The Ever Changing Face of Death (unedited)

by TheL0sts0uls

After passing through a Veil archway, Hazel Potter and her adopted son Teddy discover they are in the DoM of a parallel world in 1991. Deciding to prevent the events that resulted in a nuclear winter, Hazel becomes an Operative, facing the dangers and traumas that exist in the crossroads between worlds, as she tries to build a life for herself in the new world. Female Harry Potter.

6. Chapter 51-60

Chapter 51: Divergent Views

"Fleur!" Dora watched as a blonde missile tackled Fleur as soon as they both entered through the Delacour Family Home's front door. After the conclusion of the Academic Year and the return of the Beauxbatons Delegation to France, Fleur had invited her to spend an afternoon with her family. Dora obliged, seeing as she still needed to maintain the persona of d'Éon for a few more days before she could make it back home. Her eyes left what she knew was Fleur's little sister and landed on what could only be the parents. The man came to her and shook Dora's hand. "Thank you for ensuring my daughter's safety. Jacques Delacour, former Director of France's DMLE and still in possession of my clearance level." Tonks smiled. "A pleasure to meet you, Monsieur. Please pass our thanks to the current head of the French DMLE and Director Chatelain for letting us use the d'Éon family name. It has continued to do excellent work so far, though we are probably going to hand it back after this. The more organized aspects of the British Underworld are too disorganized after recent events to be hosting any major parties." Jacques smiled. "The d'Éon family has eternally served France's interests well over the centuries, even if their blood dried up. Securing the lives of our best and brightest while ending the despicable crimes of our kind is a most worthy contribution to their legacy. May I present to you my wife, Apolline."

Dora remembered her tutoring from her mother and gave Apolline a few kisses on the cheeks. "A pleasure, Madame Apolline. Your daughter has been most generous with her aid." Dora stilled for a second as the Veela magic gathered around her but it just seemed to wash over her. The pleasant reaction of Hazel magic still inside of her made her blush. Hazel had explained to her that the magic inside of her was the Family Magic of the Peverells. It took listening to her to realize that what she described as Family Magic was something so foreign to their world. She thought it was some sort of spell passed from parent to child, spouse to spouse. To hear about a magic that exists independent of casters and their intent was so surreal but at the same time… when they visited Cornwall and she thought back on her years at Hogwarts, there were moments when even she could feel a magic in the air. She had ascribed it to wards until Hazel told her there were no wards at Cornwall. Magic literally seemed to exist in the ground and the air of the place. A similar living magic had taken residence inside of her, protecting her. When she asked if it could influence her thoughts, Hazel had disagreed. The Family Magic couldn't not compel a living creature, but it could pull and suggest in the direction of a desire it had. Hazel had blushed when she admitted that the magic yearned to tie Dora to Hazel. To secure the bloodline and its own existence.

The fact the magic didn't react to Apolline made Dora smile, as it seemed to mean she no longer needed to be protected from Veela. The older woman smiled at her. "Welcome to our home, dear. Tell me, was Beauxbatons an interesting experience for you?" Dora chuckled softly. "A little. I had hoped my days in the classroom were over. The Chateau is beautiful, of course, but I felt a bit out of place. Too used to Hogwarts, I guess. The weather is great, though." Apolline looked towards her daughter. "I imagine it was. Fleur made quite a few scathing comments about the Scottish cold." Fleur blushed. "Maman!" The woman guided Dora to a table in a small solarium to the side of the house and an elf started serving a small luncheon. Apolline eyed her daughter. "Have you decided on what job you will be applying for once your NEWT scores are delivered, Fleur? Your father spoke of the agreement that he and the DoM came to. Are you interested?" Fleur looked to Dora. "No offence to Dora here, but I am not considering a job with Operations. It seems the most exhausting life possible and I only lived it partly for one academic year." Jacques chuckled. "It can certainly be. I was scouted in my youth as a potential Operative too but my performance, while acceptable, wasn't what they were looking for. French Operations has been struggling to fill out their team since the fall of Grindelwald but they refuse to have anyone who isn't committed to the life of an Operative."

Dora drank from her tea and looked at Fleur. "Just because you don't want to be an Operative doesn't mean you can't work for Operations or the DoM. There are other divisions, especially in Magical Research. Our Operations family also employs Healers and Crafters." Grabrielle scrunched her nose. "What is a Crafter?" Dora took a moment to think. "It's like a mix between an Enchanter, Artificer and a non-magical tinkerer. They have a large amount of items at their disposal and it's their job to make them the best possible, via metalwork or magic. Ours is quite adept at mixing mediums. She loves to work with metal and leather." Fleur was silent for a short moment, before she looked at her Dad. He nodded at her. "There are Crafters here, if you are interested. If not, Enchanting is readily accessible to you." Fleur smiled and drank from her tea cup. "It sounds fascinating but I think I will be staying closer to home. Britain has its own charm and the recent changes to the laws have made it more appealing but I think I will be staying closer to my family." She rubbed Gabrielle's back. "I might pursue an apprenticeship at Beauxbatons. The academy is accepting of Veela but it is still a difficult time for us, especially as we mature." Dora smiled at how happy the comment made the little girl. As the luncheon settled down into a light dessert, Dora looked at Apolline. "How… familiar are you with the precious metal workers of Paris?"

Apolline raised an eyebrow at her. "A fair bit. We have a few members of the family working at the Place Cachée who are considered quite skilled with their craft and that isn't just me trying to earn any business for my cousins. What are you looking for exactly? We have people who work on fine cutlery, tableware, cooking pots and jewelry. They even have a standing agreement for Beauxbatons graduation rings, which you are technically entitled to." Dora shook her head. "I think that would be improper, though I suppose a physical link between my current persona and the next person to wield it could go a long way in preserving the cover." Jacques hummed. "Agreed. Graduation rings are often registered, so you are free to request it and have it turned over with your memory vials and the reports concerning the persona's history under your care." Dora nodded as Apolline caught her eye. "So, is it jewelry you're after?" Dora blushed. "While I have a great paycheck, I am probably going to stick to jewelry. The cutlery set sounds nice, though." Dora fidgeted a bit. "What's the selection on … engagement rings like here?" Jacques groaned. "You just had to ask." Dora looked oddly at the man before she noticed the massive smiles on Apolline and Fleur. The older woman looked at her watch. "You wouldn't mind spending the next six hours with us, oui?" Dora felt her stomach churn. Maybe asking for their input was a bad idea after all.

"Honestly, I don't know how Charlus and Dorea were so accommodating to us here. James and I were terrors. Pretty sure that vase over there was broken every single day during the summer breaks from Hogwarts." Petersby stood by, shaking his head. "Petersby agrees. Young Master James and Sirius kept Petersby too busy. So much broken glass too in their bedrooms." Sirius blushed. "Ah, sorry about that. We might have been testing out some pranks that exploded in our faces a few too many times." Amelia rolled her eyes. "Gods were you two so annoying as teens. That time you two broke into Hufflepuff was the most angry I had ever seen Sprout." Sirius cleared his throat. "A break-in at Hufflepuff? I don't remember breaking into Hufflepuff. No siree." A stinging hex to his knee made the man yelp as Susan, Harry and Teddy laughed. The four families had gathered at Potter Manor for the day after Harry had insisted they all meet up at the old house. Sirius had looked to every corner of the place, his eyes not seeing the moment but the memories of his youth. For the first time in a while, Hazel could relate to the man. She had agreed to come because Harry asked her, even as she still had some subconscious anxiety around the man. Sirius rubbed his knee as he sat in one of the three large sofas that surrounded a large fireplace. Above the clay and stone structure stood a large painting depicting an old medieval jousting competition, with several knights taking each other out as the group chatted away.

He looked up to Hazel. "What was that for?" Hazel gave him a toothy grin. "Think of it as Lily Potter reminding you that you are talking to family. No lies allowed, Padfoot. And trust me, Sprout knows it was you two that broke in. According to her, Friar Simon was most apologetic about letting you two rascals in." Sirius blushed. "Uh, how come we didn't get in trouble then?" Hazel shrugged. "Because Pomona has the composure of a saint. She was mad that you two broke in and transfigured the Common Room into a mix of all four houses, which was a clever way to avoid getting singled out, but since you two avoided going up and down the stairs to the dormitories, she probably gave you a free pass." Amelia smiled. "Sounds like Pomona alright." Hazel nodded and glared at Sirius. "She also said she would have left you two to Filch had the two of you made your way through the protections on the girls dormitories." Sirius went red and Amelia looked at him. "Something you would like to share, Siri?" Sirius swallowed. "Well… we did try to break into the girls dormitory. The wards just turned out to be different from the ones in Gryffindor Tower." Amelia sighed in exasperation. "What am I going to do with you, mutt?"

Sirius smiled at her sheepishly. "Love me?" Andromeda chuckled. "Trust me, Amelia. This is just the bare minimum of the Black Madness. You dodged one heck of a bullet." Amelia watched as Hazel flinched slightly. Harry frowned and looked at Hazel. "What's the Black Madness?" Hazel cleared her throat. "Think of it like a cross from the Malfoys having blonde hair to having a sort of expected effect on a person. Word is you are born with it if you are descended from the Blacks and have a hard time controlling certain impulses that others have an easier time resisting. Sirius' love for pranks can count, same as the Tonks family's obsession with cheesecake." Dora turned to Hazel and smiled. "What, it's the best dessert ever! Why can't we have it everyday again?" Hazel pointed at Dora. "Case in point." Susan giggled. "That's not so bad." Hazel shrugged. "The current Blacks, minus three, seem to be fine. Word was that Walburga's madness was with Blood Purity." Andromeda sighed. "Cygnus had it too, though my mother being from the Crabbe family didn't help." Harry looked to Hazel. "Is that similar to how the Potters were good at Transfiguration?" Hazel smiled at him. "In a way. The gifts or curses aren't a guarantee, unless it's a Maledictus. They actually tend to skip a generation at times. So don't feel too bad about not being the top student in Transfiguration. I know I wasn't at your age, though I blame McGonagall for not being understanding of my situation."

Susan nudged Harry. "So, what's this I hear about you getting your animagus transformation down?" Amelia gave Hazel a glare. "You didn't." Hazel chuckled. "Define didn't. I didn't show him every step of the way. All I did was teach him the meditation exercises." Sirius sat up. "Wait, wait. Prongslet is an animagus? Show me!" As Harry shifted into his lion form, Sirius joined him as his black dog. Teddy, in his wolf form, bit down on Harry's fluffy tail, throwing the three into a chase that left the sitting room, causing the sound of a vase breaking somewhere. Petersby closed his eyes and sighed, but he did so with a nostalgic smile on his face as he moved to fix the mess they would make. Dora leaned into Hazel and kissed her girlfriend on the cheek. "I'll go chaperon those three." Dora shifted and took on the form of Lynx before darting after them. Amelia rubbed her face as Susan sat with her. "Can I learn it too?" Andromeda chuckled at the look of horror on Amelia's face as she sat next to Hazel. "Hogwarts is going to have an animagi problem in the coming years." Hazel nodded as she sat back and eyed the room again. Andromeda noticed her changing mood and remembered why they were all here. "Harry's request is weighing on you, isn't it?" Watching as Susan left the room, probably to watch the chaos unfold personally, Hazel sighed. "I never wanted to live here, Andromeda. This is the Potter Family Home."

Andromeda chuckled. "True. But it was the Peverell Estate first." Hazel turned to her. "We can build one elsewhere. It's not fair to either of the boys." Andromeda eyed her carefully. "Really? Because Teddy doesn't seem to mind." Hazel rubbed her face, moving the bangs of white hair out of her eyes. "I… want to leave a home to Teddy, Andromeda. It's something built in me. Probably the Peverell Magic calling out to me. Having a place where the magic can stretch out freely, suffuse a ward scheme and even sense the living members of the family inside of it. It is an incredibly tempting desire. One that I can't seem to make peace with if we end up living at Potter Manor. It feels wrong for me being here." Andromeda took Hazel's hand. "It's not going to be an easy choice, Hazel. Like you, Harry wants a home. For all purposes, this is his rightful home. But it's not the same if the people he wants in it aren't there." Hazel eyed the opening leading to the rest of the manor and sound of another vase breaking somewhere. "I will try to see if I can settle my concerns but I think I am going to have to talk to both of them together soon. For now, though, I am happy staying at the DoM." Andromeda smiled. "Good." Andromeda left the sofa that Ted and Hazel were sitting on and sat with Amelia. "So, what should we expect first? A wedding or a child?"

Amelia blushed. "To be determined? Though to be fair I am a bit old to have a child." Ted covered his mouth to hide his smile as Andromeda seemed to take that to be a wrong answer. Hazel turned to him and smiled. "Should I be happy she isn't targeting me for said questions yet?" Ted smiled at her. "Oh yes. While cheesecake is a Tonks Family staple, my wife loves gossip. She just doesn't get the chance to do it as much as she would like. At least, not until the Coalition came around." Hazel sat back. "Glad I skipped those meetings." Ted glared at her half heartedly. "I am not." Hazel smirked at him. "You sure? I could be there for the next one and let you pick up the pieces." Ted shuddered. "Fine. But you do have to make an appearance at the Wizengamot soon." Hazel pouted. "Fine." The pout vanished and was replaced with a laugh as the Animagi returned to the sitting room with a winded Susan close behind. What made Hazel laugh was the fact that Teddy was carrying Dora by the scruff of her neck, her girlfriend back into her first animagus form. Said brown rabbit was giving her and Ted the stink eye as she tried to get free from Teddy, only succeeding when she shifted into an owl. The rest shifted back and laughed on the floor as Dora sat beside Hazel in her human form. Her displeasure ended as Hazel's arm wrapped around her waist and her partner left a kiss on Dora's neck. Dobby popped in soon after, announcing dinner was ready. Hazel took a second to breathe in the moment as they all started heading towards the dining room. Days like today made her happy to be alive.

Sirius sat at the back corner table in one of the magical restaurants in Edinburgh's Magical District. He drank a light beer from a mug as he kept his eye on the door leading into the restaurant, Remus seated nearby to watch his back. From the moment he was declared innocent, his cousin Narcissa had sent him letters, at first congratulating him on his freedom and ascension to Lordship of House Black and ever since then the woman has been careful with all her interactions with him and the family. He had heard about Dora's run in with her at the World Cup and decided to keep a close eye on the Malfoys since. While Draco's behaviour to Harry seemed to have improved a bit since that day, his interactions with the rest of Slytherin House showed that he was still trying his best to become his father's son. That he went super quiet after his father's arrest showed that the kid still had some brains to him still, as his political position in Slytherin House had deteriorated completely. The previous Slytherin leadership had already marked Daphne Greengrass and Theo Nott as the next Queen and King of Slytherin, as none of the upper years had Nott's political pull, Greengrass' connections, nor could any of them outmatch them magically after Hazel's tutoring sessions.

Thinking of the white haired witch made Sirius pause. Though he had a hard time seeing Hazel as a child of Lily and James, he couldn't deny the place she had made for herself and her son in their world. Andromeda doted on the boy just as much as she did Harry, whose own relationship with Hazel left Sirius feeling a little jealous. Then again, he had no one to blame for the wreck of his own relationship with Harry but himself and Dumbledore. Being sent off to Azkaban while Harry suffered mistreatment at the Dursleys had ruined any chance of getting to care for Harry. Hazel, however, was there for the boy first, seeing not only to his safety but his well being. Seeing an updated Potter Family Book with the full Family Tree had been surprising to Sirius but he could understand the value of it. Harry didn't need to grow up with stories about James and Lily alone. Charlus and Dorea had been like parents to Sirius. Walking through the hallways of Potter Manor reinforced that. That they never got the chance to sit for a portrait was a travesty. At least Harry's Grandfather, Henry, had a portrait that the boy could talk to. He would have to be the one to prepare Harry for what it meant to be Lord Potter. Not that Andi and Ted did a bad job explaining it to him. Soon Harry would be taking the Heir ring and in three short years it would become the Lord ring. Sirius fingered his own.

His thoughts came to an end when the restaurant door opened and a finely dressed Narcissa entered. The waitress guided her to his table and Narcissa sat down with all the grace of a proper lady. "Lovely day for a pint, wouldn't you say, Cissa?" The hint of a smirk on her face made Sirius happy. Being married to the peacock didn't seem to have cost her that sense of humor he remembered. She always knew how to put people in their places. Or make them laugh their heads off. "It's good to see you again, Siri." The waitress arrived and placed two scones, toppings and a cup of tea, which the waitress filled, before adding the milk and one cube of sugar. Narcissa eyed Sirius, giving him a warm smile. "You remembered." Sirius chuckled. "After all the tea parties Arcturus and Walburga sat us all through? How could I forget?" Narcissa took a moment to enjoy her tea, releasing a satisfied sigh with her eyes closed. "I know you picked this place for the safety and privacy, but the tea is wonderful. Grandfather would be most proud." Sirius crossed his legs and waited for her to have a few bites of the fresh scones. "So, cousin, I imagine you are here to discuss your husband's upcoming trial?" Narcissa took a moment to organize her thoughts. "Is he truly dead?" Sirius raised an eyebrow. "You don't believe the notice from the DMLE and the ICW about the Dark Lord?"

Narcissa sat back against the seat. "There are whispers. Dumbledore has been spotted talking to his old Order of the Phoenix contacts. Word is he is telling them that… that he isn't dead. I don't know why he believes that. All I want to know is if it's true that he is dead." Sirius eyed Moony for a second before looking at Narcissa. "House Black is absolutely certain of his death. Dumbledore is jumping at shadows. He seems to doubt the fact that the Ministry could have eliminated that monster so easily." Narcissa seemed to sag in relief. "I had my doubts too. I heard from Severus that his Mark had vanished. I haven't heard from my husband, but I can only hope his own Mark has vanished as well." Sirius hummed. "I believe it has, not that it matters. The DMLE made sure to document their Marks. They watched them all disappear too. They won't be getting free on the claim they weren't marked at all. The evidence is there for the Wizengamot to review." Narcissa nodded softly. "I imagined as much. After the World Cup, I knew the DMLE would be reacting differently to a threat from my husband's associates. I begged him to give up any plans to return to his master's side. He didn't listen." Sirius eyed Narcissa. "So, what is it you are looking for from me? A plea for clemency? A request for his sentence to be reduced to a fine?" Narcissa shook her head.

"I don't believe any of that will matter. Any of the Death Eaters caught were lucky not to have been killed. The problem is many will be stupid enough to try again. That they might try and escape Azkaban. My concern isn't that Lucius doesn't deserve to rot in jail. He does. My son is my concern. My husband has been trying to groom Draco since he was ten. He has been teaching him how to behave. How to behave like a blood purist and a Death Eater." Sirius raised an eyebrow. "And you didn't?" Narcissa sighed and looked out the window at the people passing by. "I won't deny that I believe that we are in some ways better than the Muggleborns, but that is how I was raised. Ted Tonks has clearly been a good man to my sister and a good father to Nymphadora. Whatever my own beliefs, I don't think they are all the same. I don't think they should be enslaved or slaughtered. We would gain nothing from it and lose so much. It's not worth it." Sirius smiled a little. He knew Narcissa would never be the type to care for strangers. Her views were always more economic. That she could see the damage the extremists were doing to the old families was a good sign. Others could be convinced to take a more tolerant stance as well. "You want to keep Draco away from the sympathizers and his father?" Narcissa nodded. "He has taken the heir ring already. With Lucius getting arrested and likely being sentenced to Azkaban, I would be taking the position of Regent. I want to formally ask you to take House Malfoy, minus Lucius, under the aegis of House Black. At least until Draco claims Lordship."

Sirius rubbed his Lordship ring. He could do as Narcissa requested without much trouble, but he wasn't alone anymore. Acting impulsively had gotten him into Azkaban before. He needed to check with the others. With Narcissa under his protection, it could mean she and Andi could see each other again. He needed to make sure that this decision didn't hurt his house or the Coalition. They had come too far in bettering Britain. He wasn't about to be the one to undo all that hard work. He looked Narcissa in the eyes. "While I would love to grant your request, cousin, I need to make a few consultations first. This decision can have far reaching consequences. I am not in the mood to get dragged into another chaotic situation. Once our family and allies agree, I can then grant you and Draco said protection. At the very least, this means Draco needs to learn to behave himself like a proper wizard and a Black. The times are changing and I won't have our house split in half again because of an outdated and racist view of the world. Grandfather trusted me with our family's future. I am not going to fail him or those who are left." Narcissa gave him a surprisingly hopeful smile. "He would have been proud of you, Siri. You might not be like your namesake but I think you can do better. So, what is this I hear about you and Amelia Bones? Does Andi need help planning for a wedding?" Sirius whined, which seemed to make Remus chuckle at the other end of the restaurant. "You are all the same." Narcissa chuckled. "Of course we are. We are Blacks."

Alastor looked around the table at the gathered people and he was surprised to see a few new faces, including Shacklebolt and Hestia Jones, two Aurors he trained. The rest he knew well enough from his time in the previous Order, giving a nod to Arthur Weasley before sitting beside Remus Lupin, his enchanted eye latched onto Severus Snape, who sat quietly in an oddly contemplative state. In the years he had seen Snape and the entire time they spent as colleagues at Hogwarts in the last year, the man had barely spoken up unless addressed. The few times Potter was mentioned, the man seemed to clench and unclench his jaw. Whenever Hazel Peverell was mentioned, Snape would get lost deep in thought. There was a part of Moody that wondered if Snape had pieced something of Hazel's true origins together. It took him seeing Hazel cast a particular spell chain with abbreviated wand movements for him to believe her story. That particular technique was one he had spent the last decade developing, especially as it required little movement from the caster to be effective. He had worked hard on that technique in case he ever got his prosthetic leg taken from him mid fight, never mind that it was enchanted to block summoning spells.

He smirked as he remembered a training fight with Hazel where she removed his leg by using a summoning spell on a conjured binding attached to it. The woman had clearly learned under him, developing techniques directed at countering his every weakness. Her present of a platinum flask with the McKinnon family crest on it had made him smile, especially as he went over the laundry list of enchantments on it. Gods did he miss working for the Department of Mysteries. He spotted Sirius entering the room and felt the mutt tap his back three times. Moody smiled, happy the old dog remembered the old callsigns. He suppressed a growl when he watched Mundungus Fletcher take a seat. He hated the fact that Dumbledore still used him as a contact in the seedier parts of Wizarding Society. Finally, the old man himself arrived and sat at the table. "Allow me to welcome you all to the first meeting of the restored Order of the Phoenix. These are difficult times ahead and our role to safeguard our world is now more paramount than ever." Hestia Jones sat back. "So you say, but what evidence do you have of this? The Death Eaters have essentially been contained completely. Those who aren't in Azkaban are awaiting trial under a Wizengamot that seems far more competent than it has been in decades."

Dumbledore sighed. "And that is what troubles me. While I applaud the reactions and expedient action of the DMLE, there is concern over the violence that seems far too common in its ranks." Alastor grumbled. "Had we had the initiative of the current DMLE back twenty years ago, the war would have ended swiftly, Albus. I wouldn't be covered in scars here, Snape would probably be dead and more than half of the First Order of the Phoenix members would still be alive. Which reminds me, where is Aberforth?" Albus shook his head. "My brother refused my summons, as did Minerva. They both wish to leave the war behind them. Sadly, they may fall victim to the next one." Sirius crossed his arms. "What next war? Voldemort is dead." Albus stared at Sirius but no attempts to pierce his Occlumency shields were detected as the rest of the table flinched at the use of the name. "I believe that Voldemort has pulled the finest trick possible in order to avoid open confrontation. Who would look to your return when everyone was certain of your death? I believe a soul fragment of Voldemort's decided to revolt against his maker and is now quietly taking its time, waiting for a new opportunity to present itself. The growing strength of the DMLE is the perfect target. I believe he is reshaping the DMLE and the Ministry from within, hoping to strengthen the system before he claims it for himself."

Snape, for the first time, spoke up. "While the Voldemort I met in the final years of the war was too sadistic and obsessive to carry out such a plan, his earlier mental state could potentially conceive such a strategy. The question is whether or not he has, or if he is indeed alive. My Mark vanished the same instant the execution was carried out." Dumbledore nodded. "And that is where I believe Voldemort acted in his own best interests. I believe he executed his original form and, with control of the Mark, he severed the connection to make it seem as if he was indeed gone for good." Remus leaned forward. "Are you suggesting the person who executed Voldemort was another Voldemort?" Dumbledore looked at the werewolf. "Precisely. I believe a soul fragment from Lord Voldemort took control of the Hit Witch Hazel Peverell. The woman was a distant relative of his, was likely a practitioner of the Dark Arts long before the possession and, in the years since, has selectively positioned herself to eliminate or neutralize all the threats that attempted against her cover. The death of Voldemort is only the first step of her plan. Now she may seek to control young Mister Potter, turning the Boy Who Lived into her means of infiltrating the public consciousness. With the boy's support, she may seek being elected as Director or even Minister for Magic." Alastor did his best not to crack, and he could tell Sirius did too.

While Hazel Peverell was many things, a politician wasn't one of them. The lass would always seek either the direct approach or the closest thing. Hell, he was certain that if she cared to conquer Britain, she would. Most of the Isle would be long dead by the end, but that woman had the stones to do it. The fact she could never conceive of doing it was one of the reasons Alastor enjoyed her company. There was no mistaking her for anything other than a Dark Witch, but Peverell detested being a killer. She killed mostly out of necessity. The fact her Killing Curse against Voldemort had been cyan in color, not the typical green, had surprised him at first. Sure, he spotted signs before that she herself had some training from Voldemort, which made him curious as to her relationship with the man of her world. She never talked about him beyond what was needed. Tonks gave a better idea after the execution, saying that Hazel pitied the loss of a man capable of reshaping the world. That he had done it for the worse had been the travesty in her eyes. Alastor could agree with that, to a point. Dumbledore looked at Remus. "You spent some time with her at Hogwarts and reported that her presence seemed to affect your wolf. Have you found any other reason for this?" Remus stood quiet for a second. "None that I could find in my research."

Dumbledore nodded. "I thought as much. I searched for information within some less pleasant books I had removed from the Restricted Section. A few mention the effects of certain rituals, including those requiring dragon's blood and a few discuss the possibility of a similar effect with Necromancy." Molly Weasley gasped. "She wouldn't have." Dumbledore looked pained. "I am certain she has. Voldemort created many Inferi in the last war. It is beyond a doubt that Hazel Peverell has done as well." The table descended into quiet discussion as Alastor tried his best not to crack again. Necromancy was considered Black Magic. The attempt to undo the effects of death upon the world itself. The woman he knew would never dare use that magic. She was a Blood Witch and was delving into the complex and vindictive magic of Witchcraft, but she seemed to utterly despise Necromancy. He remembered the two spending a few minutes discussing security in his office during the Tournament when the witch's eyes latched onto an object he kept with him. It was a disgusting severed hand with an eye attached to its palm, a bit of Necromancy used to ward away scrying. He took it from a Dark Witch he caught out in the Moors once. Hazel's eyes had shifted silver and black flames had leaked from her hands for a brief second before she composed herself. Alastor kept that particular trophy hidden from view ever since.

Sirius spoke up. "Albus, I will be frank with you. I believe you are jumping at shadows. Peverell is a dangerous witch, anyone here who has been at the point of her wand can tell you as much. But her being Voldemort, even a younger version of him, seems like a stretch. As you can imagine, I have had to share breathing room with her since she is Harry's cousin. The woman is, as far as I am concerned, a reincarnated dragon. Leave her alone and you will never have a problem with her. Piss her off and you get a good taste of cursed fire, same as that Krum kid got in the Triwizard Tournament. But you aren't talking about pissing her off. At best you probably want to imprison her. At worst, you want her dead. Hazel won't take that well. If she were alone, I think she would kill you outright." Sirius heard Molly Weasley gasping, as if she never expected anyone to be happy to kill Dumbledore. The man stared at Sirius, who pressed on. "But she isn't alone. Her son is her priority. You target her, she will drop you by the side of the road and keep on walking. You endanger her son in any way, gods be with you because any mercy will leave her instantly. This is my warning to you, Albus. Don't ever consider attacking or manipulating Harry, Teddy or my family. She won't play games with you like Voldemort did. She will hunt you to the ends of the earth to kill you if you ever dare go down that path. Remember that."

As soon as Sirius left the gathering, loud discussions filled the air. "I can't believe I allowed any of my children near that woman. I knew she was trouble from the moment I saw her at Diagon Alley. She practically dresses like a Death Eater." Alastor tried his best not to wince at that. He knew her choice of clothes were unconventional, but he could see the why of her choices. Leather held enchantments better than robes, her jacket had the highest spell resistance of all dragonhide style jackets and the dark colors made it easier to not worry about blood splatter. Considering the state his Aurors constantly found Dark Witches and Wizards in, he could see her having a lot of blood splatter to work with. He felt Dumbledore looking at him. "And you, Alastor? Do you also disagree with me?" Alastor stared back. "I watched her as you asked. Tried catching her in lies or spotting half truths. The woman hardly ever tells the whole truth but I'll be damned if she ever lied to me. I don't believe she is Voldemort and I will be sticking to my job at the Academy. I am good if you need me for a second opinion, but I won't go after her. I am actually looking forward to retirement, Albus. Can't retire if I am dead." Alastor stood up and walked out, his enchanted eye fixed on Dumbledore. The man stared at him as if he was the delusional one. Moody left, thinking about what he should tell Horatio. If Dumbledore went after Hazel Peverell, it would be a bloodbath. He would try his darndest to avoid that.

Hazel stood back and watched as her charges darted around Amelia's basement in a mock fight. After altering the water balloon spell to be made smaller and made of paint, the kids were placed in teams and sent off to fight each other. For every successful hit, their team took a point. Those tagged had to wait a full minute before returning to the fight, their clothes no longer colored. She would usually adjust the field to be more restrictive but this time around, she was making sure the kids had a harder session. In a wide open field, they had to figure out how to duck and avoid getting hit while also hitting the targets back. As soon as the match started, Hazel smiled as she watched several casting Transfigurations on the ground. As Hestia, Flora and Astoria were invited, the three were placed in Teddy's team, while Harry took the other team. Teddy's better grasp of Transfiguration allowed him to raise walls around the girls, protecting them from direct hits. He then made his own set of walls that he constantly shifted or altered, throwing any attacks on their position in disarray as the girls would pop up from above the barrier and cast back.

Hannah and Theo took to the sides of Teddy's fort and shot back at Harry, only for a kinetic barrier to block the balloons of paint. Daphne smirked from beside Harry and waved her wand in a wide arch, the stone slabs shuddering from the impact but not breaking. Susan then tried cutting through the slabs and everyone watched as the slabs took a massive gash, only for it to be repaired instantly, before Harry had to raise his own stone slab to block the retaliation. Daphne turned to Harry under the cover of their own slab. "What was that? I never saw Hazel do that before." Harry took a moment to think before he groaned. "Teddy. The stone isn't solid. Not completely. He essentially stopped the transfiguration half way and is keeping it connected. It's how they keep shifting and reforming so easily." Daphne frowned. "That … is smart as hell. But it has to be draining him quickly." Harry shrugged. "I think it depends how malleable the stone is. If it's the consistency of wet clay or sand, repairs are easier and not as costly." Daphne thought for a second and looked at Susan. "You and Harry draw their attention." The two nodded and started trying to cut down Teddy's barriers as Teddy and Hannah shot back. Daphne, transfiguring Harry's barrier, aimed her wand at the opposing team's fortification. "Glacius." The freezing spell struck the barriers and she heard Teddy curse for a second as Theo aimed his wand straight at her.

Daphne yelped as her face got covered in paint, while Harry and Susan targeted Theo together, pushing his ability to defend to it's limit. Theo fell back onto the ground, a large yellow spot of paint on his chest, as Teddy and Hannah shot back at Harry and Susan continuously. The two sides kept casting at each other until Daphne returned, only for all three members of the team to get shot in the back by paint balloons. The three upcoming fifth years turned around and watched as three Disillusionment charms dropped, revealing Astoria, Hestia and Flora aiming their wands at them, smiles on their faces. Hazel called out as soon all three were hit. "And that's a match!" Daphne grumbled. "When did you three learn Disillusionment?" Astoria smirked. "We didn't, sis. Theo did. You didn't think we were sitting back in the fort cowering, did you?" Daphne blushed as Theo helped lift her up. Hazel came up to them and smiled. "Good work with that. Daphne, your idea to freeze Teddy's sustained Transfiguration was excellent. Keep thinking out of the box. Theo, Hannah, great move on Disillusioning the younger years and drawing attention to you. The foes you all will have a hard time fighting are the ones you don't see. Harry, Susan, you two had great teamwork, but you need to pay attention to your surroundings more. Teddy's eyes tracked the younger years the entire time and you could have too."

Hazel clapped her hands and restored the Training Room to a flat surface. Flora and Hestia whistled at the display of magic as Susan cleaned her face. "Miss Peverell, I have to ask. With all the Death Eaters caught now, why are we still practicing? Isn't the war over?" Hazel patted Susan on the shoulder gently. "The war that started with Voldemort is indeed over." Hazel waved her hand and dozens of lifelike statues rose from the ground. The kids looked at them as Hazel waved her hand again, knocking the head off from the one that looked like Voldemort. "The enemy leader is dead. The soldiers…" Hazel waved her hand again, and cracks formed in many of the statues, the majority of them crumbling to the ground, leaving only a thin line of people at the back. "Are captured or killed. Yet, the warring factions need more than just cannon fodder. They need financers, healers, politicians, even civilians. These people remain at large, innocent in everything but thought. They will spread their thoughts to other like minded people. In time, no other leader may form, no other army may rise. But that doesn't mean the danger has passed." Susan lowered her face. "Terrorists." Hazel nodded. "Terrorists will remain, spreading their beliefs and acting out in violence at the society they despise. For all the good it does us all that Voldemort is dead, like with Grindelwald, there will always be believers who will take their words to justify mindless violence."

Looking from kid to kid, Hazel's face remained emotionless. "These sessions are changing, as you noticed. We are trying to make them more fun, more creative and more educational. Because while I am always going to fight the Dark Witches and Wizards of the world, you will be too. Not always with spells and curses." Hazel looked to Theo. "Some of you will be fighting with words, leading men and women not to battle in the dirt but in the assembly of the Wizengamot." Theo blushed as Hazel looked at the younger ones of the group. "You can aid in the fight as healers, enchanters, herbologists, potioneers. Anything and everything that we do in normal, everyday life can have a hand in pushing back against those who can't accept defeat." Hazel looked at Susan and Harry. "Just because your families have had Aurors in it's ranks, doesn't mean that you should feel pressured to become one. These tutoring sessions will focus more on making sure that you can take care of yourselves, take care of others and to be the best witch and wizard you can be. What you do with what you learn here, that is up to you."

Susan nodded as Hazel reshaped the statues. "One last thing to remember. Threats come in all shapes and forms. Just because a person appears to be on your side, it doesn't mean that they are. Be vigilant with the words of those who seem to speak for you. They are more likely to advance their own beliefs first. Think on the words they use, how they define right and wrong and how they intend to follow through with their beliefs. Just because a person seems to be a pacifist doesn't mean they aren't capable of attacking you without a moment's notice. We can never stop people from doing vile acts, whether for selfish or selfless reasons. That is merely the price of being human. All the education, all the fair and just laws and all the good in the world can never stop the vile parts of human nature. So we must always be vigilant. All it takes for evil to win is for good people to sit back and do nothing. So do your part in the way you believe you are most suited for. Because even as one battle ends, another may just be around the corner." Everyone watched as the statue took on the form of the Headmaster before it and the rest sunk back into the ground. Hazel rubbed Harry's hair. "So, who wants food?" The kids all felt their stomachs grumble and Hazel led them back up the stairs. Mad Eye and Sirius had warned her of Dumbledore's theories. Whatever happened now, she would do her best to protect all these kids, as she was certain the old man wouldn't care about collateral damage. She would never allow that to happen. Not now, not ever.

Chapter 52: Working Towards Something Better

OW September 1998

Hazel felt her hair getting pulled back and held in place as a soft hand rubbed her back. The sensation wasn't enough to ease away her nerves as an all too familiar taste filled the back of her throat. The sensations and her mind's inability to leave things well enough alone made the bile rise up and she heaved again, emptying out more of her stomach in the process. That the smell only made her want to vomit more was not in any way helpful. Then again, her mind wasn't being helpful either. In her thoughts she could see Tom as a teen, an attentive, thoughtful young man that always greeted her with a kind and gentle smile and a kiss to the hand. They had spent almost every other moment together, the rest spent with either Snape's awful lessons or her own training exercises at Grimmauld or in the Room of Requirement. Of those later months of her sixth year, her time with Tom had been the most memorable, and that was even without counting their more intimate moments. She had loved his attention from the beginning and had found the momentary peace so meaningful. At the same time, she hated that attention, or what it became after the end of her sixth year. Because that attention of Tom's became the root of his incessant hunt for her all over the Island of Britain.

Every muggle port, every international floo access and every portkey provider was either being monitored or was closed down. After the attack on the Weasley-Delacour wedding, Hazel had suggested leaving for France until they found a way to destroy the Locket. Both of her acquaintances vehemently disagreed, saying it would have destroyed any hope the Witches and Wizards of Britain had of an end to the occupation. Hazel had ignored their disagreements and made for Southampton, hoping to disappear with the rest of the passenger vessels. She had felt the soft brush of wards a second before she heard the pops of apparitions behind her. Her running fight to escape the erected anti-apparition wards had taken a lot out of her, especially with her trying not to break the Statute of Secrecy. Hazel, realizing how stupid she was being, fired back with a massive Fiendfyre curse, destroying the wards and incinerating the Death Eaters, before she sent the flames straight at a fuel tank at the edge of the water. She didn't stick around to see what happened with the explosion but the news treated the incident as a gas leak. She took some comfort in the fact she had forced Tom to actually put some effort into governing the Ministry, forcing him to deal with the ICW and sending out Obliviators to the scene. Of course, he only responded by making the seas around Britain unstable for small craft. She had been effectively cut off from any escapes after that, as she had no memories of France to make a Portkey with and Hermione was refusing to share hers.

The constant chase and Hazel's counter attacks against Tom's forces and supporters had provided her with a proper distraction. The death of Dora and her husband, the partial destruction of Grimmauld and her near death experience with the Dragon guarding the Malfoy Vault had fueled her desire to end the conflict. She did end it. And now… now she hated what she was forced to become. Her dreams, when she had them, were filled with either the ghastly deaths of all the Snatchers and Death Eaters in the final year, her own near death with Tom or, worse yet, the death of her Godmother. Andromeda always asked her if she regretted what she did in the war. The answer she gave was always the same. With what Hazel knew, what she had at her disposal and what was happening at the time, she had no other choice. She didn't regret her actions, only that she was forced to make them in the first place by a world full of people that cared only about themselves. Her one regret had been allowing herself to feel something for Tom in her sixth year. She knew it was him from the start and knew how it was going to end but she wasn't able to not feel anything for him. They were too alike for that. Tom's face at the end made it clear he felt the same way for her too. He still cared and yearned for her, as she too cared and yearned for him too. But she had made a promise to herself. She would never let anyone manipulate her ever again. Tom would never not try to manipulate her. Their conflict only had one solution. Death.

Hazel felt the burning sensation hit the roof of her mouth again and she vomited into the toilet, Andromeda waiting for her to finish before flushing it away. Hazel felt as her whole body shook from the aftereffects of her dream. Of feeling Tom's love and affection for her as they shared a bed, before she plunged a dagger into his heart and proceeded to stab him repeatedly, drenching her in his blood as she had twice now been drenched when she faced the dragons. The guilt, followed by her dream's self attempting to end her own life had prompted her to wake up before her memories came crashing down on her again. At least she made it to the toilet this time. At least… she thought she did. Andromeda's hand kept rubbing her back in comfort. It took Hazel two more dry heaves before she was able to leave the toilet, before Andromeda sat her down on the kitchen table and drew her wand slowly in Hazel's field of view. The last time she drew it quickly, Hazel had almost killed her. She had felt so ashamed at that and refused to be near Andromeda for almost a week. "I am going to cast a spell to remove the taste from your mouth. Ok?" Hazel nodded and opened her mouth. The disgusting taste in her throat and mouth vanished instantly. Andromeda went to her Potion's cabinet and returned with a vial. "Drink it. It will settle your stomach and replace the nutrients you just lost." Hazel chugged it back quickly before handing the empty glass container back.

Her haunted eyes focused on the clock on the kitchen wall, saying it was three in the morning. She lowered her face in shame. "I am so sorry. You have a hard time sleeping as it is and here I am waking you up so early." Andromeda lifted Hazel's face by the chin and gave her a soft smile. "True, but Teddy already had me up before I heard you smash open the door to your room." Hazel winced. "Is he…" Andromeda kissed Hazel's hair. "He is ok, Hazel. I calmed him down and he went back to sleep after his bottle of milk. He should be fine… for about an hour or two." Hazel sighed. "I wish I could help you with him more. If I could keep him in my room, you might get some rest too." Andromeda rubbed Hazel's back. "I am ok with our arrangement as it is. This isn't my first time being a parent." Hazel rested her head against Andromeda's side. "No, but it's the first time you have to deal with a headcase like me while being a parent." Andromeda chuckled. "True, but if Ted were around, he'd probably say I was just as bad. Motherhood does no one any favors, let alone someone with the Black Madness running through their veins." Andromeda's mention of her Family Magic's quirk flew over Hazel's head as she conjured a chair beside her. Her mentioning Ted was always a trigger of things to come.

Sure enough Andromeda sat down, her own body being wracked by tremors. Hazel held onto her for dear life, doing her best to comfort the older witch back. In a few minutes the tremors eased as Hazel conjured a box of tissues in front of her. Andromeda used them before vanishing the tissues. "Think you can manage a conjured diaper that can last six hours? We could save a bit of cash that way." Hazel laughed a little. "Sure. Just let me cut one open and make sure I have a good feel for the material. It ought to work." Andromeda hugged her with one arm. "Thanks for that." Hazel hugged her back. "You know you don't ever have to thank me. I made my oath to Teddy. I will stand by it to whatever end comes for me first." Andromeda squeezed Hazel gently. "Doesn't stop me from wanting to say it to you. You could be out there rebuilding your own life." Hazel gave her an incredulous look. "Where? In Azkaban? Because that's where Shacklebolt would send me. I left hundreds dead in my wake, most of them being Death Eaters, sure, but plenty of Snatchers, Aurors and supporters too. There is a reason only utility bills are reaching the house, Andromeda." The witch leaned her head against Hazel. "You could appeal to the ICW. They could help you." Hazel shook her head. "Dumbledore died a martyr to them and to the Order. Rita's book did some damage, but his image is still good enough that his spirit still might haunt the Assembly in Luxembourg. Besides…"

Hazel looked up as soon as her ears caught the signs of Teddy waking up. "There is no other place I would rather be." Hazel and Andromeda made their way to Andromeda's room. Hazel had asked Andromeda to move out of her family home and she did, in order to avoid the echoes of her past. They did take all the furniture with them, minus the beds. Walking in circles around the new and very soft bed, Hazel held the little bundle of flailing arms against her shoulder and cooed at the boy, her hand patting his back. His burp was followed by a giggle, which made Hazel smile as she sat down on the bed. She lowered him until he was cradled in her arm, one of her locks of hair slipping from behind her ear, its eerie white coloration marking a physical change she began to notice since she was struck by another Killing Curse. Andromeda had been the one to notice the changes. How little she ate, how cold she was compared to what she had been almost a year ago. The change to her hair was the only visible proof that something was changing. Hazel told her it was the Peverell Family Magic. Ever since she obtained all three Hallows, with the Wand just materializing in her hand, she had felt the magic growing inside of her. She only knew about the Hallows after Tom tried to be cheeky, asking her in a dream about Dumbledore's Wand. His run-in with her in Christmas and the destruction of the Ministry's first two floors at her hand had left him spooked enough to consider turning to myths and fairy tales.

She could feel all the Hallows now, living inside of her. Hazel had no idea what it meant, but she was considering breaking into Gringotts again to find out if the Peverell Vault would answer to her now. That was, if the Goblins were still mad at her. She felt Andromeda pull back the loose lock of hair as the woman sat beside her, her eyes filled with a little warmth as she looked at the now sleeping Teddy. "Did you ever think about being a mother?" Hazel shook her head. "No. I know that I don't know the first thing about being a good mother. Bella was the closest thing I had and it was only for two years. I don't think Teddy will be quite the same as I was." Andromeda wrapped her arm around Hazel's shoulder. "No, it won't. But there is nothing like it. Not the horror or the joy that comes from it." Hazel hummed as she held Teddy. "I suppose it won't matter what I think. I will have to learn." She stood up and tried placing Teddy in the crib but the baby protested being left alone. She pulled him back towards her and stared before turning to Andromeda. "Uhm." Andromeda smiled and pulled her blankets off the bed. "Come on. He seems to want some company tonight." Hazel, too tired to complain, took one side of the bed as Andromeda took the other, with Teddy given plenty of room in between. The presence of the baby made Hazel hyperaware for the first hour, worried about hurting him. Exhaustion eventually forced her hand and her eyes closed on their own. Thankfully, there were no more nightmares that night.

NW July 1995

Dora pulled her long pink hair into a ponytail before she took her seat next to Amelia as Dumbledore began to smash the mallet down. "Order, order! The Trial will commence as soon as we have order!" Amelia turned to Dora. "Your partner?" Dora shook her head. "She had a rough wake up call this morning. Her nightmares are getting less frequent than they were last year, but I think the execution of Voldemort finally caught up to her." Amelia frowned. "I thought she would be ecstatic that Voldemort was dead." Dora sighed. "She is. The problem is that his death made her… relive moments that shaped her relationship with her Tom. She kept the dreams back by working herself to exhaustion the last few days but they finally caught up to her last night. Her relationship with Tom was exceedingly complicated in a personal way." Amelia's eyes widened. "She didn't." Dora turned to Amelia. "In her defence, she lost the only person who gave a damn about her, was mentally unstable and he actually made an extraordinary effort to appeal to her. I hardly think anyone else might have resisted, let alone her at that moment." Amelia lowered her eyes. "You are right. It's just so hard to believe she can be so… vulnerable. The way she carries herself every time I meet her. Susan looks up to her."

Amelia's comment made Dora smile. "Then Susan couldn't have better role models than you and her. Hazel's a different person than the girl who went through the nightmare that her life was. She is trying to do so much better now. Having Susan looking up to her, as well as all the other kids, might do her a lot of good." Amelia smiled at that. "I think you might be right." The courtroom finally settled down as Dumbledore read the document in front of him. "Members of the Wizengamot. Today we gather here today to hear the case of several wizards and pass judgements based on the evidence and the recommended sentence as submitted by the DMLE. The first one on the docket today is Lucius Malfoy, Head of the Noble House of Malfoy. Aurors, bring in the accused and his defence." Dora watched as Lucius was brought in wearing heavy suppression chains before being seated on the chair, the chains magically latching to the seat and locking him down tight. Lord Selwyn, a known but unmarked supporter of Voldemort, and the poor soul tasked with replacing the disgraced Rowle after the Lockhart fiasco, stood as Malfoy's defence. "Chief Warlock, Members of the Wizengamot. I protest the measures taken to confine my client." Amelia watched as Undersecretary Umbridge stood up. "I second this. Lord Malfoy is a member of this assembly and of the Sacred 28. To be treated in this manner is a disgrace."

Rufus Scrimgeour, acting as the lead prosecutor in these cases, stood up. "The DMLE objects to releasing him from his bindings. Lucius Malfoy faces several charges, including the casting of an Unforgivable Curse at a Hit Witch carrying out her sworn duty. The man is also charged with several crimes, including funding and participating in several illicit businesses, possession of Dark Artefacts banned by the Wizengamot and conspiring to commit acts of terrorism against the Ministry and the populace as a willing member of the terrorist group known as the Death Eaters." The courtroom filled with chatter as Dora smirked. Hazel had personally infiltrated several of the homes belonging to the Marked Death Eaters that had been singled out by their participation or presence in the previous criminal enterprises they intercepted. They had difficulty finding Malfoy's stash of Dark Artefacts until Dobby was released. The little elf was more than happy to identify the location of Malfoy's hidden vault to Hazel, who made sure to document every little artefact that she found within the compartment hidden under the floor. Said information was provided to the DMLE when they carried out raids after the arrests, along with information on similar vaults and compartments found in the other Death Eater family homes, thanks to recently released elves. Having the information on the artefacts also helped when they were found in the hands of other Death Eaters, confirming that he was selling his hidden items. The DMLE and the DoM had spent a lot of time safely storing and verifying every single one. Lucius was in for a rough time.

Dumbledore looked among the seated members. "Let's put it to a vote. All in favor of removing the restraints." As expected, only the surviving traditionalist families that supported Voldemort either financially or from the shadows raised their hands. With the majority of Death Eaters dead or arrested, their vote was far too small to mean anything. Fudge, sensing the shift in power, wisely kept his hand down, despite the glare from his Undersecretary. Dumbledore sighed. "All opposed." Dora smiled as the majority raised their hands in response. Dumbledore struck with the mallet. "The objection is denied, Mr. Selwyn. Now, Head Auror Scrimgeour. Please read the full charges before the assembly." Dora leaned back and turned to Amelia. "Am I going to have to give a report before the assembly?" Amelia shook her head. "Your debriefing was a detailed one and while aspects of it were omitted to keep Operations hidden, the majority of your sworn statements were presented as evidence. Same as Hazel. You won't be summoned to make a report today, even if the defence tried to force your hand." Dumbledore did interfere in the trial during the discussion of the night at the graveyard, almost an hour and a half in, trying to hear about the fight from Lucius' perspective, which made Dora feel weary. His repeated requests on Lucius to comment on whether or not Voldemort was dead in his mind almost made her forget about Amelia's comment about Selwyn potentially summoning her to the stand. Almost.

Selwyn stood before his client and looked at Amelia. "The defence summons the arresting Aurors to be cross examined before the Assembly." Rufus stood up. "The DMLE objects to the summons. The Assembly has been provided with their debriefing after the incident, which was verified by magical oath and by the ICW Observer." Rufus turned to the Observer who stood up. "The ICW, as holders of licenses for both the Hit Witches Peverell and Tonks, can confirm this statement. I was present for the debriefing and can attest to the veracity of the information provided and the magically binding oath that was issued upon completion. Summoning them to the Assembly in an attempt to catch them in a lie or to attempt to embarrass or displace the blame onto them will not be tolerated." Umbridge stood up. "The ICW should not be interfering in an internal trial." The Observer turned to the Undersecretary. "It is the ICW's duty to verify that the laws of the member states are adhered to and that our licensed law enforcement officers have their rights protected. This is not up for debate." The comment drew some condemnation from the remaining traditionalists but Dumbledore called them to order. He looked to Observer Badawi who stared back at him. The old man wisely kept quiet and proceeded with the trial, Selwyn being overwhelmed with the sheer amount of verified evidence brought against his client, including Lucius taking Veritaserum despite his protests and verifying that he did indeed was aware and owned all of the Dark Artefacts that had been found in his Manor.

Soon enough the time for the verdict came and the results were as expected. The usual suspects voted innocent, but the votes for guilty held the majority. Rufus stood up before the Assembly, buttoning his coat. "Members of the Wizengamot. It is the DMLE's recommendation that Lucius Malfoy, found guilty by this Assembly, is to be sentenced to either life imprisonment in Azkaban, without possibility of parole or early release, or that he be executed for his crimes." The traditionalists raised their voice in objection and Dora noticed that execution seemed an unpopular idea among the other members. Amelia stood up and waited to be heard. "The recommendation for execution can be removed on the condition that the criminal accepts life imprisonment. Any attempts by the defence to reduce the sentence further will be regarded as a breach of this agreement and the request for execution will become the primary sentence requested by the Department." Discussions resumed in the courtroom quietly as Amelia sat down, with Selwyn speaking quietly to Lucius. The man turned around and looked at the Chief Warlock. "We will accept the life sentence, though we wish to guarantee visitation rights for my client's family." Rufus stared at the man before turning to Dumbledore. "Prosecution concurs." Dumbledore nodded and placed the matter to a vote, before he struck the gavel down. "By clear and overwhelming majority, Lucius Malfoy is found guilty. As you have been found guilty, you are hereby sentenced to life imprisonment within Azkaban Prison. This trial is concluded. The Courtroom will recess prior to attending the next trial on the docket."

Dora sighed as she stood up along with Amelia as soon as the gavel struck again. "I need to go check on Hazel. She was watching the boys today and getting lunch ready. You are welcome to join us. I am sure Croaker can get you in. Trust me, her food is well worth it." Amelia gave her a thoughtful look. "Let me confer with Rufus for a moment." Dora nodded and followed Amelia, her eyes lingering on the form of Lucius Malfoy as he was dragged away from the floor. The man had accepted the life sentence a bit too quickly, which made her feel like Hazel's warning of a potential prison break in Azkaban all the more likely. They had been checking the wards of the prison as much as they could but the structure's composition made it hard to tell what was a natural fluctuation and what was a vulnerability. The fortress' wards were laid down so many centuries prior that there was no known wardstone or wardscheme. The structure remained under the partial control of the Minister's office, despite attempts to place it under the DMLE's management or to even create a Department that would manage the prison in its entirety. With the current collapse of the Death Eaters within the Wizengamot, the Coalition planned to push the measure again. Dora only hoped they weren't too late.

Teddy watched as Harry stretched out with his hand with his eyes closed in concentration. His lips moved silently and in a second a ward came into being around them, with Harry's face breaking into a smile. "I did it!" Teddy chuckled. "Told you wandless magic was easier after becoming an Animagus." Teddy watched as his Mom eyed them both in the living room of their apartment before giving him a soft smile and returning her attention to the stovetop, her hand using a large spoon to stir her skillet of grounded beef. Harry looked over at her. "Do you think she could still hear us through the ward?" Teddy shook his head. "She could, but she won't. She trusts us enough that if anything important is said, we will just tell her." Harry lowered his gaze, his thumb rubbing against the ring that now rested on his finger. It was standard practice that Heirs to old families were allowed to wear their rings a month or two prior to their fifteenth birthday. Hazel had taken him to the Legal and Financial Divisions of the DoM to retrieve it, since they had taken over the Potter accounts after several illegal attempts had been made to access Harry's Vault contents. The Goblins hadn't been too happy to lose an account, even if it had low activity, but they agreed to leave the matter to be resolved by future generations. The Potter Family Vault remained with them still, holding the bare minimum gold required to exist.

"I… feel like I might have made your Mom too stressed out lately. Think it might have been the reason for her bad dream this morning?" Teddy looked at his Mom. He felt her wake up from a nightmare, despite how much she tried to bury it. Her movements had been stiff and she barely spoke up. It always bothered him when she got sad like today, but it was certainly not as bad as the other times she woke up poorly. He looked at Harry and thought about his question. As soon as they returned to the apartment, Harry had asked her if she and Teddy would move in with him into Potter Manor. It bothered Teddy that he couldn't tell Harry why that was both a good and a bad idea. He supported it because he thought his Mom would like it, but ever since then he could feel her tense up when the Manor was brought up in discussion. Their evening at the Manor had gone well, but she still felt detached from the place the next day. "Maybe. Mom has a lot of bad memories, so it could have been a nightmare on its own, but maybe the stress built up in her." Harry clenched his hands. "I am sorry. I just thought it would make her happy. It's supposed to be your ancestral home too." Teddy thought how best to answer Harry. "It was but I think Mom sees it as something she was supposed to just accept as no longer hers. It's been the Potter Home since the families bonded through marriage. To her… it might feel wrong to want to be there. She probably feels like she is stealing your heritage from you."

Harry frowned. "But we would be sharing it together." Teddy sighed. "Mom doesn't see it that way, Harry. She won't tell me all the bad stuff that happened to her but it was enough that it made her give up on people. For years she would go and disappear for about a day before appearing again, bringing in money that she then divided into what was saved for me and what was needed for food, rent, and utilities. Sure, she went to Hogwarts as a student with her major expenses paid, but until her Godmother showed up, she never spent too much money. She learned from an early age that she had to depend on herself and only herself. She cares about you and she is probably flattered by the offer you made, but her instincts are not to take it. This is your family's legacy and your birthright, not hers or mine." Teddy could tell the answer didn't make Harry feel all that better. "I think she is also looking forward to making her own house." Harry blinked. "She is?" Teddy smiled. "Yeah. She talked about it with me after Grandma passed. She had wanted to use an old plot of land for our home back where we used to live, but when we moved here, she changed her plans a bit. Sure, we are comfortable here, but she wants to make a real home for us. Something she can pass on to me when it's my turn to have a family."

Teddy looked back at his Mom's back. "Leaving me a legacy means something to her, Harry. For years the only legacy she had to offer me was her name." He turned to Harry. "A bit like you. People knew her name and her parents, but she never got much out of it but unfair comparisons. Now that she has a steady job, with me studying at school with you, and with her and Dora getting really involved, I think she was looking forward to building our home from the ground up." Harry looked at Hazel, a wistful expression on his face. Teddy sighed. "You know she's already added at the very least a room for you, right? If not a whole wing?" Harry blinked and turned to Teddy. "But… I don't need so much space." Teddy smiled. "How do you think she feels in Potter Manor then?" Harry opened his mouth and closed it again. "I suppose you have a point." Teddy sat closer to Harry. "I am not kidding, though. I think the moment you first called her Mom, she started working on your own room and just kept adding rooms around it. She wants to be a part of your life, Harry, just as much as you want her in yours. She just has a harder time expressing it because she doesn't want to influence you or to take advantage of your kindness. It has to be your choice."

Harry rubbed his hair, which he was letting grow out a little bit. "Do you think… Do you think I should talk this out with her? About where we will all be living and everything?" Teddy smiled. "Sure. But I think she and Dora will be spending their summers here, at least until you and I graduate. They will probably keep one apartment together for work here, but after Hogwarts is done, I am sure they would like to get their own place together." Teddy tapped his chin. "How about this? If you are feeling guilty about stressing Mom out, talk to her about the offer and settle it with her in a way that you two can be happy about it. After that, check with Dora too, as she has been thinking about making a permanent change with Mom, so she will have some input too." Harry nodded. "Ok, I'll do that. I just wish I knew what would make us all happy." Teddy chuckled. "You know I spent two years living in a Wizarding Tent with Mom, right?" Harry turned to Teddy. "Why?" Teddy thought how best to explain it. "Living in a typical house wasn't safe for us at the time, so Mom got a comfortable Tent and we lived out of it. Mom actually hunted our food and gathered wild vegetables for us. It was a rough time, but I never felt like we lost a home."

Teddy leaned back and stretched his arms before focusing on Harry. "Even without four walls around us, a fridge full of food or money in our pockets, I never felt like I was homeless. Because Mom was there. After Grandma died and we left my childhood home, I started to realize that. We could be in any house, hotel room or wide open field and it wouldn't make a difference. Because I knew where my home really was and that was just being by Mom's side. Maybe you should try to see it that way." Harry thought for a second and remembered the last two years at Hogwarts, as well as the rest. His first two years had been ok, if a bit stressful, and while the last two were still stressful, he never felt isolated or alone. He had some great memories with Neville, Susan, Hermione and Daphne, as well as the rest of his friends, yet the moments that seemed the most meaningful weren't in the Gryffindor Common Room, the Chamber of Secrets or in the Great Hall. They were when he joined Teddy with Hazel and Dora in the Chamber that had been set aside for them at the school. It had also been here, at the apartment, in the summer and winter breaks. Moments where he could just relax and be himself, safe in the knowledge that he was amongst family. That he was home. Harry took a deep breath and dropped the ward. "Hazel, do you have a moment?" Hazel turned around from the stove and smiled at both of them. "Sure. What can I do for you?"

Hazel sat at the table with Harry and listened to his concerns. She smiled. "You have nothing to apologize for, Harry. Trust me, I know the feeling." She pulled Harry into a hug. "My Godmother took care of me as soon as she could. Despite her being a fugitive, she dragged me all over Britain and Ireland, camping out under the stars, teaching me a little of the old family rules and just being there for me. Returning to Hogwarts was the hardest thing for me to do after that first summer with her, same as the next one afterwards. The house we lived in the second summer became a home to me." She pulled Harry back and looked him in the eye. "A year later I learned the hard way that the place was my home because of who lived there, not the walls or the paintings. So, how about we do this. We can have lots of fun with Si-" Hazel stopped herself for a moment. "Padfoot. We can have fun with Padfoot, Dromeda and Ted, as well as all your friends, in the summers and winters, spending time in all the houses, including Potter Manor. When you graduate, you come talk to me and Dromeda over what you want to do about your living arrangement and we will work it out together."

Harry hugged Hazel. "Thanks Mom." Hazel patted his back and kissed his cheek, while trying to avoid the butterflies he kept leaving in her stomach when he called her that. "Now, let's get back to working on lunch." She looked at Teddy and back at Harry. "Want to help out?" The two boys joined Hazel in the kitchen as Hazel sat back, giving them instructions, though like her, Harry knew how to cook, with Teddy having learned with her. When Amelia and Dora arrived, Hazel smiled as the food was being set on the table with the boy's help. The five of them settled down for a comfortable lunch as Dora and Amelia filled Hazel in on the goings on at the Wizengamot. Dora and Hazel agreed to make further sworn statements to answer any outstanding questions that the Death Eater legal representatives could have, but neither wanted to be in front of the Assembly, at least not without the help of the Legal Division. Amelia agreed and the conversation turned to the next year at Hogwarts, with Teddy going into third year and Harty into fifth year. Hazel and Harry smiled as Teddy gushed over starting Care of Magical Creatures and Runes. Harry looked around the table and smiled as Teddy and Dora rubbed their bellies and Amelia and Hazel sat back and drank some tea. Hazel and Teddy were right. It wasn't the place but the people that made a home. He was beyond happy he had found his.

Dora, disillusioned, looked through a pair of enchanted binoculars at the warehouse some distance away. The Observers and MI5 had managed to identify another possible site being used to handle enchanted items before the criminals passed them into the hands of terrorists. Dora had read Hazel's after action report on the warehouse she took out last year and could see the similarities. "O2 here. Six guards on the roof. A dozen or so moving about the area around the warehouse, all with bulletproof vests and what I assume are automatic weapons." Dora heard a man's voice respond. "LA here. Acknowledged. Vehicles ready to move into position." The comms went silent for a bit until a voice joined in, making Dora smile. "O1 here. We have twelve magicals inside the warehouse and an active wardstone. O2, prepare to take out the guards on the roof. LA requested minimal casualties and low magical presence. Silenced pistol and stunners for armored targets. I will disable the wardstone and the magicals. LA, the rest are yours." The MI5 agent chuckled. "Gladly. On standby." Dora lowered her binoculars and stretched. "O2, on standby." A few seconds later, Dora felt a shift in the ambient magic, followed by Hazel's voice over the comm. "O1 here, wards are down. Happy hunting." Dora took a running start and shifted into her owl form.

She could see the roof guards reacting to the commotion in the building, which gave her an opening to land safely on the roof and shifted. With her wand, Dora managed to stun two guards, before the other two responded. Vanishing from sight, she conjured a shadow form moving in the opposite direction, drawing the enemy fire. After stunning two more guards, Dora had to take cover from a hail of bullets shot in her direction blindly. "O2 here. I am pinned down on the roof." A few seconds later she heard an odd noise from the floor, just before the two remaining guards disappeared. Hazel's voice followed through. "Dealt with, as are the magicals. Still dealing with guards down here. Care to join the fun, O2?" Dora shook her head, first attaching the deployable wardstone after she apparated to her starting position to retrieve it, before shifting into a smaller finch and flying through the hole in the roof that she assumed Hazel made, the edges of the hole looking jagged as if broken down under water erosion and fatigue. She watched as shadow figures of people and dogs rushed through the interior, drawing the attention of the guards, before one of said figures fired back as soon as they dismissed it, taking several criminals down. Wanting to help without hindering Hazel, Dora made for the opposite area of the warehouse and shifted back to human form, before disillusioning herself.

Rather than letting her position be spotted from a distance, Dora made sure to stun the guards at point blank, using the armored but stunned bodies as shields when the weapon's fire was aimed her way. Hazel noticed her position and helped Dora by providing covering fire, using what she assumed was one of the automatic rifles from the guards to hit the ones that turned to take on Dora. The two synched up, catching the guards in a bind before successfully neutralizing all of them. A sweep of the warehouse returned many magical signatures, all of irregular forms stored within the boxes. Dora raised up her wrist. "O2 here, with O1. Warehouse roof and interior are secure." The lead agent of the MI5 forces responded. "Acknowledged. We have the outside forces under control. We are beginning to take them into custody. Get your targets and items out before we begin our sweep." Hazel raised her wrist. "Roger that." Hazel pulled out a bag from her expanded pouch and handed it to Dora. "Retrieve the wardstone and then attach the portkeys to the crates with enchantments in them. They will trigger with ours." Dora nodded and the two got to work attaching the portkeys to the various crates. After checking the amount, Hazel commed in. "O1, to BM and Q1. Contraband exceeds SH1's parameters. Switching destination to SH3. Have the staff make their way there."

Horatio, who had been quiet since the mission started, spoke up. "Acknowledged. Codes are as discussed in the mission briefing. Once the loot and prisoners are covered, you two are cleared to return to base." Hazel sighed in relief. "Appreciated." Hazel, latched onto six magicals, watched as Dora did the same, holding the deployable wardstone in hand and nodded. "Drake's Hord." The activation phrase triggered the portkeys and the dozen prisoners landed roughly on the ground of a smaller warehouse. After checking their prisoners were still stunned and cuffed, Dora went to the entrance as Hazel checked the security cameras. Three cloaked figures arrived and knocked on the door three times. "Here for a pickup and transport. Got any booty?" Dora chuckled at the code word coming out of Quetz' mouth. "We got the motherload. Standby." Hazel, seeing Dora's confirmation, disengaged the electronic locks. The two other Unspeakables started scanning the gear and one, a man, shouted back. "Same as the gear from last year, Quartermaster." Quetz clicked her tongue. "Great. That means the cabrones breaking the Statute are still out there." Hazel sighed. "Seems like it. We will hold here as security until you get the stuff checked fully before transport." Quetz nodded and Dora and Hazel kept an eye on the security monitors.

Quetz came back to them after a thorough sweep of the crates and weapons. "No trackers on the crates or on the items. Just the type of things we expect from a cargo that was already delivered." Hazel crossed her arms and sat back. "The Boss will have to get in touch with the other nations then. This isn't a good sign. If this much gear has made it to Britain, there is no way it hasn't arrived at other ports." Quetz nodded. "Claro. We will be transporting the loot back to base soon. Fill out the paperwork here and let's get ready to leave." Hazel and Dora noted down the times and entries before locking the system down and stepping out of the warehouse, joining Quetz and the Unspeakable as they prepared for another portkey ride. As soon as they touched down, several more Unspeakables arrived, followed by Croaker. "Good job, everyone. We will do a thorough check of these to see if we can match the enchanter or where they were made. We will get the Veritaserum ready to interrogate the captured Witches and Wizards as soon as we are sure they aren't on any nullification potions." Hazel nodded and handed Croaker the copy of the safehouse registry. "Nothing suspicious on a cursory scan and no trackers but it's up to you if you want to keep the Safehouse where it is." Croaker took the papers. "I will have Horatio reach out to Moody. The Cadets could use some fieldwork and an Auror presence will make it look like a rival criminal group was responsible."

Hazel hummed in agreement. "Anything from our cousins in MI5?" Croaker smiled. "Nothing but praise. The Obliviators erased all traces of the stunners from the criminals memories and replaced them with high impact non-lethal rounds. You two managed to stun the lead smuggler working the Scottish Highlands, not to mention his terrorist buddies. London will deal with the foreigners, but MI5 is happy with your performance tonight. We also got approached by MI6." Hazel raised an eyebrow. "I thought they dealt with external threats only." Croaker eyed Hazel. "Which these terrorists and their suppliers are. They are interested in joining the MI5 agreement and potentially requesting magical support. They also approached the ICW Observers, hoping their joint intelligence network can pinpoint the source of the unrest and black market enchanted weapons." Hazel and Dora shared a look and Dora responded. "We should be able to help but make it clear we do have domestic priorities. Long undercover assignments aren't our idea of fun." Croaker nodded. "I will let them know. For now, get some rest. Horatio will take your after action reports and debrief you in the morning." The sighs of relief on his two Operatives made Croaker smile as the two walked out into the hallway leading to the platform. He eyed the notes before turning to the Unspeakables moving the loot. The Department of Mysteries had a lot of work ahead of it.

"Anything else, Minerva?" McGonagall pulled her ledger back and hugged it to her as she looked at her mentor sitting behind his desk. "The Board is still requesting the name of the candidate you are nominating for the Defence position." Albus pulled his glasses off his face and rubbed his eyes. "I am afraid I have yet to decide, Minerva." The Deputy Headmistress frowned. "Albus, while Moody returning to the Academy was part of his agreement to teach here for a year, we already have another candidate. Remus turned in his request for the position with all of the expected documentation. Why aren't you reinstating him?" Dumbledore sighed. "While Remus was a wonderful teacher and is qualified, I am afraid his condition will draw unwanted attention to the school." Minerva raised an eyebrow. "To the school or to yourself? Your decision to drag out the Death Eater trials and attempts to get their opinion on whether or not Voldemort is dead hasn't done you any favors. Are you concerned that Fudge or his Undersecretary will do more than remove you as a delegate to the ICW Assembly?" Albus sat back. "Minerva, I merely wished to uncover the truth. While the Ministry seems to have done a remarkable job with the arrests and investigations into the Death Eaters, that doesn't mean they didn't miss something. Fudge is too… skittish to entertain the possibility that the dangers of a resurrected Voldemort aren't real."

Tapping her fingers against the ledger, McGonagall sighed. "Albus, I did what you asked me to do concerning Hazel Peverell last year and the year before that. I watched her whenever I could. She isn't some grand scheming woman possessed by a mad man. She is a deeply private woman who loves her family with a ferocity and gentleness that got my cat hairs to stand up straight whenever she was in one of her moods. I won't deny that her use of darker and dangerous magic is concerning, but her licence with the ICW and the authority she has as a Hit Witch gives her the right to use magics others would rather forget ever existed. Have you considered that the use of those types of magic is the reason Voldemort was captured?" Dumbledore nodded. "I have and that's why I am concerned. The spells and curses she used as confirmed by her oathbound reports make it clear she matched Voldemort blow for blow. She was his equal in power and knowledge and bested him through trickery. That can't be a coincidence. Despite your observations, I believe she is a danger to our world, at the very least. What's to stop one of our students from trying to live up to her capabilities? She may not be turning or gathering followers as Tom did, but I believe she is taking a more subtle and insidious approach."

Minerva pinched the bridge of her nose, her concerns over Albus growing. "And this relates to Fudge and your refusal to take in Remus, how?" Albus seemed to blush a little. "Right, right. I seemed to have gotten off track. As Peverell's influence grows, we need to retain a measure of power to thwart it. Selecting Remus again will draw the Undersecretary's ire and she will do everything in her power to influence Fudge on the matter. Remus is too easy a target for what remains of the Traditionalist and Neutrals and we can let them use the man as an excuse to affect the education of the students or what political power we still have." McGonagall sighed. She didn't agree with his statement. Remus had done a fine job as a Professor a year prior, with the exception of his early classes, though how much of that was Remus' decision or Albus' suggestion was something she still debated with Pomona and Filius. To keep him from improving as a teacher and continue to teach the students well was a mistake. It didn't surprise Minerva that the only reason the students of Hogwarts had improved their defence scores during the last two years was due to the training many took with Peverell, something Moody capitalized on and continued during the last year. Having a teacher who knew the effectiveness of what the Hit Witch taught and carried it on was something she knew was important.

Sadly, she knew that Albus would make up his own mind, regardless of her concerns. He was always more politically minded than focused on education, especially after his duel with Gellert Grindelwald. That it took her years to see it made Minerva so ashamed of herself. She had no idea which student Hazel had once been but it didn't matter. The woman had seen through her clearly. She saw her dependence on the man and her blindness and called her out on it. The Gryffindors had certainly been more vocal in the last two years and ever since young Miss Granger almost died, McGonagall had finally stopped holding herself back. Her duties as a Deputy Headmistress took a hit, resulting in delayed reports, but her Lions were showing signs of improvement. Well, most of them were. There was no fixing the Weasley Twins. She thanked the stars that their final year was at hand. Turning back to Albus, Minerva gave him a good look. "The Board won't wait much longer, Albus. They are eager to keep the quality of the Defence course established in the last two years. They might go over your head and appoint someone against your recommendations." Minerva's words seemed to stir something in him. "Yes, yes. Of course they would. I will get back on that. Have a good evening, Minerva."

As McGonagall walked down the hallways of the Castle on her way back to her office, her mind filled with her own thoughts. Thoughts she knew she would never have entertained a year ago. As long as Albus played politics with the kids' education, she knew Hogwarts wouldn't find any rest. The threats of the last twenty or so years had been all but silenced by the Ministry. Or more specifically, a certain Dark Witch who wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty. She knew the changes in the Wizengamot had something to do with her and Amelia. For the first time in years, things were looking hopeful. The death of Voldemort, the Death Eater imprisonments and, lastly, the education reforms. Britain was changing, clearly for the better, and Peverell was at the center of it all. If Albus was unwilling to accept the change or even recognize the truth that the woman was no Voldemort, then she needed to do something. Hogwarts couldn't afford to be left behind. Setting her ledger down on top of her office's desk, McGonagall eyed a bottle of scotch she kept on a bookshelf behind her. One shot from it later, she grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and threw it into the flames of her fireplace. "Bones' Office." The green flames flickered for a second and a familiar voice answered. "Yes?" Minerva squared her shoulders. "Amelia, it's Minerva. Do you have time? I would like to discuss some concerns of mine with you." She had at some point in her career placed the students' needs second to Albus' judgement. Never again.

Chapter 53: Dementors in the Skies

Dora fidgeted under the gaze of her parents as they sat in their living room alone with her. "Guess it's too soon?" Ted snorted, which made Andromeda turn from her side of the sofa to look at him, raising an eyebrow. "Something you want to say, husband?" Ted blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uhh, I mean. For some it might be too soon, but then again, you are a special case. And… I don't think we are to judge. You were conceived before Andromeda turned 17 years of age and we only dated for a year or so." Andromeda sighed. "We aren't exactly a prime example of a traditional progression of a romantic relationship, Dora. I was desperate to avoid a contract like the one that Bellatrix agreed to. So I looked for the one person I liked at Hogwarts who wasn't from a known family and dated him. In a way, Ted and I were quite fortunate that we fell in love at all, despite the pregnancy and my family's hatred of us." Dora nodded as her hand gripped a small box in her hand. Andromeda saw the box and looked Dora in the eyes. "How far are you willing to go, Dora? You have lived by her side now for years. You have seen her struggles and the parts of her she keeps hidden from most people. So, what have you decided?" Dora took a deep breath, searching her heart and mind for any doubt. She found none. Not anymore.

Looking her mother in the eye, she gripped the box a bit more tightly. "All the way, Mom. I love her with all of my heart and despite her troubles, I am willing to accept who she is in her entirety, just as she accepts who I am." Andromeda smiled and leaned forward to squeeze Dora's knees. "Then you have my blessing, Nymphadora." Andromeda and Dora both turned to look at Ted, who sighed. "No chance of you marrying a doctor or a clerk?" The glare from the two ladies made Ted raise his hands in surrender. "Just joking." He rubbed his wedding band with his thumb and looked at Dora. "While a part of me would have liked seeing you date someone less likely to break the law." Dora raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because I remember you showing me to the nearest concerts when Mom was busy at work." Andromeda leaned back and stared at her husband. "I suppose that's better than what I initially thought. That time I found lipstick on your shirt, I was certain I was going to let the Black Madness take over. You were lucky, husband, that it was Dora and not some young woman, who collapsed on you. Though we are going to have a talk about all the times you might have sneaked out behind my back."

Ted swallowed a lump in his throat. "I swear, dear. I never did anything inappropriate. Ever." Andromeda searched his eyes and nodded. "Good. Though we will still have a talk. Now, what were you going to say to our daughter?" Ted blushed softly before looking at Dora. "Ok, so maybe I had a part to play in your teenage rebellion. Anyways, while I can't say I approve of the type of person you are marrying, with regard to her issues with laws and rules, I can't fault you for the person you fell in love with. Hazel has been good to all of us, but especially for you. You have grown into quite the woman over the last four years." Dora blushed under his praise as Ted reached out and held Dora's hands. His brown eyes focused on her purple ones. "You have my blessing, Nymphadora." Dora made a face. "You promised not to say my full name." Ted chuckled as he sat back and lifted his cup of tea. "Sorry, Dora, but I will use it in full when it matters." Andromeda smiled at her husband and gave a cheeky look at her daughter. "So, when can we expect a grandchild from you two?" Dora's hair color shifted wildly. "Mom!" Ted chuckled after enjoying his tea before he noticed a change in his wife's demeanor. "Love?"

Andromeda got up from her seat and summoned her husband's wand before dropping it into his hand. She looked to her daughter, who was standing with her wand out and ready. "Mom, what is it?" Andromeda shook her head. "Something is affecting the wards. It feels… cold." Dora stared at her mother. "Cold as in ice or cold as in mental?" Andromeda took a second to think. "Both." Dora cursed. "Dementors." Ted frowned. "This is a muggle neighborhood. The hell are they doing out here?" Dora moved to the closest window and peered out through the pane of glass that was quickly frosting over. She pulled out her comm device from her wristwatch and placed it in her ear. "O2 to base. Dementors at the Tonks residence." The line was quiet for all but a second before Quetz answered. "Hazel has her unit off, same as Horatio. I will get to Hazel's apartment and send her your way. Keep your eyes open and don't do anything, stupid, coneja." Dora cast a defrosting spell on the window and watched as several people started exiting their houses in curiosity. "Damn it, Quetz. Muggles are stepping out of their homes. The Dementors won't care!" Dora went for the door and looked back at her Mom. "Get your kit ready and some Pepper Up Potion." Andromeda nodded as Dora stepped outside, locking the door behind her.

Invisible to all but her and her family, dozens of Dementors filled the air, a few coming low and clearly affecting some of her neighbors. "Quetz! If you get Croaker on the line, tell him to get the Obliviators ready. This isn't going to be easy to explain away." Her boss' voice responded. "Noted. I am contacting the department as we speak." Seeing a group of Dementors harassing an older woman, Dora rushed forward, her wand filling up with magic as she focused on her memory of the last Christmas dinner with the whole family together and of the smile on her lover's face. "Expecto Patronum!" The wand practically shoved back against her as a large dragon unfurled its wings, its roar rattling her ear drums and causing the Dementors to panic. Having the dragon swirl above her, Dora unleashed the Patronus in a widening spiral, forcing the creatures back and away from the people in the streets. The creatures, however, were relentless, diving in and attacking what they could, before the dragon could chase them down and away. Feeling irritated with the Dementors, Dora reached within her magic and drew on Hazel's, catching her partner by surprise, before she fed the magic into the Patronus.

The Dragon roared again, as it seemed to grow ever more defined and physical, before the luminescent creature unleashed white flames at the cloaked monsters. The sky was soon filled with the agonized screams of the Dementors, who no longer wished to continue their attack and vanished into the cloudy sky. Dora had the dragon fly around the air in a holding pattern until all the Dementors vanished, before cancelling the charm. Apparition pops filled the air, as Dora sighed, rubbing her long sleeve over her sweaty forehead. "Dementors are gone and Aurors are arriving." Her remark made her Boss pause for a moment. "Amelia hasn't sent them out yet." Dora had a bad feeling in her stomach, which dissipated after a loud crack drew everyone's eyes to her white haired and pissed off girlfriend. "THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" Dora watched as the Auror closest to Hazel tried to talk to her, pulling out a pair of restraints. She winced at the loud and clear noise of the Auror's face taking a direct hit from Hazel's fist, the man dropping onto the ground out cold, as the air suddenly felt heavy with magic. More apparition pops echoed across the street as Dora saw a familiar mane of brown hair among them. She hoped the Head Auror got these guys under control, before Hazel drew her wand and started doing it herself.

"We got word on the one who killed our lord, as well as some ideas for breaking out." Rodolphus Lestrange leaned on one side of the cell bars, listening to his brother, Rabastan, relay the information. The planned breakout was slowed down by the fact all information had to be relayed exactly from one cell to another, rather than all at once. It also had to happen when the human guards were not on shift. As dreadful as the Dementors were, none of them cared about the witches and wizards plotting and talking. All they cared about was making all the prisoners suffer. Which made their absence today, of all days, quite noticeable. Though some Dementors were still around, the number missing was large enough to be noticed with the warmer temperature of the air and the absence of the mental weight the Dementors tend to impart on the prisoners. Rodolphus looked to the opposite side of his cell, through the bars, and noted that even Bellatrix was in a pleasant mood. "Who will be helming the breakout for the most part?" Rabastan chuckled. "Who do you think? Rockwood volunteered. He's taking advantage of the lack of Dementors to get his brain working better. He says he might have a viable plan in a month or two. Three at most."

Rodolphus kept his eyes on his wife. "Good. That's better than drooling on the floor. So, what was this about the killer of our lord?" A piece of stale bread was passed to him and Rodolphus snapped it in half before he started eating. Rabastan filled him in. "Your brother-in-law, the one with the platinum blonde hair that made all the girls swoon back at Hogwarts, got arrested. Same as many of our missing fellows. They started passing their story around, trying to get some sympathy from us, no doubt. Anyways, the sneaky bastard says a woman by the name of Hazel Peverell was the one who not only arrested the Dark Lord, but executed him in front of a courtroom full of hidden witnesses. The jury, as expected, are ghosts. That leaves Peverell as our main target." Rodolphus frowned, lowering his remaining bite of bread. "I thought the Peverells were dead." Rabastan shrugged as he swallowed his own piece of food. "Old Lucy says she was probably a Mudblood but the witch didn't behave like one of Dumbledore's people. Gutted people with curses just like any other Death Eater. She apparently took out a bunch of unmarked punks with the Carrows at the World Cup. Left a bloody smear and several houses extinct. Our boys tried to go after her but the law is more welcoming to Aurors with a backbone now."

That brought a bitter smile to his face. "Bet you old Dumbledore is fuming. This bitch stole his thunder and went around killing Death Eaters like a Death Eater." He turned his head to Rabastan. "You sure she ain't one of ours? You know, from those broads you tended to bed every other week back outside?" Rabastan waved his hand. "Doubt it. I am not the one who likes the crazies." Rodolphus reached through the bars and gripped Rabastan's throat, his voice low and his words growled out. "Careful, brother. My wife is as much a Lestrange as us. You saw her enjoy herself as she left that Longbottom whore a drooling mess. I ain't letting anyone talk shit about her. Not even you." Rabastan nodded and his brother released him. After a few deep breaths, Rabastan started talking again. "Fine. Sorry I brought it up. Doubt the bitch who executed our lord was a groupie though. Apparently, she's a Hit Witch. One of the best. Do you want to call dibs?" Rodolphus looked across to his wife's cell. "Not for me. Our Lord enjoyed Bellatrix's zeal. If we want to make a comeback, we need to play this smart and get the message across. Letting Bellatrix turn this bitch into hamburger meat ought to be a good enough message." Rabastan sighed. "And here I thought you were going to be nice and offer me some sloppy seconds."

The two chuckled until a high pitched voice filled the air. "You two boys done snogging yet? Because I would like to have words with my husband." Rabastan shuddered. "Now lovely, you know we aren't Amycus and Alecto. Also, no offense to my brother, but I prefer my dates to…" Rodolphus reached out and covered his brother's mouth. "Do remember we are all trying to get out. My wife might not let you leave the cell if you piss her off." Rabastan shrugged and responded as soon as the hand left his mouth. "Yeah, yeah. Talk to you later, Rudy." Rodolphus, picking up the piece of bread he broke off, moved to the opposite side of the cell and leaned against the same bars that separates him from his wife. He handed her the bread. "Brother got some. You need to eat more." Bellatrix leaned against the bars, her head resting barely on his through the bars. "You know, most women would take offence to that." Rodolphus chuckled. "True, but you aren't most women, love. Care to hear what Rabastan has heard from the grape vine?" Bellatrix ate the bread silently as her husband shared the information. She sighed at the end. "At least Lucy was good for something." Rodolphus hummed in agreement. "Think your sister will help us out after the breakout?"

Bellatrix licked her grimey fingers. "Hard to say. Narcissa married the man because he actually bothered to treat her right. Well, at least for the times we could actually talk to each other. She was barely a believer, but she didn't find the fighting all that grand. If the others outside got gutted and served up as fodder, Cissa won't be looking to get herself into trouble. With little Draco, that's almost guaranteed, especially now with our Lord being gone." Rodolphus sighed. "We need to plan what happens after the escape. Going back to our homes will be too obvious. Sure, it might draw out this Peverell Witch to us, but it's also a bad place to get pinned down. One shot of Fiendfyre and the house will go up in smoke." Bellatrix rested her head back against his. "We will have to send out feelers to the old safehouses. If the Aurors found them, then we are just going to have to improvise. Maybe take out a muggle family and use their home." Rodolphus shuddered and Bellatrix snickered. "Not my first choice, but we have to be careful. We can't put up much of a fight right now. We need to get strong again, before we show this bitch and the cowards in the Wizengamot their place." Rodolphus nodded. "Fine. For now, we need to let Rockwood work his magic." The air suddenly filled up with an unnatural cold. Bellatrix's lips quivered. "Breaks over, apparently." The Death Eaters suffered through the effects as the Dementors returned. All they could do now was endure. Until the time was right.

Hazel leaned back and watched as the kids played magical tag with each other in the grounds of the Greengrass estate. Julia had volunteered to host the birthday party this year at her family's estate and despite Hazel's sense that the woman was up to something, she decided to go through with it. When she called her and asked if she could host the party a day early, Julia didn't hesitate. Like the one from two years prior, plenty of the kids who were friends with Harry and Neville turned up, with one notable exception. She wasn't sure if Mrs. Weasley had a brain or not that wasn't operated by Dumbledore, but the man's belief she was either Voldemort, or at the very least a threat to the wellbeing of the Weasley family, made Hazel shake her head. The Grangers, who only tracked the story from what they got from the Prophet, arrived at the estate and thanked her profusely for her service. Apparently, Mr. Granger's father was a soldier in the Second World War and took part in the later stages of the war, rounding up Nazis who were doing their best to hide from the Allied Forces. That the man equated her actions in the last few years to what his father did made her blush. Hazel was at least thankful that Hermione had improved as a person.

Said bookworm was currently seated with Theo next to Daphne and Harry, looking over the myriad of books that Harry received as gifts. Hazel had already noted the reading habits of her two boys, making sure their rooms in the Ministry had large bookshelves and that her plans for the eventual Peverell Estate included bookshelves in every room. Based on the amount of books Teddy read, she had a feeling the family was going to be a lot more intellectually inclined in the coming years. "Thinking of children or murder?" Hazel turned to a smiling Julia, who placed a glass of red liquid in front of her. Hazel raised an eyebrow and the woman chuckled. "It's sparkling grape juice. Your girlfriend was quite clear on keeping you off alcohol." Hazel sighed in relief and after checking it for potions, drank from it. "I can't say I wasn't considering murdering a certain pink toad. Sadly, Augusta, Amelia and Saul all disagree." Julia sat down beside Hazel and drank from her own wine glass. "A shame. The woman would deserve it. She came by the last Board of Governors meeting, trying to submit her name as the best candidate for Defence Professor. She even brought a "revised" curriculum for the course. None of it was ICW certified, the course work she suggested would have left the students woefully unprepared for the OWLs and NEWTs and she had the gall to threaten us with Ministry interference if we disagreed."

Hazel rubbed her face. "What the hell is her problem? The Traditionalists are in shambles, Fudge seems to be getting some measure of a backbone as he fights back against Dumbledore's rhetoric in recent weeks. Does she want to fail the students and blame Dumbledore or is there something else?" Julia shrugged. "I try my best not to think about what goes on in her head. Probably too close to my dead husband's mind for my taste. My best guess is she wants to be the one to hand Fudge dirt on Dumbledore and get his approval for it. Her being proactive will look good if she ever tries to run for Minister." Hazel shuddered. "The fact certain morons would vote for her only makes it worse in my eyes. The woman is a megalomaniac with delusions and racist ideas." Julia chuckled. "Oh, I agree. Safe to say, the Board denied her request. She lacked the NEWT scores to qualify." Julia looked at Hazel expectantly and the white haired witch sighed. "I am not taking the Defence position at Hogwarts." Julia pouted. "You could, you know? Your Mastery in Transfiguration and your NEWT score in Defence is good enough. Pretty sure you could earn a Mastery in Defence if you tried for it." Hazel waved her hand. "Not interested. What I learned to fight the Dark Arts I will pass to someone who needs it, not a bunch of school kids."

Julia sighed. "Then I am going to have to see if Remus will take the job again. Dumbledore refuses to suggest anyone with the credentials for the job." Hazel hummed. "Best of luck with that. The man was, at least, wise enough to not go hunting for Greyback." Julia lowered her glass. "Are you on his case yet?" Hazel finished her drink and placed the cup down. "He and his pack have kept a low profile since the war, potentially using unturned people to fetch food. If we get word, Ops will end him, but for now there is nothing we can do but keep our eyes and ears open." Julia nodded and looked over Hazel's shoulder. "Well, I have to check on dinner with the elves. My offer still stands, dear." Hazel rolled her eyes. "I said no." Julia smiled at her as she walked by. "Wasn't saying that to you." Hazel blinked until Dora sat down beside her, a wine glass in her hand. Hazel glared at her. "Something I should know about, Nymphadora?" Dora took a moment to drink her wine. "Nope, nothing." Hazel's eye twitched. Dropping the subject, she turned her attention to the kids, watching as Teddy and Harry, in their Animagus forms, played with the others, often tripping them by taking out their friend's legs from under them. Dora smiled. "I am glad Umbridge's court appointment didn't ruin this." Hazel nodded. "She is petty for sure. Here is hoping Croaker gets the evidence he needs to send her to Azkaban."

Dora hummed. "At least no one got hurt. Well, no one but the Auror whose teeth you busted in." Hazel shrugged. "Dawlish was a prick. He was lucky I went for his face, not his balls." Dora and Hazel spent a quiet moment watching the kids, including Harry being ridden by a squealing Susan on his back as a Lion, before Dora stood up. "Walk with me?" Hazel took Dora's hand and the two walked along the edge of the Greengrass gardens, with a black wolf following their movements. Eventually, they reached a water fountain and the two sat down next to it. Hazel nudged Dora's shoulder. "Thought fountains would be a new problem for you, after the Third Task." Dora stuck her tongue out to Hazel. "Yeah, right. My only recurring nightmare from the Tournament is the bloody Acromantulas." Hazel chuckled. "Yeah, I can see that." Dora started fidgeting. "I was going to give this to you tomorrow, but with the Wizengamot meeting called and the birthday party moved to today, I think it's better for me to give it to you now." Hazel blinked as Dora pulled out a long felt box. Hazel took it into her hand and opened it. She smiled at the beautiful metal chain bracelet before her eyes widened on what was bound in it.

With Hazel distracted, Dora kneeled down before Hazel, as the guests and family watched in the background, hiding behind hedges and trees. Hazel pulled the chain out, as a ring, decorated with celtic knots and a large stud of a purple colored gem, hung from the chain. She finally registered that Dora was kneeling down in front of her, her form shifted to its natural state, purple eyes staring at her warmly. "Hazel Peverell. For four years I have gotten to know you for who you really are. While we have only been together as a couple for a year and a half, I have no further doubts as to what I feel for you." Dora took the chain from a stunned Hazel's hand and presented her with the ring. "I love you, with all of my heart. Will you marry me?" To the surprise of everyone, Hazel's hair seemed to cycle into every possible color until it settled on a surprising and familiar black color, until it softly faded to her usual white with black streaks. Tears traced down her cheeks. "Yes, Nymphadora Tonks. I will marry you." Dora's smile was blinding as she slipped the ring onto Hazel's finger before her mind blacked out as Hazel pulled her up and kissed her deeply. The torrent of emotions and magic that filled Dora left her breathless, at least until she heard the witnesses, who had given up being quiet.

The two spent the next few minutes receiving congratulations from everyone, including Julia who gave them both a knowing wink, before they all went inside for dinner. The meal was far less lavish than Hazel expected from Lady Greengrass, which seemed to have gone well with the children, all of whom enjoyed their time together. The party winded down after the elves brought out the massive birthday cake and Dora chuckled as her now fiancée cringed through the birthday song, though all the kids, including Teddy, smiled at her reaction. With most of the guests leaving prior to collapsing from a food coma, Dora took a brief shower as the boys did the same, now back at their apartment. Her fianceé joined her in their shared bed, a pensive look on her face. "Something on your mind?" Hazel looked at her and nodded. "I… there really was no good time to say." Hazel turned towards Dora, her hands fidgeting. "You need to know that… I can't get pregnant. As in I physically can't carry a child to term inside of me." Dora blinked. "Did Mom… ?" Hazel nodded again. "My Andi noticed it first and told me about never having the chance to have a child of my own. Dromeda checked and found that there was nothing different here. I … you needed to know."

Dora pulled Hazel into a side hug. "It's ok, Hazel. It doesn't change anything. I am also going to guess you picked your words carefully?" Hazel leaned in and nuzzled Dora's neck, making the pinked haired woman sigh in pleasure. "Yeah. I could technically get you pregnant with my child. I just wanted you to know I couldn't carry our child for you." Dora kissed Hazel on the lips before her purple eyes focused on Hazel's. "Like I said, it doesn't change anything. Unless this is your way of asking me if I want a baby soon." Hazel gave Dora an amused look. "As much as Teddy and Harry might like to be big brothers, there is too much going on right now to bring a child into the world. Once everything settles down and you are feeling up to it, then we can talk about having a baby." Dora smiled. "Good. Let's get some rest. Tomorrow, you have a Wizengamot session to listen to." Hazel's mood didn't go down at the mention of the session and the two settled into the bed, limbs wrapped around each other as they relished each other's presence alone. Despite the chaos of the last few days, neither of them had a problem sleeping well that night.

Ted Tonks watched as Hazel took her seat next to him, a soft smile on her face. He smirked. "Good afternoon. Had a decent morning today?" Hazel chuckled. "We did. And no, you can tell Andromeda she won't be a grandmother just yet." Ted smiled. "Good to know. Guessing Dora is watching the boys today?" Hazel nodded. "With all the things going on, Teddy and Harry agreed to stay in. I'll be picking up the book list for them both as soon as this waste of time is over." Hazel's eyes scanned the Wizengamot Chamber, seeing that most of the people present were unhappy to be there. The last session had barely been a few days back, with the conclusion of the last of the Death Eater Trials, at least those pertaining to the Wizengamot's authority. Several Death Eaters had been charged by the ICW for breaking international law and were extradited to Luxembourg to be tried and likely sentenced. It surprised Hazel to learn that Lords Yaxley, Rosier and Avery were both charged with illegally smuggling people in and out of the country, mainly Dark Witches and Wizards from Continental Europe that sought to take part in the first war. The raids on their Ancestral Homes revealed ledgers that, while not entirely helpful as several peoples names were either false or missing, allowed the ICW to cross reference the absence of certain magicals in the continent. The paper trail between the Death Eaters and the terrorists in Europe would help shed some light on just who was fighting in the war.

Lord Rosier's name was of particular interest to the ICW. Of the Ancient Families of Britain, the previous Lord Rosier had been the greatest outspoken supporter of Grindelwald. The man had sent some of its members to fight in the years prior and during the war. Ledgers and invoices found in the Rosier home suggested that he and his son after his death were part of the terrorist smuggling operation that seemed focused on spreading Grindelwald's message and terror throughout the magical communities. Word that many of these sympathizers remained terrorizing the German and Balkan people made Hazel wary. The ICW and local Aurors were doing what they could to resolve the situation but the terrorists were too well hidden. Croaker's suggestion of helping MI6 in external missions came to mind. She needed to have a chat with Badawi and the ICW Observers. Maybe, just maybe, they could work on eliminating this threat before it too got out of hand. The progress in the last four years in interweaving magical and non-magical law enforcement agencies was steps ahead of the isolation of her world but until the dangers were eliminated, the Statute's security and the possibility of a catastrophic collapse remained high.

The sight of a diminutive woman wearing pink drew Hazel out of her thoughts and raised her hackles. Ted watched as red arcs of magic jumped across Hazel's fingers. "Hazel, dial it down. We aren't here to fight." She turned to the man. "Quite calm for a man who was part of the likely targets of those Dementors. Has it occured to you that she targeted you deliberately as well? You have been dismantling all her proposals since you took my family's seat." Ted rubbed his face. "I am aware that my family was probably targeted and that she was the likely perpetrator. I understand that she probably wanted all of us dead. We still need to be careful and calm about this." Hazel reined her magic back. "Fine, we will do it your way. I still reserve the right to gut her if she goes for the kids." Ted smiled. "I would expect nothing less." Hazel watched as Dumbledore took the stand at the Chief Warlock seat and took up the gavel. The man's reputation since the Voldemort execution had taken a massive dive. His constant warnings of remaining dangers and the possibility that Voldemort might yet return had driven many of his more reticent supporters straight into the Coalitions hands. The fact the Coalition treated them all fairly and allowed them to voice their concerns and even vote against proposals of their own free will left many with a greater appreciation of the work being managed by the Three Ladies. The term had been one used by Padfoot in jest but it stuck, much to the amusement of everyone else.

Dumbledore struck the gavel down hard. "This Session will now begin. Aurors, please seal the doors. Director Bones, please inform the Chamber as to the reason why this emergency session was called." Amelia stood up. "A few days ago, dozens of Dementors left the confines of Azkaban and traveled deep into British territory. It is believed they acted on orders to target a particular magical family, as they were the only likely target in the area. Said family were the Tonks, most of whom were in the residence at the time of the attack. Hit Witch Nymphadora Tonks took note of muggles exiting their homes out of curiosity due to the environmental effects caused by the Dementors. Fearing mass casualties, she cast the Patronus charm, forcing the creatures away from the muggle population, while Aurors from the Improper Use of Magic office, acting under orders from the Undersecretary, arrived at the scene and attempted to arrest Hit Witch Tonks, unaware of the circumstances that permitted her violation of the Statute." Hazel closed her eyes as the toad interrupted Amelia. "Ehm, ehm. It seems you are forgetting to mention that another of your Hit Witches also violated the Statute by apparating into the situation in front of the muggles." Amelia turned her head and glared at Umbridge. "Hit Witch Peverell arrived on the scene after receiving a frantic message from her partner concerning the Dementors. She wasn't there to deal with the Aurors nor was she aware that the situation was already under control. She had every right to arrive there as she did."

Clearing his throat, Dumbledore interrupted the discussion. "Ladies. Perhaps it's best we return to the issue at hand. While the Prisoners at Azkaban weren't able to take advantage of the absence of the Dementors, the movement of the creatures is of great concern. Have we discovered anything about who ordered their release?" Amelia sighed. "According to the Warden, the orders arrived from the DMLE's offices. I have personally interviewed my staff and found that none of them were responsible. Auror Dawlish, and his team from the Misuse of Magic Office, however, did point to Undersecretary Umbridge as the one who ordered them to investigate a possible breach of the Statute of Secrecy at the Tonks Residence. Would you care to tell us how you knew of this breach, Dolores?" The toad raised her nose and huffed. "I do not appreciate your insinuation, Amelia. An informant of mine told me of the breach. I simply made sure the matter was handled adequately. There was concern that the source of the breach could have been an underage student. We can't have children endangering the safety of our world. This is why muggleborns and magicals who refuse to live within our communities are a threat. This entire situation would have been inconsequential otherwise."

The chamber filled with whispers as Dumbledore stroked his beard. "Undersecretary, did your informant mention who was the target for the Dementors?" Amelia bristled. "We have yet to prove that there is an informant at all. This may be all the doing of the Undersecretary." As the woman blustered and refuted Amelia's claim, Hazel turned to Ted. "What are the chances that she has a scapegoat, either from an Imperius Curse or a Confundus Charm?" Ted sighed. "In this case? Quite high. She is stressing the informant too much. The DMLE will find this person and probably hit a dead end." Ted frowned as Umbridge continued to answer Dumbledore's question. "It's hard to say, really, who the real target was. While it's possible it was the boy, it could easily have been the family. Had Auror Tonks not been there, it could have ended with the death of her parents, leaving young Mr. Potter without a proper guardian." Sirius stood up at that. "I can assure you, Madam Undersecretary, my godson would have been taken care off. Regardless, the concern is unwarranted. Nothing happened, which leaves us with figuring out who released the creatures." Dolores smiled. "Perhaps you could enlighten us, Lord Black? As a former Auror and Azkaban inmate, you would be ideal at figuring out what to do to get them away from the prison."

Hazel had a bad feeling. "She's trying to sow doubt among everyone." Ted nodded and looked towards Dumbledore. "And it seems she found a recipient. Dumbledore has been critical of Sirius' condition since he refused to rejoin the Order fully." Dumbledore looked at Hazel surreptitiously as he stroked his beard. "Perhaps this investigation should be headed by another person. If Lord Black had anything to do with this, it would place you in a difficult spot, Amelia." Dolores smiled. "I am sure the Office of the Minister- '' Amelia cut her off. "If that is true, I would prefer to hand the investigation to Observer Badawi. He has the neutrality and the skills required to see an impartial investigation through." Dolores glared at Amelia as Badawi stood up. "I would have no problem leading the investigation." Dumbledore nodded and eyed Hazel and Ted. "Might I suggest removing Harry Potter from the custody of the Tonks family? His placement there seems to be endangering them." Hazel growled and raised her voice. "Mr. Potter's safety and wellbeing couldn't be in better hands. The Tonks family endured quite a bit of difficulty at the hands of the wider Black Family during the previous war. They endured then and they will endure now." Dumbledore turned to her. "Is there a reason you are so inclined to leave the Tonks family vulnerable, Lady Peverell? Perhaps you should also be placed under investigation concerning this case. You certainly became quite familiar with the Dementors two years ago."

Ted had less than a second to reach out to Hazel before something started to happen. The entire Wizengamot Chamber began to shudder at first, before it started to shake in earnest. Hazel's voice came deep and filled with such power that the Witches and Wizard next to her recoiled. "You dare! You dare to insinuate that I would endanger the lives of my partner's family? My fiancée's family?! I ought to walk down there and show you what I am capable of, you bastard!" Ted reached out and held Hazel down by her shoulders. "Easy Hazel, easy. This isn't the place for this." Hazel turned to him. "The hell it isn't! I am tempted to challenge him to a duel right now and shove that wand of his up his ass!" Down at the Chamber floor, Dumbledore visibly paled at the thought of a duel against her. Or more precisely what would be at stake. Badawi cleared his throat, trying to defuse the situation, even as his eyes tracked the shaking of the chamber. "I don't believe the custody of Mr. Potter is as contentious as you make it out to be, Chief Warlock. However, I have to ask what your obsession with the young man is about. Ever since the boy's custody was changed into its proper hands, you have been exceedingly focused on removing him from his family. This latest incident, compounded by your political and alarmist calls to arms, would seem to indicate a dangerous precedent in your behaviour, one unsuited in the administration of a school. I would suggest the Board of Governors of Hogwarts should convene to determine if you are still fit to remain as Headmaster."

Hazel's anger simmered down, with the shaking of the chamber ending during the Observer's suggestions to the assembly. She leaned back and sighed as Dumbledore tried to refute Badawi's words. Julia rose up and addressed the chamber. "Regardless of your protestations, Dumbledore, I believe it's about time the Board of Governors reevaluates your suitability for the position of Headmaster. Your response to the incidents at Hogwarts in the last few years and your inflammatory statements in recent weeks will only damage the perception and state of the students and the Castle as a whole. We will convene a meeting within the following days to deliberate. Until then, I believe we should allow Observer Badawi to conduct his investigation of the incident." Dolores huffed. "What of the improper behaviour of the Hit Witches Tonks and Peverell?" Badawi pinched the bridge of his nose. "The matter was addressed properly by both of them. The Obliviators dealt with any problems quickly and the Aurors you directed had no right to attempt their detention without investigating the situation adequately. That will be all. I will convene with the DMLE as soon as this session concludes." The Observer's words left many of the Wizengamot members nodding in agreement. Hazel, discreetly, kept her eyes on Dumbledore as he brought the session to an end. He may have maintained a calm expression on his face, but his posture was quite stiff. His little stunt seemed to have backfired on him. Hazel doubted, though, that he would let matter lie.

Albus Dumbledore made his way down to Level 9 of the Ministry, with a particular chamber in mind. Ever since the execution, he had dreaded what he would find down there. Now he needed to know. Despite Peverell's claims and the chance that Dolores Umbridge was making her own political moves, he simply can't ignore the danger the woman posed. If the prophecy was still active, then there was still hope. Hope that the Boy Who Lived could escape her clutches and conquer the Dark once and for all. Finding the prophecy active could also help convince the Order to act against her, rather than simply sitting back and observing as she deepened her grip over the Wizengamot. They needed to do something, before it was too late. Finding the correct corridor, Dumbledore opened the door leading into the Hall of Prophecies, as rows upon rows of shelves held over a thousand years worth of prophecies, just as many left unfulfilled as fulfilled, leaving the Unspeakables with a lot to study. Dumbledore made his way deeper and deeper until he reached the prophecies made in the late seventies. Eventually, he reached the one with his initials on it and stared at the darkened orb. "How?"

A voice answered his question. "Like all the other ones, Albus. By the conditions being fulfilled." Dumbledore turned towards The Director of the Department of Mysteries. "Harry Potter did not vanquish Voldemort!" Croaker blinked at the old man and hummed. "Is that what it said? Interesting. Regardless, the magic that governs the prophecies says it's resolved. This particular one was resolved the day Voldemort was executed." Dumbledore shook his head. "No, fate cannot be wrong. The orb failing has to mean something else." Croaker sighed. "Albus, what do you think we study in this Hall? Fate? There is no way to know, understand or even guess as to the existence of Fate. Philosophical and even metaphysical concepts of higher powers, while interesting in thought exercises and debates, are not to be trifled with. No, what we study here isn't whether Fate exists at all or that it's infallible. Here we study the impact the choices the human race has on prophecies. Every prophecy that we gather is preserved. We wait for it to be resolved before reviewing the information surrounding its initial recording and it's resolution. Interpretation, not Fate, is what matters to us. How a person interprets a prophecy in the moment versus with hindsight. You heard this prophecy as it was made, right? Well, your interpretation wasn't the only one that mattered, apparently."

Dumbledore stared at the orb, running every word of the prophecy through his mind. "I spent a decade agonizing over the prophecy, Saul. I know what the meaning behind it's words were. There is no chance I was mistaken. Voldemort marked Harry Potter as his equal. Only Mr. Potter can vanquish the Dark Lord and only the Dark Lord can vanquish Mr. Potter. That is the boy's fate. It can't be wrong." Croaker rubbed his chin and smiled. "Tell me, Dumbledore, are you familiar with the tale of Oedipus? Like you, the man heard a prophecy. He agonized over it, interpreting it as it was when he first heard it. So consumed by fear of what was said to come, he forsook home, family and honor. Years later, the prophecy was fulfilled, despite his attempt to escape it. Or perhaps it's better to say it was fulfilled because of his choices directed at preventing it's fulfillment in the first place. Poor interpretations and a series of bad choices resulted in his prophecy being fulfilled in spite of him. He could have chosen to do nothing and the prophecy would have remained unfulfilled, as so many are left here." Croaker lifted his hand and waved it around. "This Prophecy of yours is no different. You heard it, you interpreted it and thought you knew the answer. Yet choices made by people around the life of one Harry Potter could have altered the events needed to fulfill the prophecy. Fate is, after all, ever changing." Dumbledore sighed and walked past Croaker. "Fate is absolute. There is no choice, no actions that can disrupt the will of Fate. No, this merely means I need to prepare. I had hoped Mr. Potter would succeed in fulfilling his destiny. It seems the opposite has come to pass."

Croaker stood quietly in the narrow space of the Hall of Prophecies, his eyes focused on the darkened orb. From the moment Hazel arrived, the orb had reacted oddly as dark swirls of smoke filled it before fading to white, as if it was being fulfilled. The moment it went fully dark, Croaker knew. He knew that they had succeeded in one of their duties. "Sorry Dumbledore, but you are wrong. Sometimes Fate must give way to choice. If a person's choices are irrelevant, then free will would truly be an illusion. That simply cannot be allowed to ever be true." He thought of Hazel, driven to the edge of desperation, resorting to modifying an Archway to break the laws of time and space, all to save the life of her son. Her sheer force of will and the power that she wields allowed the impossible to become reality. If there was one person in the whole world that proved that choices mattered, it was her. Lily Potter's love saved the life of her son, but in so doing she bound the boy to a most cruel fate. So it was no surprise to Croaker that Hazel's love of her son resolved that fate. Hazel Potter, of what she had revealed, lived her life as fate's chew toy, the choices of others driving her into fulfilling the prophecy of her world. Here, she had the choice to sit back and do nothing. She refused to be so callous and the life of an orphan was spared. Her choices, her will, had saved the lives of thousands. Croaker turned around and walked out of the Hall of Prophecies, hoping that Hazel's choices would eventually save the lives of billions.

Chapter 54: The "New" Professors at Hogwarts

"This meeting of the Board of Governors will now begin. I would like everyone to look at the documents in front of them. These were provided to us by the DMLE, as the case they were investigating was relevant to our discussion today and were concerned about the repercussions at the school." Julia sat back and watched as the rest of the Board read the file the DMLE submitted concerning Dumbledore's activities as Headmaster. While several members would know some of the content, such as Lord Doge and Augusta, most would be surprised by the latest bit of evidence. Amelia had certainly been surprised when Severus Snape walked into her office and agreed to be interviewed fully, with evidence of memory vials being provided. The man revealed the agreement he made with Dumbledore in an attempt to save Lily Potter after he inadvertently endangered her life by revealing the existence and first few lines of a Prophecy. Dumbledore's decision to keep him at the Castle as the Potion's Master, despite the fact he hated teaching, was driven by the old man's desire to see if any changes occured with Snape's Dark Mark. The excuse of being an infiltrator for the Dark Lord in Dumbledore's seat of power made the assignment the perfect cover. Bitter over the death of Lily Potter and his less than pleasant assignment, Snape maintained his cover as a staunch Death Eater supporter and watched over the children of the other Death Eaters.

Things changed for Snape as Harry Potter's years at school began. He had been ordered by Dumbledore to maintain his cover, meaning he was excessively cruel to the boy in class for all of a year, which wasn't hard considering the boy's similarities to his father. Snape's cover cracked when Harry returned the second year, emulating his mother's preparations in Potions. As the years piled up, he simply couldn't continue to maintain the charade, having been made aware of the dangerous behaviours he had been fostering. Now that the Mark was gone and the Dark Lord was dead, Snape decided to air out all the secrets he accumulated. Memories of Dumbledore's instructions for how to treat Harry, Snape's warnings about the danger the students were in throughout the second year and his recommendation to acquire the Restorative Potion early, the discussions he had with Dumbledore on Harry's performance in the Triwizard Tournament, as well as recent discussions with the Headmaster who asked about the potential effects of using potions to help Harry Potter distance himself from the Peverells. Left out of the report were Snape's own crimes committed as a Death Eater. It took days of discussions before a compromise was reached with the DMLE concerning his own actions. Severus Snape would essentially be under house arrest, working at an offsite potions research lab of the Department of Mysteries. The prodigious Potion Master would be allowed to pursue his calling, under strict supervision, for the rest of his life.

Finishing the file, Lord Doge closed it and sighed. "This certainly paints a less than pleasant picture." Lady Abbott, Hannah's mother and a recent addition, scoffed. "That is putting it mildly. Purposefully endangering the students, blackmailing a Professor, fostering bias and prejudice in the school. This is utterly unacceptable." Augusta nodded. "I agree. I believe our Chairwoman's comments in the Wizengamot are accurate. The danger this behaviour poses to the school is immeasurable." Doge leaned forward and rubbed his face. "The fact his own Deputy Headmistress has recently made the same recommendation makes refuting this report unlikely. While I would like to hear Albus try and explain himself, I am more than willing to consider his employment terminated. Now, the question is if we consider McGonagall a proper replacement." Augusta spoke up. "The fact she facilitated him for the last few years should be a concern, not to mention her own track record as a Head of House is very lacking." Julia hummed. "I agree that Minerva McGonagall's track record is spotty but the fact she brought her concerns to us at all speaks to a change in her character. Also, while her track record as a Head of Hogwarts House is indeed poor, her track record as a Deputy Headmistress is not as bad. In fact, evidence suggests she was handling more of the Headmaster's duties than was required of her."

Doge rubbed his chin and looked at the rest of the Board of Governors. "I think Julia has it right. Her failing as a Head of House was the fact she was also a Deputy Headmistress and teaching a class with a full workload. Reducing her workload to just being the Headmistress should be conducive to her professional improvement. Though this would create another problem regarding the staff of Hogwarts. We are already missing two Professors and one Head of House. Elevating McGonagall will add another two vacancies that need to be filled." The members nodded in agreement and Julia sighed. "Regardless, we can't allow Dumbledore to remain as Headmaster. The solution was bound to bring with it complications. Perhaps we should table the staffing discussion until after we deal with the man?" Seeing everyone nod in agreement, Julia summoned both Dumbledore and McGonagall to the Governor's Chamber. The old man looked over the faces of the Governors. "Gentleman and Ladies, I am sure the suggestion of removing me from my position was only a spur of the moment thought. There is no need to take such a drastic action." Julia leaned back and raised an eyebrow. "Really? Then let's start with the obvious. Who have you selected as a candidate for the Defence Professor post?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "I am afraid I have yet to find someone willing and qualified." Augusta sighed. "Really? Because we heard you received two offers. One from Sirius Black, though everyone in this chamber who knows the man personally can attest to that being a bad idea." The Governors who grew up with him shuddered at the memories while Minerva suppressed a smirk. Julia lifted up a paper from her desk. "The other came from Remus Lupin, who despite his condition and his initial performance as a teacher, remains a pleasant memory to the recent students. He is qualified to take the job and should have the curriculum from two years ago still prepared." Dumbledore frowned. "I agree that Mr. Black is unsuited. As for Remus, the man is a decent teacher, but I was under the impression he had personal business to attend to and wasn't interested in the position." Julia lowered the paper. "As this was submitted yesterday after the Wizengamot meeting, it seems you were mistaken." Dumbledore's eye twitched as Augusta spoke up. "You also claim all is well at Hogwarts, yet several events have taken place at the school that endangered the students. While we do not blame you for the reason those events took place, your reactions, or lack of reaction, are of concern. Your latest comments about how Voldemort is not dead and how we must prepare for the worst are not only causing distress among the people, but could harm the students."

Julia noticed that Dumbledore's expression shifted a little, but he quickly hid it. She wondered if what she saw was real regret, though she doubted it was due to his actions. "Everything I have done has been for the Greater Good of the School, it's students and of Wizarding Britain." Doge eyed his old friend. "That might be the truth, but as it stands the Board has to take the school's needs into account as well. As far as we are concerned, the war is over. Causing further upheaval with inflammatory statements and endangering the lives and wellbeing of the students by continuing to spread your own opinion without regard for the school cannot be tolerated. Based on recent events and the evidence of misconduct over the years, the Board of Governors hereby releases you from your duties as Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." The rings that denote the Governor's position in the school all glowed as they recognized the intent of their owners. Julia watched as Dumbledore swayed as control of the wards was stripped from him. "You… you don't know what you are doing… the enemy is still out there! You are weakening the defences of the Castle!" Julia glared at the old man. "No, you have done that yourself. We requested that the Castle's wards were to be repaired. You delayed the Wardmaster's inspection. Continued attempts by you in deciding unilaterally what is and isn't in the best interest of the school, against the Board's decisions, is now unacceptable."

The door opened and two Aurors from the DMLE stood just outside. Amelia had sent them to the Board, just in case Dumbledore refused to abide by their ruling. "Please escort Dumbledore to his chambers. One of us will join you as you escort him to his office to verify that all school property remains within the grounds." Dumbledore searched the eyes of all the Governors and seeing no support for him among them, the man lowered his face and left the chamber quietly. Julia turned to McGonagall. "The Board has debated the choice of elevating you to the position of Headmistress. This would of course require you to nominate a Deputy, Gryffindor Head of House and search for a Transfiguration Professor to take your place, beyond the issues concerning Potions, Slytherin and Defence. Are you interested?" Minerva took a deep breath and sighed. "I believe there isn't much choice in that regard. The Castle needs an administrator and I am the only person that knows how to manage the school." Julia chuckled as she leaned back. "True, but we did have to give you an option. It was only fair." The other Governors chuckled as Doge steepled his hands. "Now then, I suggest you contact the other staff members and find your replacements. Mr. Lupin is also waiting for a letter regarding his employment."

Minerva nodded. "I will send it as soon as I am able to. I will be contacting Horace Slughorn to take up Severus' positions as well, if only temporarily. For the position of Deputy, I was thinking of asking Pomona or Filius. Depending on their answer, I will call another meeting to cover the necessary interviews. As for the Transfiguration position." Minerva went silent for a second as Julia watched her rub her eyes. "My pick for apprentice sadly passed on in the war and no other gifted Transfiguration Masters have appeared on the scene. Since I doubt you will be hiring Albus to teach after all that has happened, I am sadly required to look outside of Britain for the position." The Board discussed the situation with each other as Julia bit her lip. "What are the chances of getting a decent Transfiguration Master that speaks English?" Minerva shook her head. "Not high. All of the ones I know of already have positions within their own schools. I am unaware of anyone having the Mastery without being committed to an academic institution." Julia sighed. She had the distinct impression her next words were about to ruin the possibility of her fantasies being fulfilled, but the school needed a competent teacher. She hoped Dora could get through to her after this. "As a matter of fact I know of an adult in possession of a Transfiguration Mastery. Though we may need to negotiate… terms before she agrees to the position."

Hazel sat in one of the chairs of Croaker's office, one of her feet tapping the floor in irritation. "We know Umbridge was responsible for the Dementors. We have the evidence that proves it." Croaker sat back and sighed. "Circumstantial evidence, Miss Peverell. Unfortunately, that is all it is. The woman covered her tracks well. The paperwork exists but is so incomplete, it's worthless as evidence. That and we confirmed that the man who submitted the paperwork was afflicted with a Confundus Charm. They never saw the person who cast the spell as they simply submitted the form to be processed and issued the order." Hazel eyed her boss as Dora entered the room with Horatio, the former taking a seat next to her partner and the latter resting his back against a bookshelf, his arms crossed. "No evidence of an Imperius Curse?" Croaker shook his head. "None. Like I said, she skirted the issue well. Fortunately, Amelia has given her full support to the employee that got screwed over. They won't take a pay deduction, though they have been moved to a less secure position, for their safety and the DMLE's. The department is also making it harder for something like this to happen again by making sure all offices are manned by at least two people and Occlumency training is now mandatory for those who process orders."

Horatio snorted. "About damn time. Still not as well as having the entire staff being resistant to Mind Magic." Croaker turned to his Division Head. "She is working on that with the Academy for the Cadets in the final years of training. Getting the next generation to be safer is much easier than reshaping the current DMLE to its core." Hazel sighed. "Which is why she is still letting Order members to be within the ranks of the Aurors." Croaker turned back to her. "Indeed. Our Legal Division is looking up old employee binding contracts that can be used to prevent further infiltrations by any other organized groups. Getting the wording right is far more tricky than anticipated." Hazel sighed before she watched Dora handing Croaker a letter. She had a sinking feeling as Croaker looked over the letter and tried to look at Hazel surreptitiously. He failed. "Something you want to share with me, boss?" Croaker hummed and passed the letter to Horatio. The man read through it quickly. "It wouldn't be impossible but it would make our next year of missions a bit more challenging." Hazel felt her stomach sink. "What?" After snatching the offered letter, Hazel read through it before she tossed it onto the desk. "No." Croaker eyed her. "You are literally the only person for the job. The Board is looking for alternatives from MACUSA and Australia, but no one is free this year."

Hazel glared at Croaker. "We have been at Hogwarts for two full years already. Sure, the criminals were quiet the first year because of the Dementor infestation on the island and the second year the dead Death Eaters at the World Cup made most of them jittery to even try getting their hands dirty, but the current power vacuum is too massive. People will try to fill in the gap left by the arrested Death Eaters. You need all hands on deck." Horatio nodded. "All true, but we don't need you to be active the entire time. McGonagall can fill in when you are out on missions." Hazel stared at Horatio. "I may have a Mastery, but I am not qualified to teach kids." Dora snorted. "Amelia and the rest of the Coalition whose kids you tutored would disagree." Hazel rubbed her face. "I meant academically! I need to prepare these people for OWLs and NEWTs. I might be able to follow the curriculum McGonagall or anyone else started but there is a reason Defence still has the least steady grades of the Hogwarts courses. I can't teach the NEWT students what they need to know if I don't know myself how far along they are! Starting their education anew would be a mistake." Croaker leaned back and Horatio looked at him. "She has a point. A full position might be too much and detrimental to the school and the Division."

Croaker turned to look at Hazel. "Would you be willing to handle the students up to fifth year? I am sure McGonagall would understand and she could handle the last two years of students while you deal with the rest." Hazel sat back and thought quietly. Sure, she would be teaching both Teddy and Harry, not to mention all the kids she has been tutoring. That wouldn't be so bad. She was just so tired of Hogwarts. The last two years were helpful in burying some of her issues and she can say that she and Teddy were ready to trust each other with being alone for a few months. Hazel was very proud of her son. She could feel his anxiety still, but he has been able to ignore it at school. His friendship with the Carrows and Astoria, while unexpected, had done him wonders, drawing him out of his shell. Harry had also improved, overcoming some of the issues that plagued her at Hogwarts. The bond he and Teddy had built was a surprisingly strong one. Hazel didn't keep tabs on the boys all the time, as a way of showing that she trusted them, but she had a sinking feeling that Harry would potentially ask her to make their new relationship official. While she wasn't against it, she was concerned about what that could cost him in the long run. She also had to decide if Harry's Occlumency training was far enough along to tell him the truth. Though with Snape and Dumbledore gone from the school, the danger of a Legilimens probe was far lower.

Hazel looked up and focused her eyes on Croaker. "Fine. Up to fifth year is acceptable. However, I want you to run a few questions of mine by Legal. If I get asked, I don't want to cause any unnecessary stress just because I can't give a definitive answer." Croaker eyed her for a second and nodded. "That would be acceptable." Horatio spoke up. "We will work on how to get your freedom of movement increased to leave the school on short notice. Especially as the Board can now bring in the Wardmaster. Though there is concern over how hard it might be to update the wards at all." He turned to Dora. "Now, part of the reason we are agreeable to this is the concern over Dumbledore's machinations. Removing him from the school impedes his ability to act directly on anything dealing with Harry Potter. Having Hazel there too will keep his attention on Hogwarts and not on where she might be spending her nights. We have no issue with you spending your evenings there, as added security, but be prepared to run intelligence gathering missions on your own." Dora nodded. "I am ok with that." Croaker lifted the paper. "We will get in touch with the Board and the Department of Magical Education about your acceptance." Hazel stood up from her seat. "Fine. Let them know I will be following the ICW guidelines. The old Hogwarts curriculum is too slow for my tastes."

Dora followed after her fiancée as she left the office. "I thought you would be more accepting of the offer." Hazel turned to Dora. "As pleasant as teaching is, I love being an Operative, Dora. I prefer taking things slow in between missions. It lets me make my preparations easier. Now I have to delay the work on our future home again because I have to grade quizzes, tests and all the work a teacher has to do in between classes." Dora rubbed Haze's back. "I suppose that's a problem. Have you figured out where you will be setting down our roots?" Hazel leaned into her before wrapping her arm around Dora's waist. "I have it down to three locations. There is one that has a larger plot of land than the rest but it needs some extra work and lots of negotiations. It's still over a leyline and within a short broom ride away from Potter Manor." Dora smiled. "Sounds perfect. Need any help?" Hazel sighed and ran her free hand through her hair. "Not right now. Legal, Financial and a Ministry realtor I hired are working on it. When it's time, I will let you know." The two chatted away until they reached the apartment. Hazel looked around her oddly silent apartment. "Andromeda took the boys home?" Dora nodded, biting her lip. "Yeah, I… asked them for some alone time." Dora barely finished her sentence before Hazel's lips were on her and she was being guided into the bedroom for a well deserved moment of peace.

Harry took his seat next to Hermione at the empty end of the Gryffindor table, both of them sporting the Prefect badges on their robes. His friends had all congratulated him on making Prefect as they got on the train, while Katie Bell took her place as Gryffindor Captain. With Oliver gone, Angelina and Alicia pursuing Quidditch careers after graduating, the Gryffindor team was in desperate need of new members. Harry had considered dropping out of his position as Seeker to focus on his studies, but Hazel and Teddy both supported his enjoyment of the sport. He decided to wait until after the year ended, all the while training the new teammates. Ginny, who was trying out for Chaser, was his pick for replacement Seeker, but they were going to go and make do with a larger group of reserve players, just in case. Harry watched as Ron came and sat next to him. "Feels weird, not seeing Dumbledore up there." Both Harry and Hermione looked at the staff table as McGonagall placed parchments on the Speaker's Stand. For the first time in years, the Staff Table looked so different. He was ok seeing Remus back there as Defence Professor. The man was decently smart and had been around a few times when he visited Sirius at Grimmauld. He was particularly proud when he asked Sirius who he was really dating between Remus and Amelia. The looks of indignation on the two Marauders were priceless, as was Amelia's laugh.

Hagrid and Plank were chatting away excitedly, meaning they might be getting some new Creatures in Care. Hagrid had been overjoyed with his position as Plank's Apprentice, after getting his OWLs and NEWTs completed, not to mention getting his old wand repaired. Plank just seemed happy with leaving the more dangerous stuff to Hagrid, which the Half Giant didn't mind at all. Though he heard there was some debate between them as to a breeding experiment that was left aside. The other side of the table was the one that was so different with the absence of a certain man. Snape had personally apologized to him about everything that happened between them and left Harry with two books when they met at the Ministry. One was Snape's own annotated edition of "Moste Potente Potions", which was an interesting reading experience. The man may have been a horrible teacher but he was a great Potions Master. The second book had stunned Harry as he read a handwritten Manuscript that was titled "A Guide to Safe and Effective Potion Making: Advanced Brewing and Preparation Techniques." Beneath Snape's name was his mother's. "Your mother and I had worked on this together since our second year. I had half a mind to burn it after our falling out in the latter end of our fifth year, but I never could bring myself to do it. I had intended to approach her again after the war and apologize for everything, but that never came to pass. I believe it should be yours now."

Dora had told him that if he ever wanted to chat with Snape about Lily, all he had to do was ask, as the man was essentially working offsite in the Department of Mysteries Potions Division, completing a Community Service agreement after he turned himself in and confessed to everything that Dumbledore and Voldemort had asked of him. He took his time reading the manuscript, no longer as driven to read about his mother's talents. Snape's replacement, a slightly balding man in a well tailored cream and brown suit scanned the Tables before turning to chat with Filius, all the while avoiding talking to the short woman next to him, her pink clothes making Harry miss Dora as well, as he looked away. At the center of the table, where Dumbledore and his golden throne once stood, were three plain wooden chairs, all empty. As soon as every student was seated, McGonagall cleared her throat. "Welcome all to another year at Hogwarts. As is abundantly clear to you all, we have a great many changes to announce. These will be addressed after our first years are Sorted." The doors of the Great Hall opened and the little kids walked into the Hall, their eyes taking in the Enchanted ceiling. Hermione spoke up to him. "Remember to stay to help guide the new ones to the Common Room entrance." Harry nodded and was about to comment on Sprout being the new Deputy Headmistress when his eyes landed on a familiar head of braided long white hair and green eyes.

"The hell is she doing here?" Hermione turned to the redhead beside her. "Ronald, that's rude! She has been a great guard and teacher!" Ron shrugged. "Sure, for a Dark Witch. You should have heard my Mom talking about her. She's certain it's her fault that Dumbledore got sacked. My mother was actually looking up whether or not we should return to Hogwarts with Dumbledore gone. If she is here, I bet you my family will be sending a few letters." Harry sighed. "Ron, Hazel works for the DMLE. She is probably here because of her work." The redhead, seeing the disapproving look from Neville, kept quiet as the students were sorted. As soon as the last person was seated, McGonagall spoke up. "Welcome to Hogwarts, everyone. Allow me now to go over our important announcements. As you are all aware, I will be acting as Headmistress for the coming year, after which the Board of Governors will evaluate me as to whether my position will be made permanent. Pomona Sprout has happily agreed to take the position of Deputy while retaining her duties as Head of Hufflepuff for the coming year as Professor Babbling gets acquainted with her future role as the next Head of Hufflepuff House." The Hufflepuffs cheered and clapped at the announcements, causing Pomona and Babbling to visibly blush at the outpouring of support.

Minerva clapped as well. "We all look forward to an interesting year as we welcome back Professors Lupin, to renew his teaching position as Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, as well as Professor Slughorn, who has replaced Severus Snape as Head of Slytherin, as well as reclaimed his previous position as Potions Master. Madam Pince will be shadowing him this year before taking over as Head of Slytherin House next year, while we then begin the task of looking up future prospects for the position of Potions Master. Professor Slughorn was kind enough to leave retirement to help us in these changing times." The students gave him a more polite welcome as the man stood up and bowed, before taking his seat again. Minerva looked back over the students. "Now, the Position of Head of Gryffindor House will be taken up jointly by Professors Vector and Lupin, until the Board determines if Lupin should be offered a permanent position as Head of House and Professor. As many of you know, Professor Lupin is a Werewolf, but as with his prior time of employment here, he will be contained in a safe location under guard during the Full Moon. There is no danger to anyone who doesn't go looking for it." The students of the Gryffindor Table clapped, though Harry noticed that the woman in pink looked scandalized.

The Headmistress addressed the students once more. "Now, as Headmistress I am not allowed to permanently teach a class that encompasses all seven years of student education, so I have stepped down as the Transfiguration Professor. For all of my older students, I will continue teaching the NEWT level classes for the rest of the year as we search for a permanent replacement. For the students up to fifth year, I would like you to give a big round of applause for Professor Peverell, your new Transfiguration teacher. She has agreed to place her career on hold as a Hit Witch to teach for the coming year alone, as she is the only other person in Britain with a Transfiguration Mastery besides myself and our former Headmaster, who was not considered for the role." The silence from the students turned to loud cheers from the third year students onward as Hazel visibly winced at the loud noise. She turned to the Headmistress and bowed politely before following Pomona to their seats. Minerva seemed to chuckle at the student's support of the woman, before addressing the woman in the pink cardigan. "Lastly, due to concerns over the inflammatory comments that led to the changes in staff, the Ministry has appointed Dolores Umbridge, formerly of the Improper Use of Magic Office, as Inquisitor. She will be verifying that no further causes of concern remain in the Castle. As a standard reminder, the Forbidden Forest remains forbidden to all students, though we are working on changing that thanks to the aid of the Centaurs. Mister Filch has updated his banned items list so be sure to check it before we confiscate them. You have one free week before we begin enforcing it. Now, let the Feast… begin."

Harry and everyone clapped as the Headmistress left to take her seat, with Pomona and Filius to her sides. Hermione turned to Ron. "See? Told you there was a reason. Weird she has a Mastery in Transfiguration and not Defence as a Hit Witch." Harry started serving his meal. "I asked her about her scores once. She had to retake them after her first ones came out horrible. She has O's in NEWT Defence, Charms, Transfiguration and Dueling. She could technically take the Defence Mastery, but I think she doesn't want it." Ron scoffed. "Of course not. She'd be outed as a dangerous Dark Witch if she did. Probably get sent to Azkaban with the rest." Hermione raised her voice. "Ronald! That's a horrible thing to say. She spent the last two years guarding the students!" A young girl with sandy blonde hair tugged at Harry's robe. "Is the White Haired Witch bad?" Harry saw Ron opening his mouth and waved his hand at him, silencing him, before he could answer. Harry turned back to the girl and smiled. "Some people will say that she is, but she isn't. Are you muggleborn or magical?" The girl blushed. "Muggleraised. Dad died before he could tell Mom he was a wizard." Harry's smile faltered. "I am sorry for bringing that up. What you need to know is that Professor Peverell is like a cop for magicals. When people do bad things to others, she intervenes. The job needs her to know how to counter and fight bad guys, so she knows how to fight like them. But she isn't bad. Trust me, you will probably like her. She's nice when she gets a full night of sleep."

The girl giggled and went back to eating, the other first years who had been listening doing the same. Harry turned back to Ron and ended the silencing spell. "Ron, Hazel is my family. She has been like a mother to me in the last two years. If you can't say anything good about her, then fine. But you don't get to make the kids scared of her. She's here to teach and keep everyone safe. She doesn't need to deal with your Mom's ramblings." Ron's cheeks turned red. "My mom doesn't ramble! And she is a Dark Witch. You know she is! How can you just gloss over that like it's nothing?!" Harry sighed, regretting ever lifting the spell. "Because despite all of that she has looked after me from the first time we met. She is the most caring person you could ever meet if you don't get her mad. She has a dangerous job and she does it despite how it can make her feel at times. Because she cares about me, about Teddy and about the students who don't go hurting others with words or spells. Now please, drop the conversation before I silence you again." Ron glared. "You will go Dark if you stick around her, you know that right? You will end up just like her and Voldemort." Harry glared. "I won't. Because unlike Dumbledore and anyone else, she doesn't force me to believe what she says to be the absolute truth. She trusts me to know enough to make up my own mind and I have. She is my family and I care about her as she cares about me. That is all that matters."

Harry went back to his meal and to chatting with Hermione peacefully as Ron sulked. He would glance up at the staff table a few times, seeing Hazel chatting with Sprout and McGonagall. Sensing his gaze, she looked at him and smiled, making him smile back. The last few weeks of summer had been surprisingly peaceful. Sirius was busy with helping Remus out with the Defence curriculum, adding his own suggestions to liven up the class, while Hazel and Dora had been busy exercising and training. There were a few times he and Teddy were allowed to join them in a massive Training Room where they could easily let loose. Yet, unlike the year prior, Hazel focused less on defensive and offensive spells and more on utility. After he, Susan and Daphne lost their mock fight, Hazel decided to teach him disillusionment, as well helping him improve his ability to feel magic. The exercise proved easy enough to master after his Animagus transformation. Curious for a second, he allowed his other senses to dull and focused on feeling the magic around him. He winced a little after getting bombarded with so many sensations at once. But as soon as the sensation passed, he made a cursory glaze of the Hall. The spots of magic he assumed were people felt so distinct from each other. He eventually dropped the feeling and went back, wondering for a second why Hazel's felt different from everyone, though it certainly didn't feel like there was anything wrong. While everyone else's magic felt like a ball of warm energy, her's always felt cold.

Hazel sat back against the desk of the now bare Transfiguration classroom. Besides the bookshelf behind her and the stacks of parchment and boxes on her desk, the room consisted only of the students' desks, seats and the windows that showed a clear early fall sky. She had her arms crossed over her chest, her wand tapping onto her shoulder as she waited, her unruly stomach the only sign of her nervous state. Her first class was going to be with the first year students. Harry and the others had warned her that some of the younger kids might be scared of her, as the older students would debate the merits of her being a Dark Witch that worked for the Ministry in front of them. Hazel was actually glad there were some debates on the matter at all. Back in her old world, people were too eager to label people as Light and Dark, as if the distinction would define them for the rest of their lives. That her Godmother was labelled as a Dark Witch for decades, despite the fact her greatest skill was Healing, showed just how unbalanced the discussion was. Here, however, the students seemed actually curious about how she could be a Dark Witch, yet still work as a Hit Witch, enforcing the same laws that many thought condemned her. While she had no intention of converting or teaching anyone how to be a Dark Witch or Wizard, there was some pleasure in seeing everyone take their time to think, rather than follow the herd blindly.

As soon as the last students took their seats, Hazel checked the clock hanging on the wall. "Everyone here is on time. That's good. While I won't be exceedingly strict about you arriving on time to my class, please make sure you do." Hazel uncrossed her arms. "Good morning, everyone. My name is Hazel Peverell. I am a Hit Witch and your Transfiguration Professor for the coming year. Now, for my first question. Who here has read the first chapter of the course book?" Hazel watched as most did raise their hands, minus a few scattered around. She nodded. "I want you all to arrive by the next class having read and completed Chapters two and three. For those who weren't able to read ahead, I will paraphrase what you all should have read." Hazel walked up the small aisle between the desks, seeing the various expressions on the Gryffindors and the Ravenclaws. One of the decisions made by the Board was to do away with the fixed groups of students that shared classes. Every year would now have the classes shift who they studied with, with the hope that the change would help the students interact better with the other houses. "Transfiguration is considered one of the most difficult disciplines to follow in magic. The reason for that is easy enough when you compare it to Charms."

Hazel tapped the side of her head with her wand. "Transfiguration requires a greater deal of concentration, visualization and even imagination, coupled with the usual requirements of power, will and intent. There is a reason that most students who graduate focus heavily on Charms. No offence to Professor Flitwick, but Charms are among the easiest spells to achieve." Hazel aimed her wand at her desk. "Wingardium Leviosa." The desk lifted up in the air as the students watched. "You point the wand, do the movements, though you will all eventually learn how to cheat that rule, say the incantation, another rule which you can later ignore all together, with the right power, intent and visualization. Easy enough that by the end of the school year you will all be bored with the spell." Leaving the desk floating, Hazel walked up to the students. "Transfiguration is the art of changing the form of one item into another, temporarily. If you want a permanent change, do well in your Potions class. By the sixth year you can then take Alchemy. Now, because these spells are temporary, many witches and wizards will just dismiss them as worthless or pointless. However…" Hazel summoned books from her bookshelf and placed them before the students. She then took her wand and, one by one, tapped the books. The students were mesmerised as Hazel transfigured the books into a variety of items and creatures.

A young blonde Gryffindor girl watched as the book became a potted bonsai tree, while the boy beside her watched as his book turned into an intricately carved drinking glass. At the end of the long desk, the book was transfigured into a black cat that stretched out as if awoken from a nap, before it proceeded to rub itself against all the kids in its row, purring happily. The kids watched everything with clear wonder in their eyes as Hazel returned to her desk, which slowly descended to the ground. "The truth, the real truth, is that so much of what we see is temporary. By this time next year, your hair will be longer, your feet bigger and your skills with magic a far cry from this moment. But just because something is temporary, it doesn't mean it's worthless. There is beauty in a blooming flower because you know it might not last. You love a pet with all your heart, even as you fear they might leave you one day." Hazel held out her hand and restored the books into their original state. She smiled. "And while all the wonders that populated your desks are now books once more, you know that the magic to make them into something else, something beautiful, exists. It's real and it's inside all of you. And that is why I am here. By the end of this year, you will all be able to create every beautiful and wonderful thing you saw on your desk. And then, as you hone your skills…"

Hazel waved her wand about the room and the students watched as the plain walls of the classroom were covered in the flags of each of the houses. Suits of armour took form, spears and swords held at attention, beside every window, all of which changed from typical clear glass into beautifully ornate stained glass windows, each one depicting magical creatures in all their majestic glory. " … you will one day reach the pinnacle of Transfiguration; Conjuration. The ability to create anything your mind envisions, and that is within the realm of your power, from magic alone." Hazel held out her hand to the kids and they watched as an egg took form in it, before it started shaking, the surface cracking as a tiny falcon hatchling broke free. The infant's wings opened and the bird took flight, soaring over the students. Hazel smiled. "I will be getting you all started on some Conjuration a bit early, if only because it helps improve your control and it can be dead useful. So, now that I have your attention, let's get started." Hazel waved her wand and boxes landed on the tables of the students. "As you open the boxes, you will find two important objects inside, an ink well and some strips of parchment. The first important item inside is a stick I collected from the Forbidden Forest. The other is the most basic form of a dip pen made of wood and iron. Your exercise for today? Making the stick a dip pen. Quite handy, right? I know I broke my fair share of quills out of frustration alone."

The kids chuckled and Hazel walked through the center aisle again. "I want you all to spend a minute or two inspecting the dip pen. Feel its weight in your hand, the toughness and sharpness of the iron point. The texture of the wood handle. Using the provided ink well and with the parchment, practice writing with it. The easiest way to visualize something is to live it. A memory can be just as potent as a vivid imagination. So take your time and focus on the pen before you." The kids did as she told them and Hazel watched as the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor first years practiced with the pens. As soon as she noticed they were all comfortable, Hazel waved her wand at the stained glass windows, turning them opaque. "Now for the hard part. The means of casting effectively is determined by how attuned you are to the magic that runs inside of you. I want you all to hold out your wands and close your eyes. Focus on the memory of the moment you first held your wand. That sudden rush of energy that seemed to travel down your arms. Focus on that feeling, relive it. Try and see if you can grasp the sensation and maintain it." Snuffing out the lights, Hazel sat back and waited. The dark room slowly but surely filled with bright points of light. "That's it. Keep the feeling. Sustain it for as long as you can."

Restoring the light and the stained glass windows, Hazel levitated the sticks of wood in front of the students and placed the pen beside them. "Now focus on that feeling, point the wand at the stick and repeat the incantation. "Calamum Intinge." Visualize the stick becoming the pen. The pen that you weighed, practiced and focused on. Use the memory and the image and cast the spell." A spattering of Latin later and Hazel couldn't help but smile as the students turned to each other excitedly. Walking amongst them, she could see most of them got it just right on the first try. She stopped by a few who only got a partial change and she guided them through the mental exercise again. Eventually, all the students got the spell to work perfectly. Hazel clapped her hands. "Excellent work everyone. 25 points to Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Now, let's practice reversing the change. While there are spells like Finite Incantatem, there are also Transfiguration exclusive spells. Refocus on the feeling of the magic running through your arm to your wand and use the incantation "Reverto." Make sure you aim at the transfigured pens. The others won't change at all." The kids all nodded and within seconds they all had their sticks in front of them.

Hazel had them practice the Transfiguration repeatedly, asking to try lowering their volume as they practiced casting, while focusing on how the magic reacted as the spell was cast. "As you all might have noticed, whispering increased the amount of magic pulled from you. I want you all to practice while changing the volume of your incantation. Get a feel for the flow of magic in you. When you go see Professor Flitwick, I want you all to try and do the same with the Lumos charm. You will see the way the flow of magic and the incantation affects the spell. This is the first step in learning how to cast silently. You all will have five years to get the skill down, but having a good control of your magic early makes casting spells easier at any moment." Hazel eyed the time on the clock and started summoning back the boxes of materials, leaving the stick, inkwells and the parchment. "You are welcome to take the sticks with you and continue practicing the spell at your own pace, though the parchment and ink provided were conjured so they will vanish by the end of the day. Take them if you want to practice your penmanship before they fade. As stated at the start of class, read up to Chapter Three in your textbook before the next class and bring some pieces of parchment to class. Now, let's go over a few things concerning Transfiguration. Raise your hands and ask. You have until the end of class."

After answering a few questions as to the limitations on what they could or couldn't transfigure by the end of the year, the students started packing their bags when the warning bell rang, with all of them leaving the classroom, chatting away happily and gesturing excitedly, as soon as the proper bell rang. "How did I do, Headmistress?" Hazel watched from the corner of her eye as a disillusionment spell dropped and Professor McGonagall appeared from behind the professor's desk. "How long did you know I was there for?" Hazel chuckled. "From the beginning. Your Animagus form has done wonders for your ability to walk softly, but I could still hear and see you. Price of paranoia and training, I am afraid to say. Though it wasn't a bad attempt." Minerva nodded and her gaze turned towards the empty doorway. "I must admit, I am impressed with your methods. They all mastered two spells today, one not usually taught to first years. The same for the lesson in how to tap one's magic far more easily, though the results certainly speak for themselves."

Hazel shrugged. "Kids will think of magic as both a wonder and as a tool. Teaching them a spell that serves a purpose in their everyday life gives them motivation. Hand them a sample of the expected target gives them a clearer image on what to visualize. Teaching them how to feel their own magic makes it easier for them to know when they are casting and when they aren't. All together, the end result can be quite predictable. As the lesson in sensing magic will aid them in other classes, I felt it was worth teaching it to them. Gives them more time to experiment." Minerva opened one of the boxes and held one of the dip pens. "Haven't seen one of these in years." Hazel hummed. "As the owner of a magical bird that is protective of its feathers, and based on my own personal experience with snapping quills, the choice was an easy one to make. I was thinking of teaching the students how to transfigure a fountain pen at some point. Let them try their hand at something more complicated. I was going to ask some of the kids I helped tutor these last few years if they can try it out so I can get a feel for when to ask it of the students. My best guess would be by the end of second year."

Minerva nodded as she returned the pen back to the box, her eyes searching the classroom that was currently occupied with all the remaining transfigurations and conjurations. "I take it you are leaving it bare on purpose?" Hazel nodded as she finished taking down her notes on the morning's class. "Students learn and are motivated by teaching through example. Show them what's possible at their skill level and they will feel motivated to try it. Show what lies just beyond their current level and they will work harder for it." The miniature falcon landed on Hazel's shoulder and she rubbed its head feathers. Minerva's eyes never left her. "You could stay here, you know? You are clearly a gifted teacher." Hazel sighed as she lowered her finger from the bird, before it vanished, along with all the other Conjurations and Transfigurations in the room. "It's pleasant enough, but I would get bored of it quickly. Besides, the only difference between the two of us is that I spent my years at Hogwarts struggling with my magic. The struggle helped me see and understand how magic behaves in the human body and all around us. Finding ways to build on that is what you just saw." Minerva lowered her gaze. "I wish to apologize to you, if I played any part in your difficulties at school." Hazel looked to Minerva as she prepared for the next class.

Seeing the honesty in the old Scottish woman's eyes, Hazel sighed. "I appreciate the sentiment. I want you to understand that whatever issues I had with you, I have made peace with them. You, Minerva, spent too much time focused on the job, the school and on the man who taught you the ways of Transfiguration. Like you and everyone else, I am a product of my own past. I…" Hazel took a moment to gather her thoughts. "I will also admit that I never truly got to know my Head of House back then. I was focused so much on my resentment and pain that I never tried to get through to anyone who disappointed me. What you have done for the school and the students this year… I believe it makes up for any mistakes you have made in the past." Minerva kept her face a bit impassive before she shook her head. "I don't believe I can let go of them so easily. I should have known better. I should have been able to see that I was failing my students." Hazel felt the students approaching the classroom. "In hindsight, everything is easier to see. If you still feel some guilt, then make sure you focus on doing the best you can for Hogwarts from here on out. The Castle and the students deserve a great Headmistress. I believe you could become that. In time."

"Gods do I miss meeting up in the Chamber." Teddy smiled as he watched his friends taking their seats in a previously abandoned classroom that Hazel had repurposed for them. With the dangers of Lord Voldemort gone, the Chamber had been restored to its original state and the DoM was reaching out to several Parselmouth Mages from India in the hopes of getting the remaining wards dismantled. Not wanting to leave them all empty handed, Hazel looked for the largest abandoned classroom and placed the library's worth of books from the Chamber there. She hoped that McGonagall turned it and several more rooms into places where the students, regardless of house, could get together and study, just as the students she tutored were doing. McGonagall was apparently receptive to the idea, as was the Board, but they wanted to wait for the next academic year to announce it fully, with the kids of the Coalition essentially acting as the trailblazers for the project. "Considering we could have been left with nothing, this is perfectly fine, Astoria. Mom also said to write up any changes we might want to get the place to feel more comfortable and she would try to adjust it whenever she had a free moment."

The younger Ravenclaw pouted as Luna, who was seated next to her, lifted her head. "Do you think we could get paints and canvas? I love painting but I tend to run out of materials too quickly." Teddy thought for a second. "I think she won't mind, though she will probably get supplies for everyone evenly. I go through my fair share of sketching pencils." Astoria smiled. "You do, but your sketches are amazing. Have you tried sketching people yet?" Teddy frowned, but nodded his head. "Mom got me into sketching when my grandmother passed away. I told her one day I was scared that I would forget what she looked like. The next day, she got me a sketchbook and pencil set and started teaching me how to draw. At first I wasn't all that good, but over time it got easier. Then, one day, she asked for a sketch of Grandma. Taught me a mental exercise to see her in my mind clearly. I made the sketch, though it's smudged with tears. Mom told me that if I ever started to feel like I might forget her again, I should do the exercise, look for another memory and draw it. She keeps all the sketches I made in a book for me." Astoria leaned over and hugged Teddy. "I am sorry, Teddy. I didn't mean to dredge all that up." Teddy hugged her back, enjoying the comfort she gave him. "It's ok. It still hurts, but it gets easier. I try out a few portraits every once in a while, but I prefer to sketch plants and animals."

Luna came up to hug Teddy from behind too. "I do the same with my mom. I have a lot of paintings of her back home. Do you think I could see one of your portrait sketches one day? I can show you one of my paintings in return." Teddy dried his eyes and nodded. "Sure. One day." The door to the classroom opened then and the fifth year Gryffindors and Slytherins arrived, with Harry slumping down onto the table next to Teddy. "Remind me to tell the Twins they got lucky Mom didn't teach the NEWT Transfiguration classes. I think this is the first time I hit my limit since the Second Task last year." Hermione, after being helped into her seat by Theo, looked at her best friend. "Really? The class was great. I swear, this is the most I have learned about Transfiguration since we started! I was able to get all the details on the statues she had us transfigure right." Teddy looked at Harry. "Mom had you run the gauntlet since this was old stuff to you, didn't she?" Harry nodded, his head slumped on the desk as Neville sat beside him. Seeing Hermione's questioning look, Neville indulged her. "You know Hazel has been tutoring us all for a few years, right? Me, Daphne, Hannah and Teddy were the first. Theo here joined us about the same time as Harry, as did Tracy and Astoria. So, based on what she knows of our limits, Hazel tends to give us our own exercises. Lots of what she covered in class was stuff she already taught us, so she focused on reinforcing the teaching."

Daphne and Tracey took their seats, with the latter brunette looking smug. "I am so glad I hardly took her tutoring. The exercises she had Daphne, Theo and Harry go through were brutal." Daphne shrugged. "I feel exhausted, but I can't deny the exercises helped. Transfiguring and Conjurations were a lot easier to do by the end of the class." Hermione hummed. "I suppose that's fair. I didn't see anyone bored in her class, like some of the classes McGonagall taught. Even Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were kept busy. It was the first time I ever remember those three casting anything in class so quickly." Theo chuckled. "That was actually surprising, but Professor Peverell's instructions are so detailed and personalized, they make it easier for anyone to follow them clearly." Hermione beamed. "I know, right? When she had us do the exercise to get a feel for our magic, I was a bit stumped as the first years did the same, when they came up to me to ask for some help with their Charms assignments. I thought it was supposed to be a way to help out the younger years with spellcasting. I had no idea I was being so wasteful with my spells until I felt my magic for the first time today!" Everyone had a similar look of understanding on their face, except for Luna, which Astoria noticed. "Did Peverell not teach you the exercise?" Luna nodded. "She did, but she told me not to try it yet. She gave me a book and told me to read through it first and do the exercises inside."

Astoria frowned. "Can I see the book?" Luna reached into her book bag and handed the book to Astoria. The younger blonde stilled at reading the title. "Luna, do you have Seer blood?" Luna nodded as the rest of the table turned to her. "Yeah. My grandmother was a gifted Seer. Mom had a bit of it but she had trouble controlling it." Astoria gave her the book back. "Peverell never does anything without reason. You really should read that thoroughly." Noticing the others looking at her, Astoria shrugged. "Mom's side of the family has some Seer blood in them. There are a few books, including that one, in the family library. Seers, true Seers, are rare. Word is that they have to go through some specialized training to manage their Magic safely." Hermione frowned. "Is that why she hasn't done the exercise?" Luna nodded. "Professor Potter says that if I did the exercises now, my visions and dreams could go out of control. Not having full access to my magic is actually a good thing for me right now. As soon as I get control over the visions, I should be able to use my magic freely and safely." Daphne sighed. "The school should have gotten you started on that in your first year." Luna shrugged. "I suppose. Daddy agreed with Professors Flitwick and Potter to document my progress. They want to submit a report to the Board to get the students checked by the Hogwarts Healer on arrival, to make sure anyone with special needs gets the help they deserve as soon as possible."

Everyone nodded at that and most of them started taking out their materials to get started on their assignments as Harry raised his head up from the table. "Luna, why do you keep calling Hazel Professor Potter? She's a Peverell." Luna looked at him with the sort of blank stare that made him feel uncomfortable, now guessing that was probably part of her Seer magic. She smiled. "Peverells and Potters are about the same now. Besides, you call her Mom too." Harry was about to ask for more but Teddy touched his hand. He watched as his cousin wrote a note on a bit of parchment. Luna is being Luna. If you want to know why, ask Mom. Make sure your Occlumency is the best you can make it too. I would wait until the term is at least further in as she will be busy with getting all the classes up to speed and it gives you a chance to strengthen your defences. Trust me, this is important. Harry took a deep breath and nodded, dropping the subject for now. Eventually, both Susan and Hannah arrived and took their seats, the latter speaking up first. "Have you all had Umbridge in your classes yet?" Harry checked the younger years, all of whom shook their heads. "Doesn't seem like we have. We haven't seen her in class yet." Susan sat down next to Harry. "She visited the 7th year students' Defence class with Professor Lupin. Cedric says she practically sabotaged the class, dragging the Professor down with personal questions."

Teddy winced, though not out of concern for Lupin. "I might need to call Dora then. If she goes after Mom in the same way, the Inquisitor might not last a second." Hermione looked up from her assignment. "She's a teacher and a Hit Witch, right? She can't just hurt the Inquisitor. She has to know that." The Carrow Twins chuckled in the back. "Oh noble Gryffindor, doesn't know just what a Peverell is." Hestia followed after her sister. "The fair maiden has only seen her kind side. We can't blame her for missing out on the rest." Flora hummed. "True, true. Still, that is one witch to leave in peace." Hestia chuckled. "Lest the deadly huntress be awoken yet again." Hermione glared at the two. "Firstly, how do you two do that?! When the Weasley's do it, I get a headache. You two make it terrifying. Secondly, I know she can be deadly and all, but this is a Ministry employee. It's not like she can just kill her and not worry about it." Teddy laughed nervously. "Right, sure. As if a Hit Witch doesn't know how to kill a person without leaving a trace of evidence. She was also raised by Muggles like you, Hermione, so unlike most of the people here, she knows how to kill in a non-magical way. Makes it harder for anyone to investigate if there is no magical trace at all." Hermione blinked at Teddy. "But she wouldn't do that, right?"

Theo reached out and squeezed Hermione's hand. "Peverell isn't like the rest, Hermione. Grandfather had a luncheon with her once. He said that in some ways it was like being next to the Dark Lord Voldemort again, except there was no ambition or madness in her as far as he could see. She is powerful and knowledgeable in ways we can't fully understand, all because she had no choice but to be capable of defending herself against Dark Wizards and Witches. That leaves its mark on a person, same as the mark that my father's actions have left on Grandfather. There is nothing wrong with the way she is because in a perfect world, she would be left alone to care for her family. This isn't a perfect world and Umbridge isn't a pleasant woman. Word is the Minister gave her the job to get her off his back. He doesn't want her to succeed, he just wants her out of his hair. Trust me, if there was ever a person who ends up placing their own life in danger out of pride, it would be her. Besides, I think you missed the point of Edward's concern. He doesn't care that his Mom might kill Umbridge. He is worried about how it might come back to harm her in some way. He doesn't necessarily want Umbridge dead, though." Hermione blushed and nodded. "Right. Sorry Ted. It's just… my parents made it clear to me that killing others is wrong." Teddy smiled. "It's ok. Besides, Mom says the same thing, only with the caveat that killing a person is acceptable if a life, especially your own life, is in danger."

Taking out his wand, Teddy waved it and everyone watched as the iridescent but smaller form of his dragon patronus took form, before landing in the palm of his hand. "Dora, you might want to give Hazel special attention. Umbridge is being overly cruel in her questions to those she doesn't like." Alina fluttered her wings before taking off and vanishing into the nearest wall. A few seconds later, Snowball flew to his side and landed on the table in front of him. "Thanks, kid. I will get right on that. If she happens to be in your class or Harry's when it happens, you two try to help ease Hazel's nerves." Everyone stared at Teddy who blushed. "I am guessing Mom forgot to teach that to the rest of you?" After an impromptu lesson from Teddy and Harry, all the students, minus the Carrows and Hermione, who still struggled with the Patronus charm, were able to send messages to each other effortlessly. After that everyone went back to studying, while Teddy thought about approaching his Mom. Harry had already gone two years with them not knowing who they really were. It wasn't fair to him to keep the secret hidden anymore. As everyone gathered their belongings to make for their common rooms for the night, Teddy sent off Alina to his Mom with a quiet message. Teddy was sure it was time to open up to the person he now called brother.

Chapter 55: Breakout in the North Sea

"Harrykins, think you could put in a good word to Professor Peverell for us?" Harry looked at the Weasley Twins across the Gryffindor Table from him. "Why?" Fred stared at him. "You, kidding, right? Did you see what she did to our mother's Howler this morning?" George had a dreamy expression on his face. "Such showmanship, such ease. We need to know how she did it!" Harry rubbed his face as Neville chuckled. "You have to admit it, Harry. The Twins have a point. That was one transfiguration that was a beauty to see." Harry turned to his friend and nodded. Earlier in the morning, when everyone was receiving their letters, the entire school watched as Erol made its way towards the Staff Table, carrying a red envelope. For those who were in the fifth year Transfiguration Class, the reason for the letter wasn't a mystery. As Hazel led a practical pop quiz where the students were required to Transfigure a plate into a cup and then conjure water into it with minimal spills and no damaging the cup, it became quite obvious that one of the students hadn't studied the Aguamenti Spell as Hazel had instructed the week prior. Ronald Weasley spent several minutes working the ceramic plate into a cup, but he had trouble controlling the flow of water as soon as he cast the water spell.

The entire group of students in front of him, which was half the classroom since he sat at the far back with Seamus and Dean, was soaked. This was made worse since rather than the cool water that Hazel had asked them all to focus on, he had apparently gone for hot water instead. Parvati Patil, who was sitting directly in front of Ron at the time, was scalded badly. Hazel had acted quickly to block the remaining water and disarmed Ron, but the young girl was left screaming in pain. The entire class watched as Hazel and summoned her work bag to her before she pulled out several vials of potions, one of which she fed to Parvati, and the other was applied directly to the exposed and scalded skin, after she stunned Parvati. Hazel sent a Patronus message to Pomfrey while she dismissed the class, telling them she would inform them of their next assignment by letter. Ron, however, was unceremoniously forced to follow the Professor as she stunned and levitated him behind her after he refused to follow along. The entire school heard about the incident at dinner, which Ron missed, though none were surprised Gryffindor didn't lose any points.

Despite being a Professor, Hazel never deducted points from anyone, not even when she caught the Weasley Twins destroying a bathroom on the fourth floor or when she caught Adrian Vacey of Slytherin House calling someone a Mudblood. She instead was a big fan of issuing detentions, half of which were spent doing physical exercises until the person responsible was left exhausted, while the second half was usually spent helping Madam Pince sort through the books that were left at the counter top in need of being returned to their proper shelves, though she prefered if the perpetrators were sat down and forced to complete any outstanding assignments under Madam Pince's careful watch. Harry, personally, thought Hazel's approach to detention was perfect. Most of the people who did detention were known to be lazy or unconcerned about the consequences of their actions. Getting them to work up a sweat was both a benefit and a torture. Having them work in the Library was especially inspired. Everyone knew Madam Pince was overprotective of her books and a stickler for the rules and if they stepped out of line in any way, she would add to the detention, getting the students to pay attention to instructions in the process. Safe to say, the Twins learned not to get caught by her, which was essentially giving up as Hazel always found them, and the rest of the students made sure to pay attention in class and not be racist in her presence again.

Ron's classroom blunder had unfortunately left Parvati in a great deal of pain, forcing her to stay at the Medical Wing for the evening. Hazel had contacted Parvati's parents, letting them know what happened to their daughter. Pomfrey had been able to repair all the damage, though Parvati was left extremely sensitive to touch for the entire night. For his part, Ron had been given a full month of detention since he ignored a clear instruction that had been stipulated every time Hazel mentioned the exercise, with his first session starting that very night, after he got a very modest meal from the Hogwarts elves. He returned just before curfew, cursing Hazel's name, as he massaged his writing hand. Since Madam Pince didn't have time to watch Ron that night, Hazel checked with every professor and got his full list of outstanding assignments. He spent the second half of detention answering them, all on his own, while Hazel supervised. Despite the punishment being lauded as quite fair, Ron apparently complained to his mother in a letter. So as everyone settled down to eat breakfast, a red envelope was delivered to Hazel. Before a single noise could erupt from the Howler, Hazel wandlessly and silently transfigured it into a fireworks rocket that screeched right back towards Erol. As soon as the rocket exploded, the sparks took the form of a dragon that proceeded to chase the owl around the Enchanted Ceiling until it caught the bird in its maws. The sparks dissipated soon after, leaving the Weasley family owl unharmed, though thoroughly covered in thick black ash.

Harry had to restrain his laughter, despite the entire school finding the entire ordeal entertaining, as Hazel resumed eating her breakfast, not bothering for a second to watch her handy work or for the students' reactions. The staff table had looked at her with a mix of respect and amusement. Sure, Harry thought it was a bit mean spirited on Erol, but seeing as the bird actually seemed to not only be perfectly fine, but fully awake and alert after the incident, he felt Hazel actually did the bird a favor. Erol was infamous for crashing into the tables with his parcels, falling asleep as soon as he completed his delivery. Sparing Hazel a look, Harry turned to the Twins. "How good are you with Freeform Transfiguration or Conjuration? Because I think I remember hearing from her that she was practicing the creation of blackpowder under pressure. That wasn't a specific spell, though I imagine she could figure out how to make it one. One day." The Twins blinked at him before staring at the Professor. "Say Gred, you think we got cheated?" The other twin nodded his head. "I agree, Forge. McGonagall doesn't teach any interesting uses of magic like that!" Harry thought for a second. "You know, if you two can avoid getting in detention for a few months, you might earn her goodwill. Enough that she might show you how she worked out the blackpowder trick." Fred and George huddled together and discussed in whispers before turning to Harry, speaking in stereo. "Agreed! Thank you, Harrykins."

Checking his pocket watch, Harry looked towards the Hufflepuff Table. It was weird how both Hazel and Teddy knew when someone was watching them for a brief moment, as Teddy turned and nodded in his direction, before ending his conversation with Susan and Cedric. Harry excused himself from the table and walked out of the Great Hall, following Teddy up the stairs until they reached the Chambers that Hazel got reassigned to her again. Dora opened the door for the two of them. "Get in. She will be up in a moment." Seeing the living room area had been changed to accommodate two sofas facing each other, Harry sat down in one of them, with Teddy joining him. A few minutes later, Hazel walked through the doors, stripping off her jacket and pecking Dora on the lips before the two sat on the other sofa. Hazel's green eyes latched onto Harry's instantly. "You sure you want to know the whole truth? Once you do, there is no going back. I would never Obliviate you." Harry swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded at Hazel. "I understand, but please, I don't want there to be any secrets left between us." Hazel sighed, her hand running through her hair. "Alright then. I guess I will start at the beginning."

"I was born about thirty years ago, in the final years of a war that dragged on for far longer than it should have. An old man heard a prophecy, proclaiming me as the only force that could challenge the Dark Lord that was ripping our world apart. My parents, for whatever reason, chose to remain in the fight and died for it. Like you, I stared down the tip of a wand as a green curse raced towards me. I survived, by a twist of fate, and was left orphaned. The old man, wishing to manipulate and control me, isolated me for ten years with my muggle relatives, who took sick pleasure in causing me pain. Then I received a letter and a Half Giant introduced me to the Magical World. Right from the start, something felt wrong. The feeling became prevalent when I sat under a Hat that searched my mind and found nothing but pain and dwindling hope. I was asked where I wanted to go because as much as the Hat tried, I simply wasn't a good fit for any house. I chose my parent's old house, in a desperate hope to fit in. I didn't. For six years, I was dragged into struggle after struggle, from one deadly situation to the next. I tasted death so many times." Hazel's hands shook before her eyes turned to Teddy, growing moist with tears. "I gave up on life so many times." Teddy reached out and held Hazel's hand, before she continued again. "In that time, my Godmother became my guiding light. My hope of a family and a bright future. Then, on the Summer Solstice when I was fifteen years old, I watched her die."

Dora held Hazel's body to her as her fiancée physically shook again. "Right after… right after her death I used my first two Unforgivables, killing the madman responsible for taking my light away from me. Exhausted and broken inside, I allowed the Dark Lord to hear the full prophecy. For the next two years, as he conquered our home, he pursued me, wishing to turn me to his side, to manipulate me into his puppet, just like the old man. The old man died before the fighting became a full blown civil war. Filled with anger and pettiness, I joined the fight against the Dark Lord and all who supported him. I left corpses in the hundreds in my wake, filling the forests, the ports and even the British Ministry with the bodies of the dead. I was stripped of everything that mattered to me, until one stubborn woman made me the godmother to her son. So, as soon as I knew I could kill the Dark Lord, I faced him down, slaughtering his followers in the process. I dueled him into a draw, as my killing curse raced towards him, but the wand I had used failed me at the last moment. For one brief moment… I was dead." Harry stared at Hazel as her body seemed to go perfectly still, his heart racing in his chest. "Then… I woke up. I woke up and I killed the Dark Lord and the remaining of his followers. For the next seven years, I hunted down every scumbag with a price on their head for a profit, went home to care for my son and hid from a Ministry and an Order that considered me the single greatest threat to the peace of our society, despite acts of terrorism dwindling to nothing in my wake."

Hazel took a deep breath. "Then the world changed. A nuclear war covered the skies in a never ending winter. For two years, I did everything to keep my son alive. Until I found a way to end the struggle permanently. Using Old Magic, every ounce of my strength, and a good measure of my will, I pulled us through into a parallel world." Hazel raised her head and looked Harry in the eyes. "A world a couple of decades younger and one were one Harry Potter was born, instead of me. Instead of Hazel Potter, the Girl Who Refused to Die. My words, not theirs." Harry's mouth opened and closed silently. "You… are me?" Hazel gave him a partial smile. "Not exactly. My grandparents weren't Dorea and Charlus. Sirius Black was a psychopath, not my Godfather, and for all of Dumbledore's best efforts, I was never able to be a good person. He wanted a saint out of me, as much as what the current Dumbledore probably wanted from you. Instead he got a soldier. Death made flesh. I obviously went through quite a bit more, some of which you will forgive me if I never want to share the experiences with you. You don't need to know what it's like to burn up from the inside as Basilisk Venom and Phoenix Tears interact within my veins, or how much of a monster I became that the Death Eaters actually called me Voldemort's Equal. When I first saw you in the Alley five years ago, I couldn't let my life be repeated again. I couldn't let you suffer as I did. So I took a job with the Department of Mysteries and I did everything in my very limited power to keep you safe."

Harry's body shook a little as he closed his eyes. His guardian angel. The person who made him feel safe, even when she wasn't standing next to him. She was more than just his distant cousin. More than the mother he always wanted. She… had gone through so much. Hazel had no reason to be there for him, yet she had. The last two years… she spent the last two years, not only in a castle probably filled with all manner of bad memories, but with the echoes of the people she knew surrounding her. All because he and Teddy were studying here. "Had… I asked you to take me away from Britain… would you have done it?" Hazel didn't take a single second to think. "For your sake and Teddy's? Without a moment of delay. I would have had you two study in either MACUSA or in Australia. I would have kept you away from the horrors of this island. Instead, I did what I could to leave you a better world than my own. No Voldemort, no Death Eaters and no chance of history repeating itself. But if you want to leave, all you have to do is ask." Harry searched the faces of Dora and Teddy, seeing them nodding at him in agreement. His eyes filled with tears as he launched himself out of the sofa and into Hazel's arms. He cried into her chest as he hugged her for dear life. "Thank you. Thank you so much for being here for me."

Hazel rubbed his hair and kissed his head. "I told you Harry. You never have to thank me for what I did. You, regardless of what we are to each other, are my family. I would never turn my back on my family." Harry's arms tightened around Hazel as he cried, releasing years of pent up anxiety and pain. For years he dreamt of his mother returning to take him home. For years he dreamt of a family that would love and care for him. He had accepted a few months back that Hazel, Teddy and Dora were his new family. Now he knew that they had always been the family he always wanted. That, no matter what, they would keep him safe and happy, even if it wasn't always the best thing for them. Because they cared. They truly cared about him. After a few minutes of hugging Hazel, he pulled away and hugged Teddy. "Thank you so much… little brother." Teddy hugged him back. "No problem… big brother. Though I still call dibs on the first stack of pancakes in the morning." Harry laughed softly at Teddy's words as Hazel and Dora pulled out some board games for everyone to play, all the while the outside world celebrated Halloween. They would spend the rest of the night together, with Harry asking Hazel some random questions about her life, as the rest of the school and magical world celebrated the end of the war, this time knowing fully that the Dark Lord Voldemort was gone for good.

"It's time." Bellatrix snapped wide awake as her husband whispered from his side of the cell. She and the rest of the Death Eaters waited, hearing a struggle that was surprisingly quiet. She watched as Rockwood came up to her cell door, a bloody set of keys in his hand. After unlocking her cell, he showed her four wands. "Hoping you still have some of your talent with these. Pick one that responds to you, as I already have mine. We need to decide who else carries a wand, as I seriously doubt we will get one for everyone." Bellatrix held each one and found one that happened to be made of walnut, though not curved as her original one was. She could feel some resistance from it but it would do better than the rest. "Check with Rudy and Dolohov. If we get more, we can consider Travers and Nott." Augustus nodded and went to the next cell as Bellatrix kept her wand trained down the hallway. "What happened with the Dementors?" Rockwood smiled at her after he passed Rodolphus the wands to inspect. "The guards were a bit short staffed this month, with the Dark Lord being dead and all that, so The Ministry decided to post the Dementors further apart. Since tonight is Samhain, the rounds are at their lowest. Now it's just a question of getting through the Dementors at all."

As Bellatrix and the Lestranges made their way through the cell block, unlocking cages, Bellatrix caught movement out of the corner of her eye. "Avada Kedavra!" The guard that arrived barely had a chance to raise his wand before getting launched back by the green curse, his grip on the wand going slack. Rockwood came up beside her. "Good shot, but go for stuns next. The hallways are too narrow in the prison. You are as likely to hit your husband in the back as an enemy if we get drawn into a skirmish." Bellatrix glared at the man for a second. "Fine! But any I stun are mine to dispose of. I could use a bit of fun while we get the hell out of here. By the way, save a wand for Lucy. Pretty sure my brother-in-law is the only one here who can cast a Patronus." Rockwood stopped for a moment and chuckled. "Of course he can, bloody peacock." They made their way deeper, releasing every Death Eater in their path, taking down two more guards. They barely released Lucius from his cell before the walls started frosting over. Rockwood pushed the remaining wands into Malfoy's hands. "Get a working one now and see if you can get your Patronus out. Everyone else, open fire! We just lost the element of surprise!" As Lucius scrambled with the wands, Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Dolohov and Rockwood aimed their wands down the corridor.

"Fluvius Igneus!" The four wands covered the entire passageway in flames, causing the approaching Dementors to screech in pain. Lucius came up behind the four, his eyes closed as he concentrated. "Expecto Patronum!" The four Death Eaters discontinued their spells, panting heavily as a blinding white light filled the void and chased away the Dementors that had been charging towards them. Bellatrix gave Lucius a kiss on the cheek. "Good to see you again, Lucy. How are my sister and nephew doing?" Lucius tried not to glare at Bellatrix for the way she addressed him. The last time he did, he had trouble walking straight for a week from the pain she left his nether regions in. "As far as I know, decently well. Your cousin took them both under the Aegis of House Black. You and I, however, aren't as lucky." Bellatrix pursed her lips. She had always held some anger towards her dear cousin Sirius. That he would turn his back on his family and betray his blood had been unacceptable to her. Hearing that he was now Lord Black and was actually looking after his kin, despite their previous allegiances, was a pleasant surprise. "Remind me not to kill Siri then. Anything else?" Lucius thought for a second. "Nothing we should discuss here. That said, how are we getting off the island at all?"

Rockwood grunted and pushed Lucius forward. "I have a partial plan worked out. If my grasp of time is right, the relief guards should be arriving within the minute. We need to get down to the docks, take down the guards that arrive and take the ferry. Otherwise, we are swimming back to shore." The last part motivated a lot of them as they moved through the prison. Rockwood would take the cell keys from the guard in each block they crossed and tossed them into the cells for the prisoners to unlock themselves out of, as Lucius kept the Dementors at bay, getting ever more exhausted. They eventually reached the solid steel main doors of the prison, which Rockwood inspected. He sighed. "Please tell me there is one other person here other than me that can cast a Fiendfyre curse in short range, without getting killed by it." Bellatrix shoved Dolohov out of the way and aimed her wand at the door. "Ignis Monstrum!" The group raced as far back from Bellatrix and the door as they could as the heat of the curse warmed their skins. The screech of the Dementors reached their ears. Rockwood screamed. "Malfoy, take the Left Wing entrance. Keep the creatures from reaching us. Dolohov, take the Right Wing. Use Fiendfyre if you have to but keep it away from us! I'll aid Bellatrix." The remaining Death Eaters gather together, protected by shields, as the four carry out their tasks.

The iron gate collapsed under the sustained flames of two Fiendfyre curses, after which Rodolphus shouted to the rest. "Make for the pier as fast as you can! We have to take the ferry!" The Death Eaters with wands flank the rest, cutting down what remained of the prison guards, while a half of the prison windows behind them went up in flames, the fire leaking out through the many windows seen from the exterior. The Aurors in the recently arrived ferry did their best to mount a defence as the boat tried to pull away, but Bellatrix and Dolohov managed to jump the gap at the last second. The Black Witch smirked as Dolohov eviscerated one of the guards, practically painting the ferry's wheelhouse in blood, before frowning as a thought entered her mind. "Please tell me you know how to run this thing?" Dolohov grunted, looking over the controls. "Not exactly, but the controls are labeled in English. I also doubt you will care at all if I scratch the paint." Bellatrix shrugged and checked the rest of the ferry, finding a poor soul hiding in the engine room. She smiled. "Hello, sweety. Care to give me some entertainment?" She aimed her stolen wand at the man. "Crucio!" The man's screams filled the air as Dolohov brought the ferry back to the pier, bumping the hull against the structure repeatedly until the Death Eaters moored it.

Rookwood and the rest boarded, with Rodolphus looking around. "Where's my wife?" A loud scream of agony filled the air again from an open hatchway, followed by some mad cackling. Rodolphus rubbed his eyes as Dolohov smirked. "Never mind, I will go check on her." After the Lestranges entered the boat hull, Rockwood turned to Malfoy. "Anything you can tell us about our old friends with properties on the coastlines?" Lucius' face turned pained. "Dead. Williamson, Burbage, Jacobin and the rest have been killed in several DMLE sting operations. The warehouses were all targeted and captured by the Ministry and muggle authorities. Our associates lost a massive amount of profits, despite our defunding of the DMLE over the years. The last two years, however, have seen all of our work undone. The DMLE can issue kill on sight orders for us, our finances can be monitored or frozen temporarily, despite our families being innocent, and many of our unmarked comrades have been found or declared dead, most of them working for those three and the rest as guards. It's a disaster out there." Rockwood stood silently by Malfoy's side, before turning to another inmate. "Travers, remove the mooring. I'll go relieve Dolohov of the helm." Rockwood turned to Lucius. "I will find us a civilian pier to dock with, after which we need to lay low. I don't like this change in the DMLE." Lucius snorted. "None of us did." As Rockwood took the lead, turning the ferry back towards Britain, though away from the typical course, his mind was busy thinking about what the aggressive Ministry response meant. They would have to be careful, if they wanted to avoid getting caught.

Hazel and Dora arrive at the DoM via portkey, before making their way to a meeting room. They took their seats, seeing that Croaker had summoned Scrimgeour and Amelia to the meeting. Seeing everyone was in the room, Horatio did a security sweep before nodding to Croaker. "At four this morning, the Death Eaters in Azkaban managed to break out of their cells, steal the recently arrived ferry and left the island, while one half of Azkaban burned from a Fiendfyre curse running rampant, and the other was pandemonium, as prisoners were let loose." Amelia nodded. "My Aurors were only able to arrive at the island via brooms after the ferry failed to return with the guards getting off their shift. While several of our Hit Witches and Wizards are scouring the area where the ferry was found by the non-magical police, we doubt the Death Eaters would have lingered." Dora looked at the Aurors. "I thought Azkaban was inescapable, especially after Sirius' stunt revealed a flaw." Rufus sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Azkaban is a bit of a mixed bag. While there have been numerous prisoners who managed to escape their cells and harm the guards, they almost never make it out of the prison, let alone cross the turbulent waters. We never had a large part of the population working together to break out all at once." Hazel hummed. "Considering the news didn't arrive on time, I am guessing someone blocked the Floo communication terminals in the prison?"

Horatio smiled. "A good guess. After Umbridge made a fool of the DMLE accountants, the DoM installed a security system in all essential offices of the Ministry, including the Floo Network authority. Our Unspeakables reviewed the footage and spotted Dolores Umbridge entering the Floo Network office, leaving a few moments later. The system showed that she did cast a spell, which was verified by the evaluation of the employee as a confundus charm. She made it seem like the Azkaban Floo communication terminals needed to go through their periodic evaluation, which necessitated the shutdown." Hazel tapped her finger on her arm. "This… is too well orchestrated to be Umbridge alone. Also, please tell me we can charge and investigate her now." Rufus snorted. "I have a team of Aurors and Hit Wizards making their way to Hogwarts now. They will drag her out of the Castle and drop her off straight into a detention cell." Croaker nodded. "Good. Unfortunately, Hazel's analysis of the situation matches our concerns. We believe the breakout was orchestrated by a combined effort of internal and external forces. Based on Azkaban visitation logs, we suspect this to be the work of Lord Selwyn. He had access to the Death Eaters via his visits to Malfoy and Umbridge is his cousin. As a Voldemort unmarked supporter, he is our most likely external force."

Hazel frowned. "Who was the internal one? For all of Malfoy's wealth and skill as a duelist, I doubt he knows the first thing about breaking out of prison." Croaker turned to Horatio, who for the first time she remembered, looked furious. "We believe the internal mastermind was Augustus Rockwood." Both Hazel and Dora froze. "Your traitorous Recruit?" Horatio nodded. "Of all the Death Eaters, he would be the best suited for crafting the escape plan. Only reason he waited at all was because he and the other Death Eaters expected their master to return and rescue them." Dora sighed. "With Voldemort's execution, he lost any patience he might have had and planned the escape of all his comrades." Croaker nodded, before he turned to Amelia. "I recommend you keep the Aurors running security, while leaving the manhunt to the Hit Wizards and Witches. With Rockwood at the helm, they will be able to out-maneuver your forces every time." Horatio added in. "It might also be advised to have them run intelligence missions only. These bastards will fight back hard to stay free. It might be best to give them some freedom of movement. Hey, don't blame me, I am just giving you an idea of what to expect." Horatio kept his hands raised until Amelia lowered her glare. "I don't like the idea of leaving these criminals running free."

Croaker sighed. "Neither do we, but Horatio has a point. Keep you people away from them if spotted and inform us first. Our Operatives can bind them to their location and help capture or eliminate them." Amelia nodded, though begrudgingly. "I will contact Alastor and inform him." Hazel thought for a second, before turning to Croaker. "Ok, this covers the DMLE's response. What will Operations' response be?" Horatio looked at Croaker before turning back to his Operatives. "You two are to be on standby, with Tonks remaining at the DoM for security and faster deployment. Hazel will remain at Hogwarts, keeping Dumbledore's attention focused on her while we gather intel. As the executioner of Voldemort, we know you will be a prime target for the Death Eaters, but your being at Hogwarts will diminish their ability to take any actions against you. As the Peverell family is confined to two members with no properties or hotspots, the Death Eaters are left with no other major targets." Rufus leaned forward. "They can attack the Alleys easily enough." Croaker shook his head. "The majority of them have spent the last decade or more in Azkaban. Their main priority in the coming month will be recovery and preparation."

Horatio looked towards Scrimgeour. "That doesn't mean we should leave the Alleys unattended. Raise your Auror presence higher in all public settings, but focus on security. Operations will handle the Death Eaters personally." Rufus sighed but nodded in agreement. "I suppose it's the best we can do." Hazel turned to Amelia. "Check with Padfoot and Moody what Dumbledore's response will be. We can't have vigilantes mucking up our activities, especially if we get a lead on their base of operations." Amelia stood up. "I will let them know and pass on a few warnings to the Aurors. You two take care and keep me informed." As soon as the Aurors left, Croaker eyed his two Operatives closely. "We know for a fact Bellatrix Lestrange escaped and dealt most of the damage to the guards. Is her being on the Death Eaters side in a coming battle going to be a problem for you two?" Dora shook her head. "No, I don't believe so. If she was responsible for the deaths at Azkaban, then I have no problem targeting her for capture or death." Horatio looked at Hazel. "O1?" Dora saw her partner looking nervous. "I… don't know. I know she isn't a carbon copy of my Godmother, but it's enough to…" Horatio added into the silence she left. "To make you hesitate. I understand. For now, focus on guarding the school. The fighting will come later."

Hazel nodded as she stood up, before she and Dora left the conference room. Dora hugged Hazel by her waist as they walked side by side. "You can sit this one out, if you like. We can take similar precautions as we did for the Tournament." Hazel bit her lip but shook her head. "No, this is something I have to do. I will work through my hesitation, somehow." Dora kissed Hazel's cheek. "Sorry I won't be sharing a bed with you until the Death Eaters are either taken out or locked up." Hazel stopped and rested her head against Dora. "It's fine. We both knew work would eventually start sending us to seperate places. After the heavy training you took last year, you deserve this chance." Dora raised Hazel's hands and held them in her own. "True. Doesn't make it any easier." Hazel slowly pushed Dora into the wall and kissed her thoroughly before pulling back. "I will work something out where I can join you in our bed here some days of the week. I can't have you forgetting about me after all." Dora hummed appreciatively. "I will be ok with that. Say hi to the boys for me and watch over them." Hazel gave Dora another deep kiss before they went their separate ways. As Hazel reached the apparition point, she tried to settle her heart. Casting curses at Bellatrix Lestrange was going to be harder than at Voldemort. She was sure of that. Hazel would need to build up her willingness to fight her, even as her own heart screamed at her not to.

Teddy and Harry closed the door behind them, seeing their Slytherin friends sitting at the table of their assigned classroom, all of them doing their work quietly. Theo was the first to look up and pointed to the seats in front of him. "There is a lot we have to talk about. Things aren't going well in our house." The two took their seats, with Harry taking the lead. "I assume this has to do with the escaped Death Eaters?" Theo nodded as Daphne lowered her quill and sighed. "As you can imagine, the deaths and arrests of the Death Eaters at the end of the Triwizard Tournament left many of the students of our house stunned. These were their parents and family members, getting dragged into a courtroom and found guilty of several crimes. Many were getting used to the idea that they wouldn't see them again in almost twenty five years, if not more." Theo took over from there. "Usually the escape would have been a point of pride for the children. It would have made it seem that their parents were in the right if the Ministry couldn't contain them. Sadly, the breakout seems to have had the opposite effect." Teddy frowned. "Wait, the children of the Death Eaters are scared? Of what? It's not like the Death Eaters can reach them here. Mom would make sure none would even reach the Castle's Main Doors."

Daphne nodded. "We know that. And so do they. That's the problem. The escape has essentially placed a kill on sight target on all the Death Eaters and if there is one person known for taking that option literally it's Professor Peverell. They are scared that the moment your Mom disappears from the castle, it will mean the death of their parents. Despite everything that has happened, none of them want to see their parents dying like this." The Carrows cleared their throat and Theo turned to them. "Present company excluded, of course." The girls giggled but Daphne dropped a book in front of them. "These are the basis of Elder Futhark. Professor Babbling is known for giving pop quizzes, even with only two months in of work. You need to know your stuff, not fantasizing about how Professor Peverell slaughters those monsters a year earlier." The twins groaned as Teddy smiled. "If you two do the exercises, I can help grading them. Mom had me working on Runes a year before we started school." Daphne rolled her eyes. "Of course she did. Now, back to the point. The kids of Slytherin are terrified and we want to help them get past this. Any ideas?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "We could ask Hazel not to kill the Death Eaters." The blank stare from everyone, including Teddy, made Harry sigh. "Ok, right. Stupid idea. Still don't know how we can do anything about this. The DMLE has them all declared as extremely dangerous, they are all running around with stolen wands and they might all be targeting Hazel because she executed Voldemort. I don't see a way this doesn't end with a lot of funerals or a large funeral pyre." Theo sat back in his chair. "Why did Peverell not cover herself for the execution, anyway?" Harry looked at Teddy, who responded. "Mom had a feeling that the Death Eaters might eventually escape. If an unknown person did the job, the Death Eaters would just attack everyone in their sights, especially the Aurors. But since Mom captured him and executed him…" Theo blinked a few times at the implication. "She made herself a target on purpose to draw the Death Eater's attention?" Teddy nodded and Theo whistled. "You know, Edward, I thought your Mom was scary before, but now… I almost want my father to run into her." Daphne whacked Theo's arm. "None of that now, we need to figure out what to do about…" Daphne's attention snapped to the door, with Teddy noticing the amulet on her neck. His Mom had made an adjustment to the wards of the classroom, making it so that when a person wore the amulet, they would have control of the wards, as training for any future Heads of Houses.

Everyone turned and watched as the door opened and a timid looking Astoria poked her head in. "Sis, think you can extend a one time pass for today to someone? They really want to talk to you all." Seeing no signs of compulsion spells on Astoria or anything of concern about the person behind her, Daphne touched the amulet and went through the mental instructions before the wards shifted slightly. "Ok, bring them in." Everyone watched as Astoria opened the door wider, allowing Draco Malfoy to enter. The blonde boy looked around the room, seeing quite a few people staring at him, before his eyes focused on Harry. He visibly swallowed. "Heir Potter, would you be agreeable to listen to a request of mine?" Harry's raised an eyebrow at the level of respect Malfoy was showing him. "I am, Heir Malfoy, as long as you understand that I can't influence someone else's decisions completely. I assume you are here to talk about your father's escape?" Draco nodded tersely. "I … wanted to know if you could… speak to Professor Peverell about her … not killing my father." Harry sighed. "You know it's not as simple as that. If he tries to kill her, she won't hesitate to kill him first." Draco nodded as Daphne chimed in. "We were discussing how we could lessen the chance of someone's parents dying, but we can't come up with anything concrete. If you can add a viable suggestion, we could try and put in a good word for you."

Draco went silent in thought, before something occurred to him. "Uhm, when Dad got sent to Azkaban, my mother made it clear he shouldn't expect any letters from her if he broke out. You think she might have meant that she could send him a letter if she tried?" The group was quiet for a second before Theo hummed. "Not a bad idea. If Malfoy helps with establishing the ward scheme that protects their hiding spot, his owl might be able to pass through it, even if no other owl could manage it." Teddy looked between the students. "How would this work in our favor exactly?" Theo stared at Malfoy. "If Lord Black asked his cousin, would she be willing to send the Malfoy family owl to deliver some letters from the Slytherins? They would all probably be screened by the DMLE, but it could help get the Death Eaters to calm down. They might even turn themselves in." Draco thought for a second. "I will send Lord Black and then mother a letter, but I don't see it being a problem." Daphne sighed. "I suppose this is the best we can do. Just remember, Draco. This is on the Death Eaters' heads. If they hold back and surrender, they can probably get away with being reimprisoned. The moment they kill someone or try to kill the Aurors, we can all guess where this is going." Draco nodded and left the room as the remaining people looked at Teddy. "I will go talk to Mom."

"Surprised to see you here, Black. I thought Dumbledore didn't want you in the Order anymore. " Sirius shrugged his shoulders as he sat next to Remus at the table. "I guess the breakout is enough of a reason to get his priorities straight." Hestia and Kingsley cringed a little as Molly glared at Sirius. "The Dark Witches and Wizards that are teaching our children should be of similar concern. My son is currently getting mistreated by that awful woman." Sirius did his best to keep a straight face. "Really? Is she making him read "Magick Moste Evile"? Putting him under the Cruciatus Curse for extended periods of time? Having him kill puppies?" Molly's face turned red. "Of course not! She wouldn't be so blatant!" Sirius crossed his arms over his chest. "Right, so what is she making poor Ronald Weasley do? Exercise that after a month will do him better than the amount of food he ingests? Getting him to actually do his homework instead of copying from his classmates? Oh wait, I hear she is actually trying to teach him how to do magic correctly and be responsible for it. Or are you going to tell me he didn't mess up by not covering the material she went over twice in class? No other student in her class screwed up, not even the Slytherins students known for being lazy."

Molly's face had turned a surprising purple. "My son…" the rest of the loud statement went unheard as Mad-Eye walked into the room, silencing Mrs. Weasley with a wave of his wand. "The hell is wrong with you, Molly? That screech could have been heard outside of this place, Fidelius charm be damned." Arthur took Molly aside to calm her down as Emmaline Vance looked at Sirius from across the table. "Was goading her really necessary?" Sirius smiled. "Of course it was. She raised my point perfectly concerning Dumbledore's continued complaints about Hazel Peverell. The woman has been at Hogwarts for two months and in that time she hasn't done a damn thing that can be considered suspicious. All of her students speak well of her, even the slackers who are actually paying attention in her class. She sticks completely to her syllabus for the year, which every student and parent has access to and, sure, she is teaching the students advanced techniques. Techniques covered as appropriate for students their age in the ICW Educational Regulations. Hell, if what I heard about the stunt of hers with Molly's Howler is real, the woman apparently has a sense of humor I wasn't aware of. Even Narcissa got a complimentary letter about her teaching methods from Draco." Emmaline sighed, before she leaned back. "I hate to say it, but you have a point. Under McGonagall's administration, I got a few calls to the school to check on troubled students. None of them have had a real complaint against her."

Arthur, with a glaring Molly by his side, took his seat at the table. He looked at Remus. "How are our kids doing in school, Remus?" The werewolf smiled. "The Twins have been doing surprisingly well, though they certainly are treating this as their last year at Hogwarts, with Peverell usually being the one to keep them in line. Ginerva is studying hard with her circle of friends, but if Hooch is to be believed, the girl is more suited for a broom than a classroom. The Gryffindor Team is likely to have her play as one of the Chasers in the next game. Ronald…" Remus sighed as he rubbed his head. "Ron is having some trouble. Based on his scores, he might not be able to advance into any NEWT course, with his education ending with the OWL examinations. McGonagall and I have tried talking to him but he is just seriously unmotivated. With his last scores, we were going to suggest that he speak to a Mind Healer with you present. We need to understand if there is something wrong with him." Arthur closed his eyes and nodded, before checking with Vance. She smiled at him. "I will call Minerva and get an appointment with your son." Arthur gave her a soft smile. "Thank you, Emmaline." Discussion settled down as the last of the Order arrived, followed closely by Dumbledore.

The old man clearly took note of the empty seats and sighed. "I had hoped that Severus' decision to leave Hogwarts would not affect his position in the Order, but it seems he has chosen to leave us. Though I have no idea where Mundungus has gone." Moody chuckled. "Fletcher is indisposed. He got caught peddling an illegal potion by the DMLE." Albus frowned. "Couldn't you vouch for him? His insight into the Magical Underworld is invaluable." Sirius noticed Mad-Eye natural eye twitch at those words. "Right. Unfortunately, the potion he got caught with was outlawed by the ICW. The Observers and Aurors are waiting to interrogate him about where he found a supply of it. You are welcome to try and negotiate with them but I doubt the excuse of "for the Greater Good" will go down well with them." Dumbledore sighed as Arthur chimed in. "The ICW seems to have become exceedingly active over the last few years. I've never heard about them taking law enforcement with the level of effort they have recently. I… am not sure how I like this." Moody grunted. "You can thank the followers of Albus' ex for that. Fanatics of Grindelwald had apparently been building a network of smugglers, criminals and producers of magical supplies and were using it to sow chaos with the Muggles. The ICW was forced to get aggressive when it became clear this situation could lead to a collapse of the Statue of Secrecy."

Molly's face went red, though Sirius had no idea if it was of embarrassment or rage. "Albus had nothing to do with Grindelwald." One of the older members of the Order cleared his throat, as Elphias Doge eyed Albus. "Some of us have been around since that time, Mrs. Weasley. I can assure you, Albus had a relationship with Grindelwald. A romantic one." Sirius winced as he heard several necks pop with the sudden shift of so many heads, all of which were now looking at a clearly unhappy Dumbledore. "I can assure you all, he wasn't the megalomaniac he became later at the time we were involved. Like with all dangerous people, he seemed for all the world to be an innocent man with unconventional ideas. Much like another person." Sirius did his best not to glare, feeling that the comment was a clear indication that Dumbledore had listened in on the earlier conversation. "I believe you didn't gather us here for your thoughts on Professor Peverell, Albus. What do you know about the Azkaban breakout?" Dumbledore turned to Moody who grunted. "After the Dementor incident in the summer, security in the Ministry had been raised. On the night of the 31st, Dolores Umbridge was found to have tampered with the mind of a Ministry employee that dealt with the Floo access, while the Dementors had apparently been instructed to move to another section of the prison. The Death Eaters managed to escape, though the Aurors removed Umbridge from Hogwarts forcefully as soon as the evidence was found."

Shacklebolt leaned forward. "Director Bones and Head Auror Scrimgeour have ordered all Aurors to be vigilant, with a greater presence being deployed to the Magical Communities, but we have been ordered not to engage unless attacked." Emmaline Vance frowned. "That's unusual." Albus nodded. "It is, though as of right now it seems to be the right move. There was a report of a magical village in Norfolk having been attacked. The occupants suffered some injuries but none were killed. All who were in possession of wands, however, lost them in the incident." Sirius frowned. "Sounds like the Death Eaters are trying not to draw attention to themselves. Since the attack didn't cause any casualties, I imagine it took the DMLE longer to deploy to the site. Enough of a delay that the attackers fled." Hestia nodded. "That's what Scrimgeour thought too. We responded as quickly as we could, but with Aurors being kept elsewhere because of the high alert, we weren't able to get a look at the attackers." Remus sat forward. "This doesn't sound like the work of the Lestranges. They were fanatics in every sense of the word. The damage done to the Longbottom safe house had been excessive." Moody grunted. "Which means they aren't being stupid. They must have placed another Death Eater in charge. One who can see the larger picture."

Dumbledore nodded. "I agree. Though it's possible that this is all according to Peverell's plan. The escape could only have occurred with the arrests of the Death Eaters on the Solstice." Sirius whined in a similar way to a dog. "Oh come on, you can't seriously believe that Peverell engineered the escape? Are you also going to say that the DMLE's careful reaction is her fault too?" When he saw that Dumbledore was going to respond in the positive, he closed his eyes and slumped in his chair. "Something tells me that even her dying will seem like it's all part of some grand plan. You do know that the Death Eaters can think for themselves, right? For all of my cousin's madness, she could still make a solid attack plan. The only problem was that they involved a lot of Torture Curses being used." Molly glared at him and Sirius glared back. "Before you decide to say a damn thing about my family, remember that Arthur's technically my cousin, as are you, Molly. Just because you don't carry the name, doesn't mean you aren't susceptible to the Black Madness too." Dumbledore sighed. "Enough. We are here to decide what the Order's response should be."

Moody snorted. "I can tell you that if Jones or Shacklebolt here end up violating the DMLE's orders because of you, their careers will be done. I would say that you should let the Ministry handle this." Dumbledore turned to his old friend. "The Ministry is not equipped for this. Especially not with an infiltrator clouding their judgement." Alastor's natural eye twitched. "I can assure you, Albus, that the DMLE is in better shape than it has been in years. We can handle the escapees." Choosing to ignore Alastor, Dumbledore looked to the rest. "I propose we carry out our own patrols around important targets. Places that Voldemort targeted in the past to sow fear and confusion. The Death Eaters won't sit back and wait and neither should we." Sirius watched as several members of the Order nodded in agreement and sighed. The Death Eaters had just spent decades in Azkaban. As someone who did as well, he knew they would hold back for months as they recovered their strength. Dumbledore was wasting his time, again. For everyone's sake, Sirius had hoped the old man could be convinced to see reason. That hope now felt so pointless. He would have to let Amelia and the rest know. Albus was looking to confront Hazel, no matter what anyone else said. They would have to prepare for that eventuality, just as much as the Death Eaters' return to open warfare.

Chapter 56: Preparing for the Worst

Hazel watched as about a dozen raggedly dressed men and women approached the village as the sun turned the sky orange, the figures having exited from the nearby woodlands, her finger firmly pressed against her wand. "O1 here. Targets spotted coming in from the East side of the village." Dora's voice responded through the comms device. "O2 here, nothing from the North and West side just yet." Horatio chimed in. "Keep watch, O2. Greyback loves using the more reluctant members of his pack as a diversion for his attacks. We have the containment building ready to go. At your discretion, O1." Hazel eyed the approaching group. "Intercepting the werewolves now." Hazel took a step of the building ledge she was on and dropped, her landing dampened by the momentum canceling spell and her approach hidden by her full mix of stealth spells. Seeing the group get close enough to the edge of the village, she waved her wand. A wall's worth of silver spears rained down in front of the werewolves, the metal creating a containment wall the shape of an arch, blocking their ability to move closer to their intended target. It had taken years of observation of all the active Werewolf packs in Britain, but they finally got one moving irregularly. That it happened as soon as the Death Eaters escaped wasn't a coincidence, nor was the DMLE willing to take any chances. Hazel used her magic to project her voice. "Halt. You are suspected members of the werewolf pack belonging to Fenrir Greyback. As tonight is the full moon, you are in violation of Ministry and ICW law. Stop advancing or we will use lethal force."

The threat seemed to jar them all out of their sudden surge of aggression, possibly the werewolf's nature beginning to rear up. A woman wearing heavily shredded clothes came up, shaking like a leaf. "We … had no choice! He would have killed us! He will kill our kids back at the camp if we don't do what he says." Hazel clicked her tongue. "I can assure you all, Greyback won't be making it back to camp to threaten anyone else. If you can provide me the location for it, I can rescue your families but you can't stay here. We have a location established that should keep you all safe. Cooperate and you will be portkeyed there. I can't guarantee you will go free afterwards, but if you were coerced or threatened, we can negotiate a community work program, with a supervised living arrangement. If you refuse and endanger someone's life, I can at least guarantee you a swift death." Hazel allowed her Family Magic to leak out, causing the wolves to lower their aggression. A few, couples probably, gripped each other in a search for comfort and support. The woman, who Hazel assumed could one day hold a leadership position in a pack, checked with the others. She moved away from the pack. "We agree to these terms. The camp is about ten kilometers east into the woods. The monster is keeping our families, all turned, in cages as collateral."

Hazel made her presence known by dropping her disillusionment and voice projection spells. She held up two lengths of rope and tossed them to the werewolves. "Make sure you are all holding onto the ropes. I will trigger the Portkey spell." As soon as everyone was attached Hazel spoke the activation's phrase. "Lycan's Den." The werewolves were portkeyed away as she checked the immediate area with her senses, before tapping her comms. "O1 here. Threat diffused. Our safehouse should have its first visitors. I also have the location for their forward camp." Dora's voice came through, though she sounded winded. "O2 here, following a pair of human werewolves that were flanking the village. They are heading east into the woods. One matches the description of Greyback. Had to break cover to block a siege spell aimed at a home." Horatio chimed in. "O1, cut them off at the campsite and secure it before O2 arrives. Moody and his Aurors have arrived at the village and will hold it until the werewolves are handled." Hazel's eyes turned east and she started shifting her form. "Roger that. On my way." Taking the shape of an owl, Hazel took flight, entering the woodlands. She was able to spot two large men rushing through the woods, one of which carried a wand. She watched as the Werewolf cast the Killing Curse towards her fiancée and had to resist shifting instantly and killing them. Taking their direction into account, Hazel rushed ahead of them. Within minutes her nose was filled with the smell of burning wood, her ears filled with the growls of caged animals, as the sky was now filled with stars.

Taking note of the four guards, all of whom were still human, Hazel silently dropped her owl form and conjured some silver blades in her offhand, just in case. As she neared the back of one of the men while disillusioned, she could see how two of the guards seemed jittery, which made Hazel guess they were Werewolves, just doing their best to resist the call. Their heads turned as the running spellfight drew nearer, with Hazel taking advantage of the situation. Two silver knives darted through the air and embedded themselves in the non-shifted werewolves' chests, before two stunners slipped from her wand and took out the rest. Seeing one of the men sitting down shift his posture as if to grab a wand, Hazel stunned him as well, before casting a defensive ward covering the entire camp. "Everyone settle down! Any attempt to run will get you stunned!" The occupants froze as Hazel commed in. "O1 to OPs, camp is secured. Two dead unshifted werewolf guards and three stunned wizards. I will be beginning transport of the caged wolves to the safehouse now. Camp has a barrier in place, so O2 should take it easier." Dora's voice responded, clearly stressed and winded. "Roger that! Switching to a more restrained attack now! Damn these wolves are fast." Hazel looked at the half a dozen or so human prisoners, drawing out her zip strips from her belt pocket. "Everyone kneel down with your hands behind your back. I need to secure you before transport, after which the authorities will process you at a safe location. If everything checks out, you will be home within a week. Resist and you will be kissing the dirt"

The hostages responded to her request quickly, many sporting thankful expressions and some even thanking her directly as she tied all of their hands with the zip strips, checking them for wands or any potential weapons. Finding nothing of concern, she stood back, saying "Artahe's Rest." As soon as the portkeys activated, she turned to the cages that now sported four young wolves, all whining and moving away from her. Hazel stunned them all before tying the ropes around one of their legs. As soon as all four had the portkey secured, she sent them with the rest of the wolf pack at the safehouse, before turning towards the barrier, watching as one massive man tried to break through it with curses. Hazel allowed the ward to drop, as a furious looking Fenrir Greyback charged at her, his arm partly transformed into that of a werewolf's claw. Hazel stood her ground impassively as the man reared back his arm, trying to slash at her, when his arm was impaled by a descending silver spear. His cry of pain intensified as she conjured another silver lance that impaled him into the ground, before she started transfiguring said spike into a tree. Branches protruded out through his ribs and thighs, with two large spikes piercing through his shoulder blades. The entire time the werewolf screamed in agony, his voice a mix of human and animal as tendrils of smoke escaped through his wound. As soon as she knew he was frozen in place, Hazel approached the man, taking the wand out of his grip.

"You have been responsible for the suffering of several hundred witches and wizards, countless muggles and the destruction of the lives of all whom you turned against their will. I could have stunned you, brought you before the Wizengamot and called for your execution. No one would think twice about sentencing you to your death. No one would care to save your life. But good werewolves would hear their kind be portrayed as monsters. Beasts to be culled and slaughtered in mass. A disease that can be eradicated with the death of all who are infected. These people don't deserve to be treated as monsters. So I won't be sending you to the Ministry. You, Fenrir Greyback, will die right here, right now. A mad dog to be put down for the safety of all magicals and non-magicals. If you see Voldemort in Hell, tell him hi for me." The werewolf's eyes turned gold but it was too late as more branches grew within his body, drawing out more screams of pain. The silver prevented his transformation. Seeing no point in extending his life, Hazel sent branches to pierce his heart and skull. The man shook for a second, his body twitching but for a few moments before it became perfectly still. Hazel turned her attention to Dora, who was dragging a body by the collar of their shirt. "What happened to him?" Dora shrugged. "Greyback there cursed him in the back as soon as he tried to surrender when I sent a spear through his leg."

Hazel hummed, before lifting her wrist up. "O1 and 2 here. Werewolves have been neutralized. Greyback and his Beta are dead, as are two others. How are our guests?" Croaker spoke up. "The safehouse is doing fine, with the wolves dining on some freshly caught deer carcasses. The pups you released were taken in quickly by the pack and have been treated well. As for the non-wolves, we are checking them out now, the Aurors getting their basic information down as St. Mungos Healers check them over. Attach the portkeys to the bodies and send them to the morgue for processing. Moody will be leaving a few of his Aurors behind in case any stragglers remain hidden tonight. Good work you two. Make your way home." Hazel pulled out her zip strips and attached them to the corpses as Dora did a few scans of them, Greyback being the last, the silver tree being dispelled from within him. Dora raised her wrist. "Corpses scanned. Nothing of note. Commencing transport." Hazel, after checking the portkeys were all attached, said "Arawn's Rest." The four werewolf corpses were portkeyed away, before Hazel placed a ward in the area, as well as a DoM beacon, for the Aurors and Unspeakables to finish an investigation. "All cleared for departure here, BM." Horatio's voice responded through the comms. "Good. Come back home, you two. Mission Accomplished."

Hazel watched as McGonagall took the seat at the head of the table at the Staff Meeting Room in the Fourth Floor, looking far more comfortable now than in the previous meeting. "Can I say how wonderful it is that Dolores is now out of the Castle? Though I hate the reason for it, I am glad she is gone." Pomona sat beside her and smiled a little. "Considering how she eyed my plants and tried to call me neglectful for leaving such valuable resources for the students to damage, I don't disagree. We always have enough of my herbs and plants for a good number of them being potentially lost. How else would we keep the Potions supplies so well stocked for the whole year." Slughorn drank from his cup of tea. "Oh ho, and what an excellent job you and my predecessor had done. The supply cabinet for Potions is in impeccable condition. I was even surprised to see acromantula supplies there." Hagrid's expression turned sad. "Some of the Acromantulas died this February because of the Triwizard Tournament. Thought it would be a waste to let them go and rot away." Slughorn turned to the Half Giant. "A good thought, Hagrid. I was wondering if I could interest the school in brewing some more advanced potions with the NEWT students. Can't start too early with looking for my next apprentice."

Remembering some of the more dangerous brews the man got to make in her world, Hazel turned to him. "How about you check with the Department of Magical Education and the ICW regulators before you brew something you might regret. Might want to check with the Potioneers Guild while you are at it." Slughorn nodded towards her. "Of course, of course. Must keep everything above board. Are you any good at Potions, Professor?" Hazel shuddered at all the ruined potions she left in her wake. The worst had been the day that she melted Andi's cauldron in her one and only attempt to get Hazel to learn potion making. The witch wisely kept her away from her lab soon after. "As much as I would love to personally restock my Potions supply at home, I would rather not be responsible for the destruction of my apartment and getting my fiancée's disapproving glare for it. When the Peverell Estate is made, it will have a Potions Lab, just in case any of my family have the skill to use it properly, but it won't be me." Horace frowned but nodded. "A shame, but understandable." Slughorn turned to a clearly still recovering Remus. The full moon had barely been the night before. "Was my Wolfsbane Potion helpful, Professor Lupin? I made some modifications to it to reduce the physical lingering pain, but until a new Wolfsbane potion is made, this is the best I can do." Remus, his eyes still closed, nodded. "It did certainly feel better when I woke up but the echoes feel like they may still linger well into the week."

Hazel eyed the werewolf. "Let me know if there are any classes you want me to cover for you tomorrow. Your seventh year students completed their assignments today with me." McGonagall nodded. "As did the fifth year students with me. Everything is still on task with the syllabus you provided." Remus nodded. "Thank you." McGonagall turned to the rest. "Very well. Anything to report?" Grubbly-Plank sighed. "The Thestral's were a bit agitated earlier today. Had to repair some of the stables." Hazel winced. "Ah, sorry about that. Got called on a mission last evening and might have some lingering effects on my magic and my scent may have been overly appealing to them. They should settle down by tomorrow." The older woman nodded, even as Filius looked towards Hazel. "Anything of importance happen?" Hazel thought for a second and shrugged. "It will probably be in the papers soon. Fenrir Greyback won't be ruining any more lives anymore. His more dangerous pack mates are down as well. The rest are being evaluated by the DMLE before anything concrete is decided on concerning their living arrangements." Remus' head snapped up from the table, his eyes wide awake. "He's dead? You sure?" Hazel's eyes turned silver, making the werewolf shiver. "Trust me, he is well and truly dead. His corpse is at the DMLE morgue being examined before they decide how to dispose of it."

McGonagall smiled after seeing the relief on Remus' face. "Well. It's good to know that monster is gone too. Thank you for that." Hazel shrugged, her eyes back to green. "Just doing my job. As for my courses, everyone is keeping up with my syllabus. Only exceptions are Miss Lovegood, who I am providing with a modified course load due to the instability of her magic, and Ronald Weasley, who is still not applying himself fully." Poppy Pomfrey sighed. "Miss Vance of Child Services will be dropping by to check on him. Please make sure he is at the Hospital Wing in two days time in the morning, Septima." The well dressed Professor of Arithmancy nodded. "I will make sure he is there, Poppy." Minerva turned to Filius, who smiled at her. "Nothing to report on my end except that all my students are doing much better in class right now." He turned Hazel. "Our Transfiguration Professor's instructions on how to tap magic with better control has been most welcomed." Hazel blushed as Babbling spoke up. "Everything is going well on my end. Aside from having to give extra assignments to a few outstanding students…" Hazel blushed further from the Runes Professor's look. " … everything is just fine." Aurora hummed. "Everything is great on my end. The Centaur Stargazers of the Forbidden Forest that came to provide a lecture were quite popular with the students."

Hazel smiled. "I am glad to hear that. Firenze has always had a soft spot for young students and he loves to teach. His herd is among the most well educated in Astronomy and Divination in all of Britain." Trelawney huffed. "Just keep him out of my Divination classroom." Hazel resisted the need to roll her eyes as she and the professors discussed the upcoming winter exams before the Yuletide Break. McGonagall looked over the professors staying over the break. "Lupin, you and Peverell will take partial care of Gryffindor House while Septima heads home for some personal matters. The rest of the Heads of Houses and the provisional ones will be doing the same. Please let the students that stay behind for the season know who the other Professors are. Pomona will reorganize the Prefect patrols while the Head Boy and Head Girl are on Break. Will that be all?" Hazel raised her hand slightly. "I will be taking my son and Harry out on the 24th of December in the afternoon for a moment. I hope Professor Lupin can look after the Lions for me." McGonagall frowned. "Where will you be going?" Hazel sighed. "Godric's Hollow. It's been fourteen years since Harry has been there. I had hoped to take him there over the summer, but the focus has been on giving him a chance to have fun. He and my son have decided to remain with me in the winter. Seemed as good a time as any."

Slughorn looked at her. "And the Death Eaters? They are still loose. It might not be safe to take him out of the Castle." Hazel turned to the Slytherin Head of House. "He and my son will have the means to be safe and any moron that tries to harm them in my presence will wish they were under a Cruciatus Curse for a whole day if I catch them." The table collectively shuddered at the clear intensity of her threat. McGonagall cleared her throat. "Best we all keep quiet on that. Since everything is in order, we can call this meeting adjourned. See you all back here in two weeks." Hazel stayed behind as the room emptied out before she looked to Remus. "Greyback's extended pack is now under DMLE supervision. If you would like to have a talk with them, especially the children, it would be wise. A few will be of Hogwarts age soon and if your tenure as Professor endures, they may have a chance to study here as you did. Your insights will be invaluable to them. Contact Amelia to discuss the matter when you have the chance." Remus looked at her and nodded softly. "I would be happy to help." Hazel stood up. "You might still want to rest up, your wolf is too tired from last night. Might not do you well to get into a fight for dominance." Remus shuddered. "I will keep that in mind. Again, thank you for taking out Greyback." Hazel nodded as she left. "Trust me, I wish I got to him sooner. See you at breakfast."

"You know, I sort of miss Azkaban." Bellatrix looked towards Rabastan across the table from him. "Really? Whatever for?" Rabastan grunted and waved his hand. "I don't know. Maybe the decade we spent there warped my mind, but waking up in a bed? Having some food and water at my beck and call? It feels wrong now. And I hate the fact it feels wrong." Bellatrix turned back to the sets of knives she found in the muggle residence. She could relate. Sleeping beside Rodolphus in the same bed, actually having a warm meal of food in front of her in the morning, not to mention being able to bathe in a large tub of warm and scented water. It was wonderful. Yet every moment of it felt wrong. "Like living in a dream." Rabastan snapped his fingers. "Exactly! I swear I spend every moment waiting for something to wake me up. Hell, I half expect a Dementor to give me a visit sometime in the night." Bella winced at that. "Yeah, let's not talk about those, Raby. I thoroughly enjoy my nights, thank you very much." Rabastan looked at Bellatrix and wiggled his eyebrows. "Ohh, big brother still got it even after a decade apart?" Bella tossed a knife at him, the blade being too unbalanced to land properly, as it skidded across the table and fell off the edge. "As I told you when we were just out of Hogwarts, what my husband and I get up to at night is not your concern, Raby."

Rockwood, having heard the crash of the knife on the floor, looked through the open doorway. He sighed. "Please don't go wrecking this place too much." Rabastan turned to him. "Why should we care? It's an abandoned Muggle residence." Rockwood looked like he wanted to knock some sense into Rabastan. Physically. "Which we may be leaving at a moment's notice. If we want to stay hidden from the Ministry, that means leaving no trace from anyone, not even the Muggles." Rabastan pouted. "Great. Here I wanted to redecorate my room." Rockwood rubbed his face as Lucius and Rodolphus returned, wearing some shabby clothes and showing signs of a Polyjuice Potion wearing off. Augustus looked them over. "Anything?" Rodolphus pointed at the room Bellatrix and Rabastan were in and the three entered, Rodolphus heading to his wife. Bellatrix hugged him warmly and kissed his cheek. "Welcome back, husband. Got anything for us?" Rodolphus pulled out an extended bag and handed it to his brother, but not before he pulled out a pastry box from inside of it and handed it to Bellatrix. She beamed. "Oh Rudy." Lucius turned his gaze away from the two Lestranges currently kissing deeply, and focused on Rockwood. "Aside from the supplies we got from the muggle's less frequented food stores, we also got word from what's happening in civilized society."

Leaning his body against a bookshelf, Rockwood crossed his arms. "What did you hear?" Lucius sighed. "Selwyn and his cousin Umbridge are under arrest for aiding our escape. Apparently, security is tighter in the Ministry now, courtesy of Umbridge sending the Dementors out in the summer. They sang under Veritaserum." Rockwood sighed. "Unfortunate but not catastrophic. Now you know why I refused to take Selwyn's suggestions for possible safe houses." Lucius nodded as Rodolphus, a bit blushed, entered the conversation, as Bellatrix was busy slowly eating a small box of pastries, clearly enjoying the taste. "Aside from those two arrests, we also tried contacting Greyback, as planned. We managed to get him to agree to creating chaos as a distraction for us. As we finally started making our way back here after staying away for a few days to lose any tails, we checked with our mutual contact, only for the vampire to state that Greyback was dead and that he was getting out of the more shady part of his business. All he could tell us is that Greyback went to attack a village on the full moon with his pack and got killed for it. His Beta is dead too and there is no trace of the others." Rockwood frowned and looked at Lucius. "No official report from the Ministry?"

Lucius shook his head. "Nothing from the Prophet or the talkers. I guess they are keeping it quiet until they can be assured the other werewolves aren't a threat. The Wizengamot under the Bones, Greengrass and Longbottom Coalition had been improving the living situation of the werewolves these last few years. It's possible the DMLE is trying not to undo all that good publicity by being overzealous in the Greyback reveal." Rockwood rubbed his chin. "Do you trust this source of yours?" Lucius nodded. "He works along the Ministry workers who handle the DMLE morgue quite a bit, because of his own mortuary business. They were a bit unwilling to share the info at first, but they told him about Greyback, probably as a warning to stay clear of danger. He is taking it. He won't be sharing any more information with us." Rockwood sighed and looked at Rodolphus. "Taking Greyback out in the first of his attacks is too much of a coincidence. The Aurors aren't this good." Rodolphus stared at him. "Your former teammates at the Ministry?" Augustus shrugged his shoulders. "In their heyday, this would have been easy pickings for them. They would have the means to monitor the werewolf populations and check for any unexpected movements. Greyback may have placed his Beta as the official pack leader with the Ministry, but if they moved their entire pack for an attack, there was no hiding that from my people."

Rodolphus sighed and rubbed his face before turning to Lucius. "Then we have no other choice. Tell the rest to keep practicing as much as they can. In a few days, we will look for another safehouse and move out quietly. If the enemy can catch and kill Greyback the moment he poked his head out of the sand, they can certainly try to do the same for us. We aren't ready for a fight." Lucius nodded and took the bag of provisions with him. Rockwood's eyes followed the blonde Death Eater's movements till he was certain he was out of earshot. "You know the only way any of us will survive this is if we take the fight to the enemy straight on, right?" Bellatrix swallowed a pastry to join in on the conversation. "Oh, oh, do we get to attack this Peverell woman who killed our Dark Lord?" Rockwood took a moment to respond. "As satisfying as that would be, she is apparently holed up at Hogwarts, which was a fortress our Master never considered attacking blindly. However, if she is part of the group I worked with at the Ministry, then we can be sure she will come running at the first sign of trouble. I believe our best and only shot at taking our revenge and surviving to live another day is to target the Ministry directly. And ignoring the obvious advantage of that, the damage to the morale of the populace will be immeasurable if we succeed." Rodolphus looked to his wife who took a moment to think on Rockwood's words. Her eyes sparkled with glee. "I say we go for it, Rudy. Let's show the old geezers that they had no right to take our Master away from us." Rodolphus nodded and turned to Rockwood. "So, how are we doing this?"

"Why am I here again?" McGonagall chuckled. "Seeing as you were the school's primary form of security for the last two years, having your opinion on any changes to the Wards is paramount." Hazel sighed as her eyes took in the Wardmaster that had arrived from the Continent, the diminutive man chatting away with Professor Flitwick in what she could only assume was Goblin Speech. It shouldn't have surprised her that another half or quarter Goblin existed in the world, or that this one was a Wardmaster. She wondered if his being independent from the Gringotts and other Goblin Banks was a sign that he had broken ties with them. While Goblins constantly complained about some of the restrictions on their people from the Magical Governments, a few of them Hazel found to be genuinely racist restrictions, they didn't tend to regard their descendants of mixed heritage all that well either. Those born of Goblin and Human unions learned the language and the customs of their mutual races, but many at times seemed to openly defy the Goblins. Hazel could imagine that Flitwick's record as a Dueling Champion and this man's accomplishments as a Wardmaster were their way of sticking it to both the Goblins and the Humans. McGonagall led the group further into the Dungeons, heading towards an area Hazel could guess as being close to the Castle's center. That the entrance of the Chamber of Secrets was no more than a few corridors away told her as much as she needed to know about how secret Salazar's project had been from the rest of the Founders.

"Here we are." Hazel sweeped the corridors with her map and senses before focusing on the wall McGonagall had her hand placed onto. She watched as the old Scotswoman closed her eyes and her mouth moved silently. The corridor's two exits were instantly closed off by walls of stone that slid into place, before McGonagall stood back. The wall in front of her slid back a foot before moving to the side, revealing a staircase leading further down. The small group reached the landing at the end, where another wall of stone slid to the side. The Wardmaster's mouth dropped open at the sight. "By the Triple Goddess! Look at this place! I have never seen anything like this!" Hazel felt her stomach drop at that statement as they entered the chamber, the Wardmaster heading to a central pillar that held a large stone within several rings of rune circles. Hazel's eyes, however, lingered on the walls. The walls seemed to physically hum with raw magical power as extensive runic circles covered almost every single one of the seven walls of the eight sided chamber. Her knowledge of Futhark, far better now than when she first arrived, allowed her to read some of the runes. Many seemed to be exactly as expected: sigils for wards that denoted a boundary line, barriers that prevented entry upon a lockdown. A few were even reinforcements that kept the Castle's stones from being damaged.

"Oh no. Who did such a travesty!" Hazel turned around as McGonagall spoke. "What is it, Wardmaster Weber?" The man turned to her, standing on what Hazel assumed was a conjured platform so he could look at the central pillar. "This! This Wardstone shouldn't be here! Sure, it contains all the modern wards, but to attach it to the Ward Chamber like this? It's a disgrace! I will have to dismantle this." McGonagall frowned. "Why did a Headmaster add it then?" Hazel's eyes scanned the chamber. "Because the information on how to add a ward to the existing scheme on the walls was lost." The man snapped his fingers. "Exactly! Ward Chambers like these are practically unheard of! The Goblins and Dwarves use layered and linear wardstones to keep their banks secure. Both Beauxbatons and Durmstrang have similar setups as well. The idea of a central Ward Chamber where the room itself is the focus of the wards is an ancient concept born from before the Roman Empire. It's among the most powerful in defensive capabilities, but it's the most complicated to update and maintain. If the means of updating the Ward Chamber are lost, it's almost recommended to dismantle it and start anew." Hazel felt a surge in the room, a sensation that was as familiar as it was alien. "I would keep any thoughts of dismantling the Chamber to yourself." McGonagall turned to her. "Why?"

Hazel's eyes were instantly drawn to a Runic Circle that was exceedingly complicated compared to the rest. She approached it, feeling drawn by a magic that seemed to recognize something within her. Her eyes widened slightly as the runic language became clear to her. "Wardmaster, how fluent are you in Druidic Script?" The Wardmaster turned to her from his examination of another wall. "Miss Peverell, Druidic Script is a lost language. No one knows how to translate it." Hazel grinned at him. "Oh, I know of a few people who might know. My son is an amateur but he is learning it. I have mastered it over the years. Another was an Heir of Salazar Slytherin's, who is no longer amongst the living. A book was found in Salazar's repository, or more accurately two books. One was an old book that translated Druidic to Futhark, the other was a handwritten journal that used the previous book as a way of translating Druidic script directly to English. It's a bit of an in-house secret, so best not reveal this information to anyone. I have some suspicions of a few contacts of mine but that's it really." Hazel lifted her finger to her lips in a silencing motion. "The words "Can't say" are a good enough response, after all." The Wardmaster's eyes widened, showing he knew of the term. His mouth twitched slightly until a small smile appeared. "I look forward to the day that information is made public." Hazel nodded. "One day."

The Wardmaster came up to her and examined the wall she was looking at. "What is this exactly?" Hazel scanned the circle. "I believe this is the primary axis of the Ward Chamber. All the other circles in the seven walls are tied to this one." Hazel raised her hand to the circle and touched it. Her mind was instantly flooded with images and sensations not her own. Echoes of memories, ancient thoughts and whispered secrets. Her Family Magic flared inside of her but not in defence of her. The magic reached out through her and seemed to commune with the circle, until Hazel realized what she was feeling. She waited until the two magics settled down before pulling her hand away, only now noticing that McGonagall was trying to pull her away from the wall. "Peverell! Are you alright?" Hazel shook her head and looked towards the others. "Ah, sorry for zoning out. Hogwarts had a lot to say." Filius blinked at her in confusion. "Hogwarts?" Hazel nodded. "Are any of you aware of the myth that Hogwarts has a consciousness?" They all nodded and Hazel pointed to the circle behind her. "I doubt this is the entirety of the Druidic Circle, but the myth is true in a way. Hogwarts has an awareness and consciousness to it. It can see, hear and feel everything that happens within its walls. That's why the Chamber can't be removed. This is literally the Heart and Soul of the Castle."

Weber seemed to practically jump in excitement. "A living magical construct the size of a Castle! The Founders must have worked on this night and day! Is there any way the Castle could tell you where we could add the new wards safely?" Hazel reached out to the circle with her hand and closed her eyes. She kept thinking of adding new wards in her mind and felt the Castle touch those thoughts, before showing her images. Familiar images. Hazel opened her eyes and pointed to the two runic circles closer to the entrance. "The one closer to the entrance is the input point for the wards, while the one to its right is both a guide on how to formulate the wards for integration and the activator that draws them into the array." The diminutive man rushed to the walls in question and whistled appreciatively as Hazel drew her hand away from the wall, a feeling of gratitude lingering in her mind from the Castle. The Wardmaster spoke up after contemplating the runic circle in silence. "Oh, this is genius. Though it will take some time to rearrange the standard ward scheme format to the one used here. I suppose I will have to leave the existing ward scheme from the wardstone active until we are ready to replace it." McGonagall nodded. "I would appreciate that." The Headmistress turned to her friend. "Would you mind staying here with Weber while I make some calls to the Board of Governors?" Filius eyed the walls and nodded. "Not a problem, Minerva. I am sure there is plenty for me here to keep me entertained." Hazel followed the Headmistress out as she locked the Ward Chamber up, before the two started walking back towards the Headmistress' office.

Minerva turned to Hazel and smiled. "I am grateful for you being there. I can't imagine the Castle would have been pleased if we tried to eventually dismantle the Chamber." Hazel nodded, her mind distracted as she rubbed the hand she used to touch the Runic Circle. "I imagine you wouldn't have made it out of the Chamber alive." Hazel took a moment to think on what she could say before she sighed. "Headmistress, if you were to contact the DoM, I am sure Director Croaker would like to have a word with you. The fact the Wards of Hogwarts were formulated partly with Druidic Script means that you may need a crash course on the subject. Your Deputy as well. I learned it prior to my employment with the Ministry and no one has the right to question me teaching it to my family, but the DoM has kept a gag order on letting the information on the translation of Druidic Script leak. You need to check with them if Hogwarts is to recover this lost part of its legacy." The Scotswoman eyed Hazel carefully. "I have no problem with that, though it certainly makes me curious as to how well acquainted you are with that Department." Hazel smiled at her. "You talk to Croaker first. If he gives you clearance, maybe we can talk about things that can't be said." The Headmistress sighed. "Very well. I suppose I can add him to my list of people to call tonight." The two women advanced through the Castle in silence, one in deep thought, while the other kept her senses active.

Now that she knew what the Castle was capable of, Hazel could feel the subtle shifts of the Castle's magic. The distinction was so small, she could tell why most would never be able to notice. She herself would never have noticed it at all until she came in contact with the Hogwarts consciousness. Now she could feel the magic observing her, judging her. Whether it was the fact she was able to communicate at all with it that made her such an interest, or if it was the Family Magic running in her veins, Hazel wasn't entirely sure. She flexed her fingers again, feeling her Family Magic beneath her skin. She had assumed that there was no Family Magic in this world since the DoM had no records of them. Perhaps it had less to do with the fact that no magics like it developed in this world and more with the fact that such magics didn't develop further and simply died out. Because the Castle's Magic felt exactly the way the Family Magic of the Black's felt at Grimmauld Place in her world. The Black ancestral home could have rejected her as a foreign element after Bella died but it didn't. That same level of awareness seemed to be part of this world's Hogwarts. Hazel smiled a little, hoping that Croaker might let her look over the Slytherin texts they recovered from this world's chamber. Maybe, just maybe, she could find some information on Family Magics there and hopefully uncover a clue as to why they seem to have vanished entirely in this world.

Dora walked through the quiet and unassuming town of Sankt Georgen an der Gusen, her form shifted into that of a middle aged, dark haired man, as she followed the steps of her temporary partner, a member of Britain's MI6. The young man was ordered to act as her guide and guard for the mission as they approached a building that was a bit more rowdy than the rest, as the ground was already covered in a fresh layer of snow. The agent opened and held the door for her to enter, her eyes taking in as much of the pub as she could as she shook her feet to loosen the attached sludge, before walking a few steps further in. As soon as her guard was clear of the entrance, she made her way to the counter where the bartender was serving two large glass mugs to the waitress. The young man turned to look at her, speaking a Bavarian variant of German that had her translation spell working overtime. "Evening, Gentleman. What can I serve you?" Dora pulled out her wallet and drew out some Austrian schillings. "Two mugs of the local brew." The man smiled and nodded. He filled the two mugs to the brim before presenting them to her. Dora drew out several hundred schilling bills and placed them on the table. "I am also on the market for some specialty items. Grindelwald's Finest?" The man happily took the offered bills and gestured with his head. "Gentleman on the far right corner with the cigars. He can sell you what you need." Dora nodded and lifted the lid of the beer mug, savoring the beer as it went down her throat, before letting out a satisfied huff of air.

"Good for warming the soul. Thank you." The young man chuckled. "Soul and the skin. We got a cold winter ahead. Good to see clients liking our local brews. Don't be strangers and come back for more if business is good." Dora and her guard took their drinks and moved towards the far right corner of the establishment, taking the table next to the contact, her back facing them. After downing another swig of beer, she turned her head slightly. "On the market for Grindelwald's Finest." The older man drew a breath through his lit cigar and blew out some smoke, which Dora did her best to ignore. "What are you looking for? Got some mementos, recent stock and some new cases." Dora hummed. "As we are just getting acquainted, I would like to see some of the mementos. Father served in the war on the Kampfgruppe Hexenmeister, 4th Infantry Division. He told quite a few tales of his unit's commander and their accomplishments." The older man smiled. "Ahh, good old Schulz was a fine man." Dora turned towards him so that her eyes were staring into the man's. "Schulz was a pig that enjoyed too much of the taste of the local women. Lehmann was the star of the unit. Till the Brits had a sniper scatter his brains all over the Rhineland." The man took a longer draw from the cigar before blowing out some more smoke. "Quite, Quite. What sort of mementos are you looking for and how many?" Dora took a second to think. "A dozen of Grindelwald's P-39E. Got some good old boys back home wanting to relive the glory days." Dora pointed her finger at her guard.

"This boy here will be testing them out for me. Got my dad's P-39E back home and he got a good feel for it. I will pay extra if you let us test these guns out before we buy them." The old man nodded. "Acceptable. We have a shooting range where the officers of the Reich used to meet during the war. You are welcome to join us there to test our mementos. We will also show you our more recent stock. Might make your young men wet their sheets." Dora hummed appreciatively, even as she found the idea of anyone getting aroused by firearms unappealing. "Then I will bring some more extra cash. So, how much are you looking to make from these?" After spending the next forty minutes negotiating the price and reliving some old war stories of the old man, Dora and her guard returned the mugs back to the bartender and left the pub. Pulling her coat tighter around her throat as the colder air signaled the time as much as the now darkened sky, Dora walked in the direction they came from, letting her senses expand, searching for any magical signatures nearby. Finding none, she and the guard took a corner into a dark alley and she reached out with her hand. Her apparition dropped both of them just outside their safehouse in Munich, the MI6 agent doing his best not to lose the beer from earlier. Once his dizziness passed, they knocked on the safe house door. "In for the night."

Dora waited until a voice from inside called out. "It's a long one." Knocking twice in response, the door opened and the two got inside, leaving behind the freezing air. She went inside of her assigned room and exited back out a few minutes later, her form back to normal. "We have a tentative deal for P-39Es. They will be showing them to us at the shooting range we have heard rumors from, plus some new stock items." The lead MI6 agent, who was acting as the Field Leader for the operation, nodded. "Good. SAS and American reconnaissance photographs mark the entrance of the facility as being several kilometers behind the shooting range during the war. Continue to integrate yourself with the sellers. We will call a surveillance flight over the area in the coming days." Dora sat on the nearby chair and summoned a bottle of water from the opened cabinet nearby to her hand. "Or you could let me handle the surveillance. I can take the forms of animals native to the region. Less chance of spooking the locals or telegraphing our presence." The older agent looked at her for a second, in which she shifted into her owl form before taking her human form again. The man chuckled. "You and the ICW are going to spoil us rotten." Dora smiled at the man. "Hey, that's the point of these joint missions. Magical and non-magical cooperation when dealing with the scum of the Earth." The two agents chuckled as Dora went over the entire interaction in her debrief.

She eventually dropped face first onto her assigned bed in her pajamas, sighing to herself. With the Death Eaters going to ground and the werewolves behaving themselves now that Greyback was dead, Great Britain had gone eerily quiet. It felt like everyone, criminal or not, was holding their breath, waiting to see what came next. Because of that and the fact the Department of Mysteries was revamping its security measures, Horatio had given her the green light to join MI6 on this operation. While MI6 was acting as the lead agency, the CIA and the ICW were coordinating behind the scenes. As far as they knew, this base was supposed to have been abandoned during the postwar Allied occupation of Austria. With surveillance photos still showing some activity well into the seventies before the locals seemed to have taken a greater interest in concealing the entrance, and evidence collected from the confiscated weapons crates pointing to the region, a Task Force was established to deal with the potential dangers. Dora wished she was back home with Hazel, but she understood the importance of this mission. Taking out the people who seemed all too happy breaking the Statute of Secrecy, and by supplying enchanted weapons to terrorists to boot, was a priority of all the governments. So Dora buried her yearning for home and focused on getting some sleep. If everything went well, her partner would be here to back her up in the assault on the base. She couldn't wait for that to happen.

Chapter 57: Blood and Snow

Harry felt someone take a seat next to him. He instantly relaxed when Susan's familiar scent filled his nose. The young girl rested her head against his, taking his hand into her own as they sat together on one of the stone benches of the inner courtyard. "Any reason why you skipped out on us? The snowball fight wasn't so bad, was it?" Harry shook his head. "No, it wasn't. I just wasn't feeling up to it today." Susan hummed. "Because of Hazel taking some time off?" Harry nodded. It had been three days since Hazel had to leave the school, though thanks to the weekend, no one missed one of her classes until earlier today. "Yeah." Susan eyed him carefully. "She left for work, didn't she? The work no one should know about?" Harry nodded again and Susan hugged him with one of her arms. She kissed his cheek. "She will be ok, Harry. She and Dora know how to take care of themselves." Harry sighed. "I know. It just feels so different now. Before she was just this cool cousin of mine that seemed almost indestructible. A constant reminder that I was never alone. Now that I have gotten to know her and care for her like a mother, to see all the pain she is in when she can't keep her emotions hidden anymore, it makes me feel like she could one day never come back."

Susan pressed her body closer into Harry's. "I know the feeling, Harry. I spent years worrying over my Auntie. Before she was the Director of the DMLE, she was an Auror like the rest. She had to guard the Alley, go on assignments against suspected Death Eater hold outs and even try to hunt down Greyback and his werewolves. Every time she left me with the Abbotts, I was scared that she would never come home. That I would be left alone. It wasn't a great feeling." Harry hugged her back. "Did it ever get any easier?" Susan shrugged. "Yes and no. When she became Director, she spent more time handling desk duty, though that kept her away from home a lot until about three years ago, when she started spending more time with me. I was always scared that she wouldn't come home, though. I think… I think I will always be scared. But I can't let my fear control me anymore. Over time I also realized that I wasn't alone anymore. I always had the Abbotts." She smiled and kissed Harry's cheek again. "Then Daphne and Astoria came into my life, along with Neville and Teddy. Now there is also Sirius, Hazel and you. It's not the same, of course. It never will be the same as having Auntie around, but it does make me feel better. Seeing Sirius care for her has helped too, since I know he will look after her when I can't."

Harry nodded. "I suppose I can see that. It's just weird for me. Four years ago I didn't have anyone to care for. Then I met Hermione, Ron and Neville. Then I got to meet you and the others properly. It all feels so new to me. Feeling scared about losing someone feels so new to me as well." Susan remained quietly by his side, letting her presence be a comfort for him. "Have you talked to Teddy about this? You know he has had a few years of this already on his own." Harry sighed. "I did. It's weird with him, though. He says he knows his Mom is in danger but he feels certain she will always come back home. He can apparently still feel her through the magic they seem to share, which tells him she is fine, if a bit busy." Susan hummed, which eased his nerves. "Then trust that if anything happens, he will let you know." Checking the time, Susan stood up and held out her hand for Harry. "Come on. The other's should be in our study room already. Babbling's exams are notoriously hard in December before the OWLs Exams, so we need to practice Runes more. I have Elder and Younger Futhark down, but Greek is so confusing." Harry smiled and took her hand, which he held all the way through the castle. As they opened the door to the study room, the two ducked in time, a snowball passing harmlessly over their heads. "Drats!"

Astoria giggled. "Sorry Sis, but that's still two to one, with me in the lead." Daphne pouted. "Only because Theo was too much of a gentleman to let Hermione get hit by a snowball!" Said bookworm blushed as she waved at Harry and Susan. "Come on in, Daphne is just too focused on doing target practice. You guys want to work on Runes?" Theo's pleading look made Harry chuckle as they joined them on the separate table. "Sure. That's what we wanted to work on today. Guessing Daphne is working on Arithmancy?" The girl grunted as she went back to her book. "Of course I am. Professor Vector is a bloody tyrant. We just barely covered simple equations. Why do we have to cover multi-step equations so early!" Theo shuddered and Harry noticed. "Guessing you are leaving your Arithmancy work for later?" Theo nodded. "I had a bloody nightmare about failing the upcoming tests last night. I need to study something else before I crack." Hermione cuddles up to him, making him blush a little. "And the company is better here than at Slytherin." As everyone took out their books, Harry's eyes swept the room and landed on a curled up ball of fur sleeping on a doggy bed. He turned to Astoria who shrugged. "He wanted to take a nap. You are free to wake him up. There are only five minutes left for him anyways, and we have a class in forty five minutes."

It took a few shakes for Teddy in his wolf form to wake up, the boy stretching out his canine body and shaking himself awake before shifting to his human form. He yawned as soon as he could, rubbing his eyes. "Hey Harry." Harry ruffled Teddy's hair, which he knew woke the kid up quickly. Teddy gave him a mock glare before he started combing it back with his fingers. "Have you heard anything from Mom?" Teddy nodded. "She wasn't happy with me trying to reach out to her but she didn't try to hide from me either. She's calm and perfectly fine. Dora is too, by the way, though they were working at a distance from each other and Dora is always harder to read." Harry's nerves went down quite a bit. "Good to hear. Want to join us for a bit of Runes? Before you and Astoria have to head for class?" Teddy nodded. "Sure. Professor Sprout has us working on how to keep Valerian alive and healthy during winter without drowning it, so it's not as annoying as it could be." Teddy checked with Astoria first, after catching her softly spoken traitor, before joining the rest at the Runes table. After a few minutes helping them out, Susan noticed he seemed to lose focus. "Everything ok?" Teddy blushed. "Yeah. Mom and Dora are in the same room again so our Family Magic got flooded with their emotions. They're both ok, though Mom feels tired."

Hermione shook her head. "I've never heard of magic working like that." Teddy shrugged. "Mom is looking into it. For her, this has always been a part of her, though growing up she only had a distant relative connected to her. She's researching in her downtime what made our type of magic vanish for the most part. She found some evidence recently that it was at least known to the Founders, but nothing on what happened afterwards." Theo hummed. "Curious. Something had to have happened. Anyway, how do you translate this Rune sequence in Elder? I think I screwed it up with Younger." Hermione looked over his sequence. "No, you mixed it up with Saxon Futhorc." Theo looked it over and groaned. "I think I did the same with the rest of my homework." He drew a new parchment out as the rest of the students settled in. By the time Teddy and Astoria left, the rest were just studying quietly, with Susan holding Harry's hand under the table in comfort. Harry went to bed that night feeling a little better after spending an evening with his friends and a few quiet moments with Susan. Their goodnight kiss after they both finished their Prefects Patrols leaving him quite warm all over. He went to sleep that night, hoping Hazel would be home soon.

Bellatrix watched as Lucius entered the main gathering room where the Senior Death Eaters were discussing their plans for attacking the Ministry. Rockwood, McNair and Dolohov were proving invaluable, with the first two providing as much information as they could of the building's floor plans, while Dolohov made sure the younger and less experienced Death Eaters were worked back into shape. The use of Confundus charms and Imperius curses on Muggles had been essential to their obtaining not only muggle money, but food, clothing and even the home they were currently in. Rockwood had insisted that they do as much as they could without leaving corpses behind. Convincing well off humans to allow their large homes to be rented out for a week at a time was working well in keeping the Aurors off their trail. The entire situation, though vastly different from the previous war, made Bellatrix feel nostalgic. There were moments when she had to stop herself from calling out the Dark Lord's name as she once did when she returned from a supply run. Unlike before, however, the enemy didn't fear them as much as the Death Eaters would like, but sowing fear now would only get them killed. The enemy had to be defeated first. Then chaos could reign.

"What's wrong, Lucy?" The blonde man gave her his usual disapproving look whenever she called him that. "Narcissa sent our family owl out to deliver something to me." Bellatrix frowned. "I thought she said she wouldn't." Lucius shrugged. "I gave up trying to figure out how you Blacks think." Rockwood looked up from his floorplans of the Department of Mysteries. "Let me check it out first." Lucius huffed in annoyance. "I know how to check for enchantments and curses, Augustus. Besides, this is my wife." The former Unspeakable sighed. "It might surprise you, Lucius, but the DoM knows how to conceal some enchantments. Let me check." Malfoy sighed and handed over the thin box to him. Rockwood ran through several scanning spells. "Odd. Not one trace of magic beyond a featherweight charm and an extension charm.'' He handed the box back to Lucius who opened it. He frowned as he saw a stack of letters. He looked them over and saw they were all addressed to other Death Eaters, all written in different hand writings. "Nott. Come here." The scarred man with dark brown hair looked over. "What is it?" Lucius presented him with two letters. Frowning, Tiberius Nott opened them and read who they were from, everyone else looking at him expectantly. "Their… from my father and son."

Everyone who had family instantly crowded around Lucius as he handed out the letters to the recipients. He himself pocketed one that he recognized was from his son before walking up to Bellatrix. She eyed the stack oddly. "Four letters for me?" Lucius nodded. Bellatrix took them and left to read them in her own little corner in the muggle's own library, though all the books were on subjects Bellatrix could care less for. Rodolphus entered the room a few minutes after she entered. "Who are they from?" Bellatrix sighed, rubbing a few tears from her eyes. "The first one was from Sirius. For a second I thought it was Grandfather Arcturus talking. Siri was never one to write so formally. As Lord Black, he made it clear that he stood against me and the Death Eaters, but that at Narcissa's insistence, I wasn't cast out of the family. He asked me to think about what it means to be a Black now that there are so few of us left and asked me to surrender." Rodolphus blinked at her. "Most of the letters for others said the same thing. Please turn yourself in. We don't want you to die. Nott actually looked gutted from reading his family's letters. The others?" Bellatrix smiled a little. "One is from Cissy. Telling me she misses our tea time and asking me not to let the Black Madness make me forget that Family should always come first. The other one is from Andy."

Rodolphus sat beside his wife. "That's… unexpected." Bellatrix snorted. "My last words to her were I would kill her as soon as I saw her again. Yet… she forgives me for saying that to her. She doesn't want me to die. Why is everyone so sure we are going to die?" Rodolphus shrugged. "If the information Lucius gave us is accurate, it does seem like a likely outcome if we screw up. The Carrows got slaughtered at the World Cup and that was them having a full year to recover. Who's the last one from?" Bellatrix lifted up the envelope. "It doesn't say. I don't recognize the handwriting." Tearing open the letter, her husband leaned over Bellatrix's shoulder to read it along with her.

To Bellatrix Lestrange née Black

You don't know me, but I know of you, to a degree. I know that from an early age you loved Narcissa and spoiled her as much as possible. I know you resented Andromeda, first for being the proper pureblood young lady that your parents wished you could have been, and later for her rejecting everything that you considered to be the only path for a witch of House Black. Those who fear you would point to your acts of violence against animals and students as signs that you were destined to be a murderer and a Death Eater. We both know that those were signs of something else. A desire to feel some form of control. Bound to your parents will, acts of violence were a means for you to exert control over others. Eventually you enjoyed the pain that you caused and found a target that your family could accept. You were good at causing pain, you enjoyed it and you could get away with it at your leisure. So when a man spoke of getting greater power, greater control of our world, and that you would be free to use your talents to your heart's desire, how could you refuse?

I know you believe you knew the Dark Lord well. He was charming, attentive and eloquent. People hanged off his every word. He offered you a place for you and your husband's family at his side. You accepted, riding the high of such a being giving you attention, responsibility, and power. He gave you the means to feel powerful, to hold the power over life and death over others. It's an intoxicating feeling. It makes you want to hold it for longer. Eventually, the weak were not enough to satisfy your thirst. The strong gave you a greater rush. You must face greater and greater dangers to feel the same rush you once did as a child. And he provided you with targets. Older families, entire families. Soon you start killing the very people you identified as your own, only because he asked it of you. I know his ways better than anyone, if only because he and I were so alike. As are we.

I will not ask you to think of your family, as they already have asked you to surrender. I will not ask you to think of your husband, as I cannot judge if your love is true or healthy. I will not ask you to think of your peers. We both know that beyond the Lestranges and Malfoy, you would kill them all without any hesitation. They might have served your master, they might have fought by your side, but their lives are as expendable to you as they were to him. Instead I will ask you to think of yourself. To continue down this path will only lead you to certain death. You will go down as one of many who were fooled to follow in the path of a madman's act of revenge against the world that abandoned him. You will be no different than the people you killed. But if you give up the thirst for violence. If you give up this path, you will live. You may find something inside yourself worth living for. Whether that is one day seeing your great nieces and great nephews, to waking up beside your husband not for another night but for years and years to come. To find that your hands are better suited to breathing life and purpose into an object than they are to ending the lives of others.

If these things mean something to you, then please. Let go. Before it's too late. Let go of the thirst, the pain and the rage. If you do, there will be hope for you. If you do not, I can only guarantee you one last chance before the end. Because one way or another, the story of the Death Eaters will end. Yours doesn't have to end with them.

Bellatrix's hands shook as Rodolphus took the letter from her hand. She wrapped her arms around her body. "How… how?!" Rodolphus held her tightly. They sat quietly as Bellatrix remained silent, shaking sporadically. "We can do as the letter suggests. We can leave this all behind. If we do a better job telling the Wizengamot everything that happened, and I do mean everything, we might get a lighter sentence. All you have to do is ask." Bellatrix shook her head. "Thank you for offering, Rudy, but it's too late now. I might have loved enchanting but I can't see myself doing that anymore. I am sorry I can't let go." Her husband hugged her tighter. "Then I won't let go either. We are in this till the very end." Bellatrix nodded, her face buried in his chest. "No matter how soon it might be."

"How was the sale?" Hazel took a deep draw of her cigar and blew out a plume of smoke. "Two dozen auto rifles to our brethren from Argentina." The men around her cheered as Hazel did her best not to show any unfamiliar facial expressions. She and Dora had been forced to meet the seller several times looking like different prospective buyers as they both did everything they could to memorize his body language and posture, before they finally stunned him and his guard and replaced both of them. Dora's flights as an owl revealed that the path behind the local shooting range was indeed still active, as the suppliers would constantly move the items they planned to sell to and from the clubhouse that sat next to the shooting range. As soon as the ICW verified that the weapons bore the same enchantment signature as the ones they secured back in Britain, Horatio had called her in from Hogwarts and sent her out to Austria to take part in the operation. The MI6 agents had been surprised by her ability to physically walk through the compound's walls and reinforced steel doors. She did, however, have a moment of panic when she felt a familiar lingering sensation in the air, which made her rush back to base, keeping her distance from everyone. The geiger counters they kept for emergencies confirmed her fears.

After the British and American agencies were warned of the danger of radioactive material being stored in the military compound, the gloves came off. Military personnel from both governments' special forces were being deployed covertly to the area, with Austrian government officials being notified on a need to know basis. After Hazel verified she could still purge the radiation from her system as she had done in her old world, she went right back into the underground base, continuing the process of mapping out every area she could find. She was able to locate the rooms being used by the enchanters, one specifically being used for the mass production of enchanted weapons, the other more than likely being a testing room for new prototypes. Finding the reason for the nuclear radiation in several chambers and ammo crates had been a surprise, as the terrorists seemed to be testing the feasibility of using dirty bombs, rather than full nuclear weapons, Hazel also found some smaller rocket systems that looked to be far less sophisticated than expected. When the agents said the base was partly connected to the Bergkristall facility that was captured during the war, they were able to surmise that several of the rocketry and jet engine projects from the Nazi research base had been moved to the location, before the entrances were destroyed or buried as the researchers fled.

Hazel chatted away with the man she and the agents believed was the chief architect of the base. He had apparently been part of Adolf Hitler's inner circle and a member of Grindelwald's Thule Society in his early twenties, making him one of several non-magical officers who knew the full extent of the war. That he had carried on the weapons projects his two defeated leaders started fifty years ago spoke volumes of his dedication or at least his ambition. Hazel's observations came to an end as an alarm sounded throughout the base. "Base under attack! I repeat, base under attack! Unknown military force is attacking the south entrance!" The man next to her cursed and moved towards the communication panel on the wall, just as Hazel and Dora unleashed a spread of stunners at everyone in the room. The older gentleman had barely enough time to turn around before he too took a stunner to the face. Dora went to the closest door and started casting a false wall onto it, shaping it into a copy of the door that hung on the inside part of the frame, as Hazel approached a false wall she spotted in the back of the room in her sweeps. After breaking through the wards, she reached the wardstone and destroyed it, before placing her own portable one in its place. As soon as the portable ward was active, she placed the comms piece into her ear. "O1 and O2 here. Priority 1 and Trojan point secured."

An older man's voice responded. "Acknowledged. Assault forces are currently engaging the enemy at the base entrance now. Trojan forces awaiting transport." Dora, having completed the false door, placed the portkey destination beacon in place, before charging the runic circle. "O2 here. Beacon is lit. Send in the troops." No sooner had her words left her mouth that the beacon glowed with magic. Every two minutes heralded the arrival of five task force soldiers. Dora went ahead of the officers, expanding their room of deployment as Hazel travelled from hidden alcove to hidden alcove. Unlike with the main wardstone, Hazel used the blood from the lead Enchanter to take control of the existing wardstones, activating their lockdown settings partially. Having reached and taken control of the closest wardstone to the main entrance, she lifted her wrist up. "O1 here. Wardstones under our control. Will be joining the attack force to aid in the infiltration. O2, standby for me to give the order to advance." Hearing Dora's acknowledgement, Hazel apparated silently to the forward command center. "O1 here. Ready to assist."

The lead Special Forces officer looked towards her and smiled. "We'd be happy to have you. Boys say you have a deployable kinetic shield. Can you take point and guard our men?" Hazel nodded. "Sure. They can shoot from behind me through it too. Just watch for friendly fire. Your boys hit me or my partner, you will have to explain to their families how they got their balls handed to them. Literally." The man chuckled. "These boys miss their shots, I will be glad to lend a hand with that. See you on the other side." Hazel nodded, receiving the written orders and apparated out to the front assault team, the soldiers hiding behind dense mounds of snow and thick trees. The commanding officer took the offered paper and confirmed the orders, signalling his people to form up behind her. Hazel dug deep into her magic and as soon as she neared the entrance, she drew her Holly Wand and held the Resurrection Stone in her offhand beneath her skin. The stone cheered with joy as she ran the kinetic shield through it, the special forces soldiers lining up behind her as the shield took every bullet the terrorists had to offer. Hazel would only wave her wand whenever she spotted an enemy soldier pulling out a heavy ordnance weapon. She had no idea if her shield could take an RPG and had no desire to test that with lives at stake.

For the next hour, the special forces soldiers and Hazel swept level by level of the compound, taking out every soldier that drew their weapons on them, a few of them doing a number on her shield due to several having enchantments tied to their weapons. Eventually she saw a familiar dark tactical suit attached to a magical signature she knew all too well. Quetz had finally figured out how to adjust the suit to accommodate a Metamorphmagus shifting form, though it came at a partial cost of weaker defences on the full bodysuit. This she worked around by introducing attachable armor plates to the suit, giving the Operatives higher protection than normal when in need of it, the plates being stored in expanded pockets on the suit's belt. Hazel was happy the equipment was ready for this Operation, as she already spotted some dents in Dora's plates. She turned to the soldiers. "Clear the chamber! Once we are done, switch to occupation force configuration!" Hazel lifted her wrist up. "O1 here. Reached rendezvous with O2's Trojan Forces. Base has been secured." She caught a bit of celebration from the Field Commander's end. "Acknowledged. ICW and Intelligence personnel will be on site soon." Hazel turned to a heavily sweating Dora, suddenly feeling her own level of exhaustion. "Shields fail you?" Dora blushed. "I took an RPG to the kinetic barrier. It wavered enough that a few shots got through." Hazel sighed before she cast a diagnostic spell on her partner. "You have two bullet burn marks on your lower thighs and a deeper one on your side. You also have shrapnel on your stomach."

Dora looked down at her stomach. "No wonder it feels itchy." She shrunk back at Hazel's glare. "O1 to H1, O2 needs healing. You're free to skip the anesthetic." Dora winced at Andromeda's unhappy tone. "Right. I will keep that in mind. H2 to H4 are ready to receive allied casualties. H5 to H8 are ready for enemy survivors." Hazel hummed. "Understood." After silencing Dora and deactivating the anti-portkey wards, she and the rest of the injured but living personnel were sent back to the medical triage. Hazel lingered behind, helping the non-magical special forces to steer clear of the cursed objects and radioactive material in the compound before she watched the ICW and allied Unspeakables enter the building, along with a smiling Observer Badawi. "The agents and officers in charge are over the moon with this operation. We did lose two soldiers in the initial attack, but the rest will pull through." Hazel shook the man's hand. "Our condolences to the families and friends. Are we clear to get some rest?" Badawi nodded. "You are. Go rest up. Tomorrow we can cover your debrief and you and your partner can then head home." Hazel looked around at the soldiers nearby, as two gurneys covered in black cloth passed by, with Badawi noticing where her attention went. "You two saved a lot of lives today. Not only here but elsewhere in the world. Be proud of that." Hazel nodded. "I know. It feels good, knowing all this makes a difference. It has to, for their sake." Hazel returned to her assigned room and after making sure all was safe, she checked on Dora and Dromeda, before exhaustion finally forced her to collapse onto the bed. She hoped her dreams would be kind tonight.

OW August 1995

"Woohoo!" Hazel squealed as Bella drove her enchanted motorcycle through the Irish countryside. Since most of the Ministry's announcements and searches, even a year later, were being carried out on the Isle of Britain, Bella decided to give Hazel her first real vacation by taking her out to Ireland. While crossing the Irish Sea via the ferries would have been viable, Bella decided to show off her enchantment chops, taking a flying bike all the way from Cumberland, over the Isle of Man and onto the county of Louth, before speeding off deeper on Irish country roads. They eventually reached the old Druidic sites of County Sligo before Bella took the next exit heading up to Knocknarea. The hill looked absolutely stunning from the road as the setting sun painted its limestone walls and patches of grass in deep orange and purple colors, the roving clouds above signalling a chance of rain. Hazel felt the first rain drop on her face as the sky darkened further. Bella spotted an abandoned barn and turned her bike off the road. "Let's take a minute off the road while the rain passes. I don't need Andi breathing down my neck if you happen to catch a cold." Hazel giggled as they reached the cover of the wooden building, before stepping out of the sidecar.

Pulling out a bag of food from the expanded bag on the side of her motorcycle, Bella conjured a comfortable sofa and invited Hazel over. They sat and ate some fruits, cheeses and torn pieces from a fresh loaf of bread as they listened to the rain striking the roof several feet above their heads. "Bella, what was the rest of your family like? You only ever talk about Andi. We can also avoid the obvious." Bella sighed. "To be fair, it was a bit of a mixed bag once upon a time. Cygnus and Orion were the rougher heads of the family, while the former's brother, Alphard, was the playboy. That man loved finding a new and exciting person to share his bed with, so long as they expected nothing more from him than a good shag. Further up you get the once powerful Arcturus Black and his wife, Melania. They had the most beautiful gardens in Castle Black. The House of Black flourished under Arcturus, with alliances spreading the entire breath of the Neutral and Traditional Families. Then… Grandma Melly died. Arcturus just retreated into himself. Left Cygnus and Walburga to do whatever they wanted with the House, with Orion barely putting up a fight. When Voldemort started his movement, they were all too eager to join him. Narcissa avoided getting dragged into the mess by being married to Malfoy. Unfortunately, my crazy cousin and his younger brother, Reggie, got pulled in with them."

Hazel turned to Bella. "Is that why you decided to help the Death Eaters? To keep the Black family safe?" Bella nodded. "As a Healer I couldn't be forced to take part with any of the Death Eater's more violent activities. It would have damaged my capabilities, which were considered to be as good as Dorea Black's, Grandpa Arcty's sister. I wanted to keep an eye on Reggie and watch out for my family, while passing what information I could to James and Lily, to keep them safe. When… when Reggie died in a raid on the Bones family, I knew I wanted to get out. You know the rest." Hazel nodded. "I wish I got to know the other's of House Black. Alphard sounded cool." Bella chuckled. "He wore the most flamboyant clothes imaginable. Though he kept to the family color with ease, he still made it look good. Though if you were a good looking man, he'd hit on you faster than s Bludger at a Quidditch match." Bella went quiet for a second. "Hazel, I want you to promise me something." Hazel turned to her and Bella looked her in the eyes. "If you ever run into my sister, Narcissa, promise me you'll give her one chance to surrender. To turn back and leave the war behind." Hazel frowned. "Just one chance?"

Bella ran her hand through her curly hair and nodded. "I know my family and I know the Death Eaters. Dumbledore has made many mistakes in his life, but giving Death Eaters second, third and fourth chances to redeem themselves is one of the greatest mistakes he continues to make. I have complained about it but when you have asskissers hanging off your every word, ignoring dissenting voices gets to be all the easier. So if you ever have her in your sights. If she draws her wand against you, at the most give her one chance to walk away. If she doesn't take it, then end it. We Blacks are many things, but kind is one of our rarest traits. She won't be kind to me, let alone you. If you run into any of them as Death Eaters, give them that one chance. After that, let them have it. Believe me, it's better to give them that one chance, because no matter what happens, they will never give you the same. They won't show any mercy to you or others if they have made up their mind. Will you do that for me?" Hazel nodded silently and cuddled into her Godmother's side. Not long after, thanks to the sound of the rain and her godmother's gentle hands, Hazel fell asleep, dreaming of wide open fields of green and soft rain on a roof. It felt wonderful. It felt like home.

NW December 1995

Hazel's eyes snapped open as her eyes focused on the Hogwarts roof over her head. Sending magic rushing through her body, Hazel lifted herself up and swung her legs over the end of the bed, before cradling her head in her hands. The dreams of her past had grown less frequent in the last few months. Being a teacher at Hogwarts certainly kept her busy enough. Though she had expected that the longer periods of time without her fiancée would have only made things worse. Yet the weekends proved to be the best moments for both of them to relax and catch up. The mission in Austria, with the exception of the two British Special Forces soldiers dying, had been a groundbreaking success. Though most of the base's personnel died from the assault, the top members of the organization had all been captured in their infiltration. Johann Himmler, the lead officer of the base and member of the Thule Society, was transferred to ICW custody. Word along the grape vine was that he was likely to be sent to Britain or the United States to face charges, though the sentence might be lessened if he accepts Veritaserum and Legilimency probes. The Observers were concerned with stockpiles of the enchanted weapons being kept on several continents for sale to other extremist groups and they were very keen on finding every last one of them.

After completing both their debriefings in the Luxembourg ICW Observer Headquarters, Hazel and Dora went through another set back at the London DoM. The Unspeakables had gone crazy reorganizing the structure of the department, turning the place into a maze that spilled out into large open areas, something Hazel assumed was done to better ambush attackers. She could feel gaps and hidden passageways in the walls around her, areas where she assumed the non-combatants could move freely through to safety. Horatio and Croaker were quite happy with the debrief and the mission as a whole. The ICW and MACUSA were already in talks with the FBI and CIA about similar joint operations, same as what had been agreed to with MI6. Hazel was glad all the groups were focusing on keeping the arrangements as strictly law enforcement and counter terrorism missions. No one wanted to start a new arms race, not so soon after the collapse of the Soviet Union. MI6 had agreed to keep requests of future joint Operations low, though they would be providing some basic information on potential threats and threat assessment, including the likelihood of them knowing about and using magicals for their illegal activities. Croaker had been eyeing the growing stacks of documents on his desk with equal parts terror and excitement.

Dora got a bit of the cold shoulder treatment from Quetz as they returned to Acquisitions. The new and improved tactical full body suit had been her pride and joy and while it did the job as intended, Quetz wasn't happy that she had to pull shrapnel out of the abdomen section, buff out the obvious dents and rework the removable plating on the stomach area to prevent another similar incident from repeating itself. Hazel herself was at least happy that she had forced Dora to take the Elder Wand for the operation, even if her concentration failed for a split second when the kinetic shield took a hit from an RPG. She was at least heartened by the fact the Trojan Forces by Dora's side took the attack personally and were far more thorough when clearing out a room with her. They all knew they would probably be dead if it wasn't for her. Despite Hazel's initial reaction to seeing her partner injured again she made sure Dora knew she wasn't angry at her. Not really. Hazel was certain she left more bruises and scratches on her fiancée than what she got from the entire operation but Dora's moans of pleasure had been too stimulating. She left Dora with a massive grin on her face and with as few bruises as she could with what her episkey spell could manage.

Her boys had been absolutely wonderful to her when she returned to Hogwarts, not to mention the whole school. That McGonagall's teaching methods didn't lend well to the standards Hazel had established in the classroom was an understatement. The Scotswoman had been left decidedly stunned with just how advanced all of Hazel's students were in the class. Hazel always had the students study ahead of time, and since everyone had her syllabus, all of her classes could, for the most part, manage the Transfiguration spells in a given day on their very first try. She did have to check on Luna though, finding the girl was now in much better control of her magic. She wasn't ready to gain full access to the magic in her body like the rest of the students, but she was getting closer. She wasn't, however, willing to drop the whole thing about calling her Professor Potter. Blasted Seers and their abilities. Her thoughts came to an end as Dobby popped into the room. "The Great Harry Potter and Edward Peverell wish to have breakfast with you in your chambers. What should Dobby tell them?" Hazel combed her bangs of white hair with her fingers away from her face and sighed. She looked at the clock. "They have thirty minutes to complete their morning run, even if it is inside the Castle. After that you can help me get breakfast ready."

Dobby jumped in joy. "Dobby will let the young masters know. Dobby will return shortly to aid Mistress Peverell." Shaking her head at the elf's excitement after he popped away, Hazel pulled her at home clothes on before entering the kitchen, seeing Dobby hard at work preparing the toast and cracking the necessary amount of eggs open. Standing by his side as she whisked the eggs and added the seasoning, while Dobby diced the vegetables before softly sauteing them in the pan with some olive oil, Hazel's mind returned to the morning of her fifteenth birthday. She had been surprised to see Bella cooking in the kitchen with Dobby and Kreacher, though it was safe to say that the elves seemed to be doing more damage control than cooking. The thought had been heartwarming though. That Bella accepted her request for a break from all the training and to go out and have a fun time in Ireland had been the best birthday present she received in her old world. As she personally scrambled the large batch of eggs and Dobby added the meat and vegetables, her thoughts returned to her world's Bella and her request. By the time she had confronted Narcissa Malfoy, the promise had been forgotten. Hazel simply didn't give it much thought when she killed Narcissa, not until much later. The guilt of betraying her promise weighed heavily on Hazel's conscience as the promise to raise Teddy was the next to be challenged.

She had sent Bellatrix Lestrange that letter in the hopes that some trace of her Godmother was still in her, that she could make amends for her broken word. She knew in her bones that they would be crossing paths soon. When that time came, would she be able to follow her Godmother's advice? Would she be able to kill the woman that looked so much like her world's Bella if she refused to give up? She honestly didn't know. Watching the smiling faces of her two boys after they washed their faces in the bathroom as she and Dobby brought the breakfast to the table, however, made it clear that whatever was about to happen, there were some things that she had no desire to let go off. No matter what happened, she would be coming home to her boys and to Dora. She would make sure that these quiet, peaceful moments stretched on for as long as they could. Because her family deserved to be happy. After four and a half years of hard work, the Magical World of Britain was entering into a real state of peace, not the false one brought about by the sudden and unexpected disappearance of Voldemort. The Death Eaters were almost completely outed, the populace, despite the breakout in Azkaban, felt safe and the government was well on its way to being functioning. Whatever the Death Eaters had planned, Hazel swore she would stop them. One way or another.

Chapter 58: Death in the Ministry

"I don't like this." Bellatrix nodded as she and her fellow Death Eaters took defensive positions at the landing of the 9th Level of the Ministry of Magic. The guards at the entrance and at reception had all reached for their wands but were quickly killed by her compatriots as they made their way to the elevators. As soon as the last group entered, Rockwood came towards her, his eyes searching the far ends of the three major hallways leading away from the lifts. He spared a look at Rabastan after the man made his comment on the situation. "What, that there are no guards visible here? That's nothing new. The Department of Mysteries relies on its reputation and the difficult nature of the labyrinthine hallways as their primary defence. There is a reason that solicitors and aides get lost down here when they try to reach the Courtrooms, even though the stairs are always to the right of the lifts. Wonder how many are missing now. There was a betting pool if certain people would be found within the century." Rodolphus came up besides Bella, his eyes also on the corridors. "So, Plan A?" Rockwood nodded and turned to the rest of the Death Eaters. "You know your teams! McNair and Nott with me on the left. Dolohov, Travers and Rabastan take the center corridor. Lestranges and Malfoy take the right. Move it!"

The three large groups of Death Eaters made for their assigned corridors and it took the leads a few minutes of winding hallways and abandoned laboratories to know that something was wrong. Rockwood was the first to notice, holding his hand up, causing his men to stop in their tracks as they entered a large intersection, with two other exits leading elsewhere into the Department. Nott and McNair moved closer to him, the former's eyes on the two intersections. "What is it? Did you see something?" Rockwood cursed and cast a finite on himself before turning to the rest. "Cast a finite on everyone! We have been caught in a trap!" He turned to Nott and McNair, each shaking their heads as the effects of the Confundus spell they were all on vanished. "There aren't supposed to be any large open sections like these in the DoM. They must have updated their layout. The confundus charm was to make anyone think that nothing was amiss. Bloody Dementors left my mind too damaged to notice quickly enough." He turned back to the others. "Pull back to the lifts!" No sooner did his words leave his mouth that the entire back line of Death Eaters got banished further into the intersection by a spell, followed by the sudden appearance of figures garbed in grey Unspeakable cloaks, their faces pitch black under their hoods, surrounding them from every direction. Rockwood noticed one Unspeakable who wasn't wearing a mask, his short grey hair did nothing to hide the massive scar on the man's scalp. The smile on Horatio's face was certainly not of the pleasant variety. "Hello, Traitor. Ready for Judgment Day?"

Down the central corridor, it took Dolohov a second to notice the change in his surroundings as he divided his forces into three to check out the three branching off corridors that led away from the crossroad section they arrived at. He instinctively rubbed his wand, a habit of his in the Dueling Circuits, both Legal and Illegal. When the sensation in his head felt strangely familiar to him, he cast a finite on himself. As soon as the Confundus was dispelled, he knew something was terribly wrong. "Everyone, gather back in the corridor we entered from! The blueprints were wrong!" The call barely registered in the Death Eaters' faces before the ones in the front formation suddenly collapsed as the corridors were suddenly filled with the bright red light of stunners. The cackle of an all too familiar man reached the ears of every Death Eater. "Took you long enough, Dolohov! Azkaban didn't do you any favors, did it? Alright, Death Munchers! This is your one and only warning! Drop your wands and surrender! You start casting lethal curses and we will respond in kind!" Dolohov, Rabastan and Travers, as well as all the other Death Eaters watched as three of the four corridors, including the one they just came from, were suddenly filled with red coated figures. A heavily scarred man searched the sea of Death Eater Robes, his Enchanted Eye latching onto Travers. "There you are! Come here, you gutless coward! I have a bloody bone to pick with you!" A few Death Eaters rushed towards the right corridor that seemed empty until a dark figure with pink hair materialized at the center of it, the area behind her suddenly turning into a massive wall. "Sorry folks. This lane is closed."

In the right hand corridor, the Death Eaters took a more cautious approach into the wide open intersection. Rodolphus nudged Malfoy forward. "You and your group check down that corridor. I'll check to the left, while Bellatrix holds the fort here." Lucius nodded and made his way forward as Rodolphus made his way to the right. He froze when he felt Rabastan's sudden surprise and a spike of fear through their bond as twins. He turned around towards Bellatrix, who was gripping her head as if suffering from a headache. "Something's happened to Rabastan! We need to move!" Rodolphus' orders were swiftly followed by a chuckle coming down the forward corridor, with all the Death Eaters aiming their wands towards it. "Sorry to say, but there will be no calvaries coming to your fellows rescue tonight." To the back of Rodolphus a Death Eater screamed as he was tackled to the ground by several badgers, their claws and sharp teeth digging into his back as other predatory animals began to materialize in the corridor. Lions, griffins and wolves stared down at the retreating Death Eaters.

Bellatrix heard a man scream again and she turned towards the corridor from which they came. She and the others watched as large lumbering dragon-like creatures appeared on the ground as they dropped from the roof, their backs covered in jagged spikes as flames and molten rock dripped down from their maws. Lucius barely had a second to move as a black gloved hand materialized, taking his wand hand and crushing it, bones and wood snapping under the sheer force. His stunned body was tossed to the side as a woman wearing a full body suit stood alone before them, her white hair hanging loose but short. "Welcome Death Eaters, to the Department of Mysteries. I asked the Boss to place a sign saying "Abandon all Hope, Ye Who Enter Here" but he felt it was too much of a hint, not to mention rather macabre. Still, the meaning holds. You punks have one chance. Surrender now or…" seeing a few wands lighting up with a familiar green light, Hazel waved her wand. Lances of silver were conjured above said Death Eaters, before they found themselves impaled through their spines to the ground, all screaming in pain as Hazel transfigured the spears inside of them into having branches and thorns jutting out into the rest of their bodies. Her eyes swept over the remaining Death Eaters as the room was filled again with the roar of her creations. "As I was saying, this is your last chance…" her eyes landed on Bellatrix's face and her heart skipped a beat. "... please… surrender."

Horatio launched a cutter straight at Rockwood, the man dodging out of the way, a grunt behind the traitor making it clear that his jinx found a target, as a man's arm dropped to the floor. He watched as the other two senior Death Eaters drew their wands before the Unspeakables behind him opened up with their own curses and jinxes. While most of the Department was Research oriented, Croaker, after taking over from his predecessor, introduced a self-defence prerequisite for the entirety of the staff, especially as it was discovered that Rockwood only managed to get away with most of his crimes by using and manipulating other staff members. When Croaker called in all the Division Heads about the restructuring of the Departments' configuration with the threat of a possible attack by the Death Eaters, the entire population of Unspeakables volunteered to take part in the preparations. Those of the Mind Arts Division suggested the passive casting of a Confundus Charm that would prevent any unwanted visitors from being aware there was anything wrong about their surroundings, which would also slow down their perception for a few minutes, letting the defensive forces get into position in the choke points with enough time to spare. Enchantments Division, which was already hard at work experimenting with greater curse protective gear thanks to the Basilisk hide provided, passed along several prototype cloaks to the rest of the Unspeakables who wanted to take a stand as the vanguard.

Using an overpowered banishing spell, Horatio launched the other two Death Eaters away from Rockwood as he charged straight in at the traitor. The bastard cast killing curses straight at him. He was glad that Hazel had been his primary sparring partner over the last four years. The woman's natural gift with Conjuration and her desire to spread an understanding of the intricacies of the art meant he himself learned how to conjure defensive barriers to block curses that tended to overwhelm shields that much faster. Spinning his wand to face downwards, Horatio threw his body weight behind his punch, which connected with a crack into Augustus' upper arm. The Death Eater grunted in pain but smiled. "I had a feeling I would be seeing you again, Horatio. I knew your Division was responsible for the dismantling of the Death Eater remnants." Rockwood grunted again as Horatio's knee connected with his thigh, before a banishing spell from Horatio's wand forced the two apart. Horatio followed through with a wide cutter that Rockwood dropped underneath, who responded with a scatter of piercing charms. Horatio blocked as many as he could, conscious of the fact there was a high chance of collateral damage here. "Funny, we thought you would guess as much. Or more accurately, we planned for that exact deduction to happen."

Rockwood frowned before he was forced to dodge again, this time forcing Horatio back with an overpowered Reducto, followed by several fireballs that Horatio had to counter. "Wait. You bastards! You made that Witch into a target of ours on purpose!" Horatio smirked. "That Witch is the best Operative to come out of our Division. Trust me, she could handle all the curses you could throw at her." Rockwood growled as he started to cast darker cutting curses at Horatio. The older Operative transfigured several rows of stone slabs from the floor as he circled around the enraged Death Eater. He slid across the ground and managed to clip the traitor with piercing curses on his shoulder, though the bastard simply took the hit and aimed his wand right at where Horatio's momentum would take him. Horatio managed to block a killing curse headed his way with a conjured shield, but Rockwood had also cast a dark cutting curse right after. He felt the curse strike his outstretched leg, the cuts going deep where the plates of his suit failed to cover for mobility's sake. Cursing to himself, Horatio changed his plan. Rather than using the now damaged leg to get up, he used his other leg to launch himself forward, rolling out of the following curse and raising a series of transfigured slabs between him and his attacker.

He watched as Rockwood smirked towards him. "You have gotten slow, old man." Horatio was about to curse him back when Rockwood's face changed, the self satisfied grin being suddenly replaced by a grimace of pain. Said pain forced Rockwood to scream as his two bleeding knees made contact with the ground. Horatio watched as the man's wand arm was ripped into by what he assumed was a bullet. Not willing to take a chance, Horatio aimed his wand straight at the Traitor's chest. The bright green light of the killing curse struck Rockwood dead center and Horatio watched as his former student's eyes lost all signs of life before the body dropped back onto the ground, its legs bent beneath the thighs. Horatio took a few deep breaths as he watched a figure materialize next to him, wearing the same advanced tactical suit he and his Operatives wore, though this one carried an automatic rifle in their arms. The familiar voice of his Crafter spoke through the faceless hood. "You owe me for getting my suit scratched. Cast the counterspell on your leg and let Healer Tonks check you out later. Here." Quetz dropped a bottle of what he assumed was a healing potion, wrapped in an Unspeakable hood and face covering. "You got your revenge. Time to get to work, jefe." She disappeared from view as he downed the potion. He watched as several Death Eaters dropped to the ground, one looking like McNair, as blood bloomed from their chest, as he pulled the hood over his eyes. "Right. We still have work to do."

Alastor cast his spell chains at every Death Eater that got in his way, using his staff as an alternative foci for shields as he advanced further and further into the corridor intersection, where his Aurors had a third of the Death Eaters pinned down. When Tonks and Horatio called him up about setting up an ambush at the Department of Mysteries, he had been bloody overjoyed. The breakout at Azkaban had been a disaster for the DMLE. Several of the young members of his recruits would usually be deployed at Azkaban on guard duty, as a way of getting them all to experience all the jobs the DMLE had to offer. It was also a way to fill out the roster of guards because being assigned to Azkaban was no one's idea of a fun time. Depending on the reasons, few of the senior Aurors would ever be sent to the prison for guard duty. So when the breakout happened, not only did the DMLE lose several young and promising Aurors already there as guards, they also lost the ones who were arriving on the island by ferry to the bastards. The setup for the ambush was, of course, kept quite classified, so much so only he, Amelia and Rufus knew of the operation. Since there were some hard feelings between Horatio and Rufus, the Head Auror was tasked with handling the Ministry's safety by himself.

When he heard the Death Eaters came out and killed the guards and attendants on the upper floor, he had been pissed. It was a good thing the spooks anticipated that, substituting all of the personnel between the entrances to the Ministry and the DoM with golems equipped with disposable wands. The Death Eaters didn't catch on to the ambush until it was far too late. Getting the large part of the Aurors into the DoM without alerting anyone was the hard part. When a call came in from the dispatch office that placed the Death Eaters at Edinburgh's Magical District, he knew he got the perfect excuse. He made it look like all the Aurors apparated away, when in fact they were portkeyed into the DoM, all of them placed at the primary intersection because of their numbers. Of course, Horatio didn't trust numbers alone. His enchanted eye looked through all the bodies in the way and focused on young Nymphadora Tonks. The woman had become a powerhouse since he first got his eye on her at Hogwarts. Horatio's training and her partner's support had done wonders for the girl's skills and self esteem. He watched her take out several of the younger Death Eaters and almost overwhelmed Rabastan Lestrange, when Dolohov joined the fight. The two experienced Death Eaters kept the witch busy, but they weren't able to overpower her. This gave him the chance to get some personal payback.

Using his staff to clear a path, his wand unleashed a spellchain of stunners, shield piercers and cutters. He watched as Travers raised a shield and snapped out of the way of the piercer when the shield shattered. The gash that half tore off the sleeve of his robe showed that at least the cutter made its way home. "Good to see you again, Travers. How was the food at Azkaban, huh? Was it rotten? I better hope it was. Especially after what you did to my bloody family!" The Death Eater responded with a killing curse that he deflected by summoning a Death Eater into its path. Dropping the corpse to the side, Moody kept his Enchanted Eye fixed on the Death Eaters around him, looking for anyone that tried to cast a curse towards him, or for another body shield. Travers growled at him. "You're one to talk, Moody. You killed my wife and siblings." Alastor gave him a smirk, even as he forced the Death Eater to dodge again with another of his spell chains, before banishing and stunning some of the other bastards who were turning their wands in his direction. "Damn right I did! Did you think I didn't hear what you and your brothers did to Marlene?! Did you think I didn't hear how your fellow Death Munchers bragged about the raping of the McKinnon women! Your wife was so damn proud of that! Too bad you decided that her mission to hit the Bones family wasn't all that important! I would have killed you along with her and Rosier!"

Travers lunged his wand at him, a purple blood boiling curse heading straight for Moody. The gruff man simply raised his staff and intercepted the curse with it, before hitting Travers with another spell chain, followed by banishing off his feet with the staff, along with the other Death Eaters around him. Travers barely got onto his arms before several piercing charms struck his chest and shoulders. Moody kept banishing, piercing and stunning Death Eaters away from his path, before he summoned Travers' wand right out of his hand. The man seemed to reach for either a knife or another wand but Moody decided he wouldn't let him have it so easy. A cutter carved right through his arm and into the man's chest behind it. The man screamed and then screamed louder as Moody slammed the pointed end of his staff into the open wound. Moody growled. "How does it feel, you punk? This is how you had my Grandmother, Ailene, isn't it? Damn woman took out a few of your pals before Voldemort took her down. Then he let you and his other dogs have fun with her and my cousins. Well, guess what? There is no Dark Lord or Wizengamot here to bail you out! You should have stayed in your cell in Azkaban." Travers' next words were silenced by Moody's cutter to his throat.

Alastor turned around, casting a piercer towards the man's heart as he looked away, before surveilling the fight. The floor was littered with bodies, a few wearing red coats, but many more in black robes. Seeing Tonks was still holding her own against a much more bloodied Rabastan and a somewhat injured Dolohov, Alastor started making his way towards her. In his path he continued stunning and banishing Death Eaters, casting a few well aimed cutters at their hands. Those who lost an appendage were swiftly stunned and pulled away from the fight by a few Aurors whose job was to capture and contain those Death Eaters that were somehow captured or taken down alive. He watched as Hestia Jones and Kingsley Shacklebolt took turns fighting off some Death Eaters, the two of them keeping to using stunners and shield piercers only. He shook his head as they ignored the orders he and Amelia gave about the freedom to use lethal force for this operation, the two sticking to Dumbledore's pacifist approach. He desperately hoped the two got that man's teaching out of their heads soon. Then again, Auror work should get easier soon enough. Alastor's Enchanted Eye was momentarily blinded as the barrier Tonks erected behind her broke. He charged forward as fast as he could but there were too many Death Eaters in the way.

Hazel watched as several of the Death Eaters, probably thinking they could take her down together, aimed their wands towards her. She sighed as she jumped, her low bodyweight and accelerated momentum taking her well over their heads as a myriad of lethal curses sailed in the direction she had been standing in. She effortlessly swung her wand again in an arch, as a new set of conjured spears impaled another row of Death Eaters, her Transfigurations guaranteeing the bodies remained standing upright, rooted in position. Hazel landed in between a few of the other Death Eaters, many of whom turned their wand towards her. Dropping onto the ground, Hazel swept her legs out, knocking several of the Death Eaters onto their backs before unceremoniously ending them with a wide range cutter. She watched through her peripheral vision as a few of the Death Eaters rushed past her into the corridor she had appeared from. She turned towards the Death Eaters who remained in front of her. "I wouldn't go that way. I felt bad that Tom Riddle kept the truth of Salazar's Guardian from all of you so I decided to give anyone stupid enough to go that way an object lesson. There was no way I could conjure a Basilisk the size of Meretseger, but a few smaller but fully matured Basilisks were well within my skill set."

The Death Eaters who were not wearing a mask paled as they heard several of their fellows scream in terror, said screams cut short due to the suddenness of their death. Without saying a word, Rodolphus shot a killing curse straight towards Hazel, who guarded against it with a conjured shield, before returning fire with a spellchain. She watched Rodolphus raise a shield, only for the man to be banished out of the way of her spells. Her eyes pivoted to the woman whose wand now turned away from her husband's direction. Those purple eyes reminded her so much of Andy, yet there was no mistaking that this was Bellatrix Lestrange. She looked very much the same as her Godmother did after her time in Azkaban, her cheeks sunken in, dark bags under her eyes and her hair an unruly mess of tangled knots. She had to bite back a suggestion of combing her hair again, doing her best to shake away her surfacing memories. The Black Witch took her momentary distraction and ran with it, casting spell chains of shield piercers, finites and dark piercers. Hazel was forced to double her usual defences to keep said curses from reaching her, as the two passed around each other. Seeing an opening, she transfigured the sleeve of one of the dead Death Eaters into a snake and had it attack Bellatrix's leg. The former Slytherin looked almost affronted by the attack and vanished the creature but not before Hazel pressed the advantage.

She cast spellchain after spellchain repeatedly, forcing Bellatrix to take ever more defensive spells, wasting away her energy. Even if they recovered to full strength, something Hazel doubted just under two short months since the escape from Azkaban, she knew that she could outpace them all magically, even without the Elder Wand in her grasp. She was forced to raise a shield on her offhand as Rodolphus and the other Death Eaters tried to attack her while her attention was focused on Bellatrix. She was about to impale a good chunk of them again when Bellatrix screamed. "Stop! Everyone just stand back! She's mine!" Oddly enough, only Rodolphus seemed to head the order. Hazel launched herself back, with Bellatrix trying her best to catch her with a curse mid air, even going as far as casting a Killing Curse, but Hazel's accelerated momentum made it impossible for them to get a good read as to where she would be. Adding another layer of impaled Death Eaters to the intersection, Hazel watched as Bellatrix took advantage of them as well to cut off Hazel's line of sight on her. Hazel dropped the conjured spears and the impaled bodies hit the ground, revealing Bellatrix with her wand aimed towards her.

Shuddering at seeing the woman that looked like the mother she was never allowed to have, Hazel gave her a pleading look. "Please, Bellatrix. You can stop. The war is over. Voldemort is gone. There is no reason for you to keep fighting. You can let go." Bellatrix growled. "I can still avenge him! I will avenge him!" Hazel kept her wand aimed at Bellatrix. "And then what? How many more people must you kill before you're satisfied? A hundred, a thousand? When is it enough? Because I know you are aware that this won't end. Until you are willing to put your anger away, the blood won't stop being spilled. Not for your enemies and not for yourself. You know that. By the end you won't be a Black or a Lestrange. You won't be human anymore." Bellatrix huffed. "What about you? With how many of my master's followers that you have killed you are well on your way to not being human as well." Hazel gave her a bitter smile. "I stopped being human… a long time ago. That's why I know. It's not too late for you, Bellatrix. You have a family that loves you, despite everything that has happened. You have a chance at being human again. Just stop." Bellatrix screamed at her. "I can't stop. This is who I am!"

Hazel countered Bellatrix's killing curses with her own, the curses negating each other on impact. "Please, you can stop. The only thing left down this path is death. You will die here! Bellatrix Black will die here!" Bellatrix closed her eyes as tears ran down her cheeks. "Bellatrix Black died a long time ago. There is nothing left of her." Hazel's heart turned to lead as her eyes spotted all the remaining Death Eaters drawing their wands on her. She ignored Bellatrix ordering them all to stop. Digging deep inside, she held her right hand forward to shield from any attack by Bellatrix. Switching her wand to a reverse grip, Hazel wrapped her arm as far back as she could and swung it around in a wide arch. Countless spears manifested in the air between her and the Death Eaters before they were all launched at high speed. Hazel opened her eyes as the screams of dozens of Death Eaters filled the air, her right hand deflecting every curse sent her way by Bellatrix, with several conjurations blocking chains of spells cast along the Killing Curse. Her eyes locked onto Bellatrix as she switched the grip on her Holly Wand once more. The desperation and rage on Bellatrix's face suddenly vanished and was replaced by her Godmother's smile and outstretched arms. Hazel's vision filled with tears as her mouth released a sob before she managed to cast the spell she had prepared for this moment, just in case. "Moram… Mortis." A black and silver curse shot out from Hazel's wand. Bellatrix raised a shield and tried to dodge it but found her legs being held in place by transfigured silver roots.

Bellatrix turned in terror as the spell approached, bypassing her shield as if it wasn't there before striking her in the chest. In an instant all strength fled her body, her arms becoming limp at her sides. The silver roots slowly lowered her to the ground as she watched the White Haired Witch come around to her, soft thighs cushioning her head as her body was lowered to the ground fully. Bellatrix watched as tears raced down the witch's face, sobs being wretched from her throat. "Why are you crying?" Hazel tried to brush her tears away, but more kept coming out of her eyes. "You could have lived. Why? Why couldn't you let go? I gave you time to think about the life you could have lived. Why?" A thought occurred to Bellatrix. "You sent that letter." Hazel nodded and Bellatrix closed her eyes. "That was not my life." Hazel hiccuped. "It could have been. I met a woman who was so much like you. Fierce and loyal, but kind and loving to her family. A woman who found joy in making people smile rather than killing, though she wasn't afraid to end a life when the time came. You could have walked a similar path." Bellatrix smiled, as tears began to escape her eyes. "She sounded like a wonderful woman. What was her name?" Hazel found her voice failed her twice before she could answer. "Bella. She died, at the hands of her mad cousin, saving the life of a girl that should have been her child." Bella opened her eyes and stared into the misty green eyes of Hazel. "I… see. We took so much from you, didn't we? Thank you for … believing in me… and for … letting me dream… of a better… life." Hazel watched as the life faded from Bellatrix's eyes. Her voice failed her again as she tried. She tried so hard to scream in pain.

…

"Hazel, look! It's a sea dragon!" Hazel leaned over the edge of the railing at the pier, her Godmother's arms wrapped around her in both comfort and to keep her from falling over. She watched as this beautiful silver blue serpentine dragon broke through the water, a seal gripped tightly in its maw. What should have made her feel a little queasy had no such effect, her body warm in the embrace of Bella, as she watched this woman that loved her smile with unabashed wonder. Hazel smiled at her and looked back over the sea.

…

"It's perfect!" Hazel shook her head as she looked down at the green dress that her Godmother had asked her to wear. "I look like a doll!" Bella laughed. "But that's the point of a dress. You're supposed to wear it for that special boy or girl you like." Hazel's face turned beat red and she rushed back into the changing room. "Not happening!" Hazel's face remained red in embarrassment, even as the gentle laugh of her Godmother from outside made her smile.

…

"Bella?" Hazel heard her Godmother hum from behind her as the two cuddled together in her bed at Grimmauld Place, the room lit only by the soft silver light of the full moon. "Yes?" Hazel tried to say what she wanted to ask but for some reason she couldn't. Why was it so hard to ask? "Did my parents… love me?" Bella hugged Hazel tighter to her. "They did." Tears fell from Hazel's eyes. "Then why didn't they stop fighting in the war? Why didn't they leave? And don't say it was to make a better world for me! You know Dumbledore's lie doesn't work on me." Bella went silent for several minutes. "I don't know Hazel. I really don't know." Hazel wrapped her arms tighter around Bella's. "Would you take me away from here, if you could?" Hazel felt a kiss on her head. "Without a second thought." Hazel closed her eyes as tears of joy slipped out. "I wish you would have been my mother." Bella hummed. "One day, I will be. I promise."

…

As she looked down at the woman she had just killed, memories and reality seemed to coalesce. A gut wrenching scream of pain escaped Hazel's throat as she bent over Bellatrix' body. "Why? Why? Why? Couldn't you let go. Why did I have to lose you again? WHY?!" Hazel cried over Bellatrix, her tears dampening the black dress beneath her. She sobbed as the last desperate hope she had of seeing her godmother again died forever. Her face pressed into Bellatrix's body, Hazel paid no mind to the approaching footsteps or to the wand pointed at the back of her head. "Thank you, witch. Thank you for caring about her enough to make her feel alive again. A swift death is the only thing I can offer you in return. Avada Kedavra." Rodolphus watched as the bright green curse struck the witch on the head, her body going slack on top of his wife's. He groaned in pain for a second before casting an episkey on the puncture wound in his stomach. Seeing the wound close up just a bit, he sighed, turning to look around at the absolute carnage surrounding him. If the body's weren't still propped up by spears, they were dropped on the ground, the stone floor made slick by the layer of blood that seemed to cover the entire breath of the intersection. Sensing his brother was still in trouble, Rodolphus made his way towards the left corridor, blasting away at the conjured creatures that remained stubbornly alive in his path.

Dora's breath was coming out ragged as she tried her best to press the advantage against Rabastan Lestrange, only for Dolohov and several other Death Eaters to push her back again. She could see why the Death Eater was the only Dueling Champion to match Flitwick's official record. Unlike the diminutive Professor, Dolohov didn't have much in speed. What he had in spades was power and precision, being able to penetrate her shields almost as quickly as she raised them. Casting another wide range cutter, Dora managed to take out the small fries again, only for Dolohov to press his advantage against her. She cursed under her breath as she struggled to keep the Death Eater from landing a curse on her. Hazel would have another conniption if she went back to her injured again. Dora spared a moment to hope that her partner was alright when the wall behind her exploded around her, blinding the two Death Eaters in front of her. Not wanting to waste the opening, Dora cast two fast spell chains at the Death Eaters, catching Rabastan in the stomach with a piercer that sent him sprawling onto the ground. Dolohov deflected the piercer but took another cutter to the arm. The former Duelist Champion took a few steps back, testing his arm's movement, his eyes turning to something behind her.

Feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, Dora managed to dodge and turn around, raising up a conjured barrier before a curse managed to strike it. She watched as Rodolphus Lestrange arrived, his movements impaired slightly as he tried to overwhelm her with curses. Not wishing to get caught between three skilled Death Eaters, Dora jumped some distance back, knocking down several more Death Eaters in her way, before her shields were suddenly being struck by curses from the three senior followers. Dora drew deeper from the magic Hazel gifted her, not really noticing how cold the magic felt inside of her, as she needed to push them further back. She managed to cast enough overpowered spell chains to push all three Death Eaters off balance. Dolohov took a banishing spell to the chest that sent him flying, which allowed her to focus on the two Lestranges. Rodolphus seemed to take a closer look at her through all the spell fire before he gave her a smirk. "Tell me, was the White Haired Witch called Peverell your partner? Because I left her sprawled out on the ground. Though to be fair, she did kill all of the other Death Eaters. Our Lord would have loved to have had her on our side." Dora frowned. "What do you mean sprawled out?" Rodolphus chuckled. "She's dead, witch. I struck her with a Killing Curse myself."

Dora's heart froze, even as her body kept going through the motions of casting and blocking. Hazel couldn't be dead. She couldn't be. Searching deep inside of her for the link she knew existed between them, Dora noticed that she could feel Teddy's emotions very vividly. He felt scared, in pain and worried. When she focused on Hazel… her steps grew unsteady. Where Hazel's presence usually was, now there was a cold, almost devouring feeling of dread. She snapped back into the fight and fed her anger and rage into her curses, throwing everything she had against Rodolphus. She tore into his shields and was about to lob his head clean off his body when she felt as if a thousand blades struck her body, before being launched back by a banishing spell. Using her own momentum, Dora turned her uncontrolled movement into a roll, aiming to land on her feet, before being forced to raise a barrier to take stock of her injuries, as she stumbled onto the ground. Quetz' modifications to the armor seemed to have taken the brunt of the curse, though she could still feel two gashes on her side. Casting a countercurse that would keep the gashes from growing, Dora was forced to raise barriers repeatedly as the Death Eaters pelted her with Killing Curses. She tried to dash away when she again struck the ground hard, this time rattling her jaw, as she was forced to roll away from further curses.

She was momentarily confused as to why her balance was off until she touched her upper chest, noticing a certain weight was missing. She had noticed the charm growing warmer and warmer in the last few major fights, with it being exceedingly hot just a few minutes ago. Cursing under her breath, she took Hazel's advice to heart, dropping her shift in its entirety. She watched as the three Death Eaters seemed stunned by the way she looked, an opening she took advantage of. After catching all three with a wide cutter curse to their torso, she managed to launch Rabastan and Dolohov back as she tried to finish off Rodolphus. The Death Eater looked at her with a sudden realization. "Ahh, Andromeda's daughter. You were more than just partners with Peverell, weren't you? Was that why she cried after killing my wife? Because she was reminded of you?" Dora's thoughts slowed down, realizing now why Hazel could feel so wrong. If she had killed Bellatrix… a banishing spell launched her back a few feet and she watched as Rodolphus raised his wand at her. "Don't worry, I will send you to her now. That should help comfort her." Dora was about to conjure a shield when Rodolphus seemed to freeze in place. She watched as sharp and jagged black claws pierced right through Rodolphus' chest before arching back and tearing a wider hole through flesh and blood. The man's lifeless body dropped to the floor before her eyes registered what was attached to that claw.

"Ha… Hazel?" Iridescent silver eyes on her partner's face seemed to look into her soul before Dora screamed. "Hazel!" She tried to raise her wand up to push Hazel out of the way of Rabastan's Killing Curse, but there wasn't enough time. The curse struck her partner… and was seemingly absorbed by her skin. Dora watched as her partner slowly, almost mechanically turned towards Rabastan, before Dolohov unleashed a torrent of piercing and cutting curses towards her. Hazel did nothing to block the curses, her body becoming mired with open wounds and exposed and even broken bones that left Dora feeling cold with dread. The fingers she loved to hold on a cold night seemed to elongate right before her eyes, as Hazel's form seemed to shift away from that of a human. Bones popped and twisted in shape, as cuts resealed themselves, before the pale skin beneath the black suit suddenly turned as black as night. Her beloved's face became elongated and sharper, her jaw splitting the skin back as it grew in size to accommodate long and jagged rows of teeth. An unnatural and almost cackling screech filled the air as everyone's attention was drawn towards the creature that had once been Hazel. The creature dropped to all fours and, with the grace of a feline, pounced onto Dolohov, forcing the man onto the ground. Screams of pain filled the air as torn bits of flesh and cloth were carved from the man's body, before the creature, it's claws and jaws dripping with fresh blood, charged towards Rabastan. The last Lestrange tried to raise a shield but the creature's claws tore right through it, before carving a bloody path through the man's face.

Dora turned her face away as the creature tore into the man's chest as it had done to Dolohov before she tried to approach it. "Ha… Hazel?" Dora's eyes took in her partner's appearance as the creature turned to look at her. Where there had once been human flesh, there were now black and smooth scales, with a silver light seemingly glowing through the seams. Its eyes fixed on her own, those same silver iridescent eyes now sitting in black, fathomless orbs. Those eyes seemed to take her in again, before they settled onto her side. She touched the area they seemed fixated on and saw her gloved hand come out moist. Dora tried to tell Hazel it was ok but it was too late. The creature's eyes turned slitted as it screeched again, this time unmistakingly filled with unbridled rage. There was no amusement or madness in its unnatural roar. The Death Eaters, faced with an unexpected and terrifying threat, panicked, rushing towards the Aurors in a desperate plea for help. The creature leapt across the open space before landing on top of one of the Death Eaters, the woman screaming in agony as claws and fangs tore into her with unrestrained ferocity as she was forced to the ground. Dora rushed towards her partner, screaming her name, "Hazel! Stop! STOP! HAZEL!", all the while wondering if she could stop what had just been unleashed.

Chapter 59: Consequences of Fate and Choices

Teddy's eyes kept darting to the clock on the wall as Madam Pomfrey brought him a cup of tea. "I am sure everything will be fine." Teddy took the tea but didn't speak a word. His mom's Patronus had arrived to warn him that tonight might be a bad night. That they would be taking care of the Death Eater Escapees. Teddy, seeing Harry enjoying his Christmas Eve at Hogwarts with Susan and a few of their friends that chose to stay the night, decided not to pass the message along to him. He would happily take Harry's anger about not telling him over getting him worried about Mom. While Mom's last job ended without trouble, her long time away from Harry had done a number on his brother. He wouldn't add to that. So as the hours ticked by and no word came, Teddy began to rely more and more on the Peverell Family Magic that tied him, his Mom and Dora, if only temporarily with the latter, together. After the long mission away, Harry had asked if he could one day share in the magic. Teddy was sure he could, if Harry ever built up the nerve to ask Hazel. His Mom would never offer to pass the Peverell Family Magic to him, especially with how much she knew of what came with it. She had no choice but to offer it to Teddy to keep the Aurors of her world from trying to steal him away again.

The hypocrisy in how the Ministry under the remnants under the Order treated his Mom became all the more clear to Teddy as the years passed. They couldn't afford to give Remus Lupin a proper burial because he was never an Auror or officially in service of the government. Neither would have had him to begin with with Remus being a werewolf. That they suddenly cared about his son's welfare and had tried to contact the man's cousins to make a claim for Teddy's custody had been a massive joke. His Mom had not been amused. When he accepted being blood adopted by Hazel, he watched as his Mom looked over the ritual in several old books. in what he now knew was Druidic Script. She could have blood adopted him by replacing Dora, but Mom had been scared about potentially stripping him of his Metamorphmagus trait. She couldn't bring herself to take the last thing that tied him to his Mama. So she found a work around that allowed her to replace Remus instead. Teddy had no problem with that. The Aurors received the updated registry on Teddy's new status as Hazel's son soon after and the Lupin extended family stopped trying to sue for custody. The Ministry kept trying to take his Mom away regardless. They never did, even though his Mom refused to tell him how close they got. All he knew was that her hair had gone whiter still just before the world went insane.

Teddy took a moment to touch the Peverell charm on his wrist before taking another sip of tea. His earlier check in with his Mom and Dora showed they were both ok. He could feel something had changed now. They were both stressed, which he thought meant they were both fighting the Death Eaters. The feeling from both of them remained the same for several long minutes. He was about to ask Pomfrey for more tea, who had agreed to let him stay at the Hospital Wing tonight because of what might happen to his Mom, when his cup slipped from his hand. His Mom's constant presence had been cut off. Ignoring the shattered glass on the floor, Teddy gripped his heart as his body was suddenly wracked with pain. The Healer came to his side quickly, drawing her wand to scan him. "Mr. Peverell, what's wrong? Your scans aren't showing anything different." Teddy bit back a curse he knew his Mom would have chastised him for. "Mom! Something's happened to Mom!" Pomfrey frowned. "I am afraid there isn't much I can do about that. Madam Bones warned us that the Floo Network would be down for the night." Teddy's grip on his heart tightened as he tried to understand what was happening. He searched his memories and couldn't find anything that was the same except some nightmares… Teddy's heart stopped.

His Mom usually worked at night. The only other time he remembered feeling this pain in his chest was when the Goblin's managed to pin her down to the ground and had raised an axe as if to strike her head from her shoulders. He remembered the pain that followed. The hollow dread that seemed to fill his entire body. He remembered waking up in his Mom's arms, her face shifting from impassive to relieved in an instant. Silver eyes shifting to green. Silver eyes. Ignoring the pain in his chest, he sought his Mom through the bond again. He could feel Dora was now aware of the change and that she could feel him too. Throwing caution to the wind, he used his magic to reach out to his Mom's essence, even if he couldn't feel her. The same cold and consuming dread filled him, even as a noise echoed in his ears through his mind. An unnatural growl he thought he had only imagined as a child. When he felt Dora panic and the cold and dread that was his Mom's presence flare with rage, he knew he had to go. He had to help Dora and his Mom. "Nova!" The white magical bird entered Pomfrey's office quickly with a soft burst of light. She landed on Teddy's arm, her eyes searching the boy's with a clear look of concern. "I need to be there, Nova. Mom needs me. Please!"

"Mr. Peverell!" Was the only thing he heard from the Healer as he was enveloped by Nova's magic. His familiar's magic always felt so warm and comforting to Teddy. Even now it helped to steddy his nerves. His vision cleared as his feet hit the ground, Nova shifted position to sit on his shoulder, as he looked around a wide open space, the ground sparsely covered with bodies. "HAZEL! STOP! DON'T MAKE ME DO THIS!" Dora's words drew Teddy's eyes to her and the sleek black figure that scanned the throng of people who were aiming wands at her. Teddy had to cover his mouth and avert his eyes as he spotted the corpse of a Death Eater, it's ribcage ripped open, beneath the creature. The figure looked like a blend of a big cat and a dragon, minus the wings, though its claws and even its tail looked to be more for tearing flesh than anything remotely natural. As the creature scanned the covering line of Aurors, with some Death Eaters bound and cuffed in between them, one of the red coated wizards shot a stunner that went wide, hitting the floor quite some distance away. The creature's head snapped and was looking intently at the Auror as a low growl started to build up from the creature's throat.

Teddy's heart skipped a beat when he watched Dora raise her wand at Hazel. "Hazel, get a hold of yourself!" The creature kept its eyes on the Aurors, even as its hind legs seemed to be preparing for a lunge. As Dora was prepared to cast, Teddy yelled at her. "Dora, don't! She won't attack anyone as long as you keep calm!" He watched as Dora froze, surprise written all over her face as she turned towards him. "Teddy, how… Nova! Why did you bring him here! It's not sa…" Dora's words were cut off as the black figure darted past her and pounced across the space, before stopping right in front of Teddy. For a second Teddy wondered if he should feel any fear from her. The creature's maw and claws were covered in blood and other bits and pieces of human flesh, but the sight only made Teddy feel a little ill. Even as those piercing silver eyes took him in, searching him for signs of injury, he simply felt no fear, knowing that despite everything, this was his Mom. She would never hurt him. The reptilian-like elongated face was about to turn away when Teddy reached out and gripped it's jaw. "Please don't. You don't have to keep going." Those silver eyes turned to him again, this time feeling as if they were searching his very soul. Teddy smiled. "It's ok Mom. It's ok. It's over now. Nova!"

Teddy felt the magic from Nova latch onto him and his Mom, pulling them both away from the ambush point before dropping them off at the landing point Teddy had always used with his Mom for Portkeys and Apparitions into the DoM. He watched as the figure of his Mom stalked the chamber, searching for any threats, before he turned to look at Nova. "Think you can get Dora here?" Nova nodded and vanished from his shoulder, before appearing again in front of him with Dora along for the ride. "Damn it Nova, what…?" Teddy reached out and covered Dora's mouth as Hazel turned towards them. "Dora, Mom is in a bad place right now. How about you don't get her more agitated. The less noise and agitation, the more controlled she should get." Dora sighed and pulled his hand away from her mouth. "Got it." She took a vial of healing potion from her belt and downed it quickly. A quick diagnostic showed that the wound on her side was healing slowly and that the counter curse she used earlier had negated the lingering magic of the curse. She turned her attention back onto Hazel. "I don't know what happened to her. Rodolphus said he struck her with the Killing Curse. Rabastan did it again, yet here she is. What's left of her." Dora regretted her statement as soon as Teddy flinched. "Sorry, poor choice of words." The shift in Teddy's emotions instantly drew the creature's gaze towards them.

Hazel approached them wearily but allowed Teddy to touch her jaw again. Trying to figure out how to get his Mom back to normal, he remembered the gift Dora had given her for Christmas. Teddy closed his eyes and thought of every pleasant memory he shared with his mother, everything that told him that she loved him, and every moment that he felt that he truly loved her. As the feelings and magic flooded the link between them, the form whined. Teddy shook his head. "It's ok, Mom. It's over. You're still here. I am here. Dora and Harry are safe. You can come back. Please, come back." Dora watched as the creature's face started to shift, along with the rest of the body. She winced as bones popped, snapped or otherwise shifted into place. Within a minute of shifting, the familiar form of her partner, wearing her tactical gear minus some clear gashes and punctures from Dolohov's curses, stood before her, her eyes closed. Teddy, seeing the change even as he now held his Mom's gloved hand, kept his eyes focused on Hazel's face. "Mom?" The two of them watched as Hazel's eyes opened, her eyes back to the familiar green, though glowing with magic. Tears streamed from her eyes as they focused on Teddy, even as she smiled at him. "Hi… Teddy…" Hazel's voice was soft, as if hoarse by excessive use.

Dora moved to Hazel's side and hugged her tightly, Hazel's heartbeat feeling slow to her. "Hi… Nympha… dora…" Dora chuckled and pulled back, with Hazel scanning her partner's face. "Your … shift." Dora glared softly at Hazel. "That's the first thing you want to talk about?" Hazel blinked at her until a tremor racked her body. She looked down at her hands, her fingers still jagged and sharp. "Ohh… right…" The tremors happened again after Hazel struggled to shift her gloved hands back to normal and Dora moved Hazel's face to stare into her own eyes. "Do I need to get Mom to look you over?" Hazel blinked at her slowly. "For a … bit… I need… sleep… long … sleep." She turned and went to ruffle Teddy's hair until she remembered what was coating her hands. Pulling her bloodied glove off her hand with her teeth, she touched Teddy's head gently. "Tell Harry… I am ok. Just… need… rest. Actually… tell him. Don't hide… it." Teddy nodded, as he brushed a few tears away. "I will, Mom." Hazel nodded and pulled Dora into a hug. "Catch… me." It took Dora a second to catch her meaning, when her partner's body went limp on her. Decreasing her weight with a charm, she and Teddy left the platform for the Medical Wing, happy Hazel was back to her old self.

Croaker entered the meeting room and his bloodshot eyes immediately landed on the large pot of coffee on the table. "Please serve me a cup. I have a few more hours to go before I can clock out." Augusta reached over and served her brother his cup of coffee as Amelia nursed her own mug. A few quiet minutes as Croaker allowed the coffee to fire him up again, he proceeded with the meeting. "Ok. The official tally of the incidents for last night are in. All but fifteen of the escaped Death Eaters died in the ambush last night. Four survivors from the left ambush point, ten from the center point and one from the right were the only survivors, most dying from injuries acquired in the fight." Amelia ran that through her head. "Who did Hazel spare?" Croaker waved his hand. "Lucius Malfoy. And I think spare is incorrect. Malfoy had his wand hand and the stolen wand he was carrying crushed just at the start of her ambush. He was knocked out and essentially ignored by the Death Eaters and by Hazel's conjurations. If it was by design, we will have to wait for her to wake up. She is still in the Medical Wing, recovering." Amelia nodded softly. "I assume we should shelve all discussions on what happened with her after she wakes up?" Croaker sighed. "Probably for the best. How are your Aurors doing?"

Amelia lifted up her paper and took a sip from her coffee. "The coats provided by your Department put in quite some work. Many of our Aurors took several lethal hits but ended up with minor scratches and punctures. Sadly, we did lose seven Aurors in the ambush. Moody and Rufus are working on the notifications for their families now." Croaker exhaled deeply. "My condolences. You have no idea how happy I was to hear that the DoM only had injuries last night, Horatio among them. Our Crafter, Quetz, and the Enchanters had been working on several prototype cloaks and most of them worked as expected. Add to that Quetz' support using an enchanted firearm, it all ended up with the Death Eaters getting wiped out, minus the four that surrendered rather quickly. They and the others are being processed and will be transferred to DMLE custody after we are done with them." Amelia nodded. "Take your time. The Aurors are going to be busy the next few days, helping to settle the population down. I will send a few to Hogwarts to ease Hazel's nerves when she wakes up." Croaker chuckled. "Much obliged." He turned his eyes to Augusta, the only person not having spent the last 24 hours awake. "So, what are you expecting for the Wizengamot?"

Augusta sighed. "The official first meeting of the year is on the second of January. That gives you two a week to come up with a report. The question will be whether our Chief Warlock will call an emergency session to cover the incident at the Ministry." Amelia rubbed her eyes. "We did have a gag order on the Aurors about the potential mission taking place last night. Unfortunately, it's very likely that Albus will have inside knowledge of the aftermath, at least. We tried to enforce the same gag order as we had during the Williamson incident, but it seems that Dumbledore might have worked around it. Both Shacklebolt and Jones were missing for five minutes in between the end of the operation and the summons for the debrief." Croaker tapped his fingers on the table. "Not enough for a full report from either of them, but enough time to apparate out of the Ministry, drop off a memory vial and then return." Amelia nodded. "That is Alastor's guess. The two will be summoned to a second debrief and asked about their actions. If Alastor's suspicions are true, we will probably be dismissing both of them and potentially charging them if it's deemed necessary."

Croaker closed his file and downed his cup of coffee entirely before serving himself another cup. "While slightly off topic, Peverell has brought to my attention that perhaps it may be time to bring McGonagall into the fold." Amelia looked up from her report. "Is that wise? She has been part of Dumbledore's supporters for years. Sure, her ethics and performance as a teacher and a staff member have been brought up before and we have seen some improvement, but I don't know if it's enough." Croaker shrugged. "That is part of the reason Hazel is asking. She has willingly revealed that she has a connection to the Department of Mysteries to the woman and the fact remains that the Headmistress of Hogwarts will be incharge of safeguarding certain secrets of the Castle. Hazel believed she herself couldn't be impartial concerning revealing further information to McGonagall. She left the question to me. As far as I am concerned, the woman has shown improvement with regards to taking a position herself and consulting with the more pertinent authorities, rather than relying on Dumbledore's judgement, which she seems to have dismissed completely. If she passes the necessary security clearances, she is welcome to the knowledge."

Augusta looked at a pensive Amelia. "Would you like me to approach her? As one Gryffindor to another, as well as Neville's former Head of House, she may be more open with me." Amelia looked at Augusta and gave her a soft smile and nod. "Very well. The Coalition will consider McGonagall as a potential ally currently under review." Augusta and Amelia stood up, with Augusta touching her brother's shoulder as she was about to leave the room. "The Lestranges?" Croaker looked at his sister. "Nymphadora faced off against Dolohov and Rabastan before Rodolphus joined in the fight. It was a drawn out fight for the most part. Hazel had at the time killed Bellatrix. In a less than conscious state she followed Rodolphus and killed him. Rabastan and Dolohov followed soon after. According to our scrying mirrors, only Bellatrix had a painless death. The other two suffered, if only momentarily." Augusta took a deep breath and Saul could almost see years of pent up anger and pain slip away. "When she wakes up, thank her for me. She once offered to end their lives for me and Neville, as payback for the pain they caused us. I can understand Bellatrix being spared after we were told of Hazel's Godmother. This is more than enough." Croaker watched as his sister exited the meeting room. "I will let her know."

Dora rubbed her face, feeling the last twenty four hours weighing down on her, as she walked through the corridors of the DoM. She and Hazel had been smart enough to go into a magically induced sleep before Croaker woke them up as soon as the perimeter silent alarms were triggered. She had been worried about leaving Hazel alone to deal with the right flank, especially knowing who was going to be there, but Hazel had been adamant on taking the risk. Watching the recordings of the scrying surveillance system, she could see that Hazel had no real difficulties fighting the Death Eaters. Her troubles came in the form of Bellatrix Lestrange. Dora had no idea what the two said to each other, as the system that covered the entirety of Level 9 didn't include an audio aspect to it yet, but she could see how devastated Hazel was upon killing Bellatrix. Dora was far more devastated watching Rodolphus kill her fiancée so effortlessly. A few moments later she watched as Hazel literally picked herself off the ground and moved in the direction Rodolphus went, her steps almost mechanical in nature. Nothing Hazel had ever told her matched what had happened last night. When she asked Teddy, he was only sure of two things. The first is that it has something to do with the Hallows, specifically the Resurrection Stone. Hazel had given it to him only twice in his life, the first time to acquaint him with its existence. He said it felt cold to his hands, as Hazel's presence had felt in their link.

The second thing was that Hazel was partly aware of this being something that could happen. He remembered distinctively that Andromeda and Hazel argued about something, with the arguments usually leading up to Hazel's hair getting whiter and whiter. The last time this change in color occured, it had been during their Nuclear Winter years, with Hazel coming back with a lot of Direwolf meat and pelts, her hair having lost almost all color within the next month. The silver eyes were something that Teddy only ever saw in passing, though for Dora those eyes were a lot more vivid. Hoping to get some answers, Dora had dropped off Teddy at Hogwarts, checking in with a somewhat mad Harry, before returning to the DoM. Her Mom had done a few scans of Hazel, all of which seemed to show her bodily functions were all well below functioning levels, yet there was no sign of physical deterioration. As far as humans were concerned, Hazel should be needing extensive medical attention, yet her body wasn't suffering for it. Somehow. After taking a small break to go over the recordings with Horatio and Moody and finish her after action report, Dora finally made it to the doors of the Medical Wing. Walking inside, her eyes sweeped the room and landed on a figure who seemed to be inspecting potion vials.

The figure turned to her and smiled, sending Dora's hackles into overdrive. "Who are you?" The figure's silver eyes seemed to be filled with equal parts mirth and equal parts curiosity. "Come now, Nymphadora. You couldn't have forgotten about your fiancée, right?" Dora drew Hazel's wand from her holster and pointed it at her. "You may look like her but you don't feel like her. Who are you?" The figure hummed approvingly as she placed a vial gently back where she found it. Wearing a long white medical gown, she sauntered over to Dora, swaying her hips along the way. Those silver eyes remained fixed on Dora. The moment those slender, pale hands touched the wand, Dora's entire body froze as the magic running throughout her body seemed to turn to stone, holding her in place. The wand was removed from her hand as the being examined it. "I must say, my other half isn't as showy as the original. Though I can see the merit of hiding the wand in plain sight." Dora watched as the elder wand seemed to melt away into the beings's hand. "What… are you?" The being giggled. "Deep questions there, Nymphadora. The answer, as with most beings, is beyond me. Because to know what I am, I would need a name. The Peverells once gave me one, but it's hard to say if it was out of fear or belief. Either way, I simply do not know."

Those slender fingers now touched Dora's face, as the being hummed to herself. "Though I must agree with my other half. You are much prettier in your natural form, though you can shift your hair. Neither of us mind if you keep changing your hair color. We both love the pink look on you, but that nice red you often wear when in the throws of passions is just as alluring." Dora froze. "What are you to Hazel?" The being smiled. "Now that I can answer." Dora watched as she walked further back, her hands gently touching some scalpels left by the Healers to dry. "My memories only go back about a thousand years. Vague memories. Thoughts and echoes of men and women. All so different yet very similar. All Peverell by blood, if not name. My last memories before a few years ago were of two people. An older man with an ego that dwarfed any of those in my memories and a babe who felt so … familiar to me. Said man tried to end the child's life. I refused to let that happen. Stripping him of any right to my true essence, I fixated on the girl who was now my one final tie to the world. What a life she lived. Pain, despair, loneliness, betrayal. Death. Yet despite it all, by her choices and those of others, she endured. She lived long enough to recover my fragments. Then, in possession of all three, she died."

The figure lifted a sharp scalpel, eyeing the edge. "She had a chance to let go of life, to be at peace. She desperately wanted it too, but she had made a promise. She swore by her entire existence to give a child a better life than the one she was forced to endure. At that moment when the essence of existence was due to fade away into the void, she refused to die. And from that moment forward, we became whole." The being smiled at Dora as she lowered the scalpel back onto the drying sheet. "Many would call her my Mistress. While I think vessel was a more appropriate term. As the years passed, the line between us has blurred. Now we simply are. She is me and I am her. Only from the other side." Dora scrunched her brow, until something clicked in her mind. Something Perenelle had told her. "Your partner's role is a dreadful one. To be tied to something as tenuous or as abstract. To be a Mistress of Death. It's nice to hear that she doesn't give it too much importance. No one should put much emphasis on such a dreadful fate." Dora's eyes widened. "Death. You are Death." The woman shrugged. "I do not know if I am Death. As I said, my memories stretch back only a millennia. All I know is that Hazel and I are one in the same. And I could not be happier." A shiver rippled through the beings body, it's face filled with ecstasy.

Those silver eyes focused on Dora as her tongue licked her own lips. "I have tasted so many lives thanks to her. Deadly lives. Men and women, beast and sentient. Magical and non-magical alike. I have tasted them all. And I want to taste more." A thoughtful look came to her face and she smiled. "And yet I have also tasted something else. Something just as sweet." In the blink of an eye the entity was suddenly up close to Dora, those fingers tracing Dora's face. "Through her I have known love. The love of a mother to a son. A soul to a soul. I have watched as lives have been nurtured. Grown. Tended to. I want to continue to feel that too. Forever." The silver eyed beauty smiled at Dora, a warm and caring smile. "So you have nothing to worry about, Nymphadora. Hazel will remain by your side, as she always has. And I will remain a part of her, for as long as we both endure. Because that is who we are." Cold lips kissed Dora on her own softly, before the entity pulled away. "Be true to yourself, Nymphadora. Be true to her to the end. You have not betrayed your words to me. Do not betray them to her either." The being had a far away look to her eye. She smiled. "Our time is up. Goodnight, Nymphadora. We will meet again, one day." Dora watched as the entity returned to the bed where Hazel had been laid down, before seemingly falling asleep, leaving a now free to move Dora with a lot to think about.

"Please sit down. We have a lot to go over concerning the incident at the Department of Mysteries." Sirius felt his stomach churn as Dumbledore called the meeting to order. Amelia had personally briefed him on the incident, just in case Dumbledore tried to spin it in a way that didn't match reality. She had also shown him the recordings of the event. If he was being honest to himself, the ambush by the DoM and the Aurors had been a slaughter. The Death Eaters went in expecting to catch everyone with their pants down. Instead, thanks to some insider information and a massive reconfiguration of the Departments interior structure, the escapees of Azkaban had no way out except surrender. The morons who refused to heed the warnings from their families and the last offers of surrender were wiped out without much restraint. The decision to keep the Aurors and the Unspeakables seperate was a wise one, even Sirius could see that. The Aurors did try to pull their punches, minus Moody who was out for blood, with the casting of stunners and jinxes, rather than going with full blown curses. The curses did start flying from the Hit Witches and Wizards first and soon enough most of the Aurors followed. The Unspeakables, by contrast, had no such reservations. The Death Eaters came for them specifically, targeting them in their place of work and for quite a few, their home. The spooks in the faceless hoods went all out, a few casting curses he was sure were either forgotten or brand new. Sirius made sure to add the DoM as a "Don't prank" location, especially with Harry living there part of the time.

That went double after watching Dora and Hazel's performance against the bastards. Dora was the match of every single Auror he had ever had the pleasure of working with, all at once. Watching her manage both Dolohov and Rabastan Lestrange at the same time was incredible. The woman he had met as a babe was every bit the powerful witch. When her shift dropped revealing her real appearance, he had to rub his eyes. There were differences of course. Her body was less thin and far more muscled, her face nowhere near as angular and her eyes held none of the madness. Yet even he couldn't deny her resemblance to a younger Bellatrix. He couldn't fault the Death Eaters for being momentarily stunned by her. Sirius would have been too. The real surprise, and he assumed was the reason for the meeting of the Order, was what came after. Hazel's fight with the Death Eaters was on its own brutal and efficient. She hardly wasted any magic on any of them, Lucius most of all getting the muggle treatment. Knowing she had been raised for two years by her world's Bellatrix Black, he couldn't really fault her for restraining herself against his cousin. Neither could he blame her for losing her composure after killing her Godmother's look alike. When Hazel shrugged off not one but two Killing Curses, Sirius thought he had seen it all. Watching the woman turn into a beast out of hell and rip the remaining Death Eaters apart was certainly not what he ever expected to see. He was sure Dumbledore took that bit of information poorly.

Sirius watched as the gathered members of the Order leaned forward, with Doge's eyes noticing the absence of certain people. "Where are Moody, Shacklebolt and Jones?" Dumbledore sighed. "It seems that Amelia Bones got wind of Jones and Shacklebolt getting away from the scene of the incident prior to going through the necessary oaths of silence that would have been applied. I believe they will suffer some disciplinary action." Sirius sighed. "Congratulations, your actions probably just cost them their careers." Molly Weasley glared at him. "I am certain that Dumbledore had his reasons for asking them to return." Albus nodded, his hands held together in front of him on top of the table. "I did. While I wasn't sure if the planned mission to deal with the Death Eaters was going to be successful, I believed crucial information could have been revealed within it. I was correct. During the ambush on the Death Eaters, Hit Witch Peverell was seen surviving a Killing Curse, not to mention several more lethal curses cast towards her by Dolohov, whose skill with curses is infamous. Kingsley's and Hestia's memories showed her shapeshifting into a horrifying beast that proceeded to brutalize the Death Eaters. She would have harmed the Aurors as well if she had not been whisked away. I fear that my theory has now been proven correct. Voldemort remains alive and is now in possession of an immortal body."

Molly physically paled. "And she is teaching two of my children. What are we going to do, Albus? We can't let her remain at Hogwarts! We must do something!" Sirius muttered under his breath. "Right, as if they were any safer under your care." Remus punched Sirius on the arm. "Not now, Sirius." Molly glared daggers at Sirius even as Arthur looked conflicted. Vance's diagnosis of young Ronald hadn't gone as well as the Weasleys would have liked. He had been transferred to St. Mungos to be given a more extensive evaluation. What they found had been appalling. Due to the cramped nature of the Burrow, Molly Weasley hadn't bothered to make a proper Potions Lab to continue her work in said field from home. As a decent potioneer, she helped keep the Apothecary in Ottery St. Catchpole stocked and supplied, a job which became a necessity after the birth of the two younger children. Sadly, her craft had caused a great deal of harm to the family unknowingly. Without the necessary precautions, fumes from the potions filled the air of the house's bottom floor, the particulate landing on the ingredients for the food the woman would be preparing later in the day. The only reason most of the kids were fine was due to their ages, diets and how often they were out of the house. Ronald's heavier than normal diet and less active habits resulted in him getting the worst dose, as Ginny's own predilection to spend days with Luna and her father spared her a similar fate.

The DMLE's investigative report on the situation had devastated the Weasley family, especially as Molly had technically been working as a Potioneer without a license. A fierce debate had apparently happened between the DMLE, St. Mungos and Child Services on what was to be done about the incident, as the woman's neglect and illegal activities had essentially been poisoning her family for years. While Amelia hadn't been fond of charging her with a stay at Azkaban, she didn't want to appear lenient either. The DMLE had lowered their sentence to a four year probation period, a permanent ban on any future brewing from home or anywhere else without Ministry approval, sporadic and surprise inspections of the house by the DMLE, as well as interviews for the remaining children under the family's care by Child Services, and mandatory sessions with Mind Healers for Molly, who had stubbornly refused to accept any guilt or responsibility for her actions, while Ronald would be on a strict diet and potions regimen in the hopes that some of the damage could be undone. The other children currently at Hogwarts had a less stressful set of potions to take to negate some of the build up. Arthur had willingly agreed to all this after Emmaline had volunteered to be the family's Child Services agent, with the house going through some heavy duty decontamination work that made even Sirius wince. Sirius didn't like the fact that Vance had been selected as their agent from Child Services, as she wasn't a neutral party as they were in the Order together. Then again, she had spotted the problem first, so maybe it was fine.

Dumbledore's throat clearing and his next words drew everyone's attention away from the staring contest between Sirius and Molly. "Believe me, Molly, we intend to rid ourselves of this abomination. But we must be careful. I believe that Voldemort has successfully secured a far more dangerous position than simply having the Transfiguration post at Hogwarts. Based on the deployment of the forces at the Department of Mysteries, I believe Voldemort's vessel was once an Unspeakable. It would explain her advanced knowledge of all forms of magic, not to mention her incomplete records surrounding her origins. Unspeakables have, in the past, operated as Hit Wizards. This means that the entire Department of Mysteries could potentially be under Voldemort's control. As dreadful as it might be, her being posted to Hogwarts is a blessing. As long as she remains in the castle, she can be observed. As such, the Order will currently focus on eliminating this new and most dangerous threat, while she remains within our reach." Sirius bit his tongue as the rest of the Order debated setting up patrols at Hogsmeade and at the Ministry, no one bothering to question Dumbledore's orders. He and Remus patiently went through the entire meeting in silence, the rest of the Order apparently taking it as his way of not admitting to having been wrong about her. Well, most of them did, as he was approached by Elphias as soon as the meeting came to an end.

"Lord Black, would you walk with me? I suddenly feel the need for a stiff drink." Sirius followed behind Lord Doge after bidding good night to Remus, as the two left the Order's Headquarters in an apartment situated in one of the many smaller streets leading away from Diagon Alley. These areas were the usual places where Muggleborns and more independent witches and wizards tended to call home as they worked at either the businesses in the Alley or within the Ministry itself. He had at one time held an apartment here himself, not soon after leaving Hogwarts. Lord Doge took him further into the Alley and away from the Leaky Cauldron, before leading him to the door of Oberon's Lounge. The minder allowed them to pass, after Lord Doge revealed his family's ring, up a narrow staircase. Since the place had no advertisement on the front, most of the Witches and Wizards passing by the nondescript entrance would just glance over it. As soon as they reached the second floor landing, the real Lounge revealed itself. An exclusive bar and restaurant that only catered to Heads of Houses and their families, specifically those who contributed to its continued existence through the last three hundred years, it was considered the perfect place for Heads of Houses to meet in the Alley. Security was very much part of the reason no one, not even Voldemort, ever violated its sanctity, as it was essentially a neutral ground that all the Old and Ancient Houses invested in.

Taking a seat at a corner booth, Sirius watched as a lovely young lady with dark skin and braided hair came up to them. "My Lords. A pleasure to have you here as always, Lord Doge. May I be the first to welcome you to Oberon's Lounge, Lord Black. I am Kadija Shafiq, the owner of this fine establishment. Are you here for a meal, or drinks?" Elphias smiled at the young woman. "Drinks only, my dear. And tell your mother I do miss her company greatly." Kadija chuckled. "I am sure she would be delighted to hear that. What will you be having?" After placing and receiving their orders, Doge took a small shot of his scotch. "Lord Black. As a Governor of Hogwarts, I have had the distinction meeting many of the best and brightest that would hold a position of distinction as Professors for years at Hogwarts. As such, I hope you can consider me a good judge of character." Sirius raised an eyebrow and Doge raised his hand. "I also watched as Dumbledore ignored our recommendations time and again. Snape was too young to be Potions Master and Lockhart should never have set foot in Hogwarts again. He deserved his fate a thousand times over." Sirius chuckled and took a sip as Doge continued. "As such, I wish to ask you for your opinion on Lady Peverell. Do you believe she is who Dumbledore claims her to be?"

Sirius shook his head. "She isn't. For all of her knowledge and skills, she isn't another Voldemort, resurrected or otherwise." Doge sighed, looking at his drink. "I have stood by Dumbledore's side since he returned from Germany in 1945. I believed he was the best candidate to be Headmaster after Dippet retired. Now… now I see a man who is so blinded by his own vision of the world, and by the fear of a man who is now well and truly dead, that he is willing to destroy a woman's life to prove himself right. I looked into Lady Peverell's eyes. I saw the same thing the other members of the Board who lived through Grindelwald or Voldemort saw. I saw a witch that has fought her way through Hell and somehow, somehow she remains whole. Headmistress McGonagall shared several of her memories of Peverell's classes. I am not ashamed to admit that I learned something new about Transfiguration and Conjuration from her. But the students…" Doge finished his shot of scotch and served himself another. "The students were all smiling, using magic for the very first time and getting it perfectly right thanks to her instruction. She can still see the beauty and wonder of magic and inspire it in others, despite being forced to wield it as a weapon. That is not the way of a monster or a threat to our world. So please tell me you are planning to keep Albus from destroying such a wonderful person's life." Sirius smiled. "Well, Lord Doge. I can say that I am not alone. Your colleagues in the Board would probably like to hear this too." Doge looked Sirius in the eye. "I am listening."

"Thanks for the reading recommendation again, Professor Peverell!" Hazel sighed as Hermione Granger left her classroom at the end of the first class of the New Year. When she had agreed to teach at Hogwarts, Hazel had forgotten the fact she would have to teach more than just Harry, Teddy and the kids of the Coalition. Teaching them was always a pleasure since they sort of knew what her style was, so they all read the lesson plan ahead and worked out the mental exercises. By the time they came to class, they could all successfully cast what spells she had assigned. After that, she would let them focus purely on practicing the spell, learning how the spell could be altered by their imagination and intention. The rest of the the students soon followed suit, resulting in her classes usually beginning with a short theoretical discussion, followed by her leading them through the correct mental exercise to get the initial Transfiguration and Conjuration down, followed then by her watching the kids have fun taking the base design and modifying it to their heart's content. By the time they all left the classroom, each student could not only cast the base spell, but adjust it to their personal tastes. Even students who had poor academic results like Crabbe, Goyle and Weasley of the fifth years could usually get through all the exercises well enough, though Weasley spent a lot of his time grumbling about not having enough time to have fun or eat well.

Unfortunately, Hazel had forgotten about a certain group of students. People like Hermione Granger and Daphne Greengrass. The two and several others were driven to not only follow through her already fast paced course, but they were determined to deconstruct the spells as much as possible. The dark haired Queen of Slytherin at least knew better than to assault her with a dozen questions, instead opting to just ask her for her source material. Since the young girl had already read the Advanced Conjurations text that Hazel had used as her primary inspiration, the Slytherin's drive for knowing just about everything concerning magic left Hazel little recourse than to peruse other advanced Transfiguration texts, pointing the girl to the ones that she thought were closer to the ideas she uncovered through instinct and practice. Hermione Granger, however, was not as accommodating. After chasticing her for asking too many questions in class without letting the other students get a chance, the Gryffindor bookworm turned to asking her afterwards. Rather than going through her laundry list of questions, Hazel decided to focus on the ones Hermione could read through and discover the answers to the other questions along the way. Her strategy didn't always work but it was better than spending her free time answering questions normally she would say that she learned via practice. No one seemed to believe her when she said that she had based her conjured dragon's firebreath on the sensation and magic behind the firewhiskey magical effect, which was a better option than saying that she had been on the receiving end of Dragon's fire several times in her short life. Oh well.

As she finished sorting all the books used as Transfiguration material back on to her bookshelves, she heard the door open behind her. "Is Croaker having you shadow me now, Dora?" Dora sighed as she closed the door behind her, dropping her disillusionment. Hazel eyed her without turning around completely, seeing that Dora was keeping herself closer to her natural form, minus the pink hair. It looked perfect on her. "No. With the Death Eaters decimated and no missions currently on the docket, I am officially free to spend my evenings with you again." Hazel turned around fully and smiled at her partner. "Ummm, sounds like the perfect time for date night. Dinner?" Dora smiled back at Hazel. "Sure. Kids or no kids?" Hazel paused for a second and gave Dora a sheepish look. "With kids? Harry has understandably taken my absence this past week poorly." Dora nodded. "Sure, not a problem." Hazel waved her hands at the classroom walls, dispelling the transfigurations and conjurations. Dora took the sight of it all and whistled. "Damn. I could have used you as my Professor. You certainly make the classroom feel alive." Hazel chuckled and threw her old expanded book bag over her shoulder. She playfully tapped Dora's hip with her own as she passed her along the corridor between the desks. "Right, and while I am certain you were a fine student, I can also believe you would be one hell of a distraction for everyone. Are you coming?" Dora followed quickly behind her, her eyes on Hazel's face. Her partner noticed the look. "What?"

Dora stared at her as they walked through the corridors. "Are you sure you're ok?" Hazel blinked at her. "I feel fine." Dora raised a ward around both of them. "You died a week ago." Hazel shrugged. "And I feel fine. To be fair, this isn't my first brush with death. I did tell you about my unexpected run in with a lorry. I might have also died to a Goblin Retrieval Team. They chopped my head clean off and tried to get back to Gringotts with it. Don't ask me the specifics as to how, but I did manage to kill them all afterwards." Dora stared at her fiancée. "You do realize that you are talking about you dying, right?" Hazel stopped in her tracks and sighed. "Believe me, I am aware of that Dora. I know that I died. I expect what's left of my black hair to go full white sometime next month. In the end, does it matter? You are alive, though I and Horatio are going to have you run through harder drills, the Death Eaters are no more and we are enjoying a break from work. Well, you are. I apparently got another job. By the way, if you are still interested in marrying me, I do have an excursion planned for Easter Break with the boys that might or might not have something to do with the future Peverell Estate. Are you interested?" Dora pinched the bridge of her nose. "Of course I am going! But why doesn't your constant brushes with Death bother you? Also, you do know your Family Magic actually woke up in your body and talked to me, right?"

It was Hazel's turn to blink at Dora. "Huh. That's unexpected. What was it like?" Dora shivered, but she was confused as to why a part of her found the interaction exciting. It took her a second to realize it was because, despite how different the entity was and felt, it was still Hazel. Somehow. "She says you and her are one in the same. That she will make sure you will be around as long as you want." Hazel smiled. "Well, that's good. For a second there I thought you were going to say this was my last life. I am just about all out of black in my hair after all." Hazel started walking and Dora followed suit. "Wait, you thought you had a limited number of lives? And that you went through them all?" Hazel's glare made Dora stumble slightly. "No, Nymphadora. I didn't just go through them. As I noticed the change, and my concern over my ability to come back to life became more prevalent, I decided to train myself to not die. Do you honestly think I got as good as I did before being an Operative for no reason? As I and my Family Magic can't talk to each other as you just did with her, I had to guess. My repeated deaths happened in spite of my best efforts to the contrary. I was suicidal a few times in my life, but not when Teddy entered it." Dora lowered her gaze and hugged Hazel to her. "Sorry. It's just hard to process the fact that you, strong, hot and willful you, could just die like that."

Hazel pressed Dora to a wall and took her breath away with a kiss that made Dora's legs shake. As soon as Hazel pulled back, she looked at her partner's eyes. "Trust me, Dora. Despite everything that happens with me, life is still just as fragile and precious. So when the time comes and I have a breakdown about what happened the last few days, I will deal with it then. But right now I want to taste the good things in life. I want to sit at my dining room table with the boys and hear about their day. I want to hold your hand throughout much of that, feeling the warmth of your skin and the beat of your heart. When both of them head out for their common rooms, I want to take you to bed." Hazel pulled softly on Dora's lower lip. "And if you are a very good fiancée, you won't be leaving my bed till morning. Not easily, not without a need to erase some of the evidence of what I want to do to you tonight and not without a smile that I want to wake up to every day for the rest of our lives. So, can we just live our lives today and worry about the complexities of my Family Magic later?" Dora's hair shifted to red. "Could I get a preview for later?" Hazel raised an eyebrow. "Sorry love, I am still not a fan of taking you outside of our own private place. As soon as the Peverell Estate is up, you can do your best to show me otherwise. For now, it's a no."

Dora pouted and followed after Hazel. "Spoilsport." Having sent a message out to Harry and Teddy via Athusa, Hazel found them both already in her Chambers. She made sure to hug both of them tightly and kissed their cheeks before asking them what they wanted for dinner. Dora sat down with them and a three way discussion took place on the merits of Chicken, Beef, Pork, while Hazel shook her head at them all and went to work on getting the vegetables chopped up. A chorus of "Chicken and Beef Fajitas" filled the air. Hazel sighed and turned around. "Harry, want to help me out with cooking? I am getting the vegetables done soon and Dobby can get the meat carved into strips. Mind seasoning them and then helping me with frying half of them?" Harry nodded and stood up from the table. "Sure." Hazel looked at the other two. "Teddy, why don't you and Dora set the table and start pulling out the cheese and sauces out of the fridge. I will be making Mexican rice as a side and filler, so keep that in mind." As Hazel separated out the fried onions, tomatoes and peppers, she looked over at Harry. "How are you doing?" Harry shrugged. "Alright, I guess." Sensing more to it than that, Hazel sighed. "Harry, the job Dora and I have is a dangerous one. That means long days, maybe even weeks before we can get back in touch with our family. But…"

Hazel nugged Harry's shoulder and he looked up at her from the frying pan. Hazel smiled at him. "I promise you, Harry. We will take things easier from now on. With the work the ICW, National and International governments, magical or otherwise, are putting in, things will quiet down soon. If you and Susan don't have anything planned for Easter Break, would you like to see a few possible plots of land we are looking at for the Peverell Estate? I know you would like us to live at Potter Manor, but nothing wrong with checking out and even spending a night out under the stars. And since any construction project might take a year or two to complete, you will have us spend some time at the Manor. So, what do you say?" Harry searched her eyes. "You promise you won't go on any more dangerous missions?" Hazel's smile faded slightly. "I can't do that Harry. What I can promise is that you won't go a full day without seeing us for quite a while. We will also be upfront and warn you ahead of time if we can't even manage that." Harry turned to his pan and he moved the chicken strips around before putting them aside. He sighed and hugged Hazel. "Ok. Deal. And I would love to camp out with you and the others in the Break. Though can I invite Susan?" Hazel chuckled and ruffled his hair. "Sure. But no proposals or babies until after Hogwarts though. Preferably after you have a job."

Harry nudged her away and straightened out his hair. "Of course not!" Hazel smiled as she took out her own strips of beef out of the pan. "Good. Because, despite the color of my hair, I am too young to be a grandmother." Harry cracked a smile and laughed as Hazel fried the vegetables a bit with the heated pan before bringing everything to the table. Dobby, as always, refused to eat with them, no matter what was offered. He did stay and chat with Teddy and Harry as Hazel ate her meal, before leaning into Dora's side. The boys stayed behind for a cheesecake dessert Hazel had made for Christmas and they all left, promising to meet up for New Year's Eve. After getting through some of the dishes before Dobby kicked her out, Hazel waited for Dora to finish showering before getting cleaned up as well. As soon as the door to the bedroom was closed, Dora was pressed into the bed, with Hazel's lips unto her own. There was no rush tonight as Hazel took her time loving Dora over and over again, slowly and thoroughly. By the time they both collapsed, neither of them wanted to let go. In a tangle of limbs Hazel took a deep breath. Days like today were the reason she loved being alive. If Death, the Family Magic, or whatever had helped make sure that this was her life, she wouldn't complain. Not anymore.

Chapter 60: A Peaceful New Year

Teddy allowed the feeling of the Portkey to wash over him as the group landed at the edge of Godric's Hollow's main street. Hazel stored her rabbit's foot portkey away, with Dora giving her a stink eye. "What? Tell me that wasn't the smoothest portkey you have ever used?" Harry and Teddy giggled at Dora's exacerbation. "I can shift into a rabbit, you know?" Hazel hummed. "And I can shift into a cow, a pig, a chicken and a fish. Only thing I refuse to shift into is a goat. That's Dumbledore's shtick. Besides, I hunted this rabbit fair and square. First rule of eating in the wilderness: never waste a damn thing. Everything is usable, in one way or another. If you are going to end the life of an animal, make it bloody count. So why wouldn't I use a rabbit's foot as the smoothest catalyst piece for a portkey?" Dora rubbed her eyes. "Fine, fine." Harry handed a galleon to Teddy, and Dora stared at them both. "Traitors." Harry raised his hands. "Hey, I put my money on you winning that argument." Teddy giggled, before a gust of wind made him wrap his neck tightly with a scarf. Hazel cast warming charms on everyone, before nudging Harry on the back. "We are here for you." Harry nodded and the group made its way down the street. Hazel could see Harry eyeing the streets, noticing the fact most of the people had already removed the wreaths from the doors.

Hazel had planned to bring the boys here before New Years, preferably on Christmas Eve before returning to the Tonks household for a party, but when the DMLE got word that the attack would take place on the same night, they had to postpone the trip. Her slow recovery and the massive cleanup afterwards resulted in classes starting up again. So Hazel waited patiently for the next free weekend to bring Harry here. As they trudged through the ankle deep snow under an overcast day, they reached the edge of the Potter Cottage. Harry looked up at the statue of his parents in passing, before staring at his old home. Hazel stood by his side. "Dumbledore had the Order clear out some of the inside before the Ministry arrived. They took control of the property and left it as it was on that day. I have put in a request to either return the property to us or to compensate us fully for it. If it's returned, it would be up to you what you would do with it." Harry turned to Hazel. "Did you ever come back here?" Hazel nodded, her eyes fixed on the property. "I tore that statue down with Fiendfyre on Christmas Night once. I came back a year later and burned the house down. I was tired of being compared to them. Of never measuring up to their legacy. So I did away with it." Hazel turned to him and patted his back. "What you decide to do with it is entirely up to you." Harry nodded and they continued down the street.

Slipping under the wards of the graveyard, Hazel pulled out two wreaths from her bag and handed them to Harry as Dora waved her hand, brushing away the snow that covered the Potter graves. Harry lowered the two wreaths of black roses and white lilies and placed them on top of the marble slabs. He read the epithet. "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death?" Hazel sighed. "Corinthians. A quote from the Christian Bible. In the eyes of the faithful, death had no power. People were expected to embrace death, in the hope of some great reward of eternal life. Probably placed there by Dumbledore trying to reinforce the idea of martyrdom in your head, most likely." Hazel turned to the other grave they came to visit. "Yet death is no great evil, nor monster to be vanquished or defeated, but an old friend to be greeted at the end of a long journey." Hazel placed her own wreath of black roses on top of Ignotus Peverell's grave, after she cleared it of snow. "I won't tell you what you should believe, Harry. I only want you to know what Death means to the Peverells. To our ancestors, Death was at first a deity to be feared and worshipped. In time, they grew to respect Death. They wore black cloaks and carried the mark of Death, or what they described as the mark of Death, with them as a reminder. Everything dies eventually. You cannot cheat Death, you cannot refuse Death. Death decides our ultimate fate. But just because Death claims all, it doesn't mean the lives it claims lose meaning. There is meaning to life because it ends. There is growth to be had, because things must change. To them, celebrating Death was as if they celebrated Life. They are one in the same, in a way."

Harry knelt down and touched the cold stone of Ignotus Peverell. "You said The Cloak came to my family because of him?" Hazel nodded. "Even if the name of the family was lost, and the ancient duties rescinded, there was a need to keep the relic alive. To keep it among the family. For their safety and as a prayer that one day the Peverells would rise again." Hazel stood quietly by as Harry paid his respects before she sensed movement from across the street. She guided Harry and Teddy along as an old woman watched their approach from her opened door. "Ah, welcome back to the Hollow, young Heir Potter. It is also good to see you, young Master Peverell and Lady Peverell. Please, please, come in." As soon as they were all inside, Hazel hugged Bathilda softly. "Thank you for inviting us in." The older woman waved the comment away and guided them to her living room. "Nonsense. I don't usually have many visitors. And you? You, I have much to thank you for, Lady Peverell." Dora bowed her head after she took off her coat. "Professor." The woman nodded. "You must be Miss Tonks, the Consort of Lady Peverell. A pleasure to meet you." Dora blushed as an older elf placed a few cups of hot chocolate for everyone to drink from on the coffee table. Harry stared at the woman and chuckled. "My friend Hermione would be quite excited to meet you, Ma'am. She has read "Hogwart, A History" cover to cover several times."

Bathilda chuckled back. "Then I hope she isn't too devastated when my next edition gets released." The old woman looked at Hazel. "I have lived a long time, yet never in all my years did I hope to read the journals of the Founders, incomplete as they are." The boys looked at Hazel, who blushed. "I may have sent her translated copies of Salazar's journals, as well as his incomplete copies of the other Founders journals. The Protean Charm and its enchantment hadn't been invented yet so the four each would write down the entries of the others, just in case one was lost." Bagshot drank from her cup. "Incomplete or not, having a clear window into their era has been most enlightening. To think that we forget so much of the people we exalt almost every day of our lives." Hazel lowered her eyes. "History tends to favor the simplest of answers. What did the everyday person care for Godric's drunken benders and the burden that the horrors of war that weighed upon his heart. What do people care about Helga's desire to communicate with all forms of life, at great personal cost. Or Rowena's difficulty with expressing or even understanding human emotions that seemed so alien to her overly rational mind. What did the people care that Salazar was first and foremost a family man that lost everything to the religious zealots he feared so desperately. People are quick to forget that all people were just that… people. Flawed, vulnerable and desperate to make something of the time they were given."

Harry turned away from Hazel and looked to Bagshot, who nodded. "Indeed. People will forget these things. But historians must try to never let that get in the way of the truth." She looked at the two boys. "Because to turn your back from the truth is to build your life on a lie. That lie may one day be mistaken for truth, but the nature of the world will always seek to reveal that which is hidden. Like the Death Eaters, so many who build their entire lives on lies find that in time, the truth will catch up to them. When it does, the life built upon the lie will crumble into dust." She turned to Hazel and Dora. "The official report may not be out but I doubt there is another person responsible. You have done your ancestors proud." Hazel turned her eyes to both Teddy and Harry. "I didn't do it for them." Bathilda followed her gaze and nodded. "No, I don't suppose you did. Learn from this, young masters Potter and Peverell. There is nothing wrong honoring the past, but you must always honor the future. While you still can." She touched a stack of parchment beside her. "By revising the story of the Founders with their own truth, I hope to do both. To undo what part I played in propagating a lie and to make sure the next people who read my work learn from my mistakes." Harry and Teddy smiled at her and answered in stereo. "We won't forget." The two turned to each other and laughed softly at each other, as Bathilda raised her cup to Hazel.

"Thank you, my dear, for the opportunity to meet your family and for the chance to do one last act of service to my country." Hazel nodded. "You are welcome." Dora leaned forward. "Professor, out of curiosity, have you heard about Family Magic?" The woman turned her eyes to Dora and nodded. "I have. Your consort here has been researching it with my aid." Dora blushed. "I was just curious… if you thought this was considered dangerous magic?" Bagshot shook her head. "Some people might, but I don't think it is. Whatever scares you about it, my dear, try to make peace with it. The Ancients saw it as proof of the divine. Proof that Magic was more than just a tool. After all, if the magic that runs through our blood happens to endure for millennia and develops a mind of its own, what does that say of our magical world, where magic is embedded into every corner, the leylines no different than the veins under our skin?" Dora blinked and sat back. "I never thought of it that way." Seeing Hazel's look, Dora explained. "I know you would have told me when you were ready, I just wanted an outsider's perspective." Hazel's snuggled up into Dora's side. "It's ok. I have the research back home for when you want to look over it. Andromeda will be doing another examination soon, anyways."

Hazel turned to Bagshot. "Any idea what happened that made the other Family Magics go extinct?" The old woman drank from her cup of tea, before she stared at it. "I am afraid all I can give you is a hypothesis, one that is somewhat verified by the official records. Sometime after the conversion of the Wizard's Council into the Wizengamot, there was a great upheaval among the Founding Houses. Blood was spilled, alliances were broken and lines went extinct. It was around this time that the last mention of Family Magic was found in legal documents. The ones right after discussed the breaking of oaths. The end of the Old Guard came soon after." Hazel closed her eyes, trying to remember what her history said of that time. "No new oaths tying Families together in alliances were made after that day?" Bathilda shook her head as Hazel slumped her shoulders. "An old friend once told me that the Family Magics needed centuries to flourish and gain a sense of sentience, but that they were initially meant to help the families. To guide the Lords and Ladies, creating a continuation of oaths and agreements, as well as protection from family members who would dare betray their kin. If the descendants of the Family Magics refused to honor the agreements and acted against their blood family before they gained sentience… the Magic could have died out. Betrayed by the very blood that gave it life."

Bagshot sunk into her chair. "If that is true, then our people suffered a greater loss than I could ever have imagined. Perhaps that was the true source of the term "Blood Traitor." So many Ancient Families turned against each other and even themselves. It was a Dark Time indeed." Dora held a pensive Hazel, with the two kids looking at her with concern. Hazel took a deep breath. "Thank you, for looking into it, Professor. For me and my son, the Family Magic of the Peverells has been a blessing. If the theory is proven true, then it explains Hogwarts as well. What Headmaster would like to be shackled to a centuries old oath if they could have their way with the Castle instead. They never dared to touch the Ward Chamber out of fear of death, if not for the Castle's demise, or they would have stripped it bare. At least now, through us and Headmistress McGonagall, we have a chance to set things right. Because what good is it to make a promise, an oath even, if you can break it as soon as it becomes inconvenient." Dora rubbed Hazel's back as she kissed her fiancée, her thoughts on her own promises to her lover as the kids started bombarding Bagshot with questions, lightening the mood considerably. Her fiancée had lived a life of hollow words and promises, only to realize now that in some ways this world was the same. Dora made an oath to herself that day as she watched the old woman smile as she waved goodbye at them. She would keep her promises, as Hazel had done, so that they never lost their meaning.

Minerva opened the door to her new office. "Augusta? What brings you here to Hogwarts?" Madam Longbottom smiled at her old friend. "Just here for a small chat, Minerva. Nothing to worry about." The older woman inspected the office as she stepped inside. "I see you did away with Albus' idea of an organized office." Minerva chuckled. "Please, the office was only ever organized in his mind. After he was removed, there was quite a bit of cleaning up to do." Augusta hummed and waved her wand to scan for eavesdropping or scrying devices. She found a few with spells her brother taught her and dispelled them. "It seems Dumbledore didn't trust you. He left two eavesdropping spells right here next to the desk." Minerva eyed the spot where the magic had been. "Every day I sit here, I find more and more reasons to question how I ever trusted that man. How I ever looked up to him. Spying on me. Really, Albus?" Minerva sat down and sighed before looking at Augusta in the seat across from her. "I take it you wish to discuss things that you don't want Dumbledore to know?" Augusta shrugged. "Eventually. Right now, how is my grandson doing?" Minerva smiled. "I must admit that young Neville has been a surprise. I did consider him to be the fifth year Prefect, but after reviewing his last few years, I felt he wasn't as well suited to watch over the first years. Then again, I am considering changing the Prefects for next year, since a few like Neville were almost well suited for the role to give them a chance."

An elf brought some tea to them at Minerva's request and after checking the cups and drinks thoroughly, Augusta took a sip. "An interesting idea. I am sure Julia and Elphias would approve. We can certainly discuss it more in the next session." Minerva added a bit of scotch to her drink, as Augusta eyed her. The Scotswoman raised her cup to Augusta. "Helps keep me a bit less wound up. This job has a lot more to it than I ever imagined." Augusta nodded. "As has taking a Governor's Seat. Then again, Julia does have her own ways of dealing with the work. I hope that you don't mind my saying that Neville's scores seem to have improved further this year." Minerva nodded. "As has the entire student population. The last two years prior, we saw small changes to the students' performance, thanks to that initial Dueling Club Peverell ran with her partner. As a full teacher her effect has been even more pronounced. Filius is absolutely delighted by the control his students have in Charms. Same for Lupin. Slughorn, of course, has been restoring faith in the students concerning Potions. For the first time in decades the students seem overjoyed to be in the school." Augusta smiled as she drank her cup. "Then it sounds to me that Hogwarts is finally back to the way it should be. At least concerning the students' wellbeing."

Minerva nodded. "Neville is also part of an inter house study group. The students gather in a classroom that Professor Peverell cleaned out for them. Aside from studying, they also learn how to hold control of a small ward that gives them an overview of the classroom. A bit of practice for what will one day become a daily occurance." Agusta finished her tea and placed the cup on the saucer. She sat back, looking at Minerva. "I am sure you are aware that this group is formed by specific children belonging to certain families. Though I trust you aren't as interested in politics as Albus was." Minerva lowered her cup and sighed. "Most certainly not. But I am not so disinterested as to be detrimental to the school. I am aware of a growing group of families coming together, passing important legislation through the Wizengamot. Legislation that has impacted the school." Augusta nodded. "As you are aware, I am part of that. This isn't an official invitation to the Coalition. Instead, this is but an offer of cooperation. If you wish to remain out of the politics of the Wizengamot, then we can accomodate you. That said, we want to see Hogwarts be the best school it can be. This means securing finances, greater focus on the children's well being. We even have discussions about having the parents, all the parents, spend some time in the Castle. To help them understand what their children's time here will be like."

As much as she thought that Hogwarts was fine as it was, Minerva couldn't find any fault with the suggestions. "I assume that you want me to open up to discuss these proposals? To be kept in the loop?" Augusta smiled at her. "And to help write the proposals down. You have been the administrative heart of the castle for years. You would know it financially just as well, not to mention being able to bring the concerns of the staff to the Board or us. Hazel Peverell's cordial relationship with Hooch led to the improvements in the school brooms for all the House teams. Not to mention the fact that the Centaurs are being exceedingly more helpful in taking care of the students' safety by better managing the Forbidden Forest." Minerva chuckled. Hagrid had been of two minds about the changes in the Forest. Aragog's death and the near extermination of the Acromantula colony had been a devastating loss for him, but the Centaurs had been far more friendly and helpful. Unicorns were now more common, with younger foals being born just at the edge of the Forest. Even the Thestrals and the Hippogriffs seemed calmer now. Some of the students even thought they saw a fairy or two darting from tree to tree. Minerva sighed. "Very well. I would be quite happy to learn more about this Coalition." Augusta pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Minerva. "Good. We will be meeting soon so be sure to make time. Well, most of us will be. Getting Peverell to show up is a battle we don't always try to win." Minerva chuckled. "I am glad she has a better work ethic for Hogwarts then."

Andromeda waved her wand over Hazel's body, who was lying on a medical bed, while Dora looked on. She lifted up a board with documents on it and double checked the results. "Base heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and metabolism are all down from your first scans. Despite that, your magic remains steady, your body still shows no signs of any long term damage, no loss in muscle mass and your brain doesn't show any signs of irregularity, besides working fine under said conditions. You seem to be perfectly fine. Though I have to say that based on Teddy's and Dora's scans, you are very much an anomaly. With them I can see the clear distinction between their magic and the Family Magic. That distinction in you is all but gone now." Andromeda finished filling out the information and signed the paper before tapping Hazel's shoulder. "You are free to get up now." Hazel sat up and stretched her arms out over her head. She looked over at Dora. "Satisfied? Or would you like to do the inspections? I can wear a hospital gown and you can bring gloves." Dora blushed, her hair turning red, as Andromeda chuckled. "Aside from the unusual nature of Hazel's body, there is nothing really wrong with her." Dora nodded. "Fine, I believe it. I was just worried. Talking to an entity that wore your face was a bit disconcerting. That's all."

Hazel pulled her jacket off a chair and started slipping her arms into it when she looked over at Andromeda. "What about you? Anything?" Andromeda looked over at Dora before looking at Hazel. She sighed. "A small growth in my ovaries. The DoM Medical Division is working along with Oxford University's Medical Department to get a good idea on how to observe it magically. I have an appointment later in the week after the Division has had a chance to review the medical papers." Dora blinked and looked at her Mom. "What small growth?" Hazel shivered at a memory, her eyes shifting as memories surfaced. "Ovarian Cancer. My Andi ended up never being diagnosed early. By the time it was confirmed, it was too late. It had spread to the liver, bones and her lungs. She was having trouble just leaving the bed." Dora paled as Andromeda touched her daughter's shoulder. "Hazel warned me about the disease as soon as she could. I got checked every six months for any signs of a problem. This was the first time anything was found but it's early enough that it can be treated safely. The Medical Division is just curious to see if they can diagnose it faster and check deeper into the tissue. The better they can understand the disease, the better a treatment can be made, magical or otherwise. There is nothing to worry about. There is no chance of it becoming terminal."

Dora sighed in relief until a medical tray full of instruments dropped to the floor, startling the two women. "Hazel!" The white haired witch was physically shaking as she lowered herself down onto the floor. Andromeda kneeled down next to her and the moment green eyes met purple, Hazel's eyes filled with tears. "Stop. Stop! Please don't. Don't ask me to do it again." Andromeda frowned. "Do what?" Hazel shook her head as memories filled her mind. "Andi. It got so bad. She was in so much pain! She wanted it, needed it to be over. She… asked… Don't ever ask me to do that again! Please! I can't do it a second time!" Dora knelt down by Hazel's side and hugged her, pulling her fiancée's head against your chest, as Andromeda realized what Hazel meant. "It's ok Hazel, it's ok. You stopped that from happening again. She will have a long and pain free life because of you. Shhh. It's ok." Hazel shook her head, her mind not hearing Dora. "Please, Andi. Don't. Don-'t ask me to do that. How could I… how could I look Teddy in the eye… Andi… Bella…" Dora kissed Hazel's head as her fiancée cried into her shoulder. Hazel eventually blacked out and Dora pulled her up and laid her down on the bed, pulling a blanket over her body. She got some distance away before casting a noise canceling ward and sighing. "I was expecting something like this sooner. Especially after Bellatrix." Andromeda nodded, tears in her eyes. "I did too. For years she kept asking me the same question and nothing ever happened. I guess the confirmation of my diagnosis and the memory of her Andi was the last straw."

Andromeda felt Dora's eyes on her. "Does Dad know?" Andromeda sighed. "I told him after Hazel warned me and we both started going to get check ups. He was there when the doctors read the last results. He knows what's next. We don't think it will require anything excessive, but Medical wants to be more thorough. Just in case." Dora pulled her Mom into a hug. "If you need to take a break from work, please do, Mom. We can hold our own. Healer Johnson isn't retired yet and the newbies you mentioned should be done with their St. Mungos training soon enough." Andromeda hugged Dora back, kissing her hair. She looked over at Hazel's sleeping body. "I can't believe my alter ego asked that of her." Dora sighed. "I can. After I started this job, I always wondered what would happen if either of you were gone or if I was gone. Losing me and Dad, suffering from a terminal illness and seeing the burden she was being to Hazel… hell, even letting Teddy see her like that must have been so devastating for her." Andromeda winced, her eyes widening as the moment she first met Teddy came to mind. "I can see that. When Teddy first met me, he was devastated soon after. I must have reminded him of what he lost just a few years prior." Dora pulled away and looked into her mother's eyes. "Please look after yourself. I don't like the idea of a world without you anytime soon." Andromeda raised her hand up and rubbed Dora's cheek. "I will, Nymphadora. Besides, I am very much looking forward to being a grandmother." Dora's cheeks and hair turned red but she didn't yell at her mom in embarrassment. Not this time.

Tiberius Nott was escorted out of a holding cell, his hands cuffed, as two Unspeakables moved him along. He had thought the Dementors of Azkaban were terrifying but the utter silence from the faceless hoods of the Unspeakables felt even more unnerving. With the Dementors he knew they were creatures, their thoughts unlike anything he could likely comprehend. These were regular people who could look him in the eye and he wouldn't know what they were thinking at all. Were they planning to kill him? Devising any number of ways they could avenge a family member without him ever knowing who it was? Or if he was even the person responsible? These thoughts were a constant companion of his at the Holding Facility somewhere in the DoM. He had expected a quick relocation back to Azkaban after the break in at the Ministry. With the way the mass of Unspeakables unleashed curses at the Death Eaters in the ambush, he had expected to die in the crossfire. The curses that were absolutely silent, leaving nothing but a hole in its target's head and blood leaking out, had been the most terrifying. His thoughts slowed down as the Unspeakables opened a door for him, the person inside speaking up. "Well, you are certainly looking well."

The captured Death Eater stared at his father, seated comfortably behind a plain table. The Unspeakables bound his manacles to the table and sat him down. They turned to Lord Nott, one of them speaking in an altered, androgenous voice. "You have thirty minutes. As agreed, you two will be observed and recorded." Theodore Nott nodded and the Unspeakables left, locking the door behind them. The elder man turned to look at his son, his head bowed over the table. "I should be dead." Lord Nott leaned back. "For leaking the date of the break-in to the DMLE? Or for everything you did in your life in service to a cause that wasn't anything like you thought it would be?" Tiberius sighed deeply. "Both." Theodore nodded. "I suppose that would be the easier way. No guilt, no shame, no consequence. Part of why the other Death Eaters chose to follow through with the attack. If they succeeded, they avenged a Master that would have killed them in a moment of anger. But they failed, just as the letters we sent to them warned. The Ministry isn't what it once was. Actions and words have consequences and times are changing to make sure that appropriate responses are the norm, not the exception, regardless of a wizard or witches blood or wealth." Tiberius raised his head. "You almost sound happy for the change?"

Lord Nott stared at his son. "I believed in the Knights of Walpurgis because they promised to protect our families and all the magical families of our world. So when Riddle had you and the others slaughter the same ancient and noble families we should have been defending, I knew he had been playing us. I tried to warn you to stay out of it. To stay away from that man. But Lucius and the others had you so enamored of the dream of a Pureblood Society that had nothing to fear that you disobeyed me. I almost threw you out of the family. Can you guess why I didn't?" Tiberius lowered his eyes. His voice cracked. "How… how is my son?" Lord Nott smiled at him. "Doing quite well, actually. Top of his year in Slytherin House. Among the top ten students of the year, which is saying something, considering he has to contend with so many other gifted and studious students. In fact they all study together, despite their houses being different, which has allowed them to remain well ahead of the rest. He is also the current King of Slytherin." Tiberius smiled softly at that. "I am glad. He deserved better than what happened to me." Lord Nott smirked. "The Malfoy Heir certainly tried but the training he received from a tutor and the support of Heiress Greengrass has kept their position secure. Word is the atmosphere of the House is quite different now. A drive for excellence, not control, has taken root."

Tiberius leaned back, sighing to himself. "Thank you, for raising him as you did. He deserved a better father than me." Lord Nott eyed his son. "Perhaps. Despite it all, you are still his father and he does still care about you, to some degree, considering how many years you spent in Azkaban. Family is family, whether by blood or choice. Now then…" Theodore sat straighter in his seat. "The DMLE has agreed to review your case in full, under the new laws. You have a chance at seeing your prison time drastically reduced. This, however, will depend on how much you decide to cooperate and how many crimes you managed to hide from your initial arrest. If you cooperate fully, revealing every single crime you ever committed, with and without the Mark, and provide either Veritaserum testimony or unaltered Pensive memories, you could potentially walk out of the Minimum Security Wing of Azkaban in five to ten years. If things go smoothly, you might be around to see your son married, if not with a child of his own." Tiberius looked up at that, seeing some of his father's old mischief back in his eyes. "He is courting?" Theodore snorted. "Please. He is of age, but I refuse to put my grandson through that. No, he is dating a young witch. She is his equal, if not his better, in academics. The two have been studying together for a while now. Nothing too grand, but Theo hasn't been looking for someone to be servile to him. She had a need for support and so did he."

Lord Nott watched as his son lowered his head. "After everything that happened with us, I can understand." Wanting to test his son, Theodore spoke up. "She is a first generation witch." His son's eyes lit up for a second before they dimmed. "Is she good to him?" Lord Nott chuckled. "She is. She ran into a cursed object that did some damage to her, but the school saw to her recovery, as did Theo. She has a thirst for knowledge that has been tempered a bit. Theo has been teaching her our ways, guiding her through why we treat each other as we do, the value of our Ancestral Homes and the old stories of our people. She has taken the lessons well. She may not be a pureblood, but she will never betray Theo, nor will she be taken advantage of by him. If the relationship lasts, she will be a good match for him. If it doesn't, she will become a lifelong friend that Theo can trust never to betray his confidence." Tiberius nodded his head. "Then I am happy for him. Miriam wanted a good match for him. Seems he found it." Lord Nott watched as his son struggled for a bit with what to say before he straightened out. "I already helped the DMLE with the Death Eaters. Might as well go all the way. I will provide them with whatever they need."

Hazel's eyes scanned the crowd of the bar called the Magical Scotsman, Dora stepping inside just behind her. The two of them arrived in the form of two middle aged men, as they were told to be discreet. Hazel nodded at the far corner and Dora headed that way, taking a seat. Approaching the bartender, Hazel asked for one of the private rooms in the back and three bottles of Ogden's Firewhiskey, aged fifty years. Seeing Hazel make for the private rooms, Dora spoke up to the man under an invisibility cloak beside her. "Horatio says you wanted a word. Come along." Feeling the figure moving behind her, Dora followed Hazel into the private room, pausing for a second to let the figure enter first, before she closed the door behind her. After the entire room was sweeped for animagi, scrying and eavesdropping spells, the figure dropped his invisibility cloak and the two others dropped their shift. "Gods, lass. I was hoping to catch you all a bit by surprise. Those are some fine skills you have." Hazel nodded in Dora's direction. "She can't see through the cloaks yet on her own, but she has gotten better at sensing the magic that makes them work. It's a subtle thing but it's possible with the right magical sensitivity." Moody chuckled. "Aye, but damn if it doesn't work well on it's own." The three sat at the table and waited as Moody tested the glasses and the alcohol.

He served three shots and sat back, lifting his shot in salute. "To damn fine work. I thought I would never see the day the Death Munchers would be gone, but they are as good as gone thanks to you two." Dora took her shot and downed it with him as Hazel sat back. "Heard you did a good job with Travers yourself. Any word on the survivors?" Moody shuddered as he suppressed the effects of the drink, followed by Dora. "Aye, of the fifteen survivors, only two have taken the plea agreements. Nott is singing about every little detail he knew of the Death Eaters. Lucius is apparently trying to play coy. We will see how long that lasts, before we make it clear he isn't telling us anything new. The rest will be seeing Trials soon enough for any charges that we missed the first time, plus the escape from Azkaban." Hazel ran her hand through her hair. "Well, that's as good as we thought. Any word on the final plan for the prison?" Moody served himself another drink. "There is talk about turning Azkaban into a maximum security prison only, meant for the real bastards. The DMLE is looking for a new location to make into a less dreadful prison, somewhere for criminals to get reformed. With the Wizengamot missing the Traditionalists, the motion will eventually pass, but Amelia wants to make sure it passes the right way. Good chance we get a new department handling prison security exclusively." Hazel chuckled. "About damned time."

Dora took another shot, getting a look from Hazel. Smiling at her partner, Dora turned to Moody. "So, why call us here?" Moody eyed Hazel and pointed at her. "Dumbledore has it out for you, now more than ever." Hazel sighed. "Of course he does. I am guessing that Shacklebolt and Jones' memories didn't paint me in a pretty picture." Moody nodded, looking down at his drink with a sad expression. "I don't think he is mad or senile. Not yet, but he is fixated on you. Kingsley and Hestia showed their memories of your transformation and it seems to have settled the matter in the old man's skull. You are, as far as he is concerned, Voldemort in a body capable of resisting a Killing Curse. He has been researching ways to kill you since." Dora sighed. "Peachy. Any idea what he has planned, beyond what Sirius told Amelia?" Moody grunted. "I know he will try to hit you sometime between now and the end of term at Hogwarts. He will try to hit you at your most vulnerable. No clue if he will target your family. If he were acting like the man who led the Order the first time, he would never consider it, but the man he has become…" Hazel sighed and rubbed her face before looking at Dora. "Between the possible targets, your parents are the most vulnerable. Andromeda is less so with the DoM, but Ted is working at the Wizengamot." Dora nodded in thought. "What should we do?"

Hazel eyed Moody. "It would be too suspicious if we suddenly change any of our routines. I think we need to warn the family to look after itself, but to be discreet. Ted can manage it by focusing on his work as a solicitor. Since I have some legal documents to go through in the next few months, I can keep him busy." Dora looked at Moody. "Any idea if every Order member is on board with this madness?" Moody took another shot, before taking a moment to answer. "The two former members of the DMLE may hold a grudge and their fear may be enough to put them firmly in the old man's corner. The Weasleys…" Moody felt the hairs on his neck stand up on end at Hazel's growl. "Are divided. Arthur is being overly careful but Molly is being her stubborn self. Dumbledore tried to recruit William Weasley, but the young man has been buried in his work, getting sent to a new digsite in Greece. The old guard are a bit more divided. With me and Sirius backing you, the others have been less interested. Maybe Vance." Moody definitely felt the magic in the room shift slightly until Dora touched Hazel's hand. Dora looked at Moody. "Did your debrief with Shacklebolt and Jones say anything about whether or not they saw what happened with Teddy? I thought that would have changed the old man's mind,"

Moody sat back. "Jones was down at the time, receiving medical treatment for a dark cutting curse to her neck that almost sent her to an early grave. Shacklebolt did see the interaction. According to him, Dumbledore seemed to consider what it could have meant. He mumbled something about you possibly having a living Horecrux in the form of…" Dora turned Hazel face toward her and kissed her deeply as soon as the room started to shake around them. Moody wisely kept quiet as Dora did everything possible to calm Hazel down, drinking his firewhiskey as he pulled his enchanted eye out of its socket, as he tried to avoid thinking about the sudden and overwhelming build up magic he just glimpsed through it. He pushed it back into place as soon as Dora pulled away from a very red faced Hazel, before she turned to Moody. "Right. Let's never discuss that insane thought ever again, for everyone's sake." Moody nodded. " Aye, I can do that. Anyways, Dumbledore has dismissed any possibility of you not being a threat. That's about it. Most of the Order that will follow are his fanatics like Molly and the newer recruits who have no memory of Dumbledore's previous time as leader. Doge is trying to mitigate the danger, but I believe the next meeting might see the Order tear itself apart."

Making sure Hazel's emotions were stable, Dora turned to Moody. "Thank you for the warning. We will try and avoid being caught off guard." Hazel rubbed her face, getting the blush from earlier down under control. "Thank you for trusting us. By the way, why did I get a bunch of McKinnon Family Grimoires a few days ago?" Moody smirked. "What can I say? After Travers took his final breath, I looked over the boxes sent to me after the McKinnons passed away. I know I can't give those books a good place to pass on the information. You and your son are descended from the McKinnons. Who better to inherit what's left of their legacy." Hazel sighed but nodded. "I will keep them safe and make sure Teddy reads through them. I wish I had known something, anything about Euphemia." Moody nodded sadly. "I only met her a few times while we worked together at the DMLE. She had been a bit saddened by Dorea and Charlus getting to have a son while she and Fleamont couldn't. I know they kept trying, until there was no point. Glad you can carry on their legacy in their stead." Hazel took her shot and toasted with the rest. "To the end of this madness and to a quiet year ahead." Moody chuckled. "I second that." They sat around chatting a little more about the McKinnons, especially the shy but brave Marlene, with Dora and Moody finishing off two of the bottles. Hazel made sure they both made it home safely, before she returned to the Castle, wondering just how far Dumbledore sought to fall. Whatever he did, she would have to be ready. They all would have to be.