Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hermione traced her finger over the moving photograph with a frown. She had expected to feel… different . Whether grief or joy or pain… she had just expected to feel different when she finally found them. But she didn’t feel anything. 

It had been easy to sneak several old Hogwarts photography books in with her school books at the end of the year. Ms. Pince knew Hermione treasured the tomes and wouldn’t allow any harm to them, so when Hermione had gone to her requesting to check some out for the summer the older woman hadn’t needed much convincing. Being petrified may have excused Hermione from the exams and school work she missed, but Hermione would still need the knowledge . She would still need to know everything that she missed if there was any hope of her not being utterly lost when the new term started. 

1970 Quidditch Champions - Ravenclaw House

Alex Broadmoor - Chaser 

Alexander Broadmoor. He had been a wizard. He had been a wizard .

“Bunny!” Daniel Granger called from the bottom of the stairs. “Dinner!”

Hermione carefully set the book down on her bed and numbly walked down to the dining room to join her parents. 

As usual, Daniel was in the kitchen finishing up dinner while Jean Granger set the table. Both Mr. and Mrs. Granger made a point to be home as much as possible during the summer so they could spend time with their daughter. Daniel was a short and portly man with curly auburn hair who always had a warm smile to offer a stranger while Jean Granger nee Dubois was tall and elegant with dark skin and curly black hair that she tied back with silk headbands while she worked. The Doctors Granger owned a successful dental practice with several offices that allowed them to set their own schedules. During the school year while Hermione was away, they both worked, but during those wonderful breaks when she was home they would alternate days working and staying home during the week. Then, on weekends, they would take family trips to museums, zoos, and whatever else peaked their curiosity.

Jean was the first to notice Hermione and frowned. “Hermione? What’s wrong, love?”

Hermione opened her mouth to answer her mother, but for once no words came to mind. How did she tell them? 

“Daniel!” Jean called, turning to the kitchen.

Daniel appeared a few moments later, wiping his hands on his apron. “What’s wrong, Jeannie?” He asked, turning to their daughter when Jean gestured. “Bunny?”

“He was a wizard…” Hermione finally managed. “Alexander Broadmoor was a wizard.”

“Oh Hermione…” Daniel frowned as he pulled her into a tight embrace. 

“How did you find that out?” Jean demanded with a frown. “Did- did someone write you a letter? His family?”

Hermione shook her head. “He’s in one of my books from school.”

“Could it be another Alex Broadmoor?” Dan asked gently. 

Hermione shook her head again. “There was a photo of him.”

Jean frowned, biting her thumb nail as she paced the dining room. “Was it a clear photo?”

Hermione nodded wordlessly. 

“Oh come now, don’t get all gloomy.” Dan smiled. “This is good! We can see if there’s more information about him now, can’t we? Like… what house was he in?”

“Ravenclaw,” Hermione answered with a small smile. 

“The smart house! You wanted to be a Ravenclaw, didn’t you Bunny?”

“I did. I thought that’s where I would end up.”

“Well there you go! Like father like daughter!” Dan grinned as he jostled her gently. 

“Yeah, but I’m a Gryffindor, Dad.”

“Well maybe that’s where your mum was! Maybe they met in school.”

Hermione nodded with a small smile. “Maybe.” She looked up at the pacing Jean and frowned. “Mum?”

Jean sighed heavily before she walked over and pulled Hermione from Dan’s arms and into her own. “I’m glad you found information about them, Hermione.” She murmured. “I promise I am. I just don’t want any wizards thinking they can come steal you away now that you know.”

Hermione wrapped her arms tightly around her mother. “I think that if anyone wanted me… they’d have come gotten me a long time ago.”

“ We want you, Bunny.” Dan frowned, putting a hand on Hermione’s back. “And if those magic folk can’t see what a perfect and intelligent girl you are, they don’t deserve you.” He grinned, “Besides. Even if they tried to come steal you away from us, your mum would use all her special skills to hunt them down. Magic or no magic, it’s impossible to hide from Jean Granger once she’s decided to look for you.”

“Daniel.” Jean scolded exasperatedly as Hermione started giggling. “Honestly. As if I would let them leave the house with our Hermione.” She grinned down at her daughter and kissed Hermione’s forehead. “They’d be dead before they even got to the stairs.” She whispered conspiratorially. 

Hermione began laughing in earnest now at the thought of her mother in her housecoat and pink fluffy slippers, hair wrapped in a silk bonnet, taking down an unsuspecting wizard that tried breaking in. 

“Oh, you think that’s funny do you?” Jean challenged, tickling Hermione’s sides. “I’ll have you know I’m highly trained!”

“Mum!” Hermione shrieked joyfully, “Mum, stop!”

Dan smiled adoringly at his wife and their daughter for several moments before the fire alarm began wailing. All three Grangers looked towards the kitchen; Hermione and Jean confused, and Dan with growing horror. 

“The gravy!” Dan cried and ran to the stove.

Hermione and Jean shared identical smiles before they began laughing together once more. 

---

Dan and Jean Granger had met in Strasbourg, France. Jean, originally from Amiens, had been taking a small vacation after the Parliamentary session had ended and her services were no longer needed. Dan, a London native, had been on vacation. Dan had taken one look at the furious Jean, yelling at and scolding the man attempting to pickpocket Dan, and been instantly smitten. Jean, exhausted from working around the clock at the end of the session, had recognized the pickpocket from a previous interaction where the man had stupidly tried to rob a group of Parliament Members, and was intent on giving the idiot a piece of her mind. Rescuing a stupid Englishman had been an unexpected coincidence, but she hadn’t turned down Dan’s offer of coffee. Only stupid people turned down free coffee. 

From there, the two had quickly fallen in love. Just two years later they were married and living happily in France with Jean's mother. But, when Dan’s father died, the couple moved back to England to help care for the grieving and frail Annaliese Granger. It was in England that Dan and Jean began trying to build their family. Unfortunately, fate had other plans. No matter what they tried, they just couldn’t get pregnant. 

Six years after moving to England, Dan and Jean decided to stop trying to get pregnant. They turned their efforts into volunteering and giving back to their community. They began traveling to different libraries to teach children about dental hygiene and pass out free toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss. At one such library they met little Hermione Broadmoor. Hermione’s parents died in a fire when she was four, and when no family came forward to claim her, she had gone to a children’s home. Just like with each other, Dan and Jean had quickly fallen in love with the intelligent six year old. Jean adored how unexpectedly blunt the little girl was, especially when pointing out that Dan’s toothbrush puppet wasn’t actually talking. It was clearly just Dan moving the puppet’s mouth and speaking in a silly voice. Dan in turn adored the little girl's curious nature and how she wouldn’t hesitate to ask a question, or twenty, if she wanted to understand something. 

So, Dan and Jean Granger finally grew their family. Hermione Broadmoor became Hermione Granger and was spoilt in every way her parents could imagine. She was everything they could have wished for in a child, even if she did have the tendency to make strange things happen. Books that they knew had been returned to the library ended up in Hermione’s room again, cookies from Mémé DuBois that were tucked in high cabinets were easily found and pilfered, but the most damning evidence that their Hermione was special was when Jean watched as Hermione floated up to peek into a bird’s nest that was nestled into a tall branch. 

---

Given all of their daughter’s other skills, Jean and Dan were somewhat relieved when Minerva McGonagall turned up at their door on Hermione’s eleventh birthday. There was a school where Hermione would be able to go and learn about being a witch, where she would be able to make friends with children like her! Jean and Dan had been thrilled and, much like with everything else Hermione did, they jumped headfirst into learning whatever they could about this new part of their daughter’s life. 

What Dan hadn’t expected was the visceral reaction to their little Hermione purely because her parents weren't magical. There had been issues with Hermione making friends as a young child because of her unique abilities, but these children were just like her. It was supposed to be different. Jean however, was intimately aware of how cruel the world could be if you were different. Even if you were supposed to be the same, people always found ways to exclude those they thought were different. She let Dan soothe their daughter and wipe her tears, offering kind words and assurances. Once Hermione was smiling again, Jean instilled more valuable lessons in her brilliant sponge of a mind. Lessons of patience and cunning, of finding the right time to strike when your opponent wasn’t expecting retaliation. Jean taught her daughter to be vicious with her revenge and to not get caught. 

---

While the Weasley family sorted through their school purchases, Hermione grabbed Harry’s hand and pulled him into her room. 

“Mione!” Harry protested, pushing his glasses back up into place. 

“Sorry, Harry. But this is important.” She breathed with a smile, dragging him over to the books spread across her bed. “I found my father! He went to Hogwarts.” She pointed to Quidditch photo she found and to the family photo beside it. “He looks younger, but look!” 

Harry smiled as he picked up the picture of the small family, Alexander standing beside his wife while she held young Hermione. “That’s great, Mione! How did you find him?”

“Well…” She trailed off with a frown as she scooped Crookshanks into her arms. “I figured it was worth a shot. We always had trouble finding information about him when I was younger, and I was thinking that maybe there was a reason for it. Maybe we couldn’t find records about him because there weren’t any in the non-magical world.”

“That’s so cool!” Harry grinned. “Do you think you might find your Mum too? Maybe you’re like me!”

“Maybe!” She laughed. “But I haven’t found anything about her yet, but she might have been in a different year. Hogwarts doesn’t exactly have yearbooks.”

“Yeah… but a challenge hasn’t stopped your brain before.” He nudged her. “Even when you were petrified you helped Ron and me.”

“Ron and I.”

“No? It was Ron and me in the Chamber.” 

“What? No. I mean-” Hermione cut herself off as Harry’s confused frown turned to a mischievous smile. “Harry!” She snatched up a pillow from the bed and hit him with it.

Harry cackled gleefully, grabbing the other pillow to hit her back. With Hermione and Ron at his back, he wasn’t afraid of the madman Sirius Black. Black should be afraid of them.

Chapter Text

Third Year started off admittedly much calmer than Second Year had. Instead of a celebrity, their Defense teacher was a strange man named Remus Lupin. He was, in Hermione’s opinion, their most competent teacher. Hopefully, that would continue to be the case and he wouldn’t attempt to maim or murder Harry. Hermione’s one complaint was that Professor Lupin’s condition meant that once a month his students were subjected to the likes of Professor Snape. It hadn’t taken long for Hermione to figure out what was actually causing Professor Lupin to be absent once a month, and Professor Snape’s horrifying essay had only confirmed her suspicions. She had so many questions! All of the books in the library portrayed werewolves as vicious beasts waiting to devour innocent children in their beds. 

Hermione was not swayed by the stories in the books. Professor Lupin was one of the most fair professors in the school! He took points from all houses equally, and he didn’t put up with nonsense in his classroom. Besides, if the books in the Hogwarts library were to be believed, Muggleborns had either stolen their magic, were descendants of squibs hidden in the outside world, and Muggles were all dangerous and dumb creatures barely capable of speech let alone living outside of their mud huts. 

Honestly ! For a civilization that lauded itself on being superior and advanced, they were short sighted bigots. Professor Lupin was no more dangerous than Hermione’s mother- well… no more dangerous than Hermione’s father.  

Never one to shy away from a challenge, when Professor McGonagall had brought up Hermione being able to take all the electives using a highly regulated ministry time turner, Hermione had jumped at the chance. Did she have to take muggle studies as someone who had been raised by muggles? No. But getting to see everything that Wizards thought they knew about the muggle world had been fascinating! How often did one get to experience their own world viewed through a completely different culture! That excitement had quickly been tempered after the first class. 

Divination was a whole other beast. Hermione flatly refused to return to that incense filled hell hole after the first week. Divination was nonsense and she would rather put her time to use studying for meaningful classes rather than write in dream journals and drink tea. 

If you ignored the escaped murderer potentially after her best friend, it was looking like Hermione might actually get to experience a normal year at Hogwarts!

---

Hermione sniffled as she sat, the cold already seeping through her jeans. It wasn’t her fault that the broom had been sent off for further research! She had only wanted to make sure the broom wasn’t going to kill Harry. The last thing anyone needed was a repeat of first year when Quirrell had cursed Harry’s broom. Quidditch was dangerous enough without cursed equipment. 

She had hoped that meeting Harry and Ron at the Three Broomsticks with Butterbeer would at least get them to talk to her, but they hadn’t even spared her a glance! Thankfully Rosemerta had taken pity on her and allowed her to take her fish and chips to go. She was just about to take a bite when she heard a soft woof . Hermione looked up and stared in alarm at the giant black dog laying on the ground a few feet in front of her. 

“H-Hello boy…” She stammered, looking around in hopes another student might be nearby to help her if this dog-bear decided to eat her.

“ Woof! ”

Hermione sighed with a frown, looking down at her lunch. “You want some of this, don’tcha boy?”

The giant black dog whined, wiggling closer to her.

“Alright. But only one. Got it?” She told him, shaking a stern finger at him. “This is my lunch.”

As much as Hermione might have meant that she was only going to give the mangy looking dog one of her fishsticks, it was so nice to unburden herself to another living being. Granted the dog never talked back, but sometimes that was easier. When the food ran out, she expected the dog to run off and find other food, but was pleasantly surprised to find that he stayed. As far as companions went, he wasn’t any worse than Harry or Ron. Harry and Ron were both often unkempt like the dog, and the dog had better table manners than Ron, especially considering the dog had probably gone a lot longer without food than Ron Weasley ever did. 

When her wand began to buzz, indicating it was time to head back up to the castle and study, Hermione stood and straightened her cloak. She had only allocated a short amount of time to come to Hogsmeade and try to mend things with Harry and Ron. “Well Puppy… My time is up. I have to get back to the castle to study. Time for you to find another person to beg some food off of.” She scratched his head once last time before heading off to the castle. 

---

Hermione tried to make it back out to Hogsmeade to see Puppy, she really tried. Between her classes and the electives she was taking, she hardly had time to breathe , especially now that she was also working with Hagrid to try and save Buckbeak. Ron and Harry were little help if they were any at all. She hardly had time to sleep let alone travel into town to be ignored by her friends. 

Ron was still hot and cold about whether he was deciding to be friends with Hermione or calling her names for Crookshanks being a cat . It was hardly her fault that Ron brought a non-sanctioned pet to Hogwarts in a place full of predators! If it wasn’t Crookshanks it could have been any of the other cats roaming the school, or the owls. It could have even been Hedwig for God’s sake! 

It was on one such warm spring day when Ronald wasn’t being a complete jerk that he and Harry forced Hermione out to walk with them. 

“Honestly, Mione!” Ron protested, “You can’t just live in the library, you know? It’s not a bad thing to see the sun.” He reached out and tugged on a bit of her hair, earning a frosty glare.

“I do not live in the library, Ronald.”

“You might as well. You’re starting to look like the Burrow’s attic Ghoul.”

Harry grimaced, “Mate…”

“What! It’s not my fault she spends all her time in the library!”

“Well you could spend a little more time in the library, Ronald!” Hermione fumed. “Or, try being a bit kinder to the person you rely on to save your shoddy essays!” And while she knew it was childish, it did feel good to shove Ron and stomp away. She was on her way back to the castle when movement in the corner of her eyes caught her attention. She beamed at the sight of Puppy frolicking in the trees at the edge of the forbidden forest near Hagrid’s hut. 

The giant dog was quick to notice her and came bounding over. 

“Hello, Puppy!” Hermione cooed. “I’m so sorry I haven’t come to see you. I’ve been having the worst time organizing my study schedule.” She scratched behind his ears. “I’m afraid I only have an apple in my bag, but you’re welcome to it if you want.” 

She pulled the apple out of her bag and tossed it towards him, cheering as he snatched the fruit out of the air. 

“I was headed to the library to study… and I hate admitting that Ron is right, but it is a nice day out.” She sighed heavily as she looked around. It was one of those rare perfect Scottish spring days. She looked down at Puppy with a heavy sigh. “Winter was not kind to you, was it?” She murmured then sighed again. “Alright. You stay here, I’m going to the kitchens to get you something to eat and to the tower to get my books. I’ll be back here as soon as I can, okay Puppy?” 

Hermione didn’t expect him to still be around when she returned, but much to her delight he was. She transfigured a rock into a blanket to study on and fed Puppy little bits of turkey from the house elves as she reviewed her essays for the week. 

“You know…” She hummed. “Puppy really isn’t a fitting name for a big beast like you.” She set down her parchment and leveled a scrutinizing gaze on her furry companion. “I was named after the daughter of Helen of Troy and if Crooks hadn’t come with his name I would have named him Poseidon. He was one of the moodiest of the greek gods. But you…” She frowned thoughtfully. “You look like you’ve been on a journey, and I would hardly call you moody.” She smiled widely. “Odysseus. That’s what I’ll call you.” She scratched behind his ears again. “How does that sound, Odey?” She crooned. 

Hermione made it her mission to ensure Odysseus was fed whenever she could, even if it meant leaving the library to revise her essays out on the grounds. It was comforting. Her parents had always been too busy when she was younger to adopt a dog, and with Hermione away for long stretches of the year it was almost an impossible wish. Crookshanks even joined them from time to time, curling up with Odey and stealing bits of food from him. Her cat had an excellent judge of character, so Hermione wasn’t surprised that he liked Odysseus. Both were uncommonly intelligent and while Crookshanks preferred to curl up in Hermione’s lap rather than listen to her vent about her friends, Odysseus seemed more than happy to listen to her. 

---

Needless to say, when it was discovered that Odysseus was none other than Sirius Black, Hermione was quite mortified. She wasn’t entirely sure if him not being a murderer after Harry made it better or worse that Hermione had opened her soul to him and sometimes had even cried on him when the stress of the year got to be too much. Up in the tower, watching him have a few private words with Harry, Hermione pondered throwing herself from the ledge to avoid embarrassment. 

“Penny for your thoughts, Little Witch?” Sirius murmured, his voice a scratchy rumble. 

Hermione jumped, frowning at him with wide eyes. “N-no sir.”

He smiled and pulled her into a hug that Hermione had to force herself not to flinch away from. It was hardly his fault that he was boney and didn’t smell the cleanest… 

“Thank you. You’ve saved me a few times now.” He said. “Harry too if the Prophet is to be believed.”

“He’s my friend,” She frowned. 

The man’s smile softened as he released her, looking a bit sad. “He’s lucky to have friends like you. Stay safe, little witch. I’ll be in touch with you and Harry just as soon as it’s safe. Maybe I can convince you to work on my defense as faithfully as you did Buckbeak’s.” He finished with a grin. If he was cleaner and less gaunt, Hermione figured it would be quite a handsome smile.

“You’re innocent!” Hermione protested. “What defense would you need besides that?”

“My innocence didn’t seem to matter when they threw me in Azkaban without a trial.” 

“They what !?” Hermione hissed, incensed. 

Sirius chuckled and ruffled her hair gently. “Enjoy your summer before you start fighting, okay? You worked yourself hard this year.”

Hermione frowned, but acquiesced with a nod. “Yes, Sir.”

“Like I told Harry, call me Sirius or Padfoot. I’m hardly a ‘sir’”

She nodded, wrapping her arm around Harry as they watched his godfather mount Buckbeak and fly into the night.

“He invited me to live with him, Mione.” Harry whispered.

“That’s great, Harry.” Hermione smiled, squeezing his shoulders. “We’ll have to free him so you can live with him.”

---

Atop the flying hippogriff, Sirius Black leaned his head back and enjoyed the feeling of flying for the first time in over a decade. He had hoped the swirling sensation he felt in his magic was just due to Hermione’s closeness to his godson. Up in the clocktower though, the strange feeling in his magic only got stronger. He knew what part of it was; his bond with Harry as his Godfather. But this girl… something was up with her. First thing on his ever growing list after finding a place for him and his new Hippogriff friend? Convince Andy he hadn’t gone dark and ask her when the hell she had had a second kid. That was the only explanation for the family magics to be so… excited around Harry’s friend. She certainly wasn’t a Malfoy with that mop of hair, and Bella had been too crazy to have a child, so that left Andromeda. 

Chapter Text

The Black Family owned several properties around the world, but the ancestral seat had always and would always be Blackwell Hall. Located in Kent, Blackwell Hall was a grey stone manor in the shape of a ‘U’. Arcturus Black had been the last Lord Black to reside at Blackwell Hall, and considering Sirius hadn’t often heard from the Old Codger before Azkaban, he wouldn’t at all be surprised to find Arcturus’s corpse somewhere in Blackwell Hall. 

Buckbeak landed outside the iron gates and Sirius dismounted with a tight sigh. In his childhood, before Hogwarts, many summers had been spent at Blackwell Hall with Reggie, Bella, Dromeda, and Cissa. They had been about as happy as any Pureblood Scion’s summer could be. Before Hogwarts, the five cousins had all been close, promising to not let the insanity they saw plaguing their parents affect them. Yes, they had had their squabbles; Bellatrix had never forgiven Sirius for being born and taking the Head of House position from her. Had Sirius and Regulus not been born, Rodolphus would have been the interim Lord Black until his son and heir came of age. Bellatrix still defended him when Walburga was at her nastiest though, going toe to toe with her aunt the two of them would screech at each other until something broke and they were forced apart. Sirius closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. He was accustomed to ghosts of the past haunting him in Azkaban, it was why he had spent so much time as Padfoot.

---

Sirius covered his ears as he hid underneath one of the desks in the library. His mother had been schooling him on the History of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black and he had gotten Hesper Black’s death date incorrect. Hesper Black, Born August 17th, 1830 had died on January 3rd, 1862, not February 3rd. 

Walburga had been screaming at him when Bellatrix, a rising 4th year at Hogwarts, had stormed in with her wand drawn.

“How can he be expected to be Lord Black when he can’t even remember who his family was?!” Walburga screeched. 

“He’s six! Salazar Auntie I could barely remember all that nonsense at his age!”

“ You are not Heir Black, girl.” Walburga growled. 

“I might as well have been until Sirius was born.” Bellatrix spat, pointing her wand at her aunt. “You delayed doing your duty to House Black until your thirties !” She laughed, a cold and cruel thing. “Honestly, Auntie we thought your womb had shriveled up an died . ” Bellatrix sneered.

“You will not speak to me in such a way!” Walburga raised her wand, but Bellatrix was faster. Bellatrix had been raised by Druella Rosier-Black. Druella didn’t believe that a witches magic was limited to household spells and disciplining children and Cygnus Black had raised Bellatrix to be the Heir. As a result, even at 14, her casting was faster than her Aunt Walburga.

“Cru-”

“Flipendo Maxima!” Bellatrix cried, smirking smugly as she watched aunt go ass over tea kettle across the room. Returning her wand to its holster, Bellatrix turned to the table where her young cousin was cowering. “Sy, you know better than to cower.” She scolded with a frown. “You are a Black. We do not cower and we do not cover our ears and hide. Especially when we are receiving punishment.”

Sirius sniffled with a frown, looking at her with big stormy grey eyes. “I didn’t mean to get it wrong.”

“But you did.” She extended her hand. “Come on, let’s go find Dromeda and Cissa. I think they took Reggie out to the woods to try and find the unicorns.”

He reached out with a trusting nod and took his older cousin’s hand. 

“And maybe, if you can recite the names, birth, and death dates of the first ten Lord Blacks, Bibble will sneak us some cheese tarts.”

---

Sirius shuddered with a frown as he opened his eyes. “Well… now or never, eh?” He grinned weakly as he turned to Buckbeak. “Time to open Blackwell Hall and see if Grandfather is still around and kicking.” 

Blackwell Hall was meant to be a sanctuary for the House of Black. Anyone capable of reaching the family magic who fed the ward stones would be able to seek sanctuary here. 

Sirius pressed his palm to the lock on the gate and began quietly chanting, “ Sanctuarium Peto. Sanctuarium Peto. Sanctuarium Peto. Sanctuarium Peto. Sanctuarium Peto. Sanctuarium Peto. Sanctuarium Peto.” On the seventh incantation, the lock glowed and his hand began to burn. Sirius hissed in pain, but did not remove his hand from the lock until the glowing subsided. The house was testing his magic, seeing if it matched any of the many magics that had been fed to the Ward Stones over the centuries. He pulled his hand away, shaking it with a grimace as the gate creaked and slowly swung open. 

“Welcome to your new home, Beaky.” Sirius grinned. “There’s a stable out back you can rest in if it’s not too awful and at the very least there are probably some nice big rats running around for you to hunt. I’m going to go investigate the house.” He wasn’t sure why he was giving the Hippogriff so much information, but after being locked up for twelve years it was nice to have someone to talk to. 

He was barely halfway up the path when an ancient house elf appeared in front of him. 

“Master has returned to Blackwell House!” The elf cried, her bat-like ears trembling in excitement. 

Sirius blinked down at the elf, taking in the little female elf in her pink tea cozy. She was… familiar. But it had been almost two decades since Sirius had been to Blackwell Hall. Finally, he smiled. “Bibble… I wasn’t expecting to find you.”

“Bibble has been waiting for Master Sirius. Master Arcturus commanded her to.”

“He did?”

“Yes! Master Arcturus commanded Bibble to wait until Miss Wally’s son to return to claim his place as Lord Black.”

Sirius swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. Arcturus hadn’t commanded Bibble to wait for him… he had commanded his elf to wait for Reggie. Stupid, cowardly, Death Eater Reggie. “When did he give you this order, Bibble?”

“The summer of 1990 before he passed. Bibble and the others buried Master Arcturus in the family plot.”

He nodded, “Well I’m here now. I-I’ve brought a friend with me, a Hippogriff named Buckbeak. He’s hunting right now, but have one of the elves clean out a stall for him in the barn.”

“Of course, Master Sirius!” Bibble chirped. 

“Is there any chance that there’s food around?” Sirius asked hopefully.

“Oh only food for house elves, Master. Not food for Master.”

“House Elf food sounds great, Bibble. Get me some.”

Bibble began pulling at her ears anxiously. “On no Master, Bibble musn’t. Elf food is not good for wizards. You is needing Wizard food. Bibble will-”

“Bibble!” Sirius snarled. “Get me the damn food!” He sighed tensley as the little elf disappeared with a squeak and rubbed his face. He didn’t care what the food was. As long as it was edible and Sirius didn’t have to hunt it himself. Still, he shouldn’t have lost his temper with Bibble. She had taken care of him, Reggie, and his cousins when they were younger. He’d apologize to her later. 

First, Sirius needed to hunt down a wand. Somewhere in Blackwell Hall was a collection of family wands. One of them had to work for him. Once he had a wand he could work on cleaning up and putting on clothes that hadn’t seen the inside of an Azkaban cell.

--- 

Many wizarding families kept the wands of their dead. Some wands became family heirlooms that were passed down, and some were used as training wands for children before they were able to make the trip to Ollivanders. Not every wand was kept, some were burned with their owners, but if a family member was particularly sentimental, they might keep the wand of their spouse or child. At Blackwell Hall, the wands of the Family Black were kept in a chest that would only open for Lord Black. 

With a little blood, Sirius was granted access to the family wands. He was about to close his eyes and focus on the magic of the wands when he spotted it. He would know this wand anywhere. It had been pointed at him often enough after all. A willow wand with delicately carved swirls on the handle and a dragon heartstring core; his mother’s wand. He plucked it from the case, relaxing when it laid still in his palm. Thank Merlin, Morganna, and all four founders that he wouldn’t have to wield that wand.

Sirius laid it to the side and began picking up each wand in the chest one at a time. Some wands laid dead in his hand like Walburga’s had, some caused a subtle stirring in his magic, but none made his magic sing like his Ebony wand had. Finally, he spotted an achingly familiar wand. 

Uncle Alphard had died when Sirius was seventeen. He was living with the Potters by then, but Uncle Alphie still left Sirius some money in his will. It wasn’t a fortune, but it was enough for Sirius to get a flat with Remus. His wand was one of the Black Family heirloom wands, made of yew heartwood with a Thestral hair core, and stained black that in the right light would look almost purple. It was a simple wand, carved in a smooth taper with stars etched into the handle. Uncle Alphard had been one of the few good Blacks that existed, he hadn’t cared that Sirius had been disowned by his parents. 

Sirius exhaled slowly before reaching out and picking up his Uncle’s wand. The feeling of his magic soaring to life was euphoric . “Looking out for me again I see, Uncle Alphie…” He murmured, his voice suddenly thick with tears. Sirius sniffled and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. He was nowhere near as good as Uncle Alphard had been… but maybe he could try. He put all the family wands back into their places in the chest, minus his mother’s and Uncle Alphard’s, then stood. 

“ Incendio!” Sirius cast, pointing his new wand at the fireplace. He smiled at the feeling of magic once more flowing freely through his veins and approached the feeble flames. He silently thanked the elves as he pulled logs from the small neatly stacked pile. Even years on their own, the elves did their best to keep the house so that it could be used as soon as the new Lord Black arrived. 

“Well, Mother. Your precious Reggie is dead and I am Lord Black.” He sneered at Walburga’s wand. He snapped the wand in half before tossing both pieces into the fire. “Good riddance to you. I will be running the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black how I see fit. Reinstating Dromeda and her girls will be the first thing I do.” He looked down at his filthy clothing and paused.

“... It will be the first thing I do after I am presentable and convince her not to kill me.” He amended.

Chapter Text

Moony

Hopefully this little doesn’t take too long to find you. Right now the full moon is two weeks away. I know we have a lot to talk about, but I want you to come spend the full moon with me. The owl will stay close until you decide.

Padfoot

Padfoot

Your owl is a menace. 

Moony

Moony

That’s not an answer. I know Snivilus isn’t supplying you Wolfsbane. Spend the moon with me. 

Please.

Padfoot

Remus stared at the letter with a heavy frown. Sirius was right… but that didn’t mean Remus was going to confirm it. For all he knew, Remus could have a moon or twos worth of the potion saved up. He didn’t , but he could. He waited a few days before responding. 

Padfoot

I’ll be fine.

Moony

Sirius pursed his lips as he read Moony’s letter. “Stubborn arse.” He muttered.  He pulled out a quill and penned a response.

Moony

Fine. Answer me this, what color did Evans charm Prongs hair to be in third year?

Padfoot

Remus stared at the letter in bewildered confusion. “What the bloody-” He realized too late that Sirius must have charmed the letter to a passcode activated portkey when the parchment began to glow in his hands and whisked him away. “Fuck.”

“Nice to see you too, Moony.” Sirius grinned.

“This is kidnapping, you know.” Remus glared. 

“Yeah, but I’m an escaped murderer on the run, kidnapping a werewolf isn’t really that big an infraction when you think of it.” He shrugged, grinning. “Welcome to Blackwell Hall! I keyed you into the wards so you wouldn’t be incinerated upon attempting to enter. Good to know it worked.”

Remus sputtered incredulously. “Good to know it worked !? You weren’t sure?”

“I was mostly sure.” 

“What the hell, Sirius!? You can’t just-”

“No, you can’t!” Sirius shouted as he stood. “ I didn’t betray James! Peter did! You can’t keep blaming me for something I didn’t do!”

“I don’t blame you…” Remus answered softly. 

“Could have fooled me!”

Remus walked over and cupped Sirius’s face in his hands. “I don’t blame you, Pads… I blame me. I should have believed you… I should have fought for you.”

Sirius collapsed against Remus with a sob, clutching the other man’s shirt in trembling fists. “You can’t- You can’t leave me, Moony. I can’t lose you too!”

Remus guided Sirius over to one of the couches and sat, holding his former partner close as he cried and as guilt ate at Remus. Sirius had done some stupid things in the past, but he had never betrayed James. Even the disaster back at school that had nearly killed Snape hadn’t betrayed James, it had betrayed Remus. Sirius had always lived for James, and when they had both been named Harry’s godfathers, he had lived for Harry too. 

The war had changed all of them, made them all more suspicious and untrusting. James and Sirius had thought Remus might have turned against them, Remus was pulled between his two halves; wolf and wizard. Peter withdrew from them, they thought to care for his mother when really he was playing both sides, and Lilly… Lilly became almost obsessed with finding ways to protect Harry. None of them knew just how much she had researched until it was too late. She had used ancient blood magic and her own sacrifice to protect her son against Voldemort. Yes, Mother’s love had protected Harry Potter that night, but so had ancient blood magic. 

---

Sirius woke to find himself deliciously warm. That was how he knew he wasn’t in Azkaban. The days he woke up cold, there was always the fear that he had dreamt escaping and finding Harry… finding Moony again. That he had dreamt it all and was still locked in Azkaban with the dementors. 

“I know you’re awake, Pads.” Remus rumbled from under him. Wait… under him ? He remembered Remus coming here, them bickering, and then him crying. He didn’t remember anything that would end with him curled up on Remus on the couch. 

“Pads, come on. We’re too old to sleep on the couch anymore.” 

Sirius sat up with a frown, “I’ll have you know this is one of the comfiest things I’ve slept on in over a decade.” He meant it as a joke, but it came out sharper than he intended. “Remus…”

“No, no I deserved that.” Remus frowned, sitting up and pushing Sirius off him. He looked around the ornate room with a frown. “Where are we, exactly?” He asked, changing topics. 

“Blackwell Hall. Ancestral seat of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.”

“Didn’t Walburga say she burnt you off the tapestry?” Remus asked with a confused frown. 

“Off hers, yeah. But that doesn’t affect the actual Black Family Tree. The Head of the family would have had to disinherit me for it to mean anything.” 

Remus nodded slowly. 

“And… I’m hoping with your help we can make this a place for Harry too. He should be with us, Remus. That’s what James and Lily wanted.” 

“Pads… you know it won’t be allowed. I’m a werewolf and you're an escaped convict. Even before you broke out, Dumbledore wouldn’t let me have Harry.”

“Which is a load of Hippogriff shit! We are Harry’s godfathers, not Dumbledore!” Sirius glared. “He shouldn’t get any sort of say where Harry goes! It was supposed to be us, then Frank and Alice, then Marleen or Mary, then Andromeda, then Minnie ! There was a list of people they had asked to take Harry if we weren’t able to!”

“Yeah, but he’s-“

“Dumbledore, I know.” Sirius growled. He stood and began pacing. 

“Sirius, what’s going on? Where is this animosity coming from?”

“He knew ! He knew I was innocent! Albus was the one who set the fucking wards, he knew we had switched to Peter!”

Remus blinked at Sirius with a frown. “He… he said you had found a way to break the godfather bond with Harry. That you had succumbed to the Black madness.”

“And you believed him!?” Sirius demanded, “After everything we went through you believed that I could have betrayed James??” He shouted, fists clenched and grey eyes stormy with rage. 

“You believed that I could have been a spy!” Remus countered.

“Because-” Sirius’s eyes widened in horror, his anger bleeding away as he stared at Remus. “He’s been playing us like bloody fucking chess pieces.”

Dumbledore had been the one to express concern about Remus’s ability to fight his instincts, had quietly poked and prodded at the tightly knitted friendship between the Marauders over cups of tea and late night grandfatherly chats.

“I think,” Remus growled, “We need to go through the war and figure out just how much he has played us.”

And so the two men spent the remaining days leading up to the full moon going through the painful years that had followed their time at Hogwarts. They took turns going through months, weeks, and at some points even singular days at a time recounting what had happened from their points of view. It was a painful, but necessary conversation as both Sirius and Remus discovered how deeply Albus Dumbledore had betrayed them. Pieces were still missing, things that they couldn’t understand from their limited knowledge and questions that haunted them. 

Why had Dumbledore needed James’s cloak? Was the timing a painful coincidence or Dumbledore’s careful manipulations?

Why had Longbottom Manor been a safe place for Frank and Alice to hide while Potter Peak hadn’t been safe enough for James and Lilly?

Did Snape not know that Peter was a spy? Or had he told Dumbledore and Dumbledore decided it wasn’t worth sharing?

Things weren’t fixed when Remus and Sirius were done, not by far. There was still a lot of pain and hurt that had to be worked through, but they had come together for a common mission. Albus Dumbledore had something to do with the death of not just James and Lilly, but countless other order members. They weren’t going to let him put Harry in any further danger. Harry was their child now, their cub. James and Lilly had trusted them with his safety and they wouldn’t fail them any longer than they had to.

---

It wasn’t until after the full moon had passed that Sirius remembered another child he needed to discuss with Remus. 

“The little girl with Harry, big hair. Who is she?”

Remus smiled fondly, if a little sadly. “Hermione Granger. She’s very intelligent, reminds me of Lilly.”

“Granger…” Sirius frowned thoughtfully. What had been Andy’s husband’s name… it was something muggle. Granger sounded too much like someone in a textbook from school Sirius only partially memorized. He had been more interested in how things worked than who invented or discovered them. “I know that name…”

“Dagworth-Granger, a famous Potioneer.” Remus supplied. “But no relation. Hermione is a muggleborn.”

“She’s not.”

Remus laughed softly, “She is, Sirius. She talked quite fondly about her two muggle parents who work as dentists.”

“Dentisks?”

“Muggle tooth healers.”

Sirius nodded again, his brows furrowing in confusion. “She’s not a muggleborn, she’s a halfblood at least.”

“What makes you say that?” Remus asked with a raised eyebrow. “You barely know the girl.”

“Her magic called out to mine.” Sirius frowned. “It was Black family magic.”

“Sirius…”

“Don’t look at me like that, Moony.” He glared defensively. “Don’t pity me.” He spat. “I know what I felt. I know my own family magic.”

Remus nodded, “So… what do we do?” He asked. He was willing to humor Sirius about this to an extent, only if to prove to Sirius that what he was feeling might have been Harry and not Hermione.

“We have to contact Andy.”

---

Meda, 

I didn’t do it. When Harry was born, James and Lilly asked Remus and I to be Harry’s godfathers. We did it in the old way with blood vows. I couldn’t have put Harry in danger even if I wanted to. Peter was the spy. He betrayed them and gave them to Voldemort. I can prove it if you’ll let me.

Dumbledore knew I was innocent. I can prove that too.

If you want to listen, this letter will take you and only you to where we would summer as children. Say the name and it’ll bring you to us.

---

“I still don’t think this is a good idea.” Remus frowned as they watched the owl disappear over the horizon. 

“I know, but Meda is our only hope.” Sirius sighed. “Unless you want me to try contacting Cissa-”

“That’s an even worse idea.” 

“So we wait for Meda.”

---

Sirius almost forgot how much Andromeda looked like Bellatrix when she appeared in the living room. She looked even more like Bellatrix with her wand drawn and trained on Sirius.

“Sirius.” Andromeda greeted stiffly, eyes flicking between Remus and Sirius. “What portrait caught us sneaking cookies up to Bellatrix after she found out she was engaged?”

“Callidora.” Sirius answered with a slight grin. “She told us to take another hallway and find the elves' hallway up to Bella’s room.”

Andromeda nodded, though her stance didn’t relax. “You said you could prove it?”

Sirius raised his new wand, pointing it towards the ceiling. “I, Sirius Orion Black, swear on my magic that I was not the one who betrayed the Potters and told Voldemort where they were hiding. Should the magicks find me at fault for their deaths, may they tear me limb from limb with fire and drag my soul to hell.”

Andromeda tensed, her eyes darting around the room as the magic hummed with Sirius’s vow. Finally, a soft golden glow surrounded Sirius as he was deemed truthful. She straightened up with a slight smile at her younger cousin. “Tear you limb from limb with fire and drag you to hell?” She asked, amused. “Nice to see you’re still dramatic, Sy.”

Sirius swallowed with a half smile at Andromeda. He would never admit it, but it lifted some of the weight on his heart knowing that the magicks didn’t find him at fault for Lilly and James’s deaths. That James and Lilly didn’t find him at fault for their deaths in the beyond where their magic flowed with the magicks of old and ancient. 

Andromeda sighed softly and walked over, pulling Sirius into a tight hug. “I missed you.”

Sirius clung to her and pressed his face into his shoulder before replying in a warbly whimper. “Missed you too.”

Chapter Text

Andromeda looked around the study with a critical gaze. “Bibble!”

With a crack! The little elf appeared. “Miss Meda?” She asked hopefully.

“Hello, Bibble.” Andromeda smiled. “Would you please bring us some tea and a few sandwiches?”

“Yes, Miss Meda! Bibble will make your favorites!”

The older witch nodded before looking at Sirius and Remus. “Well-”

“Do you have another daughter?” Sirius interrupted, unable to keep the question from bursting out of him any longer. 

Andromeda’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “...What?”

Remus placed his hand on Sirius’s shoulder and answered Andromeda. “Sirius is convinced that-”

“I felt it, Moony!” Sirius growled, shoving Remus’s hand off his shoulder. “Meda, Harry and one of his friends helped me escape. And when I said goodbye, I felt the family magic. It recognized her and it felt… it felt excited, Meda.”

Andromeda nodded with a frown then shook her head. “I only have one child, Sirius. A daughter, yes. But she’s not at Hogwarts anymore. Merlin’s sake, Sirius, you babysat Nymphadora. And you would have known if I was pregnant.”

Sirius turned, burying his fingers in his hair with a curse. “What if she’s mine , Moony?” He asked, anxiety forcing a whine into his voice. “I slept with witches and muggles alike during the war! What-what if I forgot the charm one day and got a girl pregnant ?”

“Have you consulted the stars?” 

---

“Bunny! Get the door please!” Dan Granger called from the kitchen. 

Hermione bounded over to the door and opened it, “Hello-” Her eyes widened in surprise

 “Oh! Hello Mrs. Weasley.” She greeted politely. Her eyebrows shot up into her hairline as another wizard stepped out from behind Molly. “Professor Dumbledore!”

“Hello Miss Granger.” Dumbledore greeted with a grandfatherly smile. “Are your parents at home?”

“Is Harry okay!?”

“He is perfectly safe with his relatives.” Dumbledore nodded. “Your parents?”

“Right here.” Jean frowned, coming up behind her daughter and placing a hand protectively on Hermione’s shoulder. “How can we help you, Professor?”

“Hello, dear!” Molly smiled, somewhat tensley. “My name is Molly. Your Hermione goes to school with my boys.”

“Ah, yes. While I appreciate it, I hardly think coming here to apologize was necessary.”

Hermione flushed with a frown. “Mum!”

“Apologize?” Molly asked affronted. “For what?”

“I assumed for your son’s ghastly behavior.”
“What have those two done now?” Molly asked with a heavy frown, looking at Hermione. “Have they hurt you, dear girl?”

“No! No the twins haven’t done anything, Mrs. Weasley!” Hermione hurriedly answered. “Mum, why don’t we go to the sitting room?”

“I meant Ronald.”

“Ronald!? What do you mean by Ron?” Mrs. Weasley demanded. 

“Tea sounds wonderful, Miss Granger.” Dumbledore interrupted before the mothers could start at it again. 

Jean pursed her lips, looking down at Molly with her sharp eyed gaze for a moment before nodding and stepping backwards. “Alright.” She turned toward the kitchen. “Dan! We have guests, make us some tea?”

Dan poked his head out of the kitchen, his apron catching the gaze of Molly, “For how many, Jeannie?”

“Five please, Dad.” Hermione smiled, grateful for the excuse to escape the tension temporarily. She gave her mother a warning frown before trotting towards the kitchen. “I’ll come help!”

“Thank you, Bunny!” Dan smiled. 

Jean led Mrs. Weasley and Dumbledore to the sitting room and sat, watching her guests with suspicious brown eyes. 

“Mrs. Granger,” Molly smiled genially. “I believe there must be a bit of a mistake. Ronald is my youngest son. He’s friends with Harry and your Hermione. Fred and George are my twins. I’m not sure why you think Ron has done something to his friend.”

“Mrs. Weasley,”

“Molly, please.” She smiled.

“Mrs. Weasley,” Jean continued. “Ron may be friends with Harry, but he is not a very good friend to my daughter. He calls her names and criticizes her, and just this year he ignored her for months because she was concerned for Harry’s safety.”

“Children tease each other, Mrs. Granger.” Dumbledore chuckled, “I have been an educator long enough to know that children will exaggerate during spats with their friends.”

Fury sparked in Jean’s eyes as she sat up straighter and glared at Dumbledore. The only thing that stopped her from laying into the ancient wizard about his assumptions was the return of Hermione and Dan.

Dan leaned down and kissed his wife on the cheek. “ Mon cœur .” He murmured before he sat and began pouring the tea and stirring in a splash of milk and two cubes of sugar. He passed Jean the cup then looked at their guests. “How do you take your tea?”

“Just milk, Please.” Mrs. Weasley frowned. 

“Milk and extra sweet.” Dumbledore smiled pleasantly. 

Once everyone had their tea, Dan settled back in his seat. “We don’t often have magical guests!” He smiled. 

“Well, we wanted to come and invite Hermione to spend the summer with us.” Molly smiled. 

“Will Harry be there?” Hermione asked, sitting up straighter. 

“Harry won’t be there until later this summer.” Dumbledore answered. “It’s important that he remain with his family. But Misters Weasley and the young Miss Weasley will all be there.”

Jean watched Hermione wilt in disappointment. Hermione had told them about the so called ‘ family ’ that Harry lived with… and Jean was hardly sure that he needed to stay with them longer than Hermione stayed with them. She turned back to the two older wizards. “Thank you, but no.”

Mrs. Weasley smiled at Jean. “Oh it’s no trouble! I know my boys and Ginny will be excited to see Hermione.”
“They see Hermione year round.”

“We get so little time with our Bunny.” Dan interjected with a smile. “We enjoy having her all to ourselves over the summer.”

“We thought Hermione might be more comfortable over the summer with-”

“With the so called friend that was cruel to her this year?” Jean asked, sipping from her mug. 

“With wizards.” Molly finished. 

Jean slammed her mug down on the table and surged to her feet. “How dare you!” She spat. 

“Mrs. Granger, We just mean-” Dumbledore’s attempt at soothing was interrupted as Jean turned her anger on him

“I know exactly what you mean!” Jean snapped.

“Bunny, you go upstairs.” Dan frowned. “Your Mum and I will handle this.”

Hermione nodded with wide eyes and hurried out of the room, giving her mother a wide berth. 

“Hermione is our daughter, her being a witch doesn’t change that just like her being adopted doesn’t change that!” Jean continued, clenching her fists. “She will not be more comfortable with adults she hardly knows and the boy that bullies her than she is with her parents! She is at your school most of the year and we send her without complaint because we know it’s good for her, but you will not insinuate that my daughter isn’t comfortable in her own home! And to say that she’d be ‘more comfortable around wizards’ ha! You mean around her own kind. Hermione has told me about all the insults she’s faced because of where she comes from and how your lot are different.” Jean leaned closer to Molly and Dumbledore. “You all are no different than the people who look down on you. Now get out of my damn house before I force you out.” 

“Well I never!” Molly huffed with a glare as she stood. “I’ve never met a woman-” She stopped when Dumbledore placed a hand on her shoulder. 

“We are sorry for disturbing you,” He apologized with a nod. 

“I’ll show you to the door.” Dan murmured with a tight smile.

“We can find it ourselves.”

“Then find it.” Jean hissed with a glare at Dumbledore. Despite Dumbledore’s assurances that they could find the door, she followed them anyway. 

---

“Have you consulted the stars?” 

Remus turned to Andromeda with a baffled expression, his eyebrows furrowing. “Have you consulted the stars ?! What kind of pureblood, black family madness crap is that ? Divination?! Surely there are more reliable ways!”

Andromeda shot Remus a withering scowl. “I’m not talking about divination, Remus. I’m talking about the family tapestry.” 

Sirius blinked at his cousin. “…We have not.” 

Andromeda shook her head. “Honestly, Sy.” She muttered disappointedly. “Come on, let’s go check.” 

“Hey! I spent the last decade plus some in Azkaban! You’re lucky I’m not a drooling loon!” Sirius protested as he chased after Andromeda. 

“Why aren’t you a drooling loon?” 

“He is.” 

Sirius elbowed Remus in the ribs. “They don’t affect animals as much.” 

Andromeda was silent as she walked, waiting for Sirius to inevitably explain without her having to ask ridiculous questions. 

“We became Animagi in school,” 

She nodded. “Illegally I’m assuming since you weren’t placed in the restricted part of Azkaban?” 

Sirius nodded, running his fingers through his hair. “What if she’s mine? Does she think her muggle father is her father or does she think I abandoned her?” He blanched. “Oh god… what if she and Harry like each other. That’s incest! ”

“They’re not blood related Sirius, it wouldn’t be incest.” Moony frowned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Harry’s ours, and if Hermione is mine then it’s incest!” Sirius rubbed his face with an anxious groan. “Oh Merlin… I haven’t even been their father for a few months and I’m already fucking this up!”

“I mean, they’d only be half related through you.” Andromeda pointed out. “So it’s not the worst incest our family is guilty of.”

Remus turned, shooting Andromeda an incredulous glare. “They’re not related at all so it’s not even a little incest! Why are you encouraging this?!”

Andromeda shrugged, “He’s spinning out. Telling people spinning out their wrong is just going to make them double down, I’m using logic.”

Remus pinched the bridge of his nose with an agitated groan. 

The Black Family Tapestry was not a tapestry as much as it was a living planetarium. The ceiling of the tapestry room was domed and made of glass, perfect for viewing the actual night sky either with the naked eye or using one of the many telescopes the room had. The walls of the solarium were where the tapestry lived. A night sky of stars that actually twinkled and moved, showing the many branches of the Black family tree. Each member of the family was their own labeled star and Heads of the Family were planets so one could easily find who had been in charge of the family during each generation. When a person died their star or planet stopped twinkling as brightly, fading significantly so the living members of the family could shine in their place. 

“Hopefully this girl is in the main branch and easy to find.” Andromeda murmured as Sirius opened the door to the solarium. “If she’s a cadet branch or distantly related, the Black family Magics might just be stronger in her.”

“And I’m telling you both that you’re insane.” Remus frowned. “Hermione talked to me about her parents!”

Sirius growled and stormed away from Remus to where a small group of stars outshone the rest. 

“What’s the harm in at least humoring him?” Andromeda murmured with a glare. “It isn’t like he’s kidnapped the girl. Maybe he did feel the family magic in her. Her parents could be squibs and she could have been born with magic, one of her parents could be a wizard in hiding, or you could be right and Sirius was just feeling a fluctuation in his magic after Azkaban. He’s not hurting anyone by coming up here.”

“Yes, but how big of a possibility is it that she’s related to you two?”

“You two should finish talking about me and come see this.” Sirius called from across the room. 

“Did you find her?!” Andromeda asked, unable to keep the surprise from her voice as she walked briskly over to her cousin, Remus following behind at a much more sedate pace. No, she hadn’t believed that this muggleborn was related to the Black family through some long lost squib. But she hadn’t seen any harm in coming up here to find a definitive answer either. This way, Sirius could see for himself that the girl wasn’t related to them. She stared at the cluster of lit stars, searching for a name she didn’t recognize. 

“She’s a Black alright.” Sirius whispered in shock as he pointed to the brightly twinkling star whose label was switching as though it couldn’t make up its mind on which name to use for the child.

Phebe Bellatrix Lestrange

Hermione Jean Broadmoor-Granger

Andromeda followed the line up to one directly connected to where her own star had been. “She’s… she’s Bella’s .” She whispered in shock. 

From a few feet away on the family tree, Remus called out at the same time in almost unhinged agitation. “Sirius, why the bloody hell are Harry and Lily listed as your children !?”

Chapter Text

Jean Granger tapped her fingers on her coffee mug as she stared out into their back garden. In the week since their visitors Hermione had received two letters asking for her to visit- one from Ronald, which included a half arsed apology for his behavior, and the other from Ron’s little sister Ginny. It didn’t make sense. Hermione was cagey about answering question about her friend Harry’s home life, usually just saying it wasn’t good and that Harry’s Aunt and Uncle didn’t like magic. So why did a mother and the Headmaster of Hogwarts so badly want Hermione to join them during the summer over a child whose homelife was at the very least uncomfortable. 

Could this have to do with Hermione’s birth parents? Had she acted too rashly in kicking them out? No. They would have brought up Alexander if that was the case, used that to try and convince Hermione to stay with them. Jean didn’t want to think it was because they were just bigots and prejudiced against her and her husband for not being magical… But she wasn’t familiar enough with their world to make that call. 

That night after dinner, while Hermione was excitedly tucking in to the peach tart Dan had made, Jean pounced. “Hermione, is your friend Harry being abused at home?” She knew well enough that the best way to ensure her daughter didn’t have the chance to make up a story was to catch her off guard. 

Hermione froze and looked up at her mother. “What?”

“You mentioned that his Aunt and Uncle don’t like magic, and when Mrs. Weasley and Professor Dumbledore came to visit the first thing you asked was if he would be joining as well.”

Hermione swallowed, carefully placing her fork down. “I-I don’t know… he’s never said.”

“But you think he is?”

Dan reached across the small table and placed his hand over Hermione’s. “You’re not in trouble, Bunny.” He murmured. 

“Yeah… I think he is.” Hermione murmured, looking down at her plate. “He’s always super skinny when he comes back for the fall term, and he never wants to go home for the holidays. Not even Christmas ! And then last year when we were on the train…” She frowned deeply. “He… I think he had a bruise on his arm.”

Dan placed his other hand on his wife’s leg with a meaningful frown. This was not the time for her to jump on Hermione and interrogate her about this. “A bruise like he bumped into something?” He asked gently.

Hermione shook her head. “No. It was too big. And it went around his arm.” She picked up her fork and poked at the tart. “He also got so excited when his godfather offered to let Harry come live with him. He barely even knows Sirius and-”

“Sirius Black !?” Jean demanded, ignoring her husband’s hand tightening on her knee. “The escaped murderer ?”

Hermione’s eyes went wide as she stared at her mother in silence for a heartbeat. “It’s not like that, Mum! He’s innocent! They didn’t give him a trial or anything and Peter Pettigrew is alive and he admitted that he gave up Harry’s parents to Voldemort! We would have been able to prove his innocence if Professor Lupin hadn’t turned into a werewolf and-” She gasped and covered her mouth, her eyes filling with tears. “It’s not as bad as it sounds I promise!”

“It sounds bad, Bunny…” Dan murmured worriedly. 

“It’s not! I promise it’s not! Please, you have to let me go back to Hogwarts! Harry needs me!” Hermione pleaded tearily. 

“Hermione, you’re just a kid too.” Dan murmured. “You have to let us take care of you .”

“Before we make any decisions, you need to tell us the whole truth.” Jean frowned. “Everything that you’ve been hiding from us. Okay?”

“You’ll let me go back to school?”

“We will do our very best. And if not Hogwarts, then we’ll look at some of those other schools. Okay? But if you don’t tell us the truth, then you won’t get any say in the matter. Understood?”

Hermione nodded quickly. 

---

Dan and Jean Granger were not prepared for everything their daughter unloaded. Hermione knew that her mother was not a person to be crossed or lied to, so she told them everything. From the troll in first year, Mr. Weasley and Hagrid fighting in the shop, the basilisk and Dumbledore not doing anything to protect the muggleborn students, being petrified for a large chunk of the year, to all of the drama with Harry’s godfather and how cruel Ron had been that year. It was a long night with many tears shed on all sides and in the end, Hermione curled up between her parents having cried herself to sleep. 

“I’m going to kill him.” Jean hissed, stroking her daughter's hair. 

“Jeannie…” Dan murmured with a frown. 

“She was petrified Dan!” Jean snapped, just barely keeping her voice quiet enough to not wake their daughter. “Hermione said that if she hadn’t had that mirror that she could have died!”

“I know, mon trésor .” Dan murmured. 

“And they didn’t tell us . How could they not tell us?! We’re her parents!” 

“Even more reason for us to not allow her to go off without us during the summer.” 

“We need to learn more about their world. And we need to help her friend, Harry. It doesn’t sit well with me… everything she’s said.” Jean frowned. “The Headmaster is far too interested in that boy to just headlessly leave him with an aunt and uncle that clearly dislike him.”

“So what do we do? We don’t know anyone in their world.”

“I think we should contact Harry’s godfather.” 

Dan paled, “The murderer?”

“If our Hermione is to be believed, he’s innocent. Still… I think it’s best if we have him over for tea while Hermione is at the library.” 

Dan smiled, “Or, we tempt her and send her to a bookstore with some spending money.”

“She’ll suspect something is up.” Jean pointed out. 

“She’ll just have to trust us.”

Jean sighed sadly, tucking a wayward curl away from Hermione’s face. “She hasn’t thus far about things going on there…”

Dan wrapped an arm around his wife’s shoulder, hugging her close over Hermione. “We’ll protect her, Jeannie.”

---

“Sirius, why the bloody hell are Harry and Lily listed as your children !?”

“Wait- what?” Andromeda asked with a confused frown, abandoning her sister’s star. “How would that even work?”

“Uhhh…”
“Sy.” Andromeda frowned, turning to her younger cousin and putting her hands on her hips. “What did you do?”

“In my defense, Lily and James were okay with it!”

“Sirius! What. Did. You. Do?” Remus snarled. 

Sirius rubbed at his face with a heavy sigh. “Walburga blasted me off her tapestry, but I wasn’t officially disowned. So as much as she wanted, I was still the heir over Regulus.”
“What does this have to do with Lily and Harry?” Remus demanded. 

“I wanted to make sure that if something happened to me that the Black heirship wouldn’t fall to Regulus.” Sirius frowned. “He never wanted that, and it would just hand our family seat back to my mother. I was talking things over with James and joked about borrowing Harry. But-”

“Black Heirs have to be pureblood.” Andromeda murmured with a frown, her eyes widening in understanding.

Sirius nodded. “It was just drunken nonsense, Prongs and I were joking about what we would have to do to make Harry my heir and Lily overheard. She’d been trying to find ways to protect Harry, and me adopting her could confuse the curses on some books enough that ones designed to harm muggleborns wouldn’t affect her any longer. So, while Lily was pregnant I adopted her. Then, when Harry was born I adopted him too.”

“But he had two parents!”

“There are some spells that will add parents to a child’s ancestry.” Andromeda explained. “It’s been used in the past when someone’s wife is unable to have a son but their mistress has one. The wife can adopt the child and then her family’s magic will also adopt the child, making it legitimate in the eyes of society. It doesn’t happen anymore, but it’s been used in the past to ensure the family continues and heirs are considered legitimate.”

Remus pinched the bridge of his nose. “Purebloods are fucking insane.” He growled. “So… what? Your Harry’s father and grandfather? How does that even work?!”

“Honestly…” Sirius rubbed the back of his neck with a grimace. “I don’t think about that much.”

“Of course you don’t. You never think!” Remus snapped. “And what was Lily even wanting to look at that she couldn't!? She had had access to everything in Hogwarts!”

“And she wanted to be able to look at everything, not just publicly available ones!” Sirius protested. “I was helping!”

“And you or James couldn’t have just done the research for her!?”
“She wanted to do it on her own, she said there was something specific she was looking for!”

Remus’s eyes widened. “That’s how she found the magic to save Harry… It was blood magic, wasn’t it?”

Sirius gave a small nod. “I think so. But no spell I’m familiar with… I-I think she made her own based on a few different ones.”

“Fucking hell, Sirius. I thought you told me everything!”

“Everything to do with Dumbledore! This wasn’t anything to do with him!” Sirius protested. “Remus, please . I didn’t know what she was going to do!”

“Because you didn’t think! You never do!” Remus shouted back. He raked his fingers through his hair with a snarl. “I can’t believe you. You said we were going to be a team! You promised we wouldn’t keep things from each other any longer!”

“Moony…”

“Don’t.” He snarled, shoving past Sirius as he stalked out of the room. “I can’t look at you right now.”

“Remus!”

Andromeda reached out and grabbed her cousin’s arm. “Sy… give him some space.” She murmured with a frown. “While he’s gone, figure out what else you might have accidentally kept from him. Even if it doesn’t sound important, clearly it’s important to him.” 

Sirius nodded with a heavy frown. “What do we do about Hermione?”

“I think we need to contact Cissa.”

“ Cissa ? Meda-”

“I know. I know… but she’s a Black. She was raised to protect the family just as much as you or I. Harry is the next Lord Black and Hermione is Bella’s daughter. Both of them are currently in the muggle world unprotected. We can’t just leave them there.”

“Hermione’s got parents, Meda. Really good ones according to Remus.”

“Yes. Except how did a Lestrange wind up in the hands of two muggles?”

“I… I don’t know.”

“Exactly. We need to figure out what happened and make sure that she’s not just going to disappear.” Andromeda frowned. “Plus we should protect her parents, if they’ve raised her she probably loves them. They’re family now too.”

Sirius nodded, rubbing his face with a groan. “I really hoped the biggest things I would have to do would be reinstating you and your family. Merlin’s Beard…”

Andromeda patted his shoulder sympathetically. “Come on. We’ve got a letter to write.”

---

It took several attempts with Andromeda’s help, but eventually they had an appropriate letter to send off to Narcissa. Sirius wasn’t expecting a response anytime within the week, which gave him plenty of time to apologize to Remus when he returned. So when a large brown owl came bearing a letter later that evening Sirius was pleasantly surprised. Unfortunately the letter was addressed like a muggle piece of mail and was from an address in Surrey. 

Mr. Black,

I am Daniel Granger. My daughter Hermione is friends with your godson. We hear they had quite the adventure during school and have some questions for you.

My wife and I would love to have you for tea this Saturday at 3pm. 

We hope to see you then,

Dan

Chapter Text

Remus stared at the red brick home, a growing sense of dread filling his gut. If Hermione told her parents about the events of the last school year like the letter indicated, then they knew that their daughter’s teacher was a werewolf and had put her in danger. “I still don’t think this is a good idea, Sirius…” He murmured to the large black dog leashed at his side. 

The fight they had had when Remus returned to Blackwell Hall had been explosive. Sirius had kept another secret from him after they promised they didn’t have any more. But while Sirius didn’t keep his promises, Remus did - and Remus had promised to not leave Sirius again. Remus hadn’t intended on forgiving Sirius so easily, but then Sirius had produced a notebook filled with everything he didn’t tell Remus about or had lied to Remus about in the past. Some of it he had found out about over the years, like the fact that James had been Sirius’s first kiss or that Sirius had broken his favorite tea mug and then blamed it on Peter. Other things he didn’t know, like how Sirius had tried going back to Grimmauld to get Regulus and that was how he got the scar on his chest and not during an Auror raid with James like Sirius had claimed. Or how Sirius and James had gone to Potter Peak after Euphemia and Fleamont had died to collect some of Euphemia’s darker spell books. Euphemia, being a Black by birth, had brought with her into her marriage several ancient Black family tomes as a gift for her genius inventor husband. One of those books contained the spell that Sirius used to adopt Lily, and then once he was born to adopt Harry and make him Sirius’s heir. Remus assumed those books were also the ones that helped Lily create the spell that saved Harry the night Voldemort visited. 

The letter from Hermione’s father had surprised Remus as much as it had Sirius, and while Remus had not intended on coming, Sirius convinced him it was a good idea. Mostly so that Remus could help answer questions that the Granger’s had, keep Sirius in check, and so they could arrive as a man and his dog, not a man and his escaped murderer roommate.

Sirius, ever the annoying optimist, barked and wagged his tail as he grinned up at Remus.

“Yeah yeah…” Remus muttered and entered the house’s garden gate, silently wishing he had given in to Sirius and not worn one of his old sweaters. Remus had hoped to convey that he wouldn’t intentionally harm a student, but he felt shabbily dressed compared to the house before them. Pretty light purple wisteria bloomed on the vines that climbed up the home, and despite being past the peak blooming time they were still healthy looking. The large tree in the front garden cast a large cool shadow over the white iron bench underneath it and part of the house. He exhaled slowly before walking up the neat stone path to the emerald painted door and knocked. They only had to wait a few moments before a tall and elegant woman opened the door. She was fashionable dressed in a pair of black slacks and a silk pink button up shirt with gold buttons.

“You must be Mr. Lupin and Odysseus.” She greeted with a sharp smile. “Come in, Dan is in the living room waiting for us.” She stepped aside and gestured for them to enter.

Once the door was shut once more, Sirius shifted back to a man and smiled at Jean. “A pleasure, Mrs. Granger. Thank you for inviting us.”

Unphased by his smile, Jean grabbed the front of Sirius’s shirt and pulled him closer. “My daughter may believe you are innocent, but I will not be so easily swayed.” She hissed. “I have seen many murderers claim they’re innocent and turn on charming smiles to set those around them off guard. You may flash your pretty smile as much as you like, but fail to prove your innocence and you both will regret it.”

Sirius swallowed, his steel grey eyes widening at the menacing glint in Jean’s dark brown ones. “Yes ma’am.”

Jean released him with a nod. “Good. I would hate to have to poison Hermione’s favorite teacher.” She looked past Sirius to the stiff Remus. “She speaks very highly of you, Professor Lupin.”

“Th-thank you, Mrs. Granger.”

“Jeannie, are you threatening our guests before they’ve had tea?” Dan asked as he came in. 

“I am.” Jean answered, not taking her eyes off the two visitors.

Dan chuckled and lifted her hand. “I do love when you’re violent. But I also appreciate you not running them off before they’ve had a chance to try the cookies Bunny and I prepared,” He murmured, kissing her knuckles. “Mr. Black! A pleasure to meet you!” He greeted, turning and shaking the still staring man’s hand before turning to Remus. “I have to ask, Mr. Lupin. Did you change your name?”

Remus blinked with a frown. “Did I… change my name?”

“Yes! I have to admit it’s quite the choice. Remus, one of the founders of Rome who was abandoned with his brother and then raised by a she-wolf, and Lupin, a name very close to both the Scientific name for grey wolves, the french word for wolf, and the Lupine flower!” Dan smiled eagerly, “It’s quite the name considering your condition!”

“I… I was born with the name.” Remus frowned, flushing lightly. 

Sirius meanwhile, started snickering. “Your name is Wolf Man Wolf.”

“Fascinating!” Dan smiled, shaking Remus’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you either way! Bunny raved about your class in letters.”

Remus jerked his hand away as soon as Dan loosened his grip. He wasn’t used to people being so… eager to talk to him, let alone touch and praise him.

“Come! Come! We have some lovely tea prepared!” Dan gestured for Sirius and Remus to follow him towards the sitting room. With Dan leading the charge, Jean followed up at the end of the group.

“So, Mrs. Granger,” Sirius smiled. “Was Hermione as curious as a baby as she is now? When Harry started getting mobile, Lily and James had-” His attempt at telling a cute story to relax the Grangers died at the positively lethal look Mrs. Granger was giving him. “Nevermind…”

“So tell me, Mr. Black, why is it that you were imprisoned?” Jean asked.

“Right to it I see…” Sirius grimaced. “The Potters raised me after my parents kicked me out. James was my brother even before that. We met on the train to Hogwarts and were practically inseparable. I-I was the one to find them.” His voice cracked as he held his teacup closer, the memory of that night swimming to the front of his mind. 

He had found James first, sprawled on the stairs with his glasses askew and his hazel eyes staring lifelessly up at the ceiling. Sirius remembered racing up the stairs, screaming for Harry and Lily. He heard Harry crying, that meant Lily had to be alive. She had to be.

Harry’s nursery was in shambles, part of the room blasted open to the cool October air. There were scorch marks on the ground with some areas still alight with glowing embers, and the rocking chair that Lily had forced James to carry up the stairs rather than just shrink it was blasted to pieces. None of the physical destruction could have prepared Sirius for the sight of Lily though. Lilly Potter nee Evans was lying in front of her son’s crib, her body ravaged and ripped open by magic. Blood was still leaking from her nose and the space in her head where her eyes used to be. Her eye sockets and hands were covered in the same scorch marks that surrounded the open gashes across her body and lay on the destroyed nursery walls. 

“The only one who knew where they were and could have told someone was a man we considered our brother, Peter Pettigrew. Dumbledore had cast powerful protection spells over their house, including a spell called the Fidelius. No one would have been able to say where they were hidden except for Peter. So… when Hagrid arrived and promised to bring Harry to Hogwarts to be looked at, I handed him over and went in search of Peter. I blamed myself… I was supposed to be the Secret Keeper but we thought it would be too obvious, so I convinced James that Peter would be the better option. Peter escaped and the Aurors that arrived heard me blaming myself and arrested me. I was thrown in Azkaban the next day without a trial.”

“I’m sorry,” Dan frowned. “That must have been awful.”

Sirius nodded. “I thought Harry had gotten taken in by one of the people listed in James and Lilly’s will, since I couldn’t as his godfather. But Dumbledore gave Harry to his mother’s family.”

Jean scoffed. “Of course he disregarded the whims of a parent.”

Remus frowned, “Mrs. Granger?”

Jean pursed her lips and poured herself more tea. “He and another woman, a Mrs. Weasley, arrived and invited Hermione to stay with them. They insinuated that she would be happier with them than with us.”

“Things got a bit heated.” Dan frowned. 

“She’s our child, Dan!” Jean snapped. “Of course we got upset at their assumptions! The only thing that would have made it worse was if they had brought some distant relative of hers to try and claim her!”

“Claim her?” Remus frowned. 

“We adopted Hermione when she was six.” Jean frowned. “Her parents died in a fire, and Hermione found out that at least her father was magical like her. Alexander Broadmoor was his name.”

Sirius straightened up. “Broadmoor? Was he married to Mina?”

While Jean’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, Dan nodded. “He was. Did you know them?”

“I recall the name. She worked in the Ministry.”

Remus nodded, “She was ahead of us at school, in her sixth year when we started our first.”

“But they’re not her parents.” Sirius frowned. 

Remus grimaced and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Pads…”

“We have her birth certificate. Of course they’re her birth parents.” Jean glared.

“No. That’s part of why we came. When Hermione rescued me, her magic felt familiar. As the head of the Black Family, I can sort of sense when someone has the family magic. I thought she might have been mine or Andromeda’s, but most old pureblood families have family tapestries that automatically update when a living child is born.”

“Get out.” Jean hissed.

“No! No please!” Sirius protested. “I don’t mean any harm! It’s clear that Hermione is loved here, and Bella- Her birth mother and father are in prison. She would have been ostracized if people knew she was their child, especially in Gryffindor.”
Jean slowly lowered herself back into her chair, watching Sirius unbelievingly. “How did the Broadmoors get her then?”

“I don’t know. It wasn’t even advertised that Bellatrix had had a child.” Sirius dragged his fingers through her hair. 

“Why not?” Dan frowned. “You said she was your cousin.”

Sirius grimaced. “We… we were on opposite sides of the war. Voldemort was-”

“Hermione told us about him,” Dan frowned. “And we read many of the books your world has written. I’m taking this Bellatrix is Bellatrix Lestrange. She was mentioned as one of his more powerful and vicious generals.”

“She was, unfortunately.” Sirius nodded. “And children were- children are precious to our world. Many families on both sides chose not to announce their child’s arrival in order to protect them. The person who might know about it is Narcissa, her sister.”

“Who is Andromeda then?” Dan asked.

“Her other sister. She…” Sirius grimaced again. “Andromeda fell in love with and married a muggle born man. She was banished from the family for it.”

“I hope you are not thinking that Dan and I will just give up our daughter.” Jean glared. “I told Dumbledore nothing will keep us from her, you won’t be any different.”

“No! No! Merlin and Morgana no.” Sirius answered frantically. “I just…” 

Remus put a hand on his shoulder. “Sirius and I have no intention of trying to take Hermione from you, and neither does Andromeda. But if possible, we’d like to get to know her more. She’s not only friends with Harry, but she is also a part of Sirius’s family. Family is important to him, and you both and Hermione are now a part of that family.”

“We’ll want a test done before we let any of your family around her.” Jean answered. “But… if it does come back that Hermione is your cousin’s daughter, we would not be opposed to her knowing more about her birth family. We tried finding the Broadmoors for that very reason.”

Sirius relaxed with a nod. “I can do that. There are plenty of potions-”

“No. We’re going to do this our way. There are scientific ways to find out if two people are related.”

Dan nodded. “You would just need to have your mouth swabbed or spit in a tube.”

“Fascinating…” Sirius murmured with a growing smile. 

“Andromeda might be the better person for that, since she’s Bella’s sister.” Remus frowned. 

“Will she… try to pursue custody?” Dan asked with a concerned frown. 

“No. No… Andy knows what it’s like to lose your family. She wouldn’t do that to Hermione.” Sirius promised with a shake of his head. 

Jean nodded. “Now, the reason we wanted to speak with you both.” She placed her cup down. “Why don’t you have custody of Harry, Mr. Lupin?”

Remus frowned, “I can’t have custody of a wizarding child unless they are my own… Because of my condition…”

“Hermione said you weren’t dangerous.”

“He isn’t.” Sirius answered Jean before Remus could. “He has safe and warded places where he transitions during the moon, and it’s only for the one night that he shifts. He’s never bitten another person and until the issue at Hogwarts and something during our school years that was my fault, he wasn’t a danger to anyone.”

“Did you try to prove it-”

This time, it was Sirius’s turn to cut Jean off. “They’ll never let Remus have Harry. The wizarding world thinks that all werewolves are blood thirsty mindless beasts.” He frowned, pressing his lips into a thin line. 

“And he had no other family besides the ones he lives with?” 

“There was a whole list of people to take Harry.” Sirius frowned. “But Dumbledore stepped in and decided Lily’s sister and her magic hating husband were the best options.”

“Well that’s ridiculous!” Dan sputtered. “Why didn’t your government step in!?”

“Because Dumbledore is powerful and influential.” Sirius growled, surging to his feet. “He’s played us all like pawns!”

Remus pulled Sirius back down onto the couch. “They don’t like him either, Sirius.” He murmured. “You don’t have to try and convince them.”

“I have more questions about Dumbledore, including why he would choose to leave Harry with his aunt and uncle and focus on trying to get Hermione away from us,” Jean frowned. “But that is for another day. I have an idea for getting Harry away from his Aunt and Uncle. At least temporarily.”

Chapter Text

Sirius and Remus both sat up straighter, watching Jean and Dan closely. “What’s your plan?”

“Dumbledore will know if one of us goes and gets him.” Remus frowned. “I tried when he was younger and Dumbledore was there before I even got to the door.”

“One of you, yes.” Jean nodded, grinning now with a spark of determination in her eyes. “But likely not a muggle.

---

Lucius rushed into the garden, his face pale and icey blue eyes wide with worry. “Cissa!?” His boots crunched over the shards of china scattered across the paving stones as he pulled his wife into a tight hug. “What happened? Buttons called for me saying something was wrong.”

Narcissa leaned into her husband, clinging to the front of his robes. “I got a letter from Sirius. He’s invoking Blood Primacy and demanding I meet with him. He- Oh Lucius he said he knows about Phebe!” She sobbed, pressing her face into him. 

Lucius held his wife close, stroking her hair gently. “It will be alright, Cissa… We knew it would happen eventually.” He murmured. Despite what the papers claimed, he never believed Sirius had been a Death Eater and sold out the Potters. The fool was too Gryffindor to do anything of the sort, and The Dark Lord was not one to hide the fact that he had the Black family Heir as his follower. His father had mentioned a spy on the other side, but Lucius assumed it was Severus. But Phebe… How did he know about Phebe? 

Bellatrix had insisted that her condition be kept a secret. In the beginning she had been able to hide it with her robes and cloth wrapped tightly around her stomach. Rodolphus had tried to get Narcissa to convince her to stop fighting, but Bella had insisted on continuing to fight to make the world better for her son. Lucius assumed it was just paranoia after insisting her previous miscarriage had been caused by someone trying to sabotage her. When she got too far along to hide behind fabric and illusion spells, the story they told everyone was that she had contracted Dragon Pox. No one questioned her staying hidden in Lestrange Keep with a private healer when they heard that, and no one came to investigate it either. She had been lucky and hadn’t started showing until her second trimester, so her confinement hadn’t been long enough to raise eyebrows and just a few days after giving birth she went back to the Dark Lord’s service.

Phebe had been taken care of by a whole troop of nanny elves, her existence kept a secret. Not out of shame; Rodolphus was thrilled with his daughter, not expecting to have any children, and Bellatrix was excited to train Phebe the way Druella had trained her. No, Phebe Bellatrix Lestrange was kept secret to keep her safe from The Order and anyone else who might think of her as a threat. The plan had always been to introduce her to the world once Dumbledore was defeated, but then Halloween had happened and Lestrange Keep was searched by the Aurors. No child was reported among the findings. 

Now, Sirius was back, claiming Blood Primacy, and talking about a child only a handful of people knew about. Lucius hoped her ending had come quick… Narcissa had always hoped she survived, but Lucius knew better. Yes, she was the daughter of Bellatrix and Rodulphus Lestrange, but she was a baby. A baby and her nanny elves didn’t stand a chance against Aurors out for revenge.

---

Number Four Privet Drive was immaculate from the outside. The grass was neatly trimmed back without a weed in sight and the flower beds were so packed that the scent when walking up to the door was almost nauseating it was so intense. Jean stopped herself from covering her nose to block out the smell. You never knew when someone was watching… 

The blonde bird face woman who opened the door with a wide, toothy smile. “Hello! How can I help you?”

Jean smiled, “Hello Mrs. Dursley! My name is Jean, I’m here to discuss an incident with your nephew.” 

Petunia’s smile dropped and her face became a pinched glare. “What did he do?” She looked over her shoulder and shouted into the house, her shrill voice piercing Jean’s ears. “ Boy !! Get down here!”

“May I come inside?” Jean asked. 

“Of course, of course.” Petunia nodded, moving to the side. “Let me just say I am so sorry. He has always been troubled. He spends the year at a school for children with attitude problems. We do our best during the summer to keep him too busy to cause trouble.” She gushed apologetically. “But he slips away from us whenever he can no matter what we do.”

“Yes Aunt Petunia?” Harry asked with a frown as he came into the living room. 

“What did you do?” She demanded, charging over to him. 

Jean really did intend to go about this peacefully, but seeing Harry’s eyes widen with fear had her feet moving. She grabbed Petunia by the hair and yanked her back. “Lay one hand on him in front of me and I will bury you under those flowers out front.” She hissed.

Petunia stumbled back with a cry, her hands flying to her head. “What are you doing !? Let me go this instant!”

Jean did release the other woman’s hair, but only so she could grab her arms and twist them back, restraining Petunia. She blew a flyaway piece of hair from her face smiled warmly at the wide eyed teenager holding a wand on her. “Hello, Harry dear.” She murmured. “I’m Hermione’s mother. Are your Uncle and cousin home?”

Harry lowered his wand, his eyebrows shooting up into his hair. “N-no Mrs. Granger. My uncle is at work and Dudley is out with his friends.”

“Let me go! I will sue you for this!” Petunia screeched.

“Be a lamb and get me one of your uncle’s belts?” Jean asked, continuing to smile pleasantly at Harry while she ignored the woman she had restrained. While Harry rushed off to the stairs, she nudged Petunia’s knees with one of her own. “Kneel down and I might leave without hurting you.” She spat. “My daughter told me what she knows happens to her friend here, and I’m willing to bet it’s much worse than my daughter’s assumptions.”

“You can’t hurt me! Dumbledore said your kind can’t hurt us while we keep him here. You shouldn’t even be here!”

Jean chuckled softly, “I’m not a witch, Petunia. I’m as magical as you .”
“Then I’ll call the police!”

Jean rolled her eyes and knocked Petunia’s legs to the side then shoved her onto the ground and pinned her down. “I worked for the Direction générale de la Sécurité extérieure .” She whispered, leaning down so she was speaking right into Petunia’s ear. “I’ve brought down assasination attempts and spied on foreign governments. I am not afraid of your police, and I’m certain they’ll be much more interested in the fact that you’ve abused your nephew and committed fraud than the fact that I’m here simply visiting my daughter’s friend out of concern .” She sneered. “So you will be silent unless I say otherwise and we’ll both end up happy with what happens here today. Understood?” When Petunia snapped her jaw shut and nodded, Jean patted her head. “Good girl.”

“I’ve got the-” Harry stopped in the doorway. “M-Mrs. Granger?”

Jean smiled at him, “Wonderful! Bring it here, please.” She took the belt from the young boy and made quick work of looping it together and making a set of restraints. Once they were on and tightened, she stood and pulled Petunia to a sitting position on the carpet facing the couch. “Now! Let’s have a chat.” She smiled at Harry, “You go on and pack your things. You’ll be coming to stay with us for the rest of the summer.”

Harry’s eyes widened. “I am?”

“He is!?” Petunia squawked, then paled as she sucked her lips into her mouth and stared at Jean.

Ignoring Petunia, Jean continued smiling at Harry. “We have a lot to talk about, but yes. You’ll be staying with us until your godfather can care for you.” She watched the boy excitedly race off before turning back to Petunia. “Now, I understand that Harry was placed in your care by Albus Dumbledore, a choice he wasn’t authorized to make. I also know that in addition to the money you get from him and the government to help pay for Harry’s expenses that you have gotten quite a bit of money from several different charities. You also do not declare the money you get from Dumbledore on your taxes. All of those actions are fraud, Mrs. Dursley and could land you and your husband in jail for quite a long time. Add in the charges for child abuse and child endangerment, and whatever else that is found combing through your past, could make it so that you don’t see the outside of a prison cell until your son has teenage aged children. So! In exchange for not turning you into the police and all the charities you’ve defrauded with all the evidence I’ve collected, you will pick Harry up from the station when he comes home from school for all holiday breaks and during the summer. Once you pick him up, you will drive to Richmond Park’s Petersham Car Park where my husband and I will pick him up. Understood?” She held up a hand when Petunia opened her mouth. “This requires no speaking from you. Just nod or shake your head.”

Petunia nodded. 

“Good. You will not lay a hand on him or speak to him during the time that he is with you, and neither will your husband or your son. Understood?”

Petunia nodded again.

“Wonderful!” Jean smiled. “Then we have an agreement. Once Harry has his things all packed, we’ll leave.” 

She leaned back in the couch, watching Petunia in silence while they waited for Harry. Taking your eyes off your subject of questioning was dangerous when they weren’t properly restrained. Belts made handy restraints in a pinch, especially when you made separate cuffs instead of just one. But nothing was entirely secure, so it was always best to supervise. When she heard the thumping of a Hogwarts trunk down the stairs, she finally took her gaze off the terrified housewife. 

“Ready!” Harry announced with an excited smile. 

“Wonderful! Now, we’ll have to come back to get the rest of your things, but that can be done later. Right, Petunia?”

“I… I only have some clothes here.” Harry frowned. “But I can go get them. Will I really be staying with you the whole summer?”

“We’ll get you new clothes, and yes.” Jean smiled as she came over. “Can you get that out to the car? Dan or I usually help Hermione, but I’d like to have a final few words with your aunt before we leave.”

“You’re… not going to kill her, right?” Harry asked with a frown. 

“Of course not!” Jean gasped, pressing a hand to her heart. “I have a husband and two children to take care of! Hurry up now, I want to make sure you have time to settle in before Dan and Hermione get home.” 

Harry nodded, relaxing. “Yes ma’am.” 

Jean smiled, watching him leave before turning to Petunia. “I’m going to untie your wrists now, and when I do you’re going to sit on the couch until we’re gone without calling the police.” She moved to crouch behind Petunia to begin undoing the belt. “And when your husband gets home, you’re going to tell him the wonderful news about Harry going to stay with one of his friends and how you only have to see him when picking him up from the station and bringing him to Richmond Park.”

Petunia nodded wordlessly as she held her now free arms against her chest, rubbing her wrists. 

“Good. Then we’re done here.” She tossed the belt onto the couch and left Number 4 Privet Drive. She’d have to remind Hermione that pretty things often held dark secrets, especially now that she was getting to the age when girls started dating more seriously. Jean smiled at Harry as she climbed into her black BMW. “Not a fan of the front seat?” 

“My Aunt or Dudley usually sit there,” He answered with a frown. This woman had just thoroughly threatened and terrified his Aunt but was smiling and being kind to him. He wasn’t sure what to make of it, or her. He only vaguely recognized her as Hermione’s Mum from a photo she had shown him and Ron. 

She nodded, “Well you’re welcome to it next time, okay? Now. It’s almost lunchtime and I’m starved. How does McDonalds sound? Dan and Hermione are likely having a little picnic at the park, so it’ll be just us.” 

“I’m okay,” He answered, but flushed in embarrassment when his stomach growled. McDonald’s did sound good. He only got to have the leftovers his Aunt didn’t eat whenever they had it. 

Jean turned with a concerned frown, “Harry… I know what I did probably was frightening. But I’m not going to hurt you, okay? No one should ever have hurt you. Now, if you don’t like McDonalds we can go somewhere else.”

“McDonalds is fine, Mrs. Granger. It’s just… I’ve only got wizarding coins right now, so I won’t be able to pay you back until I get it exchanged for muggle money.” 

Jean smiled, feeling her heart melting as she watched the too skinny teen boy in her back seat. “I’ll tell you what, let’s make a deal. Tonight is my night to help Dan with dinner, but I’m really in the mood to watch some Telly. If you help Dan cook tonight, we’ll count that as having paid me back. Okay?” 

Harry relaxed with a nod. “Okay.” 

She nodded and together they left Privet Drive. She was relieved that Dan and Hermione were still out when they got home, not wanting to overwhelm Harry too much. “I’m afraid your room isn’t ready just yet, but we’ll keep moving things during the day and get more furniture.”

“You don’t have to do all that! I just need a blanket and pillow and I’ll be fine.” Harry assured her. 

Jean turned with a gentle smile. “This is your home now, Harry. Until you’re able to go with your godfather, you’re going to be living here. Not just during the summer either, whenever school is out. So that means you’re getting your own room and you can decorate it however you like. It was supposed to be fully ready for you, but I jumped the gun a bit on getting you.” She smiled amused, “I think Hermione is excited to help you decorate it.”

“Really, I don’t need a lot.” Harry assured her. 

“Come on, let’s go inside.” Jean murmured, internally sighing. Hermione had been similar when she was first adopted… it’ll just take time to adjust and realize that he was here to stay. “I’ll give you a tour and you can settle in your new room.”

---

“Mum! Mum mum mum!” Hermione shouted excitedly as she charged into the house, waving a flyer in the air. “They’re opening a new art exhibit! Can we go?” 

“What kind of art?” Harry asked, looking over from where he sat on the couch watching the telly. 

“ Harry !” Hermione gasped before launching at him and tackling him in a hug. “You’re here!”

“Your Mum came and got me!” Harry laughed, hugging her back tightly. 

“I’m so sorry, it’s my fault. I let slip about Professor Lupin and your godfather and everything that happened.” She apologized, pulling away to frown at him. “They asked about you and- and I know you don’t like people knowing how bad it is but they saw through me and just kept pushing!”

He smiled at her gently. “It’s okay, Mione. I know you didn’t mean to. I see where you get it now though.”

“Get what?” Hermione asked with a confused frown. 

“Your Mum is scary .” He grinned. “I thought my aunt was going to wet herself. Did you know you could use a belt as handcuffs ?”

Hermione grinned, “She taught me how to do it.”

“Wicked.”

Chapter Text

Jean opened the door and frowned. “You must be Andromeda Tonks.” It was easy to deduce. Sirius had said he was going to bring his cousin along and this woman… Jean could see Hermione in her. Not an exact copy, but the wild dark brown curls, the upturned tilt of her nose, and the woman’s round upturned eyes were the same as Hermione’s. It confirmed what the blood test had said; Hermione’s biological parents were indeed Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange.

Andromeda smiled, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Granger. Thank you for letting me come to this meeting.”

Jean nodded, “Hermione and Harry aren’t here. They were invited to attend an international sports event with the Weasleys.”

“The World Cup,” Sirius nodded with a slight grin. “Harry wrote to me about getting invited, he sounded really excited to go.”

“He was,” Jean nodded with a fond smile. “He spent several days explaining the rules to Dan and I.”

“Narcissa, my youngest sister, played Quidditch.” Andromeda chuckled fondly, “I remember watching her games… She was a talented chaser.”

“Is Narcissa the youngest?”

“She is.” Andromeda nodded, “It was Bellatrix, then me, then Narcissa.”

Jean nodded, tightening her grip on the doorknob for support before she spoke in a clipped and formal tone. “Before I let you inside, I’d like to make one thing clear. My husband and I have no interest in relinquishing custody of our daughter, Mrs. Tonks. We won’t keep Hermione from her birth family. But she is, and always will be, our daughter.” 

“I wouldn’t dream of trying to take her away, Mrs. Granger.” Andromeda promised with a gentle smile. “Sirius and Remus have told me how wonderful Hermione is and how much she adores you both. Ripping a child away from a home where she is loved and wanted is cruel. All I want is to have the chance to get to know my niece, and introduce her to her cousin.”

“She has a cousin?” Jean asked with a small smile, her shoulders relaxing. 

“Technically she has two. My daughter, Nymphadora, and Narcissa’s son. I’ve only spoken to my husband Ted about this possibility, but I think Nymie is going to be ecstatic to learn she has a younger cousin that she can get to know.”

Jean stepped aside, letting Andromeda and Sirius into her house. “Dan and I are only children, so our family has always been small.”

“Well it’s just grown.” Sirius smiled. “And not just because of Hermione. You taking in Harry… it was extremely generous.” 

Jean smiled at Sirius, “He’s a sweet boy, we’re glad to have him. He and Hermione are like brother and sister. It’s good to see she has people on her side that are close to her.” 

“Did you tell them about this?” Andromeda asked.

Jean nodded with a heavy sigh. “We did. We were going to just tell Hermione, but she insisted that Harry should know too.” 

“How did it go?”

“Well… honestly it went a lot better than we expected.” Sirius frowned. 

“You were there?” Andromeda asked in surprise. 

“At the end, yeah. Dan and Jean called me. Harry and Mya had some questions and Dan figured I was the best person to answer them.”

“He wasn’t helpful in the slightest.” Jean sighed with a roll of her eyes and an amused smile at Andromeda. “But we did get to have a nice family dinner.”

---

Two Weeks Earlier…

“Bunny! Will you come downstairs please?” Dan called, smiling at the thundering of not one but two sets of feet coming down the stairs. “Harry, You can go on back upstairs. Jean and I need to speak with Hermione about something about her birth parents.”

“Harry can stay, Dad. I don’t mind.” Hermione smiled. “I’m probably just going to end up telling him anyway.”

Dan nodded, “If you’re sure. Your Mum is in the kitchen.”
Hermione nodded and dragged Harry into the kitchen, Dan watching with a fond smile. It was wonderful seeing Hermione getting to interact with one of her friends. Truth be told, Dan knew they thought of each other more as siblings. He saw it in the way they looked at each other with shared secret smiles or how they’d finish each other’s sentences while talking and work together to ask to be allowed to stay up later. This was what he and Jean had always wanted for Hermione… a sibling to be her partner in crime and to keep her from getting too serious. 

In the time that they had had Harry, he had been to Blackwell Hall twice to visit Sirius and Remus and both men had been over to the Grangers once for dinner. Dan and Jean had finished combining their two offices into one so Harry had his own room and they had gotten him a proper bed so he wasn’t sleeping on a camp bed any longer. That was one of the first things they had done once enough room was cleared in Jean’s old office, get Harry a proper bed, dresser, desk, and nightstand. Dan had then had Harry help him put the furniture together while Jean and Hermione unpacked things down the hall in the office. Sirius, after being shown the room by an excited Harry during his visit, had sent the boy several things to decorate. There were still some things Jean and Dan wanted to do, like paint, while Harry and Hermione were at school, but when Harry returned for the holidays it would be all completed. He had already shown Hermione where he planned on hanging the hooks to hold his broom, the vintage Gryffindor pennant, and Potter family tapestry that Sirius had sent him. Jean and Dan would hang those for him, and leave him a box of tacks and a container of blue tack to hang the posters, also from Sirius, himself. Jean had given the man a smack on the shoulder for the more risque ones of women on racing brooms, but Sirius had been responsible and only included a few in the mix of the ones of cars, motorcycles, quidditch players and games. Harry would be able to paper his room with the posters if he wanted to, but Sirius had explained he wanted to give Harry a bunch to pick from for his room and had gone a bit overboard (More than a bit in Dan’s opinion, but he wasn’t about to scold the man for wanting to bond with his godson). It may only be his temporary home but Jean and Dan intended on making sure Harry knew he always had a room at their house, even after he moved in with Sirius and Remus.

“There you are!” Jean exclaimed as Dan came into the dining room. “We were about to send out a search party.”

“Mum, Dad said you had information about the Broadmoors?” Hermione asked, focusing on her mother.

Jean exhaled slowly, the DNA test had been hanging over her and Dan since Sirius brought up seeing Hermione on his family tree. She hadn’t wanted to believe it… but now that she had the information in black and white she couldn’t deny it. “Hermione… the Broadmoors aren’t your birth parents after all.” She explained gently. “Sirius… he said that when you met your magic pulled at him, and when he checked his family tapestry you were on it.”

Harry sat up straighter with a frown. “Wait, is Sirius her dad then?” He asked, jealousy and guilt pulling at his insides. He had just gotten Sirius, Hermione turning out to be his daughter would mean that Sirius belonged to her more than he did Harry.

“No, no Sirius is not her father.”

“Who is?” Hermione whispered, stiff in her seat. Sirius was the only good member of the Black family that she knew about. If he wasn’t her father, then that meant her parents were Death Eaters.

“A man named Rodolphus Lestrange, his wife Bellatrix is your birth mother.” Dan explained. “Bellatrix is Sirius’s cousin.”

Harry reached out and took Hermione’s hand, smiling at her as she squeezed his tightly in return. “It’s okay.”

“Harry, they're in Azkaban.” Hermione cried in horror. “They were Death Eaters !! They-they killed people!”

“Yeah but you’re not. Sirius’s parents were Death Eaters and Sirius isn’t one.”

“Exactly.” Dan smiled as he took his wife’s hand. Not for the first time, he thanked god that they had Harry living with them. He was a part of the wizarding world with Hermione, so he’d be able to understand what this information meant better than Jean and he could.

“You haven’t changed, Hermione.” Jean added. “Who you are hasn’t changed. You’re still Hermione Jean Granger.”

“If-If they’re my parents, how did the Broadmoors get me?” Hermione frowned. “And why didn’t anyone know?”

“We don’t know, Bunny.” Dan frowned. “We’re still trying to figure things out. Sirius and his cousin Andromeda, Bellatrix’s sister, both submitted saliva for a DNA test. Your Mum and I got some hair of yours from one of your brushes to send in and it was confirmed. We wouldn’t have told you this without making sure ourselves.”

“But now that we know, we’re going to meet with Andromeda and Sirius. If I don’t sense anything off with them and if you want, we can schedule some meetings with them. So you can get to know more about your birth family.”

“Can he come over? Sirius?” Hermione asked in a quiet voice, “I-I want to talk to him.”

“We’ll call him and ask.” Dan nodded. He couldn’t say no to her in this moment, not when she looked so scared and vulnerable. 

“Hey! If you’re related to Sirius that means you and I are related too!” Harry exclaimed excitedly.

“You are? How?”

“Yeah, how?” Hermione frowned, echoing her mother’s question. 

“Sirius and I got to talking about my Mum and Dad in our letters. Apparently my dad’s Mum was a Black! So we’re distant cousins! No wonder you put up with me so well.” He grinned.

Hermione looked at him oddly for a moment before she started giggling. “Harry!”

“No, I mean it!” Harry grinned. “We’re family.”

“Does that mean you’ll start calling me Uncle Dan Instead of Mr. Granger? I keep looking over my shoulder looking for my father when you call me that!” He teased with a grin.

Harry turned to Dan looking shocked. “You’d let me?”

“You said yourself, you and Hermione are cousins.” Jean smiled. “So you can call us Uncle Dan and Aunt Jean if you want.”

Harry grinned widely, looking at Hermione as if he had just been given the best Christmas gift ever. 

Dan chuckled, “Jeannie, why don’t you call Sirius while I get started on dinner. Harry, Hermione, come help me in the kitchen.”

“Yes, Dad.”

“Yes, Uncle Dan!” Harry agreed, louder than necessary as he jumped up from his seat.

---

“Look at all this gold!” Ron grinned as he emptied his pockets onto the tent’s dining room table. “Bloody bad luck for the Bulgarians though.”

“Yeah but did you see Krum’s catch!?” Harry exclaimed, dropping into one of the chairs. “I have to try that when we get back to school!”

“Harry Potter you will not ! You’ll break your neck!”

“Oh lay off him, Hermione.” Ron groaned. “Harry’s a great flyer!”

“A great flyer he may be, but he’s not-” Harry shot Hermione a meaningful frown and she cut herself off. “As long as he practices.” 

‘ Thanks’ Harry mouthed to her as Ron started talking about everything he was going to buy with his gold. Hermione just shook her head as she began carefully re-plaiting her hair. Ron had been in a foul mood since he realized Harry had been at Hermione’s house. According to him, all the Weasley children had been forced into servitude making a safe house habitable. It had been back breaking work with all sorts of magical creatures attacking him. Given that he was well enough to be running around the World Cup and stuffing his face with the different sweet and savory fare being offered, Hermione figured Ron was trying to pull a Malfoy and milk his circumstances to get pity from her and Harry. 

“Hiya, Mione.” Ginny smiled as she perched on the arm of Hermione’s seat. 

“Hi Ginny. Did you find Neville?” Hermione smiled, scooting over on the arm chair so Ginny could squeeze in beside her. 

“I did! He’s over with Susan and her Aunt.” Ginny slid off the arm and wiggled into the space Hermione had left for her.

“Did they have fun watching the match?”

“Did they ever.” Ginny grinned. She sighed dramatically and threw herself across Hermione’s lap. “Mione, stop reading and pay attention to me!”

“I am paying attention to you!” Hermione laughed. 

“Boys! Ginny!” Arthur shouted as he burst into the room. “Come on, we have to go.”

“Go where?” Ginny frowned, jumping to her feet. “Dad what’s going on?”

“There’s Death Eaters. Grab your wands, we’ll come back for everything else in the morning.” Arthur frowned as he went further into the tent. “Percy! You’re in charge! Go to the apparition point and get to the Burrow!” He ordered. When he came out of the back room, he had his wand and cloak in hand. “Fred, George, mind the younger ones.”

“Yes Dad,” Fred and George answered in unison, wands in hand. 

Harry frowned at Hermione, grabbing her hand tightly. “Come on.”

The youngest five Weasley burst out of the tent and into the chaos of the World Cup with Percy leading the way, wand drawn and dodging in between people. The twins took a less civil route and shoved people aside to make room for their two younger siblings, Harry and Hermione. Fred and George had their arms linked together with Ginny and Ron’s hands in their free ones and Ron was holding onto Harry who had Hermione in one long chain. 

As Fred and George made their way through the crowds, they were bellowing.

“Out of the way!”

“Move it!” 

Hermione stumbled as she was shoved, her hand yanked from Harry’s as panicked people pushed between them. “Harry!” Hermione screamed. 

“Hermione! Ron we lost Hermione!” Harry shouted in alarm, turning to look at his friend. 

“Bloody hell! Harry we have to get her!” Ron pulled his hand from Fred’s. “Where is she!?”

“I don’t know!” Harry pulled them into one of the abandoned tents, panting hard. “We lost her back by the big green tent.”

“Alright. That’s where we go.” Ron nodded. “On three. One, Two, Three!” The two boys shoved back out of the tent and into the crowds, fighting their way back to where Harry had last seen Hermione.

Chapter Text

Hermione grunted as she was jostled by the crowd and shoved out of the way. “Harry! Harr- ow !” She yelped as one shove sent her crashing to the ground. She gritted her teeth and started crawling out of the main path, her hands clenched into fists so her fingers weren’t crushed. She almost started crying in relief when a familiar voice called out to her. 

“Beauty? What are you doing on the ground?” Hermione’s savior was a curly haired brunette Slytherin. His beautiful cerulean eyes were watching her in concern as he extended his hand to her. “Are you hurt?”

“Theodore Nott you are a godsend!” Hermione gasped as she grabbed his hand and pulled herself to her feet.

“I knew that.” He grinned, “But that doesn’t answer my question, Beauty. Come on, I’m here with my Aunt and Uncle. Their tent isn’t far.”

Hermione followed him, not protesting as Theo wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Theo had been an unexpected blessing last year and Hermione now considered him a friend. They had been paired together in Ancient Runes for their year-long translation project and while Hermione may have been used to doing all the work, Theo had refused to not be allowed to participate. He went as far as stealing Hermione’s work as she was packing up after class one day and returned it the next day with his own notes and observations scribbled in the margins. Even though Hermione was a Muggleborn as far as Theo knew, he hadn’t cared once he realized she was just as passionate as he was. He had had some bizarre questions, like wanting to know if Hermione’s family actually slept in a cave or of her parents had tried burning her at the stake when they found out she was a witch, but Hermione was used to that by now. The Wizarding World was badly uninformed about the Muggle World, and Hermione decided it was her job to teach Theo about everything he was missing. She had started with fun things like books and trying to explain movies to him, and then had moved on to having her parents send her pictures of things like planes and cars. He had made the time Harry and Ron were ignoring her less painful.

“The Weasleys invited me and Harry. We were heading towards the apparition point when we got separated.” 

“And they didn’t stop for you!?” Theo asked, alarmed. 

“It was just Fred, George, and Percy.” Hermione frowned defensively. “And they had Harry, Ron, and Ginny!”

“And you, Beauty, are muggleborn .” Theo hissed angrily. “You are exactly who the Death Eaters are targeting!”

“Is-is it really Death Eaters?” She gasped, going pale. “I thought they disbanded after Voldemort died!”

Theo flinched slightly at the use of The Dark Lord’s name, but shook his head. “No. They are very much still around.” He murmured, pushing his way into the opulent green tent. “My Uncle went to gather the Peacocks and my Aunt went to find Dray.”

Hermione looked around the tent with widening eyes. The Weasley’s tent had been amazing, but this … this tent screamed wealth. The couches were brocaded and while the Weasley’s stuff all was well loved, these chairs wouldn’t be out of place in a magazine spread. “Theo… who exactly are your aunt and uncle?”

Theo’s reply was cut off by the soft whoosh of the tent flaps opening and someone hurrying inside. 

“There you are!” Draco Malfoy, Prince of Slytherin and King of Poncey Prats, exclaimed. “Mother was-” His face twisted into a sneer. “What is she doing here!?”

Hermione spun and glared at Malfoy. “Theo invited me.”

“Beauty got separated from the Weasleys, almost got trampled.” Theo frowned. 

“Beauty? Theo you aren’t seriously calling the Mud-”

“Draco Lucius Malfoy!” An aristocratic woman’s voice gasped in horror and fury. “You did not just use that vulgar term!”
Hermione stiffened as she turned to face Narcissa, anxiety knotting in her stomach. Narcissa Malfoy nee Black was a tall and thin woman, her pale blonde hair was pulled back into a neat french braid and currently her grey eyes were narrowed into a glare at her son. Hermione hadn’t been prepared for this… She had wanted more time before meeting Andromeda and she never dreamed of meeting Narcissa, especially like this. Ideally, if she ever met Narcissa, she had hoped it would be at least with her parents by her side but Sirius would have been welcome as well. 

Draco flushed with a frown. “My apologies, Mother.”

“Your father’s friends may approve of that language, but I most certainly do not! Apologize to the young lady this instant with the manners that I raised you with.”

Theo was grinning maniacally as he watched Draco turn, his face pinched into an uncomfortable and sour grimace. 

“I apologize for my abhorrent language, Granger.” He murmured, inclining his head.

Normally, Hermione would have enjoyed Draco being chastised and being forced to apologize by his mother, but her gaze was glued to the staring Narcissa. 

Narcissa had turned to see the unfortunate girl her son needed to apologize to and frozen. Her magic was practically singing as it reached out towards the girl, the bond Narcissa had long since thought gone flaring to life. She was… she was beautiful . The perfect blend of her parents. She had Rodolphus’s dark caramel hair and golden brown eyes, but had Bella’s riotous curls and upturned nose. Bella had loved letting her curls run wild, enjoying the way they would bounce and sway with her movements. Narcissa knew a few spells that would help soothe some of the girl’s wild frizz that, like her mother’s had been, was likely caused by her magic. Draco called her a mudblood, so the people she thought were her parents were muggles. Of course the order would hide Phebe in the muggle world… It was huge. Narcissa had no chance of finding her. She flitted through the girls open mind, she’d have to teach her to shield herself, to see if she knew anything. She was both relieved and heartbroken to find that Hermione did know. Relieved because she knew and Narcissa wouldn’t have to have the painful discussion of explaining that her parents were not her true parents. Heartbroken because of all the anxiety and fear Phebe had about Narcissa not accepting who she was and not wanting to get to know her.

An explosion somewhere in the sea of tents shocked Narcissa out of her trance. She grabbed her son’s hand and dragged him over to the other two teenagers. “We need to leave. You’ll come with us dear and we will contact your parents from the Manor.”

“Mother!” Draco hissed, horrified. They couldn’t take Granger to the Manor !

“Thank you Mrs. Malfoy, but I’m here with the Weasleys. They-” 

“You are in danger here, my dear.” Narcissa murmured with a frown, releasing Draco’s hand to take hold of both Hermione’s shoulders. “I will not harm you. You are as safe with me as Draco is.”

Hermione glanced behind Narcissa at the chaos outside for just a moment before nodding. “Okay. But how are we getting to the apparition point?”

“We aren’t. We’re taking a portkey.”

“What about Uncle Luc and the peacocks?” Theo frowned. 

“He’s staying behind to help sort this out and an elf took the birds home.” Narcissa wrapped her arms around Draco and Hermione. “Hold tight, Theo Dear.”

The portkey left Hermione swaying and feeling ill. If Narcissa hadn’t been holding her, she would have stumbled upon landing.

Narcissa released Draco and turned her focus to Hermione and Theo. She knew he was alright, she had made sure of it herself upon finding him. “Are you two hurt?” She fretted, smoothing her hand over their hair with her hands as she looked them over.

“I’m alright, Aunt Cissa. But I think Beauty could use some dittany for her hands.”

Narcissa’s eyes focused on Hermione as she took the girl’s hands. “Oh child… what happened?” She murmured, taking out her wand to clean and heal the cuts.

“I-I fell.” Hermione stammered with a frown, wincing at the stinging sensation Narcissa’s cleaning caused. “When I got separated from Harry and the Weasleys people were panicked and shoving and I fell.” 

“Tippy!” Narcissa called. 

“Mistress called Tippy?” An elf wearing what looked like a pink dress asked.

“Yes. Please brew us some honey chamomile tea and bring it to Lucius’s study.” She frowned at Hermione for a moment before adding, “And some sandwiches.”

“Of course, Mistress.” Tippy nodded, bowing low.

“Thank you, Tippy.” Narcissa murmured. 

“I don’t need anything, Mrs. Malfoy.” Hermione frowned. “I’ll be fine just borrowing your phone to call my parents.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth she flushed in embarrassment. These were the Malfoys, they weren’t going to have a muggle telephone! “Or-or a floo so I can contact the Weasleys!” 

Narcissa smiled gently at Hermione, “Aunt Cissa, please… All of Draco and Theo’s friends call me Aunt Cissa. And the tea is as much for you as it is for me.”

“She’s not my friend.” Draco glared, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Yeah, but she is mine.” Theo grinned, throwing an arm around Hermione’s shoulders.

“Draco, you and Theo are excused. Miss Granger, you can follow me.” Narcissa murmured, frowning disappointedly at her son. 

Hermione waved to Theo, “It was good to see you.”

“Write to me, yeah?”

She smiled, “You just want me to send you more books.”

“Guilty as charged, Beauty.” Theo grinned.

“Alright, I’ll send you more books.” Hermione chuckled softly. 

“Come, Dear.” Narcissa murmured, wrapping an arm around Hermione’s shoulders. 

Hermione waved to Theo before following Narcissa. Malfoy Manor was a lot brighter than she thought… She always figured it would be dark woods and shades of green, but it was light and airy with creams and blues and tall windows that overlooked the Manor’s extensive gardens.

“I know you are probably nervous,” Narcissa murmured. “But I promise you, you are safe here. Lucius and I have never intentionally hurt a child. Children are sacred in our world.” 

Hermione bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from mentioning Ginny Weasley’s near death experience and all of the students who were petrified by the basilisk. “Not everyone shares those beliefs, Mrs. Malfoy.” 

“Sometimes it takes having or losing a child for them to understand… my sister was like that.” 

Hermione stiffened, “You have a sister?” She asked, feigning curiosity. 

“I have two.” Narcissa answered with a sad smile. “Both older than me. Andromeda, who was banished from the family, and Bellatrix. Bellatrix didn’t understand how sacred children were until she had her daughter… children were just the means to an end before Phebe. But I lost them both in the end.” 

“What happened?” Hermione whispered, looking up at Narcissa. Was… was this real? Was she going to find out how she had ended up with Alex and Mina Broadmoor? That question had plagued her relentlessly since she found out she wasn’t actually their daughter. 

“Bella was worried that someone was after Phebe, so she kept her hidden at Lestrange Keep. The night that The Dark Lord attacked the Potters, he sent his Death Eaters on other missions. Lucius, Bella, and Rodolphus were supposed to be seen… cause chaos. The Dark Lord wanted the Aurors to be confused and running around so that when they were called they would be stretched thin and wouldn’t know if it was real or just another trick.”

“What happened to Phebe?” 

“I never knew…” Narcissa murmured, her voice becoming unsteady as tears filled her eyes. “Bellatrix insisted that she would be safe at home with her nanny elves, but when the Aurors searched Lestrange Keep they didn’t find her. I was at the Ministry everyday for months asking for permission to check the home myself, but was denied every time.” 

Hermione nodded, aware of how Narcissa’s arm tightened around her shoulders. Did she know Hermione was Phebe? Hermione had been hoping that Narcissa would be able to shed some light on how she ended up with the Broadmoors… But it seemed as though she was just as in the dark as everyone else.

“Your parents, are they kind to you?” Narcissa murmured. “I know not all parents can be accepting of magic.”

Hermione smiled. “They’re the best. They said they knew I was special from the moment they met me, but I think that’s just because I criticized my dad’s puppet skills.”

“Babies can be very discerning about what they do and do not like.” Narcissa chuckled softly. “Draco would only allow himself to be wrapped in one particular blanket when he was little.”

“This was when I was six… I’m adopted.” 

Narcissa turned to her with widening eyes. “You are?”

Hermione nodded, “My birth parents died in a fire and I was in a children’s home for a little while.” She pulled on the silver chain around her neck, pulling a locket out from underneath her shirt. “I don’t have a lot left, but I was wearing this.” She murmured, running her finger over the bird carved into the flat silver face of the locket. “I’ve never been able to open it, but I always hoped that there was a photo inside.”

Narcissa slowed to a stop as she looked down at what Hermione was talking about. Her heart stuttered in her chest, she knew that locket. She had been there when Rodolphus gave it to Phebe on her first birthday. “There’s not,” She murmured, unable to stop herself. “It’s charmed with an extension charm inside… He worked for weeks on it.”

Hermione frowned up at Narcissa. “So you do know.” She murmured. 

Narcissa nodded as she pulled Hermione into a tight embrace, tears flowing freely down her face now. “From the moment I laid eyes on you in the tent.” She whispered. 

Hermione hesitated a moment before wrapping her arms around Narcissa and hugging her back. At her embrace, Narcissa let out a soft sob, stroking Hermione’s hair. She never thought she would get to see her niece again, let alone as a brilliant and well cared for witch. Draco often lamented about the bushy haired know it all that beat him out for top student, now Narcissa knew that girl was Phebe. Of course she’d be brilliant. All the Black sisters had been intelligent, and Rodolphus was’t an idiot either. If Hermione had had access to all the knowledge she should have had, she’d be unstoppable.

“I never thought I’d see you again!” Narcissa gasped softly. “I-I thought you had died or been killed. I’m so sorry, Phebe. I’m so sorry I didn’t protect you! I’m so so sorry I wasn’t there, but I’m glad you found parents that love you.”

Hermione leaned into Narcissa, hugging her back a bit tighter. She hadn’t mentioned taking Hermione from her parents yet, which was a relief. Hermione half expected that to be her first reaction. “They want to meet you,”

Narcissa pulled away in shock. “They do?” She asked in a small voice.

“You and Andromeda.” Hermione nodded. “They-they want me to be able to know my birth family.”

“They know? You know? How?” Narcissa stroked her cheek. “How long have you known? You could have written, I would have written back.”

“Just a little while ago. Sirius- He’s innocent!” She added quickly, “He didn’t betray Harry’s parents.”

“I never thought he did.” Narcissa promised. 

She relaxed with a nod. “Well Sirius found my name on your family tree at Blackwell House. When Harry and I rescued him at Hogwarts, he said he felt that my magic was familiar feeling. He thought I might have been his or Andromeda’s until he saw the tree.”

Narcissa nodded, holding Hermione’s face in her hands. “I have so many questions, I want to know everything you’ll let me know. But we should call your parents and let them know you’re safe. Is your home connected to the Floo network?” She nodded again as Hermione shook her head and pulled her hands away so she could wrap her arm back around Hermione’s shoulder. “That’s alright, there are other ways to get you home. Let’s just let them know you’re safe and that you’re with us.”

Chapter Text

Hermione wasn’t sure what she expected when Narcissa led her into Lucius’s office, but it certainly wasn’t the feeling of passing through another set of wards and seeing several obviously muggle items. “You… you have a phone ?” She asked in alarmed surprise. 

“Gold is gold, Hermione.” Narcissa chuckled. “Only fools proclaim there is a difference between muggle and magical gold. The Malfoys have several companies in the muggle world, and this is where Lucius manages them all.”

“How do they work? I thought technology- the wards!” Hermione gasped. “The wards we passed through were special, weren’t they?”

Narcissa smiled proudly. “They are. Specially made so that what we need to run our muggle companies in here when necessary.” She walked over to the phone on her husband’s desk and picked it up. “Now… let’s call your parents and let them know you’re alright. Lucius has an office in London that they can meet us at.”

Hermione took the phone and dialed her home phone with a trembling hand. After three rings, her father picked up and answered with his usual cheesy greeting. 

“Ghostbusters, what do you want?”

Hermione wilted with a soft whimper. Ghostbusters had been one of the first movies they watched as a family after her adoption, to this day it was her favorite because it had signaled the start of having a family again. “Daddy? Is-is Mummy there?” She asked tearily.

“Hermione!?” Dan asked, alarmed. Hermione hadn’t called him that since they got her Hogwarts letter. She had insisted that grown witches going to a magical boarding school didn’t still call their parents mummy and daddy.

“Hermione?” Jean demanded, standing up. “Dan what’s going on?”

Dan put the phone on speaker. “Bunny, your Mum and I are here.” He promised. “So’s Sirius and Andromeda. What happened? I thought you were with the Weasleys?”

“S-something happened. There was an attack.”

All of the adults on the other end of the phone started shouting in alarm. 

“Where are you?!”

“An attack!? What kind?” 

“Where’s Harry? Is he with you?”

“Oh my god… Bunny are you alright!?”

Over the commotion on the other line, Jean’s voice became the loudest and most clear. “Hermione where are you?” She demanded again. “Are you with the Weasleys?”

“No. We got separated. And-and-”
Narcissa gently took the phone from Hermione’s shaking hands and hugged the crying girl close. Hermione wilted and hugged Narcissa tightly as she began crying in earnest, the events of the evening finally catching up to her after hearing her parents concern. “Mrs. Granger?”

“Who the hell are you?” Jean growled. 

“Narcissa…” Andromeda gasped.

“Mrs. Granger, my name is Narcissa Malfoy. My nephew found your daughter being trampled in the crowd and brought her to our tent. They go to school together, and he wanted to make sure she was alright. She is I assure you, she had some small cuts from falling but I’ve healed those.” She stroked Hermione’s hair gently. “We were hoping to arrange an easy way for you and your husband to collect her. My husband has an office in London we could meet you at.” She explained, ignoring the shooting pain in her heart from hearing her older sister’s voice for the first time in almost two decades. Hermione and getting her back to her parents was more important right now.

“You have a phone !?” Sirius squawked, baffled. 

“Lord Black. Well… this makes things much easier.” Narcissa sighed. “I’m sorry I have not had the chance to reply to your owl yet, the summer is a busy time for my family. But Blackwell Hall is still connected to the Manor. You can come through the floo with Hermione’s parents.”

“Like hell I will! Meda will bring them. I’m going to get Harry.” Sirius snarled. “Listen here, Cissa. You will not -”

“I’m about as likely to harm my godchild as you are yours.” Narcissa responded icily. She allowed the silence to linger on the other end of the line for a moment before speaking again. “Hermione will be safe with me until Meda gets here with her parents.”

“She’d better.” Jean warned. 

“I look forward to meeting you and your husband, Mrs. Granger. Meda, I will need to adjust the wards to allow you in. Please give me at least an hour.”

“An hour!?” Jean demanded. There was some muffled speaking on the other end that was, Narcissa assumed, Sirius or Andromeda explaining to Hermione’s mother that changing the wards is not just a simple flick of a wand. When the woman spoke again, she sounded agitated. “You have forty five minutes. Now hand me to my daughter.”

Narcissa offered the phone to the still crying teen. “Hermione, your mother would like to speak to you.”

Hermione nodded and took the phone with shaking hands. “Mum?”

“We will be there in forty five minutes to get you.” Jean promised. “Just hang on til then, okay Hermione?”

“I will, Mum.”

“Good. We love you and we’ll see you soon.”

Hermione listened until the soft click signified that her mother had hung up. She wiped her eyes as she placed the Malfoy’s phone back on the cradle. 

---

The fireplace flaring to life caught both Hermione and Narcissa’s attention but while Narcissa looked delighted at the new arrival, Hermione wilted and curled back into the couch more. 

“Luc!”

Lucius started to smile lovingly at his wife but paused, looking at the young girl who, in his opinion, was doing a poor impression of pretending to blend into the couch cushion.“I wasn’t aware we had company. Is everything alright, my love?” 

“Everything is better than alright.” Narcissa strode over and took her husband’s arm so she could lead him over to Hermione. “Lucius, this is Theo’s friend Hermione. She was separated from her chaperones when our Theo found her and he brought her to our tent so she wouldn’t get hurt.”

Lucius’s polite frown turned into a sneer. “Hermione… Granger?”

“Yes sir.” Hermione nodded.

“I wasn’t aware we lowered our standards enough to let a mudblood into my study, Cissa.” He turned to ask her why she hadn’t just left the girl behind, ignoring the way Hermione had flinched and shrank back into the couch, only to find the tip of Narcissa’s wand pressed against his adam’s apple. “Narcissa…”

“You will not use that word again, Lucius.” Narcissa hissed. “Especially not in front of me or our son.”

Lucius reached up and wrapped his hand around her wand, “It is a necessary word, my love.” He murmured as he watched her, his voice firm. 

“It is not, and we will discuss this further when our guest has left.” Narcissa yanked her wand out of his grasp before turning to the frightened girl on their couch. “You’re perfectly safe here, my dear.” She promised, sitting beside Hermione. “Lucius would be committing suicide if he hurt you.”

“I would, would I?” Lucius sounded amused as he walked over to the liquor cabinet behind his desk. 

“You would. Because I would be forced to choose between my marriage vows and the vow I made to protect Phebe with my life.”

Lucius frowned at his wife, setting his cup on the desk as they had a silent conversation. His eyes widened after a few moments and he abruptly dropped into his seat. “Merlin and Morgana…” He turned to Hermione, eyes narrowing as he examined her. Finally, he inclined his head. “My apologies for my boorish manners.”

Hermione blinked in surprise then nodded, “Thank you, sir.”

“Where are the elves setting up her room?”

“They aren’t. We are waiting for Andromeda to bring her parents.”

Lucius frowned, “Her parents are in Azkaban.”

“My Mum and Dad were at their home meeting with Andromeda and Sirius.” Hermione frowned, her voice much sharper and more courageous than she felt at the moment. 

“The muggles.” Lucius nodded, “Well, that’s good. We can discuss returning you to your proper family as soon as they arrive. I’m more than happy to reimburse them for everything they’ve spent raising you, but you-” He hissed in pain as the crystal glass and decanter shattered, sending glass flying at him. 

“They’re not going to just let you pay them off!” Hermione shouted, surging to her feet. “And even if they did, I don’t want to live with you or your awful son!”

“You should have been placed with us, I am merely rectifying that error.”

Hermione clenched her fists and glared hatefully at Lucius Malfoy. She could feel her magic surging inside of her become a roaring in her ears as her hair puffed up and sparked with a mind of it’s own. “Shut up!” She shouted. The flames of the candles around the room flickered, some even going out entirely with the force of the magic sparking off the teenager. 

Narcissa placed her hands on Hermione’s shoulders, moving so she was standing in between the girl and Lucius. “Hermione,” She slipped into the girls mind as their eyes met. Narcissa loathed doing this without permission, but Hermione needed to calm down. Preferably before she destroyed any other antiques… “As long as you are safe and happy, we will not attempt to take you from your parents.” Her words were a cooling balm to Hermione’s fear and anger. It only took a little gentle nudging from Narcissa in Hermione’s mind to make the girl believe her. 

“Do you swear?” She demanded in a trembling whisper.

“I swear.” Narcissa promised with a nod.

Hermione nodded, not protesting as Narcissa pulled her into a soothing embrace. 

“Lucius, I will meet you upstairs after Hermione’s parents get here.” Narcissa looked at her husband over her shoulder, glaring venomously when he opened his mouth to protest. Her eyes followed him as he stood and left, they would certainly be talking later. She stroked Hermione’s hair again and guided the young teenager back to the couch. Thankfully, the next time the floo flared to life it was Andromeda, two strangers who must be Hermione’s parents, and “Sirius,” Narcissa frowned.

“Mum! Dad!” Hermione jumped away from Narcissa and raced over to her parents, melting into their embrace with a soft sob.

“Narcissa.” Sirius nodded stiffly. 

“I thought you were going to get Harry. Is everything alright?”

“Don’t pretend you care.” He sneered. 

“Remus pointed out that, innocent or not, it might be easier if he went to get Harry from the Weasley’s rather than Sy.” Andromeda supplied. “What happened, Cissa?”

Narcissa waved her wand, summoning another couch and two chairs. “Sit. Please. What happened is… difficult. But first,” She turned, focusing on the Grangers as they fussed over and soothed their daughter. “Mr. and Mrs. Granger.”

Jean lifted her head and glared at Narcissa untrustingly. 

“Thank you for raising my niece with as much love as you have. You have no idea how much it means to me to know that she was accepted so wholly despite your differences. I have no doubt that you have heard awful things about my son, Draco, and I assure you that his behavior will change. He will be apologizing, but I would also like to apologize to you all for how he has behaved and the awful things he has said to Hermione. His cousin or not, it is unacceptable for him to treat anyone like that.”

Jean blinked in surprise at Narcissa’s apology.

“Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy.” Dan murmured. 

“I know it will take time, but I would like it if our families could spend time together. Hermione is my niece and goddaughter, I’d like to be allowed to be a part of her life.” 

“We can have lunch and discuss it once the children are back at school.” Dan guided his wife and daughter over to the couch. “And we’ll discuss it with Hermione as well.”

“How did Hermione end up here?” Jean demanded. “We sent her with the Weasley family.”

“I don’t know the whole story, but I will fill in what I can.” Narcissa frowned. She explained what she could of the evening, including Lucius leaving to help ministry officials and potentially free the muggles after sending the peacocks home. She didn’t have a lot of information and wasn’t able to answer many of the questions that the concerned adults had, but with a bit of prompting Hermione explained her perspective of the evening.

---

Blackwell Hall was quieter than Sirius liked when they stepped out of the floo. He had expected to see Harry and Remus waiting for them. “Bibble!”

“Master?” The little elf asked, appearing beside him. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that…” Dan chuckled softly to his wife.

“Where are Harry and Remus?”

Bibble frowned, wringing her hands as her gaze fell to the floor. “Mr. Wolfy returned without the young master and went to his room… Bibble wents to bring hims dinner and heard crashing and smashing.”

Sirius dragged a hand through his hair with a growl. “Alright. Meda, can you hold down the fort until I get back? I’m going to the Weasleys to get Harry.”

“ We’re going to the Weasleys.” Jean corrected, coming over and putting her hand on Sirius’s shoulder. 

“Jean-”

“We’re family, Sirius.” She interjected sharply. “That goes both ways. Besides, I need to give them a piece of my mind about putting children in charge of our kids during a crisis.”

He smiled at her with a nod, “Alright.” He turned to his cousin, “Meda?”

“I’ll be here.” She nodded. "Go rescue Harry."

“Come on, Bunny. Let’s go hunt down some hot cocoa for when everyone gets back.” Dan murmured, rubbing his daughter's shoulders. "Chocolate makes everything better."

Andromeda grinned at Bibble as the little elf’s eyes widened and she chased after Dan and Hermione. “Mr. Grangey will not be touching the kitchen!” At a much slower pace, Andromeda began following the father, daughter, and elf towards the kitchen as Sirius and Jean left through the floo to get Harry. 

Chapter Text

The floo flaring to life in the Weasley house a second time unexpectedly that night  had everyone’s attention. Sirius and Jean stepped out to find every member of the Weasley Family and Harry scattered around the living room holding mugs of tea, staring at them. 

“Harry!” Sirius shouted, still wound up from the knowledge of what he had been subjected to.

The boy in question jumped up and raced over, jumping at Sirius. “Sirius!” He pulled away with a frown. “We have to go find Hermione! We got separated and Ron and I couldn’t find her!”

“Harry,”

“No, Sirius this is important! There were Death Eaters and they were torturing muggles and Hermione is out there somewhere!”

“Hermione is fine, Harry.” Jean spoke up with a fond smile as she reached out and touched the boy’s shoulder. 

“She is?” Harry’s shoulders dropped in relief. “Where is she?”

“See, Harry.” Molly smiled, standing a short ways behind. “I said she’d be alright. Come sit back down and finish your tea.”

“He’s coming home, Molly.” Sirius frowned, tightening his hold on his godson. 

Molly opened her mouth to protest, but Jean spoke before she could. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Weasley, did I miss an adoption?”

Molly blinked in confusion, “Adoption? No! But Harry is comfortable here. He’s always welcome.”

“And his parent is saying that it’s time to go home .”

“Sirius is his godfather ! He’s hardly fit to be a parent!”

“That’s rich coming from a woman who had children in charge of other children during a fucking terrorist attack !” Molly recoiled as Jean took several steps towards her. She opened her mouth to speak, but was once again interrupted by Jean’s righteous anger. “You had better not be about to say that it all worked out, Molly Weasley! My daughter was separated from Harry and your boys! Your husband had other grown fucking adults there but left a group of children to fend for themselves! And don’t think for a second that I blame them for Hermione getting separated because they were doing their best against crowds of panicked people, this is entirely your and your husband’s fault! Dan, Sirius, and I trusted you two with our children. It was your jobs to ensure they were taken care of! You’re lucky that Hermione was found by friends rather than the Death Eaters attacking! As for your ridiculous notion of Sirius not being capable of taking care of Harry and being his parent, I will remind you that James and Lily chose Sirius and Remus to take care of Harry should something happen to them! If they had wanted you to take care of him, they would have named you his godparent!”

Sirius watched Jean lay into Molly in awe. It was one thing for the woman to go rabid in defense of her daughter or Harry, it was another entirely watching her jump to his defense… The last time that had happened it was probably Lily. And before that, Euphemia going up against Wally. Both of those women had magic and had known Sirius for quite a while by then. When she turned her attention back to him and Harry, he saw in the hard glint of her deep brown eyes that she hadn’t stopped shouting because she ran out of things to scream about but rather because Harry was there. If it wasn’t for the fact that the Blacks disposed of all their squibs, he’d have thought Jean could be some long lost relative. She had the same ferocity and barely restrained thirst for violence. Her gaze softened to the same motherly concern she usually had for Harry. 

“Are you hurt, Harry?” She murmured.

Harry shook his head, “Not a bit, Aunt Jeannie.”

Jean smiled, tweaking his nose playfully. “I’m going to make Dan rue the day he suggested that. Come on, let’s get you home. We’ll be staying with Sirius tonight, okay?”

Harry nodded, relaxing into his Godfather’s side. He’d never admit it, but his hand was fisted in Sirius’s old band t-shirt as Harry clung to him. 

---

Once Hermione was gone, Narcissa had an elf bring her to her husband. Before he could greet her, she had her wand drawn and shot a stinging jinx at him. “You are just like him.” She spat, 

Lucius jumped with a hiss of pain, rubbing his leg. “Just like who?”

“Your father. You promised me, Lucius. You promised . But you’re just like him now. And you’re teaching Draco to be like him too.”

“Narcissa…” He murmured with a frown. “We were young then.”

“And The Dark Lord is dead!” Narcissa reached out and swept one of the vases in their room off it’s pedestal. Yes, she could always use her wand but destroying things by hand was much more satisfying. “Hermione is brilliant! If you hadn’t taught Draco to hate people with muggle family we could have found her years ago! He could have introduced us to her as his friend because he was making connections with every student worth it at Hogwarts, not just with the children of your stupid friends!” She picked up the glass pitcher off the table at the foot of the bed and threw it at the wall. “What next? Will you crucio me for disobeying you!? Just like your father did when I grieved the death of our child too loudly for his taste!?”

Lucius’s face fell as he stood from the armchair and strode over to her. “I will never raise my wand against you.” He swore, pulling her into a tight embrace. “And you’re right… I did promise we would be different raising Draco than my father was with me and we haven’t. But we can still change. Draco is young, he will adapt. I just… I fear if we shun one side we will be forced to choose the other. I don’t want Draco learning to serve another old wizard.”

“If we align ourselves with Sirius we could make our own side.”

Lucius nodded thoughtfully. “We could lead our own side rather than following Dumbledore or the ideals of the Dark Lord.” He ran his fingers through his wife’s hair, “And with a clear third side we could pull the moderates from both sides, witches and wizards who were forced to choose…”

Narcissa lifted her head with a coy smile, “And build a side where our son can flourish with the best and the brightest no matter their background.”

“Alright. I will consider it. But we will also need to discuss with Lord Black about how to handle the extremists that want to bring him back.”

“And tell Draco that he cannot act so abhorrent towards his cousin and Mr. Potter.”

“ And Mr. Potter?”

“Lord Black is the boy’s godfather and with Lily and James both gone, that makes Harry Sirius’s child and quite possibly his heir. So yes, Harry Potter as well.”

---

“You called for us, Mother.” Draco frowned, leading Theo into the conservatory. His mother hadn’t summoned them for tea randomly during the week since he was a child. He could only assume her doing so now meant that someone had died. Or, she was finally going to explain why she fussed so much over Hermione Granger of all people.

“Yes. We have a lot to talk about.” She gestured at the two seats waiting for them and poured both boys some tea before continuing. “You’re going to apologize to Miss Granger for how you’ve treated her and are going to behave yourself from now on.”

Theo picked up his tea with a grin as he watched Draco blanch and stare at his mother. 

“What do you mean apologize!? Mother!” He protested, surging to his feet. 

“Do not raise your voice to me, Draco Lucius.” She warned. “I am your mother.”

Draco sat with an abashed frown. “I apologize, I should not have spoken to you like that.”

“Good, just like that when you apologize to Hermione.” Narcissa nodded, ignoring the way her son clenched his jaw and fisted his hands. She lifted her cup to her lips and took a silent sip as she waited. 

“Mother-”

“She’s your cousin, Draco.” She cut in, unwilling to hear more arguments from her son based on the bigotry that she had allowed him to be surrounded by from birth. She put her cup down and focused her attention on the two stunned and silent boys. “And even if she wasn’t, your behavior would be unacceptable.”

“She’s… my cousin?” Draco rolled the word around in his head uncomfortably. 

“Your Aunt Bella had a daughter,” Narcissa murmured, frowning as she set her teacup down and folded her hands delicately in her lap. “The night that The Dark Lord went after Lord and Lady Potter, Bellatrix left Phebe locked in Lestrange Manor. I begged her to leave Phebe here with you and I, but she insisted that Phebe was safe with the elves… After the dust settled I went to petition the Ministry to be allowed to get Phebe, but they claimed that no child was found during the search. I went for months, but the answer was always the same.”

“H-How did you recognize her in the tent?” Theo asked softly. 

“I’m her godmother.”

“How did the muggles get her?”

“We don’t know, my dragon. But the important thing is that she was raised by two loving parents.”

“But they’re muggles! They hunt wizards and try to steal our magic!”

“No, my dragon they don’t. Not anymore, and I don’t know if any of them ever stole magic. Those beliefs… they’re steeped in old prejudice and distrust and not any sort of fact. And even if they weren’t, Hermione’s parents are lovely people. She adores them and they wouldn’t dream of hurting her because she’s a witch. Do you think I would have let them leave with her if she was in any risk of being hurt?”

“So… she’s a pureblood.”

“And your cousin.” Theo grinned. 

“You’re absolutely not allowed to call her Beauty anymore.” Draco scowled, turning to face his oldest friend. 

“What!? Why not?” He protested, “If anything you should be encouraging my interest in her! If she marries me she won’t marry Weasley or Potter!”

“She’s not marrying you ! She should have been raised as a Malfoy, and you don’t even like girls!”

“What does her being raised as a Malfoy have to do with marrying me?”

“It means she’s too good for you! And that you should see her like you see me!”

Narcissa smiled and took another sip of her tea as she watched the two boys dissolve into petty bickering.

---

BOY WHO LIVED UNAWARE OF MAGICAL FAMILY AND TREATED LIKE HOUSE ELF?!

By: Rita Skeeter

Many families descended upon Diagon Alley this week, preparing for the start of the new Hogwarts school year. Among those students was the Boy Who Lived. Young Harry Potter was overheard expressing his excitement over being allowed to have his wand again and how his uncle had almost broken it while taking it out of the locked box they force Mr. Potter to store it in while home for the summer. Mr. Potter then went on to lament about how he wished he had more options for family to live with besides his mother’s muggle sister.

Lady Lily Potter you all know was a muggleborn witch with no magical relations. But Lord James Potter was a pureblood with a long family history and many magical relations that survived the war! Was our savior truly sent to magic hating muggles? This reporter went to find out and dear readers, I am appalled by what I found. 

Lady Potter’s muggle sister, who’s name I will keep anonymous for her own protection, lives in a large house with many bedrooms but forces young Mr. Potter to live in a closet in their celler! Not only that, but they keep all his school supplies locked in the attic and force him to clean the house from top to bottom using just his toothbrush while wearing clothing he has to make himself out of their cast off sheets! Is this what the savior of the wizarding world deserves? Being treated like a house elf while his aunt, uncle, and their children live off the Potter fortune meant to pay for young Harry’s care?

With all of those in wizarding Britain related to Lord Potter, are these muggles really the best home for the boy who defeated You Know Who? Albus Dumbledore said that Harry Potter was sent to live with a family that would protect and love him while keeping him out of the spotlight during his formative years. 

If this truly is that family, Dumbledore has some explaining to do.

---

Hermione closed the paper with a scoff, shaking her head in disgust. “How can she get so much right with her lies but still be so far off base?”

Harry snickered as he snatched the paper away and began reading the article. Jean, Dan, and Remus had escorted them to the platform early, with Sirius trailing along as Odysseus/Padfoot. The adults had wanted to beat the crowd, especially with the Prophet article being published. Narcissa had planned the article release on the first of September to have the maximum effect. While they were kissing their children goodbye, they’d be thinking about poor Harry Potter cut off from the relatives that would have raised him to know who his parents were and what their sacrifice had been for. Those then going to work at the Ministry would do what Ministry workers did best and gossip. Why had the great Albus Dumbledor sent Harry to live with his muggle relatives? What protections did they have that any basic wizarding family wouldn’t? Why hadn’t he spoken up when Sirius Black was sent to Azkaban? Hadn’t he been the mentor for not just Black but Potter as well? Wouldn’t he have known that Sirius couldn’t betray the Potters because he was Harry’s godfather? 

With any luck, the outrage would grow throughout the week so that when Sirius reached out to the prophet with his side of what happened leading up to Voldemort visiting the Potters in time for the saturday morning edition and then Narcissa responding in the Sunday edition with her horror for how her cousin was treated, the world would explode. People would demand that Sirius be allowed to have a trial and once found guilty, be allowed to have custody of Harry.

“Who cares, Mione? Sirius is going to be free and I’ll be able to live with him.” Harry smiled. “Let Rita publish what she wants, she’s not hurting anyone.”

Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but was interrupted by the compartment door slamming open. 

“Mate, did you see the paper!?” Ron exploded, dropping down into the seat beside Harry. 

“Yeah, I did. Crazy right?”

Hermione rolled her eyes and opened the book she had brought for the train ride. Crazy indeed. Not at all like some carefully laid plan of Narcissa Malfoy. It was honestly a little awe inspiring how efficient the woman worked. Her mom had practically fallen in love with Narcissa when the older witch had suggested using the media to force Dumbledor and the Ministry’s hands. Her mother was all for plans that didn’t require her to her her hands dirty directly, and that Narcissa had come up with one so quickly that Andromeda, Sirius, Remus, and Lucius had agreed with? Hermione figured that by the time she and Harry returned for the summer, the adults would all be one step away from moving into Blackwell Hall together.

“Hiya Harry. Ron. Hermione.” Neville greeted as he slid open the compartment door.

“Hi Nev!” Harry smiled. 

“Neville!” Hermione beamed, grateful for someone to talk to that wasn’t easily dragged into a talk about quidditch stats. “Have a good summer?” She pulled her legs off the bench and patted the space beside her.
“I did, yeah.” He nodded, sliding into the seat. “Gran about had a fit while reading the prophet this morning though.”

Ron grimaced. “Yeah… Mum wasn’t too happy about it either.”

“Don’t worry about her, Harry. Gran says that most of Skeeter’s work is only good for lining bird cages.” 

“Yeah, but I didn’t know my dad had family out there.”

Neville nodded, falling silent for a moment before offering. “We’re godbrothers.”

The trio blinked in surprise and turned their full attention to Neville.

“We… we are?”

Neville opened his Herbology book and pulled out a photo, offering it to Harry. “Yeah. During the war people were giving their kids more than one godparent, in case something happened to them and the first godparent. Your dad was one of mine.”

Harry took the photograph and smiled. James Potter was standing in traditional wizarding robes beside Alice Longbottom. Beside Alice stood her husband Frank and another man and if Harry looked closely he could see the man his fellow Lion would one day become. “This is so cool… I had no idea!” He murmured with a widening smile. “Is the other bloke your godfather too?”

“Yeah,” Neville reached out and took the photo back as Harry offered it. “He was an Aurors like Mum and Dad, went through training with them and was put on the same team as my Dad. His name was Alexander Broadmoor.”

Chapter Text

“Alright, Dray. What’s got your knickers in a twist?” Pansy sighed as she gracefully dropped into the seat beside him. 

“You clearly saw us on the platform.” Daphne added with a frown, sitting beside Pansy, “But you just charged ahead and didn’t wait for us.”

“That’s because if we waited for Blaise we’d miss the train.” Theo snorted. “He’s always late.”

“Excuse you, I am never late. You Brits just have a demented idea of what is acceptable morning meeting times.” Blaise Zabini frowned as he crossed his arms and sat beside Theo, across from Draco and Pansy. As usual, the dark skinned Italian Slytherin had spent the at one of his mother’s many estates. Elora Zabini was as beautiful as she was deadly with 19 magical husbands (and 5 non-magical, though very few knew about them ) that all died under mysterious circumstances. Why wizards continued to marry her despite her reputation was anyone’s guess, though many speculated that Mrs. Zabini had some sort of creature blood in her that was helping her lure in men. 

“Alright, Blaise, spill. Where were you this summer?”

“Milan, Oslo, and then New York.”

“ New York ?” Draco sneered.

“Mother’s newest husband is, unfortunately, an American.”

“Very tragic.” Pansy agreed. 

“It wasn’t all bad.” Blaise shrugged, “Magical New York was actually pretty fun.”

“You mean all the american girls flocked to you because of your accent that you absolutely didn’t exaggerate?” Blaise’s smirk was all the confirmation that Draco needed. He rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I do have news though.”

“I knew it!” Pansy smacked Draco’s shoulder. “You do have your knickers in a twist!”

Draco sighed, crossing his arms. “They’re not in a twist, Pans. But I do have news.” Deciding that ripping the bandaid off would be the best option. He pulled out his wand and with a wave, cast silencing and privacy charms. “Hermione Granger is my cousin.” He was hopeful in the moment of silence that followed that maybe, just maybe , his friends wouldn’t react with total chaos and that they could behave like the young adults they were. That hope was obliterated as both Pansy and Blaise started shouting in surprise and disbelief. He pinched the bridge of his nose and cast a renewed privacy charms on the compartment. 

“How is Granger your cousin? Isn’t she muggle born?” Daphne frowned. 

“Oh! Oh wait don’t tell us!” Pansy gasped. “She’s the daughter of a hidden Malfoy squib- No! Black. That hair is certainly not Malfoy hair. She’s the daughter of a hidden Black squib and is trying to bribe her way into the family vaults!”

“Haha, no. She’s my Aunt Bella’s daughter.”

“Bella as in… crazy Auntie Bellatrix?” Blaise grimaced. “How?”

“Oh Salazar, is she The Dark Lord’s daughter!?” Pansy gasped, eyes widening.

Draco frowned at Pansy, completely unamused by her antics. “No. She’s a legitimate Lestrange. As for how she remained a secret and ended up with muggles? No clue. But apparently Aunt Bella and Uncle Dolph kept her secret when the Aurors went to raid Lestrange keep… she was gone.” 

“Yeah but… how do they know Hermione is your cousin?”

“Aunt Bella made Mum her godmother. So needless to say, she is off limits from now on. Possibly Potter too.”

The compartment fell silent as the Slytherins processed the information bomb Draco had dropped on them. After several minutes, Pansy spoke again and all the attention in the compartment snapped to her. 

“Does this mean we’re going to have to deal with all your weird golden trio cousins at Yule?”

Blaise grinned a slow and cheshire cat grin. “Merlin, that’s right ! With this, Draco is related to the entire golden trio! Cedrella Weasley was born Cedrella Black, Euphemia Potter was born Euphemia Black, plus Sirius Black is Potter’s godfather, and now this.”

Draco hung his head with a groan, scrubbing his face with both hands. “Oh fuck me…” He scowled at his cackling friends. “You all are the worst.” Draco’s declaration only made the laughter louder as Blaise doubled over and Pansy and Daphne clung to each other. 

---

Between the welcoming feast and the announcement that Hogwarts would be hosting the Triwizard Tournament, Harry didn’t have the chance to speak privately with Hermione until breakfast the next morning.

“So…” He dished himself up some eggs and watched Hermione butter her toast. “Wanna talk about it?” He picked up the honey pot and passed it to her so she could drizzle some honey on her freshly buttered toast. 

“Nope.”

“Are… you gunna write your Mum?”

Hermione took the wooden honey dipper out of the pot and let it drip over her toast. “Nope.”

Harry grimaced, “Mione… don’t make me lie to your Mum and Dad. They scare me.” He pleaded.

“It’s not even been a full day! If I write them now they’re going to go nuts!” She whined. 

“Yeah but this isn’t even bad. It’s a lead on your not birth parents!”

Hermione sighed heavily, setting her toast down. “I’ll write them at the end of the week if nothing else happens. Okay?”

Harry relaxed with a nod. “Okay.”

Unfortunately, their first defense lesson led to not just Hermione writing to her parents, but Harry writing to Sirius as well. Both letters were sent with Hedwig to get them there in hours rather than the weeks the transfer that magical to muggle post would take.

---

Friday morning the doors to the Great Hall swung open and a thirteen well dressed witches and wizards strode in. Leading the group was Lord and Lady Malfoy, but they were not the only guardians present. Madame Amelia Bones; Head of the DMLE and aunt of Hufflepuff Susan Bones, Lord Aemon Greengrass; Father of Slytherin girls Daphne and Astoria Greengrass, Lord Marcus Flint Sr; Father of Slytherin Marcus Flint, Lady Augusta Longbottom; Grandmother to Gryffindor Neville Longbottom, and Josephine Fawcett; Mother of Ravenclaw Samara Fawcett.

“Ah! Our Board of Governors!” Dumbledore greeted, placing his morning cup of tea down as he stood. “Have I missed an owl?”

“Given how grave the concerns raised to us were, we decided to forego that courtesy.” Lucius frowned. 

“Of course, shall we adjourn to my office so the students can get back to their morning meal?”

Narcissa kissed her husband’s cheek as she seperated, “I’ll meet you outside the Headmaster’s office, my love.” She murmured and walked over to the Gryffindor table. She was well aware of the attention she was gathering as she walked away from the table of Snakes and towards the Lions, but she didn’t just have children in one house any longer and had promised Sirius and the Grangers that she would check on Harry and Hermione. “Miss Granger, I am glad to see you again.” She greeted warmly.

“Again?” Ron demanded with an accusatory scowl over his mountain of sausages.

“Yes, Ronald. Again.” Hermione glared. “Mrs. Malfoy made sure I got home to my parents after we got separated at the cup.” As Ron, now chastised, turned his muttering glare on his sausages Hermione turned to face Narcissa. “It’s nice to see you as well, ma’am.” 

“I trust you’re enjoying your first week of school without too much trouble?”

“It’s certainly a normal first week by Hogwarts standards.” Hermione nodded. 

Narcissa frowned towards the head table, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Yes. Well I hope you do enjoy this year with all it’s excitement.” She focused back on Hermione. “I hope you don’t mind, but I send my son and his friends little care packages throughout the year. I hope you don’t mind if I send you and Mr. Potter some things as well.”

Harry straightened up at this with a confused frown. “Me?”

“Of course you too.” Narcissa frowned. “I am a Malfoy by marriage but I am a Black by birth. Your grandmother Euphemia was my great-aunt which makes us cousins. The Black family has always looked after their own, so it is my pleasure. Besides, I always have so many sweets and things left over after sending off the packages for Draco and the others, so really you are doing me a favor by humoring me.”

Initially, the plan had been for Narcissa to extend the care package offer just to Hermione so that her parents could slip their letters in without having to wait weeks for the muggle and magical post systems to get their letters from Surrey all the way to Hogwarts but Narcissa had changed her mind at the last minute. It really wasn’t that much more trouble for her to make another package for Harry, and this way Sirius and Remus could include letters without having to go through Hermione, and the smile on the young boy's face was absolutely worth the extra effort.

“Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy. That’s incredibly kind.”

“Yeah, thanks!”

Narcissa nodded and reached into her slim wristlet, “I’m glad neither of you object since I brought along these rather than tax an owl.” With the help of some undetectable extension charms, she had been easily able to bring all the children’s back to school care packages with her to give to them in person. She placed the two palm sized red wrapped boxes on the table and with a tap on each from her wand and a soft “ Finite ”, they expanded to their proper size. “There’s plenty to share with your friends as well.” She nodded to each of them before turning and walking elegantly back across the hall to the Slytherin table. Her son and his friends made space on the bench before she got there and Theo had already poured a cup of tea for her so she could sit with them for a few minutes before going to meet Lucius.

“As if I’d eat anything from her.” Ron scoffed, eyeing the two packages in disgust. “They’re probably poisoned.”

Hermione rolled her eyes and tapped her package. “ Reducio .” She turned to Harry as she carefully put her box in her bag. “Want me to do yours?”

“I can handle a simple Reducio, Hermione.” Harry frowned and also pocketed his package after shrinking it.

“Yeah! We’re not idiots, Mione.” Ron argued through a mouthful of food.

“I know Harry isn’t an idiot, Ronald.” Hermione glared. “I also know that charms isn’t his best subject and I’d hate for a letter from Narcissa to be ruined by mistake.” She picked up her toast with a huff. “I’ve got to get going. I’ll see you both in Potions.”

Ron scoffed and shook his head. “Mental that one.” 

---

SIRIUS BLACK CLAIMS INNOCENCE! “I DIDN’T BETRAY THE POTTERS”

The following is a letter sent to The Prophet for publication and has not been changed or edited except for the use of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in place of the more colorful names used by Lord Black. The identity of the sender was independently verified but the claims have not been.

I am writing this not for myself, but for my godson. Because Harry deserves to be loved and grow up in the world that his parents fought and died for.

My name is Sirius Orion Black, Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, and I am prepared to swear on my life and my magic that I did not betray the Potters and give their location to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. 

The cottage in Godric’s Hollow where they were hiding was protected by the Fidelius Charm, and while I was originally the person who was going to be the secret keeper I convinced James and Lilly Potter to make a last minute change. I knew that my relationship to the Potters was well known and knew that I would be the first person that the Death Eaters went to. I was prepared to give my life so that the real secret keeper, Peter Pettigrew, could help get James and Lily to safety.

Peter Peregrine Pettigrew was a Death Eater spy. He was the one who told He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named where to find James, Lily, and Harry and led him to Godric’s Hollow. He betrayed our friendship and is the reason that James and Lily died.

I was meeting the Potters to celebrate Samhain with a small fire to remember and honor not only those who had died in the war but also Euphemia and Fleamont Potter. When I got to their cottage James and Lily were already dead and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was gone. Rubeus Hagrid arrived not long after and said he would take Harry to see a healer and be taken to safety. I didn’t question why he was there at the time, only gave him my bike so Harry could travel safely.

I knew the only person who could have betrayed James and Lily was Peter. James and I had been Aurors, so I went to find Peter so he could be brought to the DMLE. He was the one who caused the explosion that killed the muggles and escaped after cutting off his own finger. 

The aurors that arrived were correct when they said they found me kneeling on the ground, laughing and saying it was my fault. I believed it to be my fault. I was the one who had suggested Peter become the secret keeper in my stead, I had trusted Peter with their lives. 

They arrested me and threw me into Azkaban without a trial and without properly questioning me. If they had looked at my wand or my memories they would have seen the truth. Aurors may be trained to resist Veritasium, but there are special kinds brewed by the DOM that does work on Aurors. No one questioned me under that special veritasium, or any veritasium at all.

Still, I believed that it was a mistake and that I would be released and allowed to get custody of my godson. Albus Dumbledore was the binder for the Fidelius charm so he knew I was innocent. But he let me rot in Azkaban while Harry was sent to live with Lily’s magic hating sister. Dumbledore could have easily spoken up in my defense, he knew how close I was to the Potter family. 

Albus Dumbledore knew I was innocent and he left me in Azkaban. It is his fault that Harry was mistreated by his relatives and not raised in the wizarding world by me.

Yes, I escaped Azkaban. I know that that is a crime, but the punishment for that crime is five years in Azkaban. I have done over double that amount of time.

I will gladly work with the Wizengamot and the DMLE to prove my innocent and submit myself for a proper trial, but not until certain assurances are made. The DMLE can reach me by reaching out to Oinir Poisonfang, the Black Family account manager at Gringotts. 

Chapter Text

NARCISSA MALFOY SPEAKS! “THIS IS A GREAT MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE”

The following is a letter sent to The Prophet’s Head Editor for publication and has not been changed or edited. 

It is always a great miscarriage of justice when someone is incarcerated for a crime they did not commit. My cousin, Lord Sirius Black, has always been loyal, even when we were children. He also always chafed against the beliefs of his parents no matter how hard they tried to force him to see the world their way. 

My sister Andromeda and I were shocked when we heard all those years ago that he had betrayed Lord and Lady Potter, especially considering it had been the late Lord and Lady Potter that took him in when Aunt Walburga kicked him out at fifteen. Lord James Potter and my cousin were joined at the hip from the moment they met on the Hogwarts Express as boys. Andromeda and I are ashamed to say that we believed the lies we read in the paper about Sirius betraying his friends. Had we gone to visit him, this grave error may have been fixed long before young Heir Potter was placed with his maternal aunt. 

I met Heir Potter on a recent trip to Hogwarts where I accompanied my husband and the other school governors to investigate the horrifying claims of several Hogwarts students from all four houses that a professor had used all three unforgivable curses in class. It is always my wish that we ensure the students at Hogwarts receive the very best education, but I do not believe that that education includes the use of those three curses. Especially not in front of children whose parents were victims of those curses during the war. 

If the Headmaster agrees that these curses be used in front of children by an auror that retired rather than be sacked because of his deplorable and increasingly unhinged behavior at the DMLE it is my belief that someone should ensure other errors in judgement have not been made. Especially in cases like Lord Black where lives were irrevocably changed.

This I write specifically for my cousin. Sirius I am sorry for my inaction, I hope you will forgive me one day. I also hope that you will allow myself, Andromeda, and Lucius to help you fight for your freedom and to regain the custody of your godson that was denied you. We will write to Oinir and I will personally deliver it to him at the bank on Monday. 

I remember how you used to adore chocolate biscuits, I hope you will indulge me and not immediately destroy the ones I will leave for you with my letter. I have missed you, Sy… we will fix this.

---

Sirius snorted as he bit into a chocolate biscuit and closed the paper. “That bit personally to me was a nice touch, Cissa.”

Narcissa raised her cup to her lips and took a dainty sip of tea before answering, “I thought so.” with a sly smile. 

“So, now that the stage is set, we wait to see who reaches out?” Remus frowned.

“And to see if Albus tries any dirty tricks.” Sirius nodded.

“How are Dan and Jean?” Narcissa asked, eager to change the topic to the other piece of news they had uncovered.

“They’re… okay? Honestly it’s hard to tell.” Sirius sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I think they’re worried that Hermione potentially being kidnapped by the Broadmoors means that one of us can step up and make their adoption of her void.” He speared his cousin with a sharp glare and let his lip curl up in a slight snarl as he added, “Which we aren’t going to do.”

Narcissa rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Sirius. I am quite fond of Jean and Dan, not to mention forcing Hermione away from them would only alienate her from me more.”

“We’re just worried.” Remus placated, always the peacekeeper. “Hermione is important to Harry.”

“And Jean and Dan are helping keep Harry away from his muggle aunt. I’m aware of how much their presence also means to you both.”

“That’s not the only reason-!”

Narcissa waved off Sirius’s outrage, “Of course not, it’s also the protection against people who would mean to hurt him. Hermione is a daughter of the Black family through her mother and Harry is a son of it for the very same reason. Which means that as long as young Mister Potter lives with a member of the Black family, he’ll still be protected by his mother’s magic. It was ingenious really and I hope it was something Lady Potter considered and not just a happy coincidence. Her being adopted into the Black family means that should you have gotten rightful custody, Albus wouldn’t have had a leg to stand on when advocating for his protection.” She smiled as she watched her cousin’s eyes narrow while his lover's eyes widened.

“Explain.” Sirius growled, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his arms.

“The magic she used to protect her son, I’m assuming it was based on a Black family spell. When doing my own research to protect Draco should something happen to myself or his father, I stumbled upon a few protection spells that would strengthen the familial protection. Originally meant to protect an heir until someone from his family could rescue him from whatever threat remained, it relies on blood and family magic. One of the spells I saw would quite literally turn the caster’s magic into a shield protecting the heir. If Lady Potter modified or combined spells, it could be assumed that she intended for her magic to protect Harry when her physical form no longer could. If her magic is being strengthened by closeness to her family magic or blood family, the protection will last longer.”

“Could it have been an accident?” Remus asked quietly. 

“It could have been, but a parent will do anything for their child. If it would protect Draco, I would carve out my own heart while it still beat in my chest.” Narcissa frowned then softly added, “And I don’t think Lady Potter was foolish enough not to know she might have needed to give her son that extra protection.” 

Narcissa and Remus watched as Sirius stood with a curse and stalked from the room, slamming the door behind him. 

“He still blames himself.” Remus frowned. “For not seeing Peter’s betrayal.”

“Just like you blame yourself?” Narcissa asked, raising an eyebrow.

Remus sighed heavily and dropped into the seat Sirius had vacated. It was warm and still smelled like him… “I thought he betrayed James and I didn’t go look for Harry when I could have.”

“We were at war, Remus.” She murmured. “There were some days when Bella came to visit me that I thought she had come with orders to kill me… War distorts our instincts and makes us doubt the very core pieces of ourselves. Have…” She frowned deeper. “I think you both should see mind healers.”

“How? Sirius is still a criminal.” Remus sighed exasperatedly. “And I’m a werewolf!”

Narcissa resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “I clearly need to teach you the benefits of having a disgustingly wealthy man in love with you.” She stood and smoothed out her skirt, “We’ll start with the mind healer and then move on to…” She looked him up and down slowly, her lips curling in disgust at the state of his clothing. “ Other things. Tell Sirius that Andy and I will be by for tea at the same time next week, and that we should really begin having more frequent meetings.” She patted his head as she passed and continued seamlessly towards the floo.

Remus just stared after her in flustered silence, only managing to indignantly shout “What’s that supposed to mean!?” right as Narcissa was swept away by the green flames.

---

Narcissa stood on the docks, one hand clutching her cloak closed against the violent winds while the other tightly gripped her wand. She had to board the boat… Bella needed to know Phebe had been found. Narcissa still remembered when she and Lucius visited last. 

“Giving up!?” Bellatrix screeched as she surged to her feet and yanked on the cuffs chaining her to the table. “You can’t give up!” 

“It has been a year, Bellatrix.” Lucius frowned and tightened his arm around Narcissa to keep her from going over to her sister. He didn’t trust that Bellatrix would leave her unharmed. “We cannot keep dedicating all our time to looking for Phebe. I’m sorry.”

“ Sorry!? You’re SORRY ?? Did you even look for her, Cissa?”

“Of course I did! She’s my niece, Bella! No one has seen her and they won’t let me access Lestrange Keep.” Narcissa insisted tearily. She flinched back as Bellatrix spat at her and didn’t fight as Lucius pulled her behind him. 

“You will not treat my wife in such a manner!” Lucius snarled. “We have run ourselves ragged looking for Phebe!”

“Get out! Out!” Bellatrix screamed, yanking on her chains again as she lunged for Lucius and Narcissa. 

Narcissa pressed her hands to her mouth, stifling a sob as Lucius guided her out of the visiting room. They heard Bella’s anguished screams the entire walk down the hall and only stopped hearing them because of the door that shut behind them. 

Narcissa hadn’t visited her sister since, she had tried but Bella had always refused to see her. 

Despite her best hopes, this visit was the same as the previous ones and Bellatrix refused to see her sister. Defeated, Narcissa returned home.

---

“You’re a hard witch to find, cousin.” 

Hermione’s head snapped up from her homework with a venomous glare. “Shh!!” She hissed. “Honestly! You’re as bad at secrets as Ron!”

The blond Slytherin rolled his eyes, “I put up wards, obviously.” He sneered back. 

“What do you want, Malfoy?”

“Mother would like us to be friendly, and I need to apologize for my behavior.”

Her eyes narrowed at him. “You’re only apologizing because it turns out I’m not a mudblood.” She spat. When he flinched back she let out a bitter laugh. “You had no problem calling me that before, Malfoy. Don’t pretend I’m offending your delicate sensibilities now. Besides, I don’t want your bigoted prattish apology. You’re only apologizing because your Mummy told you to.”

Malfoy scowled. “Fine. But Mother is going to make us both miserable when she finds out that we haven’t made up.”

“I’m not afraid of your mother, Malfoy.” She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, watching him with narrowed eyes. “If you want me to pretend you’ll have to make it worth my while.” Sure, she could make his life miserable temporarily by not accepting his sham of an apology. But it would be much more entertaining and useful to see what she could get from him, it also might give her some peace this term if she managed to get him to leave Harry and Ron alone. 

“Ahh, you want me to bribe you?” He asked, a little impressed. 

“I want you to convince me. Besides, I don’t need your money. Haven’t you heard? I’m a wealthy heiress.”

"Fair point." He conceded begrudgingly "Fine, I’ll give you any book you want from the Malfoy library.”

Hermione hesitated for just a moment before shaking her head. “No deal. Narcissa is my godmother. She’d let me borrow them if I asked. She’s said if I want anything to just let her know, so you’ll have to give me something that she can’t.” 

Malfoy’s lips twitched in annoyance, causing her to smirk. It would have been a good offer, before she found out about her parentage. 

“Fine. What do you want? You must want something .”

“You have to be nice to Harry, Ron, and Neville this year and get the other slytherins to back off too. No curses or hexes, no name calling, no making fun of them.”

Malfoy scoffed. “No deal.”

Hermione shrugged and began packing up her things. She paused as something in her bag caught her eye and she smiled. “Alright. Fine.” She pulled a badge out of her bag and slid it across the table. “Then you’re joining my new initiative.”

“What… in merlin’s name is Spew?” Malfoy demanded with a sneer as he poked the bright yellow badge with the tip of his wand, waiting for it to explode or bite him.

“S.P.E.W.” She corrected sharply. “It’s the Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare. How wizarding society treats house elves is absolutely deplorable. So you’re going to give me the three sickles for the badge, wear it on your robes in public, and attend meetings.”

Malfoy threw his head back with a laugh. 

“I’m serious, Malfoy. You want my forgiveness? This is how you get it.”

“Granger you seriously need to do some reading on house elves. I’m not joining your stupid club.”

Hermione shrugged and started packing up her things again. “Fine. Have it your way.”

“Wait! Wait.” Malfoy growled with a glare. “I’ll buy your stupid badge and attend one of your meetings. But I’m not wearing it where people can see.”

“And one favor to be granted at a time of my choosing.”

“One favor that will not cause embarrassment to the House of Slytherin or the Malfoy family, will not injure myself or others, and will not cost me more than five thousand galleons.” He extended his hand. “And it cannot involve Potter, Weasley, or Longbottom.”

Hermione took his hand with a nod. “Deal.”

Malfoy nodded, “Good. I’ll take my leave then.” He pushed his chair away from the table and stood. “Good day, Cousin. Try not to let Potter and the Weasel drag you into any murderous plots this year.”

“Not so fast Malfoy. I’m calling in my favor.”

“Already?” A single eyebrow raised as he watched her with an unimpressed frown. “Couldn’t even wait a full day?”

“I want you to take me to the Lestrange’s house.”

“What!?” He hissed, “Are you insane? That will definitely cause injury!”

“I’m not saying let’s go inside and explore, I just want to see it. We won’t even go past the wards. Unless you don’t know where it is?” She challenged.

“Of course I know where it is!”

“Good. Then you have until the first Hogsmeade trip to figure out how to get us there.”

“What!? That’s less than a month away!” He sputtered. 

Hermione shrugged, pulling her backpack onto her shoulder. “Guess you better get to work then, cousin .” She turned and left Malfoy in the library to search for a new place to study where she wouldn’t be disturbed. She had been trying to figure out a way to find the Lestrange ancestral home since before they boarded the train to return to school. Would it be like Blackwell Hall? Or more like a haunted castle you might find in horror films and books? Would the wards even recognize her? Books on wards and wizarding ancestral homes were sorely lacking in the Hogwarts Library, but she had been able to find a little information. Wizarding homes whose owners were jailed for extended periods of time or who had passed on often were locked down until enough time had passed that the magic of the wards broke down, until they were claimed by a distant relative the family magic approved of, or until the original owners were released from prison. It hadn’t been nearly long enough for the wards to start breaking down, but Hermione was technically the heir. She had hoped to discuss what being an heir meant with Sirius over the holiday break, but with the tournament they wouldn’t be seeing each other until the school year ended in June. She’d just have to borrow Harry’s enchanted mirror then since putting the information down on paper was just too risky. 

But talking with Sirius could wait until after she’d seen the place. It wasn’t like she and Draco would be able to do much more than just stand outside the wards hoping to see a glimpse of the house.

Chapter Text

With their children away at school, or work in Andromeda’s case, the Black Family got together once a week for tea on the weekends in order to plan next steps to ensure the world remained a safe place for their children. Mostly… There was always a risk that fighting would ensue when bringing together multiple members of the Black Family.

---

“She wouldn’t see me, Meda! What did you want me to do?! Storm down the halls of Azkaban and start shouting to all and sundry that the long lost Lestrange heiress that no one knew existed has been found? That’s no way to control the narrative and rumors will run rampant!” Narcissa shouted, gesticulating wildly with her arms as she spoke. 

“Find another way to tell her then that doesn’t involve leaking her identity to the papers, Cissa!” Andromeda spat. “That’s how she gets killed or kidnapped!”

“She’s at Hogwarts right now!!”

Sirius snorted, “Because Hogwarts is safe nowadays.”

“Exactly!” Andromeda pointed to Sirius. “See!? Even Sy sees how bad of an idea that is! For Merlin’s sake a basilisk was set loose!”

“So Bella should just suffer!? You didn’t hear her when we told her Phebe was missing! You didn’t have to hear her screams ! You abandoned us ! You abandoned me !” Narcissa pointed to herself as her anger broke into decades old grief. “You abandoned me and you didn’t even have the decency to respond to any of my owls!”

“I was kicked out of the family, Narcissa! Mother threw me out and told me she’d crucio me if she saw me again.”

“Because you refused to do things the right way!”

“Like they would have accepted Ted.” She scoffed.

While Jean sat sipping tea and watching the sister’s argue and dredge up old issues and slights that Jean filed away in her mind, Dan noticed Lucius looking briefly uncomfortable and almost ashamed at the mention of the giant snake. While giant snakes were certainly an anomaly in their world, with how non-chalant the Headmaster had treated the snake in the school Dan figured that it was more commonplace among magical folk. He nudged his wife and nodded toward the blond man.

Jean watched Lucius for a moment before she stood and silently made her way over to him. “Everything alright, Lucius?” 

“Certainly not.” Lucius replied with a soft scoff, gesturing at Narcissa and Andromeda with a jerk of his chin. 

Jean nodded. “You just looked strange when the basilisk was mentioned.” She watched as the blond wizard’s gaze flickered briefly to her before returning to his wife, his jaw clenched. She turned and frowned at Narcissa, “Narcissa?” 

Narcissa looked over from her silent glaring contest with Andromeda and frowned at Jean in what almost seemed like sad silence, which just angered Jean more. “Alright. You all seem to have some asinine complex about protecting the poor innocent muggles.” She glared, looking around at not just the Malfoys but Sirius, Remus, and Andromeda. “Let me make one thing very clear. Whatever you think you’re doing by not telling us the whole truth, you’re not. We are Hermione’s parents. If we didn’t balk at our daughter doing magic and Professor McGonagall appearing on our doorstep, we aren’t going to run screaming for the hills. But we will restrict your access to our daughter if we find out you’ve been hiding important things from us.” She spat. “Understand?!”

Even with Jean’s threat hanging in the air, Lucius turned to his wife with a frown. Did he reveal what he had done or did he stay silent? Both options would ruin their budding friendship with the Grangers and put their access to Hermione at risk. After receiving a nod from Narcissa, Lucius let out a heavy sigh. 

“When my father passed, one of the artifacts he left behind was a journal. I did not know exactly what it was, only that it had been given to him by the Dark Lord to protect. It was…” The normally composed Lucius shuddered, “The magic coming off it was palpable and on more than one occasion I found myself drawn to it, compelled to write in it. I thought it was sufficiently protected until I found Draco writing in it before the start of his second year. Arthur Weasley is the Head of the office for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts. While technically not a wholly muggle object, he has experience in dark objects.”

“So you gave it to him.” Jean supplied, raising an eyebrow. 

“Not… as such.”

“The Weasley and Malfoy families have been feuding for many generations. Just handing Arthur Weasley a cursed object when he thinks me to be a loyal Death Eater would land me in Azkaban. Given how he has directed his office to search my home several times, handing over the journal could be seen as a confession to having other such objects.”

“You do have other objects.”

Narissa pursed her lips with a scowl at her younger cousin. “Sirius, please…”

Sirius held up both his hands before miming zipping his lips.

“As I was saying.” Lucius frowned. “I couldn’t hand over the journal without risking the safety and security of my family, and so I slipped the journal in with the rest of their shopping when we encountered each other in Flourish and Blotts. I thought that, given his position in the Ministry, he would recognize a cursed object and have it taken care of.”

“But he didn’t.” Remus growled softly, putting together the pieces of what Lucius was not saying. “Ginny Weasley got a hold of it and was possessed !”

“I had no way to know that she would take the diary!” Lucius shot back. “Even the simplest of wards should have been able to prevent the diary from entering their home! Not to mention Ginevra has six older brothers, four of whom are in Hogwarts with her and share a house!”

“Harry could have died! Any of the children there could have been killed!” Remus snarled, Sirius’s arm around him the only thing stopping him from lunging at Lucius.

“I would never have knowingly put any child in danger.” Lucius swore, looking between the five adults not a part of his immediate family. “I never intended for a basilisk to be set loose!”  

“Hermione was in a coma because of you…” Daniel whispered, eyes growing wide with dawning horror. Beside him, Jean was silent and taking slow, steadying breaths. She had trusted these people. She believed them when they said that they wouldn’t put Hermione in danger. Jean dropped her gaze to the table, already set with tea and biscuits for everyone, then snatched up the butter knife. She strode over to Lucius and pressed it hard against his adam’s apple. Butter knives weren’t sharp, but she didn’t need a weapon to be sharp to do damage. 

“If you come near my daughter again,” She hissed, “I will snap your wand and use the pieces to blind you. Do you understand?”

Lucius gave the tiniest of nods, trying not to flinch back at Jean pressed the butter knife further against his neck. Just as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone as Jean stalked back to the tea table and slammed it down. 

“We’re leaving, Dan.”

“I’ll walk you out.”

“You don’t have to, Remus.” Dan frowned. “We can find our way.”

“It’s as much proper manners as it is keeping me from landing in Azkaban myself.” Remus leveled a hard glare at Lucius, his eyes more gold than brown. “And I’d actually deserve it.” He spat. 

Once the Grangers and Remus were gone, Lucius smoothed the front of his robes. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment.” He said with a slight bow to Sirius, his face suspiciously blank. 

Narcissa watched Lucius slip out, not doubting for a moment that he was occluding until he could get to the bathroom for a moment of peace. She covered her face with her hands as she wilted in her chair. 

“Yeah… Luc’s really stepped in it this time.” Sirius grimaced as he sat beside her and rubbed her back gently. He wasn’t surprised that today ended with just the blood Blacks in the room. They understood fucked up family dynamics and abusive parents, how it shaped and warped what you believed to be right in the world. Was he mad at Lucius? Absolutely . But he was more angry with Abraxas who had damaged and most likely abused his son just as much as Walburga had Sirius. Narcissa and Meda’s parents had been marginally better than Walburga, but that was because Druella was a Rosier. It had only marginally been better though. Still, Narcissa was family and Lucius was an uncomfortable look at what Regulus might have grown up to be, or Sirius if he hadn’t had the Potters. 

“She’s never going to trust us around Hermione again! Not that I can blame her for it after today! And I still have no idea how to get the information to Bella!” Narcissa sobbed softly. “I swear I wasn’t keeping this from you all on purpose, Sy.”

“I know you didn’t. Despite everything… You would have taken Draco if he had actually meant any child in Hogwarts harm.”

“He was sick with guilt, he really was. He would have turned himself in if it wouldn't have put Draco and I at risk. He genuinely thought their wards would have picked up on the magic.”

“Still… he did put the school at risk. They’re right to be upset.” 

“I know…” She turned and leaned into her cousin. “What do I do, Sirius?”

“You can’t help Luc, he’s gotta figure this out on his own. But… I might be able to help you with your Bella dilemma.” Sirius wrapped his arms around Narcissa and embraced her.

“How? She’s even less likely to agree to see you.”

“We were housed near each other. Why I have no idea, but they put a good chunk of Moldy’s supporters together. I was near Bella, Rodolphus, Dolohov, and Greyback. If you can get Rodolphus to see you, he’ll be able to tell Bella.”

Narcissa lifted her head, feeling hopeful. “Really?”

“It’s our best bet for getting them the information.” Sirius nodded. 

Narcissa stood and wiped her cheeks, nodding. “Thank you, Sy. I… I really do appreciate how much you’ve done. Let me know when you hear from Mr. Woolworth next?” 

Mr. Woolworth, the lawyer that had been hired to represent Sirius, was certainly earning each galleon he charged them. It was a good thing too, seeing as he was charging a small fortune to represent the current Azkaban escapee. But there was already contact with the ministry through Mr. Woolworth and he was negotiating for Sirius to turn himself in while avoiding being thrown back into Azkaban with additional charges for escaping.

---

Narcissa felt her shoulders drop a fraction in relief as she was allowed back into the visiting room of Azkaban. She wasn’t sure that Rodolphus would see her… especially given that she hadn’t tried to visit him; only Bellatrix. Rodolphus had been several years older than Andromeda, his original fiancee before she ran away to marry Ted Tonks, so Narcissa and he had had nothing in common. Even if they had had time to get to know one another past being acquaintances, Narcissa figured they wouldn’t be well matched. Rodolphus always preferred the quiet that came with being alone. 

Rodolphus looked up from staring at the runes etched into his cuffs to frown at Narcissa. “What do you want, Cissa?” He asked in a tired, raspy voice. 

Narcissa sat and reached across the table, placing her smooth hands over his rough and calloused ones. “Rodolphus… We’ve found her.”

The chained wizard’s head snapped up and he stared at Narcissa with sharp and attentive golden brown eyes. They were darker than his daughter’s by a few shades but no less intelligent, even after over a decade in Azkaban. “What?” His hands jerked and flipped so he was tightly gripping her hands.

“We found her, Rodolphus. And she’s perfect .” Narcissa smiled. “She’s intelligent and clever and she’s beautiful.”

“Where is she? Why did it take so long?!” He demanded.

“She was raised at first by the Broadmoors, and then when they died she somehow ended up in the Muggle orphan system. We don’t know how she ended up with the Broadmoors, but we’re looking into it.” Narcissa promised. “She’s at Hogwarts right now, the same year as Draco. She’s top of her class too… and she still has your necklace.”

He let out a shaky breath, tears springing to his eyes as he remembered the last time he saw his daughter. Bella had been reading to Phebe from Blood Magics and other Artes before they left to do the Dark Lord’s bidding. Her feathery little brown curls were tied back with a pale purple ribbon that matched the nightgown the elves had dressed her in and she was curled into her mother’s arms and playing with an errant curl that had come loose from Bella’s braid. “She does?”

Narcissa nodded. 

“She has to open it, Cissa.” He whispered urgently. “Have her drop some blood on the raven and it will open for her. She needs the protection what’s inside will give her.”

“What’s inside the necklace, Rodolphus?” She frowned, suddenly worried about what her niece was carrying around with her. Rodolphus and Bella hadn't always had a hold on their sanity... had they given Hermione something the Dark Lord had entrusted with them?

Rodolphus shook his head. “Just have her open it.” He swallowed, licking his lips. “Raised by muggles?” He asked, a sneer on his lips. 

“Very loving muggles who have given her every opportunity and adore her. I’ve seen it, Rodolphus… Her mother is as fierce-”

“Her mother is here in a cell!” Rodolphus snarled, his hands tightening around Narcissa’s wrists.

“Her muggle mother. And don’t you dare insinuate that she is anything else!” Narcissa scolded, yanking her hands away. “That woman has done a fine job of raising Hermione and is as fiercely protective of her as Bella!”

Rodolphus clenched his jaw and looked away from Narcissa, staring at the grey stone walls of Azkaban. “I don’t accept that.”

“You don’t have a choice, Rodolphus.” Narcissa frowned, keeping her voice gentle but firm. “They’re her parents too, and they are the ones that have raised her.”

The rest of her visit was short, but Rodolphus did ask some questions about his daughter. Narcissa answered what she could and promised to try and find out what she hadn’t already known. It would be difficult with the Grangers refusing to come to Blackwell Hall if Narcissa or Lucius were present, but Lucius promised that he was working on an apology. With Samhein fast approaching, Narcissa hoped he finished soon… She had hoped to spend the holidays with their newly grown family together.

Chapter Text

After giving Draco her terms, Hermione went back to her life at Hogwarts. The school was ablaze with excitement over the fact that they would be sharing their school with students from both Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. Personally, she was excited to see how the different schools handled teaching magic! Did they all say spells in Latin? Or did they teach spells in different languages? Did they teach the same classes that Hogwarts did? Oooh, if they taught different classes would they be hosting the classes at Hogwarts? Would they let other students sit in? This was truly the chance of a lifetime! 

She already spoke French thanks to her mother, so she’d have to figure out what language was spoken at Durmstrang and learn a few key phrases before they arrived. Hermione was so engrossed in her studies and preparing for the incoming students that she nearly forgot about her agreement with Draco. In all honesty, she didn’t expect him to actually hold up his end. 

“Glad to see you got my note.” Draco drawled.

Hermione rolled her eyes, “Cryptic as it was. ‘10am by the painting of Gertrude the Great’. I figured I’d either be meeting you or the castle’s resident drug dealer.” When Draco just blinked at her several times in silence, Hermione huffed and put her hands on her hips. “What do you want, Malfoy?”

“Next week is the Hogsmeade trip.”

“I’m aware.” 

Draco stared at her for a minute before rolling his eyes. “Pip.”

With a soft ‘pop’ a house elf dressed in a blue pillowcase appeared at his side. “Master Draco called?” He squeaked.

“Yes. This is Granger. She is the one you will be taking with me to Lestrange Keep.”

Hermione’s eyes lit up, “You actually figured out a way to get us there!? Wait… Draco are you demanding your house elf sneak us out!?”

“Pip will be taking us, yes.”

“That is such a total cop out.” She knelt with a smile and held her hand out. “It’s nice to meet you, Pip. My name is Hermione. I’ve started a group called the Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare and I’d love if you could come to one of our meetings. We’re working towards ensuring better working conditions and making sure house elves are paid a fair wage. It would be really helpful if we got a feel for how much work different elves did so we could figure out a good starting wage. And whether you would prefer to be paid in galleons or muggle money!”

Pip took a small step back, looking Hermione up and down with almost a sneer. “Pip has no use for wizard money.”

Draco grabbed Hermione’s arm with a frustrated snarl and dragged her a few feet down the hall. “Alright, Granger you have to stop !” He hissed. “You’re embarrassing yourself!”

“Embarrassing myself!? I’m trying to help them!”

Draco rubbed his face with a frustrated snarl. “Granger house elves like working for wizarding families! And they don’t want our money-!”

“That is just ignorant! No one wants to be a slave, Malfoy!”

“They’re not slaves! No!” He pulled out his wand and pointed it at her. “You’ll let me finish or I’ll silence you. You’re so brilliant you’re an idiot sometimes, you know that right? Pip isn’t paid in money, he’s paid in magic . House elves don’t use money, so it would be useless! Haven’t you ever wondered why you don’t see house elves around Diagon doing shopping? Do you think they’re just chained inside our homes?” At Hermione’s pursed lipped frown, Draco scowled. “You really are dense sometimes. House elves handle our food , they care for children ! Yes, some wizarding families bind and mistreat their house elves, but not all of them do. Some of them, like the Malfoys, have long standing contracts with elven families. In exchange for working on our estates they have access to our magic. They can then take that magic and bring it back to their villages or send it to their families if they live on the estate.”

“Well then why did Mr. Crouch threaten to give his house elf clothes to free her ?” Hermione demanded, crossing her arms. 

“ Because good cloth can be highly expensive. It could be used as payment for some things in the past. Giving an elf cloth is akin to saying ‘I’m no longer satisfied with this agreement and am paying out your contract’. They don’t use money except for when dealing with wizards, so giving them some expensive cloth they can actually use for something was a compromise. It doesn’t actually do anything. How would that even work?! And what if I had to give Pip a shirt that needed mending? Would I have to drop it on the ground to avoid accidentally freeing him? And what about when, like with your parents, the remaining members of a family are imprisoned? Do the elves just sit there waiting? Are they forced to die if the wizard they serve never returns?”

Hermione frowned as she watched Draco, “Why didn’t anyone tell me?” She asked quietly. 

“Probably because you’re a bit scary when you’re on a mission.” Draco snorted. “Or, like Potter, they didn’t know any better either.”

Hermione shoved past him with a muttered, “Prat.” She marched over to Pip and knelt down again so they were eye to eye. “I was apparently misinformed, I apologize if I insulted you, Pip.”

The little elf nodded. “Pip forgives you. Many Wizard folk are stupid and misinformed.” 

Hermione smiled at the elf’s matter of fact tone. “Well thank you, Pip.”

---

With the help of Pip, Draco and Hermione were apparated out of Hogwarts. There were a few brief stops before finally they landed outside Lestrange Keep. Hermione stared in silent awe, taking in the magical home of her biological family. It made a strange sort of sense, she reasoned, that the Keep resembled the French palaces and chateaus her family had visited. Unlike most pureblood estates that she had read about, Lestrange Keep sat on a large rectangular plot that sat in the center of a man made lake of the same shape. It was certainly a lake and not a moat, though the purpose of both were to keep people away, as it was too large to be a moat. There was a singular long bridge wide enough to fit two carriages connecting the Keep’s grounds and the land outside the lake. The building itself was made of white stone and three distinct areas; the middle was the largest with wings on either side and at each corner of the land on the lake sat a square cottage. It didn’t take more than a glance up at the sky to know the cottages were placed at each of the cardinal directions. She wondered if something was inside that helped power the wards.

Hermione frowned quietly to herself and approached the gate that stretched only across the bridge. She had hoped she might remember something… anything… about her first home, something to make everything that had been uncovered feel more real. She could remember fleeting bits and pieces of her life with Alex and Mina Broadmoor; being tucked into bed, a man singing her a lullaby, and other such things, but her life as Phebe Lestrange was blank. She shouldn’t be surprised really, children didn’t often form memories that young. It still stung though.

“Honestly, Granger.” Malfoy scoffed as he followed her over to the gate, kicking a rock as he moved. “I can hear your overthinking from here. I showed you Lestrange Keep, now let’s leave. It’s creepy here.”

“I thought it would be bigger,” Hermione murmured. “And darker… like Dracula or Frankenstein’s castles.”

“That’s just the main house, it’s tradition for the Head of the House’s home to sit at the front of the property so if you entertain enemies they don’t see all of your land when they come to see you.” Dracula and Frankenstein? Is that really what muggles were calling their children? For as strange as Wizarding names could be, they weren’t as bad as Dracula and Frankenstein . Draco shook his head, glad his parents had been sane when they named him. 

Why you would invite your enemies over for something as simple as a visit seemed like a question that he would just sneer at, so Hermione kept it to herself. She could ask Sirius. “Can we go inside?” She asked, stroking her fingers down the raven in the center of the crest that adorned the gate.

“Are you insane!? Merlin no. Even if it hadn’t been locked down, it’d be foolish to attempt to enter Lestrange Keep. But when it’s locked down only the recognized heir or lord can open it back up and you are not a recognized heir nor the Lady Lestrange.”

Hermione rolled her eyes, she should have brought Harry along. He’d have been willing to help her find a way inside. “That’s too bad…” She murmured, her magic humming and dancing across her fingers as she gripped one of the gate’s bars. 

Swimming was out of the question, both because she wasn’t sure she’d be able to pass through the wards and because she didn’t want to risk being eaten by whatever vicious creatures Death Eaters kept in their lakes. Could she climb over the gate? Or would it be easier to try her hand at convincing the wards she was a Lestrange? Just as she was about to pull her wand from her pocket the gate creaked and groaned, the metal protesting after being immobile for so long. Hermione turned to the wide eyed and pale Draco with an excited grin before bolting down the stone bridge.

“Wha- Granger!” Malfoy shouted as he stared after her. She was supposed to be a Lestrange ! Daughter of Bellatrix Black ! Why in magics name was she so stupidly Gryffindor!? “Get back here!”

Hermione turned with a grin. “What?” She called back, cupping her hand around her ear. “I can’t hear you!” She felt the wards ripple over her skin with a gentle hum and the magic of the grounds felt like it was happy she was here.

“You can absolutely hear me! Get back here this instant! I said I would take you to see Lestrange Keep, not get yourself killed by going inside !”

Hermione turned and started hurrying back up the bridge towards the Keep. Malfoy could be a chicken if he wanted to, but Hermione wasn’t going to give up the chance to explore. Narcissa had told her the house had been searched by Aurors, that meant there was statistically low chance of her stumbling upon any traps and even if she did they were over a decade old by now. “Keeping with the bird theme I see…” She murmured to herself as she gripped the feather shaped handle and pushed her way into the house. 

The entry hall to Lestrange Keep could have been beautiful, it probably had been stunning one, but today it was dusty and forgotten. It looked just as much like the old french palaces inside as it did outside with tall white marble columns and arches, large windows, and gold accents. Most of the windows were shuttered, but the few that were open allowed her to see the large swirling staircase down at the far end of the hall, past marble arches and a statue that looked startling like a complete version of The Winged Victory. Hermione wondered what exactly Auror protocol was when searching homes of criminals, because what she could see of the manor house was in shambles . More things than not were tipped over and a few portraits were ripped from the wall, their occupants having abandoned their frames long ago. She idly wondered if the rest of the house was as bad as what she could see from her place in the entry way. 

Hermione ran a finger over the top of one of the tables, grimacing at the thin layer of dust and grime that coated her skin. “Gross…” She turned and took a step away, intending to poke her head into one of the hallways, when something small ran at her legs with a battle cry. Hermione stumbled back with a scream and slammed into the table as she fell to the ground. The table tilted and wobbled before the vase on top came tumbling down and crashed against the marble tile. Hermione hardly paid attention to it though as she scrambled back away from the elf that was climbing up her legs, snarling and frothing at the mouth. “Stop! Stop please!” Hermione pleaded, holding her hands out in front of her. 

The little elf froze, tilting it’s head to the side as it watched Hermione closely. It crawled closer and wrapped its bony hand around her wrist, examining the gash Hermione had gotten from a piece of the cut vase as she tried moving away from the elf. Hermione belatedly realized that she had several such cuts if the stinging pain on her body was any indication. 

The elf pulled Hermione’s bloody hand closer and inhaled deeply before she scrambled away. “Mistress Lestrange!” She gasped. “Little Miss! Beryl is so sorry! Beryl thoughts you was naughty intruder!”

“It-its okay…” Hermione frowned, watching as Beryl moved off her and started bowing. This elf didn’t look nearly as healthy as Pip or the elves at Blackwell Hall. Hermione could see that she was more grey hued than them and that some of the elf’s bones poking through her skin. She was also naked and wielding a nasty looking blade that Hermione was incredibly glad the elf hadn’t used. There was no knowing what germs she was already getting in her cuts without being stabbed by rusty metal.

“Beryl will punishes herself! Should I’s iron mine ears? Or-or cuts of a hand?!” 

Hermione paled, a bit disturbed by how gleeful the elf looked at the prospect of harming herself. “No! Beryl you may not hurt yourself!”

Beryl jolted as if having received an electric jolt then nodded quickly. “Yes Mistress.”

“No, please don’t-” Hermione hissed in pain as she tried standing. 

“Little Mistress must stay on ground! She’s is bleeding.” 

“Beryl, can you get my-” What did she call Draco? He certainly wasn’t a friend . Companion and partner felt too loaded with intention though. So she went with the easiest option, “Beryl there’s a boy out by the gate. Can you get him?” 

“Yes! Beryl will go get Mistress’s boy!” The little elf jumped in excitement at being given a request. “Beryl go right now!” She disappeared with a ‘pop’ , leaving Hermione alone in the entry hall surrounded by shards of porcelain and dust.

Chapter Text

Draco jumped back with an alarmed shout as a naked and bloody house elf appeared in front of him. 

“Mistress’s boy! Beryl get Mistress’s boy!” She cheered excitedly. She lunged forward and grabbed Draco before he could protest further, disappearing with him. 

Pip stared in silence for a moment before disappearing to get his own mistress. He certainly wasn’t dealing with an insane house elf and its mistress on his own. 

Draco stumbled away from Beryl, drawing his wand. “What the hell!? 

Beryl smiled proudly. “Mistress told Beryl fetch her boy!”

“Malfoy…” A small and pained voice called.

Draco spun around and paled. “Granger!? What the bloody hell happened!?” He demanded as he waved his wand, banishing the shattered pottery. Once the path was free of the shards he charged over and knelt beside her. 

“I tripped.”
Draco narrowed his eyes but reached out to help her to her feet. “Come on. We have to get you back. Madame Pomphrey will be able to help heal you.” He probably could heal some of the smaller cuts, but not without leaving scars.

Hermione nodded slowly, grimacing as she moved. “We… really shouldn’t tell our parents about this…”

He snorted, “My mother would have my hide if she ever found out I let you get hurt, let alone that I brought you here of all places.” A choice he was greatly regretting the longer they were away from the castle. He had expected her to ask for something simpler like leaving the dunderheaded duo alone the next time Potter did something stupid or girlish, or giving her tips on how to make Snape like her. Hell, even getting her books that she didn't want to have to ask his mother to borrow. Something noble or swotty. Not breaking into Lestrange Keep.

The two teenagers limped out of Lestrange Hall, heading for the edge of the wards where Pip had been left. What they didn’t expect to see, however, was Narcissa Malfoy running full tilt down the walkway. Draco was both relieved and horrified to see his mother running towards them. His mother did not run. She may walk briskly, but she was a well bred pureblood wife - they did not run. 

“Is she… running in heels?” Hermione murmured. 

Draco turned sharply, glaring incredulously at her slightly awed tone. “Is that what you’re focusing on?” He hissed. 

“Walking in heels is hard enough!” Hermione sniped back with a scowl. “She’s running without even- even thinking!”

“You can’t tell that!”

Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but Narcissa shouted at them before she could. 

“Hermione Bellatrix Granger Lestrange! Draco Lucius Malfoy!”

Both teenagers grimaced at the sharp, scolding tone of their names and started slowly making their way down the carriage path once more. When they finally met Narcissa, closer to the manor house than the gate, she had a furious glare on her face and some of her hair had freed itself from her carefully coiffed hair. 

“How could you both be so foolish!” Narcissa hissed. Her wand, already in her hand, began moving in quick precise movements as she took in Hermione’s bloody and disheveled state. “What happened?”

“I fell and bumped into a vase.”

Naricssa pursed her lips, glancing briefly behind them, and continued working on cleaning the dust and grime from Hermione so she could heal the girl. “Am I to assume that you’re falling into a vase had nothing to do with the naked house elf following you both that I’m guessing is also the same elf that Pip claimed kidnapped Draco?”

Hermione flushed. “Well…”

Narcissa shook her head with a sigh. “You’ll need a dittany bath. There’s too many cuts to heal without missing some, or worse leaving scars behind. Come on.” She pulled both her son and goddaughter close. “Can you make it to the edge of the wards, dear? I can’t apparate within them.”

“Beryl can!” The little elf chirped excitedly. She grabbed a hold of Narcissa’s robes and apparated them outside the wards. “See?”

Narcissa frowned down at the little elf for several moments before sighing heavily. “Tippy?”

An elf dressed in a tunic of Malfoy blue and silver appeared with a curtsey. “Mistress called for Tippy?”

“Take…” She frowned at the naked elf with a slight sneer, “Beryl here to the manor. Have her cleaned and dressed. And have a bottle of dittany left in my bathing suite. We’ll summon you both after Hermione has had her dittany bath.”

Tippy frowned at the younger elf before nodding. “Tippy will try to make her presentable.”

Narcissa nodded before apparating with Hermione and Draco back to the manor. She sent Draco to his room before leading Hermione to the master suite. “I’m going to draw you a bath and you are going to sit in it until you are fetched. Am I understood?” 

“Yes ma’am.” Hermione nodded. 

After filling the tub with water Narcissa set about pouring the potion and several tinctures into the bath. The tinctures  would help clean the wounds as the dittany healed them while also ensuring that no scars were left behind and soothe any bruises Hermione might have gotten. Narcissa waved her wand and conjured a privacy screen, “Undress and get in the bath, but leave your clothing. I’ll have them repaired for you.” 

When Narcissa heard Hermione settle into the bath, she stepped behind the screen to retrieve the girl’s uniform. A flash of silver on the sink caught her eyes and Narcissa eyed the bloody locket for a moment before picking that up as well. “I’ll also have this cleaned for you.” She murmured. 

Heart pounding, Narcissa handed the clothing off to an elf to be cleaned and repaired before slipping into Lucius’s study. 

She has to open it, Cissa. She needs the protection what’s inside will give her.

She had seen Hermione unconsciously reach up and grab hold of her necklace a few times -an unconscious action likely meant to soothe or calm her nerves. She must have done just that after injuring herself because the locket was now covered in sticky drying blood. Including the raven. Narcissa started to open the locket but stopped herself. Jean and Dan should be here… this involved their daughter. Not to mention the fact that Hermione was at the manor. With a heavy sigh, Narcissa scrawled a quick note to her cousin and sent it off with an elf. Sirius would be able to get Jean and Dan with much less difficulty than Narcissa or Lucius could. She contemplated summoning her husband from work, but figured that was too far. Jean and Dan were still angry with them and Lucius being there as well would make an already tense situation even more fraught.

--- 

Narcissa didn’t have long to wait before the floo flared to life and Sirius, Dan, and Jean stepped out. She wasn’t surprised, she fully expected that they’d drop everything to come see what had happened. Narcissa was barely spared a glance as the Grangers stormed past her - normally something she would never allow, but given the circumstances she didn’t protest. She merely summoned an elf to bring them to Hermione and poured a drink for Sirius. 

Once the children were properly scolded and the story of how they ended up at Lestrange Keep shared, they were sent to one of the Manor’s many sitting rooms to have tea and - more importantly - await punishment. The adults congregated in another room, tense and silent until Narcissa set the locket on the table they all sat around. 

“When I went to visit Rodolphus, he told me that there was something in this locket that would protect Hermione but in order to open it she needed to bleed on the Raven.” She murmured. 

“And she got blood on it, didn’t she?” Sirius frowned. 

Narcissa nodded solemnly. 

“Well… only one way to know.” Dan reached out and grabbed the locket. He was stopped by Sirius, a cautious hand on his arm. 

“Let me open it. Whatever is inside…” He trailed off with a grimace. Whatever was inside might not be friendly to a muggle. 

Dan nodded and let Sirius take the locket from him. They watched with held breaths as Sirius clicked the locket open and inhale sharply. 

“Sy?” Narcissa frowned. 

“It’s the heir ring.” 

---

Heir rings were used by many magical families to denote the heir to their family. In older families, they offered some protections to the heir. In Noble and Most Ancient families they offered more than just a little protection to the heir, they had complicated interwoven enchantments that were added to and strengthened with each new heir that wore the ring. In some families it was the first born son that was given the heir ring while in others it was the first born regardless of their gender. Others still had requirements that each heir must meet in order to be deemed worthy (The Gaunts for example favored those who had the parselmouth gift). Each family had their own thoughts and practices for how heirs were decided and it was just as varied how much of that process was known to outsiders. 

The Lestrange family followed the lines of the firstborns - so the firstborn child of current Head of House would be the heir and the current Head of House was the first born of the last Head of House, so on and so forth. It was their belief that their magic was strongest in the first born, so no matter the gender the first born of the current Head of House was made the heir. 

The Malfoy family had it easy. Malfoy family lore says that one of the original Malfoy’s made a deal with their family magic that each first born would be a boy. In exchange their families would be smaller, oftentimes only having the one child. In families like the Blacks where there were many children in each generation and they were long lived, an heir was chosen every other generation by the current head of house. In the past, the heir could be a witch or a wizard depending on which child was deemed magically strongest and had the strongest connection to the family magic. It was only in recent generations where the eldest male child was chosen above strength and connection to the family magic

---

After Narcissa explained just exactly what an heir ring was, Sirius tilted the locket and let the golden ring fall onto the table. “Dan, Jean, don’t touch it. Magical jewelry, heir rings especially, tend to be enchanted. I would even caution against Naricssa or myself touching it as we are not closely related to the Lestranges.”

“Hermione is not touching any enchanted piece of jewelry!" Jean protested.

“It wouldn’t hurt her.” Sirius assured her. “She’s the heir. It’s meant to protect her. Raised by muggles or not, Hermione is his first born and no matter what will be the next Head of House.”

“I know it’s not my place to say…” Narcissa murmured. “But Hermione should put it on. It will protect her from mild curses and hexes and will help her draw on her family magic. When she is older, having that connection will be invaluable.” 

Jean pursed her lips with a frown, looking reluctant, but Dan spoke up. 

“Alright.” He nodded. “She needs all the protection she can get. Especially if those idiot sycophants are actually back.”

Narcissa nodded and summoned her elf. “Tippy, please fetch Draco and Hermione.”