Peverell Beach House, 3/12/1983, 19:49
Harry stepped out of the fireplace into the house and waited patiently for Bellatrix to come through.
They had gone to the Malfoy's for a visit and dinner, Sirius and little Harry had been there as well as the Tonks family.
Harry's younger self was just as enraptured as Draco when Harry had conjured another one of those stuffed flying dagons for them to play with, Tonks just scowled at it, if looks could kill the dragon would have burst into flames.
Narcissa had surreptitiously slipped him a leather pouch containing a roll of parchment, a portkey, and three doses of polyjuice potion for the task he had agreed to complete next month.
He still wasn't thrilled about taking the job on but knew it was necessary for his family's safety.
The last week had been pretty interesting, Harry and Newt had spent the entire week observing Bertha and her chicks, and the baby dragons had tripled in size since first hatching. Harry had observed that their first set of fangs was coming in.
The other big change was their wings, when they hatched the chicks' wings had seemed oversized for their body, now their wings looked too small in proportion to their body.
Newt had explained that over the first six months of their lives their body would experience a great growth spurt while their wings would remain the same size as when they were born. After the chicks started producing flame their wings would begin their own growth cycle, though it would take at least another year until their wings grew to the proper size for the dragon to take flight.
They would be going back to the forbidden forest next week as Newt wanted to see how well Harry did with wild herd animals. Harry hoped the first animal on that list would be hippogriffs but he knew that was unlikely as he had already confided in Newt his experience with hippogriffs and thestrals.
Harry had invested in some tools of the trade, he bought a pair of jumbo omnioculars as they would be useful for a lot of things as well as some more durable clothing as he had ruined three sets of robes since he had started apprenticing under Newt. He also bought a nice utility belt with pouches enchanted with undetectable extension charms to store anything he might need in the field as well as other odds and ends.
The fireplace flared green and his very pregnant wife stumbled out into Harry's arms.
"I think Bella is done travelling until the babies are here," Bella said tiredly after Harry had steadied her.
"We have a little over a month until then," Harry said bracingly.
"I know, I've been counting down the days," Bella sighed as they made their way upstairs.
"I have to, I hope they look like their mother," Harry grinned.
"Our daughter might but I would bet our son will look like little Harry," Bellatrix grinned.
"That would be nice," Harry smiled.
"What about your apprenticeship, are you taking time off when the babies come?" Bella asked looking at him over her shoulder.
"Yes, at least a month maybe more depending on how you're coping," Harry assured her as they entered the bedroom.
"I am starting to get nervous," Bella admitted quietly.
"I am too," Harry replied as unbuttoned his robe.
"What if I'm a bad mother?" Bella asked worriedly.
"You won't be, you're very good with little Harry, and he adores you," Harry pointed out encouragingly.
"But I don't know anything about babies," Bella whined somewhat petulantly.
"Trust me, Bella, you'll be a great mother," Harry said looking her in the eye to convey his confidence in her.
"I hope you're right, the last thing we need is them acting like Andi's brat," Bellatrix muttered as she shed her outer robes and began pulling her nightgown over her head.
"I am right, we'll be doing this together," Harry promised, ignoring her last comment.
"True, and I suppose I can con Cissa into helping us with the other stuff," Bella said sounding a little more relaxed.
"Exactly, or Andi," Harry suggested with a teasing grin.
"Absolutely not, her child is a little monster," Bella scowled.
"She's not that bad and I know for a fact that she grows into a very powerful witch," Harry said as he began getting undressed for bed.
"She married a werewolf," Bellatrix scoffed.
"I know, and if I have any say in the matter that cowardly bastard won't get anywhere near her or he'll never be seen again," Harry muttered darkly.
"Good, we can't have her bringing shame to the house of Black," Bella nodded approvingly.
"Agreed though my reasons are a bit different, he knocked her up and then panicked and tried to run away from his wife and child," Harry admitted as he watched his wife climb under the covers.
"So what did Cissa give you?" Bellatrix asked looking at him expectantly.
"You caught that did you?" Harry chuckled nervously.
"I did, I grew up with Cissa, I taught her most of her tricks," Bella snorted as she looked at him expectantly.
"Supplies to carry out my next side job," Harry told her honestly.
"Who is the target?" Bellatrix asked as he climbed under the covers beside her.
"I thought we agreed not to discuss my secrets," Harry said tiredly.
"We did, but I changed my mind," Bella said matter of factly.
"You already know don't you?" Harry asked shrewdly.
"Yes, Cissa can't conceal her thoughts from me," Bellatrix said smugly
"Then why are you asking?" Harry questioned.
"Bella wants to hear you say it," she answered.
"Alright, my target is Augusta Longbottom," Harry answered resignedly.
"I am not sure it is wise to take on the job," Bellatrix said warningly.
"Really?" Harry asked in surprise.
"Yes, you have no idea who put out the contract do you? Assassinating Augusta Longbottom could cause problems we cannot possibly foresee," Bellatrix said sounding calm and calculating.
"But you're sister is the one setting this up surely she wouldn't-
" My sister is blinded by the galleons she will make off of this job and doesn't understand the possible repercussions of killing one of the most prominent light families in Britain," Bella said dismissively.
"Do you know who put out the contract, then?" Harry asked sitting up on his elbow to look into her violet eyes.
"Yes, Narcissa approached you on my Aunt Cassie's behest, she wants the minister's seat so she plans to eliminate the competition," Bellatrix answered easily.
"That may be, but what Cissa said about Augusta being a danger to you and our family if she is elected, still holds true," Harry pointed out trying to process this new piece of information.
"Yes, but we don't have to kill her to get her out of our way," Bellatrix countered.
"She would still be out there though, she has already tried to kill you twice," Harry protested.
"Not if you made it so she is sent somewhere wet and cold where she can never leave," Bellatrix whispered before flicking her wand and extinguishing the lamps plunging the room into darkness.
"That still gives Cassie what she wants," Harry pointed out.
"Perhaps but it's better if Cassie has to deal with Augusta after she's elected, it keeps your hands relatively clean in all of this," Bella whispered sleepily.
"I still have to find a way to get her sent to Azkaban," Harry pointed out.
"You already have a plan for that," Bella muttered before falling asleep.
'Damn, back to the drawing board,' Harry thought as he tried to get comfortable but failed as his wife's words kept echoing in his head.
Forbidden Forest, Scotland, 3/15/1983, 09:49
"So you never did say what we're trying to locate," Harry said as he followed Newt over the forbidden forest.
"There is rumoured to be a large herd of wild Aethonans or winged horses on the other side of the forest," Newt said as they flew past the empty clearing where the acromantula used to live.
The clearing bore no evidence of the acromantula, even their webs were gone from the tree branches. Harry could just make out a few rabbits running across the clearing before they passed over it.
Harry had read up on aethonans before, they were distantly related to the giant horses like the ones that pulled the Beauxbaton carriage, though thankfully aethonans were the size of common thoroughbred horses.
They were once very popular before floo travel was widely accepted and were a more comfortable method of travel for long journeys than a broomstick. A team of them would usually pull a small enchanted carriage, the passengers could sit in relative comfort for the journey, though Harry pitied the poor coachman.
Now they were more of a status symbol for the wealthy purebloods who liked to arrive in aethonan drawn carriages for big functions like play premieres, high-profile weddings, balls, and the like.
Harry and Newt flew deeper into the forest than Harry had ever been before, they flew up and over a very high mountain to come upon a large meadow with a wide gentle flowing stream running through it.
"I believe we are here!" Newt said excitedly.
"Is this even part of the Forbidden forest?" Harry asked.
"Yes and no, the mountains are sort of a boundary line that most of the magical creatures do not cross, there are still magical creatures here just not many that are sentient," Newt explained as they touched down.
"This is part of the Cairngorms National park," Harry said as he pointed to a sign about fishing regulations nailed to a post near the stream.
"Yes, those mountains we crossed are warded with muggle repelling charms to keep hikers and what have you from stumbling into Hogsmeade or the school, " Newt said distractedly as he began scanning tbe ground.
"There is skat over here, it looks like horseshit to me," Harry said noticing quite a few piles near the stream.
"Yes, and I found unshoed horse tracks," Newt said excitedly.
"Looks like a dozen or so adults and three colts," Newt said as they followed the tracks into the forest on the edge of the clearing.
"Isn't this herd being on this side of the mountains a danger to the statute?" Harry asked.
"It could be though this area is still rather remote and wild aethonans avoid humans magical or otherwise," Newt said as they entered the forest.
They were in a valley between the mountains so the land was thankfully pretty flat, they walked parallel to the stream for a bit and the grade slowly started to climb as they neared the foot of a mountan in the distance.
They walked a bit further into the forest, the vegetation getting thicker as they started climbing the foot of the mountain, Harry saw the trees opening to a wide spot through the undergrowth and Harry assumed they were about to enter another clearing.
Suddenly Newt came to a stop and Harry stopped too, he heard angry snorting in the distance and the unmistakable sound of wings beating the air. Harry carefully looked through the trees and could just make out chestnut cloured fur before a massive animal burst through the trees.
He and Newt had to dive to the ground to avoid a set of hooves aimed at their chest as a chestnut horse with a wingspan at least twenty feet wide flew over their heads.
Harry scrambled to his feet and managed to conjure a shield as the animal turned in midair coming back to strike his shield with enough force to send vibrations radiating up Harry's arm from the impact.
"It's a young adult male," Newt said calmly as he climbed to his feet and drew his wand.
"Why is it attacking us?" Harry asked as the winged horse struck his shield again and bounced backwards.
"I believe there must be a newborn nearby, usually they're fairly calm if a bit shy," Newt said as the aethonan bounced off of the shield again and tumbled backwards onto the ground.
"Are they resistant to stunning spells?" Harry asked as the horse galloped toward them rearing up to strike at them with its front legs.
"No, they are not," Newt said as the animal's hooves struck the shield again sending it flying backwards.
The horse flapped its wing angrily, rising into back into the air to prevent itself from landing on its back. The horse let out an angry neigh as it flew higher preparing to strike at them again.
Harry dropped the shield and cast a silent stunner and a cushioning charm in quick succession dropping the beast to the ground, smiling when his cushioning charm softened the creature's landing.
"Well done, I hate to use magic against creatures but sometimes it can't be helped," Newt said as he went over to the aethonan and began to check it over with his wand.
"I figured it was best, he was going to hurt himself if he kept attacking my shield and my arm was starting to ache," Harry said softly.
"At least you used a cushioning charm," Newt said as he got up from his crouched position.
"Better safe than sorry, do you want to measure him while he's out?" Harry asked.
"Yes, he looks to be a young adult and seems to be in very good health," Newt began muttering to his dicta quill.
Over the next half-hour, Harry and Newt got the basic measurements of height, weight, girth, length, wingspan, etc. Ather that Newt inspected the aethonan's teeth and gums while Harry inspected the animal's hooves.
"Five hundred and forty-two pounds, that number seems a bit off," Harry said thoughtfully.
The horse was seventeen hands high and looked like a chestnut-coloured thoroughbred with big feathery wings that put him in mind of a massive eagle.
"Yes a normal horse this size would weigh about half a ton, but most of these winged herd animals have hollow bones otherwise their wings would have to be much larger to get them off of the ground," Newt explained.
"Oh, I always assumed there was some type of magic involved to get them off of the ground," Harry said thoughtfully.
"With dragons yes, their wings are not nearly large enough to get them off of the ground naturally. They have solid bones and heavy armour making them weight ten tons or more so their magic assists them to achieve flight."
"Most herd animals have the hollow bones of the birds they were originally bred from, though the bones are strengthened by their magic, their ability to fly is completely natural," Newt explained.
"That doesn't explain thestrals, I've ridden a thestral before, they fly unbelievably fast and hardly flap their wings," Harry pointed out.
"Yes, the thestrals are the exception to the herd animal rule, their magic literally propels them through the air they only use their wings to glide and stay airborne," Newt agreed as he finished up his examination of the aethonan.
"So should we try to find the mare and the infant?" Harry asked as Newt put his tape away.
"No, let's get back a bit a revive this one. I don't want to stress out the new mother," Newt said after some thought.
Nodding Harry followed Newt's lead as they headed back the way they had come. About a hundred yards away, Newt turned and cast an ennervate at the downed aethonan and they quickly left the area before it tried to confront them again.
"You know out of all the animals we've studied so far the aethonan was the one I was the least concerned about attacking us?" Harry chuckled.
"Then you have learned the most important rule about working with magical creatures," Newt said sagely.
"What's that?" Harry asked.
"Always expect the unexpected," Newt replied as they exited the forest into the meadow they arrived at.
"Yeah, point taken. So what do we do now? It isn't even lunchtime yet," Harry said as he checked his watch.
"Find a nice spot on the mountain and wait for them to enter the meadow, we might have to climb a tree," Newt said thoughtfully.
The Three hours later Harry and Newt sat in their makeshift stand high up in an oak tree and looked down on the meadow through omnioculars.
Newt had done some pretty neat Transfiguration work that caused the upper branches of the tree to weave together into a lattice-like platform sixty feet off of the ground. The leaves of the branches all remained on the bottom side of the platform concealing them from being seen at ground level.
Harry rested his back against the tree's trunk and kept his small omnioculars to his eyes.
"What was that spell you used to make the platform?" Harry asked curiously as he scanned the meadow.
"A spell of my own design, it's based on a basket weaving spell. I used it a lot to make a sleeping platform during my time in the Amazon," Newt muttered from his spot next to Harry.
The platform stuck out about four feet and wrapped around this level of the tree putting Harry in mind of a crow's nest on an old whaling ship.
They stayed there for hours, luckily Harry had learned months ago to pack some food with him on these excursions and sat munching on a turkey sandwich while keeping an eye on the clearing.
"How is your wife doing with her pregnancy?" Newt asked between bites of his stew.
"Anxious, the babies are due in less than a month and she's getting anxious," Harry grinned fondly.
"Babies are the most intriguing of all the magical creatures you will study," Newt chuckled.
"I'm a bit nervous about their arrival, to be honest," Harry admitted.
"I was too when Francis was born, but you two will figure it out as you go," Newt said encouragingly.
"I see movent to the North-East Harry said excitedly as he zoomed on the area of the forest they had ventured into earlier that morning.
" Yes! It looks like the entire herd is coming out to graze," Newt said excitedly as aethonans started trotting into the meadow.
Harry hit the record button as half a dozen older adults stepped out first, they were soon followed by four colts who galloped clumsily around the adults neighing excitedly before even more adult aethonans entered the clearing from a different part of the forest.
"My initial estimate was way off, there have to be over twenty adults and six or seven colts," Newt muttered to the dictaquill he had set up when Harry spotted them enter the clearing.
The colts seemed to be playing a game where one of them would gallop at the others and leap into the air spreading its wings and rising about five feet in tbe air and gliding over the other neighing colts.
"The young ones are learning to use their wings to glide, this must be how they strengthen their wing muscles for when they learn to fly," Harry muttered and was surprised when Newt's quill scratched out what he said on the parchment.
"They seem to be selectively eating the clovers and the dandelions," Newt added watching the adults.
Harry focused back on the colts noticing their colour wasn't as dark chestnut as the adults, their coats were almost a tawny brown and had spots on their hindquarters similar to a dear fawn their wings had maybe an eight-foot span though some of the older ones had to have been at least twelve wingspans.
"What is their growth rate?" Harry asked Newt not looking away from his optics.
"It takes around eighteen months for them to reach full maturity, they will take flight after about a year," Newt answered as he zoomed in on the colts.
"How come that wasn't in your book?" Harry asked.
"I admit when I wrote my book I glossed over a lot of the native creatures, especially ones that were already well known because I was more interested in documenting the more exotic animals from around the world," Newt said regretfully as he watched the smallest colt run forward and tumble across the grass.
They stayed there observing the herd for most of the afternoon until the aethonans started retreating into the forest around three-thirty.
"I think we can call it a day, we can meet up here around eleven, I thought we might go observe the thestral herd in the early evening," Newt said as he stood up and unshrunk his broom.
"Sounds good," Harry agreed as he copied Newt and mounted his Nimbus.
'I'm really starting to like this job," Harry thought as he flew after his mentor.
Peverell Beach House, Cornwall, 3/20/1983, 19:55
Harry sat on the couch watching little Harry and Draco play with blocks, the Tonks family had already left for the evening and Narcissa and Bella were in the kitchen talking amongst themselves.
Now that Bella had sworn off magical travel Harry had hosted the family dinner tonight not that anyone else in the family seemed bothered. Their house was more than large enough to accompany all of the Black family and then some.
The previous week spent in the forbidden forest had been very interesting, for the last few days he and Newt had observed the thestral herd late into the evening after the aethonans left the meadow in the afternoons.
Thankfully they didn't have any more confrontations with either the thestrals or the aethonans though the bowtruckles seemed unusually attracted to Newt and would often climb on him in the tree hide they had built, much to Harry's amusement.
Harry was already dreading next week when they would be going to a forlorn island in Scotland to observe quintapeds. Newt didn't seem thrilled about this trip either but said that Harry needed to be familiar with them to round out his education of XXXXX beasts that were native to the British Isles.
But first, they would be going back to the Forbidden forest to track down a quintaped that the former groundskeeper had supposedly moved into the forest years ago, Harry and Newt would have to capture it and return it to the Island of Drear.
Honestly, Harry really did like Hagrid as a person but he felt that getting Hagrid removed from the school was the best decision for all parties involved.
Newt was even talking about moving the Cerberus back to Greece as it was a creature that had no business living in the forbidden forest, thankfully 'Fuffy' was still a puppy or puppies, he wasn't sure the proper term for an animal that had three heads.
Aside from his work, which Harry was enjoying immensely, he was also studying the information that Narcissa had supplied him about Thadeus Nott and Augusta Longbottom. He wanted to be as prepared as he could for the job he had agreed to take on.
Harry had even gone so far as to look into who would gain custody of Neville after the job was carried out as he remembered horror stories Neville had told him about his great-uncle Algie Longbottom.
This had put Harry in even more of a moral dilemma and he had vowed to never accept another job like this again. Killing death eaters was alright but killing the relative of someone he used to know was fraught with complications.
After doing a lot of private research, Harry had come up with two families that could take in the Longbottom heir. Neville's great-great-aunt Cedrella Weasley and her husband, or possibly their son Arthur Weasley and his wife. Though at the moment the burrow was crawling with toddlers (no pun intended).
He had already decided to take Bella's advice to heart, rearranging the plans for Easter was actually very simple on the whole. Technically the plan was the same, the outcome would just be reversed, though the end goal would still be accomplished, Augusta Longbottom would not be the next minister of magic.
He hadn't discussed the change of plans with Cissa yet but she would just have to live with his decision.
Harry jumped when his younger self bumped into his leg as he ran away from Draco who was making squeaky little roaring sounds and holding a stuffed dragon over his head as he chased after little Harry
'He seems to be taking his mother's nickname to heart,' Harry chuckled as the two two-year-olds ran around the sitting room.
"That's good Harry, get all that energy out now," Sirius grinned from the chair across from him.
"All that sugar from dessert should wear off soon," Harry predicted.
"Heres hoping, so what fearsome beast did you study this week?" Sirius asked curiously.
"Winged horses, one of them about took our heads off," Harry replied as he flicked his wand at his younger self casting a cushioning charm as little Harry's foot caught the edge of a chair and he fell face first towards the floor.
"Good save," Sirius praised as little Harry shook his head looking confused about the soft landing.
"It just reminds me that I need to babyproof this place," Harry sighed.
"Whatever you do, don't go with those muggle toilet locks. Not even an unlocking spell works on those blasted things," Sirius warned.
"No worries, Bella wouldn't allow anything muggle in the house, well except for my Cokes," Harry said matter of factly.
"Good, your mother set them up at Godrics Hollow, it was impossible to take a whizz unless you went in the tub," Sirius laughed.
"Have you and Bones set a date yet?" Harry asked changing the topic and the horrible thought that his mother bathed him in that same tub.
"We have, June twenty-first," Sirius said proudly.
"Good, we can wet the baby's head and knock out your stag night at the same time," Harry grinned.
"You're not still upset about the innovent training dummy prank, I hope?" Sirius asked warily.
"No, I'm not one to hold a grudge Padfoot," Harry lied easily.
"Bella is," Bellatrix said as she waddled into the room and took a seat beside Harry.
"It was just a harmless prank," Sirius implored.
"You about got my poor husband castrated," Bella exclaimed irritably.
"Um, what?!" Harry asked in alarm.
"If that had been Cissa you woke up next to, I would have hacked your bits off with a meat cleaver," Bella said matter of factly.
"I see," Harry said before taking a large gulp of his firewhiskey.
"Don't look at me like that, you married her!" Sirius exclaimed.
"I did," Harry agreed as he began forming a plan to get his back for the danger Sirius had put his boys in.
"So what monstrosity are you studying next?" Sirius asked, hastily changing the subject.
"Quintapeds, we have to capture one living in the Forbidden Forest and return it to the Isle of Drear," Harry shrugged.
"Nasty little blithers," Sirius shuddered.
"Yeah, but this will knock out my training with XXXXX creatures in magical Britain," Harry shrugged.
"Excellent, then I don't have to worry about you being eaten," Bellatrix muttered.
Harry turned when he heard Cissa come into the room looking for Draco, the boy in question was cuddled up to the stuffed dragon sleeping in front of the fireplace.
"It seems my little dragon tuckered himself out," Cissa said fondly.
"He thought he was a dragon for a bit," Sirius chuckled as little Harry climbed up in Sirius's chair looking tired as well.
"I suppose I had better get Draco home, thank you for inviting us for dinner, Harry," Narcissa said before scooping up her son and disappearing into the flames.
"Same here this one needs to get to bed," Sirius grinned.
"Good night Padfoot, thanks for the whiskey," Harry grinned as Sirius disappeared through the fireplace.
"So quintapeds?" Bellatrix asked tiredly.
"Yes, I believe we will be observing them from the air," Harry assured her.
"The dark lord used to send bodies to that island to dispose of them," Bellatrix admitted.
"Not surprising, in my time he fed them to his snake," Harry muttered.
"He only did that for the shock factor, at the height of the war Nagini couldn't consume bodies as fast as he dropped them so McNair was entrusted with portkeying them to the Isle of Drear," Bella said as she laid back on the couch stretching so her feet were in his lap.
"That doesn't surprise me at all, he has a whole cave full of inferi," Harry shrugged.
"I know, he made us transport them there," Bella scowled, her tummy was now so big they could barely make eye contact with the way she was laying.
"Yuck, let's talk about something else, how are you feeling?" Harry asked as he started to massage her swollen feet making her sigh appreciatively.
"I feel as well as can be expected, Cissa gave me a check-up a little while ago. She said the babies have turned head down like they're supposed to," Bellatrix said as she ran her hand over her belly.
"Good, just a little while longer and they will be here," Harry grinned.
"And Bella can stop waddling around," Bellatrix agreed as she closed her eyes, relaxing under her husband's ministrations.
Harry watched as she drifted to sleep, knowing how little she got these days he let her sleep as he knew her bladder would be waking her up shortly anyway.
Less than six weeks and I'm going to be a dad,' Harry thought as he summoned his glass of whiskey from the coffee table.