Chapter 35: What Can Never Be AgainNotes:
Here is the next chapter. Hope you like it.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Sirius found himself on the receiving end of a rib crushing hug. "Next time you decide to play the hero, leave some goddamned paperwork, Siri. I never believed you were guilty but you didn't make it any easier to fight your transfer to Azkaban from the DMLE holding cells." Sirius hugged his cousin back, a soft laugh on his lips. "Right. I will get right on it. Mind if I borrow your husband for a week or two? I promise, no mixing business and pleasure." Andromeda released him and punched his shoulder. "Business is fine but he is mine. Get your own piece of tail to chase after, you mutt." Sirius laughed. He had been doing that a lot now since he got dragged in front of the Wizengamot. Seeing old Rufus sitting in the judges' chair had been a surprise. "Why was Rufus the one in charge of the Trial anyways?" Ted pushed his cousin-in-law further into their house. "Because he is Head Auror. Dumbledore was voted down as not being impartial after having been your leader in the Order of the Phoenix. Fudge was ruled out after spending so many resources and man hours hunting you down and the Director of the DMLE recused herself due to conflict of interest." Sirius hummed as he got shown up the stairs.
Andromeda turned on the light in the room. "You get to pick from this room or the living room couch transfigured into a bed. Nymphadora has her own apartment and only uses her old room for summer, but with everything going on at work she might just leave it to you for now. She already cleared out much of her stuff anyway." Sirius dropped the small bag he had with him on the bed. "What about my court ordered Healer appointments?" Andromeda nodded. "I'll be in charge of your physical health and diet. Healer Johnson, my coworker, will handle your mental recovery. There are a lot of former Death Eaters about and you have some people in the Ministry concerned for your wellbeing. You will be looked after, I promise." Sirius nodded, before he smiled. "When do I meet my godson?" Andromeda shook her head in amusement. "When the Hogwarts Express brings him back. The Academic year isn't over so he and Teddy won't be back until then." Sirius looked between the two. "You two have another kid or a grandkid already? Where was my invite to the baby shower?" Andromeda glared at the man. "Teddy is Edward. Edward Peverell. He is the son of Nymphadora's very steady girlfriend, Hazel Peverell."
Sirius shook his head. "Little Dora has a thing for mothers? Oh, I can't wait to tease her. She was so cute as an eight year old." He eyed the two of them. "So what's this about me being Lord Presumptive? Walburga was quite clear that I was disowned." Ted leaned back the dresser and crossed his arms. "She may have disowned you as her son, but only Arcturus could cast you out of the family. He never did. We had a nasty strain of Dragon Pox as soon as the war ended. Took out a lot of the older generations. Walburga and Orion went out along with Cygnus and Druella. Arcturus lost Melania but he isolated himself in Castle Black. He died there not four years ago. Walburga never got to be Lady Black and neither did Orion get to be Head of House, so the disownment never got ratified. Arcturus Black refused to cast you out." Sirius closed his eyes, remembering his grandparents. Of the family, besides Andromeda and Alphard, they were the ones he was closest to. He looked from Andromeda to Ted. "I am guessing my paperwork troubles are going to be another issue while I wait for Harry."
Ted chuckled. "Indeed. Good thing Andromeda is a Healer. Carpal tunnel and scratches from Blood Quill will be quite common in the coming weeks. For now though, rest up and build up your strength. You have a lot to catch up on." Ted left the room but Andromeda was stopped by Sirius. "Andi. Did Amelia… ?" Andromeda looked at her cousin and gave him a brief smile. "She had a lot on her mind after Halloween, not the least of which was mourning her family and raising a little girl. She never dated, never courted and buried herself in her work. Lately she's been making more time for Susan and was here for Christmas." Sirius perked up at that. Andromeda placed her hand on Sirius's shoulder. "She recused herself from overseeing your trial but she has been kept in the loop. Trust me, you will see her again soon and you can ask her yourself where to go from there. Dinner will be ready in a few hours. Try and nap for a bit." Andromeda left a pensive Sirius behind. He closed his eyes as he sat on the bed and felt a shudder pass through his body, a symptom from years under the Dementors' watch. He could feel just how exhausted he was. Andi was right. There was a lot for him to recover from. He smiled though at the thought of Harry.
There hadn't been a single day that he didn't think about his Godson and the massive screw up he made. He never should have turned the kid over to Hagrid and Dumbledore. He should have taken him to Amelia, get Alastor to interrogate him and take care of the kid. Grief and his usual lack of forethought ruined all that. He had at least kept tabs on the newspapers since he fled Azkaban. He knew the boy's custody had become a point for debate in the Wizengamot. He had cheered in his cave as he read that the court had ruled in Andromeda's favor after the evaluation carried out by Child Services and the DMLE found cause to deny Dumbledore and the Malfoys custody of Harry. His Godson would be living here, at least for the next four summers. The thought about the coming summer made him smile. He needed to get everything about his Lordship settled. Once it was done, he could invite his entire family out for a relaxing summer vacation. Somewhere away from the British Isles. An old promise he made to Amelia made his smile grow wider. He knew just the place to get everyone to have some fun and for him to bond with Harry. He just had to get through the mountains of paperwork and Healer appointments before he could do it. He laid back on the bed and dreamt about rebuilding his life, one piece at a time.
-∞-
"Never pegged you for being here today, Severus." Hazel turned slightly as she watched Remus stand next to Snape as the students started filling into the Great Hall. Today was the last day of her Dueling Club meetings for the OWL students and the day the last few weeks of studies and practice paid off. Though she found it odd that the school year wouldn't be ending for at least another week, she was glad for it as it gave her students more time to practice. She had them all focus on finding the memory or thought that gave them the greatest joy. She walked them through the mental exercises to get the necessary emotional state needed to power the Patronus Charm. As first and second years, as well as the NEWT students entered the Hall, Hazel had a feeling they were all here looking for a show. She was certain they were going to get one. The NEWT students had all managed to get a shield Patronus up and to hold it well enough, with half of them getting a corporeal Patronus, including the majority of the Prefects. Even Head Girl Penelope Clearwater managed to conjure a beautiful lynx patronus, much to Head Boy Weasley's chagrin, as he only managed a shield. Time to see what the rest could do.
Teddy walked up to Hazel and hugged her legs. She ruffled his hair as he looked up at her, his concern for her clear in his eyes. Though it had been about a month since her run in with Black, the incident had left its mark on her. She had been a lot more withdrawn from the students. Then again, having recurring nightmares of the bastard's face smiling down at her with that crooked grin as he cursed her would make anyone less sociable. At least she hadn't awoken Dora again in a panic. That was an improvement. Hazel knew that the Sirius Black of this world was innocent. She knew it. Yet every instinct inside of her, every bittersweet memory of Bella's time with her, only seemed to fuel her desire for revenge. To hear that man scream in agony as she practiced her less than legal magic on him. But she couldn't do that to him. Not for Sirius Black's sake, as she was sure the man was still a prick. He made it clear in his Veritaserum confessions that he was mainly after Pettigrew and that he only went to Surrey to potentially catch a glimpse of Harry before avenging the Potter's. He wasn't her world's Bella, who had tailed her mad cousin in the hopes of diminishing whatever damage he did while free, only to throw that plan out the window when she realized that her goddaughter needed her more, even if she couldn't reveal herself to her for over a year. No, she couldn't torture him for her own sake. She was a Dark Witch, but she wasn't like the Death Eaters. She wasn't like Tom. She would be better than that, for Dora, Harry and Teddy. They deserved better than a monster.
Still, Black's release and Pettigrew's death only seemed to make things more complicated. The execution took place after the DoM confirmed that the location where Petigrew had stored Voldemort's wand was empty. Someone had tailed him in his last visit to the area and had managed to bypass what measly protections he had erected around the wand. Someone who went through a lot of trouble to conceal their face from anyone who could have identified him. Hazel was certain it was a man. Her visit to the Crouch Manor had been a bust, but the evidence there and from the Azkaban records suggested that Junior was free. Now he had his master's wand. She wished she could go after him, but Croaker was adamant. It was time to sit back and wait. Burying her swirling thoughts, she returned her full and undivided attention to Teddy, who was going to be helping her out today in the lesson. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Teddy nodded. "Yeah, besides it's fun." Hazel smiled at him as he stepped back, the two of them waiting for the last of the OWL students to arrive. Harry waved at her as he stood next to Neville, Susan and Hannah. The four had done surprisingly well in their exercises, though she had to drag three of them to the Hospital Wing to see a Mind Healer. Finding comfort in impossible dreams was quite dangerous with Patroni.
The Dementors would pull at their nightmares and potentially force them all to experience their dreams being shattered. A catastrophic failure with a Patronus saw quite a few Hogwarts students dead towards the end of the war in her old world. Granger's lessons to the students in their fifth year had been done under bookworm's own watch, with the girl looking for any possible shortcuts to getting past the barrier that kept the Patronus from taking corporeal form. Those shortcuts only worked if the student was able to sustain the imagined happy memory. Not everyone could, especially not in the face of the Dementors. Not that the students had to face a Dementor anytime soon. With Black found innocent and Pettigrew giving the Dementor's Kiss for the massive amount of intel he leaked to the Death Eaters, the creatures were all sent back to Azkaban. Fudge and his Undersecretary left the Session the same as Lucius Malfoy: with unfulfilled expectations. They all deserved it too. At least the whole situation seemed to have calmed Draco down. He didn't seem to be as interested in insulting people. Then again, finding a Boggart in your private dorm room could have been a part of his change too. The Slytherins under her care had quite enjoyed the scream they heard from within the snake pit and his recent quiet disposition was welcomed by all. Hazel hoped his father didn't try and fix him this summer.
With all the students in place and most of the staff, including Dumbledore, watching from the walls, Hazel got started. "Alright everyone. Today is our final meeting and the moment many of you have been waiting for. In the last month I have been giving you the mental exercises and the training required to prepare for a successful cast. Let me be clear. The Patronus Charm is by its nature very complex. It was created in a time when Arithmancy and standard Charm techniques did not exist. If you are a Charms prodigy, don't be surprised your Patronus failed. There is no exact theory, no Arithmancy breakdown and no understanding of the intricacies that define a Patronus beyond the fact it combines elements of Charms, Conjuration and even some obscure branches of magic. Now I have one last bit of advice for everyone here, especially those from magical families. If you have practiced Occlumency, you need to not occlude your thoughts. Maintain your barriers but allow your emotions to run free. You will get better results this way. In time you may be able to isolate the emotional state you need, but for tonight, don't." Hazel watched as the Ravenclaw and Slytherin students, as well as a few Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors went through their exercises to lower the impact of Occlumency on their emotions. She could see the change in their faces.
Hazel nodded. "Good. The incantation is Expecto Patronum. Allow the memory, the thoughts, and the emotions to fill you up entirely. When you are sure you have reached that point of absolute immersion, cast the spell. Like this." Hazel watched as Teddy walked up and flicked his wand. " Expecto Patronum. " A winged dragon the size of a person took shape from Teddy's wand and flew about the Hall, the students and Professors looking up at it in wonder. Hazel spoke up in the ensuing silence. "Age's limitation with this spell is due to one's magical capacity. First through third years may have difficulty with the spell but there's a reason I had everyone practice so much before today. Those lacking the magical capacity currently were already informed and will practice again on their own until they reach the threshold required to maintain a Patronus. For the rest of you, let the emotions of joy and happiness fill you and cast. Take your time as you allow the emotions to well up inside of you. In time, you can learn to cast it faster. Go ahead and give it a try." Teddy's dragon landed beside Hazel and tried to nuzzle Hazel, much to Hazel's joy, before it dissipated. Hazel and her son stood back and watched as the fifth years tried the spell first. To the amazement of the staff, more than half manage a corporeal Patronus on the first cast.
The Weasley Twins Patroni were surprisingly distinct, at least in species. They were both monkeys, though Hazel was unsure what they were called. Considering that a few monkeys were known for their surprising intelligence and mischief, it certainly suited them. Cedric's Patronus looked to be a horse as it raced around the room, the boy's enjoyment of thrills and speed quite evident. About the same amount of students in fourth year were able to produce a Patronus, with Cho Chang's being a falcon, darting from one corner of the room to another. Then it was the third year students' turn and Hazel blinked as a grand majority of them succeeded. A bouncing hare made her pause, before she saw it coming from a second year blonde that she remembered being Astoria's friend from Ravenclaw. The girl, along with a few other second years, had their magic at a higher developed state than the rest of their fellow year group and had shown a far greater degree of vulnerability to the Dementors when encountering them on the train. She and the others were given the chance to learn the Patronus and Hazel was surprised to see her achieve it with how unstable her magic felt.
Seeing Astoria rushing to the girl's side, Hazel stored what she knew of the young Ravenclaw and her unique way of addressing her away, before returning her attention to her pupils. The Hufflepuffs under her charge proved to be much more capable than the Gryffindors, with Susan's Patronus looking to be that of a wolf-like dog, rushing around her in excitement while Hannah's was a dove, which flew around her as the girl watched in wonder. Among the Slytherins, Theo's Patronus was a raven, it's head constantly looking everywhere inquisitively as it landed on the boy's shoulder. Tracey's looked to be a majestic eagle, its wing spread quite wide as it took to the air, while Daphne's caused some surprise as a Quetzalcoatl flew and coiled itself around the dark haired girl in protection of her. Hazel barely had time to consider telling Quetz about that when Neville's bear rattled everyone's ears with its roar. Her eyes, however, were drawn to Harry who seemed transfixed by his.
A shy little doe came up to him as he looked on in wonder, as Hazel suppressed the thoughts and images of Lily Potter that flared in her mind. Getting permission from Teddy, Hazel walked up to Harry and placed an arm on his shoulder, giving him a bit of emotional support, the doe turning towards her and trying to nuzzle her with its head. He broke the silence first. "My mother wrote about the spell in her seventh year. How she was the only one besides Dad that could cast it. Hers was a doe too." Hazel hummed. "Patroni can run in the family at times. A sign of the love passed from parent to child." Harry's eyes watered. "I was thinking about her and Dad. About them being proud of me." Hazel lowered her hand and Harry stared as she seemed to feed magic to the doe, making it solid. Seeing her nod, he reached out and felt fur and warmth from the Patronus. "Trust me Harry, they would be proud. As long as you do your best and live your life to the fullest, they will only ever be proud of you." Harry visibly swallowed and nodded. "Thank you, Hazel." Hazel ruffled his hair. "We are family, Harry. You never have to thank me for being there for you." Harry looked up and smiled at her as Teddy came over and hugged him. Hazel directed her attention to the Hall, congratulating the students and asking a few if they wished to continue and practice. Many of them did and Hazel watched over them all, noting the absence of a certain Potion Master. She saved that thought for later as she watched over the kids, the Great Hall filled with wonder and joy well into the descending night. Though she did notice Harry's Patronus waver for a moment, as if the form grew unfocused. She wondered what that was about.
-∞-
OW June 1994
Hazel watched as her Patronus Charm failed again. It had been that way for months but this time she felt worse as her Godmother watched on as they practiced together in the Chamber. Which was odd since Bella had been watching her train for most of the year. Then again, her Godmother had been hiding as a cat for over a year and only now revealed herself, not doing it earlier out of concern that either Snape or Dumbledore would pluck the information from her mind. Hazel had been quite happy about that, since it meant she had never been truly alone, though the fact she spent quite a while petting Bella and getting her to purr was something she found quite weird now. Bella found it hilarious. Hazel sat down and sighed as Bella looked on, pensive. "You're using a memory, right?" Hazel nodded. "It always fails like that. I think I just lack the right kind of memory, something I doubt I will get in the next decade, if at all." Bella looked at her, a guilty expression on her mind. She sat down beside Hazel on the couch. "Perhaps a bit of cheating might help. You are not the first to have difficulty with this spell, and certainly not the first who also happens to be the most vulnerable to the Dementors. Perhaps a bit of a dream can work to fix that."
Bella explained as Hazel watched her quietly. "Happiness is a difficult thing for a person with poor lives to find within memories. But it can certainly be found in your dreams. They are our guides and our hopes as we struggle in the dark." Bella rubbed Hazel's hair. "I dreamt a lot in Azkaban. It helped keep the Dementors away. Lucid dreaming was one of the few things I was grateful to have. I always controlled my dreams and in them I created a world. A place where I was free of the prison, and where I could find a measure of joy. You actually became a part of those dreams often enough." Hazel stared at Bella as she had a wistful smile on her face. "I dreamt of watching you and my niece Nymphadora playing together in the garden as my sister and I watched on. I saw you sitting at the table as I brought plates of food to it, your eyes filled with happiness at the imagined taste." Hazel smiled at hearing that and got pulled into a hug. Bella kissed her hair. "You helped keep the Dementors away for all those years. So I think you could try something similar. A warning though. Never dream of the impossible. The Dementors will use your memories to tear the dream apart."
Hazel thought about it and nodded. "I think I can see how. Did it happen to you?" Bella gave her a soft nod of her head. "One of my first dreams. I dreamt of coming home to you as James and Lily looked on. I loved making Lily laugh and if it was at James' expense, even better. Then the Dementor's sought out my worst memory." Bella rested her chin on Hazel's head. "I was the first person at the house. I walked over the body of the man I called my brother from another mother and I collapsed at the sight of the woman I happily called my redheaded step-sister. I struggled to get to you, pulling you out of the wreckage. You calmed down a bit in my arms actually. I left you with McGonagall as I was called on a mission. I told Dumbledore it would be my last and it was. For all the wrong reasons." Hazel hugged Bella back, feeling the calmness that radiated from her. She tried to look in her dreams and find one that she could believe was real. That she dared to hope to see it come true one day. "I want to try one more time." Bella kissed her hair as Hazel stood up and closed her eyes. She steadied her mind as best she could and focused on her oldest dream, only now it was different.
She carried in her the dream of every abandoned orphan. The dream of coming home to a loving family. To be hugged and kissed and loved without anything expected from her in return. The dream had been with a faceless figure until she saw a picture of her mother. But that dream slowly and surely became hollowed out as her time in Hogwarts stretched on. The dead were gone and any attempts to bring them back were doomed for failure. She had refused to believe that from the Hogwarts books but Salazar's were different. The man was a researcher, and within all his journals he made it clear he had ample reason to seek a way to restore the dead. The death of his wife had shattered his life just as the death of her parents had destroyed hers. He spent decades researching Necromancy and the Veil between the worlds but found no indication that resurrection of the dead was possible. He abandoned that dream and found another worth pursuing. He married again and had children, quite late in his life.
Hazel thought of Salazar's life and her own. She gave up on the dream that Lily Potter would one day come for her. But perhaps she could make the dream of coming home to family more real. Hazel saw herself in her dream of a wonderful home life once more. The house wasn't as suburban or as defined as she remembered, but it didn't matter. The feeling of love from inside felt real. The person who waited for her loved her. The woman who pulled her up and kissed her cheek no longer had red hair or green eyes. She was now a curly haired brunette with grey eyes and a radiant smile. Hazel drew on her moment in the Forbidden Forest and the stories she just shared with her. The dreams of a woman wanting to raise a child. Of a person who waited patiently in Azkaban because she knew she would never have a moment's peace to raise Hazel as her own child if she escaped, only throwing that hope away when Hazel's life was endangered by her demented cousin. Hazel filled her mind with the same woman raising her with love. She felt her wand warm up and flicked it. " Expecto Patronum ."
The Chamber of Secrets was bathed in a bright and warm light that blinded both of them until it settled. Bella stared at the Patronus as tears of joy fell from Hazel's eyes. She laughed and giggled happily as a cat came up to her and rubbed itself against her legs, the feel of the fur and its warmth no different from Bella's animagus form. Hazel picked it up into her arms and laughed as it purred against her, Bella looking at her with pride and amazement. "Now what do I name you? Isabella is already taken after all." Bella hugged her from behind and petted the cat, her face filled with wonder at the solid Patronus. "How about Whiskers?" Hazel pouted. "Really?" Bella grinned at her. "Sure. I promise it will drive McGonagall up the walls. I tormented the woman for years as she hunted me down as a cat, trying to figure out who else had become an animagus. She never did find me since I used a spell to mask my scent whenever I took my feline form. I left her so many notes teasing her, all signed as Whiskers. She suspected it was one of us when the cat vanished the year after we graduated, but she had no idea it was me. The return of Whiskers to sow chaos at Hogwarts in my stead. It's perfect." Hazel rubbed her face against her Patronus. "Sure. Welcome to the family, Whiskers."
-∞-
NW June 21st 1994
Dora shook off the effects of the apparition and looked around as Hazel made her way towards a metal gate, the area around her obscured by a dense fog. "Where are we?" She watched as Hazel pulled a necklace out from a pocket and saw a ring dangling from the chain. "Magic behaves weirdly between our worlds. Things like my world's map don't work here, because the Hogwarts in its pages and the one here are different. But the family rings of people never born in this world work just fine." The moment the ring was pressed into the center of the gate, the magic of the ring triggered and the gate was unlocked. Hazel stored the ring away in her pocket and turned towards Dora. "You wanted to know more about me? Well, as far as I am concerned, the only thing left to show you is right here. You coming?" Dora looked between Hazel and the foggy area behind her. "What happens to you if I don't?" Hazel shrugged. "I'll be gone for a day, maybe longer. My memories on this day for most of my life, since the end of the war, are quite fuzzy. I won't blame you if you decide to stay out of it." Dora sighed but took a few steps forward. "I am not leaving you. I just needed to know whether I needed my wand out." Hazel eyed the mist. "Not really, but if you hear a bark or a howl, don't turn around. Apparate out with your eyes closed."
Hazel walked through the open gates and Dora followed closely, the gates closing behind her. The further in they went, the lighter the fog became. Eventually Dora noticed a shape in the fog. The shape was repeated over and over again as rows stretched out as far as the eye could see. Gravestones. Dora shivered and moved closer to a strangely quiet Hazel. They meandered through several rows and paths and Dora looked to the headstones. She saw the names. "The Black's have their own cemetery?" Hazel nodded. "A bit forgotten now. This is the Black Cemetery where much of the family is buried. The main line of Lords and Ladies are buried in the Mausoleum attached to the currently abandoned Castle Black, along with members that proved themselves worthy. For millennia, this was the Black Family's final resting place. It was abandoned after Alphard, Cassiopeia and Marius Black were all buried here. Can you imagine why?" Dora recalled the names from Andromeda's lessons on the family tree. "Alphard was disliked by Walburga for helping Mom and Sirius. Cassiopeia was barren and Marius was a Squib." Hazel nodded again. "Every Black for millennia was buried here, never mind as to who they were in life, except traitors to the family. Until the war. Arcturus buried his siblings and son without fear of reprisal but the blood supremacists complained. They sought their own cemetery."
Dora looked around, a strange longing building inside her heart. She knew Sirius would reinstate the Tonks family to the Black family soon. These were her ancestors, her relatives. Completely detached from the madness that turned the family into blood purists. These were the graves of her family. "How did you find this place?" Hazel shrugged her shoulders. "I asked the Black family elf. It wasn't in the same location as the one in my world, so I needed directions." Dora watched as she saw newer graves appear. Sure enough, the names of Cassiopeia, Marius and Alphard were clear to see on their graves. Hazel stopped for a second before Marius' grave. "Marius had a wife and children, as well as grandchildren. We will have to inform Sirius about them. They deserve to be buried here with their family, if that is their wish." Dora nodded before she stared at the last headstone. Every other headstone was grey or black. This one was white. She watched as Hazel stared at it before pulling a bottle of firewhiskey out of her jacket. "She introduced me to the stuff on Christmas of 1995. Burned quite a bit of the room we were in, along with my throat. Never touched alcohol again until just before my nineteenth birthday. It was a rough time. Andi was mad at me for a few days, but she understood. She had her own reasons to mark the day."
Hazel conjured a stone seat next to the grave and sat on it, pulling out the stopper on the bottle. "Last chance to leave, Dora. This won't be pretty." Dora sighed and went to look at the grave. She froze as soon as she saw what was engraved on it. "Hazel." Her partner took a swig from the bottle and a bit of fire plumed out from her mouth. "There is nothing buried here, of course. She had grey eyes in my world and was born a few years later. Went to Hogwarts and got Sorted into Ravenclaw, not Slytherin. Studied to be a Healer but found a passion in Enchanting. She became the silent partner of a group of Marauding teens, three of them sorted to Gryffindor. One was a Werewolf with a drive for Potions and a bad case of self pity. The other two were Heirs of Noble Families, looking for a laugh as the weight of their responsibility seemed to suffocate them. And she was a girl who wanted to see them all laugh. She did too, without a single person outside of the group knowing of her part in all of the chaos and madness. Well, all but one person didn't know: a redhead that was sorted into the House of Lions because she was too hot tempered to be an Eagle. My Godmother was the glue of the group, pointing out bullies to target for pranks, enchanting the silverware to get everyone to sprout mustaches and even getting the suits of armor to sing "God Save the Queen" whenever McGonagall walked by them."
Dora smiled and chuckled at that. "Yeah, I can see that being funny for a proud Scotswoman." Hazel smiled, her face flushed. "I repeated it for my fifth year, except with a different target in mind. The woman was a pureblood supremacist so it really got under her skin. Pretty sure that was the one time my McGonagall actually looked at me differently. She knew it had to be me after my Godmother confessed to her about being the bane of her existence for four years. Gods was the woman insufferable when I refused to stay away from my godmother. Why would I give a damn about school rules or even being expelled when there was a person who cared about me right there waiting for me to join them? Dumbledore, of course, got the Scotswoman to leave me alone. He needed his little destiny project to be where he could keep an eye on it. My Godmother wanted to pull me out of Hogwarts but she couldn't pull the Black funds out of Gringotts. She did run one hell of a bill on them, though. Better that than letting her bloody cousin add it to the Dark Lord's war chest." Hazel took another swig, Dora stepping a bit back as a fireball launched from Hazel's mouth as she hissed. Hazel looked to the grave marker, her eyes filling with tears.
"She never found a woman who could keep up with her. She stopped trying to during the war. Her family name and skills made her invaluable to both sides of the conflict. Healing was, after all, a tall order for a Dark Witch or Wizard. Wishing to keep her extended family safe, she became an unmarked Death Eater. She dropped as much information to the Order as she safely could, but the spy in the Order did just as much damage. She went to Azkaban for the Deaths of Alice and Frank Longbottom, whom she killed to spare them the same fate of the two people currently sitting in St. Mungos here, a fate given to them by the people she was forced to follow around." Dora stared at her as Hazel continued, the reality of her words sinking in. Hazel's Godmother taught her how to kill. Not with hate but with love. With mercy. "In my third year, her mad cousin escaped his cell and she followed him. They both found me in Surrey and she leapt onto me in her animagus form. She went by Whiskers but I called her Isabella. Kept the black cat with me all year long until her mad cousin caught me." Dora noticed Hazel starting to physically shake and she sat down beside her, hugging her.
Hazel cried. "He kept me under the Cruciatus for so long that I wanted it to be over. The Dementors that had tormented me all year decided to finish me then. I would have been a lifeless husk if she hadn't saved me. She swore to protect me as she should have done. As my birth mother had asked of her when she swore to be my Godmother. From that day till June 21st 1996, she was my best friend, my guardian, my everything." Hazel tossed the bottle against the gravestone, the glass shattering on impact. Hazel's shudder grew worse as the spilled liquid ran down the white headstone and seeped into the ground. "Voldemort used my love for her to get me into the Ministry and to catch me in an ambush, and she came to save me from my own stupidity." Hazel started shaking uncontrollably. "She swore she would adopt me as soon as her case was reviewed under Veritaserum. That I would be her daughter! For years I dreamt of her becoming my mom! But she died protecting me. Sirius Black took her from me!"
Pulling Hazel into her chest, Dora's thoughts were in absolute chaos as the images of the two worlds that were so at odds with each other fought for dominance. Hazel hiccupped against her. "Sirius was the traitor in our world. He was driven mad by Walburga as she tore into him for breaking tradition. She kept him under the Cruciatus curse for far too long, doing gods knows what to his head. He signed up as a spy for the Death Eaters without a second thought as soon as he could. When the Potter's made him Secret Keeper, the bastard ran straight to his Dark Lord. He took my parents from me. He then took my mother from me! He took everything from me!" Dora held Hazel to her, her chest growing damp. She looked at the headstone and understood why this was hurting Hazel so much. There was no Bellatrix Black in this world. Lestrange's mad rambling in front of the Wizengamot Court was legendary. She was the monster that haunted Dora's dreams since she was eleven years old.
Dora rubbed Hazel's back, her thoughts swirling on her partner's grief. Teddy got to meet her, a version of the mother he never knew. He now knew a version of his grandfather too. But Hazel didn't get that mercy. Bellatrix Black only existed in her own memories and on the carved gravestone before them. A witch that meant everything to Hazel, whom she would never get to see again. She could never exist in this world. Instead there was only Lestrange and her madness. The man Hazel hated with all her heart, the one who took her family from her twice over: his face was the same as that of their Sirius. Dora felt her heart ache at the cruelty of fate. Hazel came to this world looking to give her son a better life. She did that, only now that life was tearing her apart. Dora lowered Hazel onto her lap as she felt her girlfriend fall asleep, from the exhaustion of bearing out her deepest pain and from the alcohol. Caressing Hazel's hair absentmindedly, Dora turned to the headstone, tears falling from her eyes. "I wish I could have met you. Because your girl has become a big part of my life. An irreplaceable part of it. I can only imagine how much of what you taught her she has taught me."
A gust of wind whipped Dora's hair into her eyes as she pulled out her portkey. She took one last look at the headstone. For the longest time she was filled with fear of a woman whose very appearance and madness ruined her life as a teen. She had hated that woman's name so much. Yet here was proof that there could have been more to Bellatrix. Hazel was the living proof that there could have been a caring aunt beneath the evil that now existed. Dora looked down at her partner's tear covered face. For the longest time she had felt that Hazel was keeping something from her. Something important. Now she knew what it was. Her partner kept everything bottled inside, waiting for Dora to be ready. For she herself to be ready to share it. Dora realized now what she knew all along. She loved this woman from another world. Taking a moment to memorize every detail on the gravestone, Dora spoke up. "Thank you, for teaching her, caring for her and saving her. For giving her the love she desperately needed. Without you, I would never have met her. I … would never have fallen in love with her. So please, watch over us. Please, help me care for her in your stead." The wind filled with a warmth Dora could not explain before she activated the portkey, dragging both of them back to Hogsmeade, the words on the gravestone now etched into her heart.
Bellatrix "Isabella" Black
November 2nd 1959
-
June 21st 1996
Marauder, Sister, Aunt
and Beloved Godmother
The Brightest Star in a Sea of Black,
An Eternal Light in the Void of a Dead World
-∞-
Hazel stirred awake, the warmth of a blanket wrapped around her body being too much for her current state. She kicked the blankets off the bed and stretched out. She frowned. She knew she was at Hogwarts, she could feel the familiar hum of the wards. She also had trouble remembering how she got here. She also happened to be wearing underwear, which was odd. She only wore it to bed when she could feel Teddy would be coming over. A door opened and a robed Dora came out, her hands rubbing a towel into her currently short pink hair. Beautiful purple eyes focused on her and Hazel's body felt like it was overheating. Dora folded the towel in her hands. "Oh, I sorta expected you to be out till tomorrow. You went through half a bottle of firewhiskey and fell asleep." Hazel blushed, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "I probably would have if I drank the rest. I usually finish it. Guess I talked too much and the whiskey took me out before I could." Dora hummed as she sat down besides Hazel. A cool forehead pressed into hers. "You didn't want to share that part of yourself with me for so long because of my issues with Lestrange, didn't you?"
Fidgeting a little, Hazel nodded, at least as much as she could. "When Dromeda said you hated looking like your aunt Bellatrix, I knew you wouldn't want to hear about Bella. To me they aren't the same. Not really. Still felt like you wouldn't like it. So I waited." Dora pulled back and kissed Hazel on the head, making Hazel's mind misfire. "Thank you. I think… I think you were right in waiting. I got to hear more about your godmother, enough to sort of know her before I knew her name. She sounded like an incredible woman." Hazel smiled. "She was." Dora pulled back. "You want to shower?" Hazel shook her head. "Low metabolism here. I am still buzzed and I really don't want to have a cold shower while partly drunk. I'll still go for the toilet though." Hazel made a hasty walk to the bathroom as Dora finished drying her neck and face. She picked up the blankets from the floor and placed them back on the bed before Hazel returned. Dora barely had a moment to look before warm lips pressed into hers. She groaned a bit before Hazel pulled away and Dora stared into glowing green eyes. "Are we… ok?" Dora smiled. "We are, Partner. I told you, I am not leaving you." Hazel searched eyes for a second. "I feel like I heard something. Something that was very important. I have a hard time deciding whether I heard it for real or if it was a dream."
Dora blushed. "I might have said something meaningful." Hazel pouted. "Not willing to repeat it when I am wide awake?" Dora hummed as she sat on the bed. "Nope. Not telling." Hazel raised an eyebrow before locking the room tightly with wards. Dora swallowed as Hazel stared at her. "Are you absolutely sure you don't want to say it?" Dora reached up and held Hazel's face. "Say what?" Hazel's eye twitched and Dora leaned forward. "Oh, did you want me to say "I love you."" Dora blinked as Hazel's eyes and hair seemed to shift repeatedly before her hair looked black for a second, before fading to white. "Do you mean it?" Dora felt her heartache at the tone Hazel used, as if she was afraid of the answer. Dora leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss. "Yes Hazel. I meant it. I love you." Tears started falling from Hazel's eyes as she kissed Dora back. "And I love you, Nymphadora." Dora found herself on the bed, her limbs entangled with Hazel's as the two kissed well into the night before falling asleep peacefully. No nightmares or memories visited Hazel that night.
Notes:
So, how was it?
Next Chapter?: Rebuilding what was left behind
Just finished another chapter and went through lots of editing following the one posted here. The next chapter I will be writing will be the final major plot thread being tied, before we start building the Epilogue in it's entirity. All the while my Muse keeps building my next project in my head. She is mean that way. The next chapters are more character centric, before we start Year 4. Hope you are all looking forward to it.
Leave a comment, discuss and see you all in three days.
Chapter 36: Recovering the PastNotes:
Here is the next chapter. Hope you all like it.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Teddy nudged Harry's shoulder. "It's ok, Harry. Relax." Harry took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Ever since the Daily Prophet announced his Godfather as innocent, he knew he would be meeting him soon. Andromeda had even asked him if he wanted to wait to meet him later and he had been warmed by her concern. At Hogwarts he had been so comfortable with the thought but the moment he got on the train, his nerves started acting up. The hug he got from Ted and Andromeda at the station had been great and they waited patiently as he said goodbye to all his friends. Mrs. Weasley's disdainful looks towards Andromeda and Hazel made him a bit mad, as if she didn't trust them. Hazel's own absence from the meeting was also something that bothered him. His cousin and protector had been terrific the entire school year, always offering him advice, most of it when he asked. She genuinely cared about him, which made her absence all the more noticeable. At King's Cross she hugged him and wished him luck. Her words when he asked her if she was coming along struck him deeply.
"Harry. Nothing would make me happier than to see you reunite with someone far closer to your parents than the people you have already met, but I can't be there with you. Teddy has told you that I have problems. When I was your age, my own godmother came to take care of me. She did so for a few years before a man killed her, just before she could blood adopt me. She would have become my mother if the adoption had been carried out. That man has an eerie resemblance to Sirius, enough that my instincts are to try and hurt him. Your Godfather is an innocent man and doesn't deserve that and neither do you and Teddy. You have a chance to meet him and you deserve to do it without my personal issues getting in the way." She kissed his forehead. "Dora will be with you and you know Andromeda will always look after you. So relax and go meet the man." He nodded as she pulled Teddy into a hug and kissed him on the cheek. "You look after your cousin. I'll be at work keeping busy and then I will be making dinner. You and Dora make sure you work up an appetite. I plan to spoil you both."
Shaking his head, Harry followed Andromeda to the front door of her family's home before she opened it for him. As soon as he was in he heard a man take a deep breath. "You look so much like your father at your age. A bit uncanny." The man stood from the sofa and Harry got a good look at him. His face was still a bit thin from lack of food and there were bags under his eyes, but he certainly looked like he was getting better than from what he saw of him in the Prophet. His long mane of hair was certainly better maintained. The man knelt down and looked up at him. He smiled as he pointed at Harry's eyes. "These are very much your mother's, though. James fell in love with them in his first year, not that he knew what to do about it. Practically drove his mother Dorea up the walls with his ungentlemanly behaviour." Sirius stood up and bowed a bit. "I am happy we get to see each other, Harry. Sirius Black, Marauder, lady's man and former Auror, at your service." Teddy giggled. "I think a certain redhead might find one of those statements of concern." Sirius looked at Teddy and frowned. He looked between the two boys. "Andi said you two looked alike. You must be Edward Peverell."
Teddy bowed his head a little, making Sirius groan. He turned to Andi. "You didn't." Andromeda shook her head. "Oh no, that's all on him. His grandmother taught him the ways of the old families and his mother, who ignores manners as much as my daughter, somehow managed to not break him out of it." Dora bristled. "Oi!" Sirius chuckled before he turned to Teddy. "Andi says I owe a lot to your mother, both with looking after Harry and for keeping me alive. She also told me that she isn't safe for me to be around right now." Teddy nodded. "Mom's a good person but you just remind her of someone who hurt her a lot. She's a Dark Witch too. She hasn't taught me curses but I know she can be scary when mad." Dora snorted. "Personally, I think she's scarier when she gets bored. She gets creative with her magic." The group settled into the house and Harry started to relax. Teddy himself seemed interested in getting to know Sirius and the man didn't disappoint, even if his jokes made everyone cringe. Sirius looked over and Harry. "Heard you did great on your scores. Trying to beat your mom's?" Harry shook his head. "No, but I am trying hard in all my classes."
Sirius chuckled. "Can't believe Moony actually got to be a teacher for Defence. Before the Order, his score wasn't the best in the subject. Not like me and your Dad. Lily had some trouble with the course too in later years, but she got the hang of it. That woman was downright terrifying with a wand." Harry smiled. "Sounds like Hazel. She filled in for Remus on the days after the full moon. She was really good as a teacher and even got Hermione to pay a bit more attention in class. She doesn't like Defence though, even though she could probably beat all the professors at it. She beat Flitwick with only OWL level spells." Sirius blinked at him. "Huh, sounds like I got lucky she didn't curse me." Dora, seated on a sofa a short distance away, shuddered. "Trust me, you were. At work she's a lot more for instant takedown. With you, she would have taken her time. Our Instructor usually left the training room bleeding most of the time when he sparred with her. Not that the bastard ever showed it bothered him much." The conversation became lighter and Dora and Teddy excused themselves as they went back to their home with Hazel. Harry waved them goodbye as they apparated away before getting back inside. The Tonks' house was surprisingly lively for the next few days. He didn't mind, yet for some reason he felt odd. As if there was something missing. It wasn't until the Peverells visited again that the feeling faded away.
-∞-
Shots rang out in rapid succession as the target took hit after hit in its center of mass before Hazel was forced to change the magazine. This was repeated several times until Hazel stopped one bullet short, leaving the last one in her mag. She took off her safety glasses and ear protection, as it was better than using the charms Quetz taught her, especially when in a crowded environment. She eyed the bullet still in its casing after pulling it free from the mag and a chuckle made her look up. "I am getting the distinct impression you are considering what it would take to conjure a fully functional bullet." Hazel nodded as Horatio came over. "The lead core, copper casing and the shell cartridge are all relatively easy to imagine, though getting the size to be exact will take loads of practice. Getting the primer and the gunpowder under the right pressure and mixture is the hard part. Think Quetz will be mad at me for thinking about taking another job away from her?" Horatio shook his head in mirth. "So long as it gets you and your partner home, she will probably forgive you. Eventually." Horatio looked at the target down the range. "You are getting better at it. MI5 will be quite happy. You get that trick down, they might try and offer you a job themselves. MI6 too." Hazel shook her head as she pocketed the bullet and a spent cartridge before she went to refill her rounds from Quetz' Ammo Locker.
Finishing up with storing her firearms safely in her expanded bag, Hazel turned to Horatio. "You know of the plan for the coming year?" Horatio nodded. "After the Williamson debacle, I had Croaker run all his plans and possible missions by me first." Hazel hummed and the two walked the corridors towards the Training Room. "And you are sure about it?" Horatio eyed her. "Worried about your partner's role in it?" Hazel nodded. "I know she is capable, but this is a long term mission. My charm will aid her immensely but I won't be able to back her up as much. I don't like that. I feel like I am failing her, letting her go out like that on her own." Horatio watched as Hazel pulled her jacket and bags off before she pulled out her gloves and arm guards. She turned to him. "Fancy a spar?" Horatio smiled and went to his locker. Once his own protective equipment was in place, the two started circling around each other, throwing test punches. "I can understand your concern. She's come back injured a lot after missions, while you have only had to deal with magical exhaustion. At the same time, she has been training with you every other day for the last year while you both guarded the castle."
Deflecting a jab and guarding from a punch to his face, Horatio retaliated. He smiled as Hazel mirrored his moves. Of all his trainees, she was becoming his favorite. Sure she was stubborn and bloodthirsty, but she took training, all training, seriously. He could also see why. Hazel was, after all, here at the DoM while her son and partner were meeting Sirius Black. The training kept her mind occupied from her problems. He could relate. A dodge of a sweeping kick and a block from a straight punch and Horatio retaliated with a flurry of punches. Hazel also had the habit of limiting the damage she took. While Nymphadora tended to guard and take the hits, Hazel always dodged and rolled around them, only taking a hit when a counter was a better option. His Operative took a few steps back and threw a few jabs and kicks experimentally before moving closer. "If you signed off on the mission, could I ask you to keep reevaluating her before it starts? I know she's improving but you have a better eye for it than me. You can also suggest areas of improvement. If I can't back her up in the mission, I at least want to push her training further."
The two exchanged punches and kicks, before Horatio took a far jump to avoid a sweep of his feet from Hazel. "Will do." The two continued on, with Horatio enjoying the fight more and more. Before Hazel would have been expending energy and trying to break through him. Now she was more reserved and controlled. He knew she would use a lot more strength and power in a real fight but seeing her have a better understanding of reducing her wasted excess movements was good. The fight ended in a draw after over an hour of trading blows. Horatio sat down with her as she dried the sweat from her body. "Have you settled on the new call signs?" Hazel nodded. "O1 and O2. If we ever get more members we might go with codenames but right now it's just us. Besides, I think we would both miss out on being R1 and R2." Horatio drank from a bottle of water and nodded. "I'll update the comms listing. Word is that the Dark Witches and Wizards are looking to regroup, now that the Dementors and Aurors are off the streets. We are hoping things stay quiet but while the mission is on, you might get called out on solo missions with Auror or Non-Magical backup. Are you up for that?" Hazel finished her drink of water and smiled. "Just get rules on lethal and non-lethal engagements set with them beforehand and I will get the job done." Horatio chuckled. Some bad habits didn't seem to be going away.
-∞-
"Dumbledore didn't want you to stay on right away as Defence Professor?" Remus shook his head as the two Marauders walked down a sidewalk beside a city street in Muggle London. "Word was definitely leaked by students of my condition, even though nothing ever happened. The Board even received a report from Hazel about my containment, which had actually gone quite well, as well as the report on the destruction of the cursed object that caused the Defence Professors to suffer in the job. The Board was quite pleased with that last part and they agreed to send a thank you to Hazel through Amelia. Despite my condition, there were some requests to keep me in the position and Dumbledore didn't seem entirely against it but he decided to keep his options open." Sirius sighed and looked ahead. "Andromeda filled me in on almost everything. She mentioned she also knew some classified information she can't share with me currently. But the incident around Harry's custody and Dumbledore breaking the law, not to mention his inaction after my arrest and the sudden change of the law after. None of that is painting a pretty picture, Moony." Remus sighed and looked at Sirius. "Alone, maybe it could be dismissed, but yeah. Everything that happened needed to have Dumbledore's support and it did."
Sirius turned to his old friend, the last of the Marauders. "So, we fall back on the old rule?" Moony blinked at him in thought. "Always blame Snape?" Sirius barked out a laugh. "Not that one. The first one, fur for brains." Moony thought for a second and nodded. "Marauders first?" Sirius nodded. "Marauders first." He took a look to the left and sighed. "We are here." Remus looked up at the old apartment building complex. It looked weathered and dark, as if the soot from the smokestacks from the last century was still covering its walls. "Cheery place for a townhouse." Sirius chuckled. "Might have been once. At least before my mother got to run the place. Let's see what she left of it." The two men walked up the stairs of Number 12 Grimmauld Place and Sirius gripped the door with the hand that a certain ring now rested on. It took a bit of paperwork and two week of talks with the Mind Healers before he agreed to take on his Grandfather's ring. The Goblins had been ecstatic to have one of the oldest and largest accounts in Gringotts active again. He had pulled out of a list of investments made to the more Traditionalist sectors of Wizarding Britain and was in talks about seeking reparations from his extended family. For now though, he had a house to deal with.
The wards, recognizing his blood and the ring, granted him passage and control over the building. The door unlocked itself and he was able to push it aside. The two men entered and stared at a painting on the wall. Or more precisely a torched frame of a painting. Remus came up close to it with his wand out, casting a diagnostic. "Cursed fire. Burned the canvas clean off." Sirius stared at it and sighed. He knew who had the answers he needed. "Kreacher." The sound of an apparition pop echoed in the room and Sirius stared at the old elf, its eyes looking at him carefully. "The Heir has claimed the ring, as the scary witch said he would. Will the new Lord Black honor his family? Will he restore the House of Black and bury its lost son?" Sirius frowned "Bury who?" Kreacher's eyes grew watery. "Master Regulus. Scary witch walked through the wards and summoned Kreacher. Asked about Master Regulus and about Bellatrix Black, as well as the location of the Black Cemetery. Kreacher told the witch as she carried a Black Ring, though she refused to wear it. Kreacher showed the witch where Master Regulus died. Witch torched the creatures that killed Master Regulus and retrieved his body."
Sirius felt his heart ache at the memory of his brother. "Kreacher, what became of my brother Regulus before he died." He was glad that Moony was there as Kreacher told of Voldemort using him to store an item in the cave full of Inferi. How his brother turned away from the Dark Lord and sought to acquire and destroy the item but died as he sent Kreacher away with it. Moony held Sirius as he sobbed before looking at Kreacher. "What became of the item he entrusted to you, Kreacher? And why is there a torched painting on the wall?" Kreacher looked a bit ashamed after the last comment. "Scary witch asked for it, claiming she would see it destroyed but that it had to wait. The Dark Lord made others and they needed to be found. Mistress spoke ill of those who would dare go against the Dark Lord. The scary witch challenged Mistress, asking her where her loyalties lied. Mistress spoke of the Dark Lord and the restoration of the House of Black. Scary witch was not happy, claiming the Mistress betrayed the Noble and Ancient House by acting against Lord Black and the Line of Succession. Mistress screamed but the witch lit a black flame onto the painting. Mistress is no more."
Recovering from hearing about his brother's death, Sirius looked at Kreacher. "Kreacher, what did the scary witch look like and whose ring did she carry?" Kreacher tugged his hands nervously. "Lord Black must not hunt her. Scary witch smells of death. Black wards most Ancient yielded to her, without the ring." Sirius stared at the elf, stunned. To cross the Wardline of an Ancient Family's house without destroying it first was unheard of. He sighed. "I promise not to hunt her, Kreacher. I only wish to know what she looked like and who the ring belonged to." Kreacher thought for a second, measuring the truth of his words. "Scary witch wore blackish green snake hide clothes. Her hair was white with traces of black. Her eyes were green until the Mistress angered her. They were red then. The ring she carried made no sense. It was of Bellatrix Black, yet not. Mistress Bellatrix's ring was destroyed upon her marriage. Kreacher remembers it being destroyed. Scary witch said she was an ally of the True House Black, the one of the Old Guard. That the rightful Heir would one day claim the ring and return to Grimmauld as Lord Black." Sirius was silent for a moment before he nodded. "Thank you, Kreacher. See if you can clean the master bedroom and the rest and move out the old clothes to be sorted through later. I will take Regulus to Castle Black soon."
Kreacher smiled and nodded. "Regulus to be buried with the Lords and Ladies. Master Regulus to be honored. Kreacher will serve Lord Black as he restores the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black." The elf popped away and Remus turned to Sirius. "That description matches Hazel Peverell. Why would she let herself be seen if she could clearly sneak inside? And what the hell is she doing with your deranged cousin's ring?" Sirius shook his head. "The rings of the daughters of House Black are destroyed when they are married. Bellatrix hasn't been divorced and has no reason for the ring to exist. I have no clue where Peverell got that ring from. As for Peverell letting herself be seen, she clearly needed Kreacher's aid. That she asked about the things she did is odd. I will ask Andromeda when I see her next." Remus nodded but frowned. "What did he mean by the Old Guard?" Sirius looked at the burned painting. "An old story about our family. It tied us with other houses in an Alliance that saw the formation of the Wizard's Council, before the Wizengamot. Oaths were given binding families to old duties. The Peverells were amongst them, as were the Blacks, the Bones and the Longbottoms. Wonder if this has something to do with the Coalition Andromeda mentioned."
Remus hummed. "That Coalition has been gaining a lot of ground. Abbotts, Bones, Greengrass, Davis, Longbottom, Peverell and several others have been voting as a bloc. Dumbledore has been concerned about them growing strong enough to block legislation, which they have with the support of smaller houses. They have a strong interest in the school and strengthening law enforcement. Been blocking Malfoy since the moment Ted took the Peverell Proxy." Sirius looked at Remus who blushed. "Dumbledore was talkative and the Prophet's been running stories on them, usually around the Wizengamot meetings." Sirius chuckled. "Well, looks like I have a lot to work with Ted and Andromeda. They trust Hazel with Nymphadora and they dote on Teddy like part of the family, so I will trust her to know what she is doing with that thing she took from Voldemort." Remus nodded. "We should probably not mention it to Dumbledore." Sirius opened the sliding door that led to the dining room table. "Good. In the meantime, let's see how much of this place we can clean. I will be looking in the Lord's study before taking Regulus to the Castle. Gods, I need to figure out who to tell about his death." Remus chuckled. "More like who not to tell." Sirius drew the wand he got from Ollivander, it's magic better suited to him than he ever expected from a replacement wand. "Exactly."
-∞-
Harry felt soft arms holding him up as he stumbled with the portkey. "Magical Travel hates me." Hazel chuckled as she steadied him. "Trust me, it sucks for the most part for everyone. They just hide it better. Dora here would be worse if I didn't give her a hand." Dora huffed. "Oi! I have gotten better. I haven't landed on my ass in over a year!" Harry chuckled as he and Teddy turned to the large iron gates. Harry's eyes took in the old stone structure behind it. "My home?" Hazel touched his shoulder. "Your Grandfather's. James grew up here but he moved out after marrying Lily. The deaths of Charlus and Dorea Potter did a number on him and he stayed clear of the old house." Harry nodded and felt Teddy press into his shoulder for support. He turned to Hazel. "It was your family's Ancestral Home too, once upon a time." Hazel nodded but squeezed his shoulder gently. "It was, but it's yours now, Harry. This is your legacy, not ours. Teddy and I are happy to lay down our own foundations elsewhere. There are a few large plots of land nearby so you might get us as neighbors, at least." Seeing Teddy nod in agreement, Harry moved forward with a key in his hand. He still had to wait a year for his Heir Ring, but the Goblins gave the key to the property easily enough after the full and updated will was read.
The reading of said will caused quite a bit of a storm for Albus Dumbledore. The will named Peter as the Secret Keeper and charged him with treason if any harm came to the family. It also listed Sirius Black as the Primary Guardian for Harry Potter, with the Tonks family third after the Longbottoms, though Sirius' current state prevents him from exercising that responsibility. A full list of Death Eaters and Sympathizers were blacklisted for custody, including the Malfoys. The clause that read that the Dursleys were also banned from having custody of the boy only made matters worse for the old man. He tried to defend his actions as necessary, with the wards needing a blood relation of Lily Evans to sustain the protection. When it was announced that said wards had been successfully transplanted to the Tonks wardscheme, he looked utterly stunned, though she was disappointed that the Assembly didn't do more than reprimand him. Hazel had made her first and only appearance so far as the Head of the Ancient House of Peverell. She made it quite clear that she was letting her Proxy handle the Wizengamot duties. She had also made it clear that any betrothal contracts, requests for Alliances and threats would be promptly ignored or responded to accordingly. She had no tolerance for politics. She had been to that session as support for Harry, nothing more. The kid deserved it after she bailed out on him from meeting Sirius.
Which was why she was here now and not Sirius. The old mutt would have had his own memories of the place but Harry needed to see it with fresh eyes. The boy brought the key forward and pushed it into the lock. The air bristled as the wards granted them all entry, both Teddy and Hazel feeling them welcoming them in as well. Harry and Teddy looked with wonder at the gardens to both sides, the fountains silent and the hedges, trimmed yet looking dull, the effects of a stasis ward collapsing. Hazel's eyes, though, saw something more. She saw the burned and dead hedges, the destroyed fountains and the smashed glass. The Potter Manor here was the same as the one in her world, only different in the regard of when she arrived to see it. Bella had kept her safe in the summer of her fifth year and Hazel barricaded herself in Grimmauld for the sixth after her Godmother's death. Dumbledore's club had forced her to return to Privet Drive on the seventh summer before Hogwarts after Dumbledore had been killed, despite there being no true blood wards there. She had forced the two companions hoisted onto her to go to her home. It had been too late. The wards needed to have been recharged by her as soon as her 17th birthday, but the redirected mail, the manhunts and the isolation forced onto her had done its job. Potter Manor had been destroyed and she had been none the wiser until just after the spring of 98. She eventually knew Dumbledore had planned that to happen. What better way to secure a martyr's death than to destroy any place she could call home. Had Teddy not been her godchild, he might have succeeded.
The doors of the Manor opened slowly and a soft pop echoed out from the entrance. An elf that looked older than Kreacher gazed at the new arrivals. His eyes had trouble picking who to focus on until he caught Harry's eyes. He gave the boy a soft smile. "Master Harry has returned home at last. I am Pauly, sir. The last of the Potter elves. It is good to see you again. The Lord and Lady were quite fond of your visits." Harry blushed. "Thank you, Pauly. We are here to check the Manor and strengthen the wards. I… would like to call this place home one day." Pauly nodded. "Pauly would be glad to take you to the wardstone. Sadly, the Manor is not very clean. Pauly is not as spry as he used to be." Hazel looked through the opening and noticed the thick layer of duet just beyond the door. "Dobby." Dobby apparated in and his eyes darted over the Manor interior. "Oh no, Potter Manor needs a lot of work. Dobby knows not where to begin." Hazel gestured with her head. "Dobby, this Pauly, your elder and the keeper of the Manor. Act in his stead and let him show you what it means to be an elf of the House of Potter. He has waited a long time for a Potter to return home." Dobby nodded happily and the two elves whispered to each other before Dobby started cleaning a path out of the main foyer.
Pauly turned to Harry. "Follow Dobby to the wardstone, Master Harry." Harry and Teddy looked around as the floor and walls were magically stripped away of dirt before them, with Dora following them, though she kept some distance back in case Hazel needed her. Pauly turned to Hazel, his eyes searching hers. "You are a Potter." Hazel raised her finger to her lips and pointed to Harry. "The boy is the rightful Heir. Magic brought me and my son here to this world. We are Peverells now, guiding young Harry to his rightful place, one others would see abandoned for their own plans. Dobby is a Potter elf through me." Pauly nodded, sensing the truth of her words. "Then welcome home as well, Mistress Peverell." Hazel shook her head. "We gave this home to the Potters. It is Harry's home. The Peverells will rebuild elsewhere." Pauly nodded and Hazel reached down and touched his head. " Restore to him what time has taken, so that he may fulfill his final duty to his family. " Pauly stared wide eyed as magic spread through him. Though he didn't seem any younger, his eyes shined a bit more brightly. "Mistress be quite kind, to show such honor to an old elf."
Hazel shook her head. "I was betrayed and my home destroyed. Two elves gave their lives protecting what should have been my future, and more likely did as well. I learned a bit of the Olde Ways in a bid to save my son. It seemed only fair, in recompense for my own failures in my world, to aid you and Harry here." The elf bowed. "As Pauly said, Mistress is kind. Pauly will serve Master Harry and teach Dobby to be Potter Family Elf." The elf popped away a bit more loudly than before as Hazel followed after the others, letting her magic reach out into the structure. Like with the Hallows, there was nothing here resembling Family Magic, though the wards clearly recognized her as a Potter, meaning they were probably Blood Wards, left behind by the Peverells to secure the old Estate to the Potter descendants. "A lot to take in?" Hazel nodded at Dora's question. "I walked through similar halls once, torched by Fiendfyre and ruined beyond repair." Dora wrapped her hand around Hazel's waist. "But not here. Because of you. Harry gets to rebuild his family. Mom does too. And you are planning to set roots nearby. You have nothing to be sad about." Hazel kissed Dora's cheek. "No, I don't. Not right now."
Finding the kids looking over the wardstone, with both Harry and Teddy trying to decipher it, Hazel walked into the room. "Have you decided?" Harry looked at Teddy who nodded at him before he looked at Hazel. "Would you hold control of the wards for me?" Hazel looked between the two kids. "I am sensing a conspiracy here." Teddy shook his head and Harry looked at her pleadingly. "You've been helping me discover my family's legacy and have been protecting me since I stepped into the magical world. While Sirius is technically my Godfather, I think the wards would be safer with you. Will you take them until I am ready?" Hazel rubbed her eyes, and threw a weak stinging hex at Dora for smirking knowingly. "Alright, Harry. I will hold control of the wards for now, but you just signed up for a wards course with me. I have been learning Rune based warding on my own with Teddy and if you are going to entrust this to me, I will make sure you know it too. Teddy, your Runes homework just got doubled too." Teddy hugged Hazel. "It's worth it." Hazel rubbed his hair and moved towards the wardstone, drawing out her Blood Magic knife. She handed it to Harry. "You need to claim them first then pass them to me. These are the words to use."
Dora sat back and watched as Pauly stood a bit straighter as soon as the wards settled onto Hazel. "Oh, Mistress Peverell indeed." Dora looked towards the elder elf. "What do you mean?" The old elf looked at her and smiled. "Story of old Peverell Elves who accompanied Iolanthe Potter into the new family. Magic most Ancient laid buried within the Peverell blood, an old oath left unfulfilled by those that came before." Pauly looked to Hazel who was reading from her warding journal as she adjusted the wards for greater protection and concealment. "Mistress Peverell has fulfilled that oath. It gives her strength where magic would fail others." Pauly turned to Nymphadora. "You are her consort, yes? Care for Mistress Peverell deeply. Pauly sees the injuries she carries now. Many injuries. Many are healing, but a few will linger. Mistress Peverell needs you, even as the burden she carries is hers alone." Dora turned to Hazel as she explained the changes she has made to the wards to Harry and Teddy, both seeing the runes shift on the wardstone, wonder and curiosity on their faces. She smiled. "She won't carry it alone. She is my partner." Hazel's eyes met Dora's and she gave her girlfriend a bright smile. Hazel's responding smile warmed her heart. Dora couldn't wait for them to go on vacation soon.
-∞-
Sirius shook his hand as Ted Tonks dropped another paper on the table in front of him. The two had a lot of paperwork to go over and the dining room table of the Tonks residence was almost covered completely in stacks. "There is no end to them." Ted chuckled. "Well, you missed out on years of paperwork and Arcturus probably stopped as he grew too ill to manage it. How was Castle Black?" Sirius sighed as he looked over the latest document before signing it. "Surprisingly habitable. Arcturus' elf buried Grandfather in the Mausoleum before it too passed on, but the stasis wards on the castle held well. Kreacher has been clearing up Grimmauld for the most part, but I assigned him to manage the Mausoleum for the burial. The elf really did love my brother. He's been quite cooperative after I gave him that duty." Ted nodded, but looked at Sirius with concern. "Sorry we couldn't get much out of Hazel Peverell about her visit to Grimmauld. Dora knows why she asked about Bellatrix and the Black Cemetery and is working on getting Hazel to share it with Andromeda but it's a delicate process. Hazel is distantly related to the Blacks and is protective about the people who raised her. And no, she wasn't raised by Lestrange, despite her proficiency with Unforgivables and the ring she carried." Sirius took the next paper and started reading it. "Well, that's a relief. Heard she took Harry to see Potter Manor. How did he take it?"
Ted shrugged. "Surprisingly well. Pauly had been doing his best with the magic he got from the wardstone. With the Manor's magical ties restored, he and Dobby are clearing the place up. Since Harry is technically a Black too, you could ask him for Dobby to help Kreacher out, after the Manor is back in proper form. They are keeping most of the stuff as is, in case there are old clothes or mementos there that you would like to retrieve." Sirius smiled softly. He had loved living with Dorea and Charlus. They took him in without a second thought the moment he ran away from home. "I'll thank them later for that. Gods, seeing James' old room will be a hell of a trip." Ted gave him his next stack of papers as organized all the signed ones. "I hope this is not an imposition. You are the Peverell Proxy after all." Ted shrugged. "Hazel isn't very trusting with much of the Peverell papers. We get together a bit prior to a Wizengamot Session, discuss the active bills, her stances and what she would like me to question and that's it. She has another legal team handle much of her paperwork, which was almost non-existent. No land taxes, no investments and no contracts to look over from her predecessor." Sirius was about to comment when he heard the doorbell. Ted stood up. "I'll go see who it is."
Sirius signed a few more documents before Ted cleared his throat. "You have a visitor." He looked up and felt his heart warm. "Gods you are still beautiful." Ted made a hasty retreat as Amelia raised an eyebrow. "Really? Young Edward Peverell said you called yourself a ladies' man. Should I be concerned if you are saying similar words to other ladies?" Sirius swallowed. "Ahh. Wasn't aware you were acquainted." Amelia smirked. "The young man is with my niece in Hufflepuff. She has taken him under her wing, at least until she decides to tease the boy." Amelia looked over the stacks of documents. "I can see that paperwork still keeps you busy. I remember the massive stacks Moody made you fill out, especially when you went out halfcocked looking for trouble." Sirius blushed. "How is the old walking sack of paranoia?" Amelia chuckled. "Quite well actually. The last batch of Cadets did rather well in the field and the Dark Witches and Wizards are keeping quiet. He's practically going stir crazy. Dumbledore called him up to the castle a few times." Sirius groaned. "Tell me he isn't the next Defence Professor." Amelia shook her head. "Not yet but Albus is trying to convince him. He has some assignments lined up so he can't accept just yet."
The two went uncomfortably quiet for a bit. Sirius decided to just get it out in the open. "And… how are we, Amy?" Amelia walked up to him and she lifted up her right hand, showing him a familiar engagement ring. He watched as she took it off. "I never wore this while at work. I… had a hard time dealing with everything, Sirius. You were sent to Azkaban, my entire family got slaughtered and I had a one year old niece that needed me. I couldn't think clearly. I left the Aurors for a year and in that time you got shipped off to Azkaban. I didn't know what to believe." Amelia gripped the engagement ring tightly. "But I couldn't part with it. And I never went out with anyone else." She walked up and lifted his hand before dropping the ring in it. "But we aren't the same people anymore, Sirius." Sirius gripped the ring tightly. "No, we aren't. But… I still wish to try. I want to get to know you again, Amy." Amelia smiled. "I would like that." She reached up and kissed him softly. She pulled back and made a face. "But you are going to have to trim your moustache a bit more. You are a bit scruffier. Then again, I hear you're a dog now. Do I need to get a doggy bed for my guest room?" Sirius laughed loudly as Andromeda and Ted watched on, smiling at each other. Their family was finally coming back together.
Notes:
So, how was it? We are slowly getting to the beginning of Year 4. For now, as Harry is getting a full summer with the Peverell and Tonks families, it felt right to spend more time with them. Especially as he comes to terms with what he is feeling, same as Hazel. Also, beware a Conjurer left to think when bored or you get people like Hazel who see a new way to make others regret giving them new skills.
Next Chapter?: Summer Vacation!
Had a productive couple of days, though one scene had to be written out of order because the Muse threated me to take the inspiration away. Hoping to stay productive these next few days, though the heat is bloody unbearable. For now, I am very happy as the last threads are almost completely tied. Hope you all enjoy the next few chapters before we get back into the action.
Leave a comment, discuss and see you all in three days.