Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The magical world was in uproar. Narcissa stalked through the halls of Malfoy Manor, determined to prevent her idiot husband from leaving to fight alongside his master . If Abraxas were alive today she would skin him with her bare hands and a dull rusty blade for getting his son involved with the Dark Lord. Voldemort was his school chum, not Lucius’. There was no good reason at all that he should have to carry his father’s mantle into war, especially when their side was destined to fail. 

She found her distraught spouse draped over an antique chaise lounge with a mostly empty bottle of Firewhisky clutched in bloody fingers. His left arm was hanging over the edge of the lounge displaying the source of blood on the other hand. The Dark Mark was inky black with its edges raised; angry oozing lines were raked through the middle and healing quickly. She waved her wand to clear the mess and made the lounge disappear from under him. 

He groaned in pain and covered his face with his now empty hand, “What’s it, Cissa,” he slurred at her.

She decided to forgo magic altogether and kicked him hard in the right thigh, “Get yourself together, Lucius! We have a child to care for. I refuse to allow him to see you in such a condition.”

He winced when she thrust a sobering potion under his nose. He cautiously sniffed it to make sure she wasn’t poisoning him to make herself a widow. He swallowed the bitter liquid and instantly gripped his left arm and hissed, “The whisky was the only thing making the pain bearable! I swore I wouldn’t follow his call; what more do you want from me?”

“Cut it off! I gave up my sister for you! You ungrateful arsehole! We all knew at the beginning of this mess that Bella was crazy enough to follow him. When it became clear your asinine master was intent on killing muggles and muggle-born people I turned my back on Andromeda to protect her. I’ve never met my niece because I made the regrettable decision to love you. Cut off your blasted arm if it will get you to stop feeling sorry for yourself and do something! Make your face seen at the Ministry so they know you aren’t out there terrorizing the masses! We can’t afford for you to be arrested when this is all over, Lucius. You’re marked like cattle. They’ll round you up and ship you off to Azkaban without a backward glance. We’ve already lost one child. Don’t make me lose you, too. Draco and I need you.”

Lucius pulled his aching body off of the floor and embraced his love, “I’ll go clean myself up and get to the Ministry. I’ll make it all up to you if it takes the rest of our lives. Cassiopeia will live on in our memories and never be forgotten.”

Narcissa melted into her husband and felt herself shatter just a bit. Her voice was shaking as she said, “I’m reuniting with my family when this is over.”

He kissed her forehead and turned stiffly for the stairs. Narcissa returned the chaise to its place and straightened the rest of the room before staggering up the stairs and walking into the nursery. Dobby was cradling her young son in the rocking chair and humming a wordless tune as the baby slept, peacefully unaware of the atrocities occurring outside. She gently took the sleeping baby from the house elf and took him to the window seat. She looked out at the moon and sent up a silent plea to the gods in hopes that they were listening on this wretched Samhain. 

******

Andromeda stood beside her husband trembling with rage. Ted was doing all the talking since he was the solicitor… and maybe because they knew she wasn’t in a good place to be talking. Ted’s soothing voice was cajoling the receptionist in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, “Now, Betty, you can’t tell me there’s nothing in the system regarding Sirius’ arrest. He’s the heir apparent for House Black, a fellow Auror, and he was brought in on treason and murder charges. There has to be something. ”

Betty chewed on the end of her quill and shook her head despondently, “I’m so sorry, Mr. Tonks. We’ve been told by the Chief Warlock that we aren’t to divulge any information to anyone about the people who may or may not have been arrested last night.”

Ted frowned and drummed his fingers on the countertop, “Well, Lord Black is meant to be the guardian of Harry Potter. Lily and James were confirmed deceased this morning. In the event that Lord Black cannot fulfill his duties, it would go to the boy’s next closest relative. Us.”

Betty lost all the color in her face and stammered, “Er. Well, you see. It’s just that… the Chief Warlock.”

Ted held up his hands and sighed, “Say no more. We won’t bother you again.” He gently steered his wife toward the public fireplaces and got into the long line of people waiting to leave. He knew the Ministry would be a mess for the foreseeable future and knew he was in for an adventure. His Andi would never let this slide.

As soon as they stepped into their living room, she was off, “We have to find Harry. There’s no telling where Albus put him. What can we do, Teddy? It’s been three days!”

He wrapped his thick arms around her trim waist and pulled her close, “We’re going to figure it out together. It might take some time to go about things through the legal channels.”

“Edward! We don’t have time! If Albus has time to name someone else as Harry’s legal guardian there won’t be anything we can do! We’ll never see Harry again!” Sparks of magic were swirling down her curls and fizzling out when they shot off into the air. 

Ted held her tight and refused to let her go in her rage, “Then we’ll have to go around the law, lovey.”

She froze and looked down into soft hazel eyes. They crinkled at the corners as he smiled up at her and she felt a lump form in her throat, “Ted, we can’t. Your career is just taking off. If anyone found out-”

He cut her off by placing a finger against her lips, “Shhh, lovey. It’ll all be fine. I think it’s time for a reunion with a certain family member who has a spouse very willing to be on the wrong side of the law.”

She pulled away from him and fell onto the couch, “I can’t contact her. She made her choice when she chose that marked Death Eater.”

Ted sat down beside her and took her hand in both of his, “He was there last night offering assistance to the Ministry. His left arm dripped blood out from under his robe sleeve the whole time, but he was there giving up names. Bellatrix was first on the list. They caught her and Barty Crouch Junior torturing the Longbottoms. They were rescued just in time. Send her a letter.”

“And say what? ‘Cissa, I know we haven’t talked in a decade, but I was wondering if you had any ideas on how to steal a magical child.’ She’d think I’ve gone as mad as Bella!” She covered her mouth with her hand when a wave of nausea washed over her. Her grey eyes flashed to her husband’s and she felt like she might drown in fear, “I have no other choice. Lily and James were going to finalize the parchmentwork to make us secondary guardians tomorrow. Albus will never let us have Harry.” 

Ted patted her cheek and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips, “I’ll go check on Dora.”

She nodded absently as he started toward the stairs. When his foot landed on the second step she called, “I’m going to Malfoy Manor. Don’t wait up.”

******

Narcissa was rocking Draco to sleep when the pounding started at the front door. Dobby popped in and bowed nervously, “Mistress, you is telling Dobby never to open the door for Miss Andromeda. Well… you see… she is being here.”

She stood on surprisingly steady legs and passed her small child to the house elf, “Thank you for telling me. Keep my son here until I return.” She turned calmly and walked into the long corridor to the main staircase. She was down three steps when she started running. Her soft satin slippers made no sound as she sprinted to the door where the pounding continued. She slid to a stop and grasped the silver door handle tight enough to turn her knuckles white. She wrenched it open and just stared at the woman standing on the other side with wild panic in her eyes.

Andromeda felt tears well up in her grey eyes again as she drank up the sight of her baby sister. The top layer of her once black hair had turned the same striking white blonde as all Malfoys, but everything else about her was the same as the last time they’d seen one another. She felt the trembling in her arms and legs begin once more as she sucked in a shuddering breath, “Cissa. I need your help.”

Narcissa was soaking up her sister’s appearance as well. She was just as trim as she always had been despite having a nine-year-old. A green silk scarf was still tied around her wild black curls from sleep. Narcissa stepped back far enough to allow her sister entry and wasn’t expecting to be scooped up in a crushing embrace. She patted Andromeda’s back in stunned silence until she stepped back again. She opened her mouth to ask what she was doing there, and said something completely different, “What do you need, Andi?”

Andromeda nearly collapsed in relief, “Albus took Harry. We can’t find him.”

Narcissa stepped back in surprise, “The Potter boy?”

Andromeda turned and tried to open the front door to leave, “I knew this was a mistake. Ted is always the optimist.”

Narcissa stopped her with a hand on her arm, “Please,” she begged, “I didn’t mean it that way. We have not subscribed to those thoughts for some time. I was merely surprised. Please, come in.” She led the way to her favorite room in the house. The solarium was filled with natural light streaming in from the walls of windows and the glass ceiling. Vibrant tropical plants and trees were in full bloom all around them despite the November chill in the air. She called for Bell and ordered tea and pastries before looking at her estranged sister once more, “Tell me everything.”

Andromeda sank onto a soft green loveseat and accepted the steaming tea placed in her hands by the small elf. “Lily and James named Sirius, Alice and Frank as the godparents for Harry when he was born. Frank and Alice named Lily and James for their son.” Her voice shook and she had to pause to take a bracing sip of tea. “They asked Ted and me if we would agree to be backup godparents after some news came to light recently. We obviously agreed straight away. Ted and I have struggled to have children our entire marriage. We would love for Nymphadora to have a sibling! We were going to sign everything tomorrow,” her explanation was cut off by another wave of sobbing.

Narcissa moved to the seat beside her sister and held her close for the first time in years, “Everything is going to be okay. We’ll fix this together.”

Andromeda wailed, “They locked up Sirius and won’t tell us anything! They say he killed that shitty little Pettigrew and thirteen muggles! Albus took Harry away from Siri and told him it was best for the boy to go somewhere safer. Then Sirius went crazy and killed fourteen people. I just don’t believe it, Cissa. Not one word of it. Ted heard a rumor that Albus was going to hide Harry in the muggle world for his safety. We cannot allow that to happen.”

Narcissa rocked them slowly as she thought about their plight. She was stroking her sister’s hair soothingly, the scarf long gone, when an idea struck. It was completely insane, but there didn’t seem to be any other way. “We’ll ask Severus. He knew Lily when they were children. Perhaps he would know of a muggle family member who could take a baby.”

Andromeda sniffled and pulled back enough to look into her sister’s grey eyes, “What will we do once we find him? He’ll be too recognizable for Ted and I to keep. Everyone knew Lily and Jamie’s wishes, they would know straight away.”

They were both startled when Lucius’ voice came to them from the door, “We’ll raise him as Draco’s twin. There is hardly a month between their births and we have kept him sequestered after losing... No one would suspect he was the Potter child if a blood adoption were performed.”

Andromeda’s spine straightened and her lips pinched tight before she said, “Why would you, of all people, offer to raise the child? Your master was convinced Harry was some chosen child destined to kill him! How could I possibly trust you? Even if I do trust my sister, I will never trust you, Lucius Malfoy.”

Narcissa felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. “We lost a daughter,” her voice was barely a whisper but it still stopped the two in their tracks. “Cassiopeia was only three days old when… She came three months too soon. Draco was an unexpected surprise eleven months later.”

Andromeda hesitated for a breath. Her first instinct was to snap back, but she could feel her sister’s pain. The same misery was reflected in Lucius’ eyes. “We could go to Grimmauld and find the ritual book in the library. A simple blood adoption in the Ministry isn’t going to be enough.” Her grey eyes were soft as she looked at her sister. They hardened like steel as she looked at her brother-in-law, “I’m tempted to ask for an unbreakable vow from you.”

Lucius kept his hands clasped behind his back and bowed stoically, “I would happily acquiesce. No child will ever be harmed by my hands or actions. Severus warned the Dark Lord of a false prophecy concocted by Dumbledore. He was to be sent as an envoy to tell the Potters about the old man’s plot when all hell broke loose the other night. None of the attacks were supposed to happen. I- I will never ask for your forgiveness, I know I do not deserve it. I have made mistakes and I regret them terribly.”

She observed him in silence for several long seconds as her sister continued stroking her hair. At last, she said, “The ritual I speak of will remove all traces of the Potters from him. If you fail to take him to Gringotts before his eleventh birthday, he will lose the inheritance left to him by his true parents. I expect you to treat him as if he is truly your son.”

Lucius took a hesitant step into the room and shuffled his feet in an uncharacteristic show of nerves, “He will be just as loved and cherished as our own son. No child will ever find harm at my hands.”

Andromeda inhaled slowly before standing and thrusting out her hand, “I will hold you to it, Lucius. Now that you’re here, there are some less savory things we should discuss. Or would you rather we do that with Ted present?”

He inclined his head a touch and raised one sculpted brow, “Will I be needing a solicitor?”

Her smile didn’t reach her eyes as she quipped, “Hopefully not! We need to get Sirius out of Azkaban.”

Blue eyes lit with amusement as he took the chair across from the loveseat the sisters were sharing, “I must admit, I am intrigued. Sirius was never fond of me, he may cause trouble if I retrieve him.”

Narcissa patted her sister’s knee affectionately, “Don’t worry about a thing, darling. I’ll take care of it.” Her grey eyes shifted anxiously as she called for Dobby, “Would you please bring Draco down? I’d like him to meet his aunt.” The elf popped away and returned a blink later with a toddler not much smaller than he was. The child wriggled out of the elf’s grasp and toddled to his mother with arms open, “Andi, I’d like you to meet my son, Draco.”

Andromeda let her tears flow as she looked at the perfect child, “Oh, you sweet boy! We’re going to have a brother for you soon. Won’t that be nice?”

Lucius stood and bowed slightly to the women, “I’ll let you continue catching up. I need to contact Severus.”

He smiled to himself as he walked toward his office. It had been a long time since he’d seen his wife smile like that. Adopting a child to be a companion to his son hadn’t ever crossed his mind, but now he could think of nothing else. There was an old curse on the Malfoy family that allowed for only one biological child to survive birth. There hadn’t been a female child born to the Malfoys in centuries and they’d been so excited when they learned Narcissa was carrying a girl. Cassiopeia was born too early after a stray spell hit Narcissa during a Death Eater meeting. That was the night Tom changed. That was the night Tom became the Lord Voldemort of everyone’s nightmares. 

He stepped into his office and tossed a pinch of floo powder into the fireplace from the jar he kept on the mantle. He called out for Spinner’s End and hoped the man he needed was there. He released a breath he didn’t even know he was holding when Severus’ feet came into view. The dour man’s face dropped down with the right eyebrow cocked in the only show of emotion that ever graced it. “Lucius, what a… pleasant… surprise. What can I do for you?”

Lucius wanted to bash his head against the fireplace more than he wanted to ask his friend for help. “Would you have the time to come through for a drink?” 

Severus scowled deeper, “It’s not even noon. Get out of the way so I can come through.” 

Lucius scrambled back and summoned his best Firewhisky and two crystal glasses. The flames flared brighter green and Severus stepped into the office. Lucius handed him a full glass and sat down on the silver silk chaise his wife had so lovingly vanished out from under him so recently. “Thank you for coming. I need your help.”

Severus took a long drink of the whiskey before responding, “I didn’t think you invited me over for a chat about the good old days. What is it?”

Lucius prepared himself for the worst, which was most likely a quick and painless death, but still… he was ready for pain. “I need to know if Lily Potter had family Albus may have put Harry with.”

Severus nearly dropped the fine crystal glass. “ What? ”

Lucius sighed and waved his hand, “Let me explain. Andromeda is here.”

Severus tossed the rest of the liquor down his throat and waved his empty glass in front of him, “Andromeda hasn’t spoken to a single person from our crowd in years. What the devil is she doing here now?”

Lucius refilled the glasses with a flick of his wand and leaned forward conspiratorially, “She and Edward were supposed to be the boy’s guardians if Sirius wasn’t around. Edward can’t get information on Black’s charges, where he is, or anything even regarding his booking. He also cannot seem to find where the child was placed. Because it was not with Edward and Andromeda.”

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned, “I thought you were smarter than this, Lucius. Albus would immediately look at them as the culprits if anything happened to that child.”

Lucius took a slow sip of the aged cinnamon whisky and hummed, “Mhmm. We know. That’s why Narcissa and I are going to perform a ritual to make him Draco’s twin brother. How do you feel about having a second godchild?”

Severus sat up straight and looked at him with wide eyes, “You? Why… Lily delivered her son at the end of July. Draco was born in early June. Is it too much of a gap? How will you explain a second child?”

Lucius leaned back and crossed his legs, the picture of elegant grace, “No one outside our immediate circle knows anything about the birth. After losing Cassie, we decided to sequester out of fear. What better reason to hide than being concerned about losing two babies instead of one?”

Severus fell back into the cushions and exhaled in a blast, “The only family Lily or James had left would be Lily’s sister, Petunia. By the gods, man. You’ve doomed us.”

Chapter Text

Arabella Figg didn’t like to cause trouble. She just wanted to breed her kneazles and live in quiet peace. The magical world didn’t want her because she couldn’t make a wand work, and the muggle world didn’t want her because her magical parents refused to send her to muggle school. They were so sure she would make it into Hogwarts. And then she didn’t. She was promptly married off to old Fergus Figg the second she turned seventeen and left to figure out life as a muggle. Fergus died a year later, leaving her on her own. Kneazles were easy, though. 

She hadn’t lived on Wisteria Walk for long when the Dursley family had their baby. You could hear the little tike squalling all the way to the park! Oh, it made her want a wee babe of her own. Magical men wouldn’t date her because she couldn’t do magic, and the odds of her having a child with magic were slim to none. And she couldn’t risk marrying a muggle man and accidentally producing a magical child. She’d never forgive herself if she destroyed a person’s very idea of the world in such a way. No, her kneazles were just enough for her. 

She wasn’t expecting the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot to show up on her doorstep the evening of Samhain. But there he stood. The evening was just starting to feel a bit damp causing her to shiver as she looked up at the imposing figure. She clutched her housecoat tighter about herself and gulped, “W-would you like to come in, sir?”

Albus Dumbledore stepped into the modest living room and looked around curiously, “Good evening, Arabella. May I call you Arabella? I need your help with a small task.”

She busied herself making tea in her little kitchen while she tried not to panic, “I can’t imagine anything I could help you with, sir. I can’t even do magic.”

He waved a hand dismissively and leaned down to inspect the tufted ear of her sweet Mr. Bitty. “Magic isn’t needed. I merely need you to keep an eye on the Dursley family for me. I’ve had to leave their nephew in their care after a tragic accident took away his parents. Young Harry is roughly the same age as their son, so there shouldn’t be too much trouble adjusting. Send me a letter from time to time with updates and I will make sure you are well compensated. Sound good?”

She blinked several times at the man before she realized he was walking out the front door without hearing if she’d accepted or not. That was rather rude of him. She would pop over to the Dursley home with a pie in the morning and see how things looked before making a decision. 

The following morning found Arabella walking the short distance to Privet Drive with a warm apple pie. She knocked three times and stepped back to wait. Petunia Dursley yanked the door open with a fat blonde toddler perched on her hip and a sour look on her face. “I’m so sorry to intrude, dear. I had enough for an extra pie and thought your family might enjoy it. It’s just the three of you, right? Such a lovely family.”

Petunia sniffed and turned her nose up as if something smelled bad, “Yes, just the three of us. We’re rather busy at the moment…”

Arabella waved a hand and shoved her way into the house, “There’s no need to be embarrassed if your home is messy, dear. I’ll just take this to the kitchen for you.” She stomped confidently into the kitchen and sat the pie in the middle of the small round table. Her eyes were flicking everywhere looking for signs of the child Dumbledore told her should be here.

She pushed past Petunia again as the poor woman tried to enter her own kitchen to walk into the living room. Vernon Dursley was glaring at the television as the news anchor yammered on about wild parties and fireworks displays that apparently went on until the wee hours of the morning. “Well, good morning, Vernon! You’re looking well today. Has your November started off nicely?”

The man whipped his head around so fast that his jowls jiggled in the most hilarious way. “What are you doing in my house? Petunia? I told you to send whoever it was away!”

Petunia huffed impatiently and stomped her foot, “I didn’t invite her in! You need to leave. I told you, we are very busy.”

Arabella felt her heart stop as Petunia passed the baby to his father and began pushing her out of the house. As they passed the cupboard under the stairs in the entry a small cry could be heard from within. She ran back to her home and immediately wrote a letter to Albus Dumbledore. This was a disaster. She handed the envelope to Mr. Bitty anxiously, “Find an owl to deliver this as fast as you can, Bits.”

Two days passed with no reply from the man. Two days passed without any sign that the Dursley family had any new members. Two days passed with Arabella biting her nails to the quick wondering if she should contact the muggle authorities. And then, there was a development. Walking down the road toward Privet Drive were two men who were definitely magical. She rushed out onto her front step as they passed her house and called, “Yoohoo! Gentlemen, could I have a word with you?”

Lucius paused and put a hand on Severus' arm to stop him, “She’s got a kneazle.”

Arabella looked around nervously and waved for them to come in, “I have fresh biscuits. Come and have a spot of tea.”

The door closed behind them and Severus backed her against the wall, “What is it? Does Dumbledore have you watching the street for trespassers?”

Arabella shook her head and swallowed thickly, “No! Well, yes. But no! Oh goodness. I’m mucking it all up!”

Lucius pulled Severus away from the cowering woman and spoke in a gentler tone, “Take a deep breath and start over.”

She did exactly that. “He was here a few nights ago asking me to watch the Dursleys. He said he left their nephew with them. It’s Harry Potter, isn’t it? I’ve seen it all in the Prophet. It’s a crying shame what happened. I think the poor baby is in danger. I went there with a pie to try and get a look at him. He wasn’t there. Only…”

Lucius sighed and waved a hand, “We’re not on Dumbledore’s side. You need to be aware that anything you say will be used to destroy his plans. We will not be leaving the child in that household.”

Her eyes widened in fear, “Are you going to hurt the boy?”

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily, “No. But Petunia will. I grew up with the woman and I can attest to how foul she is. She hates anything and everything magic. We are here to save the child.”

Arabella closed her eyes and blew out a long breath, “I think they put him in the cupboard under the stairs. I heard a faint cry before I was shoved out of the house.”

Lucius reeled back as if she’d slapped him, “What? They wouldn’t dare! Severus.”

Severus ripped the front door open and stormed out of the woman’s house. He called over his shoulder, “We’ll be back. Do not call the Aurors or the muggle authorities until we tell you to.”

He practically ran the rest of the way to Number Four Privet Drive. He could hear Lucius’ footsteps slapping the pavement behind him, but still couldn’t force himself to slow down. Lily’s child was in danger. He slammed his fist on the door and stepped back to wait. Lucius stopped beside him and put a hand on his lower back briefly in a rare show of support. The door was wrenched open to reveal a man who was as wide as he was tall. 

The mustachioed hippopotamus looked up and scowled, “No solicitors! Get off my porch!”

Lucius caught the door with his foot before the odious man could slam it shut in their faces, “My apologies, sir. We aren’t here to sell you anything. We’ve come to check on the well-being of your nephew.”

Dursely’s round face flushed a brilliant shade of crimson as he tried in vain to push the door closed, “I haven’t got any nephews. You need to leave!”

Severus had had enough. He shoved the rotund beast out of the way and forced his way into the house. “PETUNIA! Petunia Rebecca Evans, you bring your scrawny arse out here right this second, or I will kill your disgusting husband where he stands!”

A woman who looked more like a horse than a human pushed her way through the kitchen door with a sour look already on her face. “Severus Snape? What the hell are you doing here? Get out!”

Lucius leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest, “While this reunion is extremely entertaining, I’d like to know where Harry is. He is the reason we’re here.”

Vernon blustered and slammed the front door closed, “What is the meaning of this!? There are no children here other than our son! You people need to leave at once! Petunia, call the police.”

Severus stuck the tip of his wand into Vernon’s fat cheek and pressed hard enough for a bead of blood to trickle down into the folds of his fat neck, “Wrong answer. Lucius, check the cupboard.” 

Petunia screeched as her son started crying upstairs, “Don’t hurt my son! Please. I beg you. Do anything you want to us. Just don’t hurt my baby.”

Lucius shoved her aside and opened the cupboard door ignoring the cries of the baby upstairs, the sobs of the mother, and the screaming rage of the father. His breath exploded out of him when he looked in the small space of the cupboard under the stairs. Curled up in the fetal position on a pile of winter coats was a small child with messy black hair. The baby was only wearing a nappy and was shivering with fever; a crusty scab marred his pale forehead. Lucius scooped him up and held the small form to his chest as he rounded on the still-sobbing woman, “How could you do this to your own flesh and blood? He’s your nephew!”

Severus finally gave in to his own rage and punched Vernon Dursley square on the nose. He smiled viciously as he felt the cartilage crunch under his fist. He stepped over the man after he collapsed to the floor howling in pain as blood poured through his fingers. He took the stairs three at a time and was at the top in a breath. He found the source of the crying and picked up an overweight child from the crib tucked under the window. The baby stopped crying immediately and blinked up at him with wide blue eyes. Severus carried the baby down the stairs and stopped out of reach of both parents. 

Lucius could see that Severus was shaking with the effort it was taking him not to kill the couple right there and then. He sighed in relief as the baby he was holding in his own arms stopped trembling, “Their fate is in your hands, Severus. We’ve got what we came for.”

Severus looked at the child in his arms and felt his heart clench, “Kill them and torch the house. We’ll find a home for this one.”

Lucius nodded once and cast the spell that would instantly end the life of Vernon Dursley. There was a flash of green light and the man slumped over lifeless. Petunia wailed and fell to the ground to clutch his corpse to her chest. Lucius rolled his eyes and cast the spell a second time. Severus cast a disillusionment charm over himself and the child he was carrying and walked out the front door. Lucius shifted his own child in his arms and sent a spark of fire to ignite below an electrical outlet. By the time the two men and two babies had walked the short distance to Arabella’s house on Wisteria Walk, Number Four Privet Drive was a towering inferno and sirens could be heard in the distance.

Arabella stood in her doorway clutching her shawl close to her throat as she watched flames lick at the sky one street over. She sighed with relief when she saw the forms of the two men shimmer into existence at the end of her driveway. She stepped aside and let them back in without saying a word. She couldn’t put into words how happy she was to see baby Dudley as well as baby Harry with them. 

Lucius called for Dobby before addressing the homeowner. When the elf popped in and squeaked over the state of the baby, he patted the little being’s head and said, “Yes, Dobby. Harry has been neglected these past few days. We will be bringing him home soon. Please have a warm bottle of milk with restorative potions and a warm bath prepared. We need to speak with Ms. Figg before we return.” The elf nodded once and popped away. Lucius turned his attention to Severus and quietly asked, “What do you want to do with him?”

Severus blinked down at the child currently holding a fistful of his inky black hair, “I wasn’t planning on leaving with a second child. I… I cannot take him.”

Arabella took a cautious step forward and put a hand on the man’s arm, “I could raise him. I won’t stay here, so no one suspects.”

Lucius could see the spark of hope in his friend’s eyes, “There is a home on my property that was meant for a caretaker. It’s been empty for a number of years. I’ll have a team of elves pack up your things and move them there. Can we apparate out of here?”

She scooped up Mr. Bitty and clutched him to her side, “I was never able to get anyone here to set wards.” 

The three adults, two children, and kneazle disappeared with a loud crack as the house on Privet Drive exploded. 

******

Narcissa and Andromeda stepped out of the fireplace of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place together. Before they could take a single step farther there was a loud CRACK announcing the arrival of a house elf. Kreacher fell at their feet and wailed, “Mistresses have come to rescue Kreacher! Kreacher has been alone and so scared! Will Mistresses take Kreacher away from here?”

Andromeda stroked the panicking elf’s head and crouched down, “Peace, Kreacher. You will not be left alone. You may come home with me until Sirius is free to return home.”

Kreacher pulled away and scowled, “Mistress Walburga would be so disappointed if Master Sirius takes over the family. Wouldn’t you be able to take it, Mistress Andromeda?”

She let her expression turn stern as she stood, “Sirius is the rightful heir and will take his seat. Now, please go find the book on adoption rituals in the hidden section of the library. We haven’t the time to hunt for it.”

Narcissa sighed and sat down heavily on a dusty sofa, “I hope everything is going well for Severus and Lucius. I’m so worried for Harry.”

Andromeda took her sister’s hand and squeezed it, “We’ll be back at the manor shortly. I’m sure we’ll hear from them soon.”

Kreacher popped back into the room with a heavy tome clutched to his chest, “Kreacher is finding the book for Mistresses. Can Kreacher be leaving here now? Kreacher promises to be good and not complain about Master Sirius.”

Narcissa nodded and stood, “Yes, Kreacher. Go to Andromeda’s home and tell her husband that you were tasked with retrieving him and their daughter. Take them directly to Malfoy Manor. We shall meet you there.”

The two sisters went back through the green flames into the receiving room at Malfoy Manor and waited for the elf to arrive with his charges. It was only a moment before they appeared before them. Ted rushed to his wife and clasped her hands in his, “What’s happened?”

Andromeda embraced him and pulled her daughter close, “We don’t know yet. Lucius and Severus went to the only place Severus could think of. Narcissa and I have just returned from getting the grimoire.” She looked up at her sister and smiled softly, “Narcissa, I’d like you to meet Nymphadora.”

Narcissa laughed brightly as the little girl’s hair shifted from black to red as she shouted, “Don’t call me Nymphadora!” She blushed furiously as she turned to her aunt, “I’m sorry, Auntie. Please call me Dora.”

Narcissa knelt down and opened her arms, “I promise I will only call you Dora if you call me Auntie Cissa.” Her smile brightened when the little girl’s hair turned pale pink. “Come with me. I’d like you to meet your cousin Draco.”

Andromeda tugged Ted’s hand to get him to follow them to the solarium. “Have you considered what you’ll call the new member of the family?”

Narcissa sat down on her favorite sofa and pulled her niece onto the seat beside her. She called for Bell to bring Draco down from the nursery before answering her sister. “It’s all happened so quickly. Have you any ideas, Andi?”

Dora squealed in delight when the elf returned with a small child. The little tike walked to their couch on wobbly legs and she pulled him into her lap with a bright smile, “Is this my cousin? Oh! I never thought I’d get to meet you. You’re such a darling little dragon. Mummy told me your name is Draco. That’s one of my favorite constellations. I don’t know why she didn’t name me after a constellation like the rest of our family, or flowers like her and her sisters. You know another great constellation? Hydrus!”

The two mothers watched in amusement as the little girl chattered to her baby cousin. Draco beamed up at the older girl and shouted, “Hyrie!”

Narcissa’s smile widened as she said, “I believe my niece has just named her newest cousin.”

The sound of hurried footsteps coming toward them drew their attention away from the children. Narcissa and Andromeda shot out of their seats as Severus and Lucius rushed into the room. Ted pulled Dora and Draco to the corner of the room and started producing colorful bubbles from the tip of his wand for them to play with. He’d taken one look at the pale naked child held in Lucius’ arms and knew this wasn’t something the children needed to see. He was startled when Severus crouched down and handed another child into his arms. 

Severus grimaced as the child refused to let go of his hair, “I hope you don’t mind taking another. I need to get my potions bag.”

Ted took the round child and smiled down reassuringly, “What’s the little tike’s name?”

Arabella sat down beside him and smiled through her tears, “His name is Dudley, but I believe he’ll be needing a change, too.” She turned her attention to the older child, “You wouldn’t happen to have any ideas for him, would you?”

Dora grinned and wriggled until she was facing her dad while still holding her cousin, “Oh! He’s got blond hair, too. Just not as white as Draco’s. Dudley is a nice name, but if he has to have a new one you could call him Devin. I read it in a book.”

Arabella returned the girl’s smile, “Devin is a lovely name, dear.”

Severus hurried to where Narcissa and Lucius had laid Harry on a table. Andromeda was wringing her hands and pacing. He sat his bag down and looked up at Narcissa, “What do your scans say?”

Narcissa swallowed her anger and passed the parchment she’d produced to him, “He hasn’t eaten in three days. His natural magic was keeping his nappy clean, but his internal temperature is dangerously low and his magical core is draining too quickly. There’s… there’s something tied to the cut on his head. I just don’t know what.”

Severus removed nutrient potions, a temperature regulation potion, and a restorative potion from his bag. He was thankful that Lucius had thought to have the elf prepare the warm milk ahead of time. He took the bottle, poured the correct dose of each potion in, and shook it. He passed the bottle to the waiting mother and stepped back.

Narcissa scooped the child into her arms and pressed the nipple of the bottle to his lips. He was a little old to drink milk this way, but he instantly accepted it and gulped the warm liquid down. She swayed in place and spoke in a soft tone to the feverish baby, “There, my sweet Hydrus. You’ll feel better in no time. Shh.”

Andromeda fell back on the sofa and removed the grimoire from her bag. She opened the heavy cover and held her open palm flat against the fist page while thinking of the ritual they needed. The pages fluttered until they’d found what she wanted. She looked up at Lucius and said, “There are things that are extremely illegal.”

He took the book and scanned the page, “We have everything in our stores. We can be ready within the hour. We must hurry before the old man can track him.”

Chapter Text

Narcissa held Harry close to her chest as she walked into the ritual room hidden below the dungeon in the manor. Lucius was beside her with Draco held in his arms. They placed the sleeping boys in the center of the circle and began lighting the candles around the outside. Seven drops of blood from each parent went into the stone bowl between the boys. She took Harry’s hand and pricked his middle finger to add seven drops of blood while Lucius did the same with Draco. 

She placed the blood of a unicorn, willingly given, in next and swirled the contents three times anti-clockwise. Lucius added the powdered quills of a rare volcanic porcupine and waited twelve seconds before stirring thirteen times. Last, the shell of a phoenix egg was crushed and added to the bowl. Lucius dipped a paintbrush made from the tail of a thestral into the mix and carefully drew a complicated rune circle in the center of Draco’s chest. When he was finished, he repeated the process on Harry. 

The couple joined hands and spoke in unison, “We call upon the gods of life and death! We call upon the protectors of children and the innocent! This child has no family. We ask that he join our family as brother to our own son. We vow to protect him and raise him as our own. He will be equal to our own son in every way. We vow to take him for his inheritance on the day of his natural birth to claim his birthright as the last of the Potter line.”

An otherworldly voice rang out in the stone chamber making the hair on their arms and the backs of their necks stand up, “And what shall you call this child?”

Narcissa shuddered and held her gaze on the bowl between the boys, “He will be known as Hydrus Nigellus Malfoy.”

Before the gods could announce their decision, the two boys’ hands met and clasped together. Their eyes flew open and light flashed. Harry’s hair suddenly shifted to white-blond as Draco’s turned black and curly, while their eyes also swapped colors before blinking back to normal. The voice chuckled and rolled around the room, “It appears the bairn have made the choice for us. Their Fates are forever tied. Draco Lucius Malfoy and Hydrus Nigellus Malfoy will be as twins. And when the time comes, they will take the Potter name together. Life and Death have blessed them this day. They have blessed you, as well; for your family’s curse has been broken.”

Lucius doubled over and gasped as a sharp pain ripped him in half. As quick as it started, it stopped. The deep ringing of a gong sounded around them as Lucius was compelled to say, “As long as the Weasley family persists, no Malfoy shall have more than one child that survives.” He grasped the side of his head as pain lanced through it. Again, he was compelled to speak, “No Weasley shall prosper as long as the curse they placed on the Malfoys continues!”

Far away, Arthur Weasley doubled over and grasped his belly as pain tore through it. Molly was feeding Ginny and nearly dropped her as he gasped, “As long as the Weasley family persists, no Malfoy shall have more than one child that survives.” He grasped the side of his head as pain ripped through it. Again, he was compelled to speak, “No Weasley shall prosper as long as the curse they placed on the Malfoys continues!” 

Molly stood slowly and laid Ginny in her cot. She turned to her husband and put her hands on his shoulders. She looked into panicked blue eyes and said, “That was the curses ending! Lucius and Narcissa must have had a second baby!”

Arthur shook his head nervously and stammered, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Mollywobbles. I- I’ll see if I can find L-L-Lucius at the Ministry tomorrow.”

She kissed his forehead and sighed as Ron started crying in his room, “I’ll get him. You stay here with Ginevra.”

******

Lucius and Narcissa carried their sons out of the ritual room and back up to the solarium on the ground floor. Dora was curled up asleep on one sofa with her head in her dad’s lap. Andromeda was pacing behind them. Severus was nervously pruning plants around the room with Arabella holding a basket to collect the trimmings. Upon closer inspection, Dudley was curled up in the curve of Dora’s belly and legs. 

Dobby popped into the room and whispered, “Dobby will be taking the children to the nursery. Bell and Dobby have prepared extra beds. Will the Master and Mistress be keeping the twins with them?”

Lucius nodded wearily and collapsed on his wife’s favorite sofa, “Yes, Dobby. Thank you. I believe we’ll keep them with us through the night.”

Dora sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily, “They look just alike now! Wicked.” Her jaw cracked in a wide yawn causing Dobby to tut and sweep the girl and baby off to put them to bed. 

Andromeda chuckled and sat down beside her husband taking the newly vacant seat, “I’m so pleased to see it went well. We were starting to worry.”

Narcissa threaded her fingers through Harry’s hair and sighed, “We were visited by the gods. I think they were… pleased by the ritual. The Malfoy curse has ended.”

Ted laughed and covered his mouth when the sleeping babies jumped, “That means the Weasley curse has, as well. I think I’ll pay Arthur a visit tomorrow.”

Lucius quirked an eyebrow and hummed contemplatively, “Would it be a bother if I came along? I may have a business proposition he’d be interested in.”

Narcissa rolled her eyes and stood back up, “It will have to wait. Have Dobby and Bell shown you to rooms? Arabella, we will take you to your new home first thing in the morning.”

They all separated to guest rooms that had been empty for far too long and slept peacefully for the first time since the war began. 

******

Narcissa woke first and bolted upright in bed. Something was tickling at the back of her brain… and then… she remembered. “Harry!” She darted out of bed across the room to look down into the cot they kept in their suite in case Draco needed to be closer to them. Lying side-by-side, Harry and Draco were fast asleep with their hands clasped between them. She relaxed more when she felt her husband’s arms slide around her waist from behind. 

He placed a kiss below her ear and whispered, “They slept through the night like this. I checked at least a half dozen times.” While they swayed in a dance with no music, a pair of brilliant green eyes and a pair of shining silver eyes popped open, “Are you ready to start your day as the mother of twins?”

She scooped up Harry and handed him to her husband before picking Draco up and perching him on her hip, “We have a house to renovate.”

Narcissa tossed floo powder into the fireplace in their room and called out for Willow Cottage. Lucius followed her through and summoned Dobby. The elf popped into the room and huffed, “Dobby will be getting breakfast for you and the babies. Bell will direct the guests here to join you. Miss Arabella is already awake with baby Devin. They will be here soon.”

By the time the small living room was filled with people Narcissa had removed all of the curtains and drapes and was working her way through emptying various shelves around the house. Arabella sat Dudley at the table with the twins and selected some fruits for his plate. She tutted as the boy reached for the plate of bacon, “Now, dearie. I think we’ll be working on your diet for a while. Have a nice slice of melon, Devin.”

Dora skipped over to the three babies and sat down beside Devin, “I’ll help him pick good foods, ma’am! You can go do grown-up things with Mum and Auntie Cissa. I’ve always wanted a little sibling or cousin to play with. Now, I have three!”

Andromeda stroked her daughter’s lavender curls and smiled softly, “You’ll be the best cousin to Draco, Hydrus, and Devin.” She took Arabella’s elbow and gently guided her to the gathered adults, “Now, Ted and I were talking last night, and it wouldn’t do for Dumbledore to learn that you’ve run away and stolen a child. We wondered if you would agree to joining the Tonks family?”

Narcissa laughed and wrapped an arm around her sister’s shoulders, “Lucius and I were discussing the same thing! We were going to offer either Malfoy or Black to them. Well, Arabella. It looks as if you and Devin have plenty of family!”

The woman in question put her hands to her cheeks and flushed, “I- I’ll need time to decide. I want to make sure we’re doing what’s best for Devin. I hope you don’t mind.”

Narcissa took her hand and started leading her upstairs with Andromeda bringing up the rear. Ted shook his head in amusement and laughed, “We won’t see them for hours. Will your elf be able to handle four rambunctious little tikes, Lucius?”

Lucius nodded and called for Dobby and Bell, “These two are our primary nanny elves. They should be able to manage. Are we making our escape to the Ministry?”

Severus sniffed and drawled, “I should probably return to Spinner’s End. Albus was supposed to come for a visit to discuss my position at the school. Thanks to Lucius claiming I was here with Narcissa as her protector, I will not be arrested and charged.”

Ted widened his eyes and stumbled on the way to the floo, “You would go back to working for him after all he’s done?”

Severus’ face broke out in a malicious grin, “What better way to keep track of his movements than working with him?”

Lucius shook his head and frowned, “You don’t need to continue acting as a spy. Live for yourself for once.”

Ted watched the two battle with nothing more than the look in their eyes for several long moments. At last, Severus turned his head to the side and sighed, “Not yet. Someday.” He tossed floo powder into the flames and whirled away in a pillar of green fire. 

Lucius took a deep breath and turned to his brother-in-law, “I believe we have a prisoner to get released.”

Ted smiled reassuringly and clapped a hand on Lucius’ shoulder, “My receptionist is a whizz. I was woken this morning by an owl tapping on the window. Lizzy was able to get Sirius’ file. They haven’t even interrogated him yet.”

Lucius smiled victoriously, “He’s been in Ministry holding for more than forty-eight hours without being questioned? They’ll have to release him if they don’t want the wrath of the Sacred Twenty-Eight coming down on their heads.”

The two men hurried through the floo to the Ministry after that. The harried security guard at the reception desk blinked several times in confusion when they walked up together and then walked to the lifts together. They passed through the doors into the Minister’s office and stopped before the Senior Undersecretary’s desk. Lucius put his hands behind his back and lifted his eyebrows slightly, “We would like to speak with Minister Bagnold immediately.”

Undersecretary Gibbon stammered, “Er… you see… the Minister is v-very busy right now. Could I possibly schedule you to see her in, say, a week?”

Ted tipped his head to the side and raised the volume of his voice just loud enough for the Aurors in the bullpen to take notice, “I don’t believe that will work for us, Gary. You see, I have it on good authority that multiple members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight are being held without questioning.”

Gary Gibbon shot out of his chair waving his hands, “Shh! Not so loud! Just a minute, please.” He ducked into the office behind him and whispered harshly to the Minister within. He was back in a flash, sweating profusely and smiling nervously, “The Minister will see you!”

Lucius and Ted stepped past the man into the office and closed the door in his face. Ted turned around and smiled genially, “Good morning, Minister Bagnold! I think it might be time for a chat.”

Millicent Bagnold steepled her fingers under her chin and grimaced at the men, “Should we be concerned that you’ve sought council, Lord Malfoy? I must admit, I never thought I’d see the day you worked willingly with a muggle-born.”

Lucius sat down in the chair across from her and crossed his legs before responding, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, madam. Edward is my brother-in-law and one of the best solicitors around. Do you intend to distract us from our purpose with small talk, or shall we cut to the chase?”

She sighed and leaned back in her chair, “Fine. Which members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight are you miffed about not being questioned? You know I cannot release Bellatrix or either of the Lestrange brothers. They were caught red-handed casting Unforgivables on the Longbottoms.”

Lucius waved a hand nonchalantly, “Let them rot. They enjoy causing pain just a little too much for my liking. No. I want Sirius Black.”

Her eyes flew to Ted and she gasped, “You can’t believe I would turn him over to you! He murdered thirteen muggles and Peter Pettigrew in cold blood!”

Ted threaded his fingers over his knee and hummed, “Mhmm. And have you personally heard his Veritaserum verified confession?”

She opened and closed her mouth several times like a fish out of water before saying, “I… have not.” She massaged her forehead and furrowed her brow, “I feel so odd.” She shook her head to clear the fog and looked back at the men across from her, “Come with me. We’re getting this over with now.” 

She stormed out of her office with the two following in her wake. The holding cells for prisoners were only a short walk down the corridor. She turned into the door and demanded Sirius be taken to an interrogation room immediately. 

The Auror behind the counter flipped through the log book, gulped, and looked up from the pages, “He was taken directly to Azkaban upon his arrest. Sirius Black was never brought in for proper questioning.”

Millicent’s face lost all color as she leaned on the counter heavily and growled, “Who booked him?”

The Auror slid his finger across the parchment and stuttered, “A-Albus Dumbledore”

Color rushed back into her face and she screamed, “I want Black in my office in ten minutes or I’m sacking the entire department and starting over from scratch!” She spun around, stomped back down the hall, and slammed back into her office. She fell into her chair and ran her hands through her hair in agitation. “What the fuck is he thinking? He’s the Chief Warlock! He knows he can’t send anyone to Azkaban without a proper trial!”

Lucius and Ted sat silently watching the Minister for Magic fume as they waited for the prisoner to arrive. Soon enough, they could hear the Aurors in the bullpen gasping in shock as someone was dragged through the room and shoved into the Minister’s office. Ted gasped and jumped out of his seat yelling, “What have they done to him? No prisoner should look like this after only three days!”

Sirius fell to his knees at Ted’s feet and started pleading, “Ted! Oh, gods, Ted. You have to get me outta here. I didn’t betray them! It was Peter!” His face was caked with filth and tears were making tracks through the dirt. Long black hair was matted and it was clear he hadn’t had anything to eat or drink in days. 

Millicent sobbed behind her desk, “I had no idea! I don’t deserve this office!” She took a few shuddering breaths before wrenching open her desk drawer and pulling out a bag of potions. She thrust the bag across the desk to Lucius and said, “I’m shaking too hard to find anything without breaking phials. There should be plenty of restoratives and pain potions in there. There’s a bottle of Veritaserum, too.”

Sirius scrambled back and fell on his rump when he registered the other man in the room, “What the fuck is Lucy doing here?”

Lucius handed him a phial and sighed heavily, “There’s too much to discuss right now, Sirius. We can clear the air of our personal grievances once you’re cleared of murder and treason charges.”

Sirius took the phial skeptically and sniffed the contents. He realized it was just a nutrient potion and gulped it down, sagging with the relief of his hunger pangs subsiding. “Gimme the Veritaserum now. I want this over with so I can go get my godson.”

Ted waved his wand to clean the dirt and grime off of Sirius, then helped him into the chair between his own and Lucius’. He took the phial of truth serum and dropped three drops onto the outstretched tongue. Minister Bagnold rested her chin on her fist and started the interrogation, “What is your name?”

“Sirius Orion Black.”

“Who was secret keeper for Lily and James Potter?”

“Peter Pettigrew!”

Millicent tapped her wand on a blank piece of parchment and quill to start dictation, “Do you now, or have you ever followed Lord Voldemort?”

Sirius thrust his left arm forward and ripped the striped sleeve of his prison uniform back, “Never!”

“Did you kill thirteen muggles and Peter Pettigrew?”

“No. Peter cut his little finger off and cast Bombarda at a propane tank after casting an overpowered tickling charm at me.”

“Can you tell us from beginning to end what happened on the night you were arrested?”

“I went to Lily and Jamie’s as soon as I heard the first call come into the Auror office that there were riots starting around the country. Their house was already blown to pieces. I found Hagrid in the yard holding Harry. He- he said Dumbledore sent him to take Harry to a safe place. I demanded he give my godson to me, but he refused. That’s when I went to find Peter. I knew it had to be him. Remus is in Russia on a mission for Albus. Peter was running, like the rat he is!” His eyes were wild as he leaned forward and clasped the Minister’s hand, “No, you don’t understand. He’s actually a rat! Jaime, Peter, and me… we all became Animagi so we could be with Remus during the full moon at Hogwarts. He’s a rat. And he turned into his Animagus form after blowing up the tank. The next thing I remember is waking up in a cell in Azkaban.”

Millicent summoned a bottle of Firewhisky from a shelf and filled four glasses, “Mother of Merlin. Either this is all deep cover-up by Albus, or there’s something else going on here. Sirius, I’m so sorry for everything that’s been done to you. You are free to leave here. Your testimony will be filed appropriately as proof that you are innocent of all charges. I will be filing for compensation for your troubles.”

Sirius fell back in his chair, covered his face with his hands, and sobbed. Ted wrapped an arm around him and shushed him. He turned his head to the Minister and asked, “Could we use your private floo? I don’t think it would be wise to walk out of here through the whole Ministry.”

She waved a hand and sighed, “Go. I’ll take care of this. I’m setting Alastor as the lead investigator. He’ll have the other prisoners questioned correctly.”

Sirius was still too distraught to do anything but follow. He didn’t even hear when Lucius called for Willow Cottage. When they stepped into a light airy living room with women chattering and children laughing he was finally shaken out of his stupor. His breath exploded out of him when he saw Narcissa and Andromeda sitting on the floor with three toddlers and a larger child coloring with crayons. He fell to his knees as the two women bolted toward him. 

Lucius and Ted sat down with Arabella and told her what they’d experienced at the Ministry while the three cousins reunited. Arabella, in turn, told them about their morning redecorating Willow Cottage with the four children. At last, Sirius was pulled off of the floor by his cousins and relocated to a sofa covered in patchwork quilts. 

The newly free man eyed Lucius and Ted warily and said, “I understand why Ted came to my rescue, but I can’t figure out what you had to gain from it, Lucy.” His eyes flashed to the four children still playing with crayons and something flared in his chest, “Those eyes.”

Narcissa patted his hand and called for Kreacher. The elf popped in and gasped in shock at the sight of his master. “Kreacher, go into the kitchen and prepare something hearty for Lord Black. He’s going to need strength for what he’s about to learn.”

Chapter Text

Severus had just finished brewing another batch of restorative draughts when someone knocked on his front door. He cast a barrier over the cauldron to allow it to cool safely without anything falling in. He rolled his eyes when the person at the door began knocking more vigorously as he climbed the stairs from the cellar where he had his lab. Spinner’s End was a small dilapidated house that was only held together by magic, but it was the only home he’d ever known. 

He pulled the door open to reveal the person he expected to see. He feigned surprise and greeted his guest, “Headmaster. To what do I owe such an impromptu visit?”

Albus cast his eyes around the shabby entrance and chirped, “Ah! Severus, my boy! You hadn’t responded to my owls and I was beginning to be concerned. No one has seen you since the events the other evening. Were you not arrested? You’re a known Death Eater.”

Severus held the door open and waved the man inside, “You could say that a little bit louder. I don’t think the neighbors heard you. No. I was not arrested. I was with Narcissa Malfoy protecting her during the riots. Lucius accounted for my whereabouts and the Aurors accepted it as proof that I was not involved.”

Albus clapped his hands together and beamed, “That’s marvelous! I’d heard rumors that Lucius was offering assistance to the Ministry during the debacle instead of supporting your lord. Have you heard anything from that crowd about Voldemort’s location?”

Severus quirked his right eyebrow and hummed, “No. As far as anyone is aware, he was killed by the explosion at the Potter residence.”

Albus’ gaze grew skeptical as he narrowed his eyes at Severus, “Yes. I’m so sorry for your loss, Severus. You know I did everything in my power to protect them.”

Severus took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, “Lily was the best friend I ever had. She was like a sister to me. Her loss will be felt by many. Tell me, is her son alive and well?”

Albus relaxed and rocked back on his heels as he said, “I assure you, young Harry is in the best place he possibly could be. He will be raised unaware of what he has done, far from the magical world. It would be too much for a child to bear.” He stroked his hands down his long white beard and changed the subject abruptly, “I know things are still in upheaval, but I am already working to reopen Hogwarts. Your skills will be needed.”

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and said, “Sir, with all due respect, are you mad? Half of the students have just lost family members to Death Eaters while the other half have lost family members to prison because they are Death Eaters. I am on thin ice! The only reason I’m not sitting in a Ministry holding cell is because Lucius Malfoy begged me to guard his family. What happened to protecting me as your spy? No. This wasn’t about that. I will come back to teach if you are unable to find another Potions Master willing, but not a moment before. You evacuated the school and left me to fend for myself.”

Albus could hardly contain his surprise. The boy had never spoken to him in such a way! “I am sorry, my boy. I will send you an owl when I know more. I shall leave you to your grieving. Though… I do hope you are mourning your friend and not your lost master.”

Severus opened the door for the old man to leave and muttered, “You know where my loyalty lay at the end. That has not changed.” He closed the door behind the man and leaned his forehead against the rough grain of wood and peeling paint. 

When he was sure the old man had truly left, he went back through the floo to Willow Cottage. He followed the sound of voices and found everyone, plus a new arrival, sitting around the table in the kitchen. Sirius Black lunged like he was going to throw himself across the table at Severus and found himself restrained by his two cousins. Severus smirked and pulled out the only empty chair. 

“What the fuck is Snivellus doing here?” The newly freed man strained for release. 

Narcissa yanked him back and held him down in his chair, “Watch your language in front of the children, Sirius. Severus is here as a friend. Remember, things are still in upheaval. We are all trying to learn to live in this new reality. Nothing is as it once seemed.”

Sirius leaned his head in his hands and groaned, “Right. Yeah. I’m sorry, Snape. Andi and Cissa are trying to help me get my head screwed on right. Everything still feels all hazy. You… You helped rescue Harry, right? I owe you a life debt.”

Severus paused in the middle of pouring tea and nearly overflowed the small cup, “You owe me no life debt, Black. I already took two in the process of saving one. I tried to save Lily and James. I’m sorry I failed.”

Andromeda added another fat marshmallow to Nymphadora’s hot cocoa and patted her hand, “Why don’t you run out to the garden with your daddy, darling?”

The small girl jumped up as her hair shifted from black to green to pink to blue in rapid succession, “Alright! I’ll show him the flutterby bush that will bloom in spring!” She took her dad’s hand and pulled him through the kitchen door while chattering, “There’s a fairy nest in it, Daddy!”

Andromeda turned her attention back to the other adults and children. A quick wave of her wand settled a muffling charm over the toddlers’ ears. “Sirius is aware of Hydrus’ identity and understands that it was necessary. He has agreed to call a truce on his war with Lucius and you if you are willing to do the same. Narcissa and I know better than anyone how hard this is going to be for you. We are still finding things we’ve disagreed on for many years to move beyond. But, if we are going to make this work, we must present a united front.”

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes for several seconds. “I swore to protect Lily’s child to my dying breath. I will do whatever I must. Even if that means I must be friendly with Black.” He opened his eyes and held his hand out across the table for Sirius to shake. 

Sirius clasped the offered hand and resisted the urge to squeeze too hard. “Sirius Black. Nice to meet you.”

Severus’ right eyebrow quirked and a small smile twitched at the corners of his lips, “Severus Snape. The pleasure is mine.” He released the shake and turned serious once more, “Albus is already trying to reopen the school. I had only been teaching there for two months when the riots began. He seems to think the parents will be accepting of a marked Death Eater returning to teach their brats. I am not so sure.”

Lucius crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair. “You and I are on record as non-participants. We can take Veritaserum and give official statements to prove we were forced to take the mark. You should not lose your career over a bad choice you made as a teenager.”

Severus was shocked by the passionate speech. Lucius wasn’t the type to offer something so severe for anyone. If the wrong Auror questioned him under Veritaserum, secrets that should never see the light of day could be revealed. “I was only hired so I could provide intel on the Dark Lord’s movements in the final days. Albus will likely bring Slughorn out of retirement and leave me to my research.”

A tiny fist waved in Severus’ face and he picked up the child attached to it with practiced ease. He’d spent the past nineteen months guarding Draco like the prized treasure he is. He looked down into blinking green eyes and winced as the tiny fist wrapped around a hank of his hair. White-blond hair shifted to inky black in a breath causing everyone in the room to gasp in shock. 

Dora skipped back into the kitchen with Ted and laughed, “Hydrus is a Meta-merf-bags like me!”

Narcissa snorted and Andromeda cackled. She hugged her daughter tight and corrected her, “Metamorphmagus, darling.” Smiling grey eyes turned to Severus, “I think Hydrus likes you.”

Sirius scooped Draco out of his highchair and tickled him, “This one’s a little miniature Lucy! He’s perfect, Cissa. I’m so sorry I wasn’t around for the first year and a half.”

Draco’s hair suddenly turned black and curly like the hair he had clenched in his little hand. Nymphadora jumped up and down while clapping, “Draco is a Meta-morph-maggot, too! I thought you said it was really rare, Mummy!”

Andromeda stood from the table and started guiding her daughter to the fireplace, “It is rare, darling. But you and the babies are family. The Metamorphmagus trait is often seen in families. It just hasn’t been seen this much in a very long time! It’s time for us to go home. You have school tomorrow and you need a good night’s sleep to make sure you can control your shifts.”

Hugs and kisses were passed around by everyone. Sirius was last through the floo as he promised Arabella to come back and help her set up a safe play area in the garden for Devin the next day. Narcissa sent Severus and Lucius back to the manor with the twins so that she could stay behind while Arabella prepared Devin for bed. The new mother didn’t have much experience with babies and was worried she would do something wrong. 

Narcissa poured a cup of relaxing tea that Bell kept in their stores for Arabella and patted the seat beside her. “You’re doing an amazing job, Arabella. He’s lucky to have you.”

“You’re sure I’m not going to hurt him? I don’t know what I’m doing! His mother and father were horrible people, Narcissa. Just disgusting. I once heard Vernon say he and some of his pals beat up a person they thought might be homosexual. And just look at how big Devin is! He can hardly walk because his little legs can’t hold all that weight. I know I can give him Severus’ potions along with a healthy diet and have him right as rain in no time. But it still grinds my gears to think of what he might have been like if he’d stayed with them. Will I be able to raise a good respectable boy or will his parents’ blood shine through to make him a mean bully?”

Arabella leaned into Narcissa’s welcoming embrace as the younger woman soothed her. “I think you are going to be a wonderful mother. Those questions are enough to show me that you care about him deeply. Lucius and I are going to be with you through it all. You will not be alone. And I don’t think there’s any chance of you getting rid of Andi and her family. That little Dora was quite taken with you and Devin. Call for Bell if you need anything. She’s been reassigned to Willow Cottage to take care of you both. Dobby has insisted he can handle twins on his own, and we have a whole team of elves keeping the manor running.”

Arabella held on for just a moment longer before sitting back and saying, “I never imagined I’d be living in a magical home with a house elf and a baby of my own. Thank you.”

Narcissa tapped a pinch of floo powder into the fireplace from a charm on her bracelet and called out for Malfoy Manor. Just before stepping into the emerald flames, she turned back to her new friend, “You’ve all brought new life to a manor that’s been empty and soulless for too long. Thank you. ”

******

Alastor Moody scratched at the healing scar from a curse thrown by a Death Eater a little over a week ago. Whatever curse they had used wasn’t allowing the deep gash across his face to heal correctly and it itched like a son of a banshee. He’d been interrogating Death Eaters for days and wanted nothing more than to go home and sink into his tub to soak away his pain. The stump where his left leg used to be was aching something fierce. That usually meant nothing but trouble. 

Jenkins poked her head in from the hall and grimaced, “If you don’t stop picking it’ll never heal, Moody. We got one more to question today. Boss said you gotta take this one.”

He grunted and stood up from the uncomfortable chair, “Send in the perp.” Jenkins saluted the man and ducked out with another flinch at his inflamed skin. Alastor sighed and prepared for a battle when he heard the telltale sounds of a pissed off Black. Jenkins shoved a woman with wild black curls into the room and slammed the door before the prisoner could land a punch. Moody massaged the scar the prisoner’s brother-in-law was responsible for and waved at the chair across from his, “Sit down. You ain’t getting anywhere acting like that.”

The woman spit on the floor and growled, “Fuck you! I already told the cunt behind the mirror that I don’t remember shit! One minute we were in a meeting and the next I was in a holding cell. I didn’t do anything!”

Alastor slid a paper cup of tea across the table and folded himself back into the chair, “Ok. I talked to your husband and his brother earlier this evening. I got Veritaserum confessions from both of em saying they had you under the Imperius. If you’ll drink the tea and give us your testimony without complaining or fighting, we’ll see about getting you outta here.”

The raging woman froze and eyed the man skeptically, “If you aren’t lying to me, I’ll tell you how to fix that nasty cut. It looks like some of Rab’s work and you're gonna lose that eye if you don't reverse the curse soon.”

Moody huffed out a laugh that was mostly just a puff of air and waved at the tea again, “Drink it, Bellatrix. I don’t give a shit about another scar.”

She cackled before swallowing the steaming tea in one gulp. “ Fuck , that’s good. I haven’t had more than water in days. Ohhhh. There’s the truth serum.”

Alastor conjured a clipboard and quill and set them to take notes, “What is your name?”

She sniffed, “Bellatrix Druella Black Lestrange.”

“Are you a follower of Lord Voldemort?”

“Yes. But I’ve been trying to leave the Death Eaters for months. He lost his mind and started killing without a cause. We were supposed to be closing ourselves off from the muggles! Not drawing more attention to ourselves by starting fires and rioting! We- we were making a plan to deal with his madness when everything went to shit. I found out that night that Roddy and Rab had been controlling me through Imperius and using the Black Madness to kill indiscriminately. There was a fight and then I was in Azkaban. No interrogation. No trial. I was trying to leave.” She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

Alastor sighed and sent the clipboard to his desk with a twist of his wand, “If you agree to a sentence in the Janus Thickey Ward until the Mind Healers decide you can be released. You need some intense mind healing before we can let you free.”

She tried to rake her fingers through her hair and frowned at the tangled mess. “Yeah. I’ll do anything to get outta here. Even let a Mind Healer play around in my brain.”

******

Severus rocked Harry in one of the plush rocking chairs in the nursery of Malfoy Manor. Narcissa was trying to hide a satisfied smile as she rocked Draco beside him. “He’ll be heartbroken if he wakes to find you gone in the morning, Severus. You should stay in your room here instead of returning to that hovel you call home. Or… you could stay in our room.”

Severus gently disentangled his hair from the toddler's fingers as he replied, “If I stay tonight you will ask me to stay again tomorrow night.”

She stood and placed Draco into his cot and tucked a stuffed snake in beside him. “Is there anything wrong with that? There is more than enough room for you. You even have a potions lab here. There’s no need for you to go back to Spinner’s End.”

He placed Harry into the cot beside his brother and found a matching snake for the sleeping boy. Keeping his voice low, he said, “We’ve talked about this. I can’t. Especially not now.”

She tried to stop him as he walked out of the nursery. She decided to let him go and hoped desperately that he would change his mind someday. She didn’t need to worry, though; Lucius was of a similar mind. And he was waiting for their errant Potions Master. 

Lucius heard Severus’ footsteps clicking toward the receiving room and leaned out of his office, “Nightcap before you go, old man?”

Severus stopped and rolled his head to the right as he sighed wearily, “Only if you’re offering something sinfully expensive. Otherwise… I’m going home.”

Lucius waved a bottle in the air and called out, “1925 dragon fire barrel Lagavulin.” His smile stretched wider as his friend gave in to temptation and turned toward the office with a roll of his obsidian eyes. He poured three fingers into two crystal glasses and waved one under Severus’ nose, “Smell it. They say you can feel the heat from the dragon’s flames when you drink it.”

Severus indulged the man and inhaled the aroma deeply. The crystal was cool in his fingers as he tipped the warm brown liquor onto his tongue. Heat exploded in his mouth and ran down his esophagus into his belly. When he exhaled, a plume of white smoke rose from his lips. He tipped his chin up and looked at Lucius in challenge, “They didn’t lie.”

Lucius maintained eye contact as he swallowed the entirety of the Scotch in one gulp. The breath he released had a hint of fire in the smoke. He sat the empty glass down and put a burning hand on Severus’ waist, “I know Narcissa asked you to stay. She always does.”

Severus could feel his traitorous body trembling and wanted so badly to lean in and let Lucius’ warmth consume him. “We aren’t children anymore, Lucius. You have your own children who need you. You have a wife and family now.”

The other man moved his hand to cup Severus’ cheek, “You have always been a part of our family.”

Severus shook his head, ignoring the way Lucius’ palm slid softly across his cheek, “I already told her I won’t.”

Lucius bent his head so his lips could graze Severus’ ear, “You know… I’ve just realized I’ve never asked you to stay. It’s always Narcissa. I’m asking now, Severus. Will you stay with us?”

Severus closed his eyes and tried not to shudder with the want coursing through him as he felt Lucius’ mouth ghost over his cheekbone to hover over his own lips. “One night. This is the last time, Lucius.”

He closed the gap between them and softly ran his tongue along the tight seam of Severus’ lips. When they parted in a gasp, he swept in and devoured the man. Drinking his fill of something he had never been able to get enough of. Severus was just as intoxicating and addicting as Narcissa. He had always craved them. He would never get enough. His fingers snaked into silky tresses as he deepened the kiss. 

The squeaking of hinges drew their attention to the woman watching from the hall. Severus held out a hand and pulled her closer when she accepted it. Her perfume enveloped them in the scent of daffodils, vanilla, and something deep and forbidden as she claimed his lips in a searing kiss. When she pulled away, she leaned her forehead against his and whispered, “We’ve missed you.”

Chapter Text

Lucius walked into the solarium the following morning to find Severus and Narcissa serving breakfast to Harry and Draco. He wasn’t sure which was which at the moment. They both had Malfoy-blond hair and green eyes. He passed behind Narcissa and kissed the top of her head, moved on to the twin beside her, then the next, and finished with a peck to Severus’ lips before sitting down. “I need to go to the Ministry for a while today. Do either of you have any plans?”

Hydrus tapped a hand full of mashed banana on the table and shouted, “Outside! Peez!”

Lucius laughed and wiped the banana out of the fist with a napkin, “Then outside you shall go!”

Draco waved his arms and mimicked his father’s best scowl, “Papa outside?”

His father sighed and tweaked his cheek, “Papa will go outside for a few minutes. Eat your egg and then we’ll go.”

Severus trailed behind the four as they made their way into the garden. The section closest to the house was temperature-controlled by magic and stayed green and flourishing all year. There was a small playset with two swings and a slide that the boys instantly ran for. The three adults watched in wonder as the boys climbed to the top of the slide unaided. They both reached out their arms and yelled, “Papa! Baba!”

Narcissa recovered first and shoved the men toward the slide, “You heard them, Papa and Baba. They want your help.”

They stumbled across the grass to the slide and each picked up a toddler. Harry tugged on Lucius’ left sleeve and said, “Up, Papa.”

Severus didn’t have time to gawk at Lucius as Draco did the same to him. Both boys tugged and pulled until they had the left sleeves up high enough to expose the Dark Mark. Draco poked a pudgy finger into the snake’s face and hissed ~Ow! Bad! Go bye-bye. Be nice!~

Lucius nearly dropped Harry when he also hissed ~Ow! Bad! Go bye-bye. Be nice!~

Both men were suddenly overtaken by the need to sit down. They collapsed on the ground with their legs criss-crossed and the boys sitting in their laps. Lucius stretched his arm out and had to hold back a scream of horror as the mark began writhing beneath his skin. The nose of the snake pulled so tight he thought it would actually break free. But that was madness. Right?

Severus sucked in a sharp breath and clutched Draco closer to his chest as the serpent on his arm did just that. A glistening black basilisk with glowing gold eyes coiled around his wrist and slid down to wrap around Draco’s midsection. He moved his right hand to slide his wand from its holster but had to stop when Draco moved faster. His little hand dropped onto the snake’s head and he said, “Hi, baby!”

Lucius was paralyzed with fear as a shimmering pearlescent white basilisk with gold eyes slipped down his arm to wrap around Harry, who stroked its head and whispered, “Good baby.”

Narcissa tripped as she ran toward them and fell to her knees between them, “They speak Parseltongue! There is a portrait in Black Manor that is a Parselmouth. I would sit and listen to her speak to her snakes for hours as a girl.” She pulled Lucius’ arm forward and looked down at the blank expanse of his forearm. “The mark is gone!”

Severus shifted Draco in his lap and pulled his arm free. His mark was missing as well. He ran his other hand over the clear flesh and couldn’t even feel the raised edges where it had been branded with the Darkest Magic. “They’re gone. Did… did the children just remove marks that should have stained our souls into the afterlife?”

Before Harry and Draco jumped away from the adults and ran back to the playset, the two escaped tattoos rubbed their heads affectionately against each of the adults’ heads before they wrapped around the bellies of the boys. They climbed back to the top of the slide, but instead of calling to be picked up, Harry went down first with a white snake wrapped around his middle followed by Draco with a black one around his. Lucius, Narcissa, and Severus sat on the dew-damp grass and watched in amazement as the boys behaved as if they had always been twins and like they’d always had their serpent familiars. 

******

Lucius straightened his iron-grey robes and stepped out of the lift to walk down the corridor to the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. He turned into the cramped space and immediately had to side-step to miss a chair piled with manila folders. A man with tufts of hair growing out of his ears and nose squinted up at him from the desk closest to the door and asked, “What’d’ya have? Arnold! Get over here, someone brought us something!”

Arthur Weasley stumbled over another stack of files and cursed under his breath. “Perkins, you really need to let me organize these.” He looked up and stumbled right back over the stack to land on top of Perkins’ desk. “Lord Malfoy! Er, what can I do for you?”

Lucius clasped his hands behind his back and tried to soften his gaze, “I was hoping for a word with you in private, Lord Weasley.”

Arthur looked over his shoulder at Perkins and sighed heavily, “Why don’t we go down to the cafeteria? There aren’t exactly any extra chairs in here.” He led the way back to the lifts when Lucius stepped aside and held out a hand for him to proceed. 

The ride up the lift to the level just below the atrium was quiet. There were others in the cramped car with them and neither man knew how to begin the conversation they were about to have. Lucius took a seat at a small round table and cast a silencing charm over them to keep their chat private. “Lord Weasley, Arthur…”

The ginger man ran his hands through his hair nervously before lacing his fingers together and placing his hands on the tabletop. “You felt whatever happened a few nights ago, too.”

Lucius let his head fall back slightly and released the breath he’d been holding since he felt the curse break, “Yes. I believe it was broken when it was clear to whatever Aspects control things that my wife and I have had two children living for more than a year.”

Arthur’s eyes sparked with recognition, “Congratulations! Rumors were flying when she hadn’t been seen for so many months. I hate to say it, but there are many who think she’d been killed by you or Lord V-voldem-mort.” He stumbled over the name of the Dark Lord who had so recently lost the war.

Lucius smoothed his robes and took an anxious sip of the terrible tea they had in the Ministry cafeteria. “We made the decision to keep her and the babies in seclusion until we knew they would both live. We lost a daughter eleven months before the twins were born.”

Arthur reached across the rickety table and clasped the aristocratic man’s hand, “I’m so sorry, Lucius. Our twins are three already. Molly and I would be happy to offer any advice we can.”

Lucius resisted the urge to yank his hand away and accepted the offer magnanimously, “Thank you, Arthur. I would like to personally apologize for the sins of our ancestors. The full extent of the curses on our families was never documented properly. I am unsure of where it originated, but I would like to be the first to make amends.”

Arthur waved his hands dismissively, “Nonsense. You and I might have been friends in school if I wasn’t a sixth-year when you started at Hogwarts. We can’t know for sure that the curse was still active after so many centuries. I suggest we start with a clean slate. We’re all still young, I’m only thirty and you’re twenty-four! There’s a lot of life left for us to live. And now we have more reason than ever to start fresh. Our four youngest will very likely be friends with your children in school.”

Lucius held his hand out and clasped Arthur’s firmly, “Agreed. It’s lovely to meet you, Lord Weasley.”

Arthur returned the shake and grinned, “Likewise, Lord Malfoy.”

Lucius canceled the silencing charm and rose, “I have business to attend to at Gringotts, but you can be sure to expect an owl with an invitation to tea. Our garden is set up for year-round entertainment. The children can become acquainted. Have a fantastic day, Arthur.”

Arthur took the lift down to his shared office alone and wandered back down the hall deep in thought. He was surprised to find Perkins packing a box when he returned. “Perkins! What’s happened?”

The old man turned and wiggled a finger in his left ear, “What’s that? Oh! Albert! I’ve decided to retire and move to Boca Raton. The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office is yours.”

Arthur blinked at the man as he sealed the cardboard box with a tap of his wand and spelled it to follow him out the door. He looked around at the stacks of files all over the cramped room and flopped down in Perkins’ vacant chair. Laughter bubbled up in his chest and spilled over, along with tears he hadn’t known were coming. Thirty years old and already the head of a department at the Ministry!

******

Narcissa yawned and covered her mouth to stifle the sound that always escaped when she woke in the middle of the night. Harry and Draco had both slept through the night since they’d been bonded as twins but she still had an inexplicable feeling that one of them needed something. She crept to the side of the cot and peered down at only one baby. Her heart leapt into her throat as she choked out a cry for Lucius. Their room was just beyond the door and he came running in seconds later. She clutched a hand to her throat as his strong arms wrapped around her to prevent her from falling. “Harry is gone!”

Lucius clutched his wife’s body to his chest with one arm and scooped up Draco with the other. He didn’t even think. He apparated from the side of his sons’ bed directly into Severus’ bedroom in Spinner’s End. The room at the top of the house that Severus insisted on staying in was too small for a bed, wardrobe, and two adults to stand comfortably. His neck was bent at an odd angle as he crouched under the sloped ceiling. Severus was lying on his back in the middle of the narrow bed with his inky hair spread out on the pillowcase. Curled up on his chest over one of Severus’ arms with a thumb stuffed in his mouth and a white basilisk coiled on his back was Harry. 

Severus’ eyes snapped open when the sound of heavy breathing broke through his dream. He clearly remembered falling asleep alone in his bed but could feel the solid weight of one of the toddlers on his chest. He lifted his head and nearly leapt out of bed in fright when he found Narcissa, Lucius, and Draco gawking at him where they were wedged between the wardrobe and the foot of the bed. He rubbed his eyes with the hand that wasn’t numb from having a body lying on it and whispered harshly, his voice heavy with sleep, “What in the name of Merlin is going on?”

Narcissa scrambled over the foot of the bed, scooped Harry up in a gentle embrace, and started weeping. Lucius sat down beside her and ran a hand gently over her back in slow circles to calm her. He kept his voice low as he answered Severus, “I woke to Narcissa screaming that Harry was missing. My gut reaction was to find you. I- I don’t know why I knew he would be with you.”

Severus massaged his fingertips as pins and needles started painfully letting him know the circulation had been cut off for too long. “I fell asleep alone. Harry was in the cot with Draco when I left.” He cast Tempus and groaned when the shimmering clock told him it was just past three in the morning. “How did you get here, little troublemaker?”

Narcissa glared daggers at him as she rocked her son, “And here we have another reason for you to move into the manor permanently. I can’t go through losing another child, Severus. If he splinches himself unconsciously trying to find you, I’ll cut you to ribbons.”

Lucius covered his face with his hand and sighed heavily. “Sweetheart, we can’t threaten him into deciding to relocate. This was most likely a one-off incident. Harry’s been through a lot in the last few weeks.” 

Severus blinked at the pair mutely for several seconds as the children slept in their arms. The old grandfather clock in the entrance chimed the half-hour as an owl hooted somewhere in the distance. “I received a letter from Albus.” The other two looked up at him in surprise and confusion. He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried again. “Slughorn refused to come out of retirement. The school is reopening on Monday and he wants me to return to my position. I’m going to refuse.”

Narcissa tugged his hand away from his face and rubbed gently at the angry red mark left by his pinching. “You know we will support any decision you make, Severus.”

“I can’t live with you and live at Hogwarts at the same time. What if you’re wrong, Lucius? What if Harry has decided he must be near me and attempts this again? He would never make it through the school’s wards. Take- take the children back to the manor. I’ll pack my things and be there shortly.” He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stepped out onto the stairs that led down to the second floor where the other two bedrooms and the only bathroom were. 

He couldn’t bear to look at them. He’d always felt like a charity case to them. He was dirt poor as a child. When he started at Hogwarts he was often teased for his secondhand robes and dirty hair. He was in Slytherin. He was supposed to be the best of the best. He was a disgrace. Then, Lucius took an interest in him. He left a note in his Potions book telling him to call for Dipsy and ask him for soap and help to mend his robes. That was the turning point for him. Dipsy brought him brand-new robes and all of the best soaps and shampoos money could buy. Severus learned that the house elf was Lucius’ personal elf in his fourth year. That was also the year he had his first kiss. No surprise that it was with Lucius. Narcissa kissed him a week later. The three were inseparable after that. 

Now, they wanted him to live with them permanently. And there were children in the mix. One of which seemed to be attached to him for some inexplicable reason. The Hogwarts salary was a hard thing to give up when he’d been beholden to the kindness of others for so long. He sighed and looked at his reflection with disdain. He had to make a choice. Albus offered him sanctuary when he was afraid to remain under Voldemort’s rule. Voldemort was gone and Albus hadn’t done a damned thing to protect him during or after. He closed his eyes and thumped his head against the cracked tile wall behind him. 

It didn’t take him long to gather all of his belongings. One swish of his wand had everything zooming through the air and resizing to fit into one cardboard box. He would leave everything else behind so that Dumbledore wouldn’t be suspicious if he dropped in unannounced again. No sense in broadcasting his new living arrangement. He stepped out of the fireplace in the receiving room at Malfoy Manor and smiled tiredly at Dipsy. The elf took his box silently and popped away, leaving him alone to find the others. He passed a clock that told him it was nearly five in the morning. 

He hesitated at the door to Lucius and Narcissa’s room with one hand on the knob. The sound of a baby’s giggle relieved some of the tension he was feeling and he pushed the door open to find them all sprawled in the middle of the enormous bed. Draco lifted his chubby arms and grasped at the air when he spotted Severus. He lifted the small child and nuzzled silky platinum hair with his hooked nose. 

Narcissa patted the mattress beside her and pulled back the dove-grey duvet. “Let’s all lie down for a while longer. We can sort out the details after we’ve had some more sleep.” 

Hours later, Narcissa was already at the table in the breakfast room when he arrived. The shower had been running when he woke, so he’d slipped into the suite they called his to prepare for the day. He sat down beside Draco’s chair after kissing the top of each boy’s head. Lucius took the seat beside Narcissa a moment later and the elves began piling dishes on the table before them. 

Narcissa spooned scrambled eggs onto Draco’s tray as she nonchalantly said, “We think you should accept the position at Hogwarts, Severus. You always complain about how awful the curriculum is and now you have the opportunity to change it.”

He paused to stir an obscene amount of sugar into his tea before responding. “Is that so?”

She plopped eggs onto Harry’s tray and chirped, “Mhm! We also think we should hold a hand-fasting for the three of us. Make it the society event of the year and introduce the children to the world.”

Lucius thudded his back when he choked on his tea. “What!? Lucius! Talk some sense into her!”

An elegantly arched eyebrow raised playfully, “It was my idea. We had plenty of time to talk while you were having a panic attack at Spinner’s End. If you’re bonded with us you can come home after work every evening. We’ll be a proper family.”

Severus ate two banana nut muffins while he thought it over. The entire plan was mad! “We can’t. This sort of thing is only done when it’s two pureblood men. I’m a measly half-blood with no title.”

Lucius tugged at a lock of black hair to get the man’s attention. “Edward thinks he has a solution for that. Your grandfather Elijah was his client prior to his death. Edward has his sealed will. You are his last living heir, Severus.” He watched the myriad of emotions play across the typically stony face. “He’ll be here shortly. Narcissa and Andromeda are taking Arabella and the children shopping in Paris before their new relationship is revealed.”

Severus clenched his jaw. “I see you’ve planned it all out.”

His feelings on the matter were as clear as Veritaserum to Narcissa. She swallowed her disappointment and viciously sliced a banana for the boys. “You can have the meeting in the spare office across the hall from Lucius’. You’re free to make your choices afterward.” The sliced banana was dropped onto the two trays and she was out the door before either man knew what to do. 

They were saved from the awkwardness by the arrival of Ted and Andromeda with Dora. Andi instantly sensed the tension and gathered the children up. “I’ll just pop over to Willow Cottage and make sure Arabella and Devin are ready. Dora, gather their breakfast, dear. Auntie Cissa will meet us soon.”

Ted smirked at the two left at the table as he buttered a crumpet. “Which one of you put your foot in it? It’s hardly ten!”

Lucius tipped his head back in defeat and groaned, “It was me. Instead of asking Severus what he wanted, I told him what he would do.”

Ted took a bite of his pastry and hummed in delight before speaking with a full mouth, “Mkay. And how did that make you feel, Severus?”

The man’s lip curled in revulsion. “Disgusting. I thought you were a solicitor, not a therapist, Tonks.” He rolled his eyes when the other man merely shoved the rest of the crumpet in his mouth. “I’m used to doing what I’m told.”

Ted licked butter off of his index finger before wagging it at the surly man, “Then you should stop letting people tell you what to do. You’re a grown man, Severus. Don’t think. What do you want? Right now. In this moment.”

He opened and closed his mouth like a fish a few times before gasping, “I want to have a hand-fasting with Lucius and Narcissa and raise our boys as a family while I teach at Hogwarts and slowly dismantle Dumbledore’s regime.” He blinked several times in the stretch of silence that followed. When Ted began buttering another blasted crumpet, he laughed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I want to be selfish for once. I want and I’m being told to take what I want. Do you have my grandfather’s will?”

Ted removed a thick envelope from the inside pocket of his robes, “Sure do. Do you have any expectations or are we going into this blind?”

Lucius took the stoic man’s hand when he saw the slight tremble of his fingers. It was just the support he needed. “I don’t think there will be any mention of me in that document. I hope to be surprised because I suddenly feel like there might be some hope for the future.”

Ted nodded solemnly and slid his wand tip under the seal to break it. “Let’s begin: 

A letter to my heir,

My hope is that Eileen will come to her senses before it is too late and that she will take over the family once I am gone. I fear my hopes shall not come to fruition. In the event that Eileen is unable to take the title of Mistress Prince, I leave everything to her son. 

Severus, if it is you who inherits the title, know that I regret never having the opportunity to meet you. Your grandmother and I tried everything to bring your mother home to us. Please. Return the Prince family to its former glory. 

Sincerely,

Elijah Suleiman Prince

Ted shuffled through the parchments behind the letter before breaking the silence, “Your fortune is… for lack of a better word, vast. Elijah was an astute businessman with a head for investments.” He blinked at a number at the bottom of the last page before letting out a guffaw. “You’re officially the wealthiest man in the world. Congratulations! You are free to do whatever your heart desires.”

Severus snatched the sheaf of parchment and flipped through them rapidly. He swallowed thickly when he read the last page as Lucius let out a low whistle. “You see that, too. I- I can do whatever I want.” One of the two loves of his life nodded in shocked silence. Severus grasped Lucius’ face between his hands and kissed him firmly. “We are planning the society event of the fucking century to announce our union and our sons.”

Chapter Text

Arabella’s head swiveled as she followed Narcissa and Andromeda down the streets of Paris. They hadn’t taken her to the magic district like she’d expected them to. They were currently each pushing a pram with Dora skipping beside them as they pointed out all the landmarks. The smell of coffee and chocolate lured her to the left and she called out for the others. “Ladies! We’ve been walking for hours. Can we stop for a treat? I think this little cafe has cakes the children would enjoy.”

Andi whipped the pram around with a giggle, “Of course, we can! What do you think the men are getting up to?”

Cissa sniffed and flopped inelegantly into a metal chair, “Plotting how Severus can go back to living on his own pretending he doesn’t love us and want to be with us.”

Andi bumped her sister’s shoulder with her own, “Let Ted sort them out. He’s brilliant at getting people to realize what they can’t see on their own. I swear he was meant to be a seer. Or a master manipulator.” She changed the subject abruptly, “We pick Bella up from St. Mungo’s tomorrow.” Her eyes turned to Arabella, “Are you still going through with our plan?”

She sighed and stirred her frothy coffee with a cinnamon stick. “You’re positive Sirius doesn’t mind? I feel like I’ve already been so much trouble.”

“Arabella! You’ve saved a life. We couldn’t ask for more. Sirius is the head of House Black and has the authority to make it a reality without all of the extra steps we’ve taken. When we’re done, everyone will not only believe that you are the bastard daughter of Cygnus and a squib, you and Devin will be Blacks. Whether you do it publicly tomorrow or quietly is up to you.” Andi dabbed at Dora’s mouth where a smear of chocolate was working its way across her cheek. 

Arabella fussed over Devin to avoid eye contact. Narcissa took pity on the woman and changed the subject. “We’ve found some lovely pieces for Willow Cottage. Is there anything you can think of that you want or need that we haven’t looked for?”

“Oh! I noticed that Devin was fond of the playset at the manor. Is there any way we could find him something similar? Any way to keep the lad active. He seems to enjoy climbing and I intend to support it. You never know when you’ll need a hand getting a kneazle out of a tree.” She winked at Narcissa’s flabbergasted reaction. 

Cissa sniffed and covered her mouth with a napkin to hold back a wave of nausea. Arabella pressed a cup of water into her hands and patted her back gently. When she felt like she could speak without vomiting, she blinked at her two sisters, “That’s not the first time I’ve felt sick today. I hope I’m not coming down with something.”

Andromeda frowned before flicking her wand at her sister under the table and catching the slip of parchment that shot from the tip. She scanned the results of the diagnostic charm and sucked in a sharp breath. She wasn’t given the chance to read them out loud. Narcissa snatched the parchment and looked at it with panic in her eyes. Andi’s eyes flashed to Arabella and she whispered under her breath, “She’s pregnant!”

Narcissa gulped the rest of the water in her paper cup and then drank two more. She read the results over and over waiting for them to change. “I’m pregnant! I… Oh no. Whose is it? I don’t want Severus to feel trapped because I’m carrying his child. What am I going to do? He won’t even consider marrying us because he doesn’t have a title or money. He’ll kill himself trying to make enough money to feel worthy of us. Andi, will you cast the paternity charm? I have to know before we tell them. Oh, Merlin! What a predicament.”

Arabella hurried back to the cafe window to order more pastries to keep the children happy while Andromeda cast another sneaky charm under the table. When she returned with a basket piled high with flaky croissants she found both sisters laughing so hard they had tears in their eyes. “I’m guessing it’s exactly as you suspected?”

Narcissa leaned her head in her hand, stuffed half of a croissant into her mouth, and mumbled, “Yup. I’m carrying Severus’ baby.”

Dora yawned first and was quickly followed by Draco, Devin, and Harry. Andi tossed the paper cups into a nearby bin and gathered her daughter close, “I think we should get these four home and see what the men have been up to since we left. It’s nearly supper time. Do you think they’ve starved all day or did Dipsy remind them to eat?” She was relieved when her sister shook the worry out and stood to prepare the children for departure.

They found a remote alley to activate their open-ended international portkey. As long as the return point was Malfoy Manor they could set it to take them anywhere in the world. Their party landed in the receiving room to the sound of raucous laughter coming from Lucius’ office. Dobby popped in and shuffled his feet anxiously, “Mistress Cissa, please be letting Dobby and Bell take the children to the nursery. Master Lucius, Master Severus, and Mister Tonks is being very drunks.”

Arabella snorted and covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her laughter as the little elves hurried away with all four children. Narcissa waved her hand for the others to follow her to the office. The three men were piled onto one sofa with glasses filled to the brim with something amber and smoking. Lucius attempted to stand and fell across Ted’s lap. “Ciss! Cissy! He *hic* he said yes! Sev’rss is gonna be our huhband. Ted’s gonna perzide over the hand-fasting. He’s a *hic* he’s a *hic hic* he’s a  bang-up guy, Cissy.”

Narcissa tapped her foot on the white marble floor and flashed a wicked grin that had all three sitting up like they had been caught drinking in their common rooms. “Sober up, boys. You’re going to be daddies again!”

******

Albus stood over the charred grass where a house used to stand. All that remained of the structure was a stray cinder block hidden under the ash that was wet from a recent hard freeze. It had been less than a month since he’d left the savior of the wizarding world with his aunt, uncle, and cousin. He just happened to look at the bauble he’d set to alert him if anything were amiss before he had his morning tea and found the blasted thing as dark as an alley in Shanghai. His tea was likely stone cold by now. 

He was turning to hunt down Arabella Figg and demand to know why she hadn’t sent him a letter about the fire when a neighbor flagged him down. “Oy! Be careful there, sir! The fire marshall said it’s likely to stay hot for months. I’m sure the frost helped last night, but you can still see some steam coming off the lot. Cryin’ shame what happened. Did you know the Dursleys?”

Albus stroked his beard and fixed a thoroughly depressed look on his face, “I did. I wasn’t aware anything had happened to them.” He faked choking back a sob and covered his eyes to charm some tears into them, “Are… are all four of them gone?”

The neighbor looked taken aback, “ Four? It was only Vernon, his dear wife Petunia, and their little tike Dudley living there. Did they have a cat?”

Albus sniffled and dabbed at his tears with a handkerchief, “It was a relatively new development. They had only just taken custody of Mrs. Dursley’s nephew. Such a tragedy. I can’t believe we lost the boy.” He shook himself and turned to look at the empty lot one last time. “I also know Mrs. Figg down Wisteria Walk. I might just pop in and check on her while I’m in the area.”

The man shuffled his feet on the street and looked down at a patch of still-frozen grass before mumbling, “Well, you’re just not going to believe this. Figgy up and moved out after the fire. Left a note for the postman that she would leave her forwarding address with the postmaster and disappeared. They’re renovating the house for sale now. You might could catch one of the contractors and ask them where their paycheck is coming from.”

He rubbed at his wrinkled forehead in contemplation and nodded once, “Yes. Thank you for all of your help. I’ll go and check with them.” He didn’t wait for a reply and simply walked away. One street over, he stopped beneath a bare tree to watch a team of builders put a new roof on Arabella’s house. A gentle compulsion had the man with a clipboard turning to look him in the eyes. His mind was as dull and magicless as they came, and Albus desperately wanted to be anywhere but there. It took almost no time at all to sift through his muddled thoughts to learn that the former homeowner had nothing to do with the work being done. A dead end that led to more questions. The only answer he had at the moment was what caused the fire. Fiendfyre.

******

Sharp blue eyes twinkled behind half-moon spectacles as Albus laced his fingers together on top of his polished mahogany desk. He’d only returned from his investigation into the Dursley fire a few moments ago. Severus was trying his hardest not to fidget across from him. It was adorable. “My boy! Have you given any more thought to my offer? School begins again tomorrow.”

Severus took a moment to add in an extra twitch of his foot to further convince the old man that he was still hesitant. “Headmaster Dumbledore… I must admit that your second offer was more than adequate. Having just completed my Mastery last year I hardly feel worthy of such a salary.” He paused and inhaled slowly as he smoothed his black robes over his thighs. “I am willing to accept the position,” the twinkle in Dumbledore’s eyes increased, giving Severus a sense of infinite satisfaction. “However,” he drawled, “I must request a few adjustments to my contract.”

Curiosity lit the old man’s eyes with mischief and he leaned forward, “Of course, son! Whatever you need! You are the youngest Potions Master since Salazar Slytherin himself. We would be foolish to let you go. Anything, son. Anything.”

Severus sighed and let his body relax in the uncomfortable wooden chair. “I would like to return home after school in the evenings to spend time with my family.” He saw the first hint of panic in Albus’ eyes and drove the nail further into the coffin, “I have accepted a marriage proposal from Lucius and Narcissa. We will be bonded on first June of next year. I- I hope you will accept the invitation when it arrives.”

Albus sat in stunned silence for a very long time. The portraits on the walls had started rushing into each other’s frames to gossip by the time he regained his composure. “Severus. My boy,” pain was evident in his pleas, “The war has just ended, I know that Lucius protected you during the battle but that doesn’t mean you owe him anything. Please reconsider. Is it the money? I’ll raise the salary.”

Severus lifted his hand palm out to stop the man’s verbal diarrhea. “They have been the only family I’ve ever had, Albus. I may not have their wealth, but I learned that I inherited the Prince title from Elijah. It’s something. With my salary working here, combined with some small income from the Prince properties, I should be able to hold my own. There is little more I can do, anyway. Narcissa informed us last night that she is with child. Andromeda was available to perform the necessary spells to determine paternity.” He left the conversation hanging on the last statement. When Albus covered his face with both hands, he winked up at the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black. 

Albus sobbed into his palms, “Why? Is this my repayment for allowing Lily to die? Well, I have wonderful news, Severus. Her child is dead, too. I received word just this morning that the Dursley home burned to ashes and no one survived. They never even found the corpses of the two children in the rubble. There is no need for you to martyr yourself! You needn’t protect Lily’s son!”

Severus gaped at the man in disgust. Not even the portraits were whispering. “How? How did you fail to protect him? You swore you warded the house!”

Albus’ eyes had lost their twinkle when he lifted his head from his hands. All that remained was resigned exhaustion. “I believe it was the work of Death Eaters in direct retaliation for the death of your master. I do not know how they found the Dursleys, but I can assure you I am doing everything in my power to find the culprit. My informant was so frightened by the event that she has vanished altogether. I will allow the amendments to your contract. I’m sure you’ll come to your senses.”

A soft smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he remembered the conversation the night before… after Narcissa funneled sobering potions into them. “My senses are clear for the first time in years, sir. I should return to the manor to prepare my lessons. I’ll see you at breakfast in the morning.”

He stepped out of the fireplace into the open arms of his soon-to-be wife. He felt his cheeks flush when a kiss was pressed to the top of his head by his soon-to-be husband. Sky-blue eyes smiled at him over the top of Narcissa’s head as Lucius’ velvet voice caressed him. “How did it go?”

“As expected. He made it all about him. I am only accepting your proposal because I’m poor and have no other options. The addition of our little bundle nearly sent him into a tailspin, though. Make certain his name is at the top of the list for invitations. Cissa, will you help me adjust my lesson plans? I don’t think the approach I was taking at the beginning of term was effective.” 

******

THE DAILY PROPHET

1ST DECEMBER, 1981

KEEPING UP WITH THE MALFOYS!

 By Wilhelmina Waterloo

Photography by Arnold MacMinster

Witches and Wizards of England, I can’t even think of words that will effectively describe what I am feeling right now. I received a little tip recently that I should pay a visit to Lord and Lady Malfoy for an exclusive interview. Having just lost my brother to Death Eaters on the cursed Samhain night that we’re all still reeling from, I was more than a little hesitant to wander into their territory. But I was reminded that Lord Malfoy was proven innocent of all charges against him. I was further soothed when Lord Black offered to accompany me as an Auror guard. 

I arrived at Malfoy Manor to find sprawling green lawns dotted with snowy white peacocks. There have been rumors for years about the manor and grounds falling into disrepair. Let me assure you that those rumors are untrue! I was led through the spacious home to a stunning outdoor patio where a delightfully pretty table was set for tea. Lord Malfoy greeted me brightly and pushed in my seat like a proper gentleman, before introducing me to the others joining us. Imagine my surprise when I learned that we wouldn’t be joined by just Lady Malfoy and Lord Black. No, no, no. The surprise guest was introduced to me as Lord Severus Tobias Snape- Prince .

You read that right! The Prince line has re-emerged! Pixie Powder! That’s a lot of exclamation points! The newly appointed lord decided to tell me a bit about himself, and I think you’ll all be impressed. Severus Snape is best known for being the youngest Potions Master since Salazar Slytherin became a Master of the art at twenty-one (21). Severus achieved Mastery at the very same age. He tells me he was asked for a blood sample for verification of his identity at Gringotts not too long ago when a new name popped up with the one he’d always known. A deeper dive into his heritage showed that he was the last heir of the Prince line after the death of his grandfather Lord Elijah Prince. 

Upon learning of their friend’s shiny new title, Lord and Lady Malfoy wasted no time. They proposed marriage to Lord Prince that very same day! And he accepted! 

Continued on page 3

RE-BUILDING THE BLACKS

By Rita Skeeter

Photography by Titus Tenpenny

Loyal readers, I come to you today with a sordid tale of hidden affairs, false accusations, and redemption. I’m still not sure how little old me was able to land this story when the likes of Willie Waterloo are working for this very same paper! I am truly honored. 

Let’s start with the unlawful arrest and detention of Lord Sirius Black. As many already know, Lord Arcturus Black passed away within hours of his grand-niece Walburga. This left Sirius Orion Black as the heir apparent of House Black. Well, the newly minted Lord Black was nowhere to be found. Instead of working tirelessly alongside his coworkers in the Auror Department, he was locked up in Azkaban Prison for crimes he didn’t commit! 

The death of Lily and James Potter is still a sore spot for us here in the wizarding world and the magical public is still demanding answers. We thought we had one answer when we looked for who betrayed the couple on Samhain. We were originally informed that Sirius Black was the Secret Keeper for the Potters. When their wards fell and their bodies were discovered, Sirius was the first person anyone looked for. Aurors found him miles away at the scene of a horrific murder hours later. Thirteen muggles had been blown up along with Peter Pettigrew, another friend of the Potter family. All that could be found was Pettigrew’s little finger. Lord Black was laughing hysterically and didn’t stop for nearly two days. Two days I am told were spent in Azkaban. 

Not only was Lord Black sent to the island prison without a trial, oh no! He was sent to the island without any interrogation! That’s right, readers. A Lord of the Sacred Twenty-eight was sent to prison without due process. When the error was discovered by Lord Black’s cousin-in-law, Edward Tonks, it was promptly brought to Minister for Magic Millicent Bagnold’s attention. The full transcript of Lord Black’s Veritaserum verified testimony can be found on page seven (7). Suffice to say that Lord Black was not involved in the attack on the Potters or the death of thirteen muggles. Aurors are seeking information on the location of Peter Pettigrew. 

Let us move on to the trial of Bellatrix Lestrange (neé Black). She was arrested on Samhain along with her husband Rodolfus Lestrange, and her brother-in-law Rabastan Lestrange for the attack on Frank and Alice Longbottom. (Readers, please remember that the Longbottoms are alive and well. They are still recovering in peace at Longbottom Manor and request that all letters be sent to post box 23 in Diagon Alley.) After the discovery of Lord Black’s imprisonment without interrogation or trial, Minister Bagnold assigned Auror Alastor Moody to take over. During the interrogation of Bellatrix, it was discovered that she had been under the influence of love potions and compulsion spells for over a decade. She did not want to be a follower of the Dark Lord and never wanted to cause harm to anyone.

Auror Moody conferred with the Minister regarding Lady Lestrange’s sentencing. It was decided that Azkaban Prison was not the right place for someone who was just as much a victim as the people she was accused of harming. Lady Lestrange was instead sent to St. Mungo’s for treatment with Mind Healers to repair the damage caused by lifelong control spells and potions. She will be released into her family’s care in the near future.

While we’re on the topic of the Black sisters, let’s talk about the newest to be found! Eldest sister to Bellatrix Lestrange (neé Black) and Narcissa Malfoy (neé Black), Andromeda Tonks (you guessed it, neé Black) received a very interesting letter from someone claiming to be a lost sister! Get a load of the pictures Titus snapped of the newest sister.

Aria Snyder went to Gringotts for a routine meeting with an account manager when she learned that she was actually Aria Black. Daughter of Syndra Snyder, a squib, and Cygnus Black. Her account manager urged her to contact Healer Tonks and her husband Solicitor Tonks. 

Continued on page 7.

Chapter Text

Severus took his seat at the head table on first December with his familiar scowl firmly in place. The society pages had already been emblazoned with his exit from Gringotts wearing the Prince ring on his right middle finger. The black opal setting shimmered with hidden rainbows as he reached for the teapot in the center of the table. His wealth was being withheld from the public… for the time being. The three of them agreed that it fit their narrative better for him to remain destitute in the public eye. The poor Death Eater who was forced into servitude alongside his rich lovers. Tragic. 

The students all appeared to be eager to return to their studies. Having nothing to do for a full month had to have been maddening for the children. Severus couldn’t relate. He nodded curtly at Minerva when she offered him a polite smile and rose to make his way to the dungeons. He was curious to see how much the students had forgotten in their brief intermission. He wasn’t at all surprised to find many of his fourth-year Ravenclaws already in their seats when he turned into the classroom. He sat behind his desk in silence while they waited for the bell to announce the start of the first class. He held his smile over the visible nerves on the students’ faces as the seconds ticked by on the many clocks around the room. Three. Two. One. Showtime.

“Good morning students. Welcome back to your fourth year of studies. I would like to take this opportunity to start over fresh. I’m certain you all remember me as surly and hateful at the start of term. I wish to apologize. I won’t make excuses for my attitude, but I will vow to be better moving forward. I know some of you or your siblings may even remember attending Hogwarts with me as a student. Life has changed for all of us in the past month. We all have things we may look forward to changing in the future. I’d like to start by asking what you would like to see out of your classes with me.”

The students hesitated, at first. Soon, hands were lifting around the room while eager smiles spread across nervous faces. He pointed to the smallest boy in the far left corner, “Mullins, you first.”

The quivering boy sat up a bit straighter and darted his eyes about the classroom. His yellow and black tie was tied badly and hanging at an odd angle. “Erm, I think I’d like to learn the tooth-cleaning potion, sir. The spell leaves my teeth feeling fuzzy but I hate the muggle toothpaste my mum sends with me.”

Severus nodded his head and tapped a piece of chalk to write tooth-cleaning potion on the blackboard behind him. “That’s a first-year potion that should be on the curriculum. I’ll add that to a list of extra credit potions lessons I intend to offer.” He called on a tall girl with pin-straight brown hair on the Ravenclaw side, “Detwiler?”

“The fourth-year textbook has the contraception potion in it but it’s not on the syllabus until sixth-year.” Her cheeks were flaming red by the time she finished and she ducked her head with her chin pressed to her chest. 

Severus considered the reasons a fourteen-year-old would want the contraceptive potion for a split second before adding it to the list on the board. He would have a chat with Madam Pomfrey before he went home at the end of the day. At any rate, he should probably speak with her about supplying the hospital with potions. He was sure the stuff approved by the Board of Governors was all cheap and ineffective. 

He was surprised by some of the potions the students wanted to learn as he compiled a new list for each class. First-years wanted strengthening solutions to help them get up the countless stairs in the castle. Seventh-years wanted endurance potions to help them catch up on the month of studying they missed. Third-years wanted hair removal potions to deal with unwanted body hair as puberty reared its ugly head.  No one cared about cures for boils or warts. That’s what Healers were for. 

By the time he dragged himself home that evening, he was pleasantly tired with a feeling of wondrous satisfaction. He found his loves playing on the floor under a newly erected Yule tree covered in twinkling fairy lights and glittering baubles. Draco and Hydrus were chasing their serpent familiars around on wobbly legs while the adults laughed and clapped their hands in delight. He hoped for one brief moment that this peace would never shatter. Those hopes were dashed when Bellatrix came bounding across the room to slam him onto his back on the marble floor. 

Her wild curls tickled his nose and cheeks as she sat in the middle of his stomach and leaned over him. “Hiya, Sevvy! Didja miss me?”

Severus shoved her away and rolled to his knees to gasp for air. “How can one miss the plague, Bellatrix?”

She yanked his hair to pull his head back and hissed in his ear, “Watch your fuckin’ mouth, brother.” She stood up and brushed non-existent dust from the legs of her trousers. Her voice raised so everyone could hear, “Heard you knocked my little sister up, Severus. You’d better be a good father and partner or I’ll have to kill you.”

Severus rolled his eyes at her dramatics, “I see not even Azkaban could smooth out your rough edges. How was prison, Bellatrix?”

She cackled and flashed a double two-fingered salute at him. “It’s the Black Madness! You know how we can get, Sevvy. I hear you and Sirius have patched it all up in the last month. Congratulations! Our family just keeps on growing. Which, admittedly might not be such a bad thing considering it’s been on a heavy decline since one of our ancestors decided incest was the best. I’m actually thinking about spending some time at Willow Cottage with the sister I never knew existed.” The lazy wink she sent his way let him know she was merely leaning into the narrative they’d created. “I suddenly find myself with an abundance of homes. Cissy and Lucy insist I stay here in the manor with your happy little family, Andi and Ted have offered me a room in their,” she shuddered in revulsion, “townhome, Arabella and Devin asked me to stay with them, and even darling cousin Sirius demanded I pop into Grimmauld for a stretch. Who knew going to prison for crimes you didn’t commit because your husband and his weird brother had you under so many compulsions you couldn’t shit straight could be so beneficial?”

Narcissa sighed heavily, “Bella, language. We don’t want the boys repeating things like that. What did the goblins say about divorcing Rodolphus?”

“Ahh, the damned goblins. Always looking for the best way to maximize their profits. They seem to be under the impression that I should maintain my vows until after the trial. Once Roddy and Rabastan are convicted of the attack on Frank and Alice Longbottom, they seem to think I’ll get to take over the Lestrange family permanently. Since there are none left.” She rolled the hem of her shirt between her fingers slowly. “They suggested I could start making new little Lestranges to rebuild the family. I- cannot.”

Narcissa moved to take the seat beside her sister on the sofa and took her hand in her own. “We have decades to find a cure for the infertility curse placed on you.”

Wild grey eyes flashed with sadness before filling with mischief once more, “I’ll just have to be an obnoxiously doting Auntie! I have three nephews and a niece to spoil, and a mystery baby on the way. This place is big enough for me to stay out of your way for a while. I’m not ready to go back to Lestrange Estates. I might have the whole place leveled and a sewage reclamation plant built there. Isn’t that what they turned the factories into in Cokeworth, Sevvy?”

******

Ten days of peace was all they managed. Even with Bellatrix wandering aimlessly through the manor and owls constantly dropping off letters filled with combinations of support and vitriol regarding multiple things going on around them. Arabella was being welcomed as a lost Black sister by society while Bellatrix was being condemned as a liar who cheated her way out of Azkaban by using her wealth. Plenty of people believed the nuptial announcement for the Malfoy and Prince families was a publicity stunt, while others were over the moon for a love story. Things had been relatively calm at Malfoy Manor. Until the night of the full moon in December. 

Narcissa paced up and down the corridors with a wailing Harry clutched to her chest. He’d been crying since the sun went down and hadn’t stopped. Andi had come and gone after all diagnosis spells came back clean and no amount of sleeping draught would put him to sleep. He refused to take a bottle. He arched his back as if he were in agony when they tried putting him in a warm bath. He screamed like he was being tortured when they tried to close the curtains to block out the light of the full moon. 

Lucius leaned against the windowsill at the end of the hall and thumped his head against the wooden frame as Harry cried out with a miserable, “awoooo,” as Narcissa turned her back to the window once more. Severus perked up as a thought crossed his sleep-deprived brain, “He’s howling. I’ll go call the mutt.”

Narcissa stopped and glanced back at the men with hope blossoming in her eyes, “Why didn’t I think of that? He was playing with the boys in his Animagus form before he left yesterday. Hurry, Severus.”

Severus raced to the nearest fireplace and dropped to his knees on the cold hearth. He waited for Black’s bleary-eyed face to come into sight impatiently. “Sirius, we need you to come through immediately. Harry hasn’t stopped crying for hours and we think he’s howling like Padfoot.” A particularly loud howl pierced the air. Even Sirius could hear it through the floo and flinched. He shooed Severus out of the way so he could come to the rescue. 

Sirius stumbled into the library and looked around in sleepy confusion, “Why’d we come for a book? Shouldn’t we be in the nursery?”

Severus waved for the idiot to follow, “Draco has blessedly slept through the worst of the storm. We’ve been taking turns walking with him.”

They found the screaming toddler in Lucius’ arms when they returned from the library. Chubby hands opened and closed in a grabby motion as Harry sobbed, “Pa’foot! Awoooooo!”

Sirius pulled the wriggling child into his arms and bounced him a few times. Harry seemed to settle instantly. Sirius nuzzled the mop of messy black curls lying on his chest and looked up at the other three with smugness etched into every line of his pretty face. “Looks like all he needed was his Padfoot!” He turned slowly to start the trek to the nursery as the moon emerged from a wispy cloud. Harry’s exhausted voice let loose another tremulous howl that wiped the smile right off of Sirius’ face. 

And then, it clicked. Severus looked up with wide eyes as Harry called out, “Mooooon. Awooooooo!” as he started grabbing for the glistening windowpane. He pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned as Sirius sucked in a sharp gasp. 

“Moony! He’s missing Moony! We- we ran at Potter Manor every full moon. Lils kept Harry inside but I bet he could still hear Moony howling. The howl of a werewolf is totally different from a dog’s. Even a big fuckin’ one like me.” He flinched when Narcissa whacked him over the head for his language. He had a brilliant idea once the pain subsided and called for Kreacher. The grizzled elf popped in and covered his ears with his hands. “Kreacher! I need you to blink to Russia and get Moony as soon as the moon sets here. I don’t know what we’ll do to calm the little tyke until then. You have at least four hours to find him and get back. Got it?”

Dobby popped into the hall as soon as Kreacher was gone and demanded to take Harry so the others could get a few hours of sleep. They had no idea what adventures lay ahead. 

Bella poured an extra heap of sugar into her tea as the sun rose the following morning. She’d taken a turn early in the night carrying the screaming baby around the maze of corridors. She was still trying to recuperate from a month in Azkaban and years of compulsions and abuse, and couldn’t last beyond the one circuit. She could hear tired footsteps making their way down the stairs and started pouring tea into more cups. She conjured an extra one when Sirius trudged through the door with Harry still asleep on his shoulder. 

He collapsed into a chair and gulped the steaming tea down in a single swallow. “Do your elves keep coffee handy, Lucy? I got a taste for the stuff in the Auror Academy. I think it’ll offer the kick in the pants I need after last night. What time did he finally give up the ghost?”

Narcissa instructed Jinky to make a large carafe of coffee before turning her attention to the question. “We called for you just after one. He didn’t fall asleep until an hour ago at six. Will Remus be well enough to travel so soon after the transformation?”

Severus placed a line of phials on the table beside an empty plate. “I have everything he will need to recover. Call your elf… please.” The next few moments were pure pandemonium. 

Kreacher popped into the breakfast room with not one, but two men. Remus Lupin fell on the floor in a heap and groaned, “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you, Reggie.”

Sirius registered the name his mate had said but couldn’t reconcile that with the short-haired man with a goatee standing over him with terror in his grey eyes. Regulus went missing weeks before the final battle on Samhain. The Ministry had declared him dead when no trace of his life or magical signatures could even be found by the goblins. His mother died from grief the day after they buried the empty coffin. Remus had been sent to Russia on some secret mission by Dumbledore. All of their attempts to contact him up to now had gone unanswered. Sirius felt someone take Harry out of his arms as he reached for his brother. 

Harry’s tiny hand released a lock of Sirius’ hair and brushed against Regulus’ shoulder as he passed. A heavy silver chain hanging from the young man’s neck jerked tight to wrap around the small wrist. A heavy pendant engraved with a hissing basilisk set with emerald eyes dangled beside the scar that was barely visible on the little boy’s forehead. Something could be heard thumping down the stairs and then down the hall toward the room they were gathered in. When the door to the room burst open, a ragged black leather book flopped onto the rug before flapping up to land on Harry’s chest like some grotesque bird. A golden chalice with an ebony and ivory badger on the cup tumbled out of the bag hanging from the back of Bellatrix’s chair and rolled across the table to land in Harry’s outstretched left hand. The sound of a shattering window filled the air as one high above exploded inward bringing a shower of sparkling shards of glass, an ugly ring, and a tarnished tiara. The jewelry landed on Harry’s already overloaded body and light blinded everyone in the room. 

When their vision cleared, they found Harry’s forehead bleeding anew and a person who hadn’t been there before lying on the ground. Terror gripped them all once more when the man pushed himself into a sitting position. There in the middle of the Malfoy breakfast room was Lord Voldemort. The man doubled over and vomited an impressive puddle of something thick and black that smoked and was quickly burning a hole in the floor. 

A voice everyone recognized materialized from a corner of the room hidden in shadow, “Shit! This wasn’t supposed to happen for like… fourteen years. Tom, your soul was busted into so many pieces I’m surprised you survived a trip to Tartarus and back.” Everyone whipped around to find a tall man with messy black hair and laughing brown eyes leaning against the door. Standing beside him with a look of exasperation on her pretty face was a woman with long red hair and unforgettable green eyes. 

Severus choked and gasped, “Lily? James?”

The woman turned her verdant gaze on him, and he knew he was wrong. “I may look like Lily, but I assure you I am not. That little one in the high chair belongs to me, though. His twin belongs to my love.”

The spitting image of James Potter waved before bending down to peer at Harry and his snake, “We all thought it would be a good idea to try something new this time.” He stroked a tanned finger down Harry’s nose and spoke to him, “You’ve been on your own for so long. You deserve a break and a partner in crime. But it wouldn’t be fair for me to have all the fun, would it?”

Lily crouched to look into Draco’s eyes where he sat in his high chair, “You’re the perfect companion for the Master of Death. When the time is right, you will receive gifts from us to help you along the way.” She looked at James and smirked playfully, “Should we leave that one’s fate up to them?” 

James stroked a hand over Harry’s hair and sighed in mock exasperation, “Of course, we should. They’re not even two. They’ll be the least biased.” 

Lucius gripped the sides of his head to stave off the splitting headache he had. “Would someone explain who the hell you are and how the fuck he got in!?”

James tilted his head to the side and grinned wickedly, “None of you should be conscious. Humans usually pass out before we get the second sentence out. Life, why are they awake?”

Lily sniffed the air around the babies and hummed thoughtfully. “They did it! I think they wanted witnesses. Are you two already plotting? Precious little beans! Death, why can’t I have them both? You always get to play with Harry.”

James’ eyes flashed crimson as he glanced down at Tom’s prostrate form. “I’m letting you meddle with that one!”

She put her hands on her hips and stomped her foot, “Don’t shout at me! You’re the one who called the Aspect board meeting demanding to know how Tom’s soul kept winding up in Tartarus!” She blew out a short breath that fluffed her fringe, “Fine. I’ll keep Draco and Tom. You can keep Harry. Now, to answer Lucius’ question, I’m Life and that’s Death. We go where we want. As for Tom down there, well… I feel bad for him. He’s had a shitty go.”

Bellatrix tipped her head back and cackled as she squinted at the man with the flaming eyes, “If I look at you close enough I can tell you aren’t Potter. Life and Death, huh? And what exactly should we be feeling sorry for him for?”

Lily’s green eyes flashed with power when she looked at the woman, “He was manipulated more than any of you by that horrid little man. Albus Dumbledore started grooming him the day he met him at Wool’s. He never got the chance to feel love. You’ve all been loved.”

Sirius lurched forward and clamped a hand on Remus’ shoulder, “No one deserves that. How can we help?”

Lily cupped Sirius’ cheek and kissed his forehead, “Big softie. When Death called the board meeting we all left in agreement. Tom Riddle will have a choice.” She turned and lifted Tom up to standing with deceptively strong arms, “Tom Marvolo Riddle, you have the choice of turning yourself in for the crimes you have committed in this lifetime so that your soul can be properly cleansed in the afterlife, or you may choose to return to childhood and have a second chance at living. If you choose to suffer punishment for your crimes, you will have to feel true remorse for any of this to be worth it. It could be decades of solitude in prison before you die.”

Tom ran his fingers through chocolate brown hair with a hint of grey at the temples to reveal a sweaty forehead. “What good would becoming a child do? I’d go right back to being an unwanted orphan.”

Remus coughed wetly and struggled to his feet with a lot of help from Sirius. “W-what if you had a family willing to give you a loving home?”

Lily booped the werewolf’s nose and sang out, “Awww, puppy!” Color rushed back into his drawn face and he stood straighter with a relieved sigh. “I like the sound of that. You and Sirius would be fantastic parents to a young unloved boy. Hmmm. How old should we make you, Tommy?”

Tom scowled as he looked over the pair, “I would be raised by Walburga Black’s son? Gods, she was a harpy.”

Sirius barked out a laugh, “If you maintain the sense of humor when you de-age, this should go splendidly. Wha’d’ya say, Moldyshorts? Want a couple of queer dads?”

James shrugged and tapped Tom on top of the head with his knuckles, “Too late! I decided he should be the same age as his new best friends. Quick, Tom! I know you memorized your family tree, who’s your closest living relative?”

The freshly resurrected Dark Lord shook his head as if to clear the cobwebs, “I don’t know! I don’t… Oh! Elijah Prince.”

Severus felt his left eye twitch. “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. Death huffed a laugh and summoned the Gaunt ring from where it had fallen to the floor. Severus’ arm raised from his side of its own volition allowing the ring to slip over the middle finger on his left hand and sending a jolt of magic up his arm and straight to his core. Gooseflesh rose on the back of his neck as the icy magic coursed through him and the hiss of a multitude of serpents filled his ears and smoke filled the air.

When the smoke dissipated, Death, Life, and Tom Riddle the adult were gone. Sitting on the floor where he had been standing moments before was a little boy roughly the same age as Harry and Draco with chocolate brown curls and a dimple in his right cheek. Sirius scooped the baffled child up and cradled him against his chest. “Did we just adopt a Dark Lord? You know what? I need more sleep before I unpack all of that. Remi, do you need any of the potions Snape has for you?”

Remus blinked a few times and looked over his typically battered and scarred body to find it free of any marks. “Er… I think I’m good. Regulus?”

The young man was still trembling as he stammered, “N-no. I’m F-f-fine. I’ve met Death very recently and I’d really rather not have to do so again for a very very long time. Twice in a year is far too many. Can I move back into my room at home? I hate Russia.”

Chapter Text

Remus and Sirius stood side-by-side in the ritual room of Black Manor. The decision to abandon Grimmauld Place and move to the country was an easy one when they realized Orion and Walburga had let the house go after Regulus and Sirius left home. Kreacher was so excited to be reunited with the rest of the Black elves that he wept for days. It took the elf precisely forty-two minutes and eighteen seconds to prepare the ritual room for the adoption of baby Voldemort. 

Regulus leaned forward where he was standing beside Remus to look at his brother, “You sure you wanna go through with this? It’s a Dark ritual.”

Sirius scrubbed a hand over his face and shifted Tom on his hip, “Cissa and Lucy have already performed the same ritual to adopt Harry, Arabella performed it to adopt Devin, and we’re doing it to add Arabella to the family officially next week; after Severus finishes the Dark de-aging potion. It looks like the Blacks are just making a strong come-back to Dark Magic.” He hesitated and looked at his mate, “What about you, Rems?”

Remus exhaled slowly through his nose and considered what they’d learned a few hours before. “Can we really change our minds now? Life and Death personified decided he was being reverted back to a child. I would feel like I’m letting them down if we decided to leave him in an orphanage again. He doesn’t have any of his memories from his previous life. It’s a fresh start for someone who was twisted and molded into the monster he was from the minute he was born.” He ran a finger down the child in question’s cheek, “And in case anyone forgot, I’m a Dark creature.”

Sirius nodded once before placing Tom on the ritual table, “Alright, Tommy. Time to join the family. Let’s all hope we don’t fuck you up half as bad as you were before.”

Regulus lifted the bowl for the potion and muttered, “Hear, hear! I’ll be the cool uncle who builds you a pirate ship.”

******

Molly straightened the kids’ clothes with a flick of her wand and adjusted Ginny on her hip with a stern look on her face, “Now, one last time. If you misbehave there will be no pudding for a week. And remember not to touch anything! They have fancy things at Malfoy Manor. We must all ,” she looked at her eldest two and squinted, “be on our best behavior.”

Bill, the sassy ten-year-old that he was, rolled his eyes and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his trousers, “But why do we have to go? Just ‘cause Dad’s making friends with them doesn’t mean we all have to. I won’t even go to school with their kids!”

Molly cast a mild stinging hex at her oldest son and scowled, “Because I said so, William. No more arguing. I’ll toss in the floo powder and call out the destination. Once you’ve arrived, step out of the way and wait for me to get there. Bill, you take Fred and George. Charlie, you take Percy. I’ll be there right after you with Ron and Ginny.” She took a pinch of floo powder in her fingers and hesitated, “If they have house-elves…”

Bill took the twins’ hands and stepped into the empty fireplace, “Yeah, yeah. Be nice to them. We aren’t cavemen, Mum.”

She huffed and dropped the powder at their feet. When the hearth filled with green flames, she called out for Malfoy Manor and held her breath as the three children whirled away. She hustled Charlie and Percy in as soon as they were gone and watched them be whisked away. Her right foot was in the flames to keep the connection open before their feet disappeared and she swirled away with the two babies held tight. She released a breath she wasn’t aware she’d been holding when the spinning stopped and her five oldest children were standing nicely beside the hearth. Her knees were wobbling beneath her homemade dress as she hastily followed after the neatly dressed house-elf. 

They were led to a temperature-controlled patio and garden that was brilliantly green and surrounded by snow on all sides. Three blond toddlers were playing at the top of a massive playground built to look like a pirate ship and started jabbering excitedly when they saw the horde of children walk through the doors. Molly had to use a wandless charm to stop Fred and George from bolting across the lawn before they’d greeted their hostess. She sat Ron down beside Percy and reached out a hand to Narcissa, “Lady Malfoy, thank you for the invitation.”

Narcissa took the offered hand and smiled warmly, “Please call me Narcissa or Cissa, and thank you for accepting. When Lucius mentioned that you have twins I was delighted!”

Molly relaxed a little, “You must call me Molly. These are my children Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny. I hope you don’t mind that I brought them all.”

Narcissa waved away her concern, “Nonsense. If I invite one, you are all welcome. They can go and join the children if they want to. The two with white-blond hair are Draco and Hydrus, the one with golden blond hair is my nephew Devin, and the only girl is my niece Dora. My sisters are around here somewhere.”

Molly shifted Ginny to her lap as she sat down. “I read about your newest sister in the paper. It’s hard to know what is fact or fiction with articles, though.”

Narcissa smiled brightly when the pirate ship was filled with the sound of laughing children. The sounds of joy made the manor feel like it had new life. “Aria approached Andromeda first upon learning of her heritage. And when it became clear that Andi and I were repairing our broken relationship she brought Aria to meet me.”

The woman in question walked through the patio doors with Andromeda and Bellatrix behind her. Molly did her best not to show her concern over Bellatrix. “It’s lovely to meet you, dear. How ever did you learn of all this?”

“Oh, honey. It’s nothing exciting! I went to Gringotts to ask for a loan to extend my mortgage and they required an inheritance test. I’d never had one done because my mum always told me my father was a muggle! I can tell you I was plum shocked when that page filled in with my father being Cygnus Black. Andromeda and Ted were the first to welcome me to the family and it’s just continued growing since then.” She turned to Narcissa and asked, “Are Sirius and Remus coming with Tommy?”

Narcissa sat her teacup down gently and dabbed at her mouth with a linen napkin before responding, “I invited them, so we shall see. You know how Siri is about responding to these things. And then he tells Remus twenty minutes before they’re supposed to be somewhere.”

Molly’s eyes widened at the mention of Sirius and Remus. They’d been part of the Order of the Phoenix and she hadn’t heard anything about them since October. Sirius had gone back to work as an Auror straight away, but no one had seen Remus outside of the rare trip to Diagon. To add to her surprise, the pair strode onto the patio just then with their own toddler and Regulus. The last she’d heard from Dumbledore, Regulus was still believed dead!

Sirius greeted his cousins with kisses on their cheeks before thrusting his hand out toward Molly, “We haven’t seen you since everything ended with the war and all that rot! How have you been?”

She jumped to her feet and wrapped her arms around Remus’ neck and then Sirius’, “We’re all ok! I’m so glad to see you both well. Remus, you were leaving for Russia the last time we saw each other.”

He nodded solemnly and sighed, “I was. That mission was a disaster, but that’s for another time. I realized what was right in front of me while I was keeping watch over Regulus. As soon as I came home I demanded Sirius marry me.”

Sirius barked out a laugh and crossed his feet at the ankles in Remus’ lap, “Yeah, and you came home from Russia with my little brother that I thought was dead and a two-year-old for us to adopt. Dumbles may have sent you on that mission merely to guard Reggie, but the Fates had other ideas.”

Molly laughed and looked over her shoulder quickly to make sure her children were alright. “Tommy, huh? That isn’t a very celestial name.”

Sirius shrugged as all four of his sisters groaned, “We definitely balked at tradition with his name. He was already Tom when Remus found him, we just decided to keep that and give him a starry middle name. He’s Thomas Orion Black.”

Molly finally settled into her seat feeling relaxed with this group. “Any idea when we can expect Lucius and Arthur to arrive from the Ministry?”

Narcissa’s responding smile was very nearly terrifying, “Oh, we’ll be long gone before they arrive, darling. You’re coming with us while the men and house-elves take care of the children. Arthur said it’s been far too long since you’ve had a day to yourself. How do you feel about a little trip to my favorite spa followed up by some light shopping?”

Molly felt her heart sink to her toes. The children looked to be having a marvelous time playing on the pirate playground and she had to admit that she was enjoying herself. She was a young mother who was desperate for the companionship of other women. The war had taken a toll on everyone’s social lives. She’d lost her brothers just over a year ago and she hadn’t really had a chance to mourn them or the other countless people who’d died. Andromeda’s daughter was the same age as Charlie and the other babies were all the same age as Ron. Bellatrix was a bit of a gamble, but the rest of her sisters seemed so bloody normal! Why did she have to be having such a good time and it gets ruined by something as stupid as money?

She twisted the napkin in her lap and glanced back at the horde of laughing children before responding, “You have no idea how much I want to say yes.” Her voice caught and came out in a rough whisper, “Arthur… Arthur has only just had a promotion at the Ministry. We have some things to catch up on before I can think about going shopping. Thank you for thinking of me. I- I can take the children home if you want to leave.”

Andromeda put her hand on Molly’s shoulder and squeezed gently, “Mols, come on. We were great friends in school. You should know how this goes.”

She shook her head and tried to pull away, “You aren’t talking about sneaky booze under the quidditch stands, Andi! You’re asking me to join you at what I’m sure is an elite spa and shopping! Look at you four. You’re all like models in magazines in your fine silks and designer shoes. I’m wearing a dress that I bought in my sixth year and altered to fit after seven children. I don’t…”

Bella fell gracefully into the chair beside Molly and slung an arm around her shoulders, “We haven’t always got along,” Molly snorted and Bella shoved her gently, “Shut it! I know. I was a right shit. But I was under so many compulsions,” she shuddered so violently that her head jerked to the side, “Roddy started layering them on me the year I started school. Our parents signed the marriage contract when we were still in nappies. It didn’t matter if I wanted him or not. I was going to be the next Lady Lestrange whether I liked it or not. Let’s call today my way of saying I'm sorry.”

Narcissa sighed as she sat her teacup down, “Bella is right. Our families are responsible for so much pain. Let us bring you some joy.” She looked down at her perfect shoes and had to fight the frown threatening to make an appearance. “I need a friend who isn’t a sister. I was hoping we could be friends.”

A single tear slid down Molly’s cheek. “Yes. I need friends. But I want all four of you! So, let’s go on this adventure you’ve planned.” She felt lighter as soon as she said it. Her heart soared as all four women beamed back at her. “Are you sure your elves can handle so many children?” Her eyes widened as Andromeda’s daughter changed her hair from short and curly to long and straight in a blink, “I know mine are more than a handful on their own.”

Narcissa stood and waved off Molly’s concern, “All of the elves are trained in childcare. Come along, dear. We don’t want to be late for our facials.”

******

Andromeda paced in the bedroom of her modest townhouse in London. She and Ted purchased it their first year out of Hogwarts with what she’d been able to get out of her trust vault before she was disowned for betraying the family. There were two bedrooms on the upper level and one on the ground floor that they used as Ted’s office. Their kitchen was just large enough to fit a round table for them to share their meals. Nymphadora came along and took over the spare bedroom across from theirs and they’d never needed more. It was perfect. 

She scowled at her reflection in the full-length mirror hanging beside the wardrobe as Ted emerged from a cloud of steam rolling out of the en suite. He was still damp from his shower when he wrapped his arms around her from behind and started swaying them in a dance with no music. “What’s got you making your serious face so early in the morning my love?”

She leaned her head back against his shoulder and sighed heavily, “Everything is changing.”

He kissed the side of her neck, slowly moving up to her ear, “Is that a bad thing? Our Dora has cousins and friends. She’s been so happy since… Well, everything.”

She turned in his arms and looked down into his smiling brown eyes, “What if she had a sibling?”

Ted continued rocking them in a slow dance. “We haven’t exactly stopped trying to give her one. Are you thinking about adopting again?”

She stopped their dance and placed her hands on either side of his face before kissing the tip of his nose. “Not adopting, Teddy.”

He blinked at her slowly as his brain processed what she was saying. “Are… are you saying what I think you are?” She nodded as tears started to leak from the corners of her eyes. “You’re going to have another baby? Really?”

She laughed as he lifted her off her feet and swung her around, “We’ll have a son in October!”

He dropped her back onto her feet and grew serious, “I’m naming this one, yeah?” 

******

Severus walked slowly between the tables laden with steaming cauldrons. His seventh-year students were working on a potion that would take them the rest of the term to complete. He’d had to beg Dumbledore to allow him to open up another dungeon classroom to house their projects. His promises that the potions weren’t volatile had fallen on deaf ears all through December and halfway into January. It was now the middle of February and it was going to be close, but he was certain they would be able to complete them before graduation on the thirtieth of May. 

A Hufflepuff with frizzy hair raised her hand at the last table by the door and he nodded to acknowledge her. “Sir… There’s a baby sitting on your desk.”

He spun around to find Draco sitting in the middle of his desk with a raven feather quill gripped in his tiny fist and headed for his mouth. “What the devil? How did you get in here? There’s no way you made it through the wards!”

The students all tittered nervously at their workstations as he ran down the aisle to scoop the child up. One of his Slytherins chimed in from the table in front of the desk, “I saw him appear, sir! The desk was empty and then it wasn’t!”

A loud crash rang out through the room before the door burst open and Narcissa came flying in with Harry in her arms. “Severus! Draco is… Here?”

The cheeky little bugger clapped his hands and babbled, “Mama! Find Baba!”

The two adults stared at each other in mute confusion while the toddlers chattered to each other. The giggling students drew Severus out of his stupor and he shook his head to clear the fog. “Ladies and gentlemen, class is dismissed early. Please put a stasis charm on your cauldrons and pack your belongings.”

His Slytherin wasn’t giving up that easily, “You aren’t going to introduce us? It’s not every day a baby interrupts our classes, sir.”

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. “Mr. Bellview…Fine. I would like to present my sons Draco and Hydrus as well as their mother, Lady Malfoy. Now, please pack your-”

The Hufflepuff with frizzy hair raised her hand and didn’t wait to be called on, “Why didn’t we know you had children, sir? We’ve all read about your upcoming wedding but we didn’t know there were babies .”

“That would be because my private life is none of your business, Miss Davidson. Draco and Hydrus have not been officially introduced to society. We would greatly appreciate it if knowledge of their existence was kept quiet. I will raise everyone's grade one letter at the end of term if this remains a secret.” 

That plan was dashed when Albus strode through the open classroom door. “What do we have here? A little family visit? How marvelous! Narcissa, I’m delighted to see you well. You’ve been absent from the social scene for some time. Are these precious gems the reason for your two-year absence?” He tickled Draco under the chin and cooed at the tiny boy, “They are remarkable, Narcissa. They’re the spitting image of Lucius with all of that platinum-blond hair. Do I see your grey eyes? Ah! The little tyke has taken a liking to my beard!” Harry had a fistful of snowy white hair clutched in his hand and was yanking it hard. Did I hear you call them Draco and Hydrus? Auspicious names for such little gentlemen. I hear congratulations are in order.”

Narcissa shifted Harry on her hip, collected Draco, and cast a glance at Severus anxiously; she didn’t like how the old codger was eyeing her rounded abdomen. “Thank you, Headmaster Dumbledore. We’ve only just begun planning the handfasting. I should really be getting back to the Manor. Lucius will be home from the Ministry soon and I’m sure he’ll wonder where I’ve got off to with the twins. I couldn’t deny Draco when he demanded to come see his Baba. Come along, my sweet. Papa will be home so soon!”

Albus put a hand on her lower back with a sly smile, “You can use my floo to return to the manor. Why don’t we take a tour around the castle so your little ones can see a bit of something other than their home, hmm? I bet Minerva will have kittens when she gets her first glimpse of the little scoundrels. You can tell me all about your long-lost sister along the way.”

Severus could do nothing but watch as the wiley man guided his fiancee and children out of the classroom. Davidson slung her bag over her shoulder, snagged Bellview by the back of the collar, and started dragging him out of the room behind her. She called over her shoulder, “We have Charms next, sir! We’ll follow them up to the fifth floor and send a note to tell you if anything suspicious happens!” They were gone before he knew what to do or say. 

This began an almost daily occurrence of one or both of the twins appearing inside Hogwarts. The next time it happened, he was in the Slytherin common room helping a second-year with their Astronomy assignment when there was a quiet pop and a familiar giggle. He turned around to find Harry toddling across the common room with his white basilisk wrapped around his waist like a belt. The little monster lifted his arms and yelled, “Baba! ~Thanatos~ and Hyrie come Baba!”

Severus picked up his child and eyed him, “How do you and your brother keep doing this? Once was a fluke. Twice is a pattern.”

The student sitting at the low round table tapped his elbow to regain his attention, “Sir? Did the baby just hiss at you?”

Severus blinked at the student and Harry for several seconds. “Did he? I suppose I don’t notice the baby babble anymore. Hydrus and his twin were blessed to be bonded with their familiars as infants. They generally hiss to signify they are referring to the serpents.” He looked around and found Bellview chatting with fellow seventh-years on the sofa nearby. “Anthony? Do you mind assisting Miss Armstrong with her constellation? I should have returned home for supper over an hour ago. It looks as if my little one got impatient.”

Bellview flashed a crooked grin at his Head of House and loped over to the table, “Sure thing, Professor. Didn’t he have grey eyes and blond hair last week?” 

Severus walked through the door into the corridor leaving that question hanging. When he stepped out of the fireplace in the manor, he was greeted by Lucius holding the pot of floo powder in one hand and an anxious Narcissa pacing in the doorway. “Were you coming to look for this? He appeared in the common room this time.”

Lucius kissed Harry’s forehead and then lingered over Severus’ lips. “I came home from the Ministry to Cissa panicking with only Draco in the nursery. How do they do this? Dobby insists he isn’t taking them to you!”

“I don’t know. I think, for the time being, we shouldn’t make a big deal out of it. They may see it as a game. Come find Baba. I’m surprised they haven’t gone looking for you, Luce.” He kissed Narcissa before leading her back to the nursery. 

“I’m in and out throughout the day. Things might change when I start spending more time at the Ministry. I was offered a position in the DMLE beneath Bartemius Crouch Sr.” He looked askance at his wife for her reaction to this news. They’d only just recently discussed the possibility of him taking a job in the Ministry to begin working his way toward the Minister for Magic position. He fully intended to live out his dream of being the youngest Minister in history. 

“Oh! I knew you would get the Assistant Director job! I’m so proud of you both. My Professor and Politician. See here, boys, your daddies are both very important people. You have big shoes to fill when you grow up. Could you stop trying to give Mummy a heart attack before your sister is born?” She collapsed into a rocking chair and flung an arm over her eyes. 

Severus sat down on the rug in front of her and slowly unwound the white serpent from around Harry’s middle. “I think… I think I may have gained the ability to speak Parseltongue when the Slytherin ring accepted me. When I found Harry in the common room, he told me that he and Thanatos had come. ‘Thanatos and Hyrie come Baba,’ is the exact quote. Miss Armstrong said he hissed at me, but I clearly heard Thanatos.” 

Lucius’ eyebrows twitched up as he collected Draco from Dobby, “Alright. Let’s test your theory. Draco? What is your snake’s name?”

Little Draco’s nose scrunched up before he hissed, ~Hypnos!~

Severus nodded once and said, “There! He said, ‘Hypnos!’ I heard it as clear as Veritaserum. You heard it, right?”

Lucius and Narcissa looked at each other with wide eyes. Lucius shook his head slowly as he replied, “No. He hissed like he always does when he is talking about or to the serpents. Merlin’s beard, Sev! You’re a Parselmouth, too. Well. At least one of us can understand them.”

Cissa laughed as she twisted her long hair into a knot on top of her head. She pinned it in place with a sticking charm before summoning two blankets, “It’s time we put these two to sleep. We’ll take Hypnos and Thanatos downstairs and get to know them once the twins are down for the night.

Chapter Text

In March, Severus was teaching third-year Gryffindors and Slytherins when both of his children decided to come for a visit. He spotted Draco standing on the table between two blessedly empty and unlit cauldrons first. He had just picked him up and was starting to form an explanation when Harry popped into place on his own desk. “Salazar. Can’t we get through a single day, gentlemen? My apologies, class. Hydrus and Draco appear to be extra anxious to see me today. They don’t usually make their grand entrance until after lunch.” He transfigured two empty chairs into highchairs with a flick of his wand and sent the twins each into one with another. “I was in the middle of a lecture on the properties of dandelions. You’ll have to sit quietly until we’re through.” The students giggled when the twins folded their hands primly on top of the trays and grinned widely. Severus rolled his eyes and turned back to the class to continue his lesson. 

Soon enough, the entirety of the students and staff at the school were fully aware of Hydrus and Draco’s existence. Severus quickly became accustomed to finding one or both of them in places they most definitely should not be. Thankfully, Albus thought the whole thing was a lark. He’d insisted it was perfectly normal for children to be able to sneak past certain wards when they were determined enough. He even told a lengthy story about his sister Ariana sneaking out of the house when she was four to steal apples from the neighbor’s orchard. 

The end of May came faster than any of them expected.  

******

Severus walked through the doors of Gringotts expecting to stand in line for a teller like everyone else. His expectations were dashed when a goblin with a gold axe dangling from his waistband came trotting toward him. “Lord Prince! We have sent you twelve letters with no response. We were beginning to think you didn’t want to bank with us.” Sharp teeth were flashed in a mockery of a friendly smile. The goblin motioned for Severus to follow and took off in the direction he’d come from. 

The office they entered looked like a very small cave hewn straight out of the bedrock beneath London. The ceiling was low and hung with stalactites, various weapons decorated the walls with things like “This Spear Belonged to Emmett the Egg-Faced,” and even the chairs and desk were carved from stone. He took one of the boulder-esque chairs across from the goblin and waited patiently for him to catch his breath. 

“Thank you for your patience, sir. You are the holder of two of the oldest vaults here at Gringotts, therefore you were assigned to one of the most experienced account managers to get your affairs in order. My experience comes with great age.” He slid two file folders across the desk with another of his disarming grimace-smiles. “Mr. Tonks has already given you the file with the Prince accounts, but I had this itemized vault list prepared for you. The Prince family vault holds numerous priceless artifacts. As for the other account you now possess…”

Severus flipped the folder with a stylized S on the cover open. Inside was a stack of parchment describing the various investments and properties owned by the Slytherin family. “Merlin’s ghost. They’re nearly equal in value. How many castles do I own? Gods. That says seven Slytherin castles. The Princes thankfully only own one. Er, I forgot to ask your name, sir goblin. What am I supposed to do with all of this?”

“Hah! My name is Gold Heart. As for what you can do with your wealth, you may do what you like with it. You certainly have enough of it. Check page twelve, sub-section seven-d. The Slytherin vault receives yearly income from the Royal Crown of England for the use of your property… Buckingham Palace.”

Severus snorted and pinched the bridge of his nose, “I’m going to evict the bloody queen. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! Does… does that?” He started choking on his own saliva and felt his head start swimming with a combination of a severe lack of oxygen and absolute shock. 

Gold Heart hopped over his desk with an agility that belied his previous show of age and thumped him on the back a few times until color rushed back into his pallid cheeks. “It says you own New Zealand, sonny!” He cackled when his new client fainted dead on the floor. 

Severus tumbled out of the fireplace in the receiving room after Gold Heart literally tossed him through from his office hours later. He heard muffled laughter from behind him and looked up to see Narcissa and Lucius upside-down in the doorway. He somersaulted and righted himself while still clutching his aching head. He grumbled and staggered as he attempted to walk toward his partners, “D’you wanna honeymoon in New Zealand? I own it.”

Narcissa giggled and steadied him, “You own what, love? Did you find a wine cellar in one of your vaults?”

Lucius slung one of Severus’ arms over his shoulder to support him as they climbed the stairs to their suite, “They probably opened a bottle of their finest in celebration of reopening the Slytherin vaults. We haven’t been to New Zealand yet. Honeymooning there would be marvelous.”

Severus shook his head and instantly regretted the movement. “Cracked my head on the ground when I lost consciousness. No wine or alcohol. I don’t own property in New Zealand. I own New Zealand. All seven hundred plus islands. I could evacuate the entire country without a single person knowing what happened or how to find it again. I have coordinates to an estate that covers over twenty-five thousand square kilometers of unplottable land in the middle of the main island. I. Own. New Zealand.”

Narcissa rubbed a hand over her round belly with widened eyes, “Sev, darling, I’m due to deliver in less than eight weeks. I think touring the country you own might have to wait a while. How much wealthier is the richest man in the world?”

He sank onto the sofa in front of their fireplace and sent his boots to the dressing room with a flick of his wand, “I doubled my net worth. No matter what happens, you will all be taken care of. I listed the two of you as beneficiaries with trust vaults set up for the children. New vaults will automatically open with one million galleons for any other children that may come about.”

Narcissa sat down beside him with her feet under her and tucked a lock of hair behind his ear, “Are you having second thoughts? We don’t have to go through with the whole public spectacle, you know. I would happily cancel it all and bond with you alone in the forest. All Lucius and I want is for you to be with us.”

“I haven’t had a single second thought. As long as you two will have me, I am yours. Are you ready for this wedding? Our little princess has been awfully hard on you these last couple of weeks.” He slid down onto the floor between her feet and leaned his head on her belly. Their baby rolled over causing his head to rise and fall where it lay. 

“Andi has been here every day to check on us. She’s concerned that she’s measuring larger than an average twenty-eight-week fetus, but otherwise, we are both healthy and strong. We have seven weeks until she’s due to make her grand entrance into the world. Our handfasting will go off without a hitch. Besides, you and Lucius haven’t allowed me to lift a finger in two months! He wouldn’t even let me fix a flower arrangement while you were at the bank. You both act as if I haven’t done this twice before.”

Lucius stretched out on the sofa beside her and laid his head by Severus’, “We only want to ensure your safety, dear. Once this debacle is over we can go back to our regular calm life. I’m only glad your mother isn’t here to ruin this wedding day.”

Bella waltzed into the room and flopped into a squashy chair with one leg thrown over the arm, “I can’t wait to see the looks on the guests’ faces when they see the twins and your big ole baby bump! Siri and I are taking bets about which juicy morsel will take the front page headline. I’m placing my bet on a secret third option. Top headline will be about the surprise introduction of his and the wolf’s little mutt. Do you know how fucking hard it is to keep so many kids secrets?”

Lucius rolled his eyes and sat up to summon a pillow to put behind Narcissa’s lower back. “I’ll build you a house as a prize if it will get you out of mine. I thought you were only staying for a short time.”

Narcissa and Severus exchanged amused looks as the two started bickering for the umpteenth time. “I spoke with the account manager at Gringotts today, as a matter of fact! I… I need a kid to name as Lestrange heir before they’ll let me throw Roddy and Rab off the family tree. I refuse to go find a surrogate to carry Roddy’s little bastard. I won’t curse another generation with their shit blood. Andi’s been looking for anything that might reverse the infertility curse I was hit with during that raid back in April of last year. If I could get pregnant, it would be a piece of cake to fake the kid’s inheritance test. Only other option is finding some magical orphan to adopt. Not exactly a plethora of those floating around.”

“We were just planning a trip to New Zealand. Maybe we’ll find someone with a cure there. We don’t have to return to England until late August when Severus returns to school. Severus, why don’t you tell us about the estate you have there?”

He sat up with a huff to face the obnoxious woman in order to keep his fiancee happy, “According to the file, there is a mansion overlooking a large lake and a forest full of magical creatures. We really don’t need to travel so soon before the baby arrives. I wasn’t in my right mind when I first came home.”

Their unborn daughter stretched out a leg under Narcissa’s ribs, stealing her breath. She pressed the heel of her hand into her side and panted until the sharp pain eased. “I swear, she’s determined to come before her due date. I have a hunch she might share a birthday with her brothers. You got New Zealand in my head and now I can’t think of anything else. Your estate is unplottable, Severus. I could have her there and we could avoid the press beating down our door for a glimpse of the newlyweds and their children.”

Lucius conjured a damp rag to wipe her brow. He wasn’t fond of how rosy her cheeks were. “We will ask Andromeda in the morning if she thinks Portkey travel is safe.”

******

Narcissa gazed at her reflection in the floor-to-ceiling mirror in wonder. Her hair was piled in an artistic mess of curls on top of her head with little diamonds tucked into the strands. Draped around her elegant neck was a string of sparkling diamonds with a single sapphire the size of a ripe cherry nestled in the dip of her throat. She’d opted out of wearing white for this ceremony. Her dress was dove-grey and made of the softest Acromantula silk with diamonds, amethysts, and sapphires sewn into the lace train. She closed her eyes and inhaled slowly as another practice contraction tightened her belly. 

Andromeda’s brows drew together as she watched the pain cross her sister’s face, “Darling, we can still cancel.”

“Absolutely not. The guests are already in their seats. I will get through this day if it’s the last thing I do.” She massaged the tightness away and grumbled to her unborn child, “Please. We’re leaving for a nice quiet holiday in just a few hours. Jinky left yesterday to prepare everything for our arrival. Just give me a little more time. Bella, are you sure you want to repair the damage? Adoption is sounding rather lovely for any future children Severus and Lucius may want.”

Bellatrix tugged on her dress to straighten the skirt with a scowl, “Why do I have to wear the silver-blue dress? Andi looks better in lighter shades. I’ll take the black.” She stomped her foot when Andromeda chirped a laugh and jumped out of the way of her switching spell. “Gah! Fine! What about you, Aria? Wanna trade me your pretty purple?” Aria merely laughed and waved her away. “It’s on your head when we all look ridiculous in the photos. What color did you put the boys in, Cissy?”

She turned slowly and started making her way across the room. “They’re in black, blue, and purple like you. We chose to use all of our families’ colors; black for Prince, blue for Malfoy, and purple for Black. Three elite families joined as one. We can only hope the children have stayed clean and pressed.”

Aria hurried to support her as they reached the top of the stairs. “Remus put about a hundred charms on Devin’s little robes I’m sure he’s hit Draco and Hydrus’, too. That Tom is a doll! I can’t believe he had such a rough start.” Her eyes scanned their surroundings nervously. “He’ll be a completely different person this time. Sirius and Remus have a couple of good heads.” 

The four sisters peeked through the open glass doors into the wide garden. Hundreds of white chairs lined both sides of a long aisle covered by arches overflowing with blue delphinium, a magical variety of silver-blue honeysuckle, deep violet heliotrope, and black roses. Narcissa took a deep breath before leaning farther out the door to get a glimpse of the packed journalist section off to the side. She called for Dipsy and leaned heavily on Bellatrix’s outstretched arm. “Please let Edward know we need to get started. Are the men ready at the front?”

Dipsy wiped a tear from his wrinkled cheek and sighed dreamily, “Masters Lucius and Severus is waiting at the front with Lord Black. Missy Dora is around here somewheres. Dipsy will be bringing her back after he talks to Mr. Edward. Dipsy has the portkey ready to take the family to a quiet place. Dipsy is seeing the new home yesterdays. You will be liking it so much, Mistress Cissa. Dipsy will be going to alert Mr. Edward now.” He popped away only to come running back with Dora chasing him a few minutes later. 

Andromeda cleaned up Dora’s dress and handed her the basket filled with petals from the flowers dripping overhead and in the ladies’ bouquets. Soft music began playing to signal the start of the ceremony and Dora wriggled out of her mother’s grasp. “I’ve got it, Mum! Cut it out! There are kids out there. I don’t want them to see that. I’ll make sure Hydrus and Draco make it down the aisle. You just worry about getting Auntie Cissy down there.” 

Narcissa stood straighter as her niece nudged the twins to walk before her. They weren’t carrying the rings on pillows like they would in a muggle ceremony. They were simply there to show off. Aria took her right arm, Bellatrix took up the rear, and Andromeda took her left arm. The twins reached the end of the aisle to a wave of coos and awws with Dora right behind them. Cameras flashed from all over the garden. The four sisters began the long trek toward the men at the end. Remus and Regulus corralled Draco, Hydrus, and Dora into seats in the front row with Devin and Tommy as the women reached their destination. 

The crowd of guests sat down as Severus and Lucius moved to support Narcissa while her sisters stepped away. Ted raised his arms for silence at a harsh look from his wife. “Welcome family and friends! We’ve gathered today to join these three people in love. Lucius and Narcissa made their vows to each other previously but will be speaking for their love today as well. Who here speaks for Lucius?”

The Minister for Magic stood from her seat in the second row and raised her wand high, “Lucius Abraxas Malfoy has no living family to speak for him. As Minister for Magic of Great Britain, I, Millicent Viringia Bagnold, do speak for this man.”

Ted nodded to the Minister solemnly, “Thank you, Minister Bagnold. Do you find Lucius to be of sound mind?”

“I do.”

“Very well. Who speaks for Severus?” Ted had to hold in a snort of laughter when he saw Dumbledore’s face sink. 

Minerva stood from her seat and raised her wand, “Severus Tobias Snape has no living family. He asked if I would be godmother to his unborn child so that I might become family. I, Minerva Isobel Ross McGonagall do speak for this man.”

Ted winked at the professor and asked, “Do you find Severus to be of sound mind?”

“Aye. The boy is thinking clearly for the first time in his life. I do.” The crowd laughed quietly as she retook her seat. 

Ted cleared his throat for the final question, “Who speaks for Narcissa?”

Aria took a step forward from her place to the side and lifted her right arm with her hand in a fist as Sirius took his place by her side with his wand lifted. Aria called out first, “As eldest sister to Narcissa Yvaine Black Malfoy, I do speak for this woman.”

Sirius nodded his head once and raised his voice, “As head of House Black, I do speak for Narcissa Yvaine Black Malfoy.”

“And do you find Narcissa to be of sound mind?”

They spoke in unison, “We do.”

“Then let us delay no longer! The magic of love is a curious thing. So often, we find ourselves believing that love comes in only one form. But this isn’t true. With time and magic, we have learned that love is filled with infinite possibilities. Today, these three people have made the decision to bond themselves as a family unit. Three hearts beat as one, three souls move as one, three minds think as one.” He flourished his wand to produce a white ribbon, “Please join hands so that I may tie the symbolic rope as a sign of your commitment.” 

Lucius stood on Narcissa’s left with Severus on her right. They reached their left arms out and clasped their hands together before Ted. With a gentle wave, the ribbon wound around their arms until it was wrapped around their joined hands. He was opening his mouth to finalize the ceremony when there was a crack of thunder in a cloudless sky. The white ribbon twisted around the three arms and hands split into three; one turned a pale blue, one deep violet, and one black. The three ribbons behaved like snakes as they continued slithering around and around. Suddenly the ribbons melted into the joined hands and flashed a brilliant white. Ted gaped at them for a few seconds before a look he remembered on his Andi’s face when Nymphadora was coming flashed across Narcissa’s own. “M-magic has seen fit to bless these three. Lucius Malfoy, Severus Prince, and Narcissa Black Malfoy, there is no higher power than Magic. Go forth and be fruitful and joyous forevermore.”

The three hurried back down the aisle under a volley of sparks shooting from guests’ wands. Cheers and whistles rang through the countryside as they ducked back into the manor. Ted could be heard shouting over the din for everyone to enjoy themselves until the wards tossed them out. Andromeda shoved and nudged the family into the formation they’d been practicing for weeks. She was the last to place her hand on the map stretched out in the center of their large circle. Narcissa gasped in pain and crushed Severus’ hand as Lucius activated the portkey. Fifteen people twirled and spun in dizzying circles for what seemed like an eternity. And then, they landed.

Chapter Text

Severus was pulled to the ground as Narcissa collapsed to her knees and let out a low moan. Lucius took a step to help her and found his thigh clamped in an iron grip as the moan morphed into a keening that sent chills up everyone’s spines. Ted, Remus, and Regulus started collecting children to relocate to a place that wasn’t in the middle of a horror scene. Severus couldn’t think beyond the blinding pain in his hand. He was sure there were at least four broken bones. Lucius was standing perfectly still with tears coursing down his cheeks as he wept silently with her nails slowly embedding themselves in his thigh. Andromeda started casting every diagnostic spell she knew to check how far into labor her sister was. It was beginning to look like panic would win out and no one would know what to do. 

Dobby popped into the room that no one had even had a chance to look at and silenced everyone but Narcissa with a click of his fingers. “Dobby is having the birthing potion. Mistress Cissa might be more comfortable in the bathtub.”

Andromeda shook her head and stuttered, “I d-don’t know what came over me! I forgot all of my training.” She cast the spell to repair Severus’ broken hand and another to seal the holes in Lucius’ leg. “The bruises will have to wait until later. Move so I can relocate her, please.” Her sister floated up onto an invisible gurney and started following behind the house elf. 

They were grateful to find the tub already filled with warm water. It was built into the ground with wide steps down. The men stripped down to their shorts while Andromeda helped Narcissa out of her dress. When the men were situated in the bath, they guided their wife in with them. Andromeda tipped the potion into her slack mouth and they all watched as the pain of delivering a child vanished. 

Narcissa puffed out a few short breaths and swiped a stray curl out of her eyes. “Thank the gods for that potion! Is it time to push? It feels like it is. Can I push, please?”

Andromeda nodded at Severus to get into position, “Yes, sweetheart, you can push. Let’s bring your daughter into this wild world.” 

Severus crouched in the warm water and waited for something he was most definitely not ready for. He watched with wide eyes as his brand-new wife bore down and pushed with everything she had. It seemed like no time at all until Andromeda was shouting for him to catch. There in his open arms was a tiny wrinkled prune with a tuft of black hair. He pulled his daughter out of the water and gazed down at her angry little face. He couldn’t look away from her as Andi cut the umbilical cord. “Welcome to the world, Aiyla.”

Narcissa breathed a sigh of relief as she looked at her daughter in her husband’s arms. She wasn’t prepared to be wracked by another powerful contraction. “Andi! What’s happening?”

Andromeda jumped into the tub as soon as Severus scrambled out of the way. Lucius was frozen in fear in his place behind Narcissa. Andi cast a string of spells before ripping the parchment with the results out of the air. “Merlin and Morgana! You have to push, Cissy. There was another baby hiding!” 

Narcissa shook her head and ground her teeth together, “We can’t have a second set of twins! Why didn’t we know!?”

Andromeda crouched down and soothed, “If their heartbeats were in sync every time I checked, that would explain it. My scans should have indicated that there were multiple fetuses, but surprises do happen.”

Lucius kissed her neck and gripped her shoulders, “Come on love. We’re already here, may as well have another, eh?”

She bore down on a contraction and screamed at its completion, “We don’t have another name picked out!”

Severus knelt behind them on the marble floor with Aiyla wrapped in a soft purple blanket, “We have our moon, what about a sun name?”

Narcissa sobbed as another contraction pulled her belly tight. There was no pain, but it was still horribly uncomfortable. “Ok. Apollo if it’s a boy or Cyra for a girl?” 

Andromeda pulled another dripping infant out of the water and let loose her own cry. “You have another girl. Oh, Cissy. They’re beautiful.” 

She took her surprise baby from her sister to allow her to finish the delivery of the second placenta. White blonde hair curled in little loops on a perfect little head. Brand-new eyes opened for the very first time. Severus’ black eyes blinked up at her three parents. Narcissa’s gaze moved up to the baby held in Sev’s arms and found Lucius’ blue eyes looking back. “They’re perfect little mirrors of each other! Aiyla has black hair and blue eyes while Cyra has blonde hair and black eyes. We would have two sets of impossible twins.” 

Andromeda clambered out of the tub and dried herself with a charm. “Why don’t we get all of you clean, dry, and warm? We passed through a luxurious bedroom on the way here.”

******

Severus jerked awake several hours later and sat up in an unfamiliar room. This bed was low to the ground and had a thin gauzy net instead of the four-poster bed with heavy drapes he was used to sharing with his… spouses! Merlin’s beard. He was a bonded man. He rolled out of the bed and took two steps to the bassinet floating nearby. Wrapped in a deep violet blanket was the baby he thought was Cyra, with her white-blonde hair. He could have sworn they wrapped her in the blue blanket. He rubbed his eyes to clear some of his leftover sleepiness and looked at the baby wrapped in blue. He rubbed his eyes again and squinted down at the infants. 

Arms still warm from being under blankets wrapped around his waist as Lucius rested his pointy chin on his shoulder. “What’s got you anxious already, Sev? I could feel your magic sizzling all the way across the room.”

Severus pointed down into the bassinet, “Didn’t one have black hair last night?” 

Lucius blinked down at two very blonde heads. “Er, yes. I’m certain we put Aiyla in the purple blanket and she definitely had black hair when we all fell asleep. Dobby?” The elf popped in and looked up wearily at his masters. “Please tell us we aren’t losing our minds.”

The little elf peeked over the edge of the floating basket and gulped, “You is not losing you’s mind, sirs. Dobby is thinking the babies might be matamorphses like Draco and Hyrie, sirs.”

Lucius rubbed his forehead and groaned, “Let us pray they don’t have the same clingy tendencies as their brothers.” He looked down at the elf who had joined their family as a nanny elf for Draco just over a year ago and felt a frisson of concern wash over him. “Dobby, are you well?”

The little elf shook his head rapidly and blinked his bulbous green eyes, “I is sorry, sirs. Dobby will be needing help with four babies.” He pulled a bat-like ear over his shoulder and twisted the tip as he stuttered, “D-dobby is having a twin. She was left behind with the b-breeders. She was missing an arm and they was thinking she was useless. Maybe masters would consider Rosie?”

Lucius nodded as he considered the elf’s request. “Alright. I will floo call the person we dealt with when we acquired you. Thank you for telling us you are overwhelmed and for the suggestion. We wouldn’t want you to overwork yourself. Go and rest. We will take care of the children for a while.”

Severus pulled away after leaning up to kiss a scruffy jaw, “I will collect the boys since the girls are still sleeping. We’ll let them and Narcissa rest as long as they can.”

He found the boys downstairs smashing boiled eggs into the top of a massive table made of one slab of wood. Tommy and Devin were across from them doing the same with their own portion of eggs. He kissed the tops of his boys’ heads and sat to fill a cup with tea. “Narcissa and the girls are sleeping comfortably. Thank you all for watching the boys while we… took it all in. I’m sure Cissa will be ready to come down when she wakes.” He winked at little Dora, “It would appear your newest cousins are also Metamorphmagi. Aiyla had black hair last night and blonde this morning.”

Dora’s hair turned bubblegum pink in excitement. “That’s so cool! There are five meta-marf-mackerels in our family now!”

“Nymphadora! You know how to say Metamorphmagus!” Andi ran her fingers through her hair and sighed, “Never mind. Severus, you never have to be afraid to ask us for help. We’re your family, that’s what we’re here for.”

Bella tipped an invisible hat to the man and quipped, “I’m here to enjoy the spoils of a hidden castle in the middle of nowhere fucking New Zealand. But sure, we’ll pretend whatever Andi said is it. By the way, darling sister of mine, your daughter will likely never say it right because you named her bloody Nymphadora .” She winked at the pink-haired hellion, “Don’t worry, kiddo. Your Auntie Bella will only call you Dora or anything you like.”

Lucius stumbled into the dining room and slumped into an empty chair, “I have to go back to England today to collect Dobby’s sister Rosie. Would one of you like to come with me? I might need you to prod me awake occasionally.”

Bella jumped up and shouted, “Oh! Me! Me! Take me for a trip, Lucy. I promise I’ll be good.”

He shook his head and swallowed Severus’ tea in a single gulp, “Fine, but I will hex you if you irritate me. Come on, I’ve got a portkey ready.” He kissed Severus and the boys and waved tiredly at the rest, “Give my love to Cissa when she wakes.”

The pair spun away and landed back in England where they’d been just a few hours before. This time, they were dropped in an alley that stank of rotting fish and something cloyingly sweet. They covered their noses with their sleeves and pushed open the door to a dingy shop. Their hopes were dashed when it smelled worse inside. They were quick to cast a bubblehead charm so they could breathe. Lucius rang a rusted bell and clasped his hands behind his back to wait. 

A man with greasy pockmarked skin pushed through a beaded curtain into the front and showed off a mouth of rotted black teeth in his crooked smile, “Welcome, Lord Malfoy. I must admit to being surprised at your swift arrival. I just read of your wedding in the paper. Figured you’d be long gone on honeymoon by now. I don’t think you want that elf you asked about. She’s deformed, my lord.”

Lucius put a hand out when Bella lurched toward the loathsome man, “Easy. Sputumbus, I will settle for nothing more or less than what I came for. The elf did a great service for our family and earned a prize. He requested his twin sister. I will have the elf called Rosie.”

The man dropped his chin to his chest and turned back toward the curtain, “Come this way. I got her in one of the meeting rooms. You’re gonna change your mind when you see it. Disgusting.”

Bella spit on the floor at his feet and snarled, “I know something else disgusting here. Pretty sure the stench is coming from Stinky Sputumbus. Fuck, Luce. How did you find this guy?”

Lucius sneered at the man as he held open a flimsy cardboard door, “He was popular with the old crowd. If you try anything, I’ll let her kill you.” 

The room they stepped into was barely large enough to hold two folding metal chairs. Cowering in the corner farthest from the door was an emaciated elf wearing nothing more than the skin she was born in. She held the stump of an arm that was missing above the elbow close to her chest and shook violently when the door opened and closed. Bella stood by the closed door breathing in and out slowly to control the rage she felt building. This was not the time for the Black Madness to rear its ugly head. 

Lucius crouched down as far away from the terrified creature as he could manage in the cramped space and spoke with a low comforting voice. “Rosie? My name is Lucius Malfoy. Dobby came home with me a little over a year ago and he’s asked if you could come live with us too. There is a healer in our home who will see to your injuries right away. Would you like to join our family?”

Rosie’s broken form trembled harder as a soft cry was wrenched from her. “Rosie knew Dobby was alive. Rosie could feel her twin. R-rosie shouldn’t leave the others. They might not survive without Rosie’s p-p-protection.”

Bella dropped to her knees and cast a warming charm on the little elf before transfiguring a cigarette butt into a warm blanket, “How many elves are here? Luce, how many can we get back with that portkey? If she’s the strongest one here, we can’t leave the others behind.”

Lucius scrubbed his face and groaned, “Salazar. I’ll go ask the foul proprietor how much he wants for his stock.”

Rosie wrapped the blanket around herself as securely as she could with her good arm and looked up despondently, “There is being at least a hundred elfses here, sir and scary ma’am. M-master Sputumbus would never let you take his brood elfses.”

Bella’s head twitched and her left eye blinked rapidly as she rose to her feet, “Did you say brood elves? He’s forcing you to breed? That’s fouler than foul!” She turned and incinerated the sad excuse for a door with a wicked slash of her wand. “Oh, Stinky Sputumbus! I have a silly little question for you, buddy. C’mere!” Sputumbus stumbled out of a dank stairwell and sprawled on the floor when he was hit with a leg-locker. “Sputum seems like the perfect name for a snotty little shitball like you. Why don’t we go back down that dark set of stairs and see what you have hiding at the bottom, eh, Snotwad?”

Lucius picked up Rosie and held her close as he hurried after the woman who was half-mad on her best day. “Shit, shit, shit, shit. Narcissa is going to kill me if I let her sister lose it less than a year after getting out of prison. Bella!” he shouted at the woman as she dragged Sputumbus down the stairs by his feet, his head slamming into each step. “Bellatrix! Please don’t kill him. We need to get back to your sister and the babies. Think of all the babies that need their Auntie Bella. Merlin, she can’t hear me. Bloody Black Madness.”

Bella got to the bottom of the stairs and cast a Bubble-Head Charm on herself to block out the overwhelming smell. Every inch of the packed dirt floor was caked in feces and crawling maggots. Another charm protected her clothing and shoes as she started dragging her prey behind her like a leopard preparing to drag a dead zebra up a tree. “What’s behind door number one, Snotwad?” She kicked in another flimsy door to find a wide open space that was packed like a tin of sardines with elves. She dropped the man’s feet and turned back to stomp on him a few times before she went back to her task. “I need an elf who’s healthy enough to speak for everyone to come forward!”

An elf leaning heavily on a short stick limped to the front of the crowd and squared her bony shoulders, “I is Nell and I is speaking for the elfses. What is Mad Mistress Black needing from us?”

Bella’s head jerked and her eye twitched, “Do you know how many elves are here?”

Nell nodded her head once and coughed, “I is knowing this. There is one hundred and fourteen elfses. Twelve of them is carrying babies.”

Bella paced in the doorway pausing occasionally to kick the man still bound and covered in shit and blood, “Fuck. Fuck! I can’t do this, Lucius.” Her voice was strained as she spoke through gritted teeth, “I’m gonna fuck it all up for everyone. Lucius. Help me. ”

Lucius took a tremulous breath and stepped over the filthy excuse for a human, “Take a few deep breaths while I assess the rest of the situation. I’ll create an unauthorized portkey for the elves once we find out if there are any more humans we need to worry about.”

She whirled around with her curls whipping her face, “ Homenem Revelio!” fifteen red lights blossomed behind the only other door in the corridor as a hundred little green lights popped up in the room with the elves. Twenty green lights shimmered dimly in the room with the red. Her head jerked and Lucius watched the last of her sanity slip away. He cast a powerful shield over himself and the elves a second too late. Blood splattered his trousers as Sputumbus was shredded into a million minuscule particles. 

Violet sparks of magic whizzed down her curls as she walked through the puddle that used to be Sputumbus. The door housing the hiding humans vanished in a puff of sawdust at a touch of her hand. She ripped off a dangling chunk of door frame and transfigured it into an axe with a thought. She couldn’t have told you where her wand was to save her life. All she knew was that it wasn’t in her hand when she walked into that room. She scanned the huddled elves and realized with a jolt that they were all broken in some way; a missing limb, no ears, no eyes, too tall… And the people were abusing them. In horrid unspeakable ways. The last thing she remembered was telling the elves to go find Lucius. 

He stood in the doorway with the shield blocking most of the carnage. She swung the axe until her arm hung limp at her side, unable to lift again in exhaustion. Blood and all manner of gore dripped from her as she trudged back toward him. A chip of bone fell from her hair with a soft clink to the cement floor when she leaned heavily against the wall. He sighed and cast a spell to leave her as clean as when they arrived. “Come on, you damned fool. Let’s return you to your sisters and cousins, shall we?” He activated both portkeys and sent himself, Bellatrix, and one hundred fourteen elves to New Zealand. 

They landed in the entrance hall to find the rest of the castle’s inhabitants already gathered in confusion. Severus was trying to get Jinky to calm down long enough to explain why she was in hysterics, Narcissa was standing on the stairs with a baby in each arm and an amused look on her face, Andromeda and Ted were holding Dora back from the kerfuffle, Regulus and Sirius were taking bets about what had the elf panicking, Remus was trying to shut them up, Aria had the children huddled in a corner with dancing dollies to occupy them, and Lucius started laughing. 

Narcissa passed the babies off to Andi and Ted before pulling her husband into her arms and rocking him slowly. “Was it that bad? I’m so sorry, love.” She reached out an arm and pulled her sister into the embrace. “Neither of you needed a rough day. Jinky, dear, quiet down for a moment. We’ll get through it, whatever it is.”

The elf sat down on the floor and giggled, “There is being over a hundred elfses in the elf quarters. They wasn’t there before, but now they is! And they is all big sick and hurt. We is needing an elf shaman to save some of them. We is not knowing where an elf shaman is!”

A booming knock at the door startled them all. Severus pulled the heavy iron door open to reveal a stooped house-elf wearing a leather loin-cloth with a small pouch strung over his bare belly. “I am a shaman. I come for the injured.”

Sirius scoffed and crossed his arms, “Well, that’s fucking convenient. How did an elf shaman in New Zealand know a load of elves from England would be here?”

Chapter Text

The creature stood mute on the threshold for a long time before pursing his lips and stretching. Standing where he had been was something not quite human and definitely not house-elf. They were tall and slender with flawless pearlescent skin and soft wheat-colored hair. “I come for the children of Death and Life. They called for help. So, help is here. My people are unaccustomed to anyone living in this castle. We have been free to roam the Hidden Lands for many hundreds of turns around the sun. Fair elf, take me to your infirm.” Jinky slipped her hand into the being’s and blinked up at them shyly. They smiled softly before addressing the humans once more, “I will tend to my cousins and then answer your questions.”

Severus closed the door and began walking toward Lucius and Bella, “That was incredibly strange. What the hell happened?”

Bella sagged in Lucius’ grasp and Severus jumped to help support her as she slurred, “I’ll tell ya what happened. The fuckin Black Madness happened! I killed all sixteen of the slimy conch-suckers and I’d do it again.” 

Sirius summoned a bowl of fruit and started stuffing slices of orange into her mouth. “If you were overtaken by the Madness, you need to eat. It takes so much out of you and you’re already babbling about seafood. Merlin! I can’t remember the last time it got me. What the fuck, Lucy?”

Lucius waved at his ruined robes in exasperation, “My robes are utterly destroyed and all you can worry about is what I did wrong? That malfeasant motherfucker had over a hundred house-elves living in squalor and was forcing them to breed! Bellatrix lost her cool for a very good reason, thank you very much. What bloody time is it? Is this lunch or dinner on the table?”

Narcissa guided him to a chair and filled a glass with Firewhisky for him, “I believe this is lunch, but honestly, who knows? We landed at an unknown time and I immediately had to deliver a set of surprise twins and then woke to find you and my sister missing. You should have known better, Bellatrix!”

The woman in question raked her frizzy curls out of her face and snarled, “I wasn’t expecting to find… that! You know as well as the rest of us that the Black Madness takes us when it fucking feels like it!”

Sirius waved his own glass filled with liquor, “She’s got a point, Cissy. We’ll scour the library at Grimmauld when we go back to jolly old England and see if we can find any references to the curse.” Something heavy landed on his head and he grunted in pain. He rubbed at the forming lump, only for something to fall and land on the back of his hand. “The fuck!? Are there books falling from the ceiling now?! Get a hold of your castle, Sev!”

A familiar giggle brought everyone’s attention to Life in the shape of Lily standing on top of the liquor cabinet, “Buncha idiots, the lot of you. You really think it’s a curse?”

Remus picked up one of the fallen books and yelped before dropping it on Sirius’ foot. “Berserkers!?”

Life waved at them and sang out, “If you really wanna know, ask the goblins! They’re the ones who gave you the gift I gave them first. Fucking curse. Pah! Welp!” she popped the P, hopped down from the liquor cabinet, and booped Dora’s nose, “I’m off. Tell that fae down with your house-elves they’re welcome.”

Andromeda flipped to the page marked by a bright white lily, “This tome is crusted in centuries of dust. It had to have been squirreled away somewhere in Black Manor or the vaults. ‘ The Gift of the Berserkers was first handed down to the goblins by Life as a magical means of protecting their mines. In the fourth century, the Black family assisted the Goblin Nation in their war against non-magical humans. As payment, they passed the Gift of the Berserker on to them. Their bloodline passed it down from generation to generation until the writing of this grimoire by Cygnus Andromedus Black I in the year fourteen-ninety-two.’”  

Remus leaned his head in his hand and hummed, “That clears up so much. Godric! You’re all running around ready to snap and protect at the drop of a quaffle. I can see how that was twisted to fit the Slytherin narrative for so long.”

Andromeda flipped a page and let a nervous titter slip out. “The bloody Christians strike again. Cygnus goes on to say he found evidence of someone in the Black family trying to hide the gift of the berserker from the church. Calling it the Black Madness allowed them to live peacefully among non-magic humans in the middle of London on Grimmauld. Instead of knowing about this incredible power, we were led to believe we carried some genetic defect.”

Bella massaged her temples and groaned in agony, “I need a pain potion if I’m gonna make it through this day without clawing out my eyes. The people sitting in this room are all that’s left of the Blacks. We know now. We can change the narrative. We… we aren’t crazy. ”

Severus threw caution to the wind and pulled Bellatrix into a tight hug. “Do not fight this. You need it as much as the rest of us. You may be the ones who have lived your entire lives thinking you were mad, but we are the ones who have been hurt by you most. Look at what you did to your own sister. It wasn’t madness. It was a horde of people with magical abilities who had no idea they had them. You have this… this… thing inside of you that needs to fulfill its purpose but you can’t, because no one ever told you how.”

Bella conjured a handkerchief and blew her nose loudly against Severus’ chest. “Fuck, Sevvy. Why you always gotta be the voice of reason? Alright! Enough feeling sorry for ourselves.” She turned her attention to the elf still weeping quietly by the door to the elf quarters. “What’s your name?”

The little elf blinked slowly and turned his head, “I’m Rocco. I’m the head elf here at Castle Slytherin, Miss. I apologize for my behavior. I know it’s inappropriate to show emotions so freely, ma’am.”

Sirius barked out a short laugh and slapped his knee, “You have a better vocabulary than I do! Shit, Rocco! Show your emotions. These two numb skulls just showed up in your domain with a hundred new bodies to feed.”

The elf wiped his large blue eyes and shook his head with his ears flapping softly, “We won’t struggle at all feeding so many, Sir. I was not prepared to see so many of my kind suffering. We have lived peacefully here for so long.”

Remus wrapped an arm around Sirius and kissed the side of his head. He looked at Rocco and considered his apparent intelligence. “Where did you and your kind learn to speak so well?”

Rocco sighed heavily, “We were also shocked to find the elves who came with you in such a state. They do not have clothing or any other adornments, they speak like children despite some of them being very old, and they seem almost frightened of all of you. We do not like it.”

Severus summoned the Firewhisky for himself and found a chair to collapse into. “Well, as Lord… Slytherin, I suppose it is up to me how things go from here. What do you suggest, Rocco? If you are the head elf, then you will be my right hand here.”

The elf stood straighter and clasped his hands behind his back, “I would like permission to teach the elves who came with your party. They are all skilled in magic but desperately need to learn how to speak, read, and write. I would also suggest you provide funds or resources for the elves to make clothing for themselves. You do not risk the loss of your servant by giving them clothes if you simply have them make the clothing themselves.”

Severus nodded his head slowly, “Permission granted on both fronts. I will see to it that a separate fund is set up for enrichment. You are more than correct about them needing to be able to communicate effectively. I have often wondered at the poor education offered to such powerful beings.”

Rocco bowed to his new master, “Your words mean much. Please, accompany me to our quarters to inspect our new additions. There is a house out near the stables that used to be used by human stable hands. It might be wise to house the elves there until they are well. They would be much more comfortable there than here in the cellar.”

Severus followed the eloquent elf down a flight of clean white stone steps into a room filled with rows of small beds. Many of the beds held elves in varying stages of grief. He trailed behind Rocco and took note of every elf and their injuries. At last, they came up beside the mysterious fae. Severus stood silently at the end of the bed while the being muttered over a house-elf without ears. 

The wretched creature sobbed when the being stood to move on. He reached out a pale hand and whispered, “Peace, friend. Your pain will be over when you wake.” He turned to Severus with a mischievous glint in his eyes, “I suppose I must welcome the return of the Lord? Well, seeing the state of these elves makes me wonder if I ought to just kill you and leave us all to our solitude. We have been doing just fine without human intervention. Why return now?”

“I don’t know. I only learned I even had the property very recently. I haven’t had the time to learn more about the family or how it dwindled down to one person. The injured and ill elves are new to our fold. I am seeing them for the first time now. What do I need to do to ensure their wellbeing and safety?” 

The being stared at him by the side of the earless elf’s bed for a very long time. Severus was beginning to feel tingling in his feet before he got a response. “I apologize. I was sent as an envoy for my people and I am making a very bad first impression. All here will be well by morning. I cannot regrow missing body parts, but I was able to relieve pain caused by deformity. This elf will hear for the first time when she wakes, though she will never have the impressive ear size of her kind.” He pointed to the next bed, “He will need a false limb, will that negate his contract?”

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose to quell the oncoming headache. “None of these elves are under contract. They are all free elves. My companions murdered their keepers and stole them all away. They are all free to purchase or make anything their hearts desire. They are here under my protection, but they are under no obligation to return the kindness. Once they are well they may do as they please.”

“You may call me Yesanith, Lord Slytherin. My people are the last of our race. We have lived in the Hidden Lands for many centuries. Under our care, the forest surrounding Castle Slytherin has flourished. My people request only that you do not ruin what we have worked to preserve.” Yesanith eyed the few people who’d followed them into the cellar, “You have all been touched by the gods. How interesting.” Silver-blue eyes landed on Lucius with nothing but mischief in them, “Will you allow me to meet the infants? Their first cries were heard throughout the Hidden Lands.”

Lucius looked at Severus before responding, “We would need to confer with their mother. We will not make any decisions without her.”

They smiled softly and waved toward the stairs, “Lead the way so that I can assure your wife that I will cause no harm to the daughters of Light and Dark.”

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose as they climbed the stairs, “First Life and Death get involved with the boys and now our newborns are daughters of Light and Dark. Will you explain or is this something else we will be figuring out on our own?”

Yesanith smiled warmly as they entered the spacious sitting room where the family was gathered. “I’m not sure I should explain yet. Learning as you go makes existing so much more fun. Hello, Narcissa. My people send their congratulations. Your daughters have been blessed as the first humans born in the Hidden Lands for centuries. May I meet the little sun and moon?”

Narcissa didn’t relax until both of her husbands were bracing her from behind. They each squeezed one of her hips to let her know they thought it was safe. A poke would have meant this being meant harm. “We are honored that you have come to greet us. Please,” she waved at the swinging bassinet which held two swaddled babies. “The blue baby in the blanket is Aiyla and the one wrapped purple is Cyra.”

Cyra peered up at the fae with wide black eyes that shifted to silver-blue in a blink, “How exciting! We haven’t seen shifters in eons! Oh, please tell me you’ll be raising the children here. They all look like they will be utter chaos. Hello, little darlings.” Their nose twitched before the eerie eyes flashed and landed on Remus, “You even consort with a lycanthrope. You are a fascinating group.” They stood to their full height to address the gathering, “You are welcome in the Hidden Lands. Please don’t make us regret this choice.” 

Once the being had disappeared back into the forest, the family spent hours wandering the castle and trying to find all of its secrets. Dora found a room filled with armor and weapons, nearly sending Andromeda into a tailspin when her nine-year-old came running into the sitting room with a seven-foot-long spear that was clearly goblin-forged and tipped with something wickedly green. Sirius and Remus shuffled the kids out into the garden while the rest of the adults sorted out which rooms were safe for them and which needed to be closed off. 

Later that night when everyone was tucked into their beds, Narcissa ran her fingers through Severus’ tangled hair while Lucius did the same for her. “Why does it feel like this isn’t it? Something else is coming, isn’t it?”

Lucius gently tugged a lock of hair out from under her shoulder and began braiding it to prevent further tangles, “Whatever it is we will handle it when it comes. We three can accomplish anything as long as we’re together.”

Severus kissed her forehead, “Luce is correct. Together we are unstoppable.” 

******

They spent six blissful weeks exploring the wilds of New Zealand and the surrounding cities. The Black sisters tore through the magical and non-magical shopping districts with fervor. When it was time for them all to return to their lives in England and Scotland, they left the majority of the house-elves behind in Slytherin Castle. Dobby was never far from his twin sister Rosie. The fae who lived in the Hidden Lands had sent Yesanith with a load of magical limbs they created to fit the elves who were missing them. Rosie stood proudly beside her brother wearing her new fuschia arm and holding Cyra and Aiyla.

Dobby grinned at his twin and looked up at the humans around them in the entrance hall of Malfoy Manor, “This is your new home, Rosie.” He looked up at his masters and their family, “Can we take the children to the nursery for you?”

Andromeda caught Dora before she could bolt up the stairs, “We’ll be returning to our own home, thank you Dobby.”

Dora slumped under her mother’s grip and groaned, “Awww.”

Aria hoisted Devin on her hip and patted her niece’s head, “Don’t worry, darling. We’re going home, too. You won’t be missing a thing.”

Remus nudged Sirius with his shoulder and nodded down at the sleeping toddler in his arms, “Tommy’s down for the count. We had a full day in New Zealand and it’s already getting late here.”

Sirius waved his mate off and gaped at something over his head, “Yeah, yeah. Hey, uh, Lucy? Ciss? When did you commission portraits of James and Lily?”

Everyone turned to look at where he was pointing and froze as the pair of paintings smirked down at them. Lucius was shaking his head and muttering “No, no, no, no.” 

James’ portrait tipped his head back and cackled , “Life and Death asked us to tell you we’re their wedding gift. Congratulations!”

Lily reached into his frame and shoved the man, “Shut it, Jamie! Sev, I’m so happy for you. Narcissa, Lucius… Thank you. We’ll never be able to thank you enough for saving our boy.”

Narcissa bowed her head to wipe away a tear, “We didn’t get the chance to be friends in life due to the terrible state our world is in. I promise we will make it a better place for our children.”

Severus put a hand on her lower back and smiled sadly at his best friend’s portrait, “While I can’t say that I’m thrilled to have Potter wandering the halls of my home, this will make teaching the boys the Potter family history easier. Sirius and I were going to scour Potter Manor for references in the future.”

James rubbed the back of his neck in a familiar way that had Sirius and Remus tearing up. “I promise not to be too annoying. Hey, Siri! I worked out a deal with old Phineas. If you agree to move him from Grimmauld to Black Manor, he’ll give open-ended access to the headmaster’s office.”

Sirius sniffled, “How’d you talk to Phinn here? I thought he only had access to his portraits in Grimmauld and Hogwarts.”

James puffed out his chest and crowed, “We have frames at Grimmauld, too! Life and Death put them there to start. Figured the old codgers at Black Manor might combust if non -Blacks were given access. You’ll have to relocate us and explain it to the others.”

Tommy whined and tugged on Remus’ collar. He shook his head and blinked at their adopted child/former Dark Lord, “Right. We need to get the little man home, Siri. I’ll go with Tommy while you retrieve the three frames.” He turned misty eyes to the newlyweds, “Thank you for the first relaxing vacation I’ve had since… well, ever.”

Narcissa smiled at the man she’d grown fond of in the past year, “We will most definitely be returning to Slytherin Castle for little holidays throughout the year. We were thinking Yule?”

Severus shook his head and chuckled as his wife escorted the family to the floo room. Aria waved her goodbyes and took Devin out through the garden door wanting to walk back to Willow Cottage. Lucius fell into his favorite chair in the Solarium and summoned a bottle of Scotch. Severus gratefully accepted a glass and sank onto the sofa. Slytherin Castle was luxurious and perfect for housing a bloody army, but it wasn’t home. He paused with the glass held at his lips when he realized that he truly considered Malfoy Manor his home. A home he shared with his spouses and four children. A hiss at his shoulder reminded him there were also two basilisks living with them. Malfoy Manor was filled with life.

Narcissa wandered in after getting their family returned to their own homes floating a stack of newspapers and magazines beside her. “Alright, gentlemen. We’ve avoided it as long as we can. It’s time to go through the society pages and see what they have to say about us.”

Lucius waved at the pile of envelopes sitting on the low table between them, “We have a mound of mail as well.”

Dipsy popped into the room and bowed deeply in a forest-green and black pinstripe suit, “Masters and Mistress still have wedding gifts to open. Shall I find parchment and a quill to write thank you letters?”

The three sighed and refilled their glasses. It was going to be a long night.

Chapter Text

Five years passed in marital bliss for Severus, Lucius, and Narcissa. They spent nearly every holiday in New Zealand with the entire family and the rest of their time in England. Lucius was making a name for himself in the Ministry as a force to be reckoned with in the Department of Law Enforcement. He’d taken some slack in the beginning of his career because he’d stepped into the position below Bartemius Crouch without ever going through Auror training. After the first scathing article hit The Prophet , he demanded to be enrolled in the next round of training. He ended up graduating at the top of his class and going right back to his work as Assistant Head of the DMLE. Crouch was considering a move to International Cooperation meaning Lucius would very likely be appointed in his place.

Severus was still teaching at Hogwarts, but he’d made numerous changes to his curriculum, starting with the publishing of his first book. He’d updated the Standard Book of Potions for Beginners with an entire section devoted to the proper use of tools and how to process ingredients. The book they’d been using for decades only had potion recipes and how to brew them. In the four years that passed, he released a new book each year. His fifth-year potions text was scheduled to be released before this school year ended so that it was available in all stores well before the next school year began.

Harry and Draco were now six, and Aiyla and Cyra were four. Narcissa had her hands full trying to keep them at home and not wandering the Ministry and castle. They hadn’t managed to teach the girls their trick for escaping… yet. She asked the gods every day to keep that secret from them. She didn’t know what she would do if all four of them decided to go on adventures without her. Nell had joined the nursery crew permanently when it became clear that Rosie and Dobby would be spending most of their time chasing Harry and Draco. 

Narcissa flipped through a book on British Sign Language and tapped the page with her wand to project the hand movement so she could copy it. The family realized when the girls were two that Cyra was not speaking at all while Aiyla was speaking in full sentences. When they were three, Aiyla informed them that she and Cyra could communicate telepathically. They’d rolled with it and spent a busy night scouring the Malfoy and Black libraries for references on twin connections like theirs. Reassurance came in the form of Molly Weasley telling them their experiences with Fred and George sharing a similar connection. Aiyla continued to improve her speech while Cyra remained silent. 

Harry skipped into the room with Thanatos wrapped around his neck and plopped down on the rug beside his sisters. Cyra waved and signed, “Hello, brother!” 

Harry grinned and replied verbally and in sign, “Hi, sister! Have you seen Draco? He and Hypnos are hiding from me again.” 

Aiyla rolled her eyes very much like her father, “Draco said it was his turn to go see Baba at work.”

Narcissa huffed and snapped the book closed, “I’ll see if Dobby knows. Harry, I’m begging you to stay here. Papa has a very important meeting today and can’t be entertaining you. If you and Draco promise to stop doing this, we will enroll you at the local primary school next year.”

Harry flashed a sneaky grin at his mother before turning on the puppy eyes, “I won’t go anywhere, Mama.” He snickered when the portrait of Lily Potter promised to watch him from above them. She helped him escape half the time. 

Narcissa returned a few minutes later scolding Draco as she walked, “The headmaster won’t think it’s funny for much longer. You’re both old enough to control your magic enough not to sneak through wards. He’ll start asking questions we don’t want to answer.”

Draco sighed and nodded his head morosely. “I know, Mama.”

She waved a finger at the snake curled around his throat, “And you promised to tell me when he was planning to leave!” She whipped around and pointed at Harry’s familiar, “You, too!” The twins and their snakes hung their heads in shame. She sighed and massaged her forehead. “Run out to the garden, loves. Molly will be here with Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny soon.”

Draco cheered and bolted for the door, “I love crochet day!”

Harry squirmed on the rug, “Mama? What time is Baba coming home?”

Narcissa looked at her son through narrowed eyes and lowered her tone threateningly, “Harry. Your brother has already been to the school today. Please. ”

He rubbed his eyes to will away tears and nodded. He took Cyra’s hand and walked outside with Aiyla leading the way. When they were safely ensconced in the pirate ship, Cyra tapped his shoulder and signed, “What’s wrong?”

Harry shrugged and looked at Draco for help. They could communicate telepathically, too. They just hadn’t told their parents like Aiyla and Cyra. Draco rolled his eyes, “Something funny is happening with Baba’s magic at Hogwarts. Hypnos and Thanatos can feel it, too.”

Aiyla scooted closer to Cyra, something she often did when she was feeling nervous, “Is Baba ok?”

Harry wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her shoulders, “Promise he is. You know how strong he is.”

Devin poked his head into their hiding space and waved at them. Something wiggled in his robe pocket before a tiny calico head poked out. The tufted ears of the kneazle kitten were so big that one flopped over the poor thing’s left eye. Devin stroked the kitten between its massive ears with a soft expression, “Hiya! Mum finally let me pick a kitten! Her name is Muffin.”

Cyra tipped her head to the side and signed, “Can I pet?” 

Devin stumbled over his own feet and fell onto the ground beside her, “Sure you can. Just be gentle with her. She was the runt of the litter. I’ve been nursing her with Mum for six weeks.”

Two ginger heads poked into the space before Fred and George tumbled in with Ron and Ginny close behind them. Fred shouted, “Oh, man! You’ve got a pet, too? I’m So jealous.”

George picked up where Fred left off, “Mum won’t let us even think about having a pet. Not after that rat Bill found in the garden turned out to be”

“The Animagus form of the man who betrayed the Potters. May they rest in peace.”

“In the house right behind us.”

“Because they live on your wall.”

Draco groaned and Harry snorted, “You remember we aren’t supposed to talk about that, right?”

Harry sighed and tried to scratch away the itch that meant something was wrong. Fred noticed and poked the boy’s knee, “What’s eating you, Hyrie?”

Harry giggled and poked Fred back, “I dunno. I just feel…” 

Draco rolled his eyes and finished for his brother, “The Slytherin Magic at Hogwarts is trying to tell Baba something. We want to be there when he finds out what.”

Harry nodded and continued, “It’s gonna be today. I just know it! It’s the last day of school. All the students are already on the train. The castle has to show him today.”

George peeked out the porthole at the group of women crocheting under umbrellas on the patio, “We have at least two hours before Mum has to go pick up Bill, Charlie, and Percy.”

Fred grinned wickedly and cracked his knuckles, “We’ll keep em distracted if they come looking for you.” 

Draco sighed and looked at his sisters, “Which one of you is helping by looking like one of us?”

Cyra shifted to have Harry’s appearance and signed, “Me!”

Harry smirked and popped away. He landed in the halls of Hogwarts and quickly flattened himself against the wall. He could hear his dad’s footsteps clicking down the corridor. He held his breath until he realized the footsteps were getting farther away instead of closer and started following just far enough that he couldn’t see his dad. Just in case. 

Severus paused outside the girls' lavatory on the second floor when he thought he heard someone walking behind him. He shook his head and pushed through the door hesitantly. He’d been ignoring this itch in his magic for nearly four years and couldn’t stand it any longer. He rolled his eyes when the ghost that inhabited one of the toilets shrieked and splashed away in indignation. He crouched down beside one of the sinks and sighed when he saw the snake carved into the pipe. Of course. 

He considered the best way forward and gave in as he felt a particularly violent nudge to his magical core. “Fine!” He decided to try Parseltongue on the carving and hissed, ~Open~ with a satisfied smirk when the sink shifted and disappeared to reveal a spiral staircase going down. He could feel the castle’s satisfaction when he started down. He cringed when his feet crunched rodent bones at the base of the staircase. He hated rats. The crunching led way to wet slaps as he moved into a tunnel with water on both sides of the path. He paused again when he heard footsteps behind him. He’d made sure to close the entrance! It had to be an echo. 

He sucked in a sharp breath when he came upon the first enormous snakeskin. It was no less than twenty feet long. His anxiety mounted as he encountered larger and larger skins the farther he walked. He recognized the scale pattern of a basilisk from Hypnos and Thanatos. He emerged into a wide open space with a pool at its center. In the center of the pool was a statue of Salazar Slytherin. Something hissed behind the statue. 

Severus closed his eyes and called out to the Aspects who insisted on dogging his steps, “If you two are behind this, I’ll get my revenge.” He inhaled and exhaled slowly before hissing ~Who hides behind the statue?”  

The mouth of the statue ground open and the suspected basilisk began to emerge. Scales a stunning shade of midnight green shimmered as the hundred-foot serpent dropped to the floor. Severus froze in fear as the behemoth was inches from his face in the blink of an eye. He would have fainted dead away if it weren’t for the telltale giggle of one of his children. He was lunging to stop his son when the little shit suddenly appeared to reach up and boop the fucking snake on its very large nose. 

Harry smiled up at the ancient basilisk and hissed, ~Silly snake. Don’t scare my Baba.~

The basilisk flicked its tongue over the boy and replied, ~I didn’t mean to frighten! I’ve only been trying to get his attention for ages. It’s dreadfully lonely down here.~

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, ~I am unaccustomed to taking orders from a pushy castle. Although all things considered, I shouldn’t be. Hydrus, your mother is going to whip you for leaving. She already had to retrieve your brother.~

Harry was stroking the rapidly shrinking basilisk and refused to look at his dad, “Draco and I knew you would be scared. We wanted to be with you.”

He blinked at the now ten-foot-long snake that was still shrinking. “Son, I am a fully grown wizard with a considerable amount of skill. I think I would have managed on my own. Let us return to the manor before elves start popping up looking for you.”

He blinked as the basilisk began winding up his leg, ~I will come with you. You look like a lot of fun. Salazar would have loved you. You remind me of his father.~

The two humans and two basilisks emerged on the patio at Malfoy Manor a short time later. Narcissa scowled at the child walking with her husband and shot a glare at the pirate ship, “Hydrus Nigellus Malfoy! I just spoke with you and sent you back with juice. Which of your sisters did you drag into your scheme?” She glared at the sweet and innocent smiles her daughters sent her way when they peeked over the edge of the ship. Huffing out a breath, her eyes shifted to the green head poking out from under Severus’ hair. “And who are you?”

Gold eyes blinked at her slowly as the familiar wedge-shaped head of a basilisk bobbed as the serpent stretched toward her. She lifted it from her husband’s shoulder and snickered when it butted against her cheek like Aria’s kneazles did. She almost dropped the snake when it said, ~My name is Albion. I was the familiar of Salazar Slytherin and bound myself to the castle upon his death. I have broken that bond today to come with the first Heir of Slytherin worthy of me as a companion. There was once another, but he did not return for me as he promised.” 

Narcissa swallowed a few times before looking at Severus, ~Did he speak English?” She whimpered delicately when Severus shook his head no. ~A-Albion? How do I understand you?~

The snake puffed up his red plume and preened before the woman, ~A basilisk gains the ability to share our tongue once it reaches its hundredth hatch day. Salazar and I celebrated by passing the gift to the entire graduating class that year. The only downside to gaining the gift this way is that you cannot pass it on to your children. You smell lovely. I bet you attract all the snakes nearby.~

She giggled and stroked her hand over the snake’s head smoothing the plume, “I suppose I can get on board with another snake in the house. You’ll just need to hide that feather when we’re around others.” She turned a stern gaze on her errant son, “No pudding tonight. Ah! Before you protest, know that you’ve lost pudding for all three of your siblings as well. You have to stop slipping through wards!”

He dropped his head and wiped away a tear, “I’m sorry, Mama. We were scared for Baba.”

Lucius' voice joined them as he walked through the patio door, “What have you done, now, my son?” He sighed and kissed the top of Harry’s head before leaning in for kisses from Severus and Narcissa. He yelped when the new green head peeked out from beneath his wife’s hair, “Another one? Oh, come on!”

Severus snorted as his new familiar stretched across the space between his husband and wife to reach the new person, “Lucius, this is Albion. He is the centuries-old familiar of Salazar Slytherin and has made the decision to bond with me.”

Lucius cringed as the serpent grew in length to make it across the divide, “Of course, he’s magical like the other two. I swear to all the gods… please no more serpents in the house.” He closed his eyes when the basilisk’s eery gold eyes leveled on him. He was startled when the blasted thing rubbed its head along his jaw and purred . He let out a very high whimper when hissing words filled his ear. 

~Oh! You didn’t tell me you had a second spouse for me to cozy up to. Look at the fur on him. You’re as beautiful as the rising sun. You do not smell as inviting as your nest mate but your beauty makes up for it.~

Lucius blinked rapidly as his four children danced around him excitedly vying for attention. He tried to ignore the snake wrapping tighter and tighter around his neck as he leaned down to kiss each of the little heads. Once he’d shooed them off to the pirate ship to play with their friends once more, he straightened his spine and steeled his nerve, “I see it’s been a busy day here. Shall we go inside for a drink? Someone needs to tell me how we’ve ended up with a third basilisk and how I’ve gained the ability to understand Parseltongue before we leave for Castle Slytherin.”

Before they could make it all the way into the house, Molly came bustling back with her three Hogwarts-aged children in tow, “Oh! Narcissa, I can’t thank you enough for holding on to the twins, Ron, and Ginny while I picked these three up. What a pretty snake! Bill, darling, go and fetch your siblings so we can head home. You know they have a holiday to prepare for.”

Lucius tugged his robes straight and ignored the snake chewing on a lock of his hair, “Molly, I spoke with Arthur about this today and wanted to run it by you; we would be honored if you and the family joined us for our trip this summer.”

She froze in her attempt to find something in her endless handbag and let her cinnamon eyes glide up to his face, “Lucius. There are nine of us. You can’t possibly want our entire horde to join you on holiday.”

He rocked back on his heels with a smirk and waved at his wife, “Care to take this one, darling?”

She nodded and tucked her arm in the crook of Molly’s elbow, “The castle is protected by innumerable enchantments to keep the children within the boundaries and it's large enough for ten families to live. Oh! Just come for a week and if you hate it you can leave. The girls and I are just desperate for our best friend to join us on holiday!”

Molly sighed heavily and shuffled her feet while worrying the handle of her bag, “I suppose we could join you in a couple of weeks. Arthur scheduled some time off for the summer with the children. I’ve never been out of the UK. Is New Zealand nice?”

Harry and Draco bolted across the lawn to grab onto her skirts. Draco’s hair flashed through the rainbow before settling on his preferred white blond, “It’s the best! We have two hundred house elves!”

Harry let his smile broaden as his eyes flashed over to Charlie, “And the crocodile farm is just outside the boundary! We’ll go every day!”

Molly gulped and clutched the collar of her dress, “Crocodile farm?”

Chapter Text

Two weeks later, the Weasleys were due to arrive at Castle Slytherin. Lucius stirred awake when the alarm rang and felt terror grip him. His head felt like it weighed a hundred pounds and he couldn’t move it. He flailed his arms, rousing his spouses, who were less than pleased about the violent addition to the alarm. He will deny this to his dying breath, but he made a very unmanly sound as he screeched for help. He wasn’t expecting laughter in response to his pleas, “Severus! Narcissa! Stop laughing and help me! I’ve been blinded and can’t move an inch!”

Narcissa stifled her giggles and unwound the sleeping basilisk from his nest, “Relax, darling. Albion was nesting in your hair and lay down across your eyes. You aren’t dying. Come, let’s prepare for the ginger invasion.”

Once free, Lucius sat up only to squawk at the site of the tangled mess his hair had become when he caught sight of himself in the mirror across the room from them. He was quick to dart into the bathroom to fix the nest while pouting at his spouses when they continued to laugh behind him. When they joined him a moment later to assist with the detangling, he stuck his nose in the air but accepted the kisses they bestowed on him in apology for laughing at his predicament.

Later, Harry skidded to a halt in the entrance hall when the doorbell rang before lunch, “They’re here! They’re here! They’re here! Mama! Can I open the door?”

Draco jumped up and down beside him shouting, “Can I open it? Please?”

She waved a hand to silence the wild pair as she approached the door. “I’ll open the door. You behave.” She pulled the heavy door open and couldn’t hide her smile any longer, “Come in! Oh, I’m so glad the portkey delivered you all safely.”

Harry and Draco practically vibrated where they were standing beside their mother. As soon as Ron and the twins were inside, they were off. Ginny giggled and sidled over to the third set of twins waiting patiently by the stairs. Molly rolled her eyes and sighed in resignation as her eldest two were carted off by Dora, leaving Percy standing by himself with his nose pressed firmly in a book. “Cissa! Thank you so much for inviting us.”

Arthur ducked past the women to shake hands with Severus and Lucius. Lucius clapped him on the back and started leading him up the main staircase, “Arthur! Come along, old man. The others are in our favorite sitting room. We’ll get a glass of Firewhisky for you before showing you around.” He cast a glance over his shoulder at the middle child and called out, “The entrance to the library is along the way if you want to follow, Percival.”

Bright eyes peeked over the edge of the book in excitement, “There’s a library here?”

Narcissa shook her head and tucked Molly’s hand in the crook of her elbow, “Come with me to the garden. We have wine in place of Firewhisky. I believe Bella is planning to take the children on an outing later.”

Molly looked around in wonder at the expansive castle as she was led out onto a patio with brightly colored umbrellas covering white wrought iron tables and chairs. The other three Black sisters were sitting at one of the tables with glasses of something deep red and filled with sliced fruit. A glass was pressed into her hand as she was guided onto a chair. Andromeda beamed at her and tilted her own glass toward her with four-year-old Orson perched on her lap, “We’re so glad you’re finally here! Bella hates shopping and Aria and I needed someone else to act as a buffer for Cissa. Have some Sangria, dear.”

Bella cackled and drained the wine from her glass before calling out to the horde of children tumbling over each other nearby, “Oy! You lot! Who wants to go to the crocodile farm?” A wave of affirmative shouts was her response as they all ran to crowd around her. She turned serious “Right. The ones who have been coming for the past five years know the rules. Who can share them with our newcomers?”

Tom raised his hand and grinned at his favorite aunt, “I can, Auntie Bella!” He pasted on his seven-year-old version of the serious face and recited, “We are going to non-magic territory. All acts of magic will be punishable by two days without pudding. Anything seen by a non-magic person will be punishable by loss of your toes. Yes, we are children and children can be unruly. However, while with Auntie Bella, we will behave like the delightful little buggers she knows we can be. Or else.”

She winked at the gingers and said, “Too right, Thomas. Too right. Think you… six? Where’s Percy?”

Molly snorted a laugh, “He is probably lost in your library by now. We won’t see him until he’s forced to come out for food.”

Bella shook her head and laughed, “Don’t know how he didn’t end up in Ravenclaw, Mols. Alright, you six. Think you can follow the rules? Dora, Tommy, Devin, Harry, Draco, Aiyla, Cyra, and Orson can all do it.”

Molly leaned closer to the other mothers and whispered, “Can she handle fourteen children on her own?”

Aria chuckled, “If she can’t, I’ll eat my hat. She runs our lot like a general.”

Molly nodded and relaxed, “Alright. If you don’t behave for Bellatrix, I give her my permission to do whatever she wants as punishment.”

Charlie whispered, “She’s a Dark witch, she’d use us in a ritual! Wicked,” and received a stinging hex as payment.

Molly waved a finger at the boy who was rubbing his thigh and scowling, “Watch him. He’s so fascinated with dragons I wouldn’t put it past him to try and smuggle a crocodile home in his pockets.”

Bella saluted the women playfully, “My eyes are on the littlest dragon tamer. Got it. Ready the troops!”

The children lined up in pairs behind her and marched back through the house. There were doorways to different parts of the main island in the wall that surrounded the property. It took them three holidays to map them all. Bella led her group through the door that would let them out right around the corner from the entrance to the crocodile farm. 

The friendly old man who ran the admissions window flashed a toothless grin when she got close, “You said you’d have a bigger group next time ya came. Didn’t think it’d double in size. ‘At’s right impressive. Think they’ll ever tire o’ this place?”

Bella handed over a stack of bills for tickets and shook her head, “Not a chance, Clancy.” Shouts of laughter filled the air causing Bella to tilt her head to the side, “Something exciting going on?”

Clancy nodded and waved at the gate, “Got a visiting alligator handler from Everglades National Park in Florida. She’s givin’ demonstrations all week before she moves on. Better hurry so you don’t hafta wait two hours for the next.”

Bella nodded at the kids and laughed as they raced through the turnstile, “We’ll probably still be here for that one and I’ll be forced to watch it twice. Better call Denise back in the shop and tell her to stock up. I guarantee the new kids are gonna want souvenirs. You know Auntie Bella can’t say no.”

She followed the shrieking group across the hot pavement to the metal bleachers surrounding a murky pool of green water. Standing thigh deep in the pool with a four-foot-long crocodile held out before her was the most beautiful creature Bellatrix had ever seen in her life. Honey-blonde hair highlighted by time spent in the sun spilled out from under a khaki green bucket hat in a thick braid that was falling over her left shoulder. Arms corded with thick muscles bulged and glistened with sweat. Powerful thighs flexed beneath skin-tight khaki shorts as the crocodile thrashed. Bellatrix muttered, “Holy shit she’s beautiful,” under her breath and was startled when someone responded beside her.

Charlie whistled and replied, “Yeah. Look at that croc.”

She snorted and shoved the thirteen-year-old toward the bleachers. They were full, so she leaned her hip against the row claimed by her pack to watch the show. The alligator handler proved to know a lot about more than just alligators. She talked about the wildlife she grew up with in Florida as well as what she’d encountered on her travels. Bella couldn’t believe it when the show was over and she realized she’d paid attention to the entire thing. She shook herself out of her stupor and bustled the kids off to the other exhibits the farm offered. 

They spent hours wandering through the trails that were marked safe so that the Weasley children could see everything . She was sipping from her water flask while they got in last minute shopping in the gift shop and sent out a silent apology to her account manager at Gringotts. Poor goblin would probably stroke out over the amount of money she was planning to spend this holiday. She had fifteen nieces and nephews to spoil. 

She jumped when a husky voice spoke beside her, “You must have some wrangling experience with how well you manage that group.” Bella looked down at the callused hand being offered by the alligator handler and felt her heart stutter as her own closed around it. “Name’s Stevie. What’s yours?”

Bella cleared her throat, “Erm, I’m Bella. I haven’t wrangled anything in years. They’re just a good bunch of kids.”

Moss-green eyes flashed with mirth as Stevie nodded, “Shame. I’d love to see you wrestle.” Her smile brightened when Bella’s pale cheeks flushed. “Y’all gonna be in New Zealand long? I can tell you aren’t a local. I’d like to take you out for coffee. Maybe without the pack of children.” Bella stumbled over her words and Stevie nudged her with her shoulder, “Can I pick you up sometime?”

Bella found her footing after an embarrassing amount of time spent stuttering, “I- I could meet you at the cafe around the corner.”

Stevie winked at Bella before sauntering away, “See ya at eight?”

Bella gulped and started hustling the kids toward the register, “Time to go! We’ll come back soon so you can buy two more of everything. Clancy will come after us with a broom if we don’t leave before closing. Come on!”

She paid for everything and practically dragged the children back to the gate that led to the castle. She slid to a stop after almost passing the sitting room and doubled back. It took her a few seconds to catch her breath while the entire family looked at her curiously. She held up a finger asking for a moment as she sucked in air desperately. At last, she gasped, “Sirius, Cissy! Help!”

Narcissa lunged to her feet as Sirius started laughing, “Don’t freak out, Cissa. I would know that look anywhere. Our wittle Bewwatwix is un wuv!”

She threw a two-fingered gesture in his direction and snapped, “Fuck off! Just help me find something to wear! And… maybe come with me and sit in the corner to make sure I don’t fuck it up.”

Sirius narrowed his eyes, “Oh, Remus and I are definitely coming along. You didn’t take the kids to the magic district. You went to a Muggle place! You’ve met a Muggle bloke!”

Aiyla chirped from her place at Severus’ feet, “Not a bloke. She’s a lady.”

All eyes landed on Bella and she sighed, “You’ll get it when you see her. Just… Hot damn.”

Devin tugged on Aria’s sleeve and she waved him off. “Be patient for a moment, Devy. You shouldn’t interrupt.”

Devin huffed and eyed the bowl of apples out of his reach on the high bar. If he could just summon one like the others did! He scowled and stomped his foot before tugging his mum’s sleeve once more. She waved him off again in favor of trying to get information on Bella’s new flame. He balled his hands into little fists and reached up as high as he could. Just a little… bit… more. Aha! Everyone in the room stopped talking and looked at where Devin was standing with a shining red apple in his hand. 

Aria picked him up for a twirling hug, “You did magic! You summoned an apple! Oh, my sweet Devin. I’m so proud of you.” Tears coursed down her cheeks as she pressed kisses all over her child’s face. She laughed wetly when the independent seven-year-old wriggled until she let him down. “I thought his parents were…”

Severus nodded, “They were.”

Bellatrix whined, “Listen, I’m chuffed to fuckin’ bits that our little Devikins is presenting magic. But I have a date and I don’t know what to wear. I’m guessing leather is out?”

Narcissa and Sirius scrambled out of their seats and rushed the panicking woman to her room. When they emerged a remarkably short time later, she was wearing skin-tight black denim jeans with a sheer black corset top and her wild curls were left free to do as they pleased. Sirius was behind her in his typical leather pants, black t-shirt, and leather jacket with his polar opposite spouse beside him wearing soft blue denims, a red button-down shirt, and brown leather jacket. The trio left through the same gate that led to the crocodile farm with Bella a ways ahead of them so they didn’t appear together.

Sirius and Remus took a table outside when they arrived at the cafe and watched in amazement as Bella behaved like a schoolgirl. Her cheeks blushed a brilliant shade of pink when her date walked around the corner. Sirius thought the world might actually end when his cousin let the woman put a strong hand on her lower back to guide her to the table beside theirs. “She wasn’t lying. She’s a stunner. Merlin, she’s gonna get her heart broken by an American Muggle, Remi.”

Remus slapped Sirius’ hand and tried to surreptitiously tilt his head toward them to listen in, “Wasn’t sure you’d show up. Clancy and Denise told me you don’t frequent the local establishments without your entourage.”

Bella dropped her chin to her chest and looked up at Stevie through her lashes, “I wasn’t sure I would, either. I’ve been coming to this village on holiday with my family for five years. We’re usually together in some capacity.”

Stevie huffed a laugh through her nose, “What? Did I just seem trustworthy? Or was it because I’m not a permanent fixture? I’ll be gone in a few days and you’ll be free to go back to your real life. I’m not bothered either way. You just strike me as way outta my league, sweetheart.”

Bella smirked, “What league am I in, cupcake?”

Stevie looked her up and down slowly making that pretty blush spread down Bella’s neck and chest, “You come from money. Everything about you screams filthy rich. You ain’t used to getting your hands dirty, that’s for sure.”

Bella inspected her nails with a sharp grin, “I’ve been known to get dirty from time to time. And what’s in this for you? Hmmm?”

White teeth glinted in the candlelight from their table, “Who knows? Could be a good tumble in the sack. Could be someone I wanna chase around the world. Why don’t we start with a beer and go from there? And maybe tell your body guards at the next table over that they aren’t subtle at all. Horrible spies.”

Bella glared at Remus and Sirius as they buried their faces in the menus, “I should have brought Severus.”

Stevie belted out a laugh and reached over to the men beside them, “Stevie Irvin, nice to meet you. Either of you belong to the herd she had at the farm today?”

Remus smiled shyly, “ Remus Black and my husband Sirius. Tommy is our son. Bella likes to take the kids on outings to give us breaks.”

Stevie leaned back in her chair and bumped Bella’s foot with her own under the table, “Best kinda aunt there is. Wish I had nieces and nephews to spoil. I’m sadly an only child. Where abouts in this small village have you found a place big enough for y’all?”

Sirius clapped his hands and stood up, “Well, since the subterfuge was revealed, Remus and I will leave you kids to your date. Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do, kitten.” He pulled Remus behind him whispering, “Come on! I saw a bar flying rainbow flags down the road. Let’s pop in for a quick grind around the dance floor.”

Bella rolled her eyes and blushed, “Sorry about them. I’ll admit I asked them to come, I just wasn’t expecting them to be dicks about it.”

Stevie covered Bella’s hand on the table with her own, “No worries, sweetheart. So, you and the whole family come all the way to New Zealand from England?”

Bella wondered how much was safe to tell the non-magical woman. “My brother-in-law inherited property here a few years ago. The pack of gingers with me today aren’t family, just close friends. As you can see, the kids are all close in age. My, er, other brother-in-law works with their father in the Ministry.”

Stevie nodded, “I understood about seventy five percent of that. You and Sirius look a lot alike. Brother?”

She made a face and stuck out her tongue, “Salazar! No! Sirius is my cousin. I’d have murdered him years ago if he was my brother. I don’t know how Regulus has managed not to. I do have three sisters. And they each belong to some of the children. Most of them belong to one sister. You don’t really want to talk about my family, do you?”

Stevie squeezed Bella’s fingers and signalled the waitress for another round, “I’m fascinated by large families. Like I said, I’m an only kid. Both of my parents have been dead for over ten years. I’m all I’ve got. Well, and my reptiles.”

“Ahh, the reptiles. I’m destined to be surrounded by the things.” She took a long drink of the bitter beer and settled into the warm fuzzy feeling.

Curiosity lifted Stevie’s eyebrows, “Yeah? What reptiles are you familiar with?”

Bella swallowed and realized she was stuck. “Snakes. My brother-in-law and two nephews have them as pets. I’m surprised you didn’t spot them around the boys’ necks earlier. The twins never leave home without Hypnos and Thanatos.”

“Y’all have got some wild names. Remus, Sirius, Severus, Hypnos, Thanatos. How did you get off easy with Bella? I’ll have to ask them to introduce me to their pets next time I see them.”

Bella almost choked on her beer, “I didn’t get off easy with Bella. Full first name is Bellatrix! Listen, cupcake… You’re fucking gorgeous and I want to climb you like a tree, but that’s probably as far as this can go. We… We come from completely different worlds. It’s just not likely it can last.”

Stevie twirled one of Bella’s curls around her finger before tugging it gently to bring their mouths a breath apart, “I can get on board with that. Wanna get outta here?”

Chapter Text

Life carried on for the expansive family. Severus tried to prepare Minerva for the level of tomfoolery she could expect from the combined forces of his children and the Weasleys. He didn’t think she was fully understanding it, though. She thought the eldest two would be the worst of it. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that both sets of his twins were Metamorphmagi like their cousin Dora. She’d probably abandon him and retire immediately. 

Lucius and Arthur were working together on a secret project that they wouldn’t tell anyone about. Their wives were often found joking that they were having a secret affair. Lucius was moved into the Head of the DMLE position with Amelia Bones put in as his assistant at the beginning of November. The families decided that it was time to explore the world beyond New Zealand and Castle Slytherin. They combed through Severus’ innumerable properties and decided to spend the winter holiday in the Bahamas. 

Sirius sauntered into Lucius’ office in October and took a seat before Lucius even had time to acknowledge him. His foot jiggled anxiously as he waited for his boss-slash-cousin to finish what he was writing. Maybe he shouldn’t have had that third cup of coffee.

Lucius sat his quill down and leaned back in his chair to observe the nervous man. “You’re not scheduled today, Sirius. What brings you in?”

Sirius blew out a long breath and scrubbed his palms on the knees of his leather pants, “I’m here to turn in my two-week notice. Remus and I have decided to… er… have a baby.”

Lucius felt the corners of his mouth lift as he laced his fingers, “Really? Are you going on the hunt for a magical orphan or looking for a surrogate?”

Sirius glanced at the closed door behind him before responding, “Actually, we found a ritual in the library that will let me carry the baby.”

“It warms my heart to see how comfortable you’ve become with the Dark Arts, Sirius. Will you come back to the department in the future or are you planning to leave the working force altogether?” 

Sirius shrugged and rolled his head on his shoulders to crack his neck, “We haven’t really got that far. We just wanna give Tommy siblings, ya know? The rituals aren’t bad , they’re only Dark because they require blood. It’s our blood and not the blood of the innocent. And Remi’s right! He’s a Dark creature and he’s the softer out of the two of us. All that Light Dark bullshit doesn’t really matter.”

Lucius outright laughed in surprise, “By the gods, man! Have you been reading?” He waved his hands when an indignant look crossed the other man’s face, “No, no. Don’t get me wrong. I know you’re bloody intelligent. You were one of the most staunch supporters of abolishing the Dark Arts. I’m merely surprised.”

Sirius felt himself deflate as the anger rushed away, “The narrative has been twisted. We think it’s high time it’s set straight. What better way than for the poster child for the Light to perform an obscure Dark ritual to get himself knocked up?”

Lucius opened his desk drawer and removed the appropriate parchmentwork, “We’ll call this an extended leave of absence. When will you be telling the rest of the family the happy news?”

Sirius blanched, “Fuck! I didn’t think that far ahead!” 

******

In December, Sirius was helping Harry, Draco, and Tommy build a sandcastle while Remus helped Fred, George, and Ron with theirs. He put a hand up to shade his eyes so he could look down the beach at a volleyball game and was suddenly on his arse in the sand with his rounded belly protruding over him. “Oy! What gives, Remi?”

Remus stacked another mound of sand on his castle and started smoothing it into shape, “Quit ogling birds.”

Sirius sat up and dusted the sand off his shoulders, “I wasn’t ogling any birds, idiot. Isn’t that Stevie down there in the blue number?”

Remus focused where Sirius was pointing, “It sure is. Bella’s not going to take this well.”

Cyra solved the problem of who was going to tell Bellatrix her one-night stand was playing volleyball on the same beach as them when she darted away from her aunt to tap the alligator handler’s hip. When surprised green eyes landed on the little girl with white-blonde hair, Cyra signed, “Hello alligator lady!”

Stevie caught the ball headed straight for the little girl’s face and blinked down at her, “My ASL is a little rusty kiddo, but I’m not sure what that last word was. Don’t I know you?”

Bellatrix managed not to fall flat on her face in the sand as she snatched her niece up and slung her onto her hip, “Your ASL might be rusty but she uses BSL. She called you the alligator lady.”

Stevie tossed the ball to one of the guys over the net and moved away with Bella and her niece, “You following me, sweetheart? What are the odds I see you again in such a short span of time?”

Bella sniffed and tried to walk away with Cyra, “Are you following me? Merlin.”

Stevie watched the strange woman walk away in her black bikini. She had a sneaking suspicion she’d get to see her in something other than black someday. 

Bella stomped all the way back to the beach house that took up an entire city block with Cyra on her hip. She didn’t realize Sirius was behind her until she tried to slam the door and heard his grunt of pain. She whipped around with the silently giggling child and pointed a finger in Sirius’ face, “What the fuck is she doing here, Sirius Orion Black? Did you plan this? If you weren’t pregnant I’d kick your arse right now.”

He rubbed his belly that was being hidden with an oversized Led Zeppelin t-shirt and scowled, “I didn’t plan shit, Bellatrix Druella Black. Pregnant or not, I could still take you. Your niece and nephew won’t mind. Why’d you leave like that?”

Her shoulders dropped as her anger flew away, “We agreed that it was a one-off thing. And now she’s here. What the fuck?”

Sirius sighed and gently pulled Cyra free and sent her back out to the beach with a pat on her back. “It’s a wild coincidence, I’ll give you that. Judging by the surprise on everyone’s faces, no one expected to see her here. Come on. The babies want ice cream.”

******

Severus collapsed onto the sofa and laid his head in Narcissa’s lap one evening after work in March. She ran her fingers through his hair and scratched at his scalp like he was a kitten, “What’s the matter, my love?” 

He opened exhausted black eyes and looked up at her beautiful face, “Our niece was caught pretending to be Albus to get into the restricted section. Again.”

Narcissa couldn’t help the laugh that slipped out. To soothe his irritation, she summoned his favorite Scotch. “And what was Dora trying to find in the restricted section this time?”

He sat up and took a bracing sip of the burning liquid and let the heat seep into his chest. “She and the blasted Weasleys were trying to find instructions for making portkeys. Where the fuck do three teenagers want to travel to, you ask? Colorado . Colorado, Narcissa! What the fuck is in Colorado?”

She refilled his glass and called for Dipsy. “Dipsy, darling. Could you fetch my sister and her husband? Oh! And then Molly. I’ll send a Patronus to Lucius telling him to bring Arthur.”

Andi and Ted walked in a few minutes later with Orson. Dipsy quickly redirected the little boy with his father’s rosy cheeks and blond curls toward the nursery where the other children were playing. Andromeda beamed at her sister as she took the seat beside her on the sofa, “I can already tell this is going to be an intense gathering, so I’ll get the good news out of the way first.” Narcissa’s eyebrows rose as Molly joined them. “We’re going to have another baby!”

Molly whooped and summoned a bottle of sparkling cider from the depths of her bag, “Non-alcoholic, dear. I always keep a bottle handy for celebrations! Babies are always worth celebrating. When are Remus and Sirius’ twins due?”

Andromeda accepted the glass of fizzy amber liquid and leaned back into the cushions, “They’re due at the beginning of August. Leave it up to Siri to have success on his first try. And it’s another set of multiples for the family. Should we expect you and Arthur to have any more?”

Molly snorted, sending bubbles up her nose, “Gods, no! I think seven children are enough for us. Our house is quite crowded enough, thanks. Things have got a little better since we brought in the magical builders to make repairs on The Burrow, but it’s still crowded.”

Narcissa scowled at their friend halfheartedly, “We keep telling you that we have houses large enough to maintain an army that are sitting empty. We would be glad to let your family take over one of them.” She could see the familiar argument starting once more and waved her off, “I know what you’ll say, darling. Think about it. Even if you only live in one temporarily so you can build a new home on your property. The Burrow just isn’t enough for a family of nine.”

Molly harrumphed and crossed her arms over her chest, “We love Ottery St. Catchpole, but I can’t deny that our house is too small. I hate feeling relieved when the eldest are at school. I refuse to be an imposition, though!”

Narcissa rolled her eyes, “Molly, we could move your family into the west wing here and you wouldn’t be an imposition. You’re family!”

The fiery redhead narrowed her own eyes as Lucius and Arthur finally joined them, “We’ll discuss this later. What have our children done?”

Arthur belted out a laugh before he kissed his wife in greeting, “I was wondering the same thing Mollywobbles.”

Severus groaned and sent a filled glass of Scotch to his husband, “Dora used her Metamorphmagus skills to impersonate Dumbledore… again. They were trying to find instructions to make their own international portkeys. Any ideas why they want to travel to Colorado?”

Arthur groaned and added an extra splash of whisky to his own glass with a twitch of his wand, “Thunderbirds. Guarantee it’s the bloody thunderbirds.”

Lucius smiled brightly and raised his glass, “Here’s to knowing our summer plans early this year.”

Narcissa pulled a notebook out of her pocket and turned to a blank page, “We’ll need accommodations for a large party if Severus doesn’t have property there. Oh! I’ve always wanted to see the Grand Canyon. I’ve heard it’s marvelous to behold.”

******

Aria pointed at wolf tracks near their campsite and warned Devin not to wander too far from the safety wards to keep animals out. They’d chosen a campground that catered to non-magical people so that the children could ‘experience camping like normal people,’ whatever that meant. She still felt tickled every time she thought about the oldest children trying to come find thunderbirds on their own. Her attention was brought back when her eight-year-old darted into the bushes after his cousins. She needed to thank Severus for the de-aging potion again. She never would have been able to keep up with her boy!

She started back to the fire blazing in the center of their circle of tents and tripped over a log hidden under fallen leaves. Strong hands caught her and settled her on her feet. She turned to thank her rescuer and felt the laughter bubbling up again. Green eyes blinked at her just as something darted behind them in the trees. Devin ran back to her and whispered, “Mummy! Did you see the unicorn?” Aria covered her face with her hand and groaned. 

Stevie’s jaw was hanging open as she looked around for Bella. If these two were here, Bella definitely was. “I saw it, too! But that’s not possible. Unicorns aren’t real. I swear you people are on something and I’m high every time I see you. You know I saw a mermaid in the Bahamas after y’all disappeared?”

Bella crashed through the underbrush and stormed to her sister’s side, “What the fuck are you doing here? You can’t keep showing up where I am!”

Aria placed a hand on her sister’s arm and calmly said, “Breathe. Stevie? Why don’t you come to our campsite and have a drink? Tell us about the mermaid.”

She stumbled along through the field and allowed herself to be sat on a log beside an equally bewildered Bella. A bottle of beer was pressed into her hand as Stevie told the others what they’d seen in the woods and what she thought she’d seen the past winter. “You aren’t making fun of me?”

Eight-year-old Harry plopped Thanatos around her shoulders with a grin, “We’ve seen some weird stuff.”

Narcissa’s glare threatened a stinging hex if they weren’t in front of non-magical people. “Hydrus! That’s enough. Take Thanatos and go play with the others. Let the adults have a moment of peace.”

Severus wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek, “We’ll never see a day of peace as long as we live. Our children won’t allow it.”

Stevie drank her beer before trying to speak again, “Y’all are so fucking weird . I have a PhD in reptiles and I’ve never seen a snake like that. Snakes don’t have gold eyes. Like… gold , gold. I’m sorry.” She pointed at a small green snake wrapped around Narcissa’s wrist, “That’s a Smooth Green Snake, but they don’t fucking sparkle . What?”

Cissa sighed when Lucius inched away from her with a whimper, “I was hoping no one would notice her. I found her stuck in a dry bush at the Grand Canyon yesterday. Isn’t she pretty? My sweet Jewel.”

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned, “She’s already named her, you can’t say no now, Lucius.” 

Lucius squeaked as Albion poked his head out from under Severus’ hair and moved toward him, “Why’d it have to be snakes?”

Regulus bellowed with laughter across the fire, “You are possibly the worst Slytherin in existence.”

Stevie reached for another beer, “What’s a Slytherin?”

Bellatrix patted her thigh and leaned back on her hands trying to pretend to relax, “I’ll Obliviate you later. Don’t worry.”

(Bella did not, in fact, Obliviate her later. We’ll blame that on the liquor.)

******

August rolled around and the family returned to England where Remus and Sirius were anxiously awaiting their twins. Andromeda and Ted had moved into Black Manor with them so that she was on hand the second his labor started. She was due with her third child in two months and still felt incredible. She twirled around when Lily Potter slid into the frame behind her and started talking a mile a minute. 

“Andi! Hurry! Sirius’ water broke! He’s upstairs in his room. Kreacher just left to take Tom, Dora, and Orson to Cissa’s. Remus is freaking out and I’m sure James isn’t helping.” The redhead rolled her brilliant green eyes and started running through the frames along the stairs to keep up with the Healer.

Andromeda walked confidently into the room despite her concerns. No one had used the ritual the pair used in centuries that they were aware of. They didn’t have a damned clue if the potion used to deliver babies safely in people with natural uteruses would work for one created by magic. Sirius was bent over the bench at the end of their bed with one hand on his enormous belly grimacing. Remus was sitting on the end of the bed having his hand crushed in Sirius’ other. 

Sirius straightened somewhat when the contraction eased, “I was on my way to the tub when that one hit. Remus. Hurry.”

Remus jumped up and lifted his mate into his arms like he weighed no more than a doll. He had them in the en suite bathroom in two steps and was lowering Sirius into the tub before Andromeda could follow them. She shook her head at the nervous father with a soft smile. “Sirius, remember what we talked about. The potion might not be as effective for you. I’m prepared to perform a magical extraction if the need demands it, but we’re going to do our best not to have to resort to that.”

Sirius nodded as Remus swept his hair into a messy bun on top of his head for him, “I know. I’m ready.” He took the potion from his cousin and tipped it back as the next contraction began. 

They all jumped when Life appeared sitting on the bathroom counter, “I’m here! And I didn’t bring the downer, so you know everything will be fine.”

Sirius grunted a laugh and pushed with everything he had. He closed his eyes and focused on breathing between pushing. Remus was in position to catch their first child with Andi supporting Sirius from behind. He felt the pressure release as the baby’s shoulders slipped out at the moment Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Aria filed in with warm blankets in their arms. 

Remus lifted his child out of the water and felt tears fill his eyes, “We have another son! Welcome to the world, Rigel.”

Sirius kissed the top of his son’s head and gazed down into warm amber eyes, “Godric, Remi. He’s perfect. He looks just like you.”

Andromeda moved out from behind him when Narcissa climbed in to take her place. She took the chance to wave her wand over the infant and smiled at the results of the diagnostic, “He is perfect, gentlemen. Bella, take him so Remus can get ready for their daughter.”

Remus reluctantly passed his son to Bella. His attention was pulled away when Sirius grunted through pushing once more. He swiped away his tears of joy and took his mate’s hand, “I’m so proud of you, love. I can’t believe we’re really doing this. We made our own children.”

Sirius sucked in air and dropped his head back on Narcissa’s chest, “Twins! I blame the deity that insists on following us around.”

Life giggled while waving her fingers at the man, “I have another surprise for you!”

Remus pulled their daughter out of the water and laughed wetly, “We already knew we were having twins. Is Andi hiding another sneaky baby in there with hers?” He blinked down at a little copy of Sirius with wet black curls and grey eyes. 

Sirius yelped and screwed up his face. Andromeda waved her wand over him and gulped, “You did it again!” 

Remus blanched as Aria took his daughter out of his arms. “No.”

Life continued snickering as Sirius began pushing again. Andromeda massaged her own baby bump and eyed the deity skeptically before helping Remus pull a third baby out of the water. Life blew a kiss in the direction of the confused humans before disappearing with a final laugh, “A full litter for a couple of mutts!” 

Sirius dropped his head back onto Narcissa’s chest again and felt his own laughter bubbling up, “It’s another girl, isn’t it? We couldn’t decide on Rhea or Roxana for our girl. I guess we know why now, huh?”

Remus blinked down at his unexpected daughter, “H-how many of them do you think they gifted Metamorphmagic to?”

Bella cooed at her brand-new nephew while Reggie did the same over her shoulder, “You should be more concerned about the Berserker bullshit, wolfy. Yes, you should. Who’s a cutie wootie? You are!”

Sirius let himself be helped out of the tub by Narcissa and considered kicking Bella on the way past her, “At least we know what it is and how to manage it now. Cissy, I’m gonna need a few of your elves. Kreacher will kill himself trying to take care of three babies on his own.”

******

Albus smiled down the head table at his Potions Master during breakfast before the children would leave for the winter holiday, “Have you got any big plans for the holiday, my boy? It seems you and your family vanish every year. I remember a time when the Malfoys were at the top of every invitation list for winter galas.”

Severus raised his right eyebrow and felt Minerva stiffen in her seat between them. “We decided to travel during the holidays while the children are young. We want them to experience cultures aside from their own. There will be plenty of time to worry about social status when they’re older.”

Pomona lifted her glass and called, “Hear, hear! Kids don’t need all that pomp and circumstance at their age. Let them be young, I say!” She took a long drink before addressing Severus again, “By the way, Severus, please pass on my congratulations to Andromeda and Ted Tonks. That darling Dora told me about her new sister. What did they name her?”

Severus couldn’t fight the smirk that crossed his face, “Ah! You must mean Asphodel. Edward instantly regretted agreeing to let his wife name any female children they have while he could name the males.” He turned his attention back to the headmaster and finally answered his question, “We’re traveling to Russia this year for Yule. The eldest children are determined to experience Yule in every country that observes it. We’ll be leaving for the chateau with the Weasley family as soon as the Hogwarts students arrive on the train.”

Albus felt his heart stutter as the friendship between the Weasley family and the Malfoy/Black family was confirmed. He’d so hoped the friendship between Nymphadora and Charles was benign. It appeared it went much deeper than he feared. Dark families were getting their claws into Light families at an alarming rate. Those same Dark families were also growing faster than any magical family had in history. The Weasleys being as fecund as they were was always attributed to their Light-leaning tendencies. The narrative that Dark magic destroyed your chances of having an extensive family was beginning to crumble before his eyes.

Chapter Text

Bellatrix stopped in the middle of the forest she was currently wandering in Russia. Severus needed a specific type of river grass that only grew in Rusalka territory and she was the only one with the free time to go looking for it. The fact that it was highly illegal didn’t bother her. It was the fact that she had to be in the frozen tundra to find it. Her breath puffed out of her in a cloud and she trudged on. Her heart leaped into her throat when she heard a very familiar voice scream in the distance. 

She whipped out her wand and started blasting everything in her path. The tickle at the back of her brain that she’d assigned to the Berserker was suddenly a roaring inferno threatening to overtake her vision. She’d been studying Occlumency under Severus along with the rest of her family and put all of her mental walls in place to try and maintain some semblance of her sanity. Her vision went red when she reached the edge of a raging river and saw Stevie fighting off a pack of pissed-off Rusalka. 

She sent an overpowered blasting hex at the creatures that shrieked with rage as they were thrown away from their prey. Bella snatched a branch from the ground and transfigured it into an axe with a thought. “You just can’t stay away, can you? Dammit, cupcake!” She swung the axe and beheaded three of the creatures. “Get back into the treeline!” She flicked her wand at the woman sending her flying toward the trees. Another swing of the axe took care of the remaining Rusalka. Greasy black blood dripped down her face as she staggered down to the water’s edge to collect as much of the grass as she could fit into the special bag Severus gave her. 

Stevie was shaking but standing when Bella made it back to the forest. She grabbed Bella’s head and pulled her in for a fierce kiss. “What were those things?”

Bella stopped and actually looked at the woman who had become the bane of her existence. “How do you keep seeing things you shouldn’t be able to see?”

“Bella! Those fish just tried to kill me! W-where did your gun go! I heard it blast. And then those things flew back like you hit them with buckshot. Where did that axe come from? Is that blood… black ? Why do I only see this crazy shit when you’re around?”

It all clicked for her when the sound of Life’s laughter floated through the trees. Bella let her eyes slide closed and her head fall back, “They’re fucking with us, cupcake. Looks like the Fates have more in store for you. What’s a gun? And what are you doing alone in the wilderness of Russia?”

Stevie felt warmth that shouldn’t exist settle over them, “I was hiking with a group of survivalists when we were separated by an avalanche. I was continuing East until I died or found civilization. Why are you alone out here?”

Bella wrapped her arms around Stevie’s waist and pulled her close, “How about I get us somewhere warm and safe before we have this talk, eh?” 

They reappeared in the entrance of a warm place with a crackling fire somewhere nearby. Stevie spun around and gaped at the walls of windows surrounding them. “Holy shit,” she breathed out in a harsh whisper. “How? What? Where?”

Bella stuffed her hands in her pockets and rocked back on her heels, “Welcome to Chateau Prince. I’m sure it has some other fancy Russian name I don’t care to remember. My brother-in-law owns the place.” She looked around anxiously for one of the fifty godsdamned people in this house to show up and help her. Not a single soul was to be found. “Looks like everyone is out. You want to come in for some tea and that talk?”

Stevie followed behind the woman she couldn’t stop thinking about and allowed herself to be shoved into an overstuffed leather chair in front of the roaring fire. A tea tray appeared out of nowhere on the table between them along with a bottle of something called ‘ Ogden’s Finest Aged Firewhisky- bottled in 1940 in dragonfire barrels.’ Bella let a healthy amount of the liquid splash into the cup of tea before she passed it to Stevie. 

Bella let Stevie drink her tea in silence. She decided to forgo the tea for herself and drank the liquor straight from the bottle. Stevie spoke when she was in the middle of her third pull, “Is magic real?”

Bellatrix pulled her hair away from her face and stuck it in place with a sticking charm, “Yep,” she popped the P. “Magic is real. You shouldn’t be able to see the shit you’ve seen, though. There are enchantments and things that keep non-magicals from really seeing magical creatures. You shouldn’t see the way Cissy’s snake glitters, Steves. You shouldn’t have seen a mermaid in the Bahamas. You definitely shouldn’t have seen the Rusalka out there! A non-magical person wouldn’t have survived because they wouldn’t see the fuckers until it was too late.”

Stevie raked her fingers through her tangled hair and leaned her elbows on her knees, “So, you’re saying I’m magic?”

“Yeah, cupcake. Your parents could have been Muggles…” She felt her face flush, “Shit. I gotta remember, that’s not a nice thing to call non-magicals. Brits picked it up and never let it go. But our shit’s so backward.” She shook her head to clear her mind, “Sorry. I get distracted easily. Did you hear the maniacal laughter in the forest?” Stevie nodded that she had. “It came from the walking representation of Life. She and her bestie Death like to stick their fingers wherever they want, and they’ve taken a personal liking to my family. It’s… a long story.”

Stevie stretched her arm across the space between them to grip Bella’s hand, “Sweetheart, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since the second I saw you leaning against those shoddy aluminum bleachers in New Zealand. I’ve tried! Dammit, woman, I’ve tried. It’s lonely being a traveling alligator wrangler. It’s easy to find someone willing to offer companionship for a night and never think about them again. Why can’t I forget you, Bellatrix?”

She closed her eyes and summoned the book that liked to drop in their laps when they had questions about the weird shit that was connected to the Berserker trait. “This book has more information than you could ever begin to process. We’re just beginning to dig through it ourselves. There’s this… gift that was given to my family by Life. We’re designed to be protectors. But,” she sighed and scrubbed her hands over her face, “Salazar, this probably all sounds insane to you. You saw what happened out there.”

“I did. But I don’t understand it. Bella, those fish-things, they were screeching about dinner and clawing at my clothes until you blasted them away. How did you do that? You act like you don’t know what a gun is, and that’s a normal thing for us non-magicals. Explain it all to me like I’m one of the kids.”

So, she did. They sat in front of the fire and Bella told her everything she knew about magic. She found a book with pictures of Rusalka so Stevie could see what had attacked her. She showed off silly spells that did nothing more than make Stevie laugh and clap with excitement. She explained that Berserkers had the capacity to lose themselves to the pull. They could go mad trying to fulfill the demands of magic to protect. Her family had thought it was a curse for hundreds of years and they were just learning how to manage it. 

She told her about werewolves and her cousin-in-law being one and how they mated for life. And then, she told her about Berserkers having a match. It didn’t always have to be a romantic partner, there were numerous instances of platonic pairs listed in the grimoire. But each Berserker would find the one person who could ground them. Their balance. Their peace. Bellatrix told Stevie that she was her match.

******

{June 1989}

Red and gold confetti drifted down over everyone’s heads as another cracker was pulled. Molly wiped away another tear as Sirius clapped a hand on her eldest child’s back in congratulations. She turned with a sniff when Aria spoke to her, “I can’t believe he’s graduated already! When we met you all he was on his way to his first year.”

“You’re telling me! My baby boy is eighteen. Soon enough, all of my children will be out of the house most of the year. What am I going to do with myself, Aria?” Tears filled her eyes once more and spilled down her freckled cheeks. 

Aria wrapped her arms around her friend’s neck and pulled her in to let her cry on her shoulder. “There, love. I know it’s hard. I only have Devin, but watching him grow is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It just happens so fast.”

Molly hiccuped into a sob and started laughing. She lifted her head and dried her face with her handkerchief when she saw Bill running their way. “Our new house is ready for us to move into and it’s already going to start emptying. I just know Bill is going to tell us he’s moving away soon. Maybe I should get a crup.”

Bill slid to a stop in front of his mum and aunt with a wide happy smile lighting up his face, “This is a great party, mum! I can’t believe you got me a trunk with a fully furnished flat hidden inside.” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at his feet. His face flushed when Aunt Aria shuffled away. “Hey, Mum? I, er… I need to tell you something.”

She looped her arm around his waist and pulled him to her side, “Whatever it is, you know I love you and that will never change.”

He nodded and kissed the top of her head, “I know. I love you, too. I applied for an internship at Gringotts to work toward my Curse Breaker mastery. I didn’t think I’d get it because there are applicants from all around the world with better qualifications than a recent graduate. I got the owl last week. I was their first pick.”

She put her hands on his cheeks and looked into eyes that were so like her own, “I am so proud of you, my precious boy. Your father and I already had a hunch that you would be leaving us soon. Just know that you will always have a home to come back to.”

He melted into her embrace and laid his head on her shoulder, “You’re the best. I’m gonna miss you.” Something crashed across the lawn followed by raucous laughter, “I might not miss the chaos so much.”

She pulled back to look at his sweet face once more, “If you think you’ll find peace with the goblins, you’d better pack it in now, son.”

Across the yard, Cyra was poking around near the edge of the treeline that led into the Hidden Lands. She knew they weren’t supposed to go too far into the forest, but sometimes she found little snakes that wanted a snack. Parseltongue was easier than English. She could hiss at snakes all day. Ask her to say her name in English? That wasn’t happening. She didn’t know why she couldn’t talk. She just knew that words didn’t happen for her. A sound behind her had her turning to find Aunt Bella’s Stevie coming to join her. 

The reptile expert crouched down beside her with a wide grin, “Find anything good?”

Cyra smiled and lifted her hand to show off her collection of beetles. She signed, “These are Jewel’s favorites. Mummy likes when we bring treats for her familiar.”

Stevie poked the handful of insects and watched them roll around in the tiny palm, “Are you using magic to keep them from running?” The sly smile she received in response was all she needed, “I wish I could learn tricks like that. You’ll have to teach me. Being able to put alligators and crocodiles to sleep would be dead handy.” Rustling in the leaves ahead of them made her jump and pull the small girl behind her. 

A being unlike any she’d ever seen emerged from the trees. He had wheat-colored hair with leaves and feathers tucked into it as decoration. His clothing looked like it was made from a fabric that flowed like water around his body. He came to the edge of the property line and knelt down before the woman and child, “Peace, Stephania of the Irvin clan. I will not harm the child. Her first cries were a gift to our people. We knew that the Hidden Lands would flourish once more when she and her sister came into the world. Greetings, Little Light. Where is your matching Shadow?”

Cyra peeked out from behind Stevie with a giggle and pointed to where Aiyla was playing tag with some of the others and signed, “There she is! Come!” She darted away, leaving Stevie and the being alone. 

Stevie stood hesitantly as Bellatrix sidled up to the odd pair, “”Scuse me, stranger. How the hell did you know my name?”

Bella wrapped an arm around her and eyed the being, “This here is our fairy god cryptid. Haven’t seen you since the girls were born. What brings you out of the forest all of a sudden?”

Yesanith turned his head to the side and smiled slyly, “We were waiting for your group to be complete. The oldest child has graduated now, and I was sent with instructions from the council to bring the family to our city. It is time you were introduced properly.”

Molly bristled as the fae joined their group, “I don’t know you and I don’t know how you know about my baby graduating, but I’ll be damned if I let you harm a hair on his head.”

Yesanith held his hand out for Molly to shake with a gentle look on his face, “Peace, Mother. None will find harm at our hands. I would like you to follow me to our city. All will be revealed there.”

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed as Lucius and Narcissa took up positions on either side of him, “Yesanith, this is such a large group. Is it wise to take so many into the rainforest at once?”

Yesanith clapped his hands excitedly as Harry and Draco tugged on his flowing silk robe, “The path was hidden, but now it is visible to you. You will all arrive safely in our city.” He picked up Harry in his left arm and Draco in his right and turned to walk back into the trees, leaving the others no choice but to follow if they wanted to protect the boys. 

The journey took them nearly an hour but the path was clear and easy to walk. Suddenly, they were standing at the edge of a deep crater. The crater was expansive and surrounded by a waterfall directly across from their current position. A wide set of stairs led down into the crater, where a vast city spread out before them. Circular buildings rose up throughout the city with winding paths that appeared to be growing naturally connecting them. Their guide took them down the stairs and turned down a path that took them to the largest building at the center of the city. 

Guards with wicked-looking spears stood beside a set of glass doors draped with a climbing plant that glittered in the afternoon sunlight. Their flinty eyes followed the enormous group as they trailed behind Yesanith. They were taken straight through the building to another set of high glass doors with guards outside. The new set of guards crossed their spears when the group approached. 

Yesanith held his hands out in a show of peace and spoke, “I am here at the request of the council. They wish to meet the inhabitants of Castle Slytherin.” The guards slowly uncrossed their weapons to let them pass. He led them through the doors into a wide chamber with a half-circle of ornate chairs set on a low stage opposite the doors. He bowed deeply when they approached the dais, “I present Lord Slytherin and his retinue to the Council of Elders.”

One of the fae stood and walked closer with their head tilted to the side. Her voice was like softly ringing chimes as she greeted them, “Welcome! You look so much like Merlin that I nearly thought you were him.” Chairs began appearing and the fae waved at them, “Please, sit! I want to be the first to apologize for making you wait so long. We have been without a regent for many years. The council often struggles to come to an agreement on such matters.”

Severus lifted his right eyebrow at the carvings in the chair that appeared behind him before looking back at the gathered fae, “What we know of Merlin’s appearance is a man with long white hair and a matching beard. Thank you for the welcome. Forgive me if this is impertinent… but what do you want?”

The beings filling the chairs on the dais chuckled at his question. The female standing at the front took her seat and waved to another to answer. This one had hair the color of autumn leaves and a voice like a bubbling brook, “We’re curious, Lord Slytherin. You have been coming to visit your home for nearly a decade and never wandered past the edge of the rainforest. The first humans to find these lands were told the same thing you were. They didn’t heed our warnings and began exploring farther and farther until hiding from them was no longer a choice.”

A male with curly hair the color of new leaves continued, “The Slytherin family were welcome among our people for many years. We were heartbroken when they stopped coming. Our princess took it the hardest of all. She ran away before her thirteenth year and has not been seen since.”

Another male, this one with long blue hair, spoke, “Her father and mother were the last of the royal family. They shed their mortal shells nearly fifteen years ago and we have been without a regent since. Imagine our surprise when humans arrived again less than a decade later. We were curious, Lord Slytherin. Do you know where our queen may be?”

Severus snapped his mouth closed when he realized it was hanging open. “You think we returned because your missing queen sent us as spies? No, no, no.” He waved his hands and stood from his seat, “We have nothing to do with any of that. We should leave. We won’t return and bother you.”

The female with the autumn hair stomped her foot and shouted, her voice reverberating around them, “Sit down!” She lowered her tone when she continued, “That is precisely why we took so long to decide whether you were worthy of seeing the city. We know you were not sent as spies.”

The male with green hair rolled his eyes and soothed, “Please, stay for a while. We have rooms prepared in the guest wing for all of you. There is much you will enjoy here.” He stood and hopped down from the dais to lace his fingers with Yesanith’s, “My name is Kani. Yesanith is my partner.” He turned eyes sparkling with excitement on the children, “Would you like to come to the stables? There are magical creatures never seen beyond the borders of the Hidden Lands. Have you ever seen a dragon?”

Sixteen-year-old Charlie nearly fell over as he jumped toward the fae, “I toured the Welsh dragon reserve earlier this summer! There are dragons here? Wicked!”

Kani wrapped an arm around the teen’s shoulders and started walking away with the rest of the children trailing behind. “We’re going to get along splendidly.” He threw a cheeky look over his shoulder that landed on Stevie, “You should come, too. Some of my dragons fit in your pocket.”

Arthur shook his head good-naturedly as the horde disappeared through the doors they’d entered through, “We’ll never get them back.” He tugged the collar of his robes nervously before turning his attention back to the council minus one, “As for the rest of us?”

Blue hair sighed and leaned his head in his hand, “Kani is rather impatient. You may wander as you please, Lord Arthur Weasley.”

Narcissa tilted her chin up and asked, “What exactly is your… race? Species? Oh! This isn’t going to come out nicely at all. You aren’t human. What are you?”

A round of laughter eased the remaining adults’ minds. A female with lavender hair leaned forward in her seat, “We are a race of high elves that was near extinction when we hid away our society. We lived peacefully among humans for many thousands of years. It was our people who first shared magic with yours. And it was our people who were hunted like wild animals when non-magical humans decided that magic was evil.” She ran her fingers through her hair in a show of emotion, “Forgive me, I have not even told you my name. I am Mei-Lin.”

Narcissa smiled softly, “No apologies are needed. This is a new situation for all of us. There is much we need to learn about each other. It seems you know our names, though. It may take us some time to remember all of yours.”

Mei-Lin stood and stepped down from the dais, “Ladies, if you will come with me, I’ll show you around the palace and try to begin explaining our history.”

Blue hair stood and joined the men on the lower level, “Call me Selim, please.” He looked Remus up and down with a smirk beginning to form, “Shall I take you to the leader of the wolf-men?”

Chapter Text

The stables turned out to be behind the palace made up of circular buildings connected by lush green bridges. Bella wasn’t letting Stevie out of her sight and just followed along behind her as she darted from stall to stall to look at each new creature. After their intense discussion explaining the ins and outs of magic, they’d gone to the Russian branch of Gringotts for Stevie to have an inheritance test done. They were still trying to find a linked family member whose name insisted on remaining hazy on the parchment, but it was clear that Stephania Irvin was the daughter of a magical father and a squib mother. 

Stevie was running to the next stall like a little girl when Yesanith opened the door for her. She looked at the elf curiously before taking the risk and stepping into the space that was larger than it appeared from the outside. A cat, roughly the size of a tiger, with leathery wings tucked over its back was lounging on a pile of straw with its long tail flicking back and forth. Bella leaned against the wall beside where her partner was crouched with a look of awe on her face. There was a writhing mound of kittens with tiny wings fighting for the best place to get milk from their mother in front of the watchful cat.

One of the kittens broke away from the puddle of its siblings and began tottering toward them on legs that weren’t coordinating with the direction its wings wanted to go. A string of babbling Parseltongue reached Bella and she dropped down to a crouch beside Stevie. She blinked at the mother cat and looked up at Yesanith, “They speak the serpent language?”

The elf laughed and reached down to scratch between the kitten’s ears, “This is a special breed of cat. They are a hybrid between a tiger and a dragon. They first appeared in China in the second century. Because they are both feline and dragon, they can communicate in both languages. You understand them?”

She shook her head and rocked back on her heels, “I could probably ask Sev’s basilisk to share the gift, but I haven’t got around to it.”

Stevie punched her shoulder before reaching out to the little blue and black kitten, “It’s been months that I’ve been with your family and you’re just now telling me I could be talking to the creatures I work with?”

Bella rubbed her arm and scowled, “It never crossed my mind!” 

The kitten spread its wings and pounced, landing half in Bella’s lap, and half in Stevie’s. The pair fell back on their rumps as the little kitten butted its head against their faces and purred like a boat motor. Suddenly, they could both understand the string of hisses slipping out between rumbling purrs. ~I can share, too. Hello! I claim you!~

Yesanith tipped his head back and laughed. When he was done, he bent down to scoop up two more kittens, “Congratulations! Now you can speak with the serpents! These two have been waiting for their new companions. Come along little ones.” He walked back out into the center of the airy barn and knelt down in front of Cyra and Aiyla with the kittens held out to them. 

Aiyla took the kitten that was black with red stripes and nuzzled its soft neck as its blood-red wings fluttered, “She’s perfect. Thank you, Yesanith.” Cyra held a white kitten with silvery-green stripes in its fur and wings. Aiyla spoke for her twin since her hands were full and she couldn’t sign to the elf, “My sister says thank you, too. We promise we’ll take good care of them.”

Yesanith ran his hands down their hair gently as he replied, “I know you will, little ones.”

Tommy ran behind Charlie into an arena behind the barn. There were dragons the size of teacups hopping around on boulders along with dragons the size of a house. Basilisks as large as Albion when he was full-size slithered around the base of trees with ones no longer than his arm. Screeches from dragons in the air mingled with the hisses of conversations of the serpents on the ground. Both boys stood in awe as the other children slowly filtered out to join them in watching the spectacle. 

A tiny dragon, no larger than the kittens the others had just found landed on Tommy’s shoulder and nipped at one of his black curls, ~You smell nice. Will you let me stay with you?~

Tommy stroked a finger down shining bronze scales and giggled at the purring dragon, ~I would need to ask my dads, but they’ll probably say yes. Although… you aren’t the usual animal students keep as a pet.~

The little dragon draped its wings over its back and laid down with its feet tucked under it, ~There. Now I am a snake.~

~You certainly are!” Tom laughed. “Let’s go back so I can introduce you to my dads, brother, and sisters!”

Charlie picked his mother up and twirled her around in a circle when they all returned from their adventure in the barn. When he placed her back on her feet, he immediately took off in an explanation of everything they’d seen. He held out the small orange dragon that matched the color of their hair perfectly, “I’ve named her Lucille. And the dragon handlers said I could come back when I graduate and work with them in the hatchery. Did you know that there used to be small dragons all around the world until humans hunted them to near extinction? I guess that’s just a thing we do, huh? I’m going to help bring dragon populations back to what they were before people came along and ruined everything.”

Remus and Sirius were sitting on a low couch with their babies lined up in bouncy chairs made from large leaves as the three drank from their bottles. A woman with honey-brown hair was sitting beside them when Harry sat down with them, “Hiya! You have to come out to the barn with us later, Uncle Padfoot.” He eyed the stranger cautiously, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

The woman held out her hand for the little boy to shake, “It’s no worry, little man. I’m Sephira, I’m the Alpha werewolf for the Hidden City. I was just getting ready to leave your uncles and cousins to rest for the night.”

Harry wiggled under Sirius’ arm and leaned his head on his chest sleepily, “It’s good that there are more nice werewolves for Uncle Moony to be friends with. It’s lonely having a pack with no one like you.”

Sephira wiped away a tear as it tried to drop onto her cheek, “He isn’t alone anymore. Besides! Your cousins will all start shifting when they’re older. We can’t quite tell if they’ll be full werewolves due to their second parent having the Metamorphmagus trait, but they all show the early signs of being shifters. What about you, little man? Will you run with the pack someday?”

Harry nodded emphatically and sat up straighter, “Yeah! I’ll be an Animagus like Uncle Padfoot and run every full moon.”

She patted his cheek affectionately before standing, “Right. I’ll let you and your family rest. It’s been a long day for all of you.”

Sirius choked on air as his oldest son skipped into the room with a pocket-sized dragon perched on top of his head like a hat. Tommy lifted the dragon and held him out for his dads to inspect, “Can I keep him? I named him Faust. It means fortunate.”

Remus patted Sirius on the back as he tried to contain his own laughter, “Well, you’ve already named him. I don’t see why you can’t keep him. You are responsible for any messes he makes and you’ll need to make sure he’s fed and well cared for.” His eyes moved to the snickering fae by the door, “Will it get as big as the dragons we’re familiar with? ‘Cause that might be a bit of a problem.”

Yesanith waved off their concern, “Not even close. This little one’s mother is fully grown and no larger than the average goat.”

Sirius doubled over in his seat laughing uncontrollably, “Remi,” he gasped, “Remus. You- you just agreed to let our son keep a dragon that will be the size of a fucking goat! Godric, I’m glad we moved to the manor. The damn dragon is going to need room to… run? Fly?” He dissolved into fits of laughter again as Tommy tossed the dragon up in the air for it to circle the boy once and land on his head again. 

Narcissa walked with Mei-Lin toward the rooms they would sleep in that night still trying to wrap her head around her daughters having winged tiger kittens. “How will we explain to the people outside the Hidden Lands where we found such… unusual pets?” 

She jumped when a new voice joined them in the empty corridor, “That’s my job!” The being looked more human than the elves, but was just slightly too tall, with violet and silver hair that flowed down to their knees despite being in a high ponytail. Their smile was also just a hint too feral, “My brother and sister find your family so interesting. I think it’s time I have a bit of fun, don’t you? I’ve already given my gift to one of your crew. Who should receive it next? Hmmm?”

Mei-Lin was frozen beside Narcissa in the corridor. Unmoving. Not even a breath. Narcissa whipped around to look for anyone else and realized that there were leaves hanging in mid-air. She mumbled mostly to herself, “Brother and sister. Everything is stopped. Gifts. You’re another Aspect.” She lifted her chin and blew out a shaky breath, “Who are you, please?”

The Aspect flashed a smile with pointed canines, “Why, I’m Magic. Little Devin came from a ‘squib’,” they shuddered, “mother and non-magical father. The little tike only needed a tiny nudge to open up his magical core. I’ll make it so the new familiars joining the family can camouflage when they need to.” They leaned closer to Narcissa and touched one of her white-blonde and black curls with the tip of their finger. 

Narcissa shivered as the curl changed from blonde and black to shining silver and a current of magic ran through her. “O-o-okay,” she stuttered uncharacteristically. “What about Devin’s mother? My sister, Aria, came from a magical family but could never use magic herself. I-if you are willing to share the gift, I think she is more than deserving.”

Magic snapped their fingers and chirped, “Done! Oooo. You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to make it so you can talk to all animals, not just the serpenty ones! The whole family! That wild alligator handler the Fates sent to your other sister will get a kick outta that. Oh, shit. I gotta give her magic. I almost forgot! There are so many surprises in store for your family. Life had the right idea demanding to be involved in this timeline. You’re a fun bunch. Who else needs my attention, Narcissa?”

She felt her previous nervousness begin to dissipate, “I can’t think of anyone right now. Unless… can you cure Bella’s infertility?”

Magic covered their mouth with their hand in thought, “Hm. See, that’s a toughy. Life is usually the one to meddle with people’s reproduction issues. I’m surprised she hasn’t already got around to that. How about this, I’ll confer with my darling sister before I make you any promises, sound good?”

Narcissa let out a long breath, “That’s more than we had before. Thank you.”

The Aspect smiled kindly, “Call me if you think of anything or anyone else. I’ll always come for your call.” They vanished and everything began moving around her as it was before. 

Mei-Lin lifted her arm, pointing at Narcissa’s hair as her breath caught in her throat, “You have been touched by the gods!” Her head whipped around as she looked up and down the hall they were in, “Were they just here? Oh, I hate when I miss them. Pan was here a few months ago. Such an interesting god. I’ll introduce you on Samhain if you ever choose to celebrate here in the city. I won’t ask about your meeting with a god today. It’s personal. Has anyone ever told you that you remind them of King Arthur? Not in appearance! No, just your personality. So noble. Goodness, I’m rambling! Whichever god visited you must have been energetic.”

Aria woke to the sound of Devin talking to someone excitedly. She wandered into the sitting room of their suite in the palace to find him sitting on the floor in deep discussion with Muffin. She smiled sleepily and continued on to the kitchenette where the table was laden with food and tea things. She was preparing her tea when a voice she didn’t recognize startled her, “Good morning. The kittens have already eaten this morning. Your human kitten feeds his companion far too many sausages, you know.”

Aria blinked down at her kneazle Mr. Bitty in shock. “Have I finally gone round the bend?”

Devin bounced into the room with Muffin on his heels, “Mama! I woke up and I can understand Muffin and Bitty! Did you know they could talk and just weren’t telling me?”

Aria took a bracing sip of her hot tea before attempting to answer her son. “I did not know. We will be asking the others about this phenomenon as soon as we’re ready for the day.”

Down the hall, Severus was having his own morning tea when an owl swooped in with a letter. He reached for the letter and out of habit muttered, “Thank you,” without thinking about it. Imagine his surprise when the owl replied! He stared at the brown speckled owl for a long time with the letter held between them. “Did… did you just say you would feel more appreciated if I gave you a kipper?” 

The owl blinked… owlishly, “I did. Will you give me a fish?”

Severus slid the plate of kippers across the table as Narcissa opened the door to let Aria and Devin in. Aria nodded and shouted, “Aha! You’re talking to the owl! My kneazles are talking, too.”

Narcissa grimaced and waved for Aria to take a seat, “Devin, your cousins are in the swimming pool already. Go and have fun with them.”

Devin whooped and scooped up Muffin, “Come on, Muffs! We gotta show the others how you can talk!”

Sirius burst into the suite with Remus following closely, “A phoenix just said good morning to me! Why did we all understand when the bird talked? Did someone forget to mention something?”

Narcissa giggled nervously, “I may have met with Magic yesterday. They were… intense. And I do believe they mentioned giving the family the ability to speak to… all animals.”

Severus wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck, “You didn’t think it important enough to warn us about, Love?”

She slapped his arm playfully, “I was a bit overwhelmed by the experience. And when nobody mentioned anything out of the ordinary afterward, I figured it was a joke. You never can tell with the gods.”

Aria narrowed her eyes at her sister, “What else did the embodiment of magic say to you?”

They spent a week in the Hidden City with the elves. They learned that the city housed magical beings of all races indiscriminately. Goblins walked in companionship with centaurs and werewolves. Dryads and satyrs danced together in the city square to music played by a gorgon band. Aria received a wand made specially for her by one of the high elves on the council when she woke the morning after learning she could talk to animals with all of her belongings floating around her. Her family was overjoyed at the prospect of teaching her how to use the magic that had been elusive to her for her entire life. 

******

Stevie’s first magical presentation came a month later when the family was back in England. She was walking down Diagon Alley with Bella toward the bank for another appointment with a goblin about her magical family when someone stepped into their path and stopped. She’d been eyeing a display in the window of the Magical Menagerie and almost ran the person over, “Sorry! Wasn’t paying attention!”

Bella hissed and jerked Stevie’s arm to pull her behind her for protection, “Watch it, Headmaster .”

Albus smiled genially at the pair and thrust out his hand toward the woman being shielded, “The apology is mine, my dear. I found myself intrigued by those fancy cat collars in the window. I don’t believe we’ve met. Albus Dumbledore.”

Stevie ignored Bella’s insistent shoving and grasped the old man’s hand. Her eyebrows climbed her forehead when she could feel his magic scanning her, “Stevie Irvin. We wouldn’t have met since I’m American. The collars had my attention, too. I might have to convince my girl to buy one for our kitten after our meeting. Which, we’re going to be late for, love.”

Bella nodded stiffly and tried to maneuver her girlfriend around the old meddler at the same time she was battling the Berserker magic trying to flare up in protection mode. She could also feel the fucker’s magic probing them and wanted to get as far away as humanly possible. “I’ll buy you anything you want, Cupcake. Let’s go talk to a goblin about getting you a key to my vault.”

Stevie gripped Dumbledore’s hand harder when he didn’t release hers. The glint in his eyes told her he was trying to goad Bella into a fight, and she wasn’t having it. “I’m comin’, Sweetheart.” Her eyes flashed as she looked into the old man’s, “Have a nice day, Mr. Dumpydork.” She squeezed his fingers until she could feel bones begin to shift. He let go with only a mild flinch and she felt something rise up within her. The sensation coursed through her and shot out of her fingertips. 

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, stood stark naked in the middle of Diagon Alley. A wave of shocked gasps and screams started around them. Albus apparated away in a flash. Bellatrix took the opportunity to drag Stevie away. The pair ran the rest of the way to the towering white marble bank, laughing like school girls the whole time. 

They managed to get themselves under control by the time they were through the second set of doors. Inkheart, the Lestrange account manager, was waiting for the pair when they arrived. She waved for them to follow and led them swiftly to her office. A tea tray was waiting for them as they took their seats before the rose quartz desk. 

Inkheart laced her long fingers together and rested her chin on top of her hands, “I hate to start this meeting on a negative note after that impressive display down the road. We still haven’t located your family, Ms. Irvin. I have contacted the Unspeakables and have requested their help with this matter. It’s not often we involve humans in our affairs. I hope you know how hard we are trying to find answers for you.”

Stevie nodded slowly, “It’s alright. I never expected to learn about magic or my family hiding it from me. I’ve been on my own most of my life. It won’t hurt me to wait a little longer. Don’t go to any more trouble on my account.”

Bella squeezed her girlfriend’s fingers gently in support. “Inkheart, I’d like to have a new key made for Stevie.”

The goblin hummed in thought, “The only way we can have a key made for the Lestrange vault is for the head of the family to approve it. Have you found success in acquiring an heir to the line, Lady Lestrange?”

Bella’s lip curled as she leaned forward in her seat, “You know very well that I haven’t.”

Inkheart sniffed harshly and paused in contemplation. “Are you so sure?” She whipped open a drawer in the enormous crystal desk and pulled out a sheet of parchment and a sharp blade, “Three drops, please.”

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and picked up the knife, “Must we really do this every time? I’m telling you, there is no earthly way that I’m pregnant.” Her chest clenched and she swayed where she was standing as letters spread out on the parchment. 

Unnamed Female Lestrange

|

Mother- Bellatrix Druella Black Lestrange — Mother- Stephania Melody Irvin — Magical Father- Rodolfus Maximus Lestrange

Stevie croaked, “What the fuck does that mean? Bella? Sweetheart? Bells?!”

Inkheart fell back in her chair and cackled, “It means your girlfriend is magically knocked up and you’re going to be a mummy! Congratulations! Lady Lestrange, would you like to complete any other business while we are here today?”

Bella looked down at her flat abdomen covered by an intricate black lace corset. “No fucking way. I want the Lord's ring. Now. Magic it right the fuck off of Roddy’s rotting arm. I hope it hurts and he suffers even more in his prison cell when it’s gone.”

Inkheart snapped her fingers causing a small black box to appear on the desk, “Done. Try it on.”

Bella looked at Stevie for reassurance and felt her tension ease when she received a squeeze to her fingers like she’d done for her. She picked up the box and opened it to find a platinum band with a deep green stone in the center. Carved into the band around the stone were belladonna leaves with amethysts as the flowers and an Augurey hidden in the leaves. Her fingers trembled as she slid the ring over the middle finger of her right hand. The ring warmed as it resized to fit her. A magical breeze lifted her curls playfully. 

She took a shaky breath and proclaimed, “As the standing Lord of House Lestrange until such time as my daughter can take her seat, I hereby banish Rodolfus and Rabastan from the family for the heinous crime of using compulsions and love potions to procure a wife, and further for their participation in treason against Magic. May they be stricken from the family tree and all traces of the Lestrange Magic be removed from them.” She fell back in her chair after the magic pulsed around them confirming her commands. “Fuck! That was exhausting and exhilarating. Okay. Can she have a key now?”

Inkheart laughed heartily, “She can absolutely have a key now, Lord Lestrange.”

Chapter Text

Albus struggled the entire school year of nineteen eighty-nine to ninety. Posters of him nude in Diagon Alley appeared all around the school every few days. Whichever students were responsible were at the very least covering his dangly bits with stickers. However, the stickers were all sparkly bananas. He suspected the Weasley-Tonks duo was responsible for the graffiti but he could never prove they were behind it. 

On the twenty-fourth of March in nineteen-ninety, Albus felt a familiar thrill run through him when he opened The Daily Prophet to find a birth announcement for Bellatrix Lestrange. The Dark was growing with the arrival of Drucilla Nova Lestrange. He needed to remain on the lookout for trouble. His thoughts turned to the eldest Longbottom boy. He could have been the one the prophecy foretold. It didn’t really matter that the prophecy was entirely fabricated by him. It needed to be fulfilled. That’s how prophecies worked. 

He would need to remember to acquire the rights to the Potter vaults as Chief Warlock once it became clear Harry wasn’t coming to claim it. Those vaults were reportedly stuffed with gold, ancient tomes, and artifacts. His fingers tingled with the desire to get his hands on the Potter wealth. Maybe he would finally have his answers about the location of a certain tomb that would greatly aid his plans. The thirty-first of July of the following year couldn’t come soon enough.

******

{June 1991}

The ever-growing family arrived in Hidden City after Molly received a letter delivered by a purple phoenix. 

Dearest Weasley and Tonks Matriarchs,

We have prepared festivities to celebrate young Charles and Dora’s graduation. If you approve, we would like to host the family in the palace for the summer. Mist will remain with you until you are ready to reply. 

Sincerely, 

Mei-Lin 

They had all agreed without hesitation to respond that they would be there. The children adored Hidden City. The summer after their introduction they’d returned to spend two weeks exploring all the city had to offer. If they hadn’t known already that Charlie was destined to return here and stay after he graduated solely on the presence of dragons, the decision would have been solidified after the second visit. 

They’d learned that the Hidden Lands were host to an enormous colony of Acromantula. The giant spiders were capable of speech, therefore qualifying them as sentient beings according to the laws of their land. The spiders provided silk to the beings who used it for textiles in exchange for hunting rights within the protection of the Hidden Lands. This benefitted the elves and other beings in multiple ways. They used the silk for clothing and other fabrics, the spiders protected the city by keeping predators at bay, and the smaller arachnids often enjoyed carrying children from their homes to school and back. Charlie was determined to live in the city so that he could ride an Acromantula daily. 

Narcissa and Andromeda rifled through a rack of clothing as the children rode baby Acromantula up and down the street from the shops to the park. Aiyla was sitting astride hers with a long stick in her hand proudly proclaiming that she and Cyra would be noble knights of this great city in the future. All of the beings within hearing distance laughed and cooed at the precious children at play. 

Harry jumped out from behind a stall selling plants that had been extinct outside of the Hidden Lands for hundreds of years and laughed at his dad’s sour expression deepening. Severus rolled his eyes and swatted at the precocious child with a sprig of something that smelled like lemons mixed with battery acid. “What do you want, brat?”

Harry turned on his puppy dog eyes and batted his lashes, “When are you and Papa taking Draco and me to Gringotts? Our birthday is in three days!”

Severus walked to the counter where an elf was waiting to barter with customers with one of his sons bouncing beside him. “We celebrated graduations last night and woke up late today. Wouldn’t you rather wait until tomorrow?”

Draco slid in on his dad’s other side with a smirk that matched his twin’s, “It’s hours earlier back in England, Baba. Just because it’s afternoon here doesn’t mean it is there.”

Harry nodded and continued, “Besides! Bill says the goblins never close the bank. We could go at four in the morning and they’d let us in.”

“We could go to the New Zealand branch of the bank if you don’t want to Portkey all the way back across oceans.” Draco’s grey eyes were shining with practiced tears that Severus had a hard time saying no to.

He placed his basket on the counter and scowled at the elf before she could open her mouth and tell him to take everything and have a nice day. “I know, I know. You refuse to barter with me, the plants are free for the taking. Someday I will find something you want in exchange, Gibba. Thank you.” He rounded on his children with a couple of quick tickling charms and hustled them out of the open-air shop, “As for you two, let’s go. Your father is already waiting for us with the portkey. I needed to pick up these plants as a gift for the goblin king. William was introduced to him recently and said the king seemed interested in our family.”

The twins high-fived behind their dad’s back. They found Lucius waiting at the edge of the park with a screaming Drucilla holding on to the leg of an Acromantula while her mothers tried to remove her from the poor creature. The one-year-old girl was certainly giving the family a workout. She started walking at nine months, running by ten, and was climbing like an expert at thirteen months. Her obsession with dangerous creatures was the cherry on the cake for this chaos gremlin of a child. 

Lucius darted away from Bellatrix as she tried to shoot ropes at him with her wand, “Get back here, you coward! Help your favorite sister!”

He leaned over with his hands on his knees and panted, “I’m done! There is spider silk in my hair , Bellatrix! I’m sorry, your daughter is a menace!” He grabbed the collar of Severus’ robes with one hand and held out a battered teapot, “Quick, boys. Hold on.” The quartet swirled away as the portkey activated with Bella’s shrieks ringing in their ears. 

They landed in the receiving room of Gringotts after a harrowing trip. Severus had to hold in laughter as he helped Lucius detangle his platinum hair. When he looked down at their sons, the pair had assumed their identical twin appearances. They both had Malfoy blond hair, with his Prince black eyes, and the curls known to the Blacks. The world at large was unaware the Metamorphmagus trait had traveled beyond Dora, which was a complete mystery to the family considering they looked different every time they appeared at Hogwarts. She was hopeless at hiding her abilities. Her hair color, especially, changed according to her emotions. Somehow, Draco and Harry had managed to convince the world they were always identical while their sisters insisted on being mirror images of one another.

They were greeted by Severus’ account manager and Bill Weasley when they walked into the main part of the bank. Bill looked like he was sweating nervously, but otherwise appeared healthy and happy. The group stopped before the pair and Severus bowed his head, “Greetings, Gold Heart. May your coffers overflow. Heir Weasley, may your coffers fill with treasure.”

The goblin bowed deeply while leaning heavily on a cane with some sort of bird skull as a handle, “Lord… Prince,” he winked, “may your enemies tremble at your feet.” He turned his steely eyes on the boys peeking out from behind Lucius, “Lord Malfoy, I see you’ve brought two new warriors for my army.”

Lucius lifted his chin as the corners of his mouth twitched up in a hidden smile, “I have, Lord Goblin.”

Bill started laughing anxiously and shuffled his feet. Gold Heart cackled and waved for them all to follow, “Come along. We have business to attend to. I have to get young Bill back to his assignment in Egypt, but when I heard one of our top recruits has connections to our most important client… Well, I just couldn’t resist!”

 The heavy stone door closed behind them with a resounding thud that made the boys jump. Bill jumped and chuckled, “It gets me every time.”

Gold Heart thumped the lanky ginger on the back and snorted, “Tell em why you’re really sweating like a virgin on her wedding night, kid.”

Bill wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and then dried his hand on his robes, “Do you have any idea who your account manager is, Professor?”

Severus rolled his eyes, “William, we’ve talked about this. You don’t need to call me professor anymore. Gold Heart has been my account manager for the past several years.”

Bill looked askance at the goblin, who was doing his best to hold in how funny he found this entire situation, “Sir,” Bill practically whined, “Gold Heart isn’t his official name.”

The goblin gave up and started bellowing with laughter, “It definitely is not! My official name, as you so sweetly put it, is King Ragnok Gold Heart the fifty-third.”

Lucius put a hand over his mouth and muttered, “Mother of Merlin.”

Draco and Harry inched forward with their mouths in O’s, whispering, “Cooool.”

Severus shoved his husband into a chair, “You’re worse than the children. Your Highness, to what do I owe the surprise of learning my account manager has been the Goblin King?”

Gold Heart hopped into his chair and propped his feet on his onyx desk, “Listen, I have to find my fun where I can. One of the oldest accounts at my bank was reopened after a century or so of being dormant. Of course, I was going to put on a disguise and go by my middle name for a little intrigue! What are we doing today?”

Harry scooted to the edge of his seat, almost falling off, “We’re here for our inheritance test, Your Royal Goblinness.”

Draco bounced in his seat, “We turn eleven in a few days!”

The goblin nodded sagely, “It’s a right of passage for all magical people as they come of age. You’ll accept your magical inheritance today and receive all of your magical gifts by the time you turn seventeen. We only wish the children coming to the magical world from the outside were told they should pay us a visit. So many of them come from magical families and don’t even know it.”

Draco looked down at his knees sadly, “We’ll fix that someday, Your Goblin Kingliness.” 

Gold Heart huffed out a tired laugh, “I’m sure you will, boys.” He clapped his large hands together and started taking things out of his desk drawers, “Bill! I’d like you to proctor this inheritance test.”

Bill gaped at the Goblin King, “S-sir. That’s not allowed. I’m not-”

Gold Heart flashed a menacing look at Bill that silenced him instantly. “As this is your first time, I’ll walk you through the procedure. I find it helps to lay things out in order they’ll be needed. Parchment here, blade here, towel for their finger, handkerchiefs for unwanted results.”

Bill moved into place behind the desk on shaking legs and sat down with the king standing beside his chair, “Draco and Hydrus, I’ve seen you insist on doing everything at the same time. Could you please put seven drops of blood at the top of this parchment?” He sat a second knife beside the first when neither boy moved. 

The twins complied as soon as the second knife was on the desk. Two small pools of blood gathered at the top of the page. Words began to swirl onto the parchment. 

Draco Lucius {Potter} Malfoy Prince & Hydrus Nigellus {Potter} Malfoy Prince {Blood adoption- natural parents- Lily Jade Evans Potter & James Fleamont Potter}

|

Mother- Narcissa Yvaine Black Malfoy Prince – Father- Lucius Abraxas Malfoy Prince – Father- Severus Tobias Prince Slytherin

Bill hummed in thought and pointed at the parchment as names continued filling in the boys’ family tree, “Severus has the Slytherin title but the twins don’t. Is that significant?”

The king nodded sagely as he glanced up at the group across the desk, “It is indeed. Be sure you bring in your daughters before their eleventh, Lord Slytherin. It looks as if Magic decided Malfoy, Potter, and Prince were enough for two boys to share.” He eyed the young apprentice he’d dragged back from Egypt with a wicked grin, “Do you know the significance of being allowed to perform an inheritance test?”

Bill’s hands trembled slightly as he straightened the tools on the desk, “Yes, Your Highness. I was also told it hasn’t happened since Merlin was alive.”

Ragnok flashed his sharp teeth, “What young William isn’t saying out loud, is that he’s now officially a goblin. And he is correct that it’s an honor that hasn’t been bestowed on a human in a rather long time.”

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned, “Molly is going to lose her mind over this one.”

Lucius patted his husband’s shoulder and nodded, “We’ll turn her attention away from her eldest child becoming a goblin by pointing out the dragon fang hanging from his ear.”

Bill’s right hand darted up to cover his ear and he muttered, “Shit! No one was supposed to see me for six more months! I was still working up the courage to tell her.”

Harry fidgeted in his chair and eyed the goblin across the desk, “I don’t want to be a pain, sir.”

Draco gulped and reached over to grasp his brother’s hand, “Don’t we get our heir rings today?”

Gold Heart’s smile spread slowly across his face, exposing two rows of viciously sharp teeth, “You do, indeed. I’m rather excited to see how they change when you put them on.” He snapped his fingers bringing three boxes onto the top of the desk in front of the boys. “Hmmm. Only three. I thought the magic would adjust for twins.”

Draco and Harry shrugged at each other and reached for the red box together. They each used a thumb to push the lid up and blinked down at a pair of identical rings. Highly polished gold bands held round deep burgundy garnets with gold antlers wrapped over them. Their hands were trembling as little red sparks of magic popped as they got closer. They each took a ring and slipped it over the index finger of their right hand. There was a sudden roar of fire followed by the sound of stampeding hooves that brought a gust of hot air through the enclosed room. The twins’ eyes flashed red for a blink before settling once more. 

They giggled as they reached for the blue box. These rings were shining platinum with deep blue sapphires held in place by black serpents. They slid them onto the middle fingers of their right hands and shivered as the pulse of magic filled the air with the sounds of dragons screeching and snakes hissing. 

Last, they picked up black silk box with burnished silver clasps. Inside were two smaller versions of their dad’s ring with round black opals set in black metal. The Prince crest was engraved in the sides, and it sparked with magic when the boys slid them onto their right ring fingers. The air fizzled with static electricity that had everyone’s hair standing on end. When the magic settled in the spacious office Hypnos and Thanatos continued hissing nonsensically for several minutes from the sudden influx of power that flowed through their humans. 

After completing a few more small pieces of business, such as getting mokeskin money pouches that connected to the boys’ trust vault, Lucius insisted they walk down Diagon to Eylops. “It’s a Malfoy tradition for the head of the family to purchase an owl for every child before they head off to Hogwarts for the first time. I think it was probably started by some anxious mother who didn’t want her child to have any excuses not to write. Nonetheless, I will not be breaking tradition.”

Severus rolled his eyes at his husband, “Archimedes is alive to this day, terrorizing everyone he delivers mail to.”

They walked into the cramped store that was lit dimly and filled with the soft hoots and chirps of countless birds. The twins skipped down one aisle while their fathers turned down another. Harry looked around them and whispered, “How are we supposed to know which one to take home?”

Draco shrugged and stroked his hand down the back of a tawny owl, “I dunno. I read that no one knows how owls choose who to bond with. It just sort of happens, and the person they choose just knows.”

Harry rolled his eyes in a very good imitation of Severus, “Of course, you read it.” He turned his head sideways to look at a bird with his head turned the same way. 

Draco snorted as he squinted at something the next aisle over, “You wouldn’t ask so many questions if you read a book, Harry.”

He rolled his eyes and turned toward the row his twin was eyeballing, “What’s the fun in that? I let you read the books, and I do the question asking.”

Draco poked a brown owl who nipped at the offending finger, “That won’t work when we get to Hogwarts.”

“Of course, it won’t! I’ll be in an entirely different house than you. We’ll have to study together in the library. It’ll be weird being in separate rooms, though. We’ve shared a room our whole lives.”

“Well… Except for that first bit.” Draco picked up a perch with a plaque to engrave the bird’s name and held it up for Harry’s inspection. 

Harry shook his head, “You know I don’t like gold. What about the one next to it?” Draco went to pick up the next display item when he was startled by something landing on his head. He tried to look up and found it impossible to see whatever was making a snack out of his hair. He waved a hand at the creature and huffed when it managed to hook its beak under the  Malfoy ring on his middle finger. Harry snickered and lifted the large bird off and settled it on his forearm. “I think he likes you!”

Draco smoothed his hair and scowled at the owl, “Funny way of showing it, ruddy feathered menace.” He blinked several times when the owl jumped back on top of his head, “Tell me the owl isn’t back to eating my hair.”

Harry grinned and danced around the punch his brother threw at him as the owl plucked another strand of hair, “He isn’t eating your hair, Draco. Well, it looks like you’ve found your post owl. I still need mine.”

Draco tried to lift the bird from his head to no avail, “How am I supposed to know what you look like if you won’t come down?”

Harry skipped toward his father’s bright white hair but was stopped when the store clerk stepped into his path. He stumbled and caught himself on the owl stand beside him and yelped when it tipped and started a chain reaction of knocking over stands in a domino effect. The clerk started to shout angrily as owls were flapping up to the rafters to avoid the melee. Lucius sighed and massaged his forehead as Severus went to deal with the havoc their twins were sure to be the source. A harsh slash of his wand reset the fallen stands and another cleared the air of falling feathers. When the dust settled, Draco was laughing with a pitch-black owl on his head while Harry was staring at the mess. 

A snowy barn owl swooped down from the rafters to land on Harry’s head with a gentle coo, causing the boy to giggle nervously. Lucius sighed, put a hand on the boy’s shoulder, and assumed his best posture, “Apologies for the mess, Luca. We’ll pay to put it all to rights.”

The clerk waved the assurances off, “Nonsense, Lord Malfoy. You’ve been a loyal customer since you picked out your own owl. These things happen far more than you’d imagine. It appears Lord Prince took care of it all, anyway. Will it just be the two owls?”

Lucius lifted an eyebrow and looked down at his matching set of children, “I believe that will be all today, Luca. We have all of the necessary supplies at home.” 

Harry looked up at his father and dad sheepishly, “Sorry.”

Severus tried not to smile as he looked down at the boy with high spots of color on his cheeks, “ This is why we tell you not to run indoors, Hydrus.” He turned to the clerk with a nod, “Children.”

Luca laughed heartily as he accepted a handful of coins from the man, “You might have a little Gryffindor on your hands there, sirs. Running into action before seeing if it’s safe.”

The two fathers groaned in unison and Lucius shoved the boys with their owl hats through the front door, “Please. Don’t remind us.”

They walked down the alley to the Leaky, where the four were given a table tucked back into a semi-private corner of the pub. Harry sat with his new white owl perched on the arm of his chair and Draco was beside him with his own. Draco stroked his owl’s feathers affectionately, “I think I’ll call him Hubert.”

Harry nodded and offered his owl a chunk of his fish, “I like it. What about Hedwig for you, girl?” He stuffed the rest of the fish in his mouth and made sure to swallow before speaking, “Will we come back after our trip to get a wand and stuff?”

Lucius cleared their table with a flick of his wand and sent the empty dishes toward the counter for Tom to collect before responding, “It’s only the first week in June, boys. You shouldn’t even have wands until you go off to school. What if the trace picks you up?”

Draco smirked as he hopped out of his chair to follow their dads out to the aparration point, “Magic can’t be traced if we don’t buy our wands in England. Only wands sold here carry the trace on them.”

Harry nudged his brother with his shoulder, “We only ask that you think about it, dads. We already know how to do loads of spells wandlessly from the fae. We could just continue learning that way to avoid breaking any laws. We wouldn’t want the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to get in any trouble.”

Lucius took the battered teapot out of his robe pocket and held it out for the other three to touch, “Cheeky brats. Hold on to your new owls. They won’t like portkey travel.” 

They arrived back in the palace of Hidden City to Life and Death having tea with Narcissa and the other set of twins. Aiyla was dancing in front of Death with her winged cat pouncing at her feet, “And then Drucilla screamed and screamed until Auntie Bella gave up!”

Cyra excitedly signed beside her, “So, now she has her very own pet Acromantula! She named it Tiny.”

Severus sat down beside his wife and kissed her before joining the conversation, “I’m glad we missed that debacle.”

She returned his kiss warmly before leaning to the other side for one from Lucius, “You left at the right time. I think Stevie might still be crying in the bathroom. She hates spiders.” She looked at her sons with their new birds sitting on their heads, “I see you had a successful trip to Diagon. Introduce me to your new friends, gentlemen.”

Hedwig ruffled her feathers, “Greetings, Lady. My person has chosen to call me Hedwig.”

Hubert hopped from foot to foot, “He called me Hubert! I like Hubert. I like my boy, too.”

Narcissa laughed and welcomed the excitable black owl onto her knee, “It’s lovely to meet you both. Welcome to the family. Boys, our patron troublemakers have come to give you gifts. Gifts that I still don’t know about because they think surprises are fun for grownups.”

Life beckoned the boys closer and reached into her robe, “We brought you something special.”

Death tickled Aiyla and Cyra with a wink, “We’ll bring you presents before you go to school.”

Lucius wrapped an arm around Narcissa’s shoulders and leaned back to look at Severus, “Looks like we won’t need to go to Diagon for wands.”

Life scowled as she produced two wands, “You cheated! How did you know?” She passed the identical wands to the boys, “Ok. They may look the same, but they are very different. A few illusions are easy for us.”

Death scooted down on the sofa to be beside Life, “Harry, yours is made from the pomegranate tree in the Underworld.” He smirked when Severus practically started salivating, “Yes, that pomegranate tree. The core is a hair from the very first thestral ever created. He’s my personal steed and a very good boy named Thunder.”

Life passed the wands to the boys, “Draco, yours is made from the oldest living tree in existence. It’s a bristlecone pine in California called Methuselah. I have a soft spot for the old boy. The core of your wand is a feather from the first phoenix to exist. Also a very good boy, but he currently goes by the name Fawkes.”

As their hands connected with their wands for the first time, a magical wind stirred in the room. Sparks of magic shot from the tips of the wands and bounced around the gathered family. Purple, black, blue, red, and green sparks flew around picking up strands of hair playfully before darting away to tease someone else. Hypnos and Thanatos were raised from the boys’ shoulders snapping at the sparks like they were juicy flies, hissing with serpentine laughter. 

Severus tipped his head back and groaned, “Merlin help us.”

Death chuckled darkly, “Oh, just you wait,” and then yelped when Life kicked him. “Anyway,” he sang out, “You two have fun practicing with those. We’ll let you get to bed after a long day.”

Life slapped a hand over her face and groaned, “You’re such a pain. You’re forgetting the cloaks!”

Death laughed, “I didn’t forget! I just like ruffling your feathers, darling. Now, Harry, James will recognize these when you get back to his portrait. I duplicated the one Dumbledore stole from James so that you could each have one.” He passed them each a folded silver bundle and continued, “These will hide you from anything. No spell or magical detection device has been created yet that can see through them. Thankfully, no one can hide them from me because I created them. Old bastard had the original locked under so many wards. He’ll be downright furious when he realizes it’s gone. He only thinks he’s in possession of two of my Hallows.”

Lucius massaged his forehead where a headache was forming, “Hallows? That story is real? Then that means…” He dropped his hand and made eye contact with the Aspect, “Albus Dumbledore has the Elder Wand.”

Death nodded slowly, “He does. You have the Resurrection Stone, and now the boys have the Cloak of Invisibility. Granted,” he let the word trail off. 

Life huffed, “The creation of the new wands for Draco and Hydrus has greatly diminished the power of the Elder Wand. It’s still stupid powerful, and my partner should still be having his arse kicked hourly for creating it, but the boys’ wands will outstrip his for power any day of the week.”

Draco and Harry whispered, “Wicked.”

Death cringed when all three parents turned angry glares on him, “Hey! Don’t Avada Kedavra me over it. It happened thousands of years ago. He won’t be able to tell a difference in the wand, and he won’t be able to feel how powerful theirs are. We don’t want to mess with too many of his plans. We just know he ramps up his efforts around this time in every timeline. Even when it all leads to his death. He just can’t help himself.”

Aiyla fed something to Hedwig and whispered, “He’ll lose the wand someday”

Chapter Text

Albus poured another dash of brandy into the snifter in front of one of his oldest friends, “Nicolas, please listen. Lord Voldemort was not killed by the rebounded curse ten years ago! He was merely thrown from his body as a shade. I promise you, he has been using the time since to gain strength. He will be coming for your stone. You need to trust me and let me hide it for you. I would hate for something to happen to you and Perenelle.”

Nicolas Flamel narrowed his eyes at Albus, “What do you know of the Dark Lord’s plans? He has been completely silent! He won’t be returning, Al. You’ve got to stop living in the past. How would he have even survived?”

Dumbledore frowned deeply and leaned forward with his elbows braced on the table, “Nick. I want to tell you. Oh, the secrets are weighing heavily on my soul. He had Horcruxes made.” He nodded sadly when his friend sucked in a shocked gasp, “I know. It’s an awful thing to think of making even one of the foul things. I believe our Tom made six . Possibly more!”

Nicolas pushed away from the small table in his kitchen and began to pace, “Albus, you cannot be serious. The creation of more than one is only theoretical. There’s no way someone as young and inexperienced as Riddle could have made so many. Your research must be incorrect.”

Albus shook his head in a defeated manner, “I wish that it were, Nick. I wish that it were. Ah, to go back in time to when we were young whipper snappers. I miss those days.”

Nicolas put a hand on Albus’ shoulder in a show of comfort as his wife joined them. He leveled his gaze on her and said, “Darling, please retrieve the stone. Albus will protect it for us.”

Perenelle could see the fear in her husband’s eyes. She turned swiftly and went to the safe hidden in their cellar. She knew better than to give that silly little boy the real stone, but she would let him believe he had it. When she returned to the kitchen, she hesitated before handing the man the false Philosopher's Stone, “We only have enough elixir left to keep us alive for another few years. Don’t let anything happen to it.”

Albus closed his fingers around the stone that was positively pulsing with life, “I will guard it with my own life, Perenelle. I am putting it somewhere Voldemort would never think to look.”

******

Harry was vibrating with excitement at the base of the stairs in Malfoy Manor. The portraits of James and Lily were giving their last farewells until the winter break and then he and Draco were off for their first year at Hogwarts. James laughed and poked Lily in the side, “Look at them. Neither one is paying a lick of attention.”

Harry jumped and smiled impishly, “Sorry, Prongs! We’re just so excited! Did you see Tom this morning? Has he got Uncle Padfoot up yet? We all know how much Padfoot likes to sleep.”

James laughed harder, “Tommy dragged Siri out of bed before the sun was up. That kid won’t be missing a single second of his education. Do the Weasley Terrors still have the map?”

Draco jumped up and down and said, “Yes! Uncle Moony and Uncle Sirius worked with Dora and Bill this summer and got it copied!”

Harry picked up the sentence where his brother left off, “We’ll each have our own copy so no one has to share.”

Lucius came down the stairs with the boys’ trunks floating behind him, “No one has to share what?”

Harry smiled sweetly at his father, “No one has to share textbooks, Papa.”

Lucius squinted at his sons and then up at James, “I swear, Potter if you’re giving them any bad advice…”

James held his hands up, “Hey! Don’t put us in the attic. I would never! I am a sweet and innocent portrait of a man who may or may not have been a scoundrel when he was alive.”

Lucius hummed, “Mhmmm. Shall we be off, gentlemen? Your mother is probably waiting for us in the receiving room with your sisters.”

Draco looped his arm through the crook of his father’s elbow, “Are we flooing to the platform or apparating?”

Harry matched his twin’s position on the other side, “I hope it’s apparating. Floo travel makes me sick to my stomach.”

Narcissa cupped his cheek and kissed his nose before doing the same to Draco, “We’ll apparate. Before we go, what are the rules?”

The twins rolled their eyes and recited in unison, “We will be respectful to all professors, especially our head of house. We will never be alone with the headmaster. We will keep up our studies and try our hardest. If we are struggling in any subject, we will seek help from the professor. We will self-study for History because Binns hasn’t taught anything but goblin wars since he died. We won’t forget that our dad is the Potions Professor and lives in the castle with us.”

Narcissa clicked her tongue, “Cheeky brats. That wasn’t one of your rules. I suppose we must get going if you don’t want to miss the train.”

Aiyla swiped at a tear that was trickling down her cheek, “We don’t want you to go.”

Draco and Harry pulled their sisters in for a four-way hug and Harry said, “Don’t worry. We’ll write to you loads.”

Draco nodded, “And Yule will be here before you know it!”

Lucius shrunk the trunks and put them in his pocket, “Come along. There will be time for goodbyes on the platform.”

The platform was teeming with bodies when they landed in the designated apparation zone. They quickly found Devin and Tommy waiting by a train door with their parents as a wave of ginger worked its way through the crowd toward them. Devin grabbed Harry’s hand and yanked him closer as Tommy did the same to Draco, “We were starting to think you two weren’t coming!”

Harry rolled his eyes, “Always the dramatic one, Dev.” He looked up at his parents and felt a lump form in his throat. His voice was thick when he spoke, “I’m gonna miss you.”

Draco sniffed and pushed his wobbling chin up, “We’ll be alright, Hyrie. Right, Papa?”

Lucius patted his sons’ shoulders before enlarging their trunks for them, “You will be more than alright. You’re strong independent young men. Learn as much as you can, and have fun being children away from home for the first time.”

Narcissa laughed through her tears, “Maybe not too much fun. Go. Before I change my mind and take you home.”

The boys hugged their sobbing sisters one last time before jumping onto the train behind their cousins. They were soon settling in a compartment with Ron and didn’t have long to wait before the train started to roll. Shortly into their journey, the compartment door slid open bringing a new face. A girl with curly blonde hair looked around curiously before she bothered greeting them. 

“You all look like firsties. Tiny little gits. What’re your names?” She leaned on the door and called over her shoulder, “I’m almost done with this one! Calm down! Well?”

Ron swallowed the mouthful of chocolate frog he’d been chewing on and waved, “I’m Ron Weasley. Nice to meet you.”

She curled her lip and waved for the next person to go. Devin grunted about rude people, “I’m Devin Black. Who are you?”

The girl scoffed, “None of your business Black. Next.”

Tom glared daggers at her, “Thomas Black, I think you should leave.”

She rolled her eyes, “Blacks are just coming out of the woodwork these days. Neeext?” Draco and Harry raised their right eyebrows and refused to speak. The girl shook her head and pushed off from the doorframe, “Whatever. You’re blond twins. Neither of you is Harry Potter.” She turned and left at that. Before the door slid closed, they heard her shout, “That’s the last one! He isn’t here!”

Devin and Tom looked across the compartment at Harry. Harry fell back against the seat, “Fat lot they know. Merlin! It’s going to be a weird year, isn’t it?”

Draco wrapped his arm around his twin and squeezed, “You may secretly be Harry Potter, but you’re always my brother.”

Ron wrapped his arm around Harry from the other side, “And my best friend.”

Harry wiped his nose and reached for another chocolate frog. He was disappointed when he saw the card inside, “Ugh. Another Dumbledore. Why can’t I get the interesting ones?”

The door opened again, this time bringing a girl with bushy chocolate brown hair in a halo around her head and a timid-looking boy with tears running down his cheeks. The girl looked surprised to see so many people in the compartment. “I’m Hermione Granger and this is Neville Longbottom. Neville’s lost his toad. Has anyone seen it?”

The boy called Neville sniffled, “His name is Trevor. He’s such a naughty toad!”

All five boys shook their heads. Harry reached out a hand to the newcomers, “Hydrus Malfoy and that ugly mug is my twin, Draco.”

Hermione shook his hand firmly, as he suspected. Neville, on the other hand, seemed terrified to shake. He shook everyone else’s as they introduced themselves. Harry frowned, “Hey, Longbottom. Is something wrong?”

The shy boy stuttered, “N-n-no! Well… you see, it’s just that my Gran always told me never to talk to Malfoys because they always end up in Slytherin, and Slytherins can’t be trusted.”

Ron scoffed, “That’s ridiculous! Harry and Draco have been my best friends since we were in nappies! They’re probably the best blokes I know. Don’t listen to your Gran, mate. You have to learn to make choices for yourself.”

Neville swallowed and thrust out a shaking hand to Draco and then Harry, “S-sorry. Neville Longbottom. It’s n-nice to m-meet you.”

Tom waved at the empty seats in their compartment with a sharp smile, “Have a seat, Longbottom. Miss Granger.”

Hermione eyed the boys warily, “You all speak like you’re from a Bronte novel. I love it. Were you all raised in the magical world? I’m Muggleborn, at least that’s what Professor McGonagall said when she came to my house to deliver my letter. My parents were so surprised! I’d always managed to hide my magic from them. I felt just like Matilda! I didn’t want them to think I was crazy and send me away like our neighbor did to her son when he got his tongue pierced.”

They all sat in stunned silence for a moment when she stopped talking. Devin was the first to speak, “Merlin! You said so much just now. Did you take a single breath?”

Tom shoved him and then threw a chocolate frog box at him. Hermione covered her mouth with the tips of her fingers and squeaked, “Oh! I’m so sorry. I get carried away sometimes. Did I say something wrong or just too much all at once?”

Harry laughed, “Ignore my cousin. He’s a bit thick sometimes. You know, we talked to our account manager recently, and he said that most ‘Muggleborn’ people come from magical families and they just don’t know it. Maybe you and your parents should have an inheritance test done at Gringotts.”

She brushed a wispy strand of hair out of her eyes, “Interesting. I didn’t read that in any of our textbooks. I’ve read them all, you know. I couldn’t help myself! I wanted to learn everything there is to know about magic that I’ve missed. What house do you think you’ll be in? I hope I’m in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. Although, Hufflepuff might be nice. Slytherin wouldn’t be terrible, would it?” She looked at Neville anxiously.

Draco tsked, “All three of our parents were in Slytherin and there isn’t anything horrible about them. Sure, every Malfoy in history has been in Slytherin, but that doesn’t mean Harry and I will be.”

Neville looked closely at the two, “I-I thought you said your name was Hydrus.”

“Oh! It is. Harry is my nickname. Draco couldn’t say Hydrus when we were babies and called me Hyrie. It just sorta evolved to Harry later on. We already had someone come in looking for Harry Potter earlier.”

Devin tossed a bag of Bertie Bott’s to Hermione, “Try one,” he said with a mischievous grin. “Wonder where the Potter bloke is if he isn’t on the train?”

Hermione picked up an orange bean and popped it in her mouth, “He’s famous for defeating the Dark Lord, right? How did a baby defeat a fully grown wizard?”

Harry shrugged, No clue. Sounds like thestral shit to me.”

She handed the bag of candy beans back to Devin, “Thank you, orange cream is my favorite. Well, we should get back to our compartments and change. We’ll be arriving soon, I should think.”

Harry smiled as the pair disappeared, “I like them.”

Draco groaned, “Gods, now we’ll have two more to keep track of. Let’s hope they sort with you and not me. I don’t want to be stuck playing messenger to your pets.”

They did, in fact, roll into the station in Hogsmeade a few minutes later. The five boys followed the sounds of someone shouting for first years and found an enormous man standing with a lantern. His hair and beard were such a tangled mess that you couldn’t tell where one began and the other ended. Bright brown eyes crinkled with mirth at the edges sparkled out from the wild mane as the man called out one last time, “This way, firs’ years! Right! My name is Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of keys and grounds here at Hogwarts. I look forward ta meetin’ all o’ ya throughout your time in school. So, be sure to come down ta my hut for a cuppa. Let’s have four kids to a boat. Careful, careful! Oi! Whose toad is this?”

Neville jumped forward and shouted, “Trevor!”

Harry, Draco, Tom, and Devin got into a boat together. Ron scowled at the four and stuck out his tongue as he got in a boat with Hermione, Neville, and a girl with strawberry blonde hair pulled into braided pigtails. They had been to the castle countless times to visit their dad, but they’d never approached it from this direction. The boats glided across the lake that was as smooth as glass. One massive tentacle of the giant squid broke the serene surface and smacked back down with a splash. There was a collective intake of breath as they rounded a corner and the castle came into view for the first time. 

Lights glittered from every window of the massive castle combined with the sea of stars lighting up the sky around it to create a whimsical effect that would have stunned anyone to silence. The boats sailed into an alcove and bumped to a stop. Hagrid’s hulking form splashed onto the shore and helped the children gather on dry land. He looked sad as he scanned their faces. Harry suspected they’d be seeing a lot of that for the next few days. The person they were looking for was dead.

The five rejoined at the base of a set of wide and shallow stairs where their Aunt Minnie was at the top. She waited in silence until the group of first years were just below her. Her hands were clasped before her and her bun was super tight, giving her the imposing demeanor she was aiming for. They waited for everyone to quiet down while smiling up at the woman who’d been in their lives as long as they could remember.  

When they were quiet enough for her, she cleared her throat and began, “Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am your Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall. In just a few moments, I will lead you through this door into the Great Hall where you will be sorted into one of four houses. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Your house will be like your family while you are here, but you will still need to work closely with students from other houses. I look forward to watching you all grow and learn during the course of the next seven years.” She looked at a pocketwatch that was hanging from her belt and raised an eyebrow, “Please remain here.”

The students began chatting amongst themselves once she was through the door behind her. Harry felt like the lies might crumble around them as he heard so many talking about the missing Boy Who Lived. His brother’s voice in his head reassured him, “Stop it. You know Mum, Papa, and Baba did what they had to to protect you.”

Harry rolled his eyes internally, “It’s not that, dummy. It’s everyone being so disappointed that he isn’t here when I’m him . I’m scared.”

“Don’t be scared. We have Hypnos and Thanatos keeping us safe. Nothing will get past them. Not even the wrinkled fucker.”

Harry snorted out loud at the last comment and waved off Tom and Devin’s curiosity. He was saved from having to explain by Minnie returning. She signaled for them to follow her and led them through a small antechamber into the sprawling Great Hall. There were hundreds of candles that never dripped wax floating beneath the ceiling that was enchanted to mimic the sky outside. Stars and candlelight illuminated four tables that were already filled with chattering students who stopped talking when the new firsties entered.

Chapter Text

McGonagall indicated a three-legged stool with a floppy brown hat that looked like it had been around since the dawn of time, “Ladies and gentlemen of Hogwarts, please give a warm welcome to your new fellow students.” She paused for a short round of applause. “When I call your name, please come to the stool and sit down. I will place the hat on your head for you to be sorted.”

Ron leaned close to Harry and whispered, “Fred and George tried to tell me I had to fight a mountain troll. I’m so glad you had that book in the library at home so we weren’t scared this whole time.”

McGonagall called for Hannah Abbott, who was sent to Hufflepuff. A few more students were sorted as the five whispered to each other. And then, she called for Devin Black. He strode confidently to the stool and sat down with his back straight. 

The hat hummed in his head, “Interesting. Magic likes you and your mother. You had a rough start, didn’t you? Well, you’re better off for it. I think I’ll send you to… GRYFFINDOR!” Devin hopped down from the stool and high-fived Ron on his way to the Gryffindor table. 

Thomas Black was called next. Of course, Albus had seen pictures of the boy in the papers with Sirius and Remus at one function or another. But he’d never really looked at him. Now… he looked so much like... No. There was no possible way. It was a mere coincidence that the boy looked so much like him. Hmmm. He would just have to see where the hat put him before he made any judgements. Sirius and Remus were both in Gryffindor, if they’d done a proper magical adoption, the boy would very likely take after them. It was rather unfortunate that Sirius and Remus had left their friends in the Light to be with their Dark families. So unfortunate. 

Tom lifted his left eyebrow when the hat sucked in a scandalized breath before it began speaking rather shakily, “You are a conundrum, my boy. I could make the same mistake twice. But I won’t. No, thank you. You belong in… RAVENCLAW!”

Tom scowled in contemplation as he walked calmly to the table of blue and bronze. What had the hat meant by all that? 

Time seemed to fly after Tom. Harry and Draco cheered with their new friends as Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom were sorted into Gryffindor. And then, it was Draco’s turn. He tried to exude confidence as he passed through the thinning crowd of first years. He flinched a little when the hat ruffled his hair and had to listen to the snickering of his friends who knew what he was thinking. 

The hat sat silently for several seconds. Draco was beginning to think it was never going to say anything until, “Oh my. A Malfoy that I don’t want to put in Slytherin. How interesting. Your thirst for knowledge is a little terrifying.” It laughed low making goosebumps rise on his arms, “You’re going to RAVENCLAW!”

Albus thought the world might fall out from beneath him. A Malfoy who wasn’t in Slytherin? The world must be coming to an end. He looked down the table at a very proud Severus and offered his congratulations, “I’m sure you’re astonished, my boy! Should we be expecting an angry visit from your spouse later?” He waved nonchalantly when the boy began to bluster, “Oh hush. You know I’m only teasing you, Severus. I’m sure your sons will do splendidly in Ravenclaw.”

Severus smirked at the old meddler, “Hydrus hasn’t been sorted yet.”

Hydrus sat down on the stool and felt very small as all eyes were on him. He could especially feel the headmaster’s attention. The hat belted out a laugh in his head. Harry thought, “What’s that for? Rude.”

The hat chuckled some more, “You aren’t who you say you are, young man. How intriguing. I couldn’t send you to Ravenclaw with your twin if you wanted me to. You’re just too different. Where shall I put you? Malfoys belong in Slytherin, and you would do very well with the snakes. Why, is that a snake wrapped around your neck?”

Harry cocked his head to the side, “It’s interesting how you can be in my thoughts and know what’s touching me at the same time. How does your sentience work?”

The hat laughed out loud, drawing confused muttering from the crowd. It continued in Harry’s head, “Maybe you could do well in Ravenclaw. I think you’re far better suited to Gryffindor, don’t you?” Harry could feel his smile widen as the hat pulled in a noisy (if unnecessary) breath before calling, “Better be… GRYFFINDOR!”

Severus looked at a gobsmacked Albus with unfettered glee on his face, “Would you look at that? Neither of my sons was sorted to Slytherin. I’ll be sure to send your regards to Narcissa when I tell her what colors she needs to make her care packages for tomorrow’s mail.”

Harry tripped over his own feet on the way to the Gryffindor table and laughed as Fred and George caught him under the arms. Fred winked at him with his left eye, “Welcome to the lion’s den!”

George tickled his sides as the next student was sent to Slytherin, “You might have to spill the Bertie Botts about your Meta-meat-balls ability. That pale blond hair is not doing you any favors all wrapped in red.”

Fred nodded and stuffed an entire roll in his mouth, “He’s right. Washes you right out.”

Everything fell silent when Minerva stopped and cleared her throat, “I should be calling for Harry Potter now. His letter was sent out, just like all of yours, but there was no reply. Headmaster Dumbledore went to investigate the lack of response to find nothing but tragedy. Harry Potter was killed in a house fire that took him and what was left of his family. His aunt, uncle, and cousin were lost in the blaze as well. We would like to have a moment of silence for a child who should be starting school with all of you.” 

The silence was so heavy you could cut it with a knife. Eventually, sniffles and the rustling of robes as students and staff tried to dry their eyes broke the silence and Minerva carried on with the sorting. The children sitting at the tables applauded extra hard for the remaining students. They all felt a sense of loss for a person they never got to meet that they held in such high regard. Harry took a sip of cold water and tried not to think about the lost Harry Potter. 

Once Ron was sent to Gryffindor like every Weasley before him, and a boy named Blaise Zabini was sorted into Slytherin, Dumbledore rose to address the students for the first time. “Welcome, welcome, one and all! I know you must be famished, so I shall keep this short. Nitwit. Blubber, Oddment. Tweak!”

The golden dishes in the center of the tables suddenly filled with food, drawing shocked exclamations from the firsties who were still new to magic. Harry said hello to Percy while selecting a piece of roasted chicken. Then, he met Seamus and Dean, fellow firsties. They seemed like they were going to be a barrel of fun. Hermione didn’t seem to be having the same luck with the first-year girls. 

She huffed as her face turned an alarming shade of red and scooted away from the pretty blonde sitting beside her, “What? What’s wrong with my hair?”

The blonde smoothed her own shining hair behind her ear and looked Hermione up and down, “Did you brush it with a tumbleweed? My gods, it needs its own room. How will we ever share a space?”

Harry leaned forward and waved his spoon at the girl, “You could gently offer her assistance with her curls in the privacy of your dorm instead of being a raging bitch.”

The girl jerked back as if she’d been slapped, “I don’t care if you are a Malfoy! No one gets to talk to me that way!”

Harry nodded slowly and laced his voice with sarcasm, “Yes, because you’re so important. Who are you, again?”

The girl growled and turned away to talk to the girl on her other side. Hermione wiped away a tear and squared her shoulders, “I could have handled that on my own, you know.”

Harry passed her a handkerchief from his pocket with a soft smile, “I don’t doubt it. But, it’s the first night of school and you haven’t even had a chance to meet anyone. There was no need for her to speak that way to you.”

She was wrestling her cloud of frizzy curls into a messy pile on top of her head, “I can’t help how my hair grows, can I? This is how it’s always been! My mum tried everything to tame this disaster. No matter what, it comes out looking like I stuck my finger in a socket!”

Ron waved his chicken leg at her, “My dad loves sockets; thinks there are tons of magical uses for them. He hasn’t found one yet, but he’s determined.”

Hermione blinked at the boy in mute confusion for several seconds, “What?”

They were saved from that explanation by the headmaster standing up once more. “Ah, the plates are looking rather bare! I suppose it is time to send you off to your dormitories for the night. A few announcements before I allow you to escape: First, the third-floor corridor on the left-hand side is closed to all students. Please refrain from going there unless you are interested in a horrible death.” He smiled as the hushed conversations picked up in excitement. “A reminder for our returning students as well as a warning to our newcomers that the Forbidden Forest is exactly that. Forbidden. There are countless plants and creatures in its depths that can and will kill you.”

Hermione’s eyes were as large as the dinner plates, “Is this place safe at all?”

Harry took her hand across the table, “Don’t worry. I practically grew up here. Stick with me, Ron, and Devin, and you’ll be fine.”

She didn’t look convinced as the students all began standing and gathering in groups. Percy was trying to get the first years’ attention as he lined the children up in two lines. He and his female counterpart finally got them together and led them out of the Great Hall and up the main staircase. They paused in a quiet corridor so the prefects could introduce themselves. Percy started, “Alright! Quiet down! My name is Percy Weasley and this is my partner Carol Dockree. We’re your prefects until we graduate. We’re here to help you with anything you need. So please, feel free to come to us.”

Carol nodded and continued, “We’re not sure how the other houses do things, but we know that they don’t provide maps with your timetables on the first day. So, Gryffindor prefects made their own maps. We have enough for each of you to take one. No more. So, don’t lose them!”

“The hallways are riddled with secret passageways that tend to change according to their own rules,” Percy lifted a tapestry hanging beside him for an example, “This particular passage could take you to the dungeon… if you’re lucky. Sometimes it ends on the far side of the lake in a shed. It’s best if you don’t risk the secret passages until you’re more familiar with the castle.” They started walking again as he continued, “The staircases move, too. There is a definite pattern to them. You can find the patterns listed on the back of your maps, along with which staircases have trick steps.”

Carol shuddered for effect, “Yeah. You don’t want to be in a hurry and forget that. I saw a kid break his ankle last year. He forgot the trick step and sank right through it. The crack echoed up to the Astronomy Tower.” They kept up a string of introductions to portraits and directions as they climbed steadily higher. At last, they were in front of a portrait of a rather plump woman in a pretty white dress with a crown of laurels on her head. Carol waved at the portrait, “Hi Tosca! Everyone, this is Tosca. Most of the rest of the school call her the Fat Lady, but we’re not barbarians.”

Percy crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at the little firsties, “Too right. We have a bad reputation for being the wild house. Now, Tosca is very strict.”

The woman in the portrait sniffed and then laughed, “I am strict, but it’s for your safety. The passwords are very important. Students from other houses aren’t supposed to visit. So, don’t forget the passwords and do not share them.”

Percy clapped his hands, “The password changes once a month. You can find them on the bulletin board. The first password this year is Caput Draconis.” The portrait popped away from the wall revealing a narrow doorway. 

Harry looked around in wonder as they walked into the common room. He’d been all over the castle with his dad and Aunt Minnie, but he’d never been in a common room other than the Slytherin one. He laughed in delight over the room. It was expansive and filled with squashy armchairs and sofas draped with red and gold blankets. There were two fireplaces with thick rugs in front of them. Each fireplace had a spiral staircase beside it that went up seven levels with doors on each level. 

Percy took the boys up the staircase on the right while Carol took the girls up the left. They went up to the fourth floor and through the door with a golden plaque marking it as the First Year Dorm. “The house elves made it easy for you. You’ll find your trunks at the end of your bed. Oh! It looks like some of you have owls.” 

Harry skipped to the first bed on the left and dug an owl treat out of his pocket, “Here you are, Hedwig. I’ll have a letter for Mum and Papa soon.”

Neville blushed as he went to the bed across from Harry’s where a scruffy-looking owl was waiting, “My dad insisted I take his owl. He’s older than my dad.”

Ron snorted as he collapsed on the bed beside Harry’s, “That sounds like our owl Errol. He’s a bloody menace, but Mum loves him.”

Percy shrugged his shoulders, “Looks like you all can manage without me. Your toilets and showers are through the door over there. I’ll come and get you in the morning, but after the first week I’ll expect you to have learned at least one alarm spell.”

Ron saluted his brother, “Aye, aye!” and received a stinging hex for his troubles.

Seamus lounged back in his bed with his legs crossed at the ankles, “It doesn’t seem fair that you three are so well acquainted and we three don’t know any of ye.”

Devin sat criss-cross on his bed and tossed a bag of Bertie Bott’s over to the Irish boy, “Let’s get to know each other, then! Harry and I are cousins and Ron is our best friend. We all grew up together.”

Dean looked around the room nervously before settling on his bed with a black and white checkered ball in his lap, “Er, I’m Dean. My mum and I didn’t know magic was real until Professor Flitwick showed up with my letter. We always just thought the crazy stuff that happened around me was our house being haunted. I can’t wait to tell her that ghosts are real!”

Devin smiled brightly, “Nice! You and your mum should go to the bank and request an inheritance test. The goblins told Harry and Draco that everyone should have one, just in case.”

Dean relaxed a little and leaned against his headboard, “Alright. I’ll try to get her to go when I go home for Christmas.”

Ron carefully selected a blue bean and put it in his mouth and then grimaced, “Ew! I got a soap-flavored one. I eat enough soap with Mum filling my mouth with them when I swear. Hey, Dean. What’s the ball for?”

Dean looked down at the ball in his lap with confusion evident, “It’s a football? D-do you not have football in the magical world?”

The other five boys shook their heads. Seamus shook the bag of candy at the boy, “Try one but be careful. You find the regular flavors like orange and strawberry, but you’ll also find flavors like poor Ron over there with a mouthful of soap.”

Harry laughed and ate a red bean, “This one is hot pepper,” he said with tears gathering in his eyes.”

Seamus grinned when Dean took a handful of beans and began inspecting them, “I’m a halfblood, meself. Dad’s a Muggle and Mam’s a witch. Bit of a nasty shock for him when he found out.”

Ron belted out a laugh, “I can’t imagine! We all grew up with magic. Oi, Longbottom, what about you? Your family is part of the Sacred Twenty-eight, right?”

The bashful boy stuttered, “Er, yeah. My brother and sister are better at magic than I am, though. I’m the family disappointment. My great uncle Algie dropped me out of a window when I was six to see if I was a squib. Mum and Dad don’t allow him to come to family dinners anymore.”

Harry made an incredulous face, “Are you serious? That’s horrid! My mother would have skinned him for potions ingredients. Well, you made it into Gryffindor. You must be brave somewhere. We’ll help you find it, mate.”

Ron tossed a chocolate frog box across the room to Neville’s bed, “Yeah, mate! My entire family has been in Gryffindor, so I didn’t expect to go anywhere else. But I still like to think I’m brave. Have to be to be Hydrus’ friend. Nutter.”

Dean ate another bean and pulled a face, “Oh! That’s lemon! So… who is this Harry Potter bloke that was killed?”

Silence stretched for several seconds. Harry rolled his eyes and cleared his throat, “Dead unfortunate that we share a name. So, there was a war going on around the time we were all born. The leader of the magical Nazis was called Lord Voldemort.” Neville shrieked and Seamus choked on his candy. “As you can probably tell from those two, most people are still afraid to say his name. But we were taught that fear of a name only makes fear of the thing that much worse. He’s dead, guys. He can’t come back and hurt us for saying his name. So, Voldy was apparently losing his bloody mind the longer the war carried on. He sent a ton of his followers out on raids and to cause trouble for the Ministry so that he could go and kill Harry Potter himself. He was convinced there was some prophecy about himself and the baby that said he had to kill him or something. He was crazy, you know? Anyway, he got to the Potter house and managed to kill Lord and Lady Potter, but when he tried to AK the baby it rebounded. He blew himself and the house to smithereens.”

Dean gulped, fully immersed in the story, “What happened to him?”

Ron shrugged, “No one knows. We all thought Dumbledore put him somewhere safe. That’s why everyone was looking for him on the train.”

Neville whispered, “It was supposed to be Harry. Not me.” 

Harry frowned, “What’s that, Nev?”

Neville shook his head and waved off the question, “Nothing. Sorry. Talking to myself. I’d better write a letter to my parents telling them where I was sorted and then get to bed. Percy scares me. I want to be awake before him.”

Ron cackled, “Percy is my brother. I promise you, he is the least scary of my siblings. I’d worry about the twins if I was you.”

Harry pulled a piece of parchment out of his trunk and scribbled a quick note to his mum and father. He knew his dad would tell them when he went home, but he still wanted to tell them himself. He handed the rolled-up note to Hedwig and kissed her beak, “I’ll see you in the morning, girl. Tell Cyra and Aiyla that I miss them.” 

Back at Malfoy Manor, Severus stepped out of the fireplace and was instantly run over by his daughters. Aiyla was talking a mile a minute as Cyra jumped up and down with excitement, “Baba! You’re home! What took so long? What houses did they go to? Did they seem happy? Are they going to be ok? Why haven’t Hedwig and Hubert come yet?”

Severus walked toward the sitting room slowly with his daughters trying to drag him down to their level. He fell onto the sofa beside Narcissa and immediately had two little girls climbing all over him. He waved his hands and cried for mercy when the two owls flew into the room. Cyra made a dive for Hedwig while Aiyla grabbed for Hubert. 

Narcissa chuckled and took the letters from the owls while the girls continued chattering. “Well, Severus? Where are our boys?”

He sighed and gratefully accepted the glass of whisky from Lucius, “Hydrus is in Gryffindor and Draco is in Ravenclaw.”

“Delightful! We always knew Harry would go to Gryffindor. Draco being in Ravenclaw makes sense, too. Blue is his favorite color, and you know how important his appearance is. He would hate it if he had to wear red every day.” She clapped her hands twice and stood up, “I know two little girls that should be upstairs getting ready for bed. You wouldn’t want to miss school tomorrow.” 

Severus let his head drop onto the back of the sofa in exhaustion once Narcissa had hustled their daughters out of the room. His mouth twitched up at the corners when he felt Lucius’ lips trailing up his throat to his ear. “I can’t wait to see what nonsense Albus comes up with to explain this disaster away.”

Lucius continued kissing Severus, and between pecks said, “No. More. Talking. Only. Kissing.”

Glittering black eyes opened and focused on his face before Severus lunged forward and fisted his hands in Lucius’ silky blond tresses, “Fine by me.”

Narcissa walked back into the room and leaned against the back of a chair to watch. When the two looked up she smiled softly, “No, no. Carry on.”

Chapter Text

THE DAILY PROPHET

BOY-WHO-LIVED LIVES NO MORE!

By Rita Skeeter

Photos by Titus Tenpenny

Tragedy has stricken the magical world, my dearest readers. I was alerted to a breaking story after the sorting feast at Hogwarts last night and immediately made my way to the school to investigate the matter. Countless students wrote home to their parents last night regarding a student who should have been on the train from London to Scotland yesterday. But when his name should have been called to be sorted, the students were told that the saviour of the wizarding world was dead. 

Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was kind enough to take time out of his busy evening to speak with me in his office at the school. Because I had to rush to get this article to print, I’ve only had time to publish the interview in its barest form.

Albus Dumbledore- Good evening, Ms. Skeeter. 

Rita Skeeter- Hello, headmaster. Let’s cut to the chase. Where is Harry Potter?

AD- *Sighs heavily* I’m afraid he is no longer alive.

RS- He’s dead? How? When?

AD- We learned of the trouble when there was no response to his Hogwarts letter. Minerva went to the last place he was seen alive and found the lot where the house should have been a burned husk.

RS- How could this have happened? Did you not take over as his magical guardian after the death of his parents? Where were his godparents?

AD- Sirius Black was supposed to be his guardian in the event something happened to James and Lily Potter. When he was arrested for the murder of thirteen Muggles, Harry was placed under my care. I left him in the safest place I could imagine. I was sadly mistaken. I believed a very powerful blood ward would protect the boy from all harm. It would appear the fire was caused by Fiendfyre. Death Eaters could be to blame.

RS- Sirius Black was cleared of charges less than a week after that horrible night. Why wasn’t Harry placed with him afterward?

AD- It was deemed too unsafe. I wanted the boy to grow up in a home where he would be free from the burden of being a celebrity at such a young age. I wanted him to grow up having a normal childhood. 

RS- Yes, but what about Lord Black?

AD- I personally made the choice to keep Harry’s location a secret. 

RS- Interesting. So, you left a child with relatives and then did not check on him for… ten years?

AD- Regretfully, yes.

RS- How could you just leave him for ten years? What if the Muggles abused him? What are we supposed to do if You-Know-Who returns? Our saviour is dead!

AD- The Dark Lord is dead, Ms. Skeeter. Please calm yourself.

RS- You say he’s dead! You left a child alone in the Muggle world and forgot about him! Now he’s DEAD!

AD- Ms. Skeeter! Please, get a hold of yourself! 

RS- I can’t. I have to leave. This interview is over.

And there you have it, folks. Harry Potter, the last living member of the Potter family, died in a fire with his relatives. Could this tragedy have been prevented? Would things have turned out differently if the Boy-Who-Lived had been left with his godfather instead of with Muggles? I assure you I am still investigating this atrocious story. I have also been informed that the DMLE is heavily investigating, with Head Auror Alastor Moody taking the lead. Be on the lookout for updates. 

Severus sipped his tea in an effort to cover his mirth over the morning paper. He felt a tap on his shoulder and looked up to find Minerva standing behind his chair, “Good morning, Minerva.”

She pursed her lips and cocked her head toward the antechamber door, “A word, Severus?”

He followed her to the small room and quietly closed the door behind them, “Is anything the matter? Classes haven’t even begun.”

She crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, “Why did I find an obscenely large gift basket with two of the largest bottles of my favorite Scotch Lagavulin offers on my coffee table last night?”

He snorted and flinched when she slapped his arm, “Narcissa thought you might need the extra help with our sons starting school this year.”

She rolled her eyes and tsked, “Severus, I survived the Marauders and most of the Weasleys so far. I’ve watched your boys grow! I think I’ll be fine.”

He nodded slowly and drawled, “Yes, but have you considered that the Weasleys and my sons have been raised by two of the remaining marauders and are now residing under the same roof ten months out of the year?”

The color drained from her face and a hand went up to her throat, “Hydrus.”

Severus let one laugh slip out before saying, “Yes. Hydrus. I am so glad we let you in on that secret.”

Minerva leveled her gaze on her student-turned colleague- turned friend, “Will two bottles be enough?”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and began guiding her back into the hall, “We will replenish your stores whenever you like. I believe you even have both of my sons in your first class today. Ravenclaw and Gryffindor first year?”

They took their seats at the table as the aforementioned twins traipsed into the hall with their friends. Harry was dragged into an aggressive hug by Draco and almost had the air squeezed out of him, “Relax, Draco! It’s not like we didn’t talk until we fell asleep, anyway.”

Draco pulled back and looked Harry up and down, “Absolutely not! Oh, look at you! No, we have to give it up. You can’t be seen in red and black with all that platinum hair. You look like a corpse. Go ahead and turn your hair black like Baba’s.”

A snide voice joined their conversation, “You still call your father Baba? Salazar! You’re such a baby Malfoy. No wonder you didn’t make it into Slytherin. My father has said for years that the Malfoys were a disgrace.”

Draco rolled his eyes, “Piss off, Parkinson. Baba literally means father in multiple languages. Are you going to tell hundreds of millions of people around the world that they’re babies for using their word for father? Idiot.”

Pansy Parkinson stomped away from them with two hulking figures cracking their knuckles threateningly at the group as they trailed behind her. Harry pulled his brother down onto a bench at the Gryffindor table, “Eat before you don’t have time. And ignore Parkinson. She can’t say shit since her father spent half of her life in prison for war crimes. Same with Crabbe and Goyle.”

Tom sat down across from them and simply stared at an irritated third-year Gryffindor when she started complaining about so many Ravenclaws sitting at their table. When she scooted farther down the table, he said, “Crabbe and Goyle are too stupid to understand that insult. Save it for Parkinson. Hopefully, she’ll implode.”

Professor Flitwick stopped beside the table to hand out timetables to his students, “Good morning! I do love seeing so much inter-house cooperation so early in the year! It usually takes weeks for firsties to start making friends in other houses. Now, gentlemen, I do hope you’ll be good representatives of our house while you are with your friends.”

Devin was looking at the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw timetables to compare their classes. “Nice! We’re all together for our first class.”

Dean groaned and hoisted his bag on his shoulder when they all got up to find Transfiguration, “I brought all of my books since I didn’t know what we would have today. My bag might not make it.”

Hermione grunted as she tried to pick up her own bag, “I know what you mean.”

Harry frowned and took the girl’s bag from her, “Here. You take mine and I’ll carry yours. We can ask Professor McGonagall to add featherweight charms to yours and Dean’s when we get to class.”

Dean clapped him on the shoulder as they made it to the top of the third-floor stairs to wait for the next staircase to come around, “You’re a genius, mate. Thanks!”

As they rounded the corner and saw their professor walking into the classroom, Draco thumped himself on the forehead, “I have a catalog for Twilfit and Tattings in my trunk. I’ll bring it to the library after dinner so you two can get a look at it. They have bags with expansion charms and featherweight charms already in them.”

Harry spied their professor sitting on the desk with her tail wrapped around her when they walked into the classroom. He didn’t say anything to the students who didn’t know her secret. He shoved Draco over to the side of the classroom steadily filling with Ravenclaws and laughed, “Don’t lie. You just want to see the library! Hermione, sit next to me so I don’t have to sit beside my cousin.”

She blushed and sat down as Lavender made a snide remark about her massive hair blocking the way. The tabby cat on the desk jumped and became Professor McGonagall before it landed beside Lavender’s table, “That will be two points from Gryffindor, Miss Brown. I will not tolerate that type of behavior from any student, much less one of my own.”

Seamus whistled, “Blimey, Professor! That was wicked!”

Minerva rolled her eyes and walked back to her desk, “Thank you, Mr. Finnigan. Many of you will notice that I have a close relationship with some of your classmates in the coming days. I thought I would address the topic before it became an issue. Outside of class, Hydrus, Draco, Thomas, Devin, and Ronald consider me an aunt. Please be assured that I will never show favoritism for them, though. I am a fair and just professor. With that out of the way, shall we begin? Splendid. Who can give me examples of transfiguration other than the Animagus transformation I demonstrated a few moments ago?”

Hermione thrust her hand up and waved it about until the professor called on her, “I read the entire textbook, ma’am! You can transfigure almost anything into something else.”

Minerva chuckled, “Yes, you can. Can anyone tell me if transfiguration has to have a wand?”

Hermione’s hand went back up, but Minerva called on Padma Patil. “Can’t most spells be learned wandlessly?”

“It takes a great deal of focus and power for a person to learn to cast the most basic spells without a wand, but it can be done. What about natural transfiguration?” She leaned back against her desk and tapped her wand against her thigh as she looked for someone new to call on, “Miss Moon?”

Lily Moon, a girl so quiet Harry hadn’t even noticed her at first, cleared her throat, “My uncle is a natural animagus. He turned into a fox kit when he was six years old and being chased by a bully. Mum said it was a natural magical response to danger.”

Minerva smiled softly, “Very nice! I know your uncle well. He was one of my best students. What can anyone tell me about Metamorphmagi?” She sighed when only Hermione had her hand in the air. She called on the poor thing when she started wriggling in her seat. 

Hermione sat up straighter and tried to hide her blush when Lavender snickered behind her, “I only saw them mentioned in passing in our textbooks. Are they people who can change their appearances without a wand? They’re really rare.”

Minerva clapped a few times, “Well done, Miss Granger. There is one sentence in the first-year textbook about Metamorphmagi. The trait is extremely rare and is often passed down through family lines. We had one in attendance here who graduated a couple of years ago. How is your cousin, gentlemen?”

Tom rolled his eyes, “As clumsy as ever, ma’am. She somehow convinced Auror Moody to apprentice her for her Defense Mastery.”

Minerva chirped a laugh and covered her mouth with the tips of her fingers, “Merlin! Save us all. Either Alastor will whip her into shape or he’ll kill her. I’ll send him my regards.” She looked between Draco and Harry with a wink, “Which one of you would like to demonstrate the Metamorphmagus ability?”

Harry shook his head and laughed, “I’ll do it, Professor. Draco might hex me soon if I don’t.” He tousled his hair and shifted it from white-blond to inky-black to match his dad’s. He also blinked and changed his eyes from black to their natural vibrant green. “Figure I’ll pay homage to the house most Malfoys land in with my eye color.”

Hermione lifted her hand and touched his hair without thinking, “Holy cricket! Can it be learned?”

Minerva stood up and summoned a box of matches, “Only through Dark rituals, which is not something you will learn here. And I would recommend you all avoid Dark magic if you want to remain on the right side of the Ministry. Moving on, as this is your first time being able to use your wands without the trace causing trouble for you, I will not expect perfect results. I will show you how to perform this spell three times, and then you will attempt it yourselves.”

Chapter Text

That evening in the library, Draco sat down between Dean and Hermione with the Twilfit and Tattings catalog while Harry and Tom helped Neville with their Charms and Transfiguration homework. Draco flipped to the section with bags and pointed at one of the more affordable ones, “This is the base model. Two galleons for featherweight charms, expansion to hold up to fifteen large books, and an unbreakable strap and bottom.”

Hermione hummed as she scanned the page to look at other options, “With the exchange rate at five British pounds to one galleon, that would make the base model only ten pounds. That’s not bad at all. I’ll have to write to my parents and ask them to send me some pocket money. Oh! That one has a special pocket for quills and ink. I don’t know why the wizarding world hasn’t discovered biros. They’re so much more convenient.”

Dean laughed as he doodled on the margins of his Charms assignment, “What about the drama , Hermione? From what I’ve seen of this world, they live for the theatrics. They’re perpetuating the myths by wearing the robes and pointy hats and using feather quills.”

Draco laughed quietly, knowing Madam Pince would take their tongues if they made too much noise, “You’ve got us there.” Hypnos lifted his head from Draco’s collar drawing a surprised squeak from Hermione. He looked down at his familiar and rolled his eyes, “Speaking of theatrics. Don’t worry, Hypnos is harmless. Didn’t you see Hydrus’ last night? Thanatos isn’t known to stay hidden.”

Harry looked down at his collar and poked it until a white head lifted, “We’ve been bonded with them since we were babies. We kinda forget they’re there unless they’re talking.”

Hermione leaned forward with her elbows on the table and whispered, “You can talk to them? Is that normal in this world? It isn’t even heard of in the Muggle world.”

Tom snorted a laugh and pulled Faust out of his inner robe pocket. The pocket-sized dragon had become very good at disguising himself as a snake after a few years living with three basilisks. “It isn’t common here, either. Parseltongue, or the ability to speak to serpents, is only passed down through family lines. We just happen to come from that family.”

Neville leaned back in his chair and covered his face with his hands, “Can we please be done? This isn’t even due until next week and my b-b-brain is melting.”

Harry pulled a matchstick out of his pocket and sat it on the table, “Turn that into a needle and we’ll go straight to bed.”

The nervous boy eyed the match with hesitation, “I didn’t even manage to make mine pointy in class. I told you yesterday that I’m nearly a sq-sq-squib. I only got accepted because Dumbledore thinks I’m important but I’m nothing.”

Harry felt his heart stutter. Neville had said something last night about that. It should have been Harry instead of him. “Fuck what he says. You only need to be Neville. You are important to the people who matter to you. You don’t need to be special for anyone else. Especially not him.”

Hermione pushed the catalog over to Dean, who was now looking at wizarding shoes. “Why did Professor McGonagall cut off the discussion about Dark rituals? I understand from the Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook that Dark magic isn’t illegal, but you can still go to prison for practicing. Why?”

Tom closed his book and stuffed it in his backpack, “This isn’t a discussion to be had in the library. Draco, we should get to our common room. Professor Flitwick said there would be a meeting this evening.”

Draco hugged Harry and looked back at Hermione, “Hydrus can explain it all somewhere safe. We’ll talk about it more over the weekend when we can go outdoors for privacy.”

Harry helped Neville pack his bag since he was the only one still working on their essay. When they got back to the Gryffindor common room, he pulled them over to the corner where Ron was playing chess with Percy. “Hey, Ron. Need your help with some stuff.”

Ron shrugged when Percy complained about leaving the game unfinished, “Just leave it set up. We can finish it later. It’s not like the pieces will finish without us.” 

Harry cast Muffliato when they were all safely in the boys' dorm. Hermione opened her mouth to ask and he just laughed and shook his head, “You want to know everything. How did you end up here and not with Tom and Draco? I’ll teach you all the spell later. It’s dead handy. My dad created it when he was a student.”

Devin and Seamus dropped their game of gobstones and Devin flopped onto his belly on his bed, “Ohhh. What are we talking about that needs muffling charms? Anything interesting?”

Hermione sat down hesitantly on Harry’s trunk and looked around at the six boys, “I was wondering why Dark magic is punishable by prison.”

Seamus’ eyes were as round as dinner plates as he whistled, “I forget that Muggleborns don’t get told all this shite.”

Ron flopped down onto the rug beside Hermione and offered her a chocolate frog, “Well, yeah. Mum thinks it’s ridiculous that there isn’t a wizarding culture class. Especially after traveling so much with this group. We’ve seen some wildly different magical communities. Like, the United States! Their system makes so much more sense.”

Hermione huffed, “Yes, but why is Dark magic frowned upon here? And what makes something Dark or Light?”

Harry sighed and rubbed his hands over his face before saying, “Sacrifice.” He felt a little bad when Hermione meeped and the color drained from her face. “All magic requires a trade. Light magic draws its power from the ambient magic around us. Magic that just exists around us. When you cast a Light spell, you’re drawing magic from outside of your… self. Your emotions can affect the way a Light spell performs because your energy is interfering with the ambient magic. It’s magic in its purest form.”

Hermione nodded and scratched something into a notebook that had come from a hidden pocket in her robe, “I think I knew that much. It’s touched on in our History of Magic textbook.”

Harry nodded, “Oh yeah! We have History tomorrow. Bugger. We’ll have to start a study group for self-study.” He shook his head, “Sorry. Got off track. Dark magic requires sacrifice. Either personal or external. Many of the things we consider normal and every day could technically be considered Dark, but because they’re so useful, the Ministry turns a blind eye. Such as inheritance tests, magical adoptions, some healing spells and potions, and so on. Whenever blood is used, it’s Dark.”

“I don’t understand!” She looked down at her notes and back up at the boys, “Why is some Dark magic alright and the rest bad?”

Devin shrugged, “No one really knows. I blame mainstream media in the non-magical world. I’ve seen some of the old films where wizards are performing crazy rituals and sacrificing goats and shit. I mean, yeah. The gods dig it when you make sacrifices to them, but you don’t have to go killing goats and bathing in their blood to do it.”

The girl shuddered, “Okay. I think I understand enough. I’ll try to research more. But that’s only rituals. What about Dark spells?”

Harry sighed, “That’s a little harder to work around. Those spells still require sacrifice. Things like the Unforgivables weren’t all created with the intent for them to be used for Dark or malicious ends. But you have to really want the spell to work. You have to want a person to feel excruciating pain for the Cruciatus to work. You have to truly want someone dead if you cast the killing curse. And then there are spells that were created by people who only want to cause pain. Bone melting curses, intestine expelling, brain boiling…”

Hermione held up one hand and covered her mouth with the other, “Please, stop. It sounds more like someone needs to re-classify all of the existing spells, potions and rituals.”

Neville had been quiet through the whole conversation. He felt like he could ask his housemates for help, though. They could be trusted… he hoped. “Y-your family is D-d-d-dark. Right?” Harry and Devin nodded silently. “I need help. D-d-d-d… The headmaster thinks I’m supposed to be the Chosen One now that Harry Potter is- not here. There was some prophecy or something and it could have been either one of us because I was born the day before Potter and since he died, it has to be me. I don’t want to be a hero. I just want to make my wand work when I tell it to. Is there a ritual to make me better at magic?”

Ron leaned back on his hands and hummed, “There’s probably something in the Malfoy or Black library, but I wouldn’t recommend it. You just need to have more confidence in yourself, mate. You have it set in your mind that it isn’t going to work, so it doesn’t. Like Hydrus just said, your thoughts and emotions can change how your magic works. You’re bloody terrified of magic, so your spells are weak or just don’t work at all.”

Harry hit Ron over the head with a pillow, “You’re starting to sound like Tom and Draco. Smarty-pants. But Ron’s right. You need more confidence.”

Seamus yawned so hard his jaw cracked. “It’s late. Can we finish this deep dive into shite that’s too heavy for kids our age another time? Like when I’m not here?”

Hermione quickly gathered her things and made her way to her dorm on the other side of the tower. Lavender made a snide remark about her hair as she slipped on her pajamas. Parvati at least tried to look apologetic. Lily was fast asleep and didn’t hear the continued harassment. She fell asleep thinking that a Dark ritual might not be so bad if she could get her stupid hair to behave with one. 

******

Albus walked into the Great Hall on the second day of classes bright-eyed and ready to take on anything the world had to throw at him. He greeted Filius with a tip of his pointed hat, kissed Minerva on the cheek, pat Pomona on the head, and tried to shake Severus’ hand before getting to his seat. Severus yanked his hand away with the most adorably scandalized look on his dark and stormy face. He sat down in his seat and poured his morning tea with a happy smile on his face. 

Pomona laughed and called down the table, “What’s got you in such a good mood, Headmaster?”

Albus sipped his perfect tea and twinkled at the whole room as he replied to his Herbology professor, “It’s just a beautiful morning, Pomona! Look at the sun shining and listen to the birds. What a day to be alive!” He placed a croissant on his plate and went for another drink of tea before starting on his meal. In the middle of trying to swallow his perfectly hot tea, his eyes traveled around the Great Hall and landed on James fucking Potter sitting at the Gryffindor table. He choked on his tea. 

~~~ FLASHBACK ~~~

First August, 1991

Albus walked down Diagon Alley with the brightest smile he could muster. He was going to receive an astonishing windfall today. It was his right as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot to seize the Potter vaults now that the time for the last supposed Potter to claim his inheritance had passed. He would tell the goblins everything they wanted to hear about reallocating the wealth amongst the people and sharing the wealth of knowledge sure to be found in scrolls and tomes inside the vaults. And then, he would put it all into his own secret vault and live happily ever after. 

He practically skipped up the steps of the bank and into the queue for a teller. Griphook greeted him gruffly when he was finally called forward. “Greetings fair goblin! I would like to speak with the Potter account manager, please.”

The goblin flashed a terrifying grin with far too many razor-sharp teeth shining in the dim light they preferred, “We were wondering when you would pay us a visit, Chief Warlock.” You know… It sure sounded like the goblin spit his title at him. 

Albus clasped his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels while whistling a jaunty little tune as he waited to be taken to an office. He was surprised when Griphook hopped down from his counter to lead him away. He sat down behind a desk he was unfamiliar with and looked at a goblin he thought looked familiar but he couldn’t quite place. 

The unfamiliar goblin steepled long fingers adorned with glittering jewels under his chin and sucked his teeth, “Mr. Dumbledore. I am the current Potter account manager. What can I do for you?”

Albus smiled placidly at the unpleasant being, “I am aware of the unfortunate passing of Harry Potter, a fact that is not currently available to the public and I would appreciate remaining that way.”

The goblin hissed, “You dare to insinuate someone within the goblin ranks would let information leak? We are not human. We do not gossip. ”

Albus waved off the goblin’s ire, “Peace. I was merely stating a fact. As Chief Warlock, it is my duty to allocate those funds to the less fortunate. I will also be sure to pass any precious mementos to the friends and family still alive.”

The goblin sniffed and let his large hands drop onto the desk, “And what if there is another heir? One who may not come forward for many years? So unfortunate, Chief Warlock. The Potter inheritance was claimed in early June. Have a nice day.”

Albus felt like the world was dropping out from beneath him. He gripped the arms of his chair to steady himself and gasped, “Goblin, I apologize, I do not remember your name. Who claimed it?”

The goblin lifted a dark slash of an eyebrow haughtily, “You didn’t ask my name and I never offered it. However, for the sake of expediency, you may call me Gold Heart. The heir to the House of Potter claimed the title, sir. Now, if you’ll please…” He was cut off by the man in front of him letting out a scream of rage so impressive for a human that he would tell tales of the crazy man to his dying day. “Leave.”

~~~END FLASHBACK~~~

Albus gasped as Hagrid picked him up like a mother cat grabbing her errant kitten and thumped him on the back so hard he thought his spine might pop out of his mouth. He waved a hand and rasped, “I’m fine! Went down the wrong pipe! Goodness me. That’s what I get for drinking the morning libations too quickly. Everyone carry on about your day. I assure you, I am fine. ” 

He took his seat once more and Minerva leaned over to whisper in his ear, “I saw you choke when you saw something out there. Should I be worried about a Weasley prank so early in the year?”

Albus lowered his voice to match hers and cast a sneaky muffling charm, “Not if the Weasley twins are capable of recreating the appearance of a long-dead boy, Minerva. Who is that child at the Gryffindor table between the youngest male Weasley and the girl with too much hair?”

Minerva looked down at her lions and wondered who had his attention. Then it clicked. Hydrus had changed his appearance once more. She wondered if he did it on purpose, the little shit. She would definitely be putting some of her Scotch into her afternoon tea. “That is Hydrus Malfoy. It would appear he has taken on a new look for the day. The Malfoy twins share the Metamorphmagus trait with their cousin Nymphadora. Hydrus was kind enough to demonstrate in class yesterday and I suppose that gave him the confidence to play with his appearance.”

Albus tipped his head to the side and observed the boy with his friends for several seconds. His twin was sitting across from him looking exactly as he had when they arrived. But… now that he thought about it… they did often have different appearances when they visited Severus. He sighed and sat up straighter, “I don’t know how the boy managed to mimic the appearance of James so spectacularly. He even has the wild curls down. Do you think he saw a picture of him left somewhere in the tower?”

Minerva dabbed at her mouth with a napkin to cover the smile that almost slipped. “It’s possible.” At that moment, Draco’s hair shimmered and gained fine blue streaks to match his tie bringing a shriek of laughter and clapping from the students around them. “Oh, Gaia. There are two of them. Severus was right. I need to go to my office before my first class. Excuse me.”

Albus blinked in confusion as his deputy pushed her chair back so hard it clattered to the floor and she bolted away. 

Down at the Gryffindor table, Harry picked up his backpack and slung it over his shoulder, “Right! We need to get up to the sixth floor for History.”

Draco waved at his brother, “We have Herbology with Hufflepuff. See you at lunch!”

The Gryffindor crew made it up to the sixth floor in record time. Hermione looked at Harry in awe, “Wait! We turned one corner and went behind a painting and we’re here? How…”

Harry held a finger up to his lips and with a cheeky wink said, “Shhh. Let me have a secret or two.” His face fell when they walked into the classroom to find the Slytherins already gathered at the back of the classroom. He aimed for a desk on the other side of the room and tried to ignore the comments from Pansy and her peanut gallery. As he passed the Professor’s desk, he glanced over at the ghostly figure and stopped dead in his tracks. 

The ghost of Cuthbert Binns hadn’t acknowledged a student since his death in the 1880s. But now? Now he felt something. And that something was a sense of overwhelming dread. His eyes drifted from where they’d been unfocused and staring at a far wall to the face of a child standing in front of his desk. No. This was no child. This was Death. He sucked in a shaking breath that was completely unnecessary because he didn’t have lungs. He screamed. And screamed. And screamed. Then. He stopped. He burst into a million tiny fractals of light and scattered to the winds. He met Death and he was happy.

Harry gasped, “What the fuck,” when the spectacle was over. 

Pansy shrieked, “Malfoy killed a ghost! What are you, you freak!?”

Harry folded in on himself and fell to the ground rocking back and forth. His breaths were too fast. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t breathe. Why? Why was this happening to him? His heart was going to fucking explode. Was it not enough that he was Harry bloody Potter and Hydrus Malfoy? Now he had to go and murder an already dead man! His breath puffed out of him and formed a misty cloud in front of him. He looked up and found Death crouched down to his level. 

Death sighed, sat down on the floor next to Harry, and pulled him into his lap, “Come here, kid. I’m sorry. I didn’t know that would happen. None of the other ghosts you’ve met in this castle have behaved like that. It looks like old Cuthbert was finally ready to let go and you were the catalyst to it.”

Harry rubbed his face on Death’s cloak and sobbed, “It just sucks, you know? I’m alright. I wasn’t expecting… that. The headmaster is going to want to talk to me. Shit.”

Death wiped the tears from his boy’s face with a scary smile, “Don’t worry, little one. I’ll be there with you. And so will Thanatos. Chin up! You get to play a very fun and dangerous game.”

Harry plopped back onto the hard floor and the temperature went back to normal. The next thing he knew, his dad was sitting on the floor with him. He was pulled back into a warm embrace and held until the tears cleared from his eyes. He allowed himself to be lifted and carried out of the room. He didn’t care if anyone called him a baby for it later. A ghost had just blown the fuck up in front of him. He thought he deserved a little bit of a breakdown. 

He was sat in a chair in the headmaster’s office and a calming draught was poured into his mouth by his dad before he was finally able to get hold of himself. He rubbed his hands over his face slowly and then looked up at the headmaster for the first time. He knew the rules. He knew he wasn’t supposed to look the man in the eyes. Guess what he did? Yup. Looked the old bastard right in the eyes. The sudden barrage on his mental barriers was even more overwhelming than having a ghost scream its end when it looks at you. He hissed in shock giving Thanatos the reason he needed. 

The serpent rose up from Harry’s collar and lunged at the headmaster. His jaws snapped a millimeter from the man’s face. His eyes burned with the desire to lift the shield protecting the humans from his killing gaze. The being only he could see quietly chided him from the corner. No. Death was right. He couldn’t kill the man until they knew all of his secrets and spread them around the world. 

Albus blinked at the leucistic serpent with venom dripping from its fangs. Not only had the child had Occlumency shields strong enough to keep him out, he was also harboring a rather dangerous animal as a guardian. The Malfoys were up to something. “Mr. Malfoy, I would appreciate it if you sent your pet home. There is a very clear list of approved pets allowed in this school. I should think as the son of a professor that you would follow rules more closely. You might find yourself under a microscope.”

Harry smirked at the man to throw him off once more, “No one follows that rule… Sir. You could probably walk into any one of the common rooms and find a bevy of ‘unapproved’ creatures. Why, I’m fairly sure I saw a student with a Bowtruckle on their shoulder this morning. Shall I find them and tell them they have to send it home? What about poor Lavender Brown and her bunny rabbit? It’s such a sweet little thing, sir.”

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. His children were going to be the death of him. “While the snakes aren’t necessarily approved, Harry is correct. There is also the matter of the serpent being a bonded familiar and not just a mundane pet. They share a magical bond. Hydrus and Draco were blessed with the Black trait of Parseltongue.”

Albus pursed his lips and hummed, “Is that so? How unusual. There hasn’t been a recorded Parselmouth since Tom Riddle.” He hoped tossing out the secret identity of the Dark Lord would throw them off their guard. He was disappointed when neither flinched. “As such, I need to see proof of this magical bond before I can allow a dangerous viper to reside amongst the student populace. We must deal with another issue right now, though.” He looked back at the boy whose name was both Hydrus and Harry and wondered if he could truly be the dead saviour, “Can you tell me what occurred in the History of Magic class?”

Harry closed his eyes and took a slow deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, he looked Dumbledore in the eye once more, “I honestly have no clue. I was on my way to a table in the classroom with my friends. When I passed in front of the professor’s desk he just started screaming like crazy. It was awful. And then he just sort of… exploded. Like a firework made of light. I swear it wasn’t me! I’m just a kid!”

Albus held up his hands to calm the boy before offering him a bowl of lemon drops, “Relax, my boy! No one thinks you had anything to do with Cuthbert’s sudden departure! Oh no, these things happen from time to time. I merely wanted a firsthand record of the event. Miss Parkinson was rather vocal about you having murdered the spirit in cold blood.” He twitched his fingers, sending a small gust of wind to ruffle the boy’s fringe just enough for a clear view of his forehead. He was left disappointed when he was presented with an expanse of smooth skin. “As such, I think it would be wise for us all to forget this unfortunate event occurred. I already have a replacement professor in mind and need to pay her a visit. We can discuss your familiar at another time, Hydrus… Or do you prefer Harry?”

Harry shrugged, “Either work, sir. I understand that my nickname might be painful for some right now with Harry Potter being… not here. Harry is a common name, though. Even one of the crown princes is named Harry. Not like everyone here won’t encounter a hundred more Harries in their lives. Can I please go? I don’t want to be late to Charms.”

Albus waved the boy away with an amused smile, “Go fill your mind with all of the things, young Hydrus!”

Severus waited until they were down the spiral staircase to speak to his son, ~Why did Thanatos attack the headmaster?~

~He tried to get into my head. I fucked up and looked him in the eye when my guard was down. I’ll accept my punishment, Baba.~ 

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and paused their walk to pull his son into a hug, ~There will be no punishment unless you insist on using Black’s patented foul language. Let me and your other parents deal with the meddlesome old fool. I shall also deal with Miss Parkinson.~

Harry squeezed his dad around the middle extra hard before letting him go, “Leave her to me and Draco, please. She wants to think we’re not worthy because we didn’t land in the snake pit, fine. We’ll just have to gently let her know that she’s wrong.”

Severus shoved his son toward the classroom and groaned, “Don’t get caught.” He stuck his head into the room and waved at Filius, “I apologize for my son’s tardiness.”

Filius jumped on the pile of books he was perched on and squeaked, “Not at all, Severus! Have a seat anywhere, Hydrus. We were just discussing the properties of a spell that categorize it as a charm versus another branch of magic.”

Harry slid into the seat between Hermione and Neville and took out the notebook he designated for this class and a pen. Hermione leaned over and whispered out of the corner of her mouth, “Can we talk about what happened later?”

Harry nodded once and continued taking notes as the professor spoke. In his mind, his brother chimed in, “What the fuck happened in History, oh brother mine?”

“If I could tell you, I absolutely would. It was insane. I never ever want to experience anything like it again. But I have this sneaking suspicion I will. D’you think you’ll ever have to deal with someone exploding because you’re connected to Life?”

Harry sniffed to cover his laugh at the mental shudder he got from Draco, “Gods, I hope not. Hey! If you’re snooping on us, don’t let that happen to me! Oof. Baba just got to class and he looks stormy. Did you tell him Dumbledore tried to get in your head?”

Harry underlined something he wanted to investigate in the library later, impressed at his ability to carry on taking notes as he held this conversation, “Yeah. Thanks for backing me up and helping me keep him out. I found the weak spots in my barrier and plan to patch them up when I meditate before bed. Being a twin with a soul bond is bloody helpful. Focus on Potions. Flitwick wants us to try Lumos.”

Draco’s voice laughed in his head, “Don’t overpower it and light up the countryside by accident… again.”

“That was one time! You accidentally caused a country wide blackout when you cast Nox to turn out my light!” He tuned back into what was going on around them and cast the spell with minimal power behind it. His and Hermione’s were the only two wands to light, winning them each two points for Gryffindor. 

Down in the dungeons, Draco was listening to his dad’s patented speech that he gave to every first-year class ever. Tom was sitting beside him eyeing one of the Slytherins who was writing down every word as if it were sacred. Which, as he thought about it, it probably was. The safety tips alone were enough to keep them all from blowing themselves up in a horrible potions accident. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to find Millicent Bulstrode looking concerned. 

She looked hesitantly up at the scary professor before whispering, “I hope Hydrus is alright. What happened upstairs was so frightening!”

Draco nodded and smiled, “He’s ok.”

Albion rose up like a cobra dancing to a flute between their tables and looked between the pair. Millicent yelped and almost fell out of her chair. Severus’ speech stopped and he sighed, “Ladies and gentlemen, it would seem my familiar has made his presence known. Please welcome my teaching assistant, Albion. Throughout your years studying here, Albion will be wandering the classroom looking for any mistakes you may be making so that he can warn me of an impending disaster. He will never harm you, but he may knock ingredients out of your hand if they are incorrect, or any other number of small things to protect you from yourself. He will also remind you when you should be paying attention instead of chatting. Mr. Malfoy, Miss Bulstrode, is there something you would like to share?”

Millicent’s face paled, so Draco responded, “No sir. I’m sorry. Miss Bulstrode was only asking if Hydrus was alright after the last class.” 

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose as the other students began whispering, “Do I need to assuage your concerns over Professor Binns’ untimely decision to finally cross into the afterlife?” There was a resounding yes from all of them. “As I was informed by the headmaster during our meeting with Hydrus, this is just something that happens occasionally. Each spirit’s final death is different. Binns was obviously on the more dramatic end of that spectrum. My son’s proximity to the event was merely happenstance. He was shaken up but is now back with his fellow Gryffindors in Charms. Shall we carry on with the lesson?”

Pansy boldly raised her hand and called out before being acknowledged, “Why weren’t Hydrus and Draco sorted into Slytherin if they have three Slytherin parents? My father said that they aren’t really your children and that you probably adopted them to do away with the curse on the Malfoy family.”

Severus rolled his eyes, “Five points from Slytherin for speaking out of turn about matters you clearly know nothing about. I will not tolerate slander of any kind. Not in regards to myself and my family or anyone else. ” His tone was ice-cold and brooked no argument. “As for your father, I would advise you to take his word with a grain of salt. He has never been the most reliable source of information. He was also abysmal in Potions and I would hate to see his progeny go down the same path because she was too busy being curious about matters that do not concern her. Moving on.”

******

The first two months of school passed them by without any further incidents. Talk of Binns’ demise died out after the first week. It was now Samhain, and the first day their new History professor was finally starting. Albus had announced her arrival at breakfast that morning. Now, the first-year Gryffindor and Slytherin class were looking back and forth between a short woman with closely cropped brown hair and smiling rounded cheeks and Neville. 

The new teacher leaned back against the desk and crossed her ankles, “Mornin’! My name is Alice Longbottom, but for the sake of your fellow student who shares a last name with me, you can call me Professor Fortescue. That’s my maiden name,” she stage-whispered, bringing a round of giggles. “Now, I understand you haven’t had a single lesson in this subject because of… things,” she was impressed with herself for not looking at the Malfoy boy, “but I know from experience that you wouldn’t have learned a blasted thing with Binnsy as a teacher. Everyone in the school is starting with a clean slate in this class. No one has learned anything about the history of magic outside of goblin wars since before the turn of the century. Sooo… can anyone tell me where magic comes from? Where did it all start? Were humans always divided into magic and mundane?” Only one hand went up, “I’m sorry I don’t know your names, yet. It’s coming, I promise! Miss-”

Hermione dropped her hand, “Granger, madam.”

Alice’s eyebrows climbed her forehead and she said, “Oh? Are you related to the Dagworth-Grangers at all? Hector Dagworth-Granger was a world-renowned Potions Master.”

Hermione wriggled in her seat, “I don’t believe so, Professor Fortescue. I’m Muggle-born. Though… My dad’s name is Hector.”

Alice held up a finger, “Ah, ah, ah! We won’t be using the term Muggle in any form in this classroom. The term Muggle, while colloquially accepted, is rather derogatory in origin. The correct term for non-magical entities is mundane. You could look into an inheritance test at Gringotts, Miss Granger. Many a mundane-born person has later learned they hold familial ties to magical families. Please, continue.”

Hermione smiled brightly at their new teacher, “Hydrus and Draco said the same thing! I only saw one mention of the exact origin of magic in our textbook. Bathilda Bagshot doesn’t go beyond one paragraph describing an island made purely of magic where two kings and two queens ruled all magical beings until the island mysteriously vanished. I wondered if… Oh, never mind. It’s silly.”

Alice stood up, excited to find a first-year student who knew more than the average adult about this subject, “No, please go on! I love to hear everyone’s theories on that topic.”

Hermione looked around at her classmates, wondering which one would make fun of her first. “Er, I wondered if the island might have been Atlantis. An island of advanced beings with magical capabilities that also disappeared.”

Alice’s smile could have lit the room, “You are exactly correct! There are countless theories tying the island in Bagshot’s book to the lost city of Atlantis. But because they are both lost, we may never know. Oh, I like you all very much. Look at you taking notes!”

As the Gryffindors made their way to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, they were overcome by a horde of raucous ghosts on horseback laughing and swinging their heads over them. Nearly Headless Nick floated morosely behind the group muttering to himself, “Still not headless enough for the hunt. Bloody idiots. Who wants to ride with them anyway?”

Ron snorted a laugh and then nudged Neville with his shoulder, “Was your mum not Dumbledore’s first pick? Or was there something that kept her from starting sooner?”

Neville chuckled anxiously and stuttered, “M-m-my youngest sister just turned one yesterday. Mum was waiting for her birthday to pass. She f-f-feels guilty about being out of the h-house with three children not in school yet. Flora and Garreth are in primary school, so it isn’t as bad. Lillian was a surprise.”

Ron nodded as if he understood it all, “Mum always talked about getting a job once all seven of us were out of the house. Maybe she’ll be our Defense teacher next year. Everyone knows the job is cursed.”

They all looked up at their Defense professor quivering in his chair between Severus and Professor Sprout. He might know the subject, but he probably should have stayed on as the Muggle Studies professor. He just wasn’t cut out for the larger classes. The students walked all over him. Devin fell onto the bench at the Ravenclaw table in a fit of giggles, “You’re right about him being gone by the end of the year. I just hope he doesn’t kick it from stress. Look at this place. I mean, I understand the cultural and ritual significance of Jack-o-lanterns as far as ancient Samhain decorations might be concerned… But what’s with all the candy?”

Hermione brushed a pile of brightly wrapped sweets away from falling into the mashed potatoes with a grimace, “My parents are dentists. This is their least favorite holiday.”

Ron leaned forward with his fork halfway to his mouth, “What the hell’s a dentist?”

Hermione blinked at him for several seconds, “Do you not have them? How do you take care of your teeth? I’ve seen some students who could use a deep cleaning or orthodontia, but everyone else seems to be fine.”

Devin snickered and flicked a gold and red-wrapped sweet onto her plate, “We go to a Healer if something is wrong with our teeth. Other than that we brush them with tooth cleaning potions to take care of plaque and healing small cavities.”

Her lower jaw dropped and she just stared at her friend. “You have got to be kidding.” He shook his head, so she looked at the others for confirmation, “So, when I see Lily, Lavender, and Parvati brushing their teeth, they aren’t using toothpaste?”

Tom said, “Well,” drawing out the E for several seconds, “Technically what we use is in paste form, but it’s still categorized as a potion that you can either make at home or purchase from an apothecary. My dad can’t use most of the stuff sold in stores, so our house elves make ours. The nice part about making your own is picking how you want it to taste. I prefer minty like Dad Remus, but my sisters and brother like the orange flavor Dad Sirius prefers.”

She pursed her lips as she opened the sweet Devin had put on her plate, “All my life avoiding sugary confections because they’ll ruin my teeth and I could have just been healing my darned cavities with a potion.” She froze with the chocolate held at her lips, “No one tell my parents. I will find you and destroy you if you do.”

Hydrus dropped an entire handful beside her plate with a laugh, “Your secret is safe with us! Just don’t eat too many and make yourself sick.” 

Hermione only had a split second to enjoy her piece of candy, when the Great Hall doors burst open bringing a screaming student, “THERE’S A TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!” Pandemonium broke. Students started screaming and jumping up from their seats. Peeves dropped a bucket of stink pellets somewhere in the room. The flock of live bats fluttering near the ceiling began dive-bombing people. And in the midst of it all, Fred and George were standing on the Gryffindor table with their hands held high screaming that they were innocent of this particular ill-advised prank. 

Albus made the sound of a cannon blasting shoot from the end of his wand and yelled, “QUIET! Everyone will please remain in their seats. Prefects, please lead your students back to your houses.”

Pomona jumped up and shouted, “Mine and Severus’ students are in the dungeon! Absolutely not!”

Albus sighed and waved her off, “My apologies. Students remain here. We will ward the door against the troll while the other professors and myself are searching for the beast.”

Ron went back to eating his shepherd's pie as if nothing had happened, “Wonder who let a troll in? They’re supposed to be really stupid. It probably didn’t make its way in on its own.”

Pansy leaned over from the Slytherin table and taunted, “It’s probably one of your relatives, Weasel. At least, you eat like a troll. Over here eating with filthy mudbloods.”

Ron only shrugged and shoveled more pie into his mouth. Hydrus looked levelly at Hermione, “Remember what I said at the first of the year?”

A sly grin crossed her face as she looked up at Parkinson’s stupid face with its pug-nose, “At least my mundane parents didn’t spend half of my life in prison for war crimes.”

Conversations around them all stopped. No one could believe Hermione had had the nerve to say something that cold. Pansy lifted her wand and pointed it in Hermione’s face. Neville scowled and huffed, “No. Expelliarmus! ” and Pansy’s wand flew up in the air. And that’s when the professors returned. 

Albus’ voice was cold behind them, “Mr. Longbottom. I expected more from you. Especially since your mother is a professor here now.”

Neville almost started stuttering again, but then he remembered that he’d just performed a spell he had only ever seen when his dad was practicing dueling at home. He was brave! “Sir, I won’t apologize. Miss Parkinson was pointing her wand directly in the face of an unarmed student. I was only protecting Hermione. Are we safe from the troll that sent all of the professors out of the hall?”

Alice winked at her son from behind Dumbledore. She was certainly liking what Hogwarts was doing for her first baby! “I rounded him up near Moaning Myrtle’s toilet. Hogwarts is safe once more!” The students throughout the hall cheered their new History professor as she bowed. Instead of going back to the staff table with the other teachers, she sat down between Neville and Hydrus, “Budge up, boys. I’d like to sneak a meal with my son on my first day here. Do you mind?”

Neville beamed at his mum with pride, “No! You caught a troll?”

She scooped broccoli onto the plate that appeared when she sat down with a laugh, “I did!”

Pansy whipped around from the Slytherin table fully scandalized, “How does a History professor know how to handle a fully grown mountain troll?”

Alice waved her spoon at the girl, “I’m glad you asked. You see, before I was a really cool mum and history nerd, I was an Auror. Fought during the first war, too. I decided to be a stay-at-home mum after Neville’s sister came along and took that time to earn my mastery in history while I was at it.”

Theodore Nott inhaled, “Whoa. That’s wicked! My mum doesn’t have one mastery and you have two .”

Neville’s chest puffed out and he blushed furiously as he said, “She has three. She’s a Charms Master, too.”

Hydrus shook his head next to her and she thought he was going to say something disparaging. He looked like a tiny copy of Severus with short hair. He shocked her with what came out, “I hope I can work up to three masteries someday. Baba has three! Potions, Defense, and Mind Magic. I want the same ones.”

She sat silently for several minutes. Just wanting to soak up her baby’s appearance. This was the longest they’d been apart. She thought she was about to crack when Dumbledore showed up at the manor asking if she wanted a job. She’d learned from Severus earlier that day that they shared the same arrangement of going home to be with their families after classes. She had only stayed tonight because she wanted to see the feast again after so many years. She wouldn’t lie. She was disappointed when Neville was still stuttering and didn’t seem any more confident in his magic. But now? He was laughing and talking to his friends and only stuttered once or twice. He was animated and funny. He was the complete opposite of the child she’d sent here on the train. 

Her eyes drifted to her right where Hydrus was seated. He and his twin were something else. She watched their hair and eye colors change with their emotions. It wasn’t as constant as the Tonks girl. She got a kick outta watching her bounce around behind Alastor in the bullpen when she went to visit Frank at work. Her appearance was as ever-changing as the phases of the moon. The boys had so much control it almost scared her. But then, she was a little biased by her past experiences with their parents. She had to admit that they seemed like entirely different people the few times she’d encountered them in the past ten years. She just couldn’t get past the old feelings. 

And now she was putting her feelings for the parents onto the children. She was ashamed. She decided there and then to make an effort to get to know the children before passing any judgement. But so far? She was sure the two were part of her son’s newfound confidence.

Chapter Text

The weekend after the troll debacle was the first Quidditch game of the season. Harry and Draco were diehard Ballycastle Bats fans and spent the morning arguing with Ron over his love for the Chudley Cannons. Dean was excited to see the only sport magic had to offer. He played football at his old school and really missed having something physical to do other than climb stairs. The friends decided to gather in the Gryffindor stands for this game and planned to switch to the Ravenclaw stands for the next one. 

Harry waved up at Lee Jordan sitting in the teacher’s box with Auntie Minnie sitting beside him. Lee waved back and then picked up a microphone, “Gooood morning, Hogwarts! Are you ready for the first game of the season? Coming out onto the pitch first is Slytherin!” There was a wave of cheers and boos as seven figures raced out on their brooms in streaks of green and grey. “Captained by Marcus Flint, Slytherin’s team consists of Flint as Chaser, Adrian Pucey as Chaser, Jon Urquhart as chaser, Derek Boles as Beater, Vance Vaisey as Beater, Miles Bletchley as the keeper, and Terrence Higgs as the seeker!” 

Lee waited a few seconds for the Slytherins to cheer on their team before continuing, “Next up in red we have Gryffindor!” The students cheered and booed the next set of seven blurs to shoot out of the locker room. “Flying today as your captain and keeper is Oliver Wood! Your Gryffindor chasers are Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, and Alicia Spinnet! The devilishly handsome duo flying as Gryffindor’s beaters are Gred and Forge Weasley! And Kenneth Towler as Seeker.”

Harry looked anxiously at the boy hovering over everyone else on the pitch who looked as if he might vomit at any second. He leaned over to Ron and said, “I don’t like our odds. Towler looks like he’s afraid of falling off his broom. He isn’t going to beat anyone to the snitch.”

Boy, was he right. An hour into the game, Higgs had already spotted the snitch twice but still managed to lose it. Towler hadn’t even tried to follow the opposing seeker, instead remaining in the exact same spot holding on to the broom as if his life depended on it. Draco leaned over the railing and screamed at the idiot, “There are charms on the brooms to stop you falling off! Go get the bloody snitch!”

Ron shook his head and patted Draco’s shoulder consolingly, “I don’t think that’s helping him, mate. Besides, if he doesn’t catch it before the snakes make their next goal it won’t matter. They’ve already got a hundred and forty points.”

Harry ground his teeth and thought about shooting a harmless hex at the seeker to get him moving. Then… was that a glint of gold over the stands? He blinked and focused at the sparkle as it shot over to hover in front of him. Without thinking, his hand darted out and wrapped around the little golden ball with wings fluttering so fast he couldn’t see them. The spell that signalled when the ball was caught set off the alarm. The horn blared and all play on the field stopped as the players tried to see which seeker had the snitch. Harry looked down at the ball in his palm and muttered, “Shit,” under his breath as Lee spotted him from up above. 

“HARRY MALFOY CAUGHT THE SNITCH! Gryffindor wins? They win, right? Harry’s in Gryffindor, professor! It should count!” Lee was still shouting at her as she turned to confer with the other professors in the stands. 

Severus made his way from the staff box down to the student stands just below. He put a hand on Harry’s shoulder and leaned down to whisper in his ear, “Why?”

Harry shrugged his shoulders and waited for Professor McGonagall to tell Lee what was going on so he could announce it. There seemed to be a lot of arguing going on up there. At last, she turned around and took the microphone from Lee, “It counts! Gryffindor wins!”

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose in the teacher’s lounge after they finally managed to get the parties calmed down for the night. He dropped his hand and glared at Minerva, “You can’t be serious.”

She sent the bottle across the table to him and smirked, “Draco said he wouldn’t mind having to wait until next year to get on the Ravenclaw team. He wants to play Chaser, anyway. Albus agreed without hesitation, Severus. Why won’t you?”

Severus blinked at her, “Because you know why! No. You know what? I’m going home. I’ll let Narcissa talk sense into you tomorrow.” He kissed the woman he thought of as an aunt or older sister on the cheek as he passed her, “Send Aria a letter. She misses you.”

Minerva blushed prettily and turned away to hide it, “She’s far too young for me, Severus. I shouldn’t continue this dalliance.”

He leaned on the doorframe on his way out and looked at her steadily, “I wouldn’t be opposed to brewing the same… rejuvenation potion I made for her several years ago. You should think about it.”

He darted out of the room and pretended he wasn’t running from her when he got down the hall. There were still red sparks falling from the brick wall where her spells hit when he started down the stairs to his office. As he stepped into the receiving room at the manor he was immediately bombarded by his daughters. He didn’t know how it was possible for Aiyla to talk fast enough to sound like two people, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out. 

Narcissa welcomed him with open arms from her position on the sofa. He ducked under the book in her left hand to kiss her, “What are we reading this evening?”

She closed the book over her thumb to display the cover for him, “I thought I should brush up on Light traditions. We’ve received an invitation to the Longbottom Yule Ball. Any ideas why we would be invited to such an affluent Light gathering?”

Cyra tapped her mother’s knee to get her attention and signed, “Can we go? I want to dance in pretty dresses.”

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily, “Ladies, can I have a moment with your mother and father? We have things we need to discuss that have nothing to do with dancing.”

The girls dropped their heads and dragged their feet out of the room. Lucius walked past them and lifted his eyebrows at the sad looks on their little faces, “What has them so morose? How was the game today? You’re home awfully late.”

Severus thumped his head against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes, “Our son has joined the Gryffindor Quidditch team as their seeker after a stunning display during today’s Gryffindor versus Slytherin game.”

Narcissa stood to find something stronger than tea for their exhausted spouse, “Oh? How did he achieve such a feat?”

He lifted his head to swallow half of the burning liquid in the crystal glass she handed to him, “He caught the fucking snitch. In the stands, no less! He just reached out and snagged it ending the entire game. The old fool folded immediately when Minerva insisted on having him join the team. Draco is being quite the gentleman and has agreed to wait until next year to make the Ravenclaw team. I believe he is just excited that one of them gets to be the youngest player in a century.”

Lucius settled on the couch beside Severus and ran a hand up his thin but muscular thigh, “They have always supported each other’s endeavors. Do the game and its surprise ending have anything to do with the invitation?”

Severus drained his glass and held it out for a refill. “That one is a mystery we will have to unravel together. Although… Alice Longbottom has been teaching History for the past week. Perhaps it’s her doing.”

Narcissa flicked her wand at the double doors to lock them before straddling Severus’ lap, “Let’s not worry about that now, hmm? We have nearly two months to prepare. I can think of much more interesting things to do with our time. Can’t you?”

He smirked and ran his hands up the back of her thighs to grip her pert bottom, “I think I might have an idea of what you have in mind.” He looked to his right where Lucius was busy unbuttoning his shirt, “Looks like our husband is on the same page.”

She snaked her fingers into his hair and tugged it gently to angle his mouth for a deep kiss. When she pulled away, Albion was slithering over the back of the sofa toward the locked doors. “Aww, your familiar doesn’t want to stay and watch.”

The basilisk shrank himself enough to slip under the door and found the twins trying to peep through the cracks. He rolled his golden eyes and wrapped around their middles to carry them away, ~Leave the adults to their activities, ladies.~

Cyra huffed and crossed her arms as the serpent made himself big enough to carry them upstairs. Aiyla tried pushing the coiled body off of her waist and hissed, ~We just want to know if we get to go to the party! We want to hear more about Harry playing Quidditch, too!~

~You can ask them yourselves, you know. Your troublesome brothers figured out how to get to Hogwarts long before they could speak.~

Cyra slapped the back of the serpent and narrowed her eyes at him grumpily. Aiyla nodded her head and wiggled more to make him let her go, “We can’t escape through the floo if you don’t let. Us. Go!”

Albion hissed laughter as he dumped the pair in front of the fireplace in the library. Aiyla dusted off non-existent lint from her dress before climbing onto her sister’s back to reach the floo powder. She called for their dad’s office and swirled away in green flames while Albion slithered off to watch out for nosey grownups. He didn’t know why he insisted on remaining with Severus when the children were so much more entertaining. 

Aiyla peeked out the door of their dad’s office and saw that no one was coming. She grabbed her sister’s hand and tugged her out into the corridor confidently. “Come on. We know where the common room entrances are. We should be able to convince one of them to let us in. Right?”

Cyra nodded and answered in her mind, “We can at least answer the riddle for Ravenclaw. It’s too bad neither ended up in Hufflepuff. I know how to get into that common room.”

They walked toward the stairs that would lead them to the main staircase, keeping their eyes peeled for anyone who might turn them in. Aiyla hummed in consideration when they reached the seventh floor, “Do you think we’ll have better luck with Gryffindor or Ravenclaw?” She shrugged and followed her sister when she pulled her toward the Gryffindor end of the corridor. 

They stopped in front of the portrait of the fat lady (who was astoundingly inebriated). She looked down at the mirrored set of twins and sloshed wine from her wooden cup, “‘Evenin’ ladiesh. Whot’sh the pashwerd?”

Cyra cocked her head to the side and looked at the painted woman with rosy cheeks for several long seconds. At last, she signed, “Gryffindor wins!” 

Tosca dropped her cup of red wine, splashing it all over her pristine white dress, and cheered, “Gryffinthor winsh! Have a loverly night, ladiesh.” The portrait popped open allowing the two to slip into the noisy common room. 

They wound through the partygoers toward the fireplace Harry told them was his favorite place to hang out with his friends. They received a few strange looks from older students who recognized them from visits with their dad in previous years. But most of them shrugged it off and carried on the celebration. When they found their brother and cousin sitting on the round rug by the fireplace they were greeted with cheers. 

Ron slung an arm around Cyra’s shoulders and pulled her close to him with a shout, “I win! I bet that they would be here before the winter holiday, and I was right!”

Hermione blinked owlishly at the pair before she stuttered, “Y-you’re not students here! How did you get in?”

Cyra covered her mouth with both hands and giggled. When she dropped her hands, she signed, “That’s a secret!” 

Devin started to tell Hermione what Cyra said when she held up a hand to stop him. Instead of responding verbally alone, she spoke and used BSL, “You look a lot like your brothers when they mirror each other. They’re just as tricky, so I shouldn’t be surprised.” She laughed softly at the stunned looks from her new friends, “I have a cousin who’s deaf. I learned sign language before I learned to speak. It drove my mum and dad crazy! I wanted to sign instead of talking all the way into my first year of primary school. You never mentioned your sister was hard of hearing, Hydrus.”

Cyra scrunched up her face and shook her head. “I can hear. I just can’t make my voice work. Healers have all been stumped.”

Dean surprised them all when he responded to her statement, “I only understand BSL, I can’t use it myself. We had a boy in our class in third and fourth form who was mute. His aid used sign language with him.”

Cyra grinned brightly at the boy and moved to sit beside him. She lifted his hands up and then signed to him, “I’ll teach you.”

Devin leaned back on his hands and crossed his ankles, “Makes sense that we should start teaching some people sign language. That way there are at least a few people who can communicate with you when you start in a couple years.”

Neville blushed when Aiyla’s black eyes landed on him when he cleared his throat, “Th-there’s a spell that can t-translate your thoughts and make them float above your head in words. My great-uncle Algie had to use it for a while after a work accident in the Department of Mysteries left him without a tongue for six months. I can ask my mum about it on Monday.”

Aiyla narrowed her eyes at the nervous boy, “Is there something wrong with my sister using sign language? Does it offend you?”

Neville held his hands up in surrender, “N-n-no! I think being able to talk without making a sound is b-brilliant. I can only speak English, French, and a bit of Norwegian. B-b-but my mum and dad each speak more than ten languages. S-s-s- BSL isn’t one of them, though. Do you have any books I could learn from?”

Aiyla inhaled slowly through her nose and drawled, “Maybe.” 

Neville sagged with relief when the frightening girl was distracted by her cousin. He scooted closer to Harry and whispered, “Your sister is terrifying!”

Harry snorted a laugh as Fred and George set off another firework from the top of the stairs. “Yeah. She takes after Baba. I’m sure between Hermione, Draco, Tom, and me we can teach you sign language before they start. If you want.”

Neville flinched when the nine-year-old’s eyes shifted toward them again, “I’ll do anything to keep her from looking at me like that again. Godric! Mum said she was sending an invitation to our Yule Ball to your mum. Y-your sister and my Gran have that death glare in common and they might meet. ”

Cyra flopped down in front of Harry and Neville with a grin, “Hi! You get to fly any time you want now. I’m jealous.”

Harry laughed and handed his little sister a Butterbeer. “Yeah! You’ll have to send me my Nimbus from home. How long are you two planning to stay tonight?”

She shrugged, causing her blonde curls to bounce on her shoulders, “Until one of our parents comes looking for us. You and Draco can’t have all the fun, you know.”

******

Albus shuffled through the stack of letters he’d received that morning with the post. A request for clemency from a prisoner in Azkaban, invitation to the Longbottom Yule fete, request for transfer from Ilvermorny for a student named Matilda Wormwood, invitation to the Ministry winter gala, letter from Nicolas, invitation to a bris, request for a retrial, letter from the Chinese Ministry of Magic, invitation to the Malfoy New Year’s gala, another request for clemency, another request for a transfer student… 

He dropped the last letter, picked up the invitation bearing the Malfoy seal, and tore it open. His eyes scanned the intricate design around the edge of the thick cardstock for any indication of a rune circle or other spellwork and found it free of anything. The Malfoys hadn’t held a social event since their first children were born. Sure, they had attended many a function, but they had all but vanished from the social scene as hosts . He couldn’t imagine why they would be rejoining society now, of all times. While the male twins were already tucked away in his school, they still had two children at home. Was the reason they’d left society the boys all along? And why would they ever think it was appropriate to invite the leader of the Light into their home? 

For over a century before their disappearance from society, the Malfoy family had made it very clear what side they were on. They held all of the best events throughout the year and only invited families from the Dark and Grey sides of things. Light magicians who were invited usually leaned toward the greyer side unless they were high up in the political world. Then they were safely up for grabs for the Dark families to schmooze with. He rather hated politics. He so sorely wished to go back to simpler times when everything was run by one ruler. If he kept to his plans and didn’t get distracted, he intended to be that ruler. 

He put the invitation back into its envelope and tapped the stack of letters to send them to his office. He let his gaze travel over the Great Hall to see how the students were fairing after a night of celebrating and paused over the Ravenclaw table. He’d become quite accustomed to finding students from all houses mingling more since the arrival of this year’s batch of firsties. What he was not accustomed to was finding children who were two years too young to be in attendance sitting at the tables having breakfast as if nothing were amiss. 

He tapped the back of Minerva’s hand and leaned closer to her, “Minerva? Do my eyes deceive me, or are there two young ladies at the Ravenclaw table who do not belong?”

Minnie startled and looked at where the headmaster was indicating and groaned. “You are not mistaken, Albus. It would appear Cyra and Aiyla have decided to have a meal with their brothers and cousins. I’ll get them home.” She pushed her chair back and was stopped by the headmaster’s hand. 

His blue eyes twinkled at her merrily, “Oh, let them enjoy the morning, Minnie. What harm could it do? I’m certain Severus will come blustering in to ruin their fun as soon as he and his partners discover they are missing. I find it rather humorous that three individuals who were as buttoned up as Severus, Lucius, and Narcissa have created four precocious little humans.”

She pulled her chair closer to the table once more and continued watching her children. “I’m being punished for something I must have done in a previous life. There is no other explanation as to why the children are so much better at being sneaky than their parents were.”

Down at the Ravenclaw table, Draco was waving a sausage on his fork as he talked animatedly about the game the girls had missed the day before. Pansy leaned over from the Slytherin table and looked the twin girls up and down disdainfully, “What are a couple of babies doing here? We’re not supposed to have visitors without chaperones, you know.”

Cyra smiled brightly at the sour-faced girl and signed, “Our dad works here and our brothers are students. It’s not like we’re mundane.”

Pansy pulled a face and looked back and forth between the sunny girl and her slightly frightening sister and then to Hydrus and Draco, “She doesn’t even talk? Gods! I can’t wait to tell my parents how far the Malfoy family has fallen.”

Cyra squinted at the nasty girl and twirled her fingers causing the short black bob on her head to turn hot pink with neon green stripes. There was a beat of silence before the students around them all burst into laughter and refused to tell Pansy what was so funny. Aiyla carefully sliced through a melon while drawling, “Just because she can’t verbalize doesn’t mean she can’t communicate. Consider learning something before spouting off incorrect information.” She promptly turned away from Pansy, ignoring every snide comment the girl threw their way. “Thomas, will you take me on a tour of the Ravenclaw dorm? I’d like a chance to meet the Grey Lady.”

Severus stalked into the Great Hall with a literal stormcloud hanging over his head. As he stomped toward the table draped in blue and bronze conversations began to halt around the room. His four children looked up at him innocently from the table when his shadow landed on them. “Which one of you little cretins is responsible for this ?” he pointed up at the cloud flinging little bolts of lightning from the sides. 

George waved from the Gryffindor table, “Sorry, Professor! That wasn’t supposed to hit you until Monday morning!”

Fred twitched his wand to cancel the spell and ducked his head back down to avoid the fire burning in their Potions professor’s eyes. 

Severus bent at the waist to hover between the girls’ heads and whispered, “We will discuss your escape from the manor at home with your other two parents. Suffice to say, you are both to be confined to your rooms without access to the floo for a very long time.”

Cyra dropped her fork indignantly and started signing furiously. Severus simply picked her up and tucked her under one arm before grabbing Aiyla and doing the same. The pair whined the entire way back to the fireplace in his office and all the way to their bedrooms in Malfoy Manor. The pair sat with their arms crossed in Aiyla’s bedroom refusing to even make eye contact with their parents as they were scolded for making a late-night escape. 

After the adults were done yelling at the girls, Cyra frowned into the fireplace in the bedroom and thought, “Hydrus and Draco went to visit Baba all the time when they were little. We’re big! We won’t get hurt. What’s the big deal?”

Aiyla huffed in irritation as Albion slipped under the door, “It’s so annoying! We can do magic better than some of the first-years!” She looked down at the basilisk curling up on her cat’s belly for a warm nap and poked him, “Thanks for not telling them we left last night.”

The serpent lifted his head and hissed, ~No problem. It’s fun playing tricks on the grown humans. Salazar used to enjoy pranking.~ 

The ability to speak Parseltongue had disappeared as she had grown older. Cyra scrunched up her face and focused on forcing air between her useless vocal cords to hiss, ~We should play the biggest prank on them. Aiyla, get parchment and a quill. I have an idea.~

Albion’s golden eyes sparkled as he left his furry perch to coil around the silent child, ~You have improved. I’m so proud. I will write your letter.~ He wrapped the tip of his tail around the quill in Aiyla’s hand and swirled Severus’ signature at the bottom of the parchment, ~I have beautiful penmanship.~

******

Lucius sat at his desk in the DMLE reading through a report on the round-up of a few young magicians who didn’t attend Hogwarts causing a kerfuffle in Manchester. The teens were all from families who preferred homeschooling to boarding school. They decided it would be a fantastic idea to try to Confound their way into an establishment that required identification to get in and had promptly been caught by the non-magical authorities. 

A tap on his door startled him and he looked up to find Griselda Marchbanks standing in the open doorway. “Good afternoon, Lucius. I wonder if I could have a minute of your time?”

He motioned for her to have a seat with a tired smile, “Come in, Madam Marchbanks. What can I do for the Department of Magical Education?”

She waved a sheaf of parchment with a smile, “I received your daughters’ tests and thought you might like to know how they scored.”

He tiredly scrubbed his hands over his face, “I apologize, Madam. What tests are you speaking of?”

She frowned before passing him the tests and the letters she’d been receiving, “Severus wrote to me a little over a week ago requesting the examinations for early entry to Hogwarts. His letter indicated that all three parents were in agreement to test your daughters.”

His eyes scanned the first letter in the stack and he groaned-

To the Head of the Department of Magical Examinations,

This is in regard to my daughters Aiyla and Cyra Malfoy. Lucius, Narcissa, and I would be so appreciative if you could send us 2 copies of the early entry examinations. The girls are too smart for their own good and need to be at Hogwarts, where they can learn to control their magic more effectively than we can teach them at home. 

Sincerely, 

Severus Prince

Madam Marchbanks,

Thank you for your prompt response to my first letter. I have enclosed the girls’ completed exams for you to score. I assure you, they were monitored closely during testing to ensure no cheating was done. 

SP

He looked over the tests with their bright red scores emblazoned on the first pages. “By the gods. They passed.”

Griselda nodded slowly and hummed, “Mhmmm. You’ll have to tell them that I can spot a letter written by a child from a mile away, but I was impressed by their moxy… and their forgery of Severus’ signature.”

Lucius looked back at the signatures and laughed, “They are rather close impressions, eh? Merlin. What are we going to do with them?”

The older woman leaned forward and patted his hand comfortingly, “May I make a suggestion?” The exhausted man nodded his agreement, so she continued, “Let them start next September. I’ll push the parchmentwork through quietly so it doesn’t raise any suspicion with Albus. I’ve been wanting to get one over on the old bastard for more than a decade. Ever since he refused to let me teach history.”

Lucius smirked at the woman, “I’ll broach the subject with Narcissa and Severus. Have you heard that Alice Longbottom is teaching history now?”

Griselda shook her head and scowled, “No. Where did Binns go?”

Lucius leaned back in his chair and crossed his ankle over his knee, “I’ll tell you what I heard from one of my sons. He was in the class when it happened. You should come to our New Year's Eve ball and meet all four children. I have a feeling you’ll like them.”

She eyed the man skeptically for a few moments. This was a man who had been one of the Dark Lord’s strongest supporters during the last war. But he’d been an entirely different person after that final night. “I’ll consider making an appearance. Thank you for the invitation.”

That evening, Lucius walked into the suite he shared with his spouses and heard the bathtub running. He walked into the room steadily filling with fragrant steam to find Narcissa and Severus already in the tub with violet bubbles floating around in the water and air. He began stripping his own clothes as he greeted the pair, “You’ll never guess who I had a meeting with today.”

Severus opened one eye to look at his husband, “Seamus Finnigan blew up another cauldron today and I can’t figure out how . I will not be playing any more guessing games today.”

He stepped into the water that was always slightly too hot for his preferences and sank down beside Narcissa on the bench. A quick kiss on each of their lips helped some of his own tension flow away into the bubbles. “Gwynnid Finnigan is a child of Belenus, the Celtic god of fire. I would inquire as to which rituals she performed during pregnancy that may have resulted in her son’s pyrotechnic abilities. I had an unscheduled meeting with Madam Marchbanks this afternoon.”

Narcissa opened her eyes and focused on her first husband’s beautiful face, “Oh?”

Lucius sank down until the bubbles tickled his chin and his hair was floating out around his shoulders. “Mhmmm. It would seem our darling daughters sent a letter requesting early entrance examinations for Hogwarts.” He dipped his head below the steaming surface and waited. 

Severus fisted his hand in Lucius’ silky hair and yanked him back up, “And what did Madam Marchbanks do about this request?”

Lucius spluttered laughter as water ran down his face. “She sent them the examinations and they passed. She wants us to allow them to go.”

Water splashed as Narcissa sat forward abruptly, “ What!? ”

Severus put a hand on her back and nudged her back into position between them, “I don’t disagree with her assessment. They’re bored in the mundane primary school. One of them cast a successful Crinus Muto on Parkinson without her noticing.”

She leaned against Lucius' chest and put her feet in Severus’ lap. “Whose wand were they using? Or was it Cyra casting wandlessly and non-verbally again? Oh, I suppose we can entertain the idea.”

Lucius kneaded her shoulders and kissed the top of her head as he replied, “I invited her to the New Year's Eve function. We’ll see what she makes of our little monsters when she meets them.”

She laughed, “She might decide to abandon education after meeting our children.”

Severus massaged a tense foot and ran his hands up a smooth calf, “They do have a delightful habit of doing things with magic that goes against everything we think we already know.”

Chapter Text

Harry dropped onto the bench beside Hermione on the train with a smile, “Are you excited to see your parents for the holidays?”

She shrugged and closed the book she’d been pretending to read, “I don’t know. Maybe? It’s hard because we don’t really have anything in common anymore. I have magic and they don’t. They’ll never understand our world, Hydrus. How are children born from non-magic families supposed to adapt?”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, “You come stay with us at Malfoy Manor if it gets too hard. We have a library.”

She sniffled and laughed wetly, “Thank you. I asked them if we could go to Gringotts for an inheritance test. We’ll see how that goes. They still want me to go to Christmas Eve service at church, though. Even after I told them that we don’t celebrate Christmas in the magical world!”

Tom was reading a book across from them and answered without even looking up, “Jesus was a magician—Yeshua of Nazareth. Turned water into wine, healed the sick, walked on water. Christians are weird.”

Hermione threw her hands up in the air and shouted, “See!? He gets it!”

Harry rolled his eyes at his cousin for doing the opposite of helping calm her down. “Christmas Eve is a few days after Yule. Bring your parents over to participate in the Yule ritual. Maybe seeing how the gods respond will help them understand. Or maybe they’ll freak out and run and we’ll have to kidnap you and hide you.”

She tried to wrestle her hair away from her face but only found it wrapping around her wrists and tangling around her fingers. She huffed and gave up after a few moments. “I’ll see what they think. They’re so set in their ways. It probably doesn’t help that my mum’s brother is a Lutheran minister. They have him constantly preaching about the sins of those who don’t fit into the church’s narrow view, and then me coming along and being the very thing they say is sinful.”

Tom thumped his own book closed and leaned forward with his arms braced on his knees, “Doesn’t the church recognize miracles, though? Every ‘miracle’ ever performed was most likely a magician providing assistance.”

Hermione shrugged and let her head fall back on the bench, “I don’t know. Like you said, Yeshua was magic. Was the whole ‘Son of God’ thing just a misunderstanding? Or was he really the child of a god and a mortal woman? Was it all made up?”

Draco patted her knee in an attempt at comfort. “It’ll be alright, Hermione. We’ll come with you to your church on Christmas Eve.”

Tom looked askance at his cousin, “We will?”

The brakes of the train screamed their arrival at that moment. Harry wiped the tears from Hermione’s cheeks with the sleeve of his jumper before pulling her bag down from the shelf with his. “Come on. Introduce us to your parents.”

The group of friends clambered off the train into the roiling sea of families being reunited for the holidays. Harry waved his mum over to them as Hermione made her way to a pair of obvious mundane people standing near the exit to King’s Cross. When they reached them, Hermione folded her hands demurely in front of her before introducing her friends. “Mum, Dad, these are my friends Draco, Hydrus, Thomas, Devin, Ronald, and Neville.”

Her father reached his hand out confidently despite the look of hesitation in his eyes and grasped Harry’s hand first. “Hector Granger, it’s a pleasure to meet the friends our Hermione has written to us about.” He shook each of the children’s hands and then looked up at Narcissa standing behind them, “I didn’t catch your name, ma’am. Hector, and my wife Helen.”

Narcissa shook their hands with a warm smile, “It’s so lovely to meet you. I’m Narcissa Malfoy. Harry and Draco are my sons, and the others are my nephews.”

A gruff voice cracked over the group causing them all to jump and look around at the owner, “Neville! Get away from all those Dark wizards!” A tall woman wearing a pointed hat with a taxidermy vulture perched on it slammed a cane onto the bricks making them roll her grandson closer to her. She eyed the now terrified Muggles and sucked her teeth, “You’d be wise to stay clear of the Malfoys. Such a shame your daughter got in with this crowd. It’s time to go, Neville.”

The typically anxious boy squared his shoulders and stood as tall as he could as he faced the woman, “No. I’m sorry, Gran. I won’t accept you talking about my friends like that. They’re all really great and you might know that if you’d actually read the letters I sent home. Where’s Dad?”

She narrowed her eyes at the boy threateningly, “Your father is at work. Don’t speak to your elders in such an insolent tone, boy.”

Neville shook his head and stepped back when she made a grab for his wrist, “No.” He looked cautiously up at Narcissa, “I’m sorry, Lady Malfoy. Would it be too much trouble to ask if I can come home with you? I’ll send a letter to my dad at the Ministry from there to let him know where I am. Mum should be home from Hogwarts soon. I’ll floo home when sh-she’s back.”

Narcissa felt her heart break for the frightened child, “Of course, you can! I apologize, Mr. and Mrs. Granger. I should really be getting this horde home. Neville, dear, you can use our floo to call your father. I have a direct line to the Auror department.”

Helen Granger sniffed and nodded curtly with her hand gripping Hermione’s shoulder tightly. She was about to turn them toward the exit when Harry jumped forward to wrap his arms around her neck. She watched cautiously as the boy squeezed her daughter. When he pulled back, he said, “Send us the information about where the Christmas Eve service will be. I’ll have Mum send you a portkey to come to ours for the Yule celebration so you can bring your mum and dad.”

Hermione looked up at her mother and back to Harry, “Yeah. I’ll send you the letter as soon as I get home.”

Harry nodded, “I’ll send Hedwig to collect it.”

Augusta waited patiently until the Muggles were through the portal to the non-magic side of the train station before causing a scene. “Neville Francis Longbottom, your parents left me in charge of collecting you. Get over here this instant.”

He shook his head and took a step back. Narcissa held up a hand and stepped between the two when Augusta took a threatening step forward, “Now, now. Neville has made it clear he is not willing to leave with you.” She looked back at the children and tilted her head toward the wall of fireplaces, “Return to the Manor, please. I’ll wait here with Neville until his mother or father is available to retrieve him.” 

Augusta cracked her cane on the bricks again and growled when the bricks refused to roll. “Like hell you will! Neville!”

Narcissa stood firmly with the now quaking child behind her. “How about this? I’m going to send two Patronus messages requesting one of them come right away.” 

Neville peeked around his friends’ mum when his grandmother started laughing. “I’d love to see a Dark witch cast a Patronus! It’s a spell of pure Light, Malfoy. No one with a Dark stain on their soul can cast it.”

Narcissa sighed tiredly, “I see. Expecto Patronum! ” Two identical swans made of bluish–white light burst from the tip of her wand. One of them hissed silently at the scowling woman before Narcissa. Narcissa, for her part, simply smiled placidly at the fuming woman, “One of you find Lady Longbottom and the other find Lord Longbottom to give them this message: Neville is safe with me, Narcissa Malfoy, at King’s Cross Station. He is unwilling to leave with Dowager Longbottom, so I will remain with him until someone else is available to retrieve him.” The two swans flapped their wings and vanished. Narcissa felt very brave as she turned her back on Augusta to address the child she was protecting. “Shall we walk over to the cafe and get something warm to drink while we wait?”

Neville had to try really hard not to look at his Gran again. He ignored her continued flood of acidic commentary as he allowed himself to be led to the cafe. He stood beside the beautiful woman and felt his palms go sweaty. He’d never really been alone with an adult outside of his family. This was turning out to be the weirdest day of his life. 

Narcissa remained silent as they waited in the short queue. She was grateful that none of the other people still on the platform seemed to be paying any attention to Augusta’s rude behavior. The poor clerk at the window of the little cafe looked terrified when they made it to the front of the queue. “Pay no attention to the buzzing wasp behind me, please. I’ll have a hot chocolate with marshmallows,” she looked down at the still-shaking boy, “What would you like, dear?”

Neville jumped, “Oh! Erm… I-I’ll h-h-have the same, p-p-p-p-thank you.”

Narcissa dropped a handful of sickles and knuts into the confused clerk’s hand and collected the paper cups floating above the counter. Still pretending Augusta wasn’t there, she guided Neville to a small wire table and sat down in an uncomfortable chair. “Hydrus and Draco have told us so much about you, Neville. I’m pleased to finally make your acquaintance.”

He sipped the hot liquid topped with foamy melting marshmallows and hummed appreciatively. “This is wonderful. Thank you so much. Hy-hy-Harry is my best f-friend! I was sure I was going to be terrible at P-p-potions but Hydrus helped me. He t-t-took me to Professor McGonagall’s office after class on our first day because I was afraid to go alone. She made a terrarium for Trevor, my toad, and even cast a charm on him to put him back in it if he escapes.”

Augusta scoffed from her position standing behind the boy’s chair, “You shouldn’t even have a pet if you can’t take care of it on your own. I warned your father that allowing you to take that filthy vermin with you was a bad idea.”

Neville sniffled and wiped his face with the back of his hand but managed to continue looking straight ahead at Narcissa. “When I picked him out at the pet shop, the man who worked there told me that magical toads stay with their person. I just thought Trevor hated me. Turns out he only wanted somewhere warm and wet to live.”

Narcissa smiled brightly at the boy whose stuttering lessened the more he talked, “That’s wonderful! Draco says you’re particularly good at Herbology. Have you found any magical specimens to add to Trevor’s home?”

He fished out the last of his marshmallows with a plastic spoon and flashed a sticky grin, “Not yet! Dad promised to let me look through the greenhouse at home over the holiday. I swear I remember seeing bioluminescent water lilies.” He flinched when he heard the handle of his grandmother’s bag creak behind him but carried on. “P-please remind Draco and Hydrus to let me know if they attend the Christmas thing at Hermione’s church. I m-might try to go, too.”

Augusta whacked the boy over the head with her handbag, “Over my dead body! No child of mine will be stepping foot into a Christian establishment! They burn our kind!”

Narcissa’s eyebrows jumped up in surprise when a cold voice joined their conversation. She whipped around to find Alice Longbottom walking toward them with a small girl perched on her hip. “It’s a good thing he isn’t your child, then, isn’t it?” Alice’s brown eyes warmed when she looked from her mother-in-law to the woman sitting across from her son, “Lady Malfoy-Prince! Thank you so much for staying with my baby. Frankie was called in for an emergency. I thought I would be able to get Lillian from the Ministry daycare before the train arrived. I wasn’t aware that Augusta would be coming for him.” 

Narcissa pulled out a third chair as she watched the woman kiss her son’s cheek and smooth his hair. “Would you like a hot chocolate? It was no trouble at all. I sent my pack of heathens home through the floo. My sister Aria drew the long stick and got to stay at home for this pickup, so she was there waiting for her son.”

Alice waved a hand in a shooing motion at Augusta and hoisted Lillian higher on her hip, “I’d love a hot chocolate, but I need to get back to the house before the other two return from their primary school.” Augusta made a scathing remark about sending her grandchildren to Muggle school that Alice merely rolled her eyes at. “Before I run, though, I wanted to personally thank you for the invitation to your New Year’s ball. Frankie and I would be delighted to attend.”

Narcissa stood and shook Neville’s hand before offering her hand to Alice, “We look forward to having you! Please, bring the children. There will be children of all ages there for them to interact with. I believe my house elves have even planned something special for them. We’ve been looking forward to your Yule gala for weeks!”

Alice tried to cover her burst of laughter with a cough when Augusta nearly lost her mind over that last statement, “Can’t wait! Come on, Nev. We need to beat Flora and Garreth home.”

Narcissa waited until the trio had apparated away to look one last time at the former Lady Longbottom. “This was a lovely little interlude. Try not to choke on your tongue, Augusta. Your untimely death might put a damper on holiday celebrations.” She popped away with the woman’s screeches still ringing in her ears.

******

Hermione paced nervously in front of the fireplace in the modest home she lived in with her parents. Her mother rolled her eyes and sighed, “Hermione, darling. Please stop fretting. What could this inheritance test possibly say that has you so concerned?”

She stopped and turned to her mother and father hesitantly, “Daddy’s name is Hector Granger. There’s this famous Potions Master from the past whose name was Hector Dagworth -Granger. It was Draco… or Hydrus, who first made the connection and suggested we go for the test. But they tell all the mundane-born students to do that. Then, Professor Fortescue asked outright if we were related to him. What if we’re magical after all?”

Hector turned the pocket watch that once belonged to his father and his father before him like he often did when he was nervous, “It would be a shock, that’s for certain. I thought we were called Muggles.”

Hermione shuddered before allowing herself to be pulled in for a hug, “It depends on the context. Some in the magical world think that Muggle refers to a person who is stupid or addle-brained, or possibly connected to the word muggle used to mean marijuana at one point in history thereby meaning that a non-magical person is no better than a person in an altered state of consciousness from drug use. I borrowed a magical culture book from Tom that says it’s more appropriate to use mundane when referring to a non-magical person.” The clock on the mantle chimed and she jumped, “Oh! We need to leave so we aren’t late for our appointment. I’ve heard that the goblins aren’t very forgiving.”

Helen looked at their fireplace skeptically, “And you’re certain we can use our fireplace?”

Hermione took a pinch of the sparkling powder the Ministry employee had given them when he came to connect their home to the Floo Network and tossed it into the cold grate causing bright green flames to burst to life. “It’ll work. Come on, if we all crowd in tightly we can make it together.” She stepped into the slightly tickly flames and tugged her parents into place with her before calling out their destination. 

She still isn’t sure how they managed to remain upright when they came shooting out of the fireplace in the pristine receiving room of the bank. She wished for the millionth time that she could do magic outside of school when she saw the state of their clothes. After they brushed each other off and made their way into the main part of the bank, Hermione remembered that she was anxious. 

They were all surprised when they were stopped before making it to one of the many queues by a goblin wearing a blood-red vest with a golden axe at his hip. He bowed deeply to the three and said, “Greetings, Grangers. My name is Gold Heart, please follow me to my office.”

Hermione gulped. Ron loved telling the story of his eldest brother informing their Potions professor that the Prince family account manager was actually the king of the goblin nation. She didn’t think it would be best to tell her parents that little tidbit until after their meeting. They walked for what felt like forever until they were led into a spacious office with a massive black-stone desk in the center. 

Gold Heart motioned for the family to take seats across from him, “Welcome. Would you care for tea?”

Hermione cleared her throat, “Er, no thank you.” She bowed her head, “May your vaults fill with treasure.”

The goblin’s mouth curved up at the corners to reveal his sharp teeth, “And may your enemies fall at your feet, young warrior. You’re making very powerful friends, Miss Granger. Lord Prince personally requested that I oversee your inheritance test today. Shall we begin?”

Hector inhaled slowly, feeling so far out of his element, “Sir Gold Heart, is it appropriate for me to wish you a filled vault?” He relaxed infinitesimally when the goblin nodded in the affirmative, “Very good. I wish that your vault is always filled to bursting.”

Gold Heart bared his teeth at the man, “And may your enemies die painful deaths by your hand.”

Hector gulped, “Right, right. What do we need to do?”

Gold Heart removed a piece of parchment and slid it in front of the family along with a ceremonial blade, “You need to prick your finger with the blade and drip three drops of blood onto the top of the parchment. Once you have all finished I will activate the parchment and the potion it is soaked in will create your family tree. If either of the adults has magical a core, whether active or dormant, your name will appear in red. You’ll see that your daughter’s is red because we already know that she is a magician. Black names denote a person who is deceased. If they had magic in life, there will be a red asterisk beside their name. If you are mundane, your name will appear brown.”

Hermione exhaled a breath she wasn’t aware she was holding and picked up the knife. She was relieved when it didn’t hurt at all and the hole sealed as soon as her three drops were on the parchment. Her mother took the knife next, followed by her father. They watched anxiously as the goblin tapped the page with one long finger. Hermione’s vision went blurry for a few seconds when all three of their names turned Gryffindor red. 

Helen huffed a laugh, “Would you look at that? Does the magical world need a couple of dentists?”

Gold Heart clapped a hand over his belly and bellowed with laughter, “I hate to tell you that dentists are unnecessary around here, Lady Dagworth-Granger! How would you like a look at your family ring Lord Dagworth-Granger, huh?” He turned his laughing eyes on the girl sitting with her jaw hanging open, “You’ll get an heir ring like some of your friends have.”

Hector leaned closer to the parchment to look at the names still being scribbled in their blood, “There are very few brown names, here. How were we both missed for Hogwarts? Goodness, Helen! Look at all these names!”

Helen nodded sadly, “So many black names. Are all of our family members deceased?”

Hermione felt like she had swallowed a desert and her voice came out in a dry wheeze, “Were the Dagworth-Grangers a Dark family?”

Gold Heart looked down at where she was pointing and his eyes grew wider, “Ohhh. That’s interesting. I wonder what old Augusta would say if she knew her brother had an illegitimate child. She looks to lose a lot of her wealth with this little piece of information.”

Hermione blinked tears out of her eyes, “R-r-rosier? Augusta Longbottom was a Rosier before she married?”

Gold Heart steepled his fingers under his chin and regarded the child, “How is it that you know about the Rosiers being a Dark family?”

She shook herself and looked up at her parents, “I checked out all of the books I could find on magical culture. Most of them referenced the Sacred Twenty-eight and where the family's loyalties were. Why is Neville's grandmother so against the Dark when she came from it?”

Gold Heart clapped his hands when four ring boxes appeared on his desk, “That’s something you’ll need to take up with her. Sir, you should try on the Lordship ring.”

Hector picked up the box closest to him and turned it over in his hands, “Nothing in this crazy world makes sense to me. What will happen when I put this on?”

Gold Heart shrugged, “Either the ring accepts your magical claim to the family inheritance, or it doesn’t. If it rejects you, we’ll try it on Miss Dagworth-Granger.”

Hector held his hand over the lid afraid to open the tiny box, “Rejects me? In what way?”

Gold Heart tipped his head to the side in consideration, “The Dagworth-Granger line has been dormant for some time. I don’t think anyone has come in to claim it during my time as King.”

Helen squeaked, “King!?”

The goblin’s face flushed and he laughed, “You caught me! I am King Ragnok Gold Heart of the Goblin Nation. Lady Rosier, you are free to try on your own ring at any time.”

The husband and wife stared at each other in silence for several seconds before Helen finally gave in. “One of us has to go first.” She popped the lid on her box and looked down at a silver ring with a deep green gem in the center of it. Her fingers trembled as she removed it and slipped it over the ring finger on her right hand. The jewelry shimmered for a blink before it began to shrink to fit her finger. The band shifted and swirled until roses were engraved in it and wrapped around the green stone. 

Hector, encouraged by Helen’s success, opened his box to find a gold band holding a very similar green stone to his wife’s. He slid it over the same finger his wife had chosen and waited for the ring to reject him. What were the odds that they would both be magical? It was a tight fit. The ring barely made it over the second knuckle. And then it seemed to fit perfectly. The gold that started out tarnished and dull suddenly glimmered in the dim light from the chandelier above them. The green gem that was originally round wiggled and became a highly faceted square. 

Hermione giggled nervously as a person with purple and silver hair twiddled their fingers in a cutesy wave at her from the corner before winking and disappearing. Gold Heart looked over his shoulder at where the girl was looking before looking back at her, “Go ahead and put your rings on, Heir Dagworth-Granger Rosier. We have much to discuss.”

******

Neville stood beside his parents in the receiving line for their Yule ball shaking hands with the guests as they arrived. His Gran was scowling beside him because she’d been shunted to the end of the line. She’d been extra cranky since the day at the train station and even tried to burn one of the portraits in her bedroom. She was still refusing to tell anyone why she’d suddenly decided that the portrait of her brother needed to be destroyed. 

He perked up when he saw the crowd of white-blonde hair moving toward them. And then he saw Hermione’s cloud of hair standing between her parents. He shook her hand when she got to him and grinned, “Hi! Mum said she invited you and your parents, but she wasn't sure you’d come.”

Hermione hugged him, “I have so much to tell you. We’ll talk later.” She was shuffled along down the line so they didn’t hold anyone up. 

Augusta lifted her chin and looked down her nose at the small girl with the bushy hair before she offered her hand, “Welcome to our home. Blessed Yule.”

Hermione took the woman’s floppy hand for a brief second and nodded her head, “Thank you for your hospitality.” When she tried to let go and walk away so her parents could take their turn, she realized that the old woman was holding her fingers too tightly. 

Augusta glared down at the smooth light brown hand held in her wrinkled one. “Where did you get that ring?”

Hermione tried to yank her hand away and whimpered, “I got it at Gringotts yesterday. You’re hurting me. Please let go.”

Narcissa put a hand on Hermione’s shoulder and stepped up behind her. Her voice was like ice as she said, “Unhand the child, Dowager Longbottom. It’s time that our group moves on so others can enter the ball.”

Augusta refused to let go and pulled Hermione closer, “Where did you get the ring you lying little beast!?”

A blast of white light startled her enough to let go of Hermione. She held her hand to her chest and ducked behind her mother who was holding her new wand in her hand. She’d only mastered Lumos that morning, but she was putting it to good use already. “She has the ring because she is my heir. I would appreciate it if you didn’t touch my daughter again, madam.”

Augusta scoffed, “Ha! You’re Muggles! How would you come across the Rosier family rings? It rejected me when my brother died!”

Sirius joined the conversation with his wand ready in case things got messy, “Is there a problem, Gussie?”

Her scowl deepened as her hand gripped her cane tighter, “These people have stolen the Rosier family rings! Arrest them.”

Sirius looked down at Helen and Hermione with an amused smile, “These two? Nah. Helen here was the undocumented child of your darling brother and a mundane woman. The ring rejected you because the rightful heir was still alive and kicking. Helen here is a whopping six days older than Evan. Even if he hadn’t died in the last war, he wouldn’t have got the ring. There’s already an investigation running at the Ministry to figure out how so many magicians have been overlooked for attendance at Hogwarts.”

Frank came down the line with a concerned expression, “What’s holding up the line? Godric, Mother. What have you done now?”

Augusta stomped her foot, “They’re trying to say that these Muggles and their mudblood child are the rightful Lords of House Rosier! It’s all lies and slander!”

Alice cast a silencing charm on her mother-in-law. “Shut up! You’re ruining our gala!” She waved over a house elf, “Pippin, please escort Augusta to her suite and lock her in. Listen to me, you old hag. This is your last night in this manor. I’ve had about enough of your nonsense. Use the time you should be celebrating with your family and friends to pack your belongings.”

Augusta screamed and broke the silencing charm as she was dragged away by the elf, “Where am I supposed to go? These filthy Muggles have stolen everything! I have nothing left. You cannot abandon me! I was the Lady of House Longbottom!”

Frank crossed his arms over his chest and sighed, “You were, yes. And now the title belongs to Alice.” Once his mother was out of the ballroom he turned to the anxious partygoers, “I’m so sorry you all had to see that. Please, have a drink and forget it ever happened! We’re here to celebrate Yule! The descent into darkness has reached its end. The Winter Solstice is here.”

The guests all raised their glasses and cheered as the band picked up a lively tune. The receiving line had fallen apart and guests were now milling about and dancing. Albus stood near the bar with a fizzing glass of champagne gripped in his fist with dread steadily filling him. He was so sure he’d got rid of the entire bloodline! His eyes twinkled with hatred as they followed the mudblood and her secretly magical parents. He needed to make a trip to the stones to ensure his magic-draining spells were still in effect. 

******

Severus looked at the Armani suit Narcissa had chosen for him in the mirror with disdain. “Why must I attend this charade?”

Narcissa swept into the room in a green dress with a sparkling silver ribbon tied around her trim waist, and kissed his cheek, “You look good enough to eat, love. What message would we be sending to the children if we sent them to church with their friends and we stayed home? We’ve immersed ourselves in cultures from around the world, Severus. The only practices we’ve never addressed are the Christian ones. Who knows? Maybe we’ll have fun.”

Lucius put his hands on her hips from behind and nibbled at her ear before moving on to Severus, “Nearly everyone we encounter tonight would likely sign off on our death if they knew what we are. Of course, we’ll have fun.”

Severus groaned and dropped his head back onto Lucius’ shoulder, “I was subjected to attending prayers in a Muslim temple throughout my childhood. I suppose I will survive a foray into Christianity. Let’s get this over with.”

They found their four children lined up next to the front doors when they made it downstairs. Harry and Draco were back to being identical twins for the evening, while Cyra and Aiyla were mirrored as always. The boys were wearing suits that matched their fathers’ with green bow ties to match their mother and sister’s dresses. 

Draco tugged on the collar of his black dress shirt and frowned, “Why do you two get long silver ties and we have to wear these? They’re stupid-looking.”

Tom skipped into the room with Devin and Aria behind him and grinned at his cousins, “Nuh-uh! Bow ties are cool. I want to wear them all the time. Do you think I can get Ravenclaw bow ties?”

Narcissa laughed brightly, “I’ll have the elves make them for you if we can’t find them in a store. Where are your fathers and siblings?”

Tom rolled his eyes and sighed, “They’re apparating there from home. Rhea was throwing a fit over having to wear a dress. I told Dadfoot to let her wear one of my suits, but he was determined to get her in the dress. I bet Moony a sickle that they’ll show up and she’ll be in trousers and a suit jacket.”

Aiyla laughed and tucked her hand into her favorite cousin’s, “Rigel will be in her dress.”

The family walked out past the gate to the apparition point and broke up into small groups. In a few pops, they were all standing in front of an ornate church with warm yellow light spilling out of the open doorway and colorful light dancing on the snow beneath stained-glass windows. Sirius and Remus were waiting under a tree and hustled their other three children toward the group. 

Suddenly, Hermione leaped down the steps to wrap her arms around Harry’s neck first and then Draco’s, “I’m so happy you all could come! Neville flooed to my house and came with us. He’s inside with my parents holding a pew for us.”

Lucius tried to keep his lip from curling as he followed the children up the steps. A man wearing an unattractive sack-like robe shook his hand and greeted them, “Welcome! So many new faces tonight. Oh, Hermione! I thought I saw you come in with your mum and dad already.”

She beamed up at the man and chirped, “I invited all of my friends and they brought their parents. They’ve never been to church before, Uncle Adam.”

The man in the robe clapped his hands excitedly, “We love sharing the word of our Lord and Saviour! Tonight we celebrate his birth. Come in and make yourselves at home.”

Tom narrowed his eyes and hung back to be the last of their family to enter the church. He looked up at the man and quipped, “Jesus was born during the census. It’s more historically accurate to assume his birth occurred in the middle of summer. Why does the church insist on appropriating practices and sabbats from other cultures for their own gain?”

The priest blinked down at the boy nonplussed, “I can see why you’re friends with Hermione. She asked the same question when she was five.” He shuffled the boy into the church and allowed the door to close behind him. 

Hermione fidgeted nervously in her seat between Harry and Neville as Father Adam started the service. Her nerves slowly started to settle as she showed them how to find the first song they would be singing in the hymnal. She was surprised to learn that everyone was familiar with reading music and able to follow along with the songs. She thought she might explode when she watched them all bow their heads to pray. 

The service went off without a hitch… until the end. Candles were passed down the aisles in wicker baskets, with little paper rings around the wax to prevent painful drips. Hermione looked around anxiously as she felt the tingles of magic start building around them. The choir was beginning the first notes of Silent Night as the magic began to swell. 

Severus blinked down at the flame of his candle as it suddenly stopped dancing. The music from the organ continued as the voices from the congregation stopped abruptly. His eyes flew to the pulpit where a being was now standing where there hadn’t been anyone moments before. Purple and silver hair curled around the being’s shoulders and spilled down to their waist with pointed ears poking out through the waves. 

Magic clapped and jumped over the altar to walk down the center aisle, “It’s so much fun when the mundane perform rituals without realizing it. They light their tiny fires and send their voices out to the gods in remembrance of a magician who lived two thousand years ago. All because they believe that he was sent here to wipe away their sins. Do you know what happens to the magic collected by the hundreds of thousands of parishioners celebrating the birth of Christ? It all goes back to Earth. It feeds the magical creatures and plants and fuels the wellsprings of magic.”

Tom leaned forward on the bench with his breaths coming out in short bursts from his excitement, “I can feel it. But something is wrong. It’s…”

Magic’s gold eyes landed on the boy as a smirk curled at their lips, “You’re right about that. I could wait for someone in your little group to come across the problem on your own, but I’m feeling impatient. It itches . Find the magic trap that’s siphoning my gift and dismantle it.”

Narcissa sighed as the organ music changed to a new tune, “Who is stealing magic, and how do we stop them?”

Severus crossed his arms over his chest, “Furthermore, why us? Why are the Aspects dependent on human involvement to solve their problems?”

The being shrugged and reached out a hand to pet Hector like a puppy, “We can make suggestions to influence humans but someone along the line gave you little piss ants free will, so we can’t stop you from making stupid decisions. The magic thief did a damn good job of covering their tracks so we can’t name them or tell you outright where to find their trap. I’ve been trying for a decade to get one of you to notice the problem. Hmmm,” they tipped their face up toward the ornate ceiling and scented the air, “I think I can divert the flow of magic from this particular ritual.”

The party all sucked in ragged breaths and were forced to close their eyes as what was originally just a slight tingling of magic along their skin became a veritable flood. Hector and Helen glowed as they were washed in pure magic straight from the source. When they were able to open their eyes once more, the music resumed, the people were singing, and Magic was gone.

Chapter Text

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville walked down the path toward Hagrid’s hut instead of heading directly to the castle when they returned from the holidays. Draco and Tom were determined to go to the library in search of more information on secular religions and their practices to start making a list of possible unknown rituals, and the Gryffindor contingent was more than happy to let them go. 

Their trip across the lawn was cut short when a snide voice accosted them, “I’m surprised they let you come back, you filthy mudblood. I thought for sure you would have been expelled for being Muggle trash by now.”

Hermione ignored the girl and put her hand out to stop Harry from saying anything, “She’s an idiot. Let it go.”

Pansy stepped in front of them and shoved Hermione’s shoulders, “I’m not the idiot here, Granger. These dummies who come from pureblood families are the stupid ones for hanging about with the likes of you instead of their own kind. It’s like they’re fraternizing with a barn animal!”

Hermione squared her shoulders and took a step toward the other girl, “My parents are magical, for your information. We only recently learned of their heritage.” She held out her hand to display her two heir rings proudly.

Pansy’s brown eyes went cold, “Take that off right now. If anyone but Augusta Longbottom is entitled to the Rosier family inheritance, it’s me! Not a mudblood!”

Hermione jerked her hand away when the Slytherin tried to grab it, “No! It’s mine. My mother is Helen Rosier! Her father was Edvard Rosier.”

Pansy shrieked, “Lies!” as she lunged for Hermione. She caught the usurper’s arm and pulled her closer. She just managed to hook her perfectly manicured fingernails under the stolen ring when something stopped her. Vines laden with inch-long thorns had shot up from the ground and wrapped around her arms. She tried in vain to free herself and only managed to dig the thorns deeper into her sleeve. She sucked air in through her teeth as the sharp bite of the thorns reached her flesh through the thick fabric of her robes. “Stop it, Granger!”

Hermione backpedaled into Harry and stuttered as his arms came around her to keep her from falling, “It’s n-n-not me!”

The vines sprouted velvety red roses as they continued wrapping around Pansy. She was lifted above the ground about ten feet in the air and promptly flung across the lawn into the Black Lake. A voice the children were familiar with as the one belonging to Magic boomed through the air, “NO ONE SHALL STEAL THAT WHICH DOES NOT BELONG TO THEM! THE HOUSE OF ROSIER HAS RETURNED. THE HOUSE OF PARKINSON IS BOUND BY MAGIC AS SERVANTS OF HOUSE ROSIER. IF SUCH AN OFFENSE IS REPEATED BY A VASSAL, THE OFFENDER SHALL BE STRIPPED OF HER MAGIC AND CAST INTO THE PITS OF TARTARUS TO SUFFER FOREVERMORE!”

Students and staff rushed out onto Hogwarts grounds as the voice dissipated to soft echoes that rolled over the Scottish hills. Madam Pomfrey made it to the edge of the lake as the giant squid flung a Pansy still entwined in rose vines onto the bank at her feet. “I suppose you’ve learned your lesson. As a daughter of one of the Sacred Twenty-eight you should have known better, dear. Let’s get you warm and dry, and clean up those cuts.”

Pansy stood up looking more like a drowned rat than her typical immaculate self with her robes torn and dripping. She shoved Madam Pomfrey’s hand away and stomped up the lawn toward the entrance with steam rising from the top of her head as people tried to hide their laughter. 

Hermione turned with wide eyes to the group of friends behind her, “I have vassals?”

Ron wrapped an arm around her shoulder and turned her back toward Hagrid’s hut, “Come on. I think you need some tea and rock cakes.”

******

Pansy stormed into the Slytherin common room still dripping from her trip into the lake. She’d waved off Madam Pomfrey (again) in the Entrance Hall. The only thing she cared about was writing a scathing letter to her father and telling her crow to peck his fingers when she delivered the thing. Her hair slapped her cheeks when she whipped her head around to find the source of laughter. She found Zabini openly laughing at her in the corner with Crabbe and Goyle flanking him. “Something funny, Zabini?”

The pretty boy flashed his ridiculously charming smile at her, “Nah. It’s more sad than funny, if I’m being honest. Need some help with a drying charm?”

She flipped her fingers up at him in a very rude gesture and sniped, “Piss off.”

He frowned and looked up at the boys positioned behind him, “That’s not very nice, is it?”

Goyle shook his head and tsked at Pansy, “Blaise was only tryin’ to be nice, Pants.”

She crossed her arms and stomped her foot in irritation, “I told you not to call me that, Gregory! Why are you two hanging around with him anyway? I thought you were my friends.”

Crabbe shrugged his shoulders and tucked his hands into his pockets while looking down at the back of the sofa, “Blaise ain’t mean to us like you are, Pans.” He cringed when she sucked in a scandalized breath. “I know we’ve been friends since we were in nappies and that our dads and mums have been friends since they were kids. But you can’t blame us for finding new friends. You’re a bitch and you treat us like we’re beneath you.”

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, “You’ve never said any of that to me before. How was I to know you felt like that? I didn’t even realize your vocabulary was so expansive.”

Goyle looked at her incredulously before giving in and moving around the sofa to sit down. “You have to be kidding. You never gave us a chance to tell you any of this. You never talk to us, you just tell us what to do.” He flicked his wand at her and muttered the drying charm he’d been working on perfecting. “Why are you all wet?”

She huffed and looked down at her ruined clothes as tears began filling her eyes. She swiped at them angrily, hating that her reaction to being so mad was to start crying. Being a girl was so stupid. “I was thrown in the lake by a bunch of magical rose vines that attacked me when I tried to take the Rosier heir ring off of Granger’s finger.”

Crabbe sat down on Blaise’s other side and tilted his head in perplexion. “Why does Granger have the Rosier heir ring?”

She rolled her eyes and fell into an armchair, “Because she’s Heir Rosier, dummy.” She held her hands up placatingly when Blaise started to complain, “Sorry. Force of habit. I’ll try to be less of a bitch. I heard my father talking to Daphne’s father after the New Year’s ball at Malfoy Manor yesterday.” She flung an arm over her eyes to hide the tears that wouldn’t stop and took a few deep breaths before continuing. “Lord Greengrass was telling the most preposterous story about a couple of fucking Muggles showing off lordship rings for Dagworth-Granger and Rosier. Father said he thought it was probably a trick by Dumbledore’s ilk to make it look like his mudblood student pet was a pureblood.”

Blaise tapped his lips and whistled, “Wow. So, you took that and decided you’d try to take one of the rings to prove she was a liar and then found yourself in the lake?”

She sat forward, no longer caring if they witnessed her tears, and slapped her knees. “That’s not even the worst part! The whole event was witnessed by the gods or Magic or something , and an otherworldly voice announced for the world to hear that House Parkinson are vassals to House Rosier.” Her voice dropped and came out on a sob, “I’m Granger’s fucking servant.”

Theo flopped onto the love seat (uninvited) and added his two knuts (also uninvited), “Your family also stands to lose its lands, and thereby your home, if the Rosiers decide to reclaim it for any reason.”

Crabbe kicked out and thumped Theo’s couch when Pansy’s silent cries got less silent, “Not helping, tosser.”

Theo ignored the other boy and carried on, “Should consider trying to be nice for once in your life. Might I suggest a gift?”

Pansy stared blankly at the boy for several seconds with a look of incredulity plainly on her face. “And what do you suggest I buy for someone I’ve been an arse to for the past four months?”

Theo shrugged and inspected his nails as if the conversation were boring him, “That’s up to you. Too bad you weren’t at the New Year ball. You could have seen her dress and made a guess about her favorite color. Why weren’t you and your parents there? Most of the other Dark families were in attendance.”

“Father refuses to be seen at a function held by the Malfoys. He says they’re traitors to You-Know-Who and shouldn’t be trusted. Especially after disappearing from society for so long.” She crossed her legs and tugged a green pillow into her lap for comfort before continuing. “Mother said it was foolish not to attend. She thinks everyone will turn on us for remaining so steadfastly in the Dark.” She sat forward suddenly tossing the pillow aside, “I have to go write a letter.”

Blaise watched her practically run away with a curious look. “Do you think she’ll take your advice, Nott?” The other boy only shrugged in response. “Hmm. I’m not so sure the Malfoys are as Light as everyone is making them out to be.”

Vince had been chewing on his thumbnail and paused the action, “You think they’re turning the other families Dark?”

“I don’t think it’s that, either. I get the sense that all they care about is magic. I’ve seen the twins in the library looking at books from both sides. They don’t seem to discriminate, at least not in their reading preferences. What did you think of their house? I saw you at the ball, I just couldn’t seem to get across the ballroom before you vanished.”

Theo eyed his dormmate. Blaise and his mother had lived outside of the UK until it was time for him to start school, so Theo was still unfamiliar with him. It was looking like Greg and Vince were making better progress than he was. “Sorry about that. Father insists I stay by his side so I don’t do anything to embarrass the family. I’ve listened to my father complain about how much Malfoy Manor has changed since Abraxas’ time non-stop since the stupid ball five days ago. I saw about thirty portraits of dead Dark magicians, though. I mean, not everyone can be into the Dark aesthetic, right?”

Blaise snorted, “I personally find myself rather interested in one of the myriad Blacks roaming about the castle. A notoriously Dark family that split and went Light with the last generation. Or would they be more Grey now that the Light and Dark sides of the family are on speaking terms again?”

Greg practiced the floating charm on Pansy’s discarded pillow. When it fell after thirty seconds he looked over at Blaise, “Devin doesn’t look like any of the other Blacks. D’you think he was adopted? He is kinda cute, if you think boys are cute.”

Vince screwed up his face in confusion and scratched his head, “I thought you fancied Bones. Since when do you fancy Devin Black? Or boys?”

Greg rolled his eyes and dropped the pillow on his best mate’s head, “No, stupid. I fancy Bones. Zabini fancies Black.”

******

Harry and Devin were on their way back to the Gryffindor common room from the library one evening when Devin almost tripped over his half-kneazle as she darted between his legs. He grumbled, “Ruddy thing is trying to kill me!” just as Muffin slid to a stop beside a suit of armor. “What did you find, girl?”

The cousins were even more perplexed when they found Mr. Bitty sitting with his tufted tail wrapped around him. Harry crouched down and scratched the kneazle between his oversized ears, “What are you doing here? Auntie Aria won’t be happy if she can’t find you.”

Devin’s voice sounded so miserable when he spoke that Harry nearly fell over trying to turn around. “She won’t be mad. She’s here, too.”

Aria was standing in an open door with her hands on her hips and a mildly amused expression on her face. Harry thought Devin might die from embarrassment when he realized she was standing in their Head of House’s office. He watched the color drain from his cousin’s face when Auntie Minnie stepped up behind Auntie Aria. Minerva pursed her lips and tried to hide her amusement, “Gentlemen. Curfew is soon. You should hurry if you don’t want to lose points for Gryffindor.”

The two scrambled to escape the odd encounter with Muffin chasing after them. Aria turned around to face Minerva and buried her face in the soft green velvet robe, “This will lead to more questions.” 

Minerva cupped Aria’s cheeks and lifted her head so she could kiss the tip of her nose, “We will answer them together when they come.” Aria stiffened in Minerva’s grasp when they heard shuffling feet coming toward them. Mr. Bitty crouched low and wiggled his butt like he was on the hunt when a cat with odd orange eyes peeked out from behind a man. Minerva sniffed and dropped her hands from Aria’s face but caught the other woman’s hand to maintain contact. “Argus. Is there something wrong?”

Aria observed the man with greasy iron-grey hair. His cheeks were scruffy but not in a ‘trying to be attractive’ sort of way. His clothes looked worn and didn’t fit him well. Overall, she wanted to cast a bevy of grooming and alteration charms at him. His cat was inching closer to Mr. Bitty while making pitiful mewling sounds. He was eyeballing her when he answered Minerva. “No, ma’am. Mrs. Norris was bothered about summat and led me here. I see it’s just a visitin’ familiar. I’ll leave you to it.”

Aria doesn’t know what came over her at that moment. Mr. Bitty was chirping at the pretty cat and Minerva’s hand was so warm in hers. “Would you like a spot of tea, dear?” 

Minerva blinked in confusion when Argus didn’t hesitate. “I’d love a cuppa. That is, if you don’t mind, Madam Deputy.”

She waved her arm and stepped out of the way, “Come in, Argus. My quarters are just through that door.” She led the odd pair through her office into her sitting room. How did she manage to get herself into these predicaments? She and Aria had been keeping their relationship a secret going on four years. And now, all of a sudden they were slipping up and being discovered. Twice in one night. She lifted her wand, prepared to summon her tea set and paused. “Would you prefer something a little more potent, Argus? It would seem Aria’s sister has a sense of humor. Narcissa purchased the Lagavulin distillery for my Yule gift as a gentle way of warning me that my nieces will be starting school a year early.”

The scraggly man twisted his hands nervously and hovered over the sofa instead of sitting down, “I wouldn’t say no to a nip, if yer offering. Thank ye.”

Aria sat down on the loveseat with her feet tucked beneath her and accepted the glass that Minnie floated to her. She coughed to cover a snort of laughter when Minnie lifted her hands to ask why. “Cyra and Aiyla are delightful. I live across the lawn from them.”

Argus took a long sip of the honey barrel Scotch and hummed appreciatively, “Oh, this is wonderful. Nothing can be worse than those Weasley twins. They’re a bloody nightmare.”

Aria sipped slowly and almost choked when a figure appeared behind the couch that Argus had finally sat down on. Magic twiddled their fingers and winked at Minerva and Aria before they tapped Argus on top of his balding head. Minnie leaned down and whispered in her partner’s ear, “What just happened?”

Aria drained her glass and summoned the bottle for a refill, “I think I’m going to have to kidnap the caretaker. He won’t want to learn magic around the children.”

******

Alastor Moody sat in the uncomfortable chair in front of the headmaster’s desk with a perplexed look on his face. Dora was in the chair beside him in a state of confusion and mild amusement. Alastor closed his eyes and sighed heavily before addressing the situation. “You’re tellin’ me that Argus Filch is missing?”

Dumbledore nodded and cast a glance up at the past headmasters and mistresses, “None of the portraits in the castle claim to have seen a thing, but it’s highly unlikely he left on his own. Where would he go? He has no family, no friends, no magic… he’s helpless.”

Dora couldn’t hold in the laughter any longer. She covered her mouth with a hand and cleared her throat, “Sorry ‘bout that. It’s just… maybe he finally decided to retire. He literally hates children, and there’s really no need for a caretaker. Is there?”

Albus looked at his former student sternly, “Miss Tonks, Argus is here because he has nowhere else to go. Would you have me send him out into the Muggle world all on his own? He would never know how to survive.”

Alastor put up a hand to stop her from responding, “We aren’t here to discuss the need for a squib caretaker. We’re here because you think he’s missing. When was the last time anyone remembers seeing him?”

Albus was relieved to see someone taking this seriously. “Minerva was the last person to see him. She says he was in the corridor near her office on the seventh floor.”

Alastor nodded and pushed himself out of his chair. His wooden leg clunked on the floor as he adjusted his stance. “Tonks, what’s the next move in the investigation?”

She put her arms behind her back and squared her shoulders with her spine ramrod straight. “We should talk to Aunt Minnie. I’ll start asking the portraits near her office questions. I might be able to help them remember something with the right tactics.”

Her mentor nodded once, “Lead the way. Dumbledore,” he tipped his head down toward the man, “I’ll let ya know what we find out. I’m sure this is all just a misunderstanding.” An idea struck him and he raised his eyebrows as he asked, “Have you asked Rosmerta or Abe?”

Albus shook his head and waved a hand to dismiss the question, “Argus is not a drinker. Checking the local taverns is pointless.”

Tonks stood up and brushed her robes out, “If you need me I’ll be in Hogsmeade asking shopkeeps and locals if they’ve seen Mr. Filch. Besides, I haven’t seen old Abe since I graduated!”

Alastor felt his eyebrow twitch up in amusement at the sour look on the headmaster’s face. “I’ll go talk to McGonagall and meet you at the Hog’s Head after. We’ll go talk to your aunt Aria together.” He watched his apprentice leave through the floo and swirl away to the bar run by Albus’ brother before letting the spiral staircase spin him back to the bottom. He hadn’t been back to the school in a while and took his time walking the halls. Students sidestepped to give him space as he passed them. He knew his reputation as a fierce Auror was known throughout the country, he also knew that the sight of his claw-foot wooden leg could be shocking. At least he still had his nose and the scars from Rodolphus Lestrange’s spell had healed. He’d probably do a fair sight more scaring of the little ones if they hadn’t. 

Minerva was walking down the corridor to her office when she spotted Alastor coming toward her from the opposite direction. She waved him in and spelled the door locked and cast several privacy charms. She noted the look of mild amusement on her former coworker’s face and rolled her eyes at him. She sat down behind her desk and laced her fingers together on top of it before speaking, “What can I do for you, Auror Moody?”

The gruff man laughed as he fell into the chair across from her, “What’s with the formality, Minnie? You act like we didn’t work side-by-side in the Auror Corps before you ran off to be a teacher.”

She sighed and blew out a long breath from her nose, “Oh, Alastor. I’m aware of the reason for your presence in the school. I simply assumed this was an official meeting and not one between colleagues… and friends.”

He sniffed and picked at a splinter on the knee to give a reason for not making eye contact. “I’m here on official business but that don’t mean we need to skip the pleasantries, Min.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” She summoned a bottle of Scotch and poured three fingers for each of them before trying to continue. “You’re here about Argus.”

He sipped the dark amber liquor and hummed in appreciation, “You always have the good stuff! Dumbledore says you was the last to see Filch. Can ya tell me anything about his disappearance or anything that struck you as strange about that night?”

Minerva almost choked on her drink and coughed several times. “Am I talking to my friend or an Auror?”

Alastor emptied his glass and regarded her for a long time. “Why don’t we start with your friend and we’ll consider the Auror after I’ve heard what ya have for me.”

She sat her glass down with a thunk and refilled both of them with slightly shaking hands. “Argus isn’t as missing as Albus thinks. I… know where he is.” 

The smile tugging at the corners of his mouth made him look years younger. “Where are ya hidin’ him, Min?”

She arched one eyebrow and replied in her most regal tone, “ I’m not hiding him. Aria is. And he isn’t necessarily hiding. He has been happier than I’ve seen him in decades, Alastor.”

Moody covered his mouth with one hand and tried to stop himself from outright guffawing. His already rough voice was a harsh whisper when he finally wheezed out, “Minerva! You and one of the Blacks conspired to kidnap the school caretaker? Ain’t Aria the one ‘at though she was a squib most her life?” Minnie’s responding scowl told him he was right. “What’s goin’ on here? For real.”

She leaned her head in her hands with her elbows propped on the desk and let her fingers slide into her tightly-pulled hair. “Well now I suppose I have to take you over to Aria’s so we can explain everything. We can use my fireplace.”

******

Harry jumped up and down in the locker room before the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff game trying to dispel some of his pent up nervous energy. Wood hadn’t allowed Draco to come into the Gryffindor changing area and he was starting to think he might have to go find a toilet to puke in if the team didn’t hurry up and get out of this tiny enclosed space. 

A freckled arm wrapped around his shoulders and Fred’s voice broke through his impending panic attack, “Easy, Hyrie. Your magic was starting to crackle.”

George bumped him from the other side, “Angie wouldn’t have been very happy with you if her hair got frizzy from static before going out in front of the crowd.”

Harry sank a little deeper into Fred’s side when Oliver called for attention, “Hooch has just given the signal to get our arses out there. Are ya ready for this, Hydrus? Well, it doesn’t matter if ya are or aren’t. You signed up and now you’ll win us a game. I expect you all,” he glared around at the gathered team, “to play as hard as you can. I don’t care if the Puffs are sweet little puffskeins you want to give a cuddle. If one of ‘em is blocking your path, you take ‘em the fook out.”

Harry almost collapsed under the crushing blow Wood landed on his back. He thanked the Quidditch gear silently for protecting him from a bruise, at the very least. He mounted his broom and sent a thought to his twin, “We’re coming out. I’m so freaked out!”

Draco’s voice sounded in his head and he eased his grip on the broom handle, “We’ve been flying since we were two. Besides, if you screw this up I’ll never let you live it down.”

Harry laughed and leaned forward on his broom to add an extra burst of speed just before they exited the tunnel onto the pitch. He never knew sound could literally crush you until that moment. The roar of the crowd as they screamed, stomped, and waved noise makers of all kinds made his chest constrict with the weight of it. He followed behind the vivid red robes of his teammates once around the stadium and then paused to float behind Ollie while he shook hands with the Hufflepuff captain. He didn’t hear anything but roaring until Madam Hooch’s whistle cut through it all. 

He rose straight up to hover above the general gameplay and let out a sigh of relief. The noise was less intense from this vantage point. He looped around the stadium lazily watching the players buzz around beneath him while also looking for the snitch. Nothing said he couldn’t catch it in the first five minutes of the game and end it all. He stopped when The Hufflepuff seeker paused in front of him. 

The older boy waved hesitantly and flashed a handsome smile, “Hiya! Name’s Cedric! I just want you to know that I’m not just going to let you win.”

Harry cocked his head to the side curiously and grinned back, “Hi, Cedric! I’m Hydrus! I just want you to know that I want you to play as hard as you can so it’s that much better when I win!”

Cedric’s smile got impossibly brighter, “You’re on!” He darted away in a jet of yellow and black with his laughter trailing behind him.

Harry shook his head in amusement and took off in the opposite direction to scan for the snitch. Gryffindor scored two goals before he made it back around to where he started. He could see Draco and Tom standing in the sea of red and gold helping Hermione and Ron hold up a sign with his name on it in flashing crimson letters. His eyes ran over the crowd to the professor’s box and he nearly lost his balance when he saw Mum and Papa sitting on either side of Baba. And then he saw something sparkle just above the headmaster’s bright blue hat.

It took him less than a second to decide it wasn’t a bell hanging from the man’s garish fascinator, but actually the golden snitch. He leaned forward as far as he could and took off like a rocket directly for the box. Lee Jordan was screaming that Harry was on the move and Cedric wasn’t far behind him. Ollie blocked a shot from a Hufflepuff chaser and Angelina caught the quaffle and managed to score one more before Harry made it across the pitch. He could see concern building in Dumbledore’s eyes when he wasn’t slowing down and his path was aimed directly for him. He knew his face had to be a terrifying mix of determination and excitement. 

He jerked the handle of his broom up hard with his left hand and closed the right one over a cool ball with delicate white wings. The buzzer sounded to signal the end of the game and the sound increased to deafening levels once more. Harry floated down to the ground in a daze. He’d done it! He won his first ever match! His feet hardly touched the ground before he was swept off of them and placed on Fred and George’s shoulders. They carried him all the way back to the castle like that, too. He looked over his shoulder at the professor’s box and thought he saw Madam Pomfrey sopping up blood from the headmaster’s face.

Devin, Ron, Tommy, and Draco surrounded him to protect him on the way up the stairs back to Gryffindor Tower. Neville and Hermione were at the front of the pack trying to navigate. None of them were prepared for the staircase they were on to suddenly change directions and swing around with them standing in the middle of it. The door to the corridor on the landing was slightly ajar, so thinking nothing of it, they continued on. 

Then, Foust popped out of Tommy’s pocket and shot toward a door farther down the corridor. Hermione and Neville’s eyes got as big as dinner plates when they realized their friend’s snake was actually a disguised dragon . Tommy swore and ran after his familiar. Harry shrugged at the two confused Gryffindors. Draco held his breath for a second and then shouted for Tommy to stop but it was too late. Foust had opened the door allowing three massive heads to poke out with drool hanging from enormous jowls. Hermione’s scream was muffled by Ron’s shoulder when she turned to run and slammed into him. One body with three heads emerged from the room as Ron and Hermione toppled to the hard stone floor. 

Ron stood up from the floor with his head tipped back to see the whole canine and muttered, “Bloody hell!” as the door magically widened to let the giant canine out of the small room it was being held in. He reached out a hand tentatively when a long whip-like tail slashed through the air behind the dog. 

Hermione had positioned herself behind Ron and was using him as a shield, Neville was hidden behind Draco, and Harry was confidently stroking the dog’s chest. “Harry! Get away from that thing! You have no idea if it's dangerous. Why would the headmaster allow a Cerberus to be locked up in the school?”

Tommy was crouched over a trapdoor in the room the dog was imprisoned in and poked at the lock with the tip of his wand, “I don’t know, but I bet it has something to do with this. Are we on the third floor by any chance?”

Harry listened to the three heads panting about how excited they were to see people and how much they missed Hagrid with one ear and to his friends’ speculations with the other. Thanatos lifted his head and calmly hissed at the Cerberus to be quiet so the humans could figure this mess out. He scratched the middle head’s chin and grinned back at his friends, “He says his name is Fluffy and that he’s been locked up in that room for a while. He doesn’t know how the door became unlocked today, but he’s super grateful we came along. He’s lonely.”

Neville inched out from behind Draco and took cautious steps toward Harry. He swallowed his fear and reached out his hand to stroke the nose of the right head, “H-hi Fluffy. Good boy. I always wanted a dog, but Gran says they’re filthy creatures. You’re a good boy, aren’t you? That small room isn’t big enough, is it?” He looked at his friends with wide frightened eyes and gulped. “What do we do? We can’t leave him here.”

Tommy considered the situation as Foust flew in circles over the Cerberus, “I think we should find all of the Heads of House and ask if they are aware of our locked up companion. I’ll send Foust to retrieve Uncle Severus, since they are already acquainted. I’m certain he can gather the other three Heads without revealing his secret further.” His air was haughty as he looked down his nose at Hermione and Neville, “Can you be trusted?”

Hermione blinked at the Ravenclaw boy for several seconds and then looked up at the swooping miniature dragon, “I was so excited when I learned that most of the mythical beasts I was obsessed with in fairytales were real that I got every book I could find on magical creatures. There are only vague references to an extinct breed of miniature dragons. I,” she ripped her gaze away from where the tiny reptile had perched on the tip of the left head’s nose to look around at her friends who’d known each other most of their lives, “I feel like there’s something huge that you aren’t telling Neville and me. Hydrus, how did you know what the dog… Fluffy was saying? I thought you could only understand snakes.”

Harry pursed his lips and inhaled noisily, “Oh, Merlin. We really put our foot in it this time, didn’t we?” He rubbed the back of his neck and leaned against the wall heavily, “We need time to talk to our parents and find out what is safe to tell you. Can you live with that?”

Neville put a hand on Hermione’s arm to get her attention when it looked as if she was going to continue arguing. “Let’s give them a chance.” His typically hesitant demeanor took on a confident air that the others all decided they liked seeing on their friend, “It’s February; why don’t we agree to be patient for answers until summer holiday? I- you’re my first friends. I can wait.”

They weren’t given much of a choice when Severus’ dark shadow blocked what little light was coming through the open door. Minerva was right behind him with Pomona and Filius pushing them forward to get into the corridor. Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily when he looked up at the enormous dog licking the top of Draco’s head like a lollipop. “How do you all manage to find trouble when no one is even aware that trouble exists?”

Filius’ high voice chirped from somewhere near the back of Minerva’s knees and then he popped out from behind her with sheer glee in his expression, “My word! I haven’t seen such a stunning Cerberus since my last duelling competition in Greece! What do you think he’s doing locked up in the school?”

Hermione couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst with a stream of words, “We were on our way to the common room to celebrate Harry’s first win! We promise we weren’t trying to come to the forbidden corridor! The staircase swung in an entirely unpredictable way and dumped us here. Please don’t expel us for going out of bounds. I like being a magician so much and I would hate to have to forfeit my wand over something like this!”

Minerva wrapped her arms around the girl whose panic attack was growing in ferocity as she watched. “Relax, child. No one will be expelled over this event. Well… No one in this hallway will be evicted. I can’t say the same for whomever trapped a Cerberus in the castle.”

Tommy pointed at the trapdoor in the only room with an open door, “He’s guarding that.”

Pomona’s eyes widened while her face turned as red as a beet, “Isn’t this the room with the closed off path down to one of the old theaters in the dungeon? We-” her voice dropped as her anger grew, “One of the theaters that occasionally bursts into flame for no apparent reason? That trapdoor isn’t supposed to be there. I very clearly remember headmaster Dippet replacing it with a stone floor!”

Filius waved his wand over the wooden door with a heavy metal ring and scowled at the lack of protective charms around it, “One of us should take the children to their common rooms while the rest of us explore this mess,” he waved his hand at the trapdoor and room with a look of distaste marring his face. 

Pomona straightened her spine and clapped her hands twice causing the children to jump, “Alright! You lot with me. We’ll run down to the kitchens for a spot of tea, I think Miss Granger could do with a cuppa to calm her nerves. Once they’re settled, I’ll send for Hagrid to collect his… pet. He does love the dangerous beasties.” 

Severus watched as his colleague led his children away with their companions as the massive canine’s middle head bent down and licked a stripe up the side of his face. He cast a glance at Filius and Minerva and then at the trapdoor. He looked up at the three panting heads and sighed once more, “Will you be a good boy? Sit.” Three tongues lolled out of three mouths with rows of frighteningly long teeth as the whip-like tail thumped on the ground excitedly. “Yes. Good boy. We three need to explore what’s beneath the trapdoor. You stay here and protect us from any intruders.”

Three heads cocked to the side in interest. A low rumbling emanated from the Cerberus’ chest and Severus tried to pretend he didn’t understand the words the left head was saying, “I’ll be a good boy! Will Hagrid bring me treats soon? Wrinkly man says Hagrid will bring me troll steaks! I like troll steaks. The red twins bring Fluffy cakes from the kitchen. Fluffy will sit right here.” All three heads snapped their jaws closed and took on a very stern look as they stared intently at the door to the staircases. 

Severus massaged his forehead and turned back to his colleagues, “He should stay. He seems obedient enough.”

Minerva straightened her robes and flicked her wand to raise the trapdoor. “Shall we?”

Chapter Text

Albus twinkled in his chair with his fingers laced together on top of the desk. Lucius was glaring at him in silence while Amelia Bones screamed another string of obscenities at him. He’d tuned her out ages ago. The four Heads of House were standing behind the Head and Deputy Head of the DMLE looking horridly disappointed. Hagrid was weeping inconsolably in the far corner near the fireplace. Albus sighed. 

Amelia stopped yelling and tapped her foot on the floor impatiently, “Are we boring you, Headmaster? Might I remind you that we’re here because you had a fucking CERBERUS locked in a classroom! There are hundreds of children in attendance at this school. What would ever give you the notion that uncovering a passage to a dangerous location, not placing any wards around said opening, and only using a dangerous XXXX-rated creature that needs hectares of land to run in an enclosed space filled with children was a GOOD IDEA!?”

Albus snapped to attention and pasted on his patented grandfatherly face, “I do apologize, Madam Bones. It was never my intention to keep Fluffy sequestered in the classroom for long. The fact that he was discovered at all is a complete shock to me. I had layers of warding around that part of the castle. The staircases were all set to avoid the right-hand third floor. You can be assured I will be launching an investigation into how that particular staircase managed to break away. Things have been rather unsettled since Argus’ disappearance. Tell me, have there been any developments in his case?”

Lucius put a hand on Amelia’s arm to calm her. “We aren’t here to discuss that, Dumbledore. Your overall attention deficit is no excuse. Let us try one question at a time. Why was the passage uncovered?”

Albus added an extra twinkle to his eyes and leaned forward with his elbows braced on the desk. Little Lord Malfoy wanted to play. “I was planning to check on the status of the burning theater. I hate having parts of the castle closed off and thought that little spontaneous combustion problem might have cleared up.”

Lucius lifted his right eyebrow and cocked his head to the side, “Why not wait until summer when the castle is empty?”

Albus shrugged nonchalantly and reached for a lemon drop, “I admit it! I was feeling impatient. It took me all of last summer to break down the wards around the passage. When I was finally able to uncover the trapdoor from the transfiguration performed by Armando over the Christmas holiday, I became excited. I asked Hagrid if I could borrow his Cerberus to guard the door and replaced all of the wards which should have kept the students safely away. Again, there will be a full inquiry.”

Amelia crossed her arms and growled, “You’re damn right about that! Starting immediately, the Ministry of Magic is taking over security measures here at the school. We’ve hired a Master of Warding to come and investigate the safety of our children. He should be arriving any minute, as a matter of fact.”

The color drained from Albus’ face at this revelation. His voice came out in a harsh rasp when he was at last able to speak, “The security of the school has always been the responsibility of the current head. I cannot allow anyone to inspect the wardstone.”

The flames in the office’s fireplace flared green and Bill Weasley stepped out. Lucius’ smile was feral as he replied, “Well, that’s too damn bad. Professor McGonagall, please escort William to the wardstone.”

Albus watched in horror as Minerva parted the tapestry that covered the hidden alcove containing the stone. There was a shocked gasp from his left when the oldest Weasley offspring got his first look at the stone sitting on a white marble pedestal. He closed his eyes and let his chin drop to his chest as he watched the school falling out of his grasp in his mind’s eye. 

Bill leaped the distance between the fireplace and the pedestal as a guttural sound was ripped from his chest. His hands hovered a scant few millimeters over the surface of the ward stone trying to feel where it was most broken. He was near tears when he could feel Hogwarts herself breathe a sigh of relief. He turned cinnamon eyes shining with unshed tears toward the headmaster and spoke in an accusing tone, “Why didn’t you ask for help? It never should have got this bad. Can’t you feel her suffering?” The headmaster opened his mouth to spout off something that was sure to be all lies and Bill cut him off, “I don’t want to hear anything. I’m only here to fix what’s all but destroyed.” He looked at the Heads of House and directed all of his attention away from the man who was growing steadily angrier, “I need somewhere to put this where it won’t be disturbed again.”

Severus stepped away from the group and motioned for his former student to follow him, “I have a place. I will take the other three heads to the new location when you’ve completed the work. We’ll create a plan for keeping it safe in the future.” 

Pomona turned to Hagrid when Severus and Bill were gone. He was clutching one of the sofa cushions that was soaked through with tears from his sobbing. “Oh, dearie. Let’s get you back to your hut.”

Lucius put a hand on her shoulder to pause her movement, “Allow me, Professor. You stay here with the other three to help Amelia with the investigation.” He hoisted the eight-and-a-half-foot tall man off of the sagging sofa and guided him onto the spiral staircase. 

When they made it down to the cottage the groundskeeper resided in, Hagrid led the way to the small kitchen taken up by an oversized table and chairs. He started making tea out of habit before collapsing in one of the wooden chairs causing the legs to creak with the effort to keep him up. He leaned his head in one hand and spoke with a quivering voice, “I never woulda let him borrow Fluffy if I’d’ve known he’d lock ‘im up. Professor Dumbledore is such a great man! How could he do somethin’ so bad?” His boarhound Fang laid his head in Hagrid’s lap and whined softly. Hagrid scratched at the floppy blue-grey ears and sadly said, “Don’t worry, fella. Fluffy’ll be sent off ta a nice place in Greece.” Tears leaked from the corners of his beady brown eyes as he gazed morosely at Lucius. 

Lucius lifted the kettle out of the fire when it started whistling and tapped a scoop of tea leaves into the top to let it steep before he addressed the other man. “Mister Hagrid, I want you to know that I have personally taken your Cerberus. He is already on his way to a place where he will be free to live out his days happily. The person taking him to his new home is going to speak to the locals about the possibility of you visiting Fluffy in the future.” The look of hope in Hagrid’s eyes crushed him. “I can only guarantee pictures of him occasionally until we have permission.”

Hagrid sopped up his tears with a handkerchief the size of a tablecloth and hiccupped, “Yer a good lad, Lucius. I never shoulda brought him outta the forest. He’d’ve been safe with my other pets out in the paddock I set up fer meself.”

Lucius felt the fear creeping up his spine, “Hagrid? What are you keeping in the Forbidden Forest?”

Hagrid ran a hand anxiously over his bushy beard and chuckled, “Aw shucks. Can’t never keep me mouth shut. I shouldn’t’a said nothin’. It’s all perfectly safe, ye see. I bought the land at the edge of the forest with the galleons I’ve been puttin’ away for years. Even hired a wardsmith to come and make it all legal-like. Muggle repelling charms, wards to keep my critters in and unwanted ones out, the works! And I got permits fer every one of my babies. You can check!”

Lucius relaxed and dipped a rock cake into his tea, “Very well. As long as you’ve kept it all above board.”

A skeptical look crossed the half-giant’s face and he sniffed, “Why’re you bein’ so nice? You always looked down on me afore now. Talked to me like I wasn’t worth my weight in thestral manure.”

Lucius laced his fingers together over his crossed legs and sighed heavily, “I was an entitled shithead when I attended school. I’ll even accept that I was a horrid wretch up until my first child was born. And then I lost her. There was so much loss during the last war. And much of it was the fault of the man my father told me was our lord. I will not lay all of the blame on poor upbringing, but it does take much of it. My partners and children made me a better person.” He tapped a finger on his lips and hummed in thought, “Are the rumors Abraxas told me about you hiding a juvenile Acromantula in the castle true?”

Hagrid’s cheeks flushed brilliant crimson beneath his beard and he ducked and turned away to hide it. “The rumors might hold some truth. I didn’t cause Myrtle’s death, though. Me and her was friends. I still go visit her when there ain’t any students and she comes out ‘ere to visit me.” He sniffled and dabbed at his nose. “We was both third years ‘at year. She was a Ravenclaw and I was a Puff, but we was friends. People picked on ‘er, ya know? No one picked on me cause’a my size, so she stuck close to me.”

Lucius reached across the scarred wood of the table to pat Hagrid’s hand comfortingly. “Come home with me for dinner. I’ll invite Bellatrix and her spawn over. Drucilla brought home an Acromantula hatchling from our summer holiday. Perhaps you’ll have some tips for the poor mothers.”

******

Severus stepped out of the fireplace that evening to the sound of laughter echoing through the hallways. He followed the sound to the backyard where Narcissa and Lucius were entertaining Hagrid and most of their family. He took a vacant seat and gladly accepted the drink sitting on a tray high over an elf’s head. Hagrid had ignored the enlarged chair provided for him and was sitting flat on the grass with a litter of small children climbing all over him. Drucilla and her pet Acromantula had pride of place perched on one giant knee. 

He sipped his drink and smirked over the crystal at his spouses, “I see we’ve collected another family member. How exciting. Should I expect any others today?”

Hagrid blushed and dipped his head sheepishly, “I hope I ain’t intrudin’ on yer family time, Sev’rus. Lucius invited me over to meet Miss Drucilla and Tiny. The little’un is just as good as I am at namin’ critters.”

Severus tipped his glass toward the man with a nod, “You aren’t intruding at all. I’m rather accustomed to returning to a full manor in the evenings. It would appear Sirius couldn’t resist the urge to foist his pack of monsters on you.”

Sirius held up two fingers with a blinding smile, “Toss off, Sevvy! Stevie floo called me and told me to come, so I’m here. Where I go, my pups go.” He looked expectantly over at where Stevie and Bellatrix were holding hands across the table.

Stevie grinned and squeezed a grimacing Bellatrix’s fingers. “Cilla’s gonna have a little sister in a few months!”

Sirius slapped a hand on his thigh and barked a laugh, “Well! I’ll get out the khaki and make a baby blanket!”

Andromeda snorted and threw a balled-up linen napkin at him, “You’re the worst. We’re all very happy for you. Why do you look so morose, Bella?”

Bella’s scowl deepened as she cast a miserable gaze on Aria, “I was sure it was her turn to add to the repopulation of magical society!” She pointed an accusing finger at Aria, and then covered her mouth and retched. “Sevvy, doll, you know I’ve always liked you best of Cissy’s suitors.”

Severus looked at her skeptically and drawled, “Mm-hmm. I keep a steady supply of prenatal potions. It’s necessary with this family’s penchant for procreation. Nell!” The elf who once needed a crutch to hold herself up now stood proudly on strong and steady legs before him. “Please retrieve an anti-nausea potion and a full supply of prenatals for Bellatrix.” 

Nell tapped the side of her crooked nose and winked at the newly pregnant woman, “Don’t you worry Miss Bella. Your sister will have her turn. Nell knows these things.” She snapped her fingers and passed a small phial to Bellatrix before popping away. 

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose as Argus fucking Filch choked on his tea beside Aria. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. We need to discuss what was found in the castle today.” 

Hagrid shooed the children off in the direction of the pirate ship and watched them run away with a far-away look in his eyes. He finally heaved himself off of the ground and took the reinforced chair Narcissa provided for him. “I really am sorry ‘bout Fluffy bein’ there. I never woulda…”

Severus held up a hand to stop the apology, “Hagrid, it was not your fault. We’ve been over this. And that’s not even the worst of it. Minerva will likely be here once she’s sure the lions are settled for the evening, but she’s given me the okay to start without her. There was an obstacle course setup beneath the trapdoor that Fluffy was guarding. Each obstacle was designed to appear as if one of the Heads of House created it. Pomona was first with a chamber filled with Devil’s Snare, then came a set of flying keys that would be a Charms Master’s strength, a larger-than-life chessboard that took immense skill in transfiguration, and a riddle with potions. There were signs that something living might be added later with an empty chamber between two of the puzzles. Once we disassembled the final one, we found the burning theater standing empty except for one thing. The Mirror of Erised.”

Narcissa blinked at her husband in shock. “That was thought to be an artifact being kept in the Department of Mysteries. Why the hell was it in the castle?”

Lucius’ face was turning redder by the second, “I’d like to know the same thing. Edward, I believe you and I may need to return to the Ministry. An emergency meeting of the Wizengamot might also be in order.”

Ted shook his head as Minerva and Alastor joined the group, “We shouldn’t rush into this, Lucius. Albus has too many positions of power for us to fly off with less than half of a plan.”

Alastor nodded appreciatively at the magical solicitor as he accepted a glass of Firewhisky, “He’s right.” He looked Hagrid up and down curiously, “Can we trust him? He’s one of Dumbledore’s strongest supporters.”

Hagrid puffed out his chest and lifted his chin in defiance, “I was loyal to ‘im. Not no more. Not after he locked up my Fluffy. No one ‘oo loves animals would treat a poor little pupper like that. Dumbledore had me carry the mirror from the Entrance Hall to a classroom on the fourth floor just afore the firs’ o’ term. I looked into it by accident,” he shuddered and gooseflesh rose on his arms as he remembered the reflection, “It weren’t jus’ me in the mirror. I saw things.”

Minerva swiped angrily at a single tear that was trailing down her cheek and smiled a little wobbly when Aria took her hand, “That’s the reason the mirror is supposed to be kept in the DoM, dear. It doesn’t show you your reflection but what you most desire in the world. A person who didn’t wish for a single thing would see only themselves, but how rare is that? Albus had something much more dangerous hidden within the mirror, though.”

Alastor growled as Severus removed something blood-red from the pocket of his robes and placed it in the middle of the glass table, “We don’t think it’s the real Philosopher’s Stone. Alastor and Lucius have already sent an envoy to France to speak with Nicolas Flamel.”

Severus sat his glass on the table and leaned his head in his hand, “It’s time I took up my seat in the Wizengamot.”

Ted shook his head morosely and sighed, “One vote won’t be enough. We need a sweeping vote to get Albus out of his positions. We need the Potter seat.”

Narcissa waved her wand and summoned a sheaf of parchment, “We’ll start with Rosier. I’ll invite Hector and Helen for tea. Andi, do you think Alice Longbottom would agree to attend? We’re only just getting to know one another.”

Andromeda’s mouth was open slightly and a surprised puff of air escaped her, “You’re brilliant, Cissa! Helen controls the Parkinson vote! Even if Pericles tries to vote against us she can override him. Edward, could Sirius or Alice claim the Potter seat in absentia? Either or both of them should have been Harry’s guardian. They would have had his vote until he was of legal age anyhow.”

Sirius scoffed and let his feet drop back to the ground from where he had them perched on the table, “I’ve been letting Lucy use the Black vote for me, but I’ll make an appearance if we’re setting up a coup. I say we do that sweep Teddy mentioned and clear the way for Lucy to take over as Minister. Run a vote of no confidence on Fudgy. He never should have made it to office.”

Lucius inhaled slowly, “I have your vote?”

Sirius’ eyes flashed as they landed on his former nemesis-turned-friend, “You’ve had my vote since you rescued Harry from a fate worse than death. We’ve all been playing the long game, buddy. We always knew this was where you’d end up, it was just a matter of when. Lucius Malfoy was made to lead. The question now is whether you’re ready to take over.”

Silver-grey eyes hardened as Lucius replied, “I am.”

******

Purple flames exploded into existence on a neat green lawn on a hidden island off the coast of France. Molly stroked her hand down Mist’s chest where the violet phoenix was perched on her shoulder and cooed, “You go and find yourself a nice juicy rat, dear. I’ll call you when it’s time to return.” 

A glittering gold eye turned to look at her as Mist’s soft voice filled her head, “I love exploring the world with you. Hidden City is so small. Thank you for rescuing me.” 

A lump formed in Molly’s throat as her familiar took to the air once more. She climbed the shallow steps up to an intricately carved wooden door that creaked open before she could raise her hand and knock. She was greeted by the sight of a tiny willow of a woman with wispy white hair escaping from a loose braid that draped over her shoulder. Molly knew in an instant that she was going to love this woman. “Hello. I’m so sorry to intrude on your privacy this way.”

Perenelle looked up at the woman standing on her doorstep with wonder in her gaze, “You arrived by phoenix fire. That is the only way to find our home. Did Albus send you? I’ve never seen violet flames from Fawkes.”

Molly flushed and held out her hand, “I have a lot to explain, Madam. I’m here on behalf of the people trying to end Dumbledore’s reign.”

Perenelle’s pale green eyes brightened as she pushed the heavy door open wider, “In that case, I think you’d better come in and have a cup of tea.” 

Molly released a long anxious breath when a cool hand grasped hers. “My name is Molly Weasley, Lady Flamel.”

Perenelle led the way to a cozy kitchen with potted plants sitting and hanging in every available space. A kettle jumped onto the stove when they entered and was soon whistling merrily. When the tea was ready, she passed a steaming cup to their guest with a smile, “Call me Peri. And this old fool is my love Nic.” Peri held in her laugh when Molly got her first look at Nicolas coming in from the garden. “No one is ever prepared. We generally wear glamours to make ourselves look older when we’re in public. People expect you to look like wraiths when you’ve lived over six hundred years. We stopped aging when we began using the elixir. The only outward sign that we’re older than our appearance lets on is the lack of color in our hair.”

Molly took a calming sip of tea to wet her suddenly dry mouth. “Severus, Minerva, and Filius found your Philosopher’s Stone hidden in the Mirror of Erised. Dumbledore was hiding it in the school. We think… We think he was trying to lure Lord Voldemort out of hiding.”

Nicolas put a hand over hers and squeezed her fingers comfortingly. “We knew he was up to no good. When he came to us last summer with his ridiculous story about the young Riddle boy having six Horcruxes, we gave him a facsimile of the stone. What was found is not the real stone. If Albus had simply tried to turn a metal to gold with it he would have realized.”

Molly flinched at the mention of Horcruxes. She was told to use her discretion when dealing with this matter. Well. She was Lady Prewett, wasn’t she? It was about time she used some of the diplomacy her parents drilled into her and her brothers when they were children. Consequences be damned. “Tom Riddle did have six Horcruxes. They were destroyed when Death and Life saw fit to give the Dark Lord a second chance at life.”

Peri nodded sagely, “We have met the Aspects a time or two. They do like their little jokes.”

Molly smiled slyly and quirked her eyebrows in playful challenge, “They tend to make at least one appearance per year during our summer holiday. Perhaps we should stay at one of Severus’ properties in France this year and invite you to visit.”

Before Peri or Nic could respond, the fireplace flared to life with bright blue flames. A red feather popped out of the flames and hung in the air until Peri caught it with a grimace. “Merde. We have another unexpected visitor on the way. I hope you don’t mind a brief interruption.”

Molly shook her head and smoothed her curly auburn hair into a high bun, “Not at all. Can I help with anything?”

Nic patted her shoulder as the flames flared once more and a person stepped out. “We’re about to find out.”

A harried-looking woman with drab brown hair thrust a wrapped bundle toward Perenelle and took a quick step back before saying anything. She was shaking her head and rubbing at an angry burn on her hand as her chin wobbled with the threat of tears. “They do not usually present this young. We cannot keep her in the children’s home with the mundane children. I know you prefer to wait until they are older to find families for the children we find but I didn’t know what else to do. She won’t let anyone near her.”

Peri bounced the bundle of blankets gently to soothe the crying baby while she spoke to the nervous woman in hushed tones, “You did the right thing coming here, Marinette. Nicolas will treat your wound. Does the precious little one have a name?”

Marinette held out her hand and sagged with relief when the magic man poured a salve that instantly healed the burn. “We have been calling her Nicolette. She was left in the anonymous drop-off room a week ago and has been too terrified to let anyone touch her since. We can hardly change her without incident, much less feed her. She must be starving.”

Perenelle turned to Molly with her own light of playful challenge dancing in her eyes, “Why, don’t you have seven children? You must know how to handle a frightened baby, Molly.”

Molly gulped and accepted the softly wailing mound of blankets. Her fingers trembled as she pulled the butter-yellow blanket away from the angry round face. A shock of auburn hair curled over a pair of wide brown eyes that were long past being able to produce tears. “She can’t be more than a week old. Erm… you wouldn’t happen to have a breast milk-inducing potion, would you? It’s been nearly ten years since my youngest was weaned. Wait. How do you know I have seven children?”

Nic surprised her when he clapped in excitement, “I invented that potion in 1932 when Peri was struggling to produce enough to keep up with our son! I can have a batch whipped up in a blink.”

Perenelle shook her head as her silly husband scurried off to his lab to brew. “You’ve just made his day, Molly. Marinette, I think it’s safe for you to return to the children. Nicolette will be well looked after.” 

Molly didn’t hear any of that, though. She didn’t hear the fireplace flare to life as Marinette disappeared through the strange blue flames she’d arrived in, either. She was too busy talking to the baby in quiet tones to keep her from crying anymore. Cheeks that should have been fat and rosy were too thin and had a grey pallor that sent shivers down Molly’s spine. She trailed a finger across the soft forehead and down to a perfect tiny ear as she whispered, “There, there sweet Nikki. You’ll have a full belly soon, my sweet.” She sighed heavily as Mist flew through an open window to perch on her shoulder. 

The phoenix turned her head and let two pearly tears drip into the hungry mouth of the infant. Her cheeks were suddenly flushed with color and Nicolette sighed with relief. Mist trilled a tune that made the baby drop into restful sleep. When the infant was sleeping soundly, she butted her head against Molly’s cheek and laughed, “You found a baby to take home!”

******

Arthur blinked in astonishment at the sight of his Mollywobbles standing in the kitchen with a baby hanging from the wrap she’d carried all seven of their children in. He scratched the back of his head in confusion before he bent down to kiss his wife. “Hello, love. I see you found something to bring home from your trip to France. Is the little one on loan or a permanent fixture?”

Molly blushed and ducked her head sheepishly, “Oh, Arthur! She was left at a children’s home and hadn’t eaten in a week. Mist healed her and Nic made the potion to induce breast milk. You… You don’t mind, do you? I know I should have asked before I made such a big a decision. I acted on impulse.”

He cupped her cheeks in his hands and kissed the tip of her nose to silence her. “Mollywobbles, shhh. I don’t mind at all. What’s our new daughter’s name?”

Molly collapsed into the kitchen chair in relief and patted the baby’s bottom when she wiggled, “Nicolette. William is coming over when he’s done at Hogwarts to help us draw up the parchmentwork. I don’t think I want to perform an inheritance test. I would be too tempted to find her mother.”

They both jumped when a new voice joined their conversation. Magic sat down beside Molly in a chair that hadn’t been there before and peered over her shoulder to look at the sleeping baby, “You can do as many tests as you like. I took care of her name as soon as you had her in your grasp. Nicolette Elsbeth Prewett. You’re her parents as far as anyone mortal is concerned.”

Molly harrumphed and eyed the Aspect, “How did you know I was going to give her my grandmother’s name?” Magic was already gone. Molly rolled her eyes and hoisted herself and the baby out of the chair, “I need to go to Malfoy Manor and report to Lucius and Alastor before Bill gets here. Would you like to come?”

Arthur kissed the top of her head and ushered her toward the fireplace, “I’ll follow you anywhere my love.”

They found the party sitting in the solarium at Malfoy Manor. The sounds of children laughing upstairs was music to Molly’s ears. All conversation died when everyone gathered saw the infant cradled in her arms. Molly smiled silently to herself and sat down as if nothing were amiss with Arthur beside her. She shifted the baby and cleared her throat. “Having a phoenix for instant travel around the world is fantastic. I made it to France and back. The Flamels are fully on our side.”

Bellatrix was certainly not afraid to say what everyone else was thinking, “Molly. When the fuck were you planning to mention the baby?”

Molly glanced down at the sleeping girl, “Oh! Yes, Nic and Peri have contacts in all of the French children’s homes who bring them magical orphans and then they find magical families for the children. They usually don’t take in children younger than three or four since that’s when most magical children first present, but this little one was abandoned and started presenting immediately. She was so frightened she was burning anyone who tried to touch her. The poor thing was half starved when the matron of the children’s home arrived. Mist had to shed tears directly into her mouth to keep her alive.”

Bellatrix nodded as if this was a common occurrence, “Sure, sure. And then you obviously brought the orphaned baby home to England.”

Molly grinned back, “Precisely. Arthur and I would like to introduce you all to Nicolette.”

Stevie rubbed a hand over Bella’s still-flat abdomen and winked at Molly, “She’ll have a best friend to grow up with in six months. Congratulations, you two!”

Sirius waved his hands at Stevie and hissed, “Hush! Did you just call Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel, two of the greatest alchemists to ever grace this planet, the creators of the one and only Philosopher’s Stone, Nic and Peri?”

Molly leaned forward with a girlish giggle, “I did! And oh! When I say that they are nothing like you’d imagine two people in their mid-six hundreds, I am not exaggerating in the least.”

Alastor’s face scrunched as he tried to remember something he’d seen years ago. “Now… hold on a second. Albus and I used to be much closer than we are now. He used to have pictures of himself with the Flamels sitting on the mantle in his living room. The people in the photographs looked like a stiff breeze could turn ‘em to dust.”

“That’s exactly what they would have you believe! The only thing that gave away their age was their hair. As white as bloody polar bears. Perenelle is hardly more than a hundred and fifty-two centimeters tall but she’s as strong and healthy as a woman in her prime.” Her cheeks flushed pink when she thought back to Nicolas coming in from the garden and she knew they’d all noticed. “They’re both fit as fiddles.”

Andromeda surprised them all when she demanded, “You can’t blush like that and not give us all of the details!” Her voice dropped and she leaned forward in her seat, “Just how fit are the Flamels?”

Molly fanned herself with her hand and blew out a puff of air to move a curl from her forehead, “Girls. The man has washboard abs. He came in from the garden covered in soil and glistening with sweat. I thought my mouth was going to turn into a desert cave with how dry it got and how far my lower jaw dropped to the floor. I was barely saved from embarrassing myself by the arrival of this precious bean.” She bounced Nicolette gently and gazed down at her perfect little face. 

Arthur looked at his wife still fanning herself over another man, “Are you trying to tell me I need to get into better shape, Mollywobbles? I suppose my time in the Ministry has made me rather soft in recent years.”

She put a hand on his cheek and kissed the tip of his nose, “You’re perfect the way you are my love. I just enjoyed looking at Nic’s figure. A delightful human specimen. Besides, you’re far nicer to have a cuddle with than a muscle-bound man.”

Alastor rubbed his forehead where Rodolphus’ curse hit. There was no visible scarring, but he could still feel an ache there when he was tired. “Somethin’ still ain’t right with all o’ this. Albus wanted that stone for a reason. What sorta trouble was he really tryin’ to cause?”

Minerva looked at Aria and Argus and then around the table at the family that had seemingly absorbed her into their midst without her even realizing it. “We have to tell them everything. I cannae live with myself if we don’t. Lucius, Alastor is one of your top Aurors. He has to know.”

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily, “Shall I start at the beginning? How to make a Malfoy?”

Chapter Text

Albus paced in his office after the final Quidditch game of the year. There had been very little backlash from the incident involving the Cerberus and the little puzzles it was guarding, and he was starting to worry. Every other time he’d caused trouble in the past he’d had to do a lot of sneaky and mildly underhanded things to smooth things over once again. This time, there was nothing but silence. What was the other side playing at? Or had they decided to let this little event slide due to his high positions of power? Either way, he was beginning to sweat. 

Gryffindor was slated to win the House Cup just based on the points won during the four games Hydrus Malfoy played as their Seeker. This was fine by Albus. Gryffindor was his favorite house, after all. He looked over his shoulder at where the portraits of the founders were hidden under numerous concealment spells. They glared at him in mute rage. The poor tapestries had given up screaming obscenities at him decades ago. No one would ever find them to release them. And no one remembered exactly when they disappeared. Well. No one other than him, that is. He couldn’t exactly do the things he wanted to with the school with them running about ruining his plans. 

******

Narcissa eyed her sister skeptically as she swayed in place with a hand on her lower back. “Are you certain you’re well enough to go on this trip? The baby is due in just a few weeks, dear.”

Bellatrix scowled deeper and growled, “I am not missing Stevie’s reintroduction to alligator wrangling. I’m going to fucking New Zealand and shitting this baby out there if it’s the last thing I do.”

Stevie wrapped her arms around her wife’s middle from behind and kissed the top of her wild mane of curls, “You’re a doll. Don’t worry about this one, Cissa. She’s too mean to let anything happen to little Selene.”

Regulus snorted and ran his hands through his neat curls, “You’ve got that part right.”

Bellatrix snarled at her cousin, “Yeah? And when do you plan on shacking up with someone and adding more humans to society?”

Regulus’ face pulled into a look of horror and he took an unconscious step back, “No. Nuh-uh. None of that rot is for me, thank you very much. I’ll just sit here on the side building really cool playgrounds for my nieces and nephews. Besides, Siri is the head of the family and he’s already taken care of making a fresh batch of little Blacks. My DNA is unnecessary.”

Bella rolled her eyes and kicked at his left shin, “Tosser. Leaving all the hard work up to the rest of us. Bloody asexuals.”

He rubbed the back of his neck and flushed a brilliant red, “I might adopt someday. Who knows?”

Severus put the poor man out of his misery and changed the subject, “Shall we be off?”

Tommy skipped into the room with Foust gliding behind him and a bright smile on his face. “I’m ready Uncle Sev! Can we come back for the Summer Solstice, though? Neville said his mum and dad take him and his siblings to Stonehenge every year.”

Severus lifted an eyebrow and drawled, “Have you asked your fathers about this?”

Sirius slouched into the room with a playful look in his eyes, “Of course, he did! We were gonna wait until we were all settled at Castle Slytherin to bring it up. There are rather a lot of us to coordinate, after all. Hell, Remus and I can hardly coordinate our four children to be in the same bloody room with each other, much less the entire family flitting off to Stonehenge from New Zealand.”

Alastor was leaning against the far wall with open curiosity on his face as he observed the oversized family organizing themselves into a practiced formation around an open map of England. His curiosity grew when his superior locked eyes with him in challenge. Lucius’ voice was teasing as he cocked his head, “Well, Auror Moody? Are you up for an adventure?”

Alastor flashed a half-smile and pushed off from the wall with his good leg, “I ain’t heard a single mention of where we were supposed to be traveling for months. Now, all of a sudden, the mutt lets slip we’re headed to Castle Slytherin? You bet yer sweet arse I’m up for an adventure!” He stepped between Argus and Minerva and put his hand on the edge of the map with his fingers brushing both of theirs. 

Lucius activated the portkey and felt the hook grab him behind the belly button as soon as the last person’s hand was touching it. He laughed to himself when the party landed and instantly started breaking up. The children all ran in different directions as the adults headed for their favorite place to relax in the library. 

Aria waved her wand to expand the sofa she preferred when they reached the library and sat down with her feet tucked under her before patting the cushion beside her. Her eyes flashed anxiously to her Minnie and then down at her lap where Mr. Bitty was making biscuits. Of course, it was one of her sisters that caught the look. 

Bellatrix was so saturated in pregnancy hormones that she’d lost whatever little barrier there was between her brain and mouth. She chewed slowly on a red licorice wand and then waved the sticky mess at Aria, “What’s got your knickers in a twist, sis?”

Aria froze in the middle of scratching Bitty’s ears and looked about with wide eyes, “Oh, shite. I can’t ever hide my feelings from you. I…” Her hands trembled noticeably as she fidgeted with her kneazle’s collar. 

Alastor, being the closest of her three partners, took her hand in his. He didn’t like how clammy it was, “What’s a matter, little dove?”

She blew out an anxious breath and looked back down at her knees, “I’m pregnant.”

Minerva blanched and put a hand on her own belly, “Merlin and Morgan. I suppose now is as good a time as any. I am also expecting. I… I was so sure I was past my prime.” 

Argus choked on air and nearly fell off of the sofa. “Gods above! I-i-is either one–”

Minnie and Aria made eye contact with each other and shrugged. Aria shook her head gently, “I haven’t done any spells other than the one to confirm my suspicions.”

Minerva nodded, “Same.”

Andromeda stood up gracefully from her chair and took the few steps to her sister and partners, “No time like the present! Isn’t it delightful having a Healer in the family to take care of these little things?” She twitched her wand at each of the women and caught the pair of parchments that shot from the tip. Her eyes glided down each sheet and her lips twitched. “Congratulations, ladies and gentlemen. Minerva, you are carrying Alastor’s child and Aria is carrying Argus’”

Alastor held his hands up and gulped, “I ain’t cut out to be a father! Hell, after all these years, I thought I was infertile. I surely should’a had a kid by now if I weren’t. Oh, no. I’m gonna be a da?” The man who had never been afraid of anything suddenly swayed in his seat. 

Severus poured a Pepper-Up potion into Alastor’s glass and tipped it into his mouth. When his grey pallor started to turn rosy once more, he stood back with his hands on his hips and looked over the diagnostics. “Minerva, you’re early enough in the pregnancy to perform the… refresher ritual that Aria used.”

She looked down the sofa to where her also-pregnant partner was sitting. “I couldn’t. Too many questions would come of it. How would we explain to Albus and the rest of the school that their Deputy Headmistress was suddenly twenty-to-thirty years younger?”

Bellatrix cackled, then winced when her unborn baby kicked viciously in response, “Oh, come on, Minnie! Magical spas exist. All you’d have to do is say that your sweetheart treated you to the finest treatments at the best magical spas in the world. She is a Black, after all, and you’re carrying her child. Voila! Wrinkles smoothed and grey hair shiny mahogany once more.” 

Alastor blinked at the woman he’d interrogated so many years ago and then turned his gaze to the Potions Master. “Them spa treatments are temporary. How long ago did you perform this refresher ritual?”

Aria twisted the hem of her skirt in her hands and refused to look up at the Auror she, Minerva, and Argus had all fallen in love with, “When the ritual was performed to make Devin my child.”

Alastor’s eyes narrowed and he looked around the room with alarm bells sounding in his head, “That’s a Dark ritual.”

Minerva’s eyes were steely as she looked down her nose at her partner, “Alastor Magnus Moody! You know good and well that the divide between Light and Dark isn’t as clear-cut as we’ve been led to believe all our lives. I won’t tolerate a single negative word about anyone in this family. Severus has just offered me the opportunity to not only appear younger so that I can keep up with your child growing in my womb, but to be younger! I’ll be fifty-seven when your child is born! Nearly sixty!” Her Scottish brogue was growing thicker by the word as her tirade gained momentum. “Euphemia Potter might have been thrilled to have a baby at seventy-five, but I can say from personal experience that I do not feel young enough by HALF to keep up with a child born to this family! Life, Death, and Magic are forever poking their noses in where they please when this family is involved. Aria may be carrying Argus’ child and not yours, but that doesn’t change the fact that our babies were likely conceived when the four of us were in bed together! They will be siblings as far as Magic is concerned. Severus, I will go through with the ritual as soon as you have the potion prepared.” Her lips pursed tight for a split second when Alastor opened his mouth, “And that is FINAL!”

The only sound in the room was the sound of crickets chirping beyond the open double doors and the fire crackling in the fireplace. Alastor reached across Argus to squeeze Minerva’s hand after a moment. “I wasn’t worried about it, just statin’ out loud what I was rememberin’. Might suggest Gus does the ritual with ya. Give him a new identity the way ya did for Aria and Devin.”

Minerva deflated and burst into tears, “I didn’t mean to get so angry! I’m sorry.”

Bellatrix tossed a phial across the room and winked at Argus when he caught it, “Prenatal Calming Draught. Sev keeps a full stock of em. We tend to be an emotional bunch.”

Sirius sniffed and crossed his arms over his chest as Remus chuckled softly beside him, “Speak for yourself, Trixie. I was the picture of emotionally stable grace when I was pregnant.”

Remus patted his hand and smiled softly, “You keep telling yourself that, Siri.” He coughed to cover a laugh and looked from his mate to Alastor, “What about you, Moody? If Minerva and Argus undergo the de-aging ritual, you’ll be the only one left. Just think about how much easier it’ll be to keep up with Dora if you de-age.”

The grizzled man sniffed and looked down the sofa at his three partners, “I dunno. I ain’t never cared what anyone thought, o’ me. These three found somethin’ they like in this old face.”

Argus wrung his hands in his lap and cast a side-eyed glance at his partner, “I don’t know how much my opinion matters on account o’ my not having magic for most of my life, but I think if one of us goes through with it, we all should. Magic is wonderful and can fix all of our problems. There ain’t no reason we shouldn’t use the tools we have. Besides… it ain’t like we don’t have contact with Life, Death, and Magic to undo anything we mess up.” He shrugged and picked at a bit of fluff on the leg of his trousers as everyone in the room stopped to consider what he’d said. 

Life and Death walked through the open doors to the balcony just then. Life flashed a brilliant smile that made them all start giggling and skipped toward the group, “I like the way you think, Argus! I’m so glad Magic decided to give you the spark.” She snapped her fingers and grinned at her work, “There! Now you don’t need to do any tedious rituals.”

Alastor almost choked on his own tongue when he looked at Minerva and Argus beside him. Minnie looked exactly how he remembered her from their time working together in the Ministry before she became a teacher. Her hair was glossy and a rich brown like freshly brewed coffee and fell over her shoulders in thick waves. She touched her cheeks and blinked several times as she looked back and forth between him and Argus. Alastor turned his eyes to Gus and whimpered. His once stringy grey hair was now a lustrous flow of inky blue-black with a restored hairline. Stooped posture had been corrected, giving the man a new air of confidence. 

Aria’s hand reached out and stroked Alastor’s cheek and then the other two. Tears were filling her eyes when she spoke. “I already loved you all, but to see you like this. You’re so beautiful.”

Alastor was starting to protest when he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window. “Bloody hell! I don’t think I looked this fresh and youthful in school. No one will believe a spa treatment did this for me!”

Argus turned to look at himself in the window and laughed. He covered his mouth with his hands when the sound of his rich voice startled him, “I’m damn near eighty and look like I did when I was a bright twenty-something!”

Death winked and took a seat between Lucius and Severus, “All four of you are roughly the same age now. Minnie, do you mind if I come along to see old Al’s face? He’s gonna flip his lid.”

Minerva jerked around to look at herself in the window, “Merlin and Morgan! Well, I suppose it’s good that we have until school restarts to get used to this.” She covered her belly once more as color drained from her face, “I’ll be visibly pregnant in September.”

Argus snickered as he twisted a lock of her hair around a finger, “I almost wish I could go back to see the little shits’ faces when they see you like this.”

Alastor leaned back in his seat and sucked his teeth, “Well, the DoM is hiring security for the school over the summer. Now that Dora’s gettin’ to the end of her Defense Mastery she’s been set up as the new head of school security. Albus knows it’s just her family putting a plant in the school. What if… what if you go to him first? We set you up as Argus’ illegitimate child lookin’ for a job. He’ll have to submit your information to us for clearance, but he’ll still think you're his man. He controls you because he controlled your father.”

Argus rubbed the back of his neck slowly as he considered the idea. “I don’t wanna leave Aria alone. Min’s surrounded by people and family at the school. Aria would be by herself.”

She waved a hand at him and wiped at a tear, “I can manage by myself during the day and we’ll all be together at night. Gus, this is your chance to finally use magic in Hogwarts. Don’t let that go just for me. The solstice is in a few weeks. Why don’t we all take that time to get used to all of these new developments? Who knows what will happen then?”

******

Neville twisted a napkin in his hands nervously as his mother poured tea for the headmaster. They’d all been surprised when he’d shown up on their doorstep a few minutes earlier. It was certainly rude of him to invite himself over without sending an owl ahead. Neville held in a surprised laugh when his little brother scowled and pouted, “Mummy! I’m supposed to be out riding with Dad. He’ll be waiting for me. Can’t I go?”

Alice smiled a little too brightly at her youngest son, “Go ahead out to the stable, darling. Tell Daddy that the headmaster is visiting.”

Garreth jumped out of his chair and rolled his eyes while grumbling under his breath, “Yeah, and then he’ll have to come back inside. My ride with Dad is still ruined.”

Albus sipped his tea merrily as if he hadn’t heard the boy’s complaints. “This is lovely, Alice! I must say, I’m surprised that Augusta isn’t here to perform the hosting duties.”

Alice sat the teapot down on the table a little harder than she intended to and winced at the loud crack of ceramic on glass. Her fingers trembled as she gathered courage “I thought it was common knowledge that she was stricken from the family. Is there something you need to discuss regarding my contract, sir?”

The sound of Frank’s boots clicking on the hardwood floor was a relief. His rich voice filled the room and she watched the tension slide from Neville’s shoulders. “Headmaster. What a surprise.” His tone let the other man know that it was not a pleasant surprise.

Albus twinkled brightly at his former student and winked at the surly little boy standing beside him, “I admit that it was a rather spur-of-the-moment decision to pay you all a visit. I fear what I have to discuss with you would be better said with the children out of the room.”

Neville held in an anxious giggle when his little brother hissed, “I’m not going anywhere without Dad. It’s my day to spend with him!”

Alice rolled her eyes at her son and thumped him gently on the rump, “Why don’t you three take Lillian out to the garden? Your father and I will come out as soon as we can.” She held up a finger when Garreth started to protest, “I promise this won’t take long. Go. Please.”

Neville took Lillian from his mum’s arms and smiled tremulously, “I’ll keep an eye on them. Come on, Garreth. I’ll show you the venomous tentacula growing out behind the stables.”

Albus sipped his tea silently as the four children shuffled out of the sitting room. When he heard the last of the littlest boy’s complaints cut off by the closing of a door, he cleared his throat. “I’m sure you have a guess about why I’ve come today.”

Alice’s scowl deepened as Frank ground his teeth. Her husband’s voice was clipped when he answered, “I warned you last time, Dumbledore. We won’t hear any of your fear-mongering about prophecies. You seem to forget that I work in the DMLE. It was easy enough to take a trip down to the Hall of Prophecies in the DoM. I’ve seen the prophecy you’re so convinced our Neville is part of.”

Albus was shaking his head in disbelief. He couldn’t let this go. “How were you able to hear the prophecy? You weren’t named in it. No matter. With Harry Potter dead, it is clearer now than ever that the prophecy speaks of Neville. He is the child born as the seventh month dies. He is the only one who can defeat the Dark Lord.”

Frank rolled his eyes and started tapping his foot with pent-up anger, “I took Neville and had him pick up the orb. Nothing but an empty glass bauble. There wasn’t even the barest hint of prophecy smoke in it. I don’t know what you’re playing at here, Dumbledore, but I’d appreciate it if you stopped trying to drag us into your schemes. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have two horses saddled and waiting.” 

Alice stood gracefully and motioned for the headmaster to follow. She held the front door open for him and waited until he was over the threshold to speak again. “I’ll pretend you didn’t interrupt my holiday and see you at the staff meeting in August, sir.” She closed the heavy wooden door and leaned back against it to allow the shaking in her knees to cease when the comforting feel of the wards locking him out washed over her. 

******

Narcissa frowned when their party landed on a crowded hill in Salisbury. The serious overcrowding was precisely why they preferred to celebrate at home. Something about the location felt off. Her eyes flicked to her spouse and she swiped her hands down her skirt in an uncharacteristic nervous movement. Her tension eased some when Jewel lifted her glittering green head to scent the air from beneath her hair. The snake’s tongue darted out and back into her mouth several times. Narcissa stroked the smooth scales and sighed.

Severus wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to kiss her cheek. “Don’t fret, love. I sent Nell ahead to prepare our space.”

She leaned into his side and closed her eyes briefly, “I think the magic is already being stirred up by the crowd. It was just a bit overwhelming. I’m alright now. How do we always let the children decide what we do on holiday? Just once I’d like to have a quiet ritual at home.”

Lucius pinched her bottom and leaned his head between the two to kiss them. “Our family takes up considerable real estate now, darling. There are quite a lot of us. I’m not entirely sure a ritual at home would be any smaller.”