Chapter 21: Looking for a Book in a SchoolNotes:
Here is the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy it.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Croaker brought Hazel, Dora and Horatio to his office to discuss the matter of the attack at Hogwarts. "Last night, either before or during the Halloween Dinner Feast, the caretaker, Mr. Filch, and the Maledictus, Mrs. Norris, were found petrified in the corridors of the first floor of Hogwarts Castle. Beside them on the wall was a message written in chicken's blood declaring the return of Slytherin's Heir." Dora frowned. "Ok, so we have a wacko at the school claiming to be the Heir of Slytherin and the most likely culprit is a memory of the previous Heir possessing a student through a diary. Are you sending us on a book chase or a monster chase?" Croaker sighed and lowered his papers. "As of right now? Neither. Dumbledore has blocked all mail coming out of the Castle and he controls the Floo terminal access. We have no way of intervening without exposing any of the children as informants and our own operations." Hazel huffed. "We can still go in and scour the Castle and the dorms under disillusionment." Horatio shook his head. "No way of doing that without being noticed by someone or something. We have a better chance of succeeding if we do this under the cover of a DMLE investigation."
Dora sat back. "Which can't start without a witness from last night calling for help or us endangering the kids acting as our informants." Hazel looked at Croaker. "How furious is Amelia?" Croaker shivered. "Pissed. She wants to drag Dumbledore in to explain himself but she refuses to place Susan in the old man's sights." Hazel sat back and thought for a moment. "What's Hogwarts policy on family elves? I know we are breaking it with Dobby and I don't want to expose him, but is there a way the students could summon a house elf and send the word out through them?" Croaker shook his head. "The children aren't allowed to summon the family elves to the Castle. It's in the Charter." Dora frowned and thought back to what her father taught her about laws. "Wait, if they specifically wrote that in, there must be emergency measures that would allow them to use them. No one ever writes a law that they can't take advantage of in some way with a well worded exception." Hazel watched Croaker sigh as he pulled out a large book from a drawer. "If that's the Hogwarts Charter, we will be here a while."
Horatio rubbed his chin. "Even if we do find an exception, that doesn't solve the issue of exposing a child. None of the informants can call the elves without drawing attention to themselves as well." The office went quiet as Croaker searched the Charter. Hazel remembered something. "We could have one of the children approach someone else with an elf. It would draw attention away from them." Dora hummed. "Sure, but what's to stop them from telling Dumbledore under pressure. We are back at square one." Hazel had a smile grow on her face. "Not entirely. There is one group of students that Dumbledore has no influence over and whose families would defend them violently. He wouldn't dare to question them, even if he knew it was them that leaked the information. We just need a willing member." Dora thought for a second and nodded. "That could work, but who do we pick? The Malfoys are down one elf and we could get Dobby in trouble if one of the other Malfoy elves spots him at the school." Hazel thought back to her summer lunches with the Coalition members and looked at Croaker. "Would Lord Nott be opposed to letting his grandson summon the family elf for an emergency message? He is the only family the old man has left out of Azkaban."
Croaker smiled at her. "Oh, I don't think he would mind at all. I'll leave a message with Lady Greengrass so that her Heiress approaches Heir Nott. We should have a notification by the end of the day." Dora groaned. "Which leaves the suspect a second full night to hide any evidence. Great." Horatio sighed. "You aren't wrong, Tonks, but Dumbledore did have the students stuck in their dorms for all of last night with the Staff searching the Castle. Their movements have already been limited." Dora shrugged. "Still a crapshoot though. We lost two days because of Dumbledore's mail censorship and by the time we got there, the memory would likely have covered its bases. How are we supposed to find a single cursed book in Hogwarts though? The place is full of every type of book and probably a sizable amount of them are cursed." Croaker eyed Hazel. "We start with the students and work our way out. Since the anticipated target never got the book, we can't discard anyone else. Remember to handle it with extreme care. The book latches onto a person's magic. The longer in their presence, the longer the drain. Looking for signs of Magical Exhaustion won't help at Hogwarts, since it's a given a lot of the students will suffer the symptoms over their classwork alone, but it's a start. I'll get the ball rolling with Greengrass and Bones, you two get ready to leave as soon as the order is given."
-∞-
Hazel watched as Albus Dumbledore approached Amelia and the Aurors that flanked her as they entered the Main Gates of the Castle. "Amelia? What brings you here? There is certainly no reason to bring such a heavy Auror presence to the school." Amelia glared at the Headmaster. "So you don't have your caretaker currently petrified in the Hospital Wing?" Albus blinked at her, seemingly confused as to where she heard the news from. "I will admit someone played a most mean-spirited prank on Argus, but nothing to involve the Aurors over." Amelia's foot started tapping on the floor and the Aurors gave her a bit of distance. They all knew Amelia's tells. "Really? Because I was told he couldn't be revived via standard means. There was also a threatening message on the walls. You may see this as a poor excuse for a prank, but this is grounds for an Auror investigation and my people are here to carry it out. We will start with the students as my Aurors check the castle's classroom and dorms." Albus tried to wave the matter away. "Now Amelia, this is a bit extreme for a Hogwarts matter." Amelia growled. "Albus, this investigation is happening. I have records from fifty years ago about a similar set of incidents that ended with the death of a girl. I am not looking to repeat history. Are you?"
Dumbledore seemed stunned for a moment as if not completely contemplating what the situation ment. He sighed. "Very well, but I will bring this up to the Board. Bringing Aurors to search the school isn't something that the Charter accepts easily." Amelia raised an eyebrow. "Sure. While we are at it we can also discuss your interception of mail, which is illegal outside of times of war. We aren't at war, Albus. Let's see who the Board finds acted out of their purview." Dumbledore seemed to age a bit before he walked away, probably to his office. Amelia looked at Hazel and Dora. "You two have your orders. Go and carry them out." Hazel and Dora nodded as they headed for the stairs that went down to the Dungeons. Dora eyed Hazel. "I like your eyes better in green." Hazel chuckled. "And I like yours better in purple." Dora blushed. "Is there a reason you change your eye color to blue for this?" Hazel hummed. "A certain Dungeon Bat was a close friend to Lily Evans. She, Harry and I share a similar shade of eye color and I was hoping to avoid having the double agent in the Castle make any assumptions that could lead to him and the old goat trying to impede us."
Dora frowned. "You said he is a double agent. For which side is he really spying for?" Hazel shrugged. "Not a damn idea. My money is on him being on his own side first, everyone else second. Old oaths compel him to serve one or both. On the plus side, if the Diary was made in the 1940s as suspected, old Voldemort's memory won't know about him and won't know to use Snape to suit his plans, which gives us a bit of an edge. By the way, you lead with him. I am half a mind to cut his throat open and walk away." Dora sighed. "Hazel…" The white haired witch hummed merrily as they walked past the Kitchens and deeper into the Castle. "Actually, I have Lockhart here too. What should I do to him, I wonder? Castration? Maybe. Cruciatus? Definitely. Leaving him covered in honey in a room full of fire ants? Decisions, decisions." Dora heard enough and whacked Hazel on the head. "We are here to hunt down a cursed book, not to get your bloodlust sated." Hazel pouted. "Spoilsport." Dora glared at her. "I'll tell Teddy what you were planning to do." Dora regretted saying that as soon as she saw Hazel's sad expression. "Fine. No tortures or killings today unless it's a memory in a book."
Bothered by her partner's expression, Dora squeezed her hand. "What did Snape do to you anyway? You had to be in school around the same time he was." Hazel shook her head, as if to chase away her emotions. "We met after he graduated. He was a Death Eater and one of Voldemort's spies. He was also a nasty Wizard to run into. He spent his years at school fighting with Gryffindors and inventing new curses for revenge. The war gave him the perfect outlet for his frustration. Voldemort had it out for me in that he wanted me captured, so Snape was his perfect sadistic retriever. He made sure I was never too damaged by the other Death Eaters. Last time I saw Snape out of Hogwarts I sent an AK at him and walked away. Guess I missed him. On the plus side, I doubt he could ever figure out who I am. I am very different from the girl I once was." Dora could tell there was more to what Hazel experienced but she imagined it had more to do with Hazel's secrets. Having a Dark Lord hunting you didn't seem like the best way to live and if Snape was in the Order, then Hazel clearly found no help there either. No wonder she hates both sides equally. "Alright, I will take the lead with him. All I did was almost kill him with a plant, so he shouldn't be too hostile." Hazel nodded and bumped Dora's shoulder with hers. "You also need to share that memory later. I want to see his face. Bet it was priceless."
-∞-
OW April 1997
"Concentrate, Potter. The Dark Lord won't hesitate to peak into your mind and leave you a blathering mess. Control your emotions and concentrate!" Hazel felt her temper rising. She had been at it with Severus Snape as her Occlumency Instructor since last year. Nothing came of it except for migraines and a lot of sleepless nights. Feeling tired of dealing with him tonight she did the opposite of what he asked and filled her mind with rage, which seemed to force him out violently. "Enough! I've had it with your lessons." Snape snickered at her. "Just like your father. Lazy, arrogant." Hazel spat at him. "You would know, not me. You got my parents killed playing Death Eater. Tell me, does it still sting that she picked Dad over you!" Snape aimed his wand at her. " Legilimens ." Hazel felt him enter her mind but she dug deep into her rage, feeding it to him. He got launched out of her mind as a guttural growl left her mouth. "I said enough! You don't care that I master it. You don't care that I survive. I don't need to see into that blackened skull of yours. All you care about is hurting me for my father's crimes. I am done! Take your Occlumency and Defense classes and count me out."
Hazel turned to leave before she felt the incoming spell from behind. She turned and avoided it. " Crucio !" Snape dodged her curse, sneering at her as he moved about his office carefully. "Please. As if you could manage to hold that curse long on me. I have been under ones casted by the Dark Lord himself." Hazel gave him a predatory grin. "So have I and you have given me six years worth of material to hate you for. Want to reap what you sow?" Hazel dodged a silent curse that carved a gash into the stone wall just behind her and casted the Cruciatus curse at him again, barely grazing him. Snape stalked towards her. "You think you know how to fight? Please. The lessons from Mad-Eye and your Godmother have gone to your head. The Order struggles because none of them have what it takes to fight back." Hazel eyes light up with magic. "Then try me. I avenged my Godmother's death. Try me so I can show you that I am not one of Dumbledore's pawns and I refuse to be your punching bag anymore. Avada Kedavra !" The Potion Master's office lit up a dark green color as the man dodged the curse by jumping behind his desk. Hazel swung her wand and smashed all the vials behind where the man hid, hoping the mixture of them was dangerous to him.
"Come on out, Snivellus. You wanted revenge on James Potter's crimes against you? Here I am. Try and kill me. I want to haunt you and see Voldemort tear you apart. Word is I am his after all. So which do you want, death at the hands of the girl you tortured for six years or death at the hands of the Master you keep swearing loyalty to, even as he has you licking your wounds from his lessons in discipline." Hazel heard a frustrated growl from him as the door behind her opened. "Severus. Dumbledore has called the Order. Voldemort's forces are attacking St. Mungos. Hur… good heavens! Miss Potter, what did you do!" Hazel took her bag and pulled out her cloak. "What I had wanted to do for years. Later, Minerva ." Snape yelled out to her as she left the door. "This isn't over, Potter." Hazel pointed her wand back. "As far as I am concerned, it is. Later Snivellus. Impetus Tempestatis ." Hazel smirked as she heard the door slam shut on the two professors as the wind threw the office into chaos. Once safely under the Cloak she pulled out the Marauder's Map and looked for her boyfriend's name. She needed a good snog and maybe a little something more to get her mood into a more pleasant state.
-∞-
NW November 2nd 1992
Severus Snape had taken a lot of convincing about the search of the Slytherin Dorms, but he agreed to one eventually, calling the students to wait outside in the corridors. After scanning that none of the students took anything improper with them, Hazel and Dora sweeped the rooms. A few kids were cheeky, raising wards for their chambers but Hazel dismantled them easily enough. Her work with charms based wards had improved as Croaker kept lending her more and more books on wards, even rune based ones. At least her Futhark was improving. The best part of these lessons had been pulling Teddy in with her and the two studying Futhark together. It was a lot more fun and Hazel could make the lessons more practical by showing him how to apply Runes for wards on the spot. Teddy had been a bit worried when she made the cookie jar vanish but Hazel promised not to do that if he kept to the allotted amount of cookies per week. Her son hadn't given her a reason to conceal it since, though she did add a stinging ward on it. Dora had been stealing cookies from the jar too.
Despite the wards raised by the students, Hazel and Dora found nothing of concern through most of the dorms, just your typical things a student would conceal, like contraband alcohol, sweets and a few cheat sheets. One room, however, did have something of concern. Hazel could feel the binding and compulsion spells on it. She could also see traces of blood where the wrists would be placed. "Dora. You have been spending more time with the legal division. Care to look at this and check it for me? It isn't the book we are looking for but I am pretty sure it's illegal." Dora came in and casted diagnostic spells on it. She cursed. "The hell is an enslavement collar and manacles set doing here!" Hazel pulled out an extendable bag and dropped the cursed item inside of it before sealing the bag. She concentrated on her memories of seeing Teddy smiling up at her as a baby and Dora watched as a tiny Patronus manifested on Hazel's hand. It looked like a dragon, though it seemed off to Dora's eyes. "Director. We have a cursed object in a sixth year Slytherin student's dorm. Enslavement and binding curses on it, along with traces of blood. Might want to send someone to collect the student for investigation. Student's name is Marcus Flint."
The patronus took flight and vanished to deliver its message. After making sure there were no other cursed objects and finding trace evidence that the enslavement collar had been hidden in the same spot for some time, Hazel and Dora exited the dorms and ran head first into an irate Professor Snape. "What did you do? One of my students was just pulled away for questioning." Dora's hand on her back stopped Hazel from cursing him and made her think on what to say. "Your student was in possession of an illegal dark artefact, one designed to enslave and bind another person to his will. The artefact is very likely illegal in the Hogwarts Charter too. He will be processed as the DMLE determines what crimes he will be charged with beyond mere possession. There is also trace magic of it being there for years, so don't try to spin it as a plant by a fellow student, Professor." Snape stared at her and Hazel gave him a grin. "Bit of a warning, Former Death Eater. My Occlumency is designed to incapacitate trespassers violently. Care to try your luck?" The man lowered his eyes.
"You are aware you may be ruining a boy's future with this?" Hazel bared her teeth. "If the artefact was used on another person, he doesn't get to play the victim card. At some point we are all victims, professor. The question is when the person decides what comes next. To fight back or to become a victimizer themselves. By the end, it doesn't matter who suffers what, because everyone has already lost something. Your student may lose a promising future, another may have taken their life or have already lost any sense of safety a school should provide to them. So tell me, Professor. Do you want your students to be safe or to get away with anything they want? Because the latter is exactly what gave rise to your former pals. It's also the reason I have left every single Death Eater in my path with a one way ticket to a box six feet under. So, which are you willing to foster in this once noble House?" Snape stared hard at her for a bit but never dared to test her mind. He looked away. "You aren't any different from them, Auror." Hazel smiled. "I know. I stopped caring about being different. It's what happens when you can drown in the blood of the people you have killed. Your former Dark Lord had the same look, right?"
Snape stepped aside to let them leave. "I don't believe you know who you are talking about, Auror." Hazel hummed as she walked past him. "Oh, I am sure I knew him better than you ever did. I am also sure a smart man such as yourself knows exactly what he valued you as; a portable Apothecary. Must be nice, being no better than the corner stores at Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. Oh, I forgot. That tattoo you got also made you a dog. Be careful not to run wild though. I might just put you down. If you can prove to be a better person than the majority of the people who wear that Mark, you might just live to see old age. Do remember that for the next time we meet." Dora followed her out of the Common Room, leaving a pensive man behind as he summoned his students back inside the Slytherin Dorm. Dora kept walking beside Hazel in silence for a bit. "I didn't kill him." Dora squeezed Hazel's shoulder gently. "No, you didn't. So, want me to show you where Teddy will be sleeping for 7 years of his life?" Hazel groaned. "Fine, but stop reminding me of that. My future separation anxiety and concerns with the school's safety are not making the thoughts any easier to bear." Dora patted Hazel's back reassuringly as they approached Professor Sprout. Today was going to be a long day.
-∞-
Hermione made her way up to the seventh floor and paced back and forward in front of the wall until a door appeared. She entered the small private room that she and Tom had designed to keep him stored safely. Tom had been worried when he heard how active the Aurors had been the last year at Hogwarts and asked Hermione to bring him here for safe keeping. When I crafted this book, I was barely sixteen, had just watched a building get blown up beside my orphanage during the Blitz and had failed to get permission to stay at Hogwarts over the summer. I watched as men, women and children died. Like with you, the purebloods did not care what happened to me. I was a wizard with a muggle's last name after all. So I looked desperately for a means of securing my legacy. I found some books that delved into places Dumbledore and the Ministry don't like for anyone to discover. I found a way to preserve my memories and my personality so that even if I died before the war ended, there would still be a record of Tom Riddle. I could prove to them I was smarter than the rest. And I did. I am asking you to hide me because they wouldn't understand why I made my decision, they would only destroy me. I don't want to die, Hermione.
So she did as he asked of her and placed him in a room he had discovered, a place where he would be safe from the staff and the Aurors. Hermione sat down and pulled open the Diary. "The Aurors are finally gone now. They arrested a Slytherin boy for hiding a dark artefact in his room on the first day, but that was it. They kept at it for a month and nothing came from it. No one knows who the Heir of Slytherin is and everyone is worried when he will strike again. Ron says it might be Draco Malfoy, since he is always spouting racist remarks he learned from his dad." Hermione smiled, seeing Tom respond to her quickly. There was an Abraxas Malfoy in my year. Blonde hair, Heir to an exiled French family. Bit of a snob but he always watched his words. Might be the boy's Grandfather. Such a shame, as the young man I knew mellowed out a little in his later years before I made the Diary. Unless Abraxas married into some really old and reclusive families, I don't think his grandson is the Heir. We actually had a similar set of events at Hogwarts in the year before this diary was made. I spent some time in the library and couldn't find much on the Slytherin line. Either the information was removed by the Heirs or by people who wanted to make sure the Heirs didn't discover their legacy.
Hermione dipped her quill in ink and responded. "Dumbledore got reprimanded by the Board for intercepting the students mail during the first few days of the incident. Could he have hidden the information on the Heirs from the school?" Tom took a bit longer to respond. Maybe. You said the only electives available now were Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy, Runes, Divination, Muggle Studies and maybe NEWT Alchemy? We used to have more in my time under Headmaster Dippet. Dueling, Healing, Spell Creation, NEWT Warding and Enchanting. There were also unused textbooks in the library for Wizarding Law, Rituals, Blood Magic and Wand Crafting. I think there were more but those were probably ancient courses, taught by the School closer to the Founders' age. I personally took Arithmancy, Runes and Dueling myself. Tried for Spell Creation but my schedule didn't allow for it. Regardless, Dumbledore likes keeping important information from people he can't trust, which is everyone. He probably ended the Dueling course to eliminate future threats that don't exist. Hermione thought about all the courses she could have taken and was missing out on. "I was planning to take Runes and Arithmancy but I don't know about the rest. Muggle Studies doesn't seem very accurate based on what I have heard the older students say. Divination doesn't sound very appealing beyond learning of the Ancient Oracles and such. Care, at least seems fine, since who knows what creatures one could run into."
Tom replied. Indeed. One of my schoolmates had an immature Acromantula with them as a pet. Don't know what he was thinking bringing that thing into the Castle. Read up on them after it almost bit me. Nasty spiders get quite big in a few decades. The school also hosts Thestrals and Hippogriffs, or at least it did in my time. The Thestrals pull the carriages that seem horseless, while the Hippogriffs keep the more dangerous creatures away from the school with their presence. Saw a few wild Unicorns once too. With your limited choices, I say that sounds like a safe class to take. Do be careful with the lake. Some nasty Kelpies swim in it and sometimes catch students that swim into the deep water. We didn't lose anyone while I was there but a couple out for a swim got killed some years back by them. I know there are Grindylows in the lake too, but they don't get too close to the surface. Hermione wrote back quickly. "Guess it's Care for me, along with Arithmancy and Runes. Thanks for listening to me and for sharing about how Hogwarts is different. Sounds like we are missing out on a lot of cool courses." Tom's flowing script answered back. Anytime. Actually, the next time you visit, I might have a surprise for you. Might make up for the things you're missing out on.
Hermione smiled, bid goodbye and stepped out of the room. She noticed that she was a bit later than she had planned on being but she still made it back to the Common Room before Curfew. She pulled out her seat beside Harry and took out her textbooks and parchments. Ron, across from her, eyed her. "Where were you? Harry went looking for you in the library and didn't find you." Hermione shrugged. "A small unused classroom. I like to just read and relax in a private space rather than focusing on homework all the time. It's getting quite exhausting and the Library has been quite noisy as of late." Both Harry and Ron agreed with her on that they all sat down to write their assignments, though Ron kept trying to copy from theirs. Hermione smiled at Harry, glad he was taking his courses seriously this year. She yawned as she wrote more of her assignments, wondering just why she was feeling so tired. She would have to ask her mom or Madam Pomfrey if periods made a person tired, since hers just started. The next morning, Colin Creevy would be found petrified, the photo he took of Hermione leading a Basilisk through the corridors destroyed by the creature's gaze.
Notes:
So, how was it? As you could see, Hazel's hatred for Snape ran deep. She had endured his taunts, bullying and insults for almost six years at that point and yes, she endured Snape's mental torture for longer for a myriad of reasons. The death of her Godmother was a trigger for more than just her deppression and pain. There was nothing restraining her violence further. Fortunate for her, and everyone else, that Dumbledore had need of her, or who knows what extremes she might have gone if anyone tried to contain her.
Next Chapter?: Yuletide marks ends and beginnings
Finally had a productive night and day! A full chapter completed in less than 24 hours! Events are moving closer to the final confrontation of my story. I am so looking forward to writing the next four chapters, as these will deal with the battle and aftermath. Hope I can keep you entertained until then!
Leave a comment, discuss and see you all in three days!
Chapter 22: Yuletide TalesNotes:
Here is the next chapter. Hope you like it.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"You sure you don't want to come with us for Christmas? Mom wouldn't mind. She would be delighted to have you as a guest again." Harry sighed. "No Ron, I don't. I'll be fine with my relatives and I have some things I need to look through back at their place. It's important to me and with the school closed for the Holidays this is my best chance for some peace and quiet." Ron didn't look happy but he left it alone as the line of students moved forward. The second attack at the end of November had really gotten the school into a frenzy. Lockhart had hosted a dueling club that was supposedly aimed at teaching everyone how to, in his words, fight a monster. All Harry learned is that most of the students didn't know how to defend themselves at all, not even some of the older kids. The only ones he saw being decent at it in his year were Susan Bones, the pretty redhead from Hufflepuff, Daphne Greengrass, a dark haired girl from Slytherin, Theodore Nott, from Slytherin as well, and, to his surprise, Neville. Neville had launched Draco far on the Dueling platform and was able to raise his shields quickly, knocking the prat out to everyone's surprise. Apparently he had received some tutoring in the summer and a new wand that allowed him to cast spells better. He was also exercising at the behest of his tutor. He had blushed when Harry asked him if he could join him on his morning exercises but Neville happily agreed to it.
Those exercises weren't exactly groundbreaking, with most of it being running, jogging and some stretches but Harry felt himself more wide awake on the mornings within a month and could now do the morning runs without breathing heavily at the end of them. He was also eating a bit more, which he was thankful for. Andromeda's medical report had made Madam Pomfrey apologize to him for not noticing his physical condition when he was brought to the Hospital Wing at the end of the last year and he was instantly placed on a bit of a nutrition supplement diet. His scars were treated once a week too and he was surprised to see how much they had faded away already. He certainly felt more confident and less anxious about his body when he showered among other students, which was all the time in the Gryffindor Dorms and in the Quidditch lockers. Despite some differences with equipment, Gryffindor won its match against Slytherin. There was no easy way for Slytherin to win with their team captain being dragged off by the Aurors. He had been surprised to see the two Aurors from the Alley come and inspect the Gryffindor dorms, but they left with only pointing out that the older students shouldn't share their alcohol with the minors and for the Weasley Twins to not booby trap their room again.
The Twins acted weird around the pink haired Auror and he later learned that she had dated their brother Charlie when they were at school. They tried their twin voice act to woo the white haired Auror but she simply silenced them and told them that if she heard them pranking second year and younger students, they would wish they could spend the rest of their lives separate from each other. The pink haired Auror pulled them aside and they seemed to have been spooked by whatever she said. The second and first year students had gone prank free ever since. When the two Aurors left, Harry had been surprised to see a few snacks added to his trunk with a note asking him to please stay out of trouble. He was happy knowing those two were friendly enough to look after him. His thoughts came back to the present he found in his trunk, a book on mental exercises to help with keeping calm in stressful situations, when he spotted the same two Aurors scanning the students as they boarded the train. He smiled when he reached the white haired Auror. "Hello. Still nothing?" Hazel shook her head. "Can't tell you kid. Just be careful. Heard from Andromeda you didn't take their Christmas invitation."
Harry blushed slightly and lowered his eyes. "I wanted to but it felt wrong. I haven't met the family yet." Hazel chuckled and pointed at her partner who was scanning Hermione, before waving his friend into the train after a few words. "That's Tonks. She has a first name but I am banned from saying it to another person within earshot of her." Tonks waved at him and he waved back. "Huh. I guess you are close to the Tonks family? Are you… are you aware of the arrangement around my custody?" Hazel smiled at him. "A bit. Also partners are encouraged to train and spend their free time together. Better trust, better results and all that. So, are you heading back to Surrey?" Harry nodded and Hazel hummed. "Then take care and remember that people are watching them. Be polite and respectful and if they start anything, you have the satisfaction to know you did nothing wrong. You're clear so get on board and Happy Holidays." Harry nodded. "Happy Holidays." He took a cabin with Ron, Hermione and Neville and the three chatted away merrily as the Hogwarts Express took them back home. Harry wondered how long the school would remain closed as it was searched in its entirety for the potential Chamber of Secrets he had been hearing about.
-∞-
"Happy Holidays!" Dora pulled the warmly dressed Teddy into a hug. "Happy Holidays, kid. Welcome to our home." Teddy got pulled into a deeper hug by Andromeda as Hazel entered the House. Hazel glared at Dora, who tried to play innocent. "Next time you decide to prank Q before the Holidays, don't. She was furious with that stale case of beer you sent her." Dora laughed. "Think she will trust my real gift when she gets back from her vacation in Guatemala?" Hazel shrugged. "You'll know if the gun you eventually try out explodes on you." Dora blinked for a second before her hair turned yellow. "Oh. I forgot about that." Hazel hummed merrily at Dora's reaction, leaving her now cleaned boots beside Teddy's as she took her jacket off, revealing a black turtleneck with long sleeves that had Dora licking her lips. Hazel hugged Andromeda before turning to Ted. "Pleasure to meet you officially, sir. Your wife and daughter speak highly of you." Ted shook her hand. "And of you, as well. Dora especially. Come on in. I have some sparkling drinks here for the non-alcoholics in the house." Hazel breathed a sigh of relief. " Thank the heavens. I'll take some. That eggnog Dora gave me was sweet rocket fuel and I am not planning on getting drunk for any reason near her just yet." Ted chuckled and showed her into the house.
The group settled into the family room beside the Christmas tree as Andromeda brought a tray of cold cuts for everyone to eat as the presents were opened. Teddy went first, opening a small box that turned out to be a Wizard Wireless. Dora smiled at him. "Since you will be going to Hogwarts in the coming September, I thought you might like a little music with you." Teddy beamed. "It's great! Thank you!" Dora opened one of her presents and frowned at the keychain until she groaned and glared at Hazel. "You didn't." Her partner drank from her sparkling apple juice, a grin on her face. "What? You were cute as a bunny rabbit. I thought of giving you a rabbit's foot I made from a real rabbit myself but Teddy said it was in bad taste." Dora looked back at the key chain and then at Teddy. "You know what, thanks kid. I really don't want to know what a rabbit's foot made by a Blood Witch ends up doing." Hazel glared at Dora. "This Blood Witch might disable your balance charm at any moment, Bugs." Dora flushed, her hair turning red. "That is not my new nickname!" Teddy laughed and filled Andromeda and Ted in on the joke. "Dora was babysitting me when she did her Animagus exercises. I spent an hour alone with her as she ran around as a cute brown bunny rabbit across the entire apartment in a panic, since she couldn't switch back, until Mom arrived. Mom took a photo of me holding her before she turned her back and the keychain is that photo. We got a few spares if you want them."
The Tonks laughed while Dora groaned in embarrassment. "And I haven't been stuck in a form since!" Hazel chuckled. "True but you're still only a bunny rabbit. Shift to another form before Q picks it up as your new nickname." The gifts exchange continued with Ted Tonks getting some nice fountain pens from Hazel, a new coffee mug from Dora that holds heating charms better and some oddly colored socks from Andromeda that made everyone one laugh. Andromeda got her gifts as well, including a modern surgeon's book from Hazel and a new Healer's kit from Dora. Dora found two more presents, one being a box that made her blush at the lacy underwear inside of it, some new color changing socks from her dad and a final small box that had Teddy moving closer. Inside she found a handcrafted bracelet with three charms on it: a rabbit, a wolf and a tree. She hugged Teddy and eyed Hazel, who explained. "That's leather from a direwolf with a few enchantments on it. Most of it is standard stuff like poison and potion detection, plus charm resistance. I would list all the enchantments on it but I got a headache from the enchantress saying them. There is a note in the box with the list." Dora frowned. "How much was this?" Hazel shrugged. "The Enchantress got a large supply of direwolf leather in exchange so not as much as it should have been."
Dora shook her head as she tied the bracelet onto her arm. Teddy went to grab the rest of his presents, which included candy, a book on the Black family from Andromeda and one big box. He stared at his initials on the leather casing of the trunk before turning to his mom and hugging her. "It's for Hogwarts?" Hazel grinned. "Technically it's for the rest of your life. Lots of big compartments, room for improvements and lots of safety features. You didn't think I would send you off with some rickety old trunk, did you?" Teddy remained in a good mood as Hazel opened her gifts. Andromeda gifted her some very sharp looking kitchen knives, while she also got a book on Witchcraft curses from Croaker, a bottle of wine and some lacy underwear from Dora that Hazel hid from Teddy. The last gift made her look at Ted Tonks curiously, "You trying to tell me something?" The lawyer grinned. "Dora says you aren't the most law friendly person around. A self updating law book sounded like a good idea." Hazel hummed, eyeing the thick tome. "I hope you don't mind if I take my time reading this. Might finish it by the end of the next millennium. Or I could just go and torch the Ministry and reduce it down to the size of a brochure." The Tonks laughed as she placed the massive book away, the book making a considerable thud when placed on the ground, before she pulled the last gift onto her lap. Teddy spoke up. "Q helped me make it."
Hazel held up a similar looking bracelet to the one they gave Dora, but this one had her tree, Teddy's wolf and the Peverells symbol of the Hallows. Ted Tonks eyed it. "Grindelwald's emblem?" Teddy shook his head. "It belonged to the Peverell family before him. He stole it and made it something bad. I know you can't show it off but I thought you should carry it. We are the two living Peverells left after all." Hazel pulled Teddy to her and hugged him. "I love it. Where did you get the leather?" Teddy blushed. "I looked in your old trunk and found the scraps from the Hebridean Black you killed and had rendered down. Since you weren't using them… " Hazel kissed Teddy's cheek. "It's fine. It's better than the bootlaces I was thinking of making with them." Dora eyed them. "Wait, you killed a Basilisk and a Dragon?" Teddy giggled. "No, she killed a Basilisk and two dragons. A lot of scary monsters when winter got bad too." Hazel ruffled Teddy's hair and looked at the Tonks family, especially Dora. "Are you done with your Occlumency?" Dora nodded and Hazel sighed. "On New Year's Eve. When we get together then, you will know all about me. Then you get to decide for yourself what we mean to each other."
-∞-
OW December 31st 1992
You know, I think this is the first time I have spent my birthday in someone else's company. Hazel stared at the page and wrote her response. "Happy Birthday then. I am sorry I can't get you anything though, since you are in a book and all." Tom took longer to reply when his next words surprised her. Would you like to see what it's like here? I promise you won't get stuck in the book or anything, but I can show you what my inner space is like. Hazel smiled. "Sure!" She felt magic wrap around her and she was momentarily blinded by a light before she could see again. She blinked until her eyes focused on the boy in front of her. He was clearly a few years older but wearing a similar uniform to hers. His Prefect's badge was clearly visible on his robes too. What surprised her most was his eyes. She had seen Quirrell's and Voldemort's eyes, so she was surprised to see some similarities there. Tom's eyes were a nice blue though and his hair had a nice wave to it. She was sure that if Lavender or Parvati saw him they would be salivating over him like they did with that Cedric boy. "A pleasure to finally meet you, Tom."
Tom smiled at her, a genuinely warm smile. "A pleasure indeed, Hazel. Welcome to Hogwarts, circa 1943." Hazel followed him around the castle's halls, seeing snippets of his memories manifest in every corner. Hazel beamed at him. "This is so cool! How did you manage this?" Tom blushed. "A bit of Occlumency and some rituals my family left behind. Took a lot of work but I can replay anything that happened to me since my first year at Hogwarts up to the end of my fifth year. Bit of the only thing I could do to pass the time." Hazel grew sad. "Must have been dreadful after a while." Tom nodded as they went up the stairs. "It was. Which is why I am glad to have met you, Hazel. Sure, you are a girl and some of the things you said went over my head." Tom chuckled at seeing Hazel pout. "But you've been a great friend and companion. I spent five years hearing about how great Dumbledore was from the other students and staff members. Most of my memories have those conversations. Hearing you see him as I did, feel how annoying he really is. It was nice not feeling alone anymore. After a while I thought I was imagining things."
Hazel chuckled. "I can only imagine how your living self had to suffer hearing about Dumbledore facing off against Grindelwald. They are still singing his praises almost half a century later." Tom shuddered. "Glad I personally missed that. Here we are." Hazel blinked as she stared out of the Astronomy Tower into a vivid night sky. Tom stood by her, his eyes scanning the sky. "The oddest thing happened when I and my living self made this place. While the school got that weird color loss, the night sky stayed perfectly normal." Hazel shook her head. "I think it makes sense. The halls and classrooms are all going to depend on what it is you experienced or how you remembered the events. The sky is just the sky. It changes by the hour and everything but it doesn't stop being any less beautiful, especially at night. I come up here all the time under my cloak to just sit here and watch the stars. It helps me forget about all the bad things in my life." Tom hummed and looked to the stars. "They helped me forget as well." The two sat down and tried to piece together what they remembered from Astronomy. Tom actually blushed when he realized he didn't have a perfect recall there because of how tired he got during the class, which made Hazel chuckle. As Hazel prepared to leave, Tom hugged her. "Thank you for tonight. Pretty sure this was my best birthday ever."
The next day Hazel returned at night, wishing to tell Tom of the strange happenings at the school. The weird message on the wall and the petrified bodies of Mrs. Norris and Zacharias Smith were bad, but it was worse when everyone started calling her the Heir of Slytherin. Malfoy had conjured a cobra against Zacharias Smith in one of Lockhart's stupid Dueling Club meetings earlier in the year and Hazel had tried to get the cobra to listen to her before it bit the Hufflepuff but it refused to pay attention to her, the snake being safely vanished away by Snape. The school had been wary of her since, including the Professors, but with the whole message written in blood on the wall, and the incident with the cobra, they all suddenly thought it was her. Dumbledore had been even more annoying than ever in his questioning of her. So she ignored everyone, ate her meals and did her assignment before returning to her dorm room. She opened her trunk and froze. The diary, her friend Tom, was gone.
-∞-
NW December 31st 1992
Dora stared at Hazel, trying to wrap her head around what she just heard. "You were Harry Potter." Hazel bristled. "I was Hazel Potter, who lived a similar childhood to your Harry Potter, plus 16 more years of a very different life. I was never a boy." Dora shook her head, trying to make sense of her partner's words. "And you escaped into our world with your blood adopted son, to avoid dying in a Nuclear Winter?" Hazel nodded and Ted Tonks looked at Andromeda. "Your two patients from Chernobyl?" Hazel frowned and looked at Andromeda who blushed. "I read a bit of my order to Ted and Dora when Croaker called me to check you. The high radiation exposure made Ted think you somehow got lost in Chernobyl." Hazel sat back as Dora looked at Hazel for a second, remembering something. Teddy's eyes now held a whole lot more meaning to her. "Hazel, who are Teddy's birth parents?" Hazel eyed her carefully. "The woman was a friend, the man is immaterial after I replaced him in the Blood Adoption." Ted frowned. "How does that work exactly? I heard of two parents replacing the previous ones and a man taking another man's place, but never a woman replacing a man." Hazel hummed. "An old Blood Magic trick and the benefits of being a Metamorphmagus. Any more details are personal."
Seeing that Hazel was trying to avoid the subject, Dora growled. "Hazel, who was Teddy's mother?" A shiver ran down Dora's spine when Hazel's cold stare was aimed at her. They stared at each other for several quiet seconds. "Teddy was born to my world's Nymphadora Tonks in 1997, before she died a little over two months later." Dora felt things she noticed click into place. Teddy's purple eyes and the few glimpses she saw of Hazel looking at her with concern, almost fear, when she spent time with Teddy. Her partner had seen her with Teddy and a part of her had feared what it meant for her own relationship with the child. Dora closed her eyes as another thought filled her heart with dread. "What did she mean to you?" Hazel frowned. "She isn't you." Dora glared. "What did she mean to you?" Hazel glared back at her, feeling her emotions and memories acting up. "Nothing! Because she turned me down. I was too young for her. Instead, she went with a man a decade older than her with self esteem problems who, as far as I was concerned, was not good enough for her. I watched that man abandon her twice! The second time I personally dragged him back, bloodied and stunned, to Andromeda's home because if he missed Teddy's birth, I would have killed him!"
Dora stared at Hazel, seeing the pain in her eyes. She also saw something else. Her eyes started shifting colors, like hers did when she was upset. Hazel clenched her fists, her body shaking for a bit, as she seemed to struggle with maintaining what emotional control she had. "But you aren't her anymore than Dromeda is Andi. You are already so different from her. I came here with the intention of raising my son in a better world. I was given a chance to not only do that, but to keep the other versions of the people I cared about alive." Hazel stared at Dora. "For all of my insecurities, you aren't the woman who gave birth to Teddy. Teddy's Mama died and I accepted that. I met you and Dromeda and I knew it would never be the same. And I was happy about that. Because I died inside when she turned me down. I got into a relationship with the intent of drowning out all of my sorrows with a person who ended up only caring about what he could get from me. I was ready to go to my death happily before Teddy came along and gave me a reason to live. I will always care about Teddy's mother for that, but she isn't you." Hazel lowered her eyes as her body shook harder. "I think I need some freezing air. Excuse me."
Hazel walked out into the snow covered backyard and closed the door behind her, leaving the house in silence. Dora rested her head on the table and thought of all the times she and her partner had together, looking for any sign that Hazel had lied to her. That she had looked at her as if she was someone else. Because she couldn't accept that from her. Hazel demanded that she be herself. How could she if she was looking at Dora as another person entirely? Dora shivered as she remembered Hogwarts. How everyone wanted her for who she could become, but never for her. Dora stood up and left up to her room quietly, closing her door behind her. She froze when she forgot that Teddy had been left there while Hazel talked to them. She tried to leave but Teddy's voice stopped her. "She's hurting a lot. She doesn't know what to do. She likes you a lot but if you do not like her back, it would probably hurt her more." Dora sighed. "It's not that easy, Teddy. If she looked at me expecting to find her Dora, then she was living a lie. I can't care for someone who doesn't see me for who I am. I can't." Teddy shook his head, his purple eyes almost shining in the dark room. "You aren't her. She knows that. Mama died, you are still here. Mama never worked for the DoM and she was dumb for liking Dumbledore and his Order." Dora blinked. "You didn't like her?"
Teddy looked back at the window, snow falling softly outside of the pane of glass. "Grandma Andi told me about her. It was cool hearing about how much we were alike. For a while I wanted to be like her. But then I saw Mom suffering. I watched the Order try and steal me away from her. I watched her suffer because she was left alone to care for me when she could barely take care of herself." Dora saw a tear escape Teddy's eye. "I watched her kill someone once when we were still looking for a new place to live after Grandma Andi died. She didn't know I was there until she heard me move. Mom looked at me with so much fear in her eyes. She thought she had failed me, showing me a part of herself she does everything to hide from me. After that day I knew I loved my Mom, because she would do anything so that I had food on the table and I could smile without being afraid, though I was always scared of what could happen to her if someone managed to catch her. I am grateful for Mama for making her my Godmother, but Mama made a lot of bad choices that got her killed. Because of that, Mom had to keep getting hurt just so that I was happy." Teddy shook and Dora hugged him without thinking. Teddy hugged her back. "You aren't Mama. You are Dora. You are you and that version of you is the person Mom likes now. Please don't forget that. Please. Mom hurts all the time. My magic tells me as much, but she always tries so hard to hide it. She feels better around you. She feels right. So please, don't leave her."
Dora comforted Teddy as she felt her emotions spin wildly, even with her Occlumency controlling them a bit. She could see the few moments when Hazel seemed lost, as if she saw a memory in her. She saw the moments when she tried to kiss Hazel, and watched the change in her eyes. Hope smothered by a memory before Hazel pulled herself away. She always pulled away. Dora bit her lip. She was an idiot. Hazel knew she was having trouble separating her from her world's Dora. She knew it and fought it every time she noticed it happening. She clearly liked her but was constantly afraid of what she felt. She feared it wasn't real, that it wasn't fair to Dora. Dora kissed Teddy on the head and rushed through the house and out to the backyard, finding Hazel standing there like a statue, snow covering her head and shoulders. Dora steeled her resolve. "Hazel." Her partner turned and Dora shivered at the sight. She had never seen that dead look in her eyes. Dora grabbed a hold of Hazel's face and kissed her deeply, desperate to show her how she really felt. She knew she had pulled her partner back the moment she felt Hazel's arms circle her back and the kiss deepen. She stared into the now warm and hopeful eyes she loved the most, not knowing her own eyes had shifted purple.
"I am so sorry. I'm sorry for doubting your feelings for me. I am sorry I forgot how hard you tried to push me away whenever I tried to force you to accept me when I wasn't ready. When you held back as you looked at me and saw someone else. I can see you now, Hazel." Hazel lowered her eyes. "But not all of me." Dora lifted her by the chin. "No, not all of you. Not yet. But I want to. I want to see all of you. Because so far I am certain I am falling in love with you. I want to love all of you. Will you let me?" Dora watched as Hazel seemed to have a struggle with herself. She saw her partner's eyes turn red for a second, then iridescent silver before settling on glowing emerald green. Tears raced down her cheeks from her eyes. "You might not like what you find. I am not a good person Dora, no matter how much I try to be." Dora rubbed her back. "I think I will like what I find. Because even as you hide yourself, you always shine through. You do it all the time for Teddy and now for me. So, will you let me?" Hazel closed her eyes and her body stopped shaking. Those green eyes eventually stared back at Dora as warm lips pressed against her own. "Yes."
-∞-
Hazel closed the door of her Apartment behind her and listened to Dora showering. She pulled her robes tighter against herself as she waited. Twenty one days since the start of the New Year. Twenty long days of tedious searches of Hogwarts Castle. Despite their best efforts, the search of the school had revealed nothing. No cursed diary, no parseltongue locked secret passages, no entrance to the Chamber. Hazel had been getting more and more frustrated. She could feel they existed. She even marked a few places on the static map of the castle Croaker provided to her that she was sure held an opening that was currently sealed. Most were unsurprisingly in the bathrooms. Hazel was certain that the moment plumbing was developed and applied to Hogwarts, an Heir, probably a Gaunt, went to the Castle and used the passageways created by Salazar to run the pipes throughout the school, before sealing them all again with entrances that were far more elaborate than receding stone walls or floors. That the Gaunts here might have implemented a better security system than the use of the word "open" had been a surprise. Either that or Tom added the changes himself. She knew from experience that the entryways could be sealed, but she wasn't expecting them to be sealed currently. She had been tempted to just blast open a wall she suspected, but the Hogwarts walls were reinforced heavily and the blast would have alerted Tom to their intervention, forcing him underground, which was too dangerous to allow. Hogwarts had already been closed for over a month and Dumbledore was pressuring the Board to let him reopen the school again.
How anyone thought sending the kids back to the school with an unknown danger still at large was a good idea was beyond her, but that was exactly what was happening. The parents wanted to send their children to the one place that could land their kids in the Hospital Wing or worse. Hazel couldn't understand such people. Amelia had delayed the situation as much as she could, but with the Aurors and Curse Breakers coming back with no success, she was also being pressured by the Minister to let the school open again. Hazel was reasonably certain Lucius Malfoy was manipulating him again, with the added problem of Dumbledore playing along. She really hated those two. She looked back at the door that led to her apartment and her sleeping son. She smiled. Teddy had been a bundle of joy since New Years, wanting to spend as much time as possible with Hazel and Dora together. Dora didn't know how to respond most of the time, especially now, knowing that they were related in a way. That he had given her permission to sleep in Hazel's bed permanently had thrown her partner completely for a loop, much to Hazel's amusement. She dreaded the day she would have to give Teddy "The Talk", but she knew it had to be soon. A school full of older hormonal boys and girls where he had to spend ten months of the year wasn't a safe place for anyone's innocence.
Hazel heard the water of the shower turn off and she swallowed her nerves. Dora, wrapped in a bathrobe stepped out of the bathroom and froze as she noticed Hazel in the apartment, her hand rubbing her pink hair dry with a towel. "Oh, did you forget something from the party earlier?" Hazel nodded. "Yeah, I did. I forgot to give you two presents." Hazel came up and handed her a small flat box with a bow. "Happy Birthday, Nymphadora." Dora flushed at hearing Hazel speak her full name, before taking the gift into her hands. She pulled out a silver locket in the shape of a heart, made with a lot of celtic knots and what she assumed was Druidic Script. "It's beautiful. Thank you." Hazel blushed. "It's known as a Promise Token. Lockets, necklaces and charms of the same design are meant as a promise." Dora blinked. "A promise of what?" Hazel's hair shifted to soft red, which made Dora feel very warm. Her girlfriend was smoking hot as a redhead. "That as long as you have it, there is hope. No matter what happens in the future, so long as I never ask for the locket back, you can be safe in the knowledge that I still feel something for you."
Dora looked from Hazel to the locket, her hair shifting colors. She finally pulled the locket over her head and felt it rest on her chest. She kissed Hazel. "Thank you." Hazel hummed and pulled Dora around, leading Dora into her own bedroom. "Your final present is right here too." Dora's mind froze as Hazel dropped her robe onto the floor and sat back on the bed. She locked lips with her girlfriend as Hazel pulled Dora by her robe on top of her, Dora feeling Hazel's warm and naked body under her hands. Hazel stared at Dora with a desperate need. "How do you want me?" Dora frowned. "As yourself." Hazel kissed Dora's neck, drawing shudders and moans from her. "You sure?" Dora's kiss was all the prompting Hazel needed. Dora found herself thrown onto her own bed and her mind began to fail as hands and lips explored her body vigorously. She felt driven to the edge over and over again for what felt like forever until she simply blacked out, a scream ripped from her throat. She woke up in the morning next to a naked Hazel, both their bodies marked by scratches and hickies. Smiling to herself, she tried to go to the bathroom but suddenly remembered Hazel's promise from last summer. Her girlfriend kept it and more, her steps uneven and partly painful as she reached for the bathroom mirror. Dora hoped episkey worked on all the evidence of their intimate night. She didn't want to run into her Mom or Teddy like this in the morning.
Notes:
So, how was it? The ship has officially sailed. The Tonks family are now fully informed about Hazel and Teddy. Despite some insecurities from both sides, Hazel and Dora have come a long way from their meeting in the DoM. There is still a lot more growth left for both of them to go through, as the relationship is only the beginning. There are a lot of personal demons within both of them and they will need to be there for each other as they conquer threats of the mind and of the physical world.
Next Chapter?: There are other criminals at Hogwarts
The last few days have been so productive. Pretty sure that between my last posting and this one, I covered two and a half chapters. Of the really important chapters. I am a few chapters away from completing the main story, before beginning the epilogue begins. I am so relieved I am at this point. Here is hoping you all enjoy what I have written down for you.
Leave a comment, discuss and see you all in three days.