Chapter 5
Albus had rendered himself invisible as he silently sneaked through the ministry, he had considered using the Potter invisibility cloak but had rejected that idea. He settled instead for a powerful disillusionment charm. It was three a.m. yet the graveyard shift appeared to be anything but dull this morning, aurors were everywhere as Barty must have called the entire corps in for this. He supposed it made sense to arrest as many suspected death eaters as possible before the word broke and people had time to flee. Albus would have his work cut out curtailing Barty from having them all kissed, the man had no forgiveness in him whatsoever. His only son being a case in point, Dumbledore just couldn't see the hypocrisy in that thought. When it was his glowing reputation that was threatened, he was about to commit pre-meditated murder on someone he cared deeply for so they couldn't be questioned under truth serum. He was Albus Dumbledore thought so that made him, and of course his deeds correct.
Four aurors were in the process of dragging Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy in the direction of the holding cells, a female officer followed on behind carrying their still sleeping son. Someone must have cast a spell on the toddler because his parents were making enough noise to wake the dead. These conditions were as good as the old wizard was going to get as all the attention was focused on the blond couple who were swearing to end multiple ministerial careers for this atrocity being carried out on them.
Even with the Malfoy soap opera paying out for everyone's entertainment, Albus still had a difficult and dangerous job on his hands. Barty had the prisoners well guarded and the cells were filling up, he would need to find Severus first before he could carry out his gruesome task and then escape unnoticed. This was not going to be the stroll in the park he imagined when he first contemplated this scenario.
His only option was to slowly and silently slightly open the small feeding hatch on each cell door without alerting the guards, this could easily take all night. The old wizard caught a major break though, the first opening he peered through had a wizard with long jet black hair lying on the cot with his back to Albus. He'd found Severus in the first cell. He carefully slipped his wand tip into the opening and fired the curse that would still his potion master's heart forever. He was certain he was successful but had no time for congratulating himself as an alarm sounded throughout the cell complex.
Albus didn't know if the alarm had been triggered because his curse had been detected inside the cell or perhaps linked to Severus's health, what he did know was that he was in a lot of trouble and had to act fast. If they sealed the floor before he could escape then he was done for. Albus used the imperius curse on the nearest auror and commanded him to start firing stunners at his fellow auror guards. The ensuing battle may have been short and distinctly one sided but the ruse accomplished its aim, create confusion and allow Albus just enough time to slip past undetected before they sealed the complex. He was soon out of the ministry building and apparating back to Scotland, he'd more than earned his nightcap tonight.
He would also need a stiff one to console himself that Severus Snape was no more, he could now turn his mind to composing a fitting eulogy to the man who had made his old heart beat faster just by being in the same room.
-oOoOo-
Barty was furious when he was informed of the intrusion into his department, he was also pretty sure he could put a name to the intruder. He had administered a dreamless sleep potion to Victoria earlier and now was forced to leave Winky to look after her mistress while he headed for the ministry. The investigation had barely begun when they discovered their colleague had been under the imperius curse, unlike the people they'd been arresting all night, the auror's explanation was accepted as the truth. It had with hindsight been nothing more than a diversionary tactic to allow the perpetrator to escape, Barty was forced to admit a tactic that had worked brilliantly. It was a certainty that the intruder had carried out the deed while under an invisibility cloak or under a disillusionment charm.
The head of the DMLE would have given anything to have caught Dumbledore in the act, there were a few things that the sly old fox was aware of and Barty intended to use them to bring him down. The Lestrange brothers had both confirmed that Snape had provided the address of the Longbottoms, something that had Frank out for blood. He'd quickly rubbished any thoughts of Severus Snape being anywhere near their home, far less treating their son. Barty's plan was to have Dumbledore attempt to cover his arse with excuses before ensuring the old bastard got shafted. Publicly bringing down Dumbledore could be every bit as dangerous as rounding up the death eaters but he didn't care anymore.
Barty Crouch knew his wife was dying and had lost his son to death eaters and Dumbledore, he intended to dedicate his life to ensuring they all paid for their crimes. He intended to use the wizarding justice system to achieve that but, if he found himself thwarted, Barty would resort to other measures. He'd more than crossed a line by casting an unforgivable curse on his son and ordering him to kill himself, a bit of Barty died as well and he didn't really like the person who was left behind. When his wife eventually passed away, all he would have left was his determination to ensure these people suffered as he had. It wasn't much but it was all he had.
-oOoOo-
Walburga Black was a formidable lady with a thoroughly deserved reputation as a witch you crossed at your peril. The junior clerk left manning the ministry desk that included the child placement office on the graveyard shift never really stood a chance. It would be scant consolation to the young man but none of his superiors would have fared much better, he soldiered on gamely though.
"Madam Black, you must understand. I just can't hand over a child as if you were purchasing lunch at the Leaky Cauldron. There are procedures in place that must be followed and checks required to be made."
The old witch was relentless though, "Well, get on with it then! Follow your procedures and you will find that care of that boy will fall to me. I am the closest family he has left and I won't stand to see him spending any more time in this place than necessary."
The stressed clerk was left with no option but to search through the records, hoping for something that he could use to delay a decision until one of his superiors could deal with the terrifying old witch's demands in the morning. The toddler was clearly the last of the Malfoy line so no help there, the Black side of the family though threw up a couple of names that might provide at least a delay.
"The boy has an Aunt Andromeda whose claim on the child would be greater than yours."
Walburga immediately pissed all over that suggestion. "That bitch betrayed her family and was cast out. She married a muggleborn and they now live in the muggle world. This boy will be the head of the Malfoy and Black families, do you think for one instant I would stand back and watch a proud pureblood child being raised in the muggle world?"
Unfortunately the clerk had more bad news for her. "Madam Black, the official head of the Black family is your son Sirius Orion Black. He also has a stronger claim to raise the boy than you do."
Walburga's temper knew no bounds. "That's impossible! He was cast out of the family, I have no son."
The clerk didn't want to disagree with this crazy witch but was forced to. "Your husband filed the paperwork to make Regulus his heir but never filed any papers to remove Sirius from the family. Sirius Orion Black has been head of the Black family for almost two years, since both your husband and son died within months of each other."
She was beyond furious now. "Get me the necessary paperwork, I'll disinherit him right now! I will not have that mongrel as head of my family."
The clerk really didn't want to tell her the next bit but again was forced to by his job. "I'm sorry madam but you should know the Black family is patriarchal. No woman can assume head of it, therefore I am unable to grant your request. Your son is head of the Black family and there's nothing you or I can do about it. He also has a much stronger claim on the child of his cousin so any decision on the child's placement will have to be deferred until he's been consulted." The young clerk was feeling quite pleased with himself, not believing he could be in any danger in the middle of the ministry. "I'm very sorry you appear to have had a wasted journey and can only suggest you contact my superiors in the morning."
An ice cold expression had settled over Walburga's features which should have warned the young man that all was not well. "I shall be certain to tell them how much help you have been to me." Her wand flashed into her hand and the curse hit the unsuspecting clerk. "Imperio!"
The clerk was now bent to her will as she proceeded to give him instructions she wanted carried out without delay. Walburga was well aware Black family magic would prevent her from ordering the head of the family changed, she was gambling it wouldn't affect her claiming the boy. "You will complete the documents confirming me as Draco Malfoy's guardian until such time as his parents are once more able to undertake their responsibilities. I will then sign these papers and you will file the in the proper manner, now be quick about it. I am anxious to get the boy away from people who would prosecute purebloods for simply killing a few muggles for sport."
Walburga Black would ensure that Draco Malfoy was brought up to respect proper wizarding traditions, with the boy's bloodlines he could someday rule their world. It was also imperative that she visit Gringotts tomorrow. She desperately needed to discover why she could still live at Grimmaud Place with her disappointment of a son as head of the family. Was it possible he didn't know he was head of the Black Family? Walburga needed to discover some answers, and quickly.
-oOoOo-
That morning's edition of the Daily Prophet once more rocked their readers' worlds, this time for a totally different reason. News of the attack on the Longbottoms was being ruthlessly suppressed to give aurors as much time as possible to arrest any death eaters named. Since Severus Snape had narrowly escaped being hanged, Peter White had kept his word and led with Dumbledore's revelations. The headline terrified witches and wizards the length and breadth of the country, it also played directly into Barty Crouch's hands.
The Dark Lord – Gone for good or merely on vacation?
Yesterday the offices of the Daily Prophet were graced by a visit from our esteemed Chief Warlock and Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. The old wizard was concerned that this newspaper's stance on the death eaters could encourage vigilantes to seek their own form of justice and vengeance.
He also forcefully expressed his opinion that Voldemort may one day return. His reasoning behind this extraordinary claim was that the dark lord had undergone numerous dark rituals and, apparently, there are some that would protect him in this situation. Dumbledore also claimed that no body being found added credence to this opinion. Why the Chief Warlock chose to inform the Daily Prophet rather than the relevant department at the ministry is a mystery that only Albus Dumbledore knows the answer to.
The Daily Prophet also had trouble understanding his conclusion that the paper should lean more toward leniency for Voldemort's followers because of this. Let us state clearly here that would go against everything the Daily Prophet stands for.
We at the Daily Prophet think that the slightest possibility of the dark lord making a reappearance creates an immensely strong case for the ministry dealing with as many of his followers as possible, and quickly as the great Albus Dumbledore couldn't suggest a timetable for this event to take place. There should be no sympathy for these witches and wizards who proudly hid behind their death eater masks and their former master, only justice. They made their choice and now must pay, pay in ways they never thought possible.
Our country should not be found wanting again, it should also send the clearest signal possible to those that might be tempted to join this or any other aspiring dark lord what the cost they will pay is. As well as securing convicted death eaters in Azkaban for a long time, their vaults should also be emptied of gold. This windfall could then be used to fund the growth of our hard pressed auror force. Let's face facts here, the convicted death eaters won't be needing it where they are going and it also takes funding away from a returning Voldemort.
With all his followers safely locked away in Azkaban and their redistributed wealth beefing up the auror corps, a returning dark lord wouldn't be nearly as effective in his megalomaniacal crusade to have the entire world bow before him. Perhaps next time he could even be finished off for good? Rest assured, the Daily Prophet will keep its readers informed of any and all developments. We look forward to the Chief Warlock being questioned by his fellow members of the Wizengamot.
Barty Crouch couldn't help but think the fates were finally helping him, he expected the ministry to be again inundated with owls today. That he could honestly say that the ministry was actually doing what the vast majority of these owls were demanding should ease him into the vacant minister's chair when Bagnold retired in December. The current minister had decided to retire before Voldemort made that decision a permanent one, retired rather than deceased was what she was aiming for. Today's Prophet would ensure Millicent didn't consider changing her mind. The Daily Prophet had also changed dramatically since the demise of the dark lord, publically attacking death eaters last week would have seen the building burned to the ground with the staff locked inside. Their brave stance was making the entire wizarding community of Britain take a good look at themselves, something that boded well for their country.
The public backlash against Dumbledore would also set the old wizard up for the blows Barty intended to rain down upon him. He was heading to St. Mungo's to see if the Longbottoms were ready to travel to Hogwarts and confront the headmaster, Barty intended to invite himself along. He was going to make this phase one of his new bringing down Dumbledore strategy. The youth of Britain's magical world attended Hogwarts from the age of eleven to eighteen. They were there to be educated and return home as adult witches and wizards, not to be recruited by death eaters and branded like cattle. Barty would admit he failed his son but also felt there was enough blame to go around. If he became minister, he would ensure that Hogwarts actually met their duty of care. No parent should ever be put in the position that he was.
-oOoOo-
James was watching the little bodies entwined while sleeping and really couldn't help but smile, he was joined in the doorway by Lily carrying Neville. "I know they look cute but you were supposed to wake them, not stand there grinning like the village idiot. You know Harry can be a handful in the morning and takes time to wake up."
James could clearly hear the amusement in Lily's voice and knew he wasn't in any trouble, that was until he said the first thing that came into his head. "If you think he's a handful in the morning, wait until you try to separate those two!"
Lily's maternal instincts kicked in at once, "What do you mean? Is there something you're not telling me?"
James tried to explain his thoughts, "I know Harry is going to be a powerful wizard, from what you've told me Hermione is set to be a powerful witch too. I think their magic made a connection that morning in the waiting room. How else do you explain them being instantly so comfortable with each other?"
Lily was now staring at the two sleeping children with different eyes, "What does that mean or what do you think it will mean for them?"
"I think they will always be close, 'bestist' friends at the very least. That was one of the reasons I bought the house next to this one. I was pleased to see them both quite happily playing with Dudley and Neville as I was worried they could have ended up focusing on each other and ignoring everyone else. It's far too early to say yet but we could be looking at our future daughter-in-law lying there."
Lily was astonished at this news, she understood how unusual the events of that morning were but to go from that to marriage was quite a leap. "Are you sure and what do we do about it?"
"No I'm not sure and we do absolutely nothing! We just let nature and magic take their course and keep a close eye on them."
Lily nodded before asking her next question, "What do we say to Dan and Emma?"
James placed his arm around his wife, "At the moment, nothing. You've known about magic for ten years and still have trouble accepting what I'm saying, the Grangers haven't known about this for ten days. They're coping remarkably well but that might be a step too far at the moment. There's nothing to be gained from worrying them with this just now, let's leave it a while and see how the kids are."
"Should we be worried about this?"
Dan had a wide grin on his face now, "If our Harry eventually marries his childhood sweetheart, a girl we've watched growing up with him, I for one will be a very happy and proud parent!"
"Well I think the proud parent should get in there and wake them, Emma will have their breakfast ready shortly."
Emma was currently in the hall behind them. She was wondering what as keeping their guests this morning and had heard most of what had been said. She was annoyed that she and Dan weren't going to be told but then understood James's reasoning. They were still only toddlers and, from what she was hearing, even James wasn't sure about this. He wanted to let the kids grow without any interference in whatever their relationship was or would be, Emma was in complete agreement with that. If it did eventually lead to them spending their lives together then all four parents would have had many years to get to know their child's intended spouse. Emma found that idea quite appealing, she turned and left before any of the Potters spotted her there.
-oOoOo-
Albus had decided he would be spending most of today in his office, the Prophet article had seen to that. Perhaps he should pay Peter White another visit, show the man why Albus Dumbledore should not be ridiculed. The knowledge that the paper would never have printed a derogatory word against Voldemort while he still lived really rankled, because Albus was perceived as 'light' he was classed as fair game because he wouldn't turn up in the middle of the night and kill all their families in their beds. Just another cross he had to bear with his many positions of power and responsibility. Albus also expected a confrontation with Barty at some point today, that was one confrontation he didn't want an audience for. Unfortunately for Albus, Barty brought one with him.
With Alice being released, Barty gave them the option of him accompanying them to Hogwarts in an official capacity to see if Dumbledore had a case to answer. Alice wasn't keen but when Sirius produced his mirror and she could see via James her son was not only safe but playing happily with three other children, she relented. Sirius also invited himself along to Hogwarts and had arranged to take the Longbottoms directly to Neville when they finished their business in the castle.
As Minerva led the group into the headmaster's office, Albus didn't even get time to dismiss his deputy before Frank got the ball rolling. Everyone could see how angry the man was and even Minerva had to admit he had a very good reason to be, Albus was aware this would be all over the staffroom before dinner tonight.
"Perhaps you would care to explain to us how the slip of parchment with our secret address written on it came to be in the possession of Bellatrix Lestrange? I can't believe we actually trusted you!"
Albus was stalling for time as he tried to figure out how to get out from under this axe that was now poised above his head. That idiot Severus was only supposed to have given that parchment to Tom! "It would appear from your attitude that I have already been judged by you and found guilty. Can I assume that Mrs Lestrange has been asked that question under the influence of truth serum? If so, I would be very interested in what she said."
"I'll bet you would!" Growled Sirius.
Barty could see the panic in the old man's eyes, this was totally unexpected and he thought he'd tied up all the loose ends. Barty intended to give Dumbledore enough rope to hang himself. "Under truth serum both Lestrange brothers admitted she received the parchment from none other than your boy Severus Snape. He fed them some cock-and-bull story about taking a few medical potions to young Neville. Frank and Alice have confirmed this is a load of shit. Would you care to shed some light on how he got his greasy little hands on what was a very sensitive document? The Lestrange brothers also claimed that Snape was the one who pointed Voldemort at the Dursleys as a way to draw out the Potters. He'll be facing murder charges for that as well!"
Albus was struggling to keep his composure as the blows kept coming. Barty mentioning Severus's name like that had him seriously worried, he was desperately attempting to talk his way out of this one. He was going to have to reveal some facts he didn't want to and hope that threw them off long enough for him to fix any problems.
"That slip of parchment was safely secured in my private apartment. Bearing in mind that this apartment is in the heaviest warded part of Hogwarts, you'll perhaps forgive me for thinking it was in no danger of finding its way into the hands of death eaters. Unfortunately I trusted Severus with access to my private apartment." Albus didn't actually say why Severus had access to his apartment, he just left everyone present to draw their own conclusions. "I'm truly sorry for all the harm this caused, my only defence is that he fooled me as well. We can only wait for his trial and I'm sure the truth will show that I'm a victim here to. I would also like to offer my condolences Barty, I can't imagine the pain of losing a son. How's Victoria taking it?"
Barty wanted to kill the old bastard where he stood but believed revenge was a dish best served cold. That didn't mean he couldn't serve some of it out here and now, he even twisted the knife more than a little. "Thank you for your concern Albus, Victoria will be fine. Rest assured though, the tragedy that has befallen my family won't detract me from carrying out my duties to the best of my abilities. Your explanation has been duly noted and I feel confident enough to say that, if the testimony of Severus Snape agrees with your version, there will be no charges forthcoming for you from this incident. He regained consciousness this morning and we plan to question him later on tonight and put him on public trial tomorrow. After all, that's what I promised Lord Potter and the public would happen. I hate letting people down."
Albus was certain this was a bluff until Barty blew that notion right out the water. "Security at the ministry has never been tighter since someone sneaked in and murdered Rodolphus Lestrange in his cell last night. We'd already questioned him and he would surely have spent the rest of his life in Azkaban so they'll be no tears shed over him. We have quite a few prisoners there though that we wouldn't want to lose, especially before we got to question them, so all access to that area has been heavily restricted to aurors only for the next few days at least. I expect I'll be seeing you soon, you won't want to miss your boy's trial?"
No one inside the office could miss the change that came over its current headmaster at those words, Albus sat in his seat without saying a word as the group made its way down the spiral staircase.
They hit bottom and Augusta Longbottom grabbed Barty by the arm. "I didn't believe a word that old bastard said in there. Tell me you've still got Snape and weren't just running a bluff?"
"Madam Longbottom, I can assure you we've still got Severus Snape. If Dumbledore is as guilty as we all suspect, he's going down! I'm almost certain it was him that paid a visit to the ministry last night and Rodolphus was not the intended target. He's clearly terrified about what his boy is going to spill when we pump him full of veritaserum, I'm going straight back to the ministry to do that very thing."
McGonagall was shocked at what she was hearing, Albus trying to murder people, surely not? Something else struck her. "Barty, you said you were going to question Severus later on tonight?"
"Ah Minerva, there I was bluffing. Albus will still be sitting there trying to figure out how he's going to save the situation when I come back with a squad of Aurors."
This was the kind of language Augusta Longbottom liked to hear. "If Dumbledore was in any way responsible for the attack on my family, I want him to pay. That won't be easy but I guarantee you'll have our support. I was truly sorry to hear about young Barty but you and Victoria mustn't blame yourselves. We all do our best with our children but in the end we have to let them make their own choices. He chose poorly but at the final moment had the courage and conviction to atone for his mistake. In the end, you both had a son to be proud of."
Barty was choked with conflicting emotions at Augusta's words the sentiment behind them. "Thank you Augusta, I'll pass your kind words onto Victoria. I'm sure she'll take comfort from them."
Minerva was busy talking to her three former students, trying to discover just how bad things were. By the sound of things they had gotten rid of one dark lord but were still no further forward. The more she heard about what they suspected Albus had been up to, the more she was realising she didn't really know the man.
The man in question was currently sitting in his office with all his schemes lying in tatters. Under truth serum, Severus would reveal all his plans and the wizarding community would regard him as a monster. No one would consider that, had his plan worked, they would all have been dancing in the streets for days. They had been at war and he had been the only one with any ideas to end it in their favour, ideas that actually led to the demise of the dark lord they all feared so much.
The ancient sacrificial charm he'd pointed Lily Potter toward had been responsible for the demise of the dark lord in the end, even though the wizarding world would never acknowledge that. Albus was almost certain Voldemort would return, he himself would have to disappear until that time. Only then would the wizarding world begin to see that Albus was right and he would be welcomed back to deal with Tom. The problem with that was he no longer would have a weapon to point at Voldemort and his spy would be gone too.
A muggle child would be nothing more than bait though he should be able to rekindle Tom's interest in the Potters and Longbottoms. Riddle's foolish pride wouldn't accept the failure that those people being still alive represented. Albus took a last look around his office and hoped Tom didn't take too long to make his return.
At least with him leaving, the Potters and Longbottoms would now send their boys to Hogwarts. Albus knew more ways in and out the castle than the so-called Marauders ever discovered, he would be able to keep a close eye on the boys without being discovered. He started packing those things he simply couldn't do without. It was with a touch of surprise that Albus reckoned the only person ruthless enough to understand what he attempted was the one man determined to see him fall, there would be no mercy coming in his direction from Barty Crouch. Albus Dumbledore was going to have to disappear - for now!
-oOoOo-
Alice portkeyed into the Granger home and was drawn as if by a magnet to the sound of children's laughter. There she found her son and godson playing with two other children, the tears sprang to her eyes at thoughts of what could have happened to both of them ran rampant through her mind. Neville noticed his mum, dad and gran standing there and shot over as fast as his little legs would carry him, he was soon engulfed in a hug by his parents as a clearly emotional Augusta spoke. "Lord Potter, the house of Longbottom owes everyone who was there last night a debt of gratitude it could never repay."
James put a stop to those thoughts immediately. "Madam Longbottom, no debt can exist between friends. If the situations had been reversed, Frank and Alice would have done exactly the same as we did. We're just all delighted we got there in time to be of assistance, never forget the Longbottoms took down two of the death eaters in that room. We seem to be specialising in lucky escapes recently."
Neville was now busily introducing his new friends to his family as Emma was just about to get the kids lunches ready. She offered the adults a cup of tea and Lily went with her into the kitchen to lend a hand. They were working well together when Alice entered. "Hello again Emma, our first introduction was in rather trying circumstances. Your daughter is such an adorable little girl, she already has those three boys dancing to her tune."
This got a chuckle from Lily, "You don't know the half of it Alice, Hermione probably saved all our lives. She's also going to be a very powerful witch when she gets older."
Alice put her arm around her best friend, "How are you really doing Lily? I assume it was your charm that got rid of that monster?"
Lily could only nod, the power of speech temporarily blocked off by the strong emotions coursing through her. She didn't want to turn into some crying female, she had fought by her husband's side on more than one occasion. The dam finally broke though as Lily now had fat tears streaming down her cheeks. "Yes it was me and it's eating me up Alice. My sister is lying dead and I can't shake the feeling I set her up so my son could live. What kind of person does that make me?"
Alice could see her friend really needed to let this out. "It makes you a mother! While that psycho bitch was torturing me all I could focus on was protecting Neville, your summoning him to safety gave me the strength to put the crazy bastard down. If I had died saving my Neville then I could have crossed over content, knowing you would raise him as your own. You wouldn't have hesitated to do the same for Harry!"
This got another nod from Lily as Alice continued, "Dumbledore put us in this position with that blasted prophecy, it's beginning to look as if he engineered the full thing. We took him at his word and that's beginning to appear like a really bad mistake."
Emma's arm now snaked its way around Lily as she tried to offer her perspective on the situation. "Lily, you have to believe Alice on this or it will eat you away into nothing. I would step in front of a bullet to save my Hermione, if I also knew she would be well taken care of I would think that was a fair exchange."
Lily was really breaking her heart now. "Her funeral is tomorrow and we can't go in case death eaters show up."
Alice had some better news for her best friend. "I think it will be safe for you to go. The Lestrange brothers were pumped full of veritaserum with every death eater they named being arrested, the rest will face the same treatment."
This brought a gasp of disbelief from Lily that Alice understood, she tried to provide an answer. "Barty appears determined to end this war, he also has Dumbledore in his sights. All our children will be able to grow up in safety and not know what a dark mark is, I would have given my life for that outcome!"
Emma tried to get through to her young friend. "Lily, what you have here is survivors guilt, I think you need to go to that funeral tomorrow and make peace with your sister. I'll take care of the boys until you get back, Neville is welcome to stay here as well if you want to accompany her Alice?"
Alice nodded in agreement, she'd never met Petunia but would be there to support Lily.
Lily actually felt better for getting that out in the open, she would go to the funeral tomorrow and say goodbye to her big sister. Emma almost drew a smile with her next quip.
"Now if we don't get this food out there soon, we could have a riot on our hands. Dudley doesn't like to be kept waiting on his grub!"
-oOoOo-
Draco was currently eating the lunch that Kreacher had placed in front of him, the toddler was ignoring the old lady who was busy walking up and down while talking to herself. Walburga Black was in full rant mode.
"Conniving, back-stabbing goblin bastards! How dare they treat me like that! A kept woman on an allowance, paid by that useless mongrel of a former son. I'll never live down the shame. Listen well Draco, these are the people who are stealing what's rightfully yours right out from under our noses. The Malfoy fortune will be gobbled up by a greedy ministry while the Black one is in the possession of the worst type of wizarding kind. People who betray their birthright and their bloodlines, betray the very woman who gave birth to him."
Kreature instantly handed her a glass of ice water, sensing that his beloved mistress needed it. She took a few sips before continuing. "Even having the mongrel put down won't help, that blasted goblin couldn't hide his gloating when he said that would invoke Lord Black's will. The snigger on the evil little shit's thing it calls a face could only mean there was someone other than you named to take over as head of our house. It can only be the Potter brat, Cissi told me they had the nerve to name him godfather to the whelp. We are going to have to be smart about this son, you will inherit and one day return the wizarding world to the old ways. When the dark lord returns, I will have you prepared to take your rightful place at his side."
Walburga had gotten it off her chest and now sat down to lunch, she wasn't quite finished though. "Kreacher, we're going to have to make some household savings so young master Draco here can have everything a young pureblood prince deserves. I refuse to lower myself to ask for a larger allowance, I also don't want anyone to discover Draco is staying here until he's older."
The faithful little elf couldn't hide the adulation in his large eyes. "Yes mistress. It shall be done."
-oOoOo-
Marge Dursley was all set to ambush this mysterious sister of Petunia's at the funeral. She didn't believe for one minute she was a lady and married to a lord, Petunia would have made sure the whole world knew about that! Marge was really hit hard by the deaths, how was she supposed to manage without Vernon looking out for her? The idea that all the cash from the insurance and sale of anything worthwhile would be placed in a trust fund for her nephew was ludicrous, where was her share? She was prepared to have it out with them today, face to face without these blasted lawyers tying her in knots with their big words. What she wasn't prepared for was the beautiful young redhead that turned up with an entourage.
Lily had James on one side of her and Alice on the other as she made her way down the centre of the funeral parlor, her target was the smaller of the two coffins sitting waiting at the front. Frank, Remus and Sirius followed on behind while constantly scanning their surroundings in a manner that would certainly dissuade anyone from approaching or interrupting Lily in any way.
The crying young woman placed her hand on the lid of her sister's coffin. "Thank you Petunia, your courage saved both our boys. I swear I will care for Dudley as if he was my own son. He will grow up loved and knowing what a brave woman his mother really was, you saved us all!"
Lily broke down at this and had to be helped back to a seat, she buried her head in her husband's chest and her tears gradually soaked through his shirt. She didn't hear one word of the sermon that followed, happier memories of her and Petunia growing up running through her mind. Her big sister had looked out for her when she was younger and now Lily would repay her by ensuring her son was loved as he grew up with his new family. It was only when the coffins were being removed that Lily snapped back to reality, she looked into her worried husband's eyes. "Take me home love, I couldn't face the cemetery."
When it was only the six of them remaining, they group portkeyed straight back to the Grangers. Lily found herself sitting on a sofa where all four children appeared to take turns at hugging her, Lily felt as if she needed all the hugs she could get.
Marge Dursley was still waiting outside the funeral parlor, knowing this was the only way in or out. Marge Dursley was prepared to wait all day if necessary but she would be having a long talk with this Lily character!
Chapter 6
Severus Snape was mightily relieved to be alive, disappointed that his present accommodation was a cell but figured that was merely a temporary situation. He clearly remembered the demise of the dark lord and was sure Dumbledore would soon be coming for him. When the cell door opened to admit Barty Crouch Senior, he still wasn't too worried. Severus thought he had protection. With Bart's first few sentences, that thought would be exposed as nothing more than wishful thinking.
"Mr Snape, there is a part of me that's glad to see you still alive. I have to confess though, a larger part wishes your boss Dumbledore had been successful. He actually broke in here last night, only to kill the wrong death eater. You see, I'm assuming that it was you who told Dumbledore that my late son was one of Voldemort's followers?"
Severus was now thinking things must have changed quite a bit while he'd been unconscious and recovering. That Barty Jr. also appeared to be dead did not bode well for his own health. Barty's next words not only confirmed this, they terrified the young potions professor.
"Please don't think I'm attempting to trick you into revealing secrets, you have a date with veritaserum already arranged for later on today. Voldemort is gone and we're rounding up all his death eaters but I'm greedy, I want that bastard Dumbledore as well and I know you can give him to me."
Barty gave that a few seconds to sink in before continuing. "We both know the serum will prevent you telling lies but it also won't have you volunteering information. That means we have to ask all the right questions, which can take time. You're facing two charges of murder and the attempted murder of a child. The Lestranges have also identified you as providing the location of the Longbottoms. Dumbledore really must be terrified of what you know because he broke in here last night and killed Rodolphus Lestrange by mistake. Funny that, I thought he would have at least recognised you lying in bed."
Severus was now sweating, this was as bad as it could get. Without Dumbledore's protection he was as good as dead. That the old bastard now appeared determined to kill him to left Severus with nowhere to go. Worse still, Barty clearly knew it!
"We've already got enough on you to ensure your next kiss is from a dementor, help me take down Dumbledore and we can reduce that to room and board at Azkaban. That might not sound like much of a deal but it's the only one on offer. This is also a onetime offer, once I leave this room it's gone. We'll just keep pumping veritaserum into you until we eventually get all the information we want. Unfortunately, that leaves Dumbledore with more than enough time to either get to you and shut you up permanently or disappear out of the country. This is the only reason I'm making this offer as I'd rather see every death eater kissed and put a permanent end to this war. Oh, did I forget to mention, Dumbledore claims you stole the Longbottoms location from his bedroom."
Snape's head was spinning from all this information and Barty was only giving him minutes to make a decision. That Voldemort was gone he'd seen with his own eyes, if the ministry already had the Lestranges then clearly his only value was being used against Dumbledore. He had to ask himself one question, would Albus try to kill him before he could reveal what the old man was actually up to? The answer he came back with was a definite yes. It was time to talk!
"Albus Dumbledore personally handed me that piece of parchment with the Longbottoms address on it. His specific orders were to give it to the dark lord. Bellatrix took it from me to give to her master but the dark lord was too fixated on the Potters to care. He went after Lily Potter's sister and dragged me along."
Both were aware these facts would be confirmed later using veritaserum so Barty accepted this as the truth. Now, what he really wanted was the why.
He listened as Snape explained about overhearing the prophecy and passing that information to the dark lord, and Voldemort believing every word of it! Snape then went to Albus for help but was instead made to spy for the headmaster as Dumbledore set about using the prophecy to engineer Voldemort's downfall. Dumbledore also intended that the parents should die, leaving him to control any surviving child as a weapon against the return of Voldemort.
Barty though back to Lily Potter's actions the night Dumbledore suggested he take her nephew for a check-up, at the time he thought her punching out Dumbledore was excessive. He now wondered how much of this the Potters had pieced together for themselves? Sharing this information with them would certainly help keep the Potters and the Longbottoms in his camp, catching Dumbledore and seeing him in Azkaban would surely seal the deal.
Barty could appreciate the ingenuity in Dumbledore's scheme but the ruthlessness needed to pull it off left him cold. The supposed leader of the light had stepped heavily into the shadows when he was manipulating innocent families with babies to their deaths. Barty was desperate to win the war and had no compunction about killing to achieve that aim. There was a big difference though in killing an animal that chose to become a death eater against deliberately and deceitfully sacrificing women and children in the hope you might succeed.
Barty gathered six aurors before leaving for Hogwarts to arrest the Chief Warlock, he already had more than enough evidence to at least administer veritaserum to Dumbledore. That Albus firstly pointed Voldemort in the direction of two old pureblood families before making sure he could then find them should be enough to see the old manipulator enjoying Azkaban fare instead of Hogwarts feasts this Christmas.
-oOoOo-
Albus was currently sitting in a comfortable chair in his but n ben that nestled deep in the countryside outside the little highland village of Glengarry. He'd bought it some years ago from a widowed crofter who was finding that particular style of life a bit too demanding as he got older. The entire transaction was handled in the muggle world with no paper trail to connect the registered owner, one Dick Harris with Albus Dumbledore. Albus may be considerably older than the muggle from whom he bought the property but had no intention of living a hard life here. His personal elf Kitty was staying at Hogwarts, popping over with his meals and all the latest gossip on what was happening inside the castle. No one would notice her there and, unless asked the question directly, the other elves would say nothing.
Albus had the wizarding wireless to keep him apprised of what was happening in the rest of Britain. His days would be divided between listening to the wireless, researching through his shrunken library and beginning his memoirs. With his triumphal return to the wizarding world, Albus was assured an instant best seller that would financially compensate the aging wizard for his years in forced seclusion. He was certain his stay in the tiny house would be secluded, Albus had enough charms, spells and ruins over the area to hide the place from Merlin himself.
He would need to pay particular attention for the first sign of Voldemort's return. Only by defeating the resurrected dark lord would the British magical public forgive him for the things he plotted to take Voldemort down in the first place. His triumphal return was, at best a couple of years away so he might as well make himself as comfortable here as possible.
-oOoOo-
Barty had missed Dumbledore at Hogwarts but was managing to hold that information from the press for now. He wanted to let the effected families know before they read the Prophet's version of events. It wasn't too difficult since all the arrests kept the paper busy speculating where it would all end. With no access to the Potters, Barty was relying on the Longbottoms to pass the information on.
He was now aware Lily Potter must have cast some obscure charm on her nephew, which would allow her sister's death to protect the boy. It was also obvious from speaking with the Longbottoms that they were aware of this as well, Barty was keen to allay any fears they had about resulting investigations. "I see no reason why any of this should become public knowledge. The official reason on how Voldemort met his end is that he died while performing some dark ritual. This works for me and the rest of the magical world, why change it? Severus Snape's trial may be public but we can ensure certain things don't get mentioned. This also goes no further, Snape was more than helpful with our efforts to bring Dumbledore to justice, his aim was to avoid a dementor's kiss. He will definitely be going to Azkaban, only the duration of his stay is to be set by his trial. I honestly think Dumbledore played Snape as much as he did everybody else and the ex-potions professor will be locked away for many years."
Frank and Alice were both aurors and knew how the system worked, they had no problem with seeing Snape as a bit player and would support Barty in this matter. All their rage was directed at Dumbledore, their illustrious leader who smiled at you while working tirelessly behind the scenes to engineer your murder. It was the callous way the whole thing was supposed to play out that really shocked the Longbottoms. Frank reckoned his mother would have been next on Dumbledore's hit list, there was no way she would have allowed the old goat to interfere with Neville's upbringing if the worst happened to them.
Alice understood that Lily had pieced most of this together already but to hear it all laid out like that made her feel sick. Someone they trusted with their lives had betrayed them in the worst possible way. Planning their deaths and taking control of their orphaned children, what a sick bastard! If Voldemort had murdered Lily and James before meeting his end at Godric's Hollow, Alice had to wonder what the old man had in store for her and Sirius. As Harry's godparents, neither of them would have voluntarily relinquished control of the boy. Sirius would have played a major part in Harry's life while Frank and Alice raised him alongside Neville, Dumbledore couldn't allow that to happen for his plans to work. The old wizard would need to be caught and questioned under veritaserum before they would have the answers they needed.
No one there had any trouble believing that Dumbledore had a ready prepared bolthole waiting on him, he would be too proud to skip the country like a common criminal. They were now forced into the situation where they were waiting on him making a mistake before he could be punished for his crimes.
This was all Lily needed to hear just after burying her sister.
-oOoOo-
They were currently standing outside the oddest house Emma had ever laid eyes on. She wasn't sure what to expect from a house called the rookery, some country home with birds roosting under the overhanging eves? What she was faced with was a massive white chess piece. Emma couldn't help but imagine a giant hand picking up the entire house and moving it to the next hillside as part of a game. She was walking up the garden path when a pretty young blond woman rushed passed her to engulf Lily and the now struggling Harry in a hug.
"Oh Lily, it's so good to see you again. I cried all day after seeing that picture of your house destroyed on the front page of the Prophet. It was blown to pieces, how did you survive it?"
Emma introduced Maia to Dan and Emma before indicating the little girl holding her daddy's hand. "This angel here is Hermione and she's the reason we're all alive. She invited Harry and me to tea, otherwise we would have been home when that monster broke down our door. Hermione is definitely a witch though her parents are non-magical."
Maia herded them into the house to introduce them to her family, Her husband Xeno was sitting on the floor playing along with their little girl. Xeno appeared few years older than his wife but you hardly noticed that, his outlandish clothes demanded all your attention. His current apparel may have missed out on one of the colours of the rainbow but it would be impossible to pick out which one in the maelstrom of colours that assaulted your eyes. The little blond girl, sitting on the floor beside her father playing with her building blocks, was almost lost in the kaleidoscope affect her father appeared to be trying to achieve. She wore a lovely yellow flower print dress and her smile when Lily spoke to the girl outshone her garishly dressed father.
"Hello Luna. My, you're getting such a big girl! This is Harry, that's Dudley and..."
A certain Miss Granger interrupted Emma, she was a big girl and didn't need anyone else to introduce her. "Hello Luna, My name is Hermione Jane Granger. I'm so pleased to meet you." She kissed the girl on the cheek and was soon joined by Harry who'd squirmed out of his mother's arms, desperate to be down beside his best friend. He copied Hermione as best he could, seeming pleased that this was a name he could pronounce properly. "Me Harry, Luna." Still copying Hermione, he kissed the little girl on the cheek. This had all three toddlers giggling and laughing while the adults thought it was one of the cutest things they'd ever seen. Dudley appeared too busy staring at everything in this strange place.
The four kids were soon playing happily together, allowing the adults time to chat. Lily couldn't wait for news of their missing friend. "Maia, where's Mary? Please tell me they're all ok?"
Maia hated to be the one to give bad news but had to on this occasion. "She and John took baby Mary up to Manchester to live with his aunt just after you and Alice went into hiding. With both of them being muggle borns, they reckoned the death eaters would be looking for them. The final straw for them was when Mary's parents house was attacked and burned to the ground. I got a letter from her saying they could no longer bring their daughter up in Britain, it just wasn't safe! They applied as muggles to emigrate to Australia, their ship sailed from Southampton three weeks ago. That's all I know, everyone is terrified to give information about their whereabouts. Perhaps if they read about what happened, she may contact me again from Australia. We can't really blame her if she doesn't."
Lily reluctantly agreed. "If Voldemort was still alive, the Potters would be heading to that part of the world ourselves. As it is, we'll be staying in a muggle neighbourhood from now on. It was only being in a muggle house that saved us that night and having Dudley now living with us made our minds up."
Dan had expressed interest after hearing that Xeno owned and published a newspaper, both then disappeared through to see his magical printing press.
Lily and Maia were catching up while Emma was surreptitiously watching James, who was quietly keeping a close eye on the children. All four toddlers were playing along quite happily, this appeared to please James a lot more than Emma thought it should. She then remembered James had been worried that Harry and Hermione would be so wrapped up with each other, they wouldn't interact with other children.
That clearly was not the case as they had played happily with Dudley and Neville, now it looked as if Luna was being added to that list. The little girl appeared slightly overwhelmed at first with all the company in her house, she could see her mother sitting close by though. It didn't take long for Luna to become involved with the game Hermione had come up with. She and Harry piled up high the blocks with the strange animal pictures on them so Dudley and Luna could knock them over. Emma couldn't help but think that before Halloween, Hermione would never have played a game like this with younger children. Meeting Harry had been very good for her precocious daughter. As this group grew up together, her extra months of age would stand out less and less.
She wholeheartedly agreed with the opinion she overheard James expressing, that the children should be allowed to grow up as normally as possible. Emma was prepared to let things go as they were for now. First sign of any strangeness and she would be demanding answers over this bond thing. Little did Emma know that time was closer than she thought.
On first sight, Xeno's printing press wouldn't have looked out of place as an exhibit in a museum. As he was discovering more and more with the magical world though, things were not always what they seemed. When his host demonstrated how it worked, it was ahead of any muggle printing press available at the moment. Computers were beginning to make an introduction into some of the larger and richer newspapers but Dan could see the future in the way Xeno laid out his pages. He may use parchment and a quill to write his articles but when he then used his wand, everything changed. The data was transferred from the parchment to the magical printing press where it was converted to the font Xeno stipulated. He could then add a graphic and have the text wrap around it and build his publication a page at a time.
Dan may not understand a lot of the stuff published in the Quibbler but in layout, it reminded him of a magazine from the thirties or forties. He promised to pick up some magazines to let him see the latest in muggle thinking on layouts and advertising, this had Xeno very interested.
-oOoOo-
Sirius left Gringotts with a smile on his face, it was hard not to smile when you were greeted with the sight of Diagon Alley once more bustling with witches and wizards going about their everyday business. Both he and James were still on leave from their auror duties as they struggled to decide what they wanted to do with their lives, now that the war was effectively over. Barty had rounded up every death eater named in the on-going interrogations, the resulting trials were proceeding at a fast pace.
Snape's trial was tomorrow and then the whole country would discover just how big a bastard one Albus 'too bloody many middle names to remember' Dumbledore actually was. Both he and James had plenty of other offers of work but would probably wait until after Christmas before making any life-changing decisions. Neither was required to work for monitory reasons so there was no rush.
He would need to find a new flat, Sirius Black was not going back to the flea-pit of a hideaway he'd been laying low in. There would always be a room for him and Remus at the Potters but he also wanted his own place, with enough room for Remus too!
The goblins had just informed him that his mother had now discovered who was the current head of the Black Family. He actually pitied the poor goblin who was left to give her that bad news. He would continue to financially provide for her and ensure she had a roof over her head but that was all, Sirius wanted nothing more to do with his mother. When she passed away, he intended to sell Grimmaud Place and everything inside it. Preferably without ever having to set foot in that monstrosity of a house ever again. Perhaps, by then, house prices might be back up, there was rather a glut in the market at the moment with death eater mansions being sold off as part of their punishment.
Sirius was intending to buy some presents today, to celebrate that they all came through this war in one piece and just for the sheer hell of it. He originally wanted to buy his godson a toy broom to replace the one that was lost when Voldemort destroyed their cottage. That idea had been quickly vetoed by James, he didn't want Harry zooming about the house while Dudley was able only to sit and watch. Both Potter parents had no intention of hiding the differences between the boys, they just wanted to wait until they were old enough to understand those differences.
Sirius had to respect their reasoning and, when he spotted the little brightly coloured tricycles in the toyshop, was able to live with that decision. One of these would also give Dudley a much-needed opportunity to begin burning off some of his excess weight. Sirius dreaded to think what size the boy would have become if Petunia had raised him. Another few things caught his eye as 'uncle Paddy' enjoyed being a big kid in the toy store. Better still, he was a big kid with gold to spend on little kids who would appreciate the gifts.
-oOoOo-
Peter White was having a super day that he didn't think could get any better, he felt he could leap tall buildings with a single bound. The death eater trials had Prophet sales soaring and today, Severus Snape served up the esteemed Albus Dumbledore as their new main course for tomorrow's edition. There would be a feeding frenzy as their readers devoured every detail of Dumbledore's dramatic fall from grace with their breakfast. The Wizengamot were waiting to hear all the cases before passing sentence, their guilt was no longer an issue since they had confessed to their crimes under the influence of veritaserum. The Prophet's campaign to strip them of their wealth in order to provide protection for everyone else had gathered so much momentum that it looked certain to become law. If not, their current government better be able to supply them with a very good reason or they wouldn't be the government for too much longer. It probably was this grand mood that encouraged two of his junior reporters to bravely risk entering his office.
"Mr White sir, we have something we think you might be interested in."
Peter couldn't even remember the names of the young man and woman who were now trembling in front of him, he bade them to sit down as he decided to listen and give them the benefit of his experience. The young man bravely soldiered on while the girl appeared ready to flee if Peter so much as raised his voice.
"With all the death eaters being arrested and the resulting trials, we were allocated the job of researching Voldemort's origins. We think we may have found him and it could be very big. Our research focused on Hogwarts, Slytherin actually. We researched all the wizards in a fifteen year period that is generally considered to correspond with his supposed age. We were looking for someone who disappeared without trace and came up with a few names. My partner here loves muggle word puzzles and is always scribbling in the corners of her parchment, she came up with this!"
Peter was then handed a piece of parchment that had Tom Marvolo Riddle and I am Lord Voldemort written on it, his eyebrows shot up immediately as the implications hit home. "Are you trying to tell me that Wizarding Britain has been shitting itself for years, terrified to say a bloody anagram? I assume you have more information on this Tom character, otherwise I'm going to become most upset!"
He glanced at his partner before answering. "He was an orphan although that's not quite true. His mother was a witch who died giving birth to him in an orphanage he never left until he went to Hogwarts, the father listed on his birth certificate was a muggle. His mother's brother then wiped out the father and both his parents when the boy was in his sixth year at Hogwarts. The mother's family were old purebloods, dirt poor though and not very bright. Both her brother and their father died in Azkaban."
Peter felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "This would make the feared Lord Voldemort a half blood bastard! Also, if I heard you right, anyone who could object or sue over this story is already dead?"
Both young reporters nodded enthusiastically.
Peter had intended to give them the benefit of his experience, that time had now come. "Ok, we have the bones here of a great story. What we need to do now is put some flesh on it to make a sensational story. His mother was innocent, taken advantage of by an unscrupulous muggle! No, scrap that. We don't want to create any sympathy for this bastard."
Both young reporters watched in awe as their editor stitched the story together in his head. "His mother was plain, piss-poor and desperate for a better life than the one she saw in front of her. She used a love potion on the handsome young muggle and they ran away together, love's young dream! She became so enamoured with her new life, the delusional young girl convinced herself that her new life was real and forever, she stopped giving him the potion. He was out of there quicker than a rat escaping down a sewer, unknowing that she was now carrying his child."
The two young reporters were scribbling this down like mad when the girl stopped, gathered her courage and made a suggestion. "Mr White sir, do you think the young Voldemort could have killed his father and grandparents, then framed his uncle for the murders? The two families lived quite close to one another."
Peter was impressed. "Wow, that's really stretching things. I love it! You could really go places with an imagination like that, but you will have to develop a personality and attitude to match. There is no such creature as a successful shy reporter. What's your name?"
"It's Rita sir."
"Well Rita, I'll give you and this young man first crack at this. We're leading tomorrow with Dumbledore's downfall, the next day will be full of the follow-up to those revelations. After tearing down one icon, on Saturday we're going to destroy the legend of Voldemort. By the time we're finished with him, if he dares to return, the public will throw rotten fruit at the dark lord. Get me official documents, all the records you can and there must be pictures out there somewhere. He may be already dead but the Prophet is going to be remembered as the publication that killed him off for good!"
-oOoOo-
Barty was confirmed as a certainty to be the next minister of magic, he'd stood unopposed and would now be sworn in the day after Millicent retired. While this was his goal, Barty was also seething inside. The Prophet had been a tremendous help in getting him into the minister's office but their expose of Voldemort had consequences none of them could have foreseen. The Wizengamot had seized on this like a drowning man would grab a straw, they now portrayed the whole death eater debacle as purebloods being led astray by a demented half blood with delusions of grandeur. The Prophets campaign against the death eaters couldn't be ignored though, not without public rioting on the steps of the ministry.
That distinguished body of pureblood witches and wizards came up with a blanket sentence that covered everyone. Death eaters were to be 'taxed' eighty percent of their wealth and made spend the next ten years in Azkaban.
Most witches and wizards would concede that this was a just punishment, Barty Crouch wasn't most witches and wizards. He'd lost a son and wanted them to pay with their lives. He consoled himself with the thought that a lot could happen in ten years, especially with him as minister. They certainly wouldn't be having an easy time of it in Azkaban and Barty intended to offer the goblins incentives to ensure they found all of their now 'taxable' wealth.
For the moment, he would smile and accept the decision. Barty would spend as much time with his wife as his new job allowed while putting his thirst for revenge at simmer. The death eaters would still be there when Barty got around to them, Victoria didn't have anything like ten years left to live. If he was honest, she probably didn't have ten months. He resolved to make Victoria his top priority as Barty tried to make the time she had left the best that he could.
-oOoOo-
Emma had never seen a house decorated and outfitted in such a short space of time, then again she'd never seen it done using magic before. Lily and James had even fixed a beautiful room for Hermione right next to Harry's. They hadn't reached the end of November yet the Potters were ready to spend their first night in their new home. The paperwork had passed really quickly and then everyone had pitched in. Maia and Xeno had even turned up though Emma tried not to laugh at the way Lily monitored any decorating Xeno did. The man seemed incapable of thinking in any less than six colours when dressing but that wasn't the worst of it, none of them matched in the slightest!
Emma thought it would feel strange having their house to themselves again but Hermione wouldn't have to go too far to find her bestist friend. The kids were currently in their new playroom, filled with toys that Sirius had bought. Emma thought it was time to make a move. "Well, we should be getting home and allow you to settle into your new home. Hermione, say goodnight to Harry and Dudley!"
It was instantly noticeable that Harry and Hermione froze at those words. Both looked toward the adults with expressions of fear on their little faces, the tears quickly followed.
Dan misread the situation and actually chuckled. "Hermione, we have to go home princess. You can see Harry and Dudley tomorrow, they only stay next door to us."
Both toddlers grabbed onto each other and shouted in a pitch that only young children appear able to achieve. It wasn't the pitch that sent shivers down the adult's backs and shattered every piece of glass in the room. It was the accidental magic released by two powerful and upset toddlers screaming 'NO' in perfect unison.
All four parents responded instantly to the state of distress their children were now in. Hermione could hardly talk for sobbing, only 'not leaving Harry James' was decipherable. Harry was, if anything, in a worse state and just kept repeating 'Hermi' over and over as he desperately clung to her.
Emma was quick on the uptake and offered the children a solution, "Hermione, do you want to stay with Harry tonight in his new house?"
The sheer relief on their little faces was heartbreaking to watch for the parents, heartbreaking in the sense that such a simple thing had gotten both of them into this state in mere seconds. Dan had to carry them both up to Harry's room, they simply refused to let go of each other. Emma followed on behind carrying Paddy, the large cuddly dog was her daughter's favourite thing and went everywhere with her since Sirius bought it for Hermione. Lily followed on with Dudley in her arms as James had his wand out repairing the room.
After putting Dudley down, Lily had to use magic to transfigure the kid's clothes. They wouldn't release one another long enough to get changed. They finally appeared to settle a little when they were tucked up in bed together, the toy Paddy lying across the bottom of the bed where their legs were too short to reach. The three adults stood and watched as the toddlers eventually calmed enough to allow sleep to take hold, Emma knew it was time for some answers.
"Don't you think you should be telling us about this magical bond our children share Lily?"
Dan wasn't sure what was happening here, he was alarmed because his wife's tone was almost accusational.
Lily nodded. "Go on down to the living room, I want to check on Dudley and get a few books for you to read. This isn't a bad thing Emma and not totally responsible for what we witnessed tonight. They haven't been apart since Halloween and we should have considered that. We knew they'd be sleeping apart now we're living in separate houses, it apparently never occurred to our kids."
James already had a bottle of wine open and glasses ready, he was anticipating this discussion and they were just waiting on Lily returning back downstairs.
Lily entered and handed the dentists two thin books. "When James first mentioned the possibility of a magical bond between our children, I naturally wanted to know more. This is all we could find. I'm pretty sure you would react exactly the same as me and hate the thought of our children's magic forcing them into something, I'm pleased to say that's not the case here."
Emma was glancing at the books hungrily but they were for later, Lily had read them so she would listen to her friend first.
"When Petunia and I were growing up, she was fixated on how to find her perfect match. She was forever completing these personality surveys in mother's magazines that were supposed to narrow down what you were looking for. You know the type of rubbish, star sign, loves moonlit walks barefoot on the beach, doesn't fart in bed. All that and she ended up marrying Vernon! A magical bond is really your magic's way of saying you've hit the jackpot, this person is the perfect match for you."
This was all new to Dan so he gulped his wine before voicing his concern at what he was hearing. "Are you saying those two will end up married?"
It was James who answered "That's a possibility Dan, but only a possibility. They will always be friends and close, that's a given. Anything else will be up to them when they're much older, and that's the way I think we should keep it. We try to insure they have a good group of friends while growing up, get involved in any sports or clubs they want and basically lead as normal a life as possible for a young witch and wizard. If, after they've finished school, our son comes to you and asks for your daughter's hand, I can only hope you'll say yes. You will have at least sixteen years to get to know him by then."
This all sounded too good to be true to Emma, "What aren't you telling us James? We want to know, and have a right to know everything."
He let out a sigh, they would probably have pieced this together anyway after reading the books. "Emma, you know I'm a pureblood by birth, not by choice. An old pureblood would already be talking to Dan about a betrothal contract for your daughter. Finding a bond that strong is very rare and special."
Emma understood something of blood politics now, the Grangers even had the Prophet delivered. "Hermione's a muggle born, surely a pureblood wouldn't offer a betrothal on our daughter?"
James actually smiled, "Emma, the type of pureblood who deals in those contacts only lets his child associate with other pureblood children."
Dan still wasn't satisfied with what he was hearing. "We're getting off the point here. What does that mean for our kids and what happened here tonight?"
Lily offered her take on the matter. "We should have anticipated tonight, Hermione might sound old for her years but she's still only two. We were about to separate her from Harry James, there really was only one way they were going to react. I think it's going to be like trying to wean Dudley off wanting to eat every ten minutes, a slow and careful process. Let them sleep together for now with the odd night thrown in where they sleep in their own rooms in the same house. They may need to be a bit older before they'll accept sleeping in different houses and I think we'll be holidaying together for quite a few years to come. They're fine in the company of other kids but just can't understand why we want to separate them when they're so happy together."
Emma appeared to be getting it now. "That day in the surgery as we waited to see the nurse, Hermione reacted the second she laid eyes on Harry."
Lily was nodding, "Harry went with her in an instant, he's never done that before. Can any of us deny they're much happier together?"
None of them could but something was still bothering Dan. "James, why would purebloods arrange their children's marriage before they were even three years old?"
"With such a strong bond, any children they had as a couple would be not only healthy, they would be as magically powerful as they could be. To a pureblood, marriage is all about continuation and strengthening of the bloodline."
Emma paled, "Could you please not mention grandchildren just yet, I'm far too young!"
Lily now had tears slowly running down her cheeks. "You've seen that magic can be a wonderful or deadly thing. When I cast that charm on Dudley, I knew my magic would demand a price for saving his life. We finally went to a healer we could trust to have both Dudley and me checked out to discovered that price. Dudley is healthy and normal muggle boy, though a tad overweight and for that we are grateful. The price my magic demanded is to take away my ability to have any more children."
James also had tears threatening to escape from the corner of his eyes at this point as Lily tried to play down the heartache they both felt. "I have a loving husband and two wonderful boys, it's a price I would pay again without hesitation. Dan and Emma, sorry but I'm already counting Hermione as a member of my family. If one day in the future, our kids chose to make that official, I will be one very happy mother."
Dan had experience with this from their own inability to have any more children, he rose and put his arm around Lily's shoulder. "Just as long as you know both the boys are considered part of the Granger family too."
This almost drew a smile from the little redhead. There may be a bond between their children but there was also a bond between both sets of parents. A bond that just got stronger with their shared pain and heartache of not being able to have any more children. Both couples though now considered they had three of a family, they could be happy with that.
Hermione was just two and, apart from that incident earlier tonight, was happier than Dan had ever seen her. He also agreed with James, keep everything as normal as possible and monitor the situation. They would face whatever problems that arose just like they did tonight, by sitting down and talking them out. Emma now had Lily in her arms as James went to fetch something a little bit stronger than the wine they had been drinking. Dan couldn't help but think his wife's judgement was right that first night they all met, the Potters were good people.