloods, but he did remember that mudblood Evans being there drooling all over Severus then.

That laugh…

Evans laugh. Evans who became Lily Potter.

How on Earth?

"I must be dead…"

"Believe it or not Lucius despite losing your anatomy, you're not dead."

"Losing my what…"

He then realized a lot of his pain was coming from his groin area. He tried to think of what happened but…

"Something or someone doesn't like you very much," Potter said. "I can't imagine why."

He could. There were lots of reasons why someone would hate him.

"Don't worry though, you'll be all good. The regrowth process though is very, very, painful. Good news though is you'll be bigger down there. Or at least bigger than when you're as clean as a Ken doll."

"You're insane," He sputtered out.

She just laughed as she poured liquid down his throat and he began to scream. Painful didn't even describe what he was enduring.

Emma hated court.

It didn't matter if it was muggle court or wizard court, they all sucked. Especially when the case concerned your own child and the person who perpetrated heinous crimes against said child defense was that your child wasn't human.

Emma grimaced as she sat there and listened to the defense attorney addle on that Percy had never intentionally meant to cause Hermione to permanently become a rat. Never mind, that Percy Weasley had tried to kill her daughter with a severing curse seconds after turning her into a rat.

"The girl comes from an old squib line that was tainted with a blood curse." Weasley's solicitor pointed out.

"Objection," Amelia Bones said rolling her eyes. "Ms. Granger's family history is not at trial here."

"This goes to motive, your honor." The attorney said.

"I'll allow it for now," the judge said.

Emma then heard more about her family line than she wished to hear. Apparently, some of mother's relatives had permanently transformed into animals. There was a blood curse that had ran into the family. It would be oddly fascinating if they weren't using it against her little girl, though she wondered if that did explain why Hermione had so many problems transforming back and why her useless brother had transformed into an animal so easily.

During the break Amelia Bones came up to her. "I'm sorry you had to hear all that."

"It's ridiculous," She said. "He knew what he was doing when he threw that severing curse at Hermione."

"And I am going to point that out on cross," she said. "I take it you knew nothing of a blood curse."

She laughed. "No, I don't though it sort of makes sense that would've caused her to have issues transforming back."

Amelia nodded. "How is she now?"

"Better," Emma said. "She's in Switzerland right now with…"

"With Lupin," She said.

Emma raised an eyebrow.

"I keep track of things," she said. "I know he attended that fucking sad excuse of a being status hearing and has been at the hospital a lot. I didn't know he was such a close family friend though."

"We were old friends," Emma said. "We got out of touch for years…"

"Let's cut the crap. I know he's her biological father," Amelia said. "There's no need to fucking play coy with me."

"How?"

"Muggle court records," She said with a shrug. "I have kept up with the divorce since Dan had issues at St. Mungo's."

"But they're suppose to be sealed."

"Emma, I'm the fucking head of the DMLE. No one else will see them. I understand why you want to be discreet about the whole thing."

"Thank you."

Amelia shrugged. "She's been through enough."

"I'm still surprised he actually went through with the trial." Emma said.

Amelia shrugged. "I'm not. You don't know Molly Weasley."

She might have not, but she had encountered the woman enough in the courtroom to know she despised the woman. She was also well aware of the fact that the woman had escalated the situation between her family and her daughter.

She knew she should feel bad for the woman for losing her own child, but the fact she had almost caused Emma to lose her child negated any of that sympathy.

"I'm going to bury Percy." Amelia told her in a low voice. "It's not going to be pretty. Just be aware it's probably going to get worse before it gets better for Hermione based off of what happened this morning."

Emma nodded her head.

Albus frowned as he looked at the latest enrollment numbers before the new proposed laws go into effect.

Down.

Ridiculously down.

"Not good," Severus said who was there as part of his onboarding for deputy headmaster.

He was different than Minerva.

Obviously.

Sometimes it annoyed me how much his Potions professor would throw his weight around, but he was glad he was here.

Albus sighed. "It's not totally unexpected after last year. I may have already talked to Cornelius about it and Lucius earlier this year."

Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Laws will be tightened.," He said, "Regarding enrollment. It's already been worked on. Hence, why every child even they didn't enroll received a letter this year."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "And you don't you think that might make some families unhappy?"

Albus shrugged. "They can complain to the wizengamot about it. Most pureblood enrollment has remained strong, so it's unlikely that any changes would be made regarding the new legislation either."

"What about Granger?"

He sighed. "It's unfortunate, but she'll have to attend. Accommodations will be made accordingly if requested. We've already informed her parents' attorney."

Severus shook his head.

He knew the man thought he foolish forcing the girl and others to attend, but there really was no other choice. He knew Ted Tonks would probably squeeze the school for everything it was worth, but it was better than the school losing international funding for failing numbers. Besides, there were ways she could possibly not attend—though she doubted she'd be able to afford any of them.

"I'm surprise Lucius agreed to this."

"He was very agreeable. I think he was afraid Narcissa was going to pull young Draco out of school." Albus said. "We discussed this before the summer. Oddly, I have not been able to get in contact with him recently. It's been rather refreshing."

Severus rolled his eyes.

"You have to admit he isn't the most pleasant of men, Severus, even if he is pretty to look at."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Severus said looking like he was going to throw up.

Albus rolled his eyes it served him right after he heard him pine for Lily Potter all these years. "We still have to figure out what we're going to do about Minerva's positions."

"I can't believe you filled in the Defense Against Dark Arts position but not the Transfiguration position."

"It's an extremely difficult subject matter."

"Some might say the same about Defense." Severus scowled.

"I'm sorry, I'm not going to change my mind about Gilderoy."

He knew Severus still wanted the Defense job despite the curse. He wanted it every year. He couldn't lose talent. Gilderoy was at best expendable. He knew a lot of the staff and board had concerns, but he was the best candidate they had. Transfiguration though was a harder subject to find someone with actual qualifications. It was a subject matter that required a lot of talent which a lot of people didn't have. And unlike Defense, it had to be taught by someone who knew what they were doing.

Why did Minerva have to retire?

It didn't help that a lot of the recent talent in the subject matter had passed before their time. He frowned thinking of James Potter in particular. Sirius Black was another talented student, but Albus hadn't even attempted to reach out to the man since his release from incarceration and lord knows what his state of mind was.

"I may have to teach Transfiguration myself if we can't find anyone," Albus said musing. "That still leads Gryffindor house. None of the staff has been keen on taking up duties watching over the lions."

"I wonder why." Severus said rolling his eyes. Unfortunately, Albus also knew why no one wanted to be head of his old house.

Chapter 47 Preview: More reunions and something shocking is revealed about those two additional souls.