Head's Office, Hogwarts, 6/1/1992, 00:28
Albus listened with rapt attention as Severus filled him in on what he had just learned during his latest meeting with Voldemort. Albus was seated behind his desk occasionally popping a lemon drop in his mouth as Severus told his tale.
Seated across from him in the visitor's chair was Severus who seemed to be quite pleased about the news he was delivering.
Severus had been called to Avery Manor earlier this evening to get instructions for a potion Voldemort wished for him to brew. During this meeting, they were interrupted by Dolohov bringing the worst of news... well bad news for Voldemort anyway.
It seemed that Antonin ran into a spot of bother that resulted in the Durmstrang ship being sunk in Meadow Lake. This was after Antonin had failed to retrieve the death eater recruits he had gone to Bulgaria to pick up.
"This is most excellent news, my boy," Dumbledore exclaimed after Severus had finished retelling what he had heard.
"It is. The planks that gave the ship the ability to travel via bodies of water were destroyed by whatever curse struck the ship. Dolohov can't make another set because the runic arrays etched into those planks were created almost a thousand years ago and had powerful enchantments that prevented anyone from copying them," Severus agreed.
"Now the death eaters will have the same problems travelling abroad as everyone else," Dumbledore beamed before popping another lemon drop into his mouth.
"Indeed. The dark lord is furious, the ship was very useful to him," Snape admitted.
"Do you have any idea who ambushed them?" Dumbledore asked.
"No, Dolohov said that the house was already destroyed when they arrived. The ship had just dropped anchor when three people began firing on his men from the lawns. One of the attackers was focusing on destroying the ship so Dolohov gave the order to retreat and began to dive. Upon their arrival, the ship began to disintegrate underneath them forcing them to... Swim for shore," Severus explained looking as if he were fighting a smile.
"I will reach out to one of my contacts in Bulgaria and see if I can learn what transpired at the Avery property," Dumbledore said after a moment of silence.
"I would be very curious to know that, Dolohov was there to pick up recruits. There were supposed to be over a dozen people waiting for transport," Snape said as he stood from his seat.
"I will let you know as soon as I hear anything," Albus promises.
"Thank you. Now if you will excuse me, I have a potion to brew," Snape said as he turned to leave.
"That reminds me, what potion did he ask you to brew for him?" Albus asked causing Severus to pause with his hand on the door handle.
"A corruption potion. The dark lord wishes to perform a ritual that will corrupt a powerful magical object so that it can channel dark magic. The potion is essential to its completion," Snape answered.
"Oh, I see. Well, have a good night, Severus," Dumbledore said as he pondered the meaning of what Severus had just told him.
"Good night, Headmaster," Severus said before stepping out of the office.
The soft 'click' of his door shutting brought Albus back to the here and now and he quickly sprang to his feet.
Albus knew that this last piece of information was very important. He already had a suspicion as to what this magical item Voldemort wished to corrupt was.
Walking over to his cabinet, Albus pulled open the doors and carefully lifted his pensive out before carrying it over to his desk and setting it down.
Albus touched the tip of his wand to his temple and gently removed the memory of his conversation with Severus before dropping it into the pensieve.
He would go back through all the memories he had for the past few months in hopes of deducing whether his hunch was correct or not. Unfortunately, that would have to wait as he still had more pressing matters to look into at present.
Walking over to his fireplace, Albus threw in a pinch of floo powder and knelt on the stone hearth. Calling out the address of the Bulgarian ministry, Dumbledore stick his head in the green flames and began to make inquiries about the attack on the Avery property.
Tonks Residence, Reading, 6/3/1992, 19:35
Tonks and her family were just settling in to watch a movie after she had enjoyed her first home-cooked meal since she had started the academy. Tonks had never appreciated her mother's cooking more than after eating the same meals over and over again for ten months straight!
She had been released from the camp at noon today and was free until the end of August when she had to report back to the academy for her second year of training.
"So what do you want to watch, Dora?" Her father asked pulling her from her thoughts.
"Lethal Weapon," Tonks said after a moment's thought.
"Figures that you want to watch a cop movie," Ted sighed dramatically as he took the movie off of the shelf.
"Well I like that one," Tonks shrugged.
"I like it too," Andromeda agreed.
"I know you do, Luv. I'm pretty sure Mel Gibson was the only reason you made take you to see Hamlet," Ted sniggered.
"I have no idea what you mean, Ted," Andi sniffed though her cheeks flushed the slightest pink colour.
"You went to see Hamlet?" Tonks asked curiously.
"We did and I thought that the actress who played Ophelia looked a bit like me," Andi said thoughtfully.
"She did," Ted agreed as he sat down on the other side of Andi.
"So how does it feel to be home, Nymphadora?" Andi asked as they got comfortable on the plush sofa.
"Amazing! I slept on a cot in a drafty tent the entire time I was there," Tonks exclaimed as she plopped her feet encased in auror-issue combat boots onto the coffee table.
"Get those disgusting things off of my coffee table this instant," Andromeda scowled.
"Fine," Tonks sighed as she dropped her feet to the floor and leaned down to unlace them.
Tonls had barely begun untying her boots when the house was rocked by a massive explosion.
'BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!'
All three Tonks' froze as the explosion was heard a millisecond before the windows facing the street exploded inward spraying them with glass and chunks of wood as a good section of the sitting room wall was basted away.
Tonks stumbled to her feet with her wand drawn and cast a spell out of the now glass-less window. The brief flash of red light from her piercing hex lit up the yard and revealed the silhouettes of half a dozen or more robed figures crossing the lawn.
Her spell missed and she was forced to duck as three jets of green light flew in from the window. Two of them exploded into the wall separating the kitchen from the sitting room and blowing gaping holes in the drywall.
The third killing curse flew past her and headed straight for her mother who was busy trying to dig her wand out of the sofa and was oblivious to the spell flying towards her.
The curse was feet away from her mother when her father jumped in front of the spell and shoved her mother out of the way. Tonks watched in disbelief as the spell struck her father in the chest and he collapsed to the floor between the couch and the coffee table
'This can't be happening!' Tonks thought frantically as she shoved the coffee table to the side and knelt beside her father. Spells were flying all around her but she ignored them as she placed her fingertips to the side of his neck, praying she felt a pulse.
"Dad, come on," Tonks gasped fighting back a sob as she shook him, though deep down she already knew he was gone.
"TED!" Tonks heard her mother shriek in a tone she had never heard the normally calm woman use.
Her mother sounded almost broken, there was a desperation in her voice as she stared at her husband's body, his sightless eyes looking back at her.
"Mum, get down!" Tonks screamed as a second killing curse missed her by a millimetre.
Tonks got to her feet, trying to avoid looking at her Dad as she moved closer to her mother.
"Mum, we have to get out of here," Tonks said as she shook her mother's shoulder but got no response.
Her mother was just standing there oblivious to spells passing within inches of her. She had a broken look on her face and tears trickling down her cheeks. She seemed to be in a trance like she wasn't really processing anything going on around her.
'BOOOOOOOM!'
Her mother stumbled backwards as the exterior wall was hit with tremendous force a second time that evening.
The explosion seemed to pull her mother back to the present as the look of pain melted away to be replaced with a look of fury that was positively frightening.
"You want to play with me?" Andromeda asked in a cold emotionless voice as she directed her wand at the exterior wall.
'BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!'
Tonks was thrown to the floor as her mother's spell blasted the front side of the house outward into the yard. Her mother stood there unfazed as their attackers were swept off of their feet just like she was. Tonks scrambled back to her feet as her mother stepped out of the hole she had just created and began walking across the decimated front lawn.
What Tonks saw next would haunt her nightmares for the rest of her life. Even with all of the gruesome crime scenes she would see in her long career as an auror none of them would compare to the carnage her mother inflicted on those men.
Her mother's wand was a blur her spells flowing out in one continuous stream of death and destruction that literally tore the death eaters apart. One of them was hit by a spell that pulled his arms and legs in four different directions as though he were hooked to four horses that very slowly pulled him apart.
His horrific screams made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up but that was nothing compared to the popping of bones being ripped out of their sockets and the sound of his flesh tearing as he was pulled apart before her eyes. As soon as his limbs were detached his torso fell to the ground. Tonks watched in horror as the man's severed arms began to float toward him before his hands grasped his throat and began to strangle him.
Tonks was pulled from the gruesome scene she was forced to dodge a cutting curse. scrambling out of the house she began engaging the death eaters that were trying to take down her mother.
Tonks watched as another death eater was hit in the chest by an orange curse. The death eater's eyes bulged in surprise before he collapsed to his knees. The man doubled over and began vomiting a fountain of blood and mangled chunks of slippery purple flesh before he fell forward and moved no more.
Tonks quickly turned away from the scene trying her best not to vomit as the putrid scent of the man's liquified organs wafted to her on the breeze.
Tonks was forced to duck and just barely avoided being hit with a killing curse coming at her from the right. Turning to where the spell had come from, she was met with a pudgy-looking man with a pig-like face leering back at her. This man had decided not to wear a death eater mask and in her opinion, he probably should have.
"You're a pretty one, eh?" the man taunted as he cast a silent cutting curse at her which she easily side-stepped.
Tonks did not respond to the taunt and returned fire with a trio of piecing hexes chained together.
Two of her spells missed her opponent as he hastily sidestepped them but the third struck him in the gut and exploded out his back. Tonks followed up with a decapitation curse that lopped his head off like a daisy.
Looking for another opponent, Tonks raised her wand preparing to engage a man that was trying to flank her mother.
Her mother was currently disposing of a death eater by means of an exploding hex. Tonks watched the hex strike the man in the chest before it literally vaporized him into a cloud of pink mist.
Before Tonks could even utter a spell, her mother gave a lazy flick of her wand as though trying to dislodge an irksome fly. The death eater who was trying to sneak up on her froze in place before his head was twisted a hundred and eighty degrees with a sickening 'CRACK'. He collapsed in a lifeless heap his chest pressed into the grass but his lifeless eyes staring up at the sky.
Tonks cast a spell at one of the two remaining death eaters while her mother lashed out at the other casting a coal-black beam of light that passed through the man's hastily raised shield before striking him in the throat. As Tonks avoided her opponent's spell she caught a glimpse of her mother's opponent collapsing to his knees as the large man clutched desperately at his throat gasping for breath.
Tonks focused back on her own opponent but was shocked when the man was hoisted off the ground by his armpits a second before his arms were literally ripped off of his body at the shoulders. Tonks watched in disbelief as the death eater's severed arms began to mercilessly beat him over the head as he collapsed to the ground screaming his lungs out before a particularly nasty blow caved in one side of his skull and he fell silent.
The fight had lasted maybe a minute at most but the yard was strewn with dismembered and horribly disfigured bodies. When the spellfire stopped silence settle over the lawn only broken by the sound of a moaning death eater calling piteously for help.
Her mother walked over to the fallen death eater and hit him in the throat with a decapitation curse as the sound of incoming apparition was heard from the street.
"Mum, I think there are more coming," Tonks whispered urgently as she looked around the deserted street for any signs of movement.
"Let them come, they can join their friends," Her mother said coldly as she faced the street and prepared for another fight.
"AUROR DEPARTMENT, HOLD YOUR FIRE!" A familiar voice called from somewhere on the street.
"That's Amelia," Tonks said feeling a wave of relief wash over her as he saw red-robed figures approaching from both ends of the street.
"They're too late to be of much help," Andromeda said in a hollow voice before she walked back into the house without another word.
"Cadet, what the hell happened here?" Amelia demanded as she took in the scene before her.
Tonks quickly laid out all she could remember as a crime scene processing team began going over the lawn and putting the bits of death eaters into black canvas body bags.
"Bloody hell!" Amelia exclaimed angrily when Tonks told her about her father.
"After dad was... after that, mum went ballistic," Tonks explained her voice cracking when she thought about what happened to her father.
"Did you recognize any of them?" Amelia asked when she had finished telling Amelia all that transpired here.
"No ma'am though all but that ugly guy wore masks," Tonls said.
"Madam Bones, we have Amycus Carrow here," Auror Williams exclaimed as he indicated one of the headless corpses.
"Good, anyone else worth mentioning?" Amelia asked as she looked over at the auror who had spoken.
"Two other escapees from the ministry, Smith and Gamp," Williams answered.
"That's something I suppose," Amelia muttered.
The night passed in a blur as she was interviewed three times while Amelia went to get her mother's statement. Tonks kept feeling like she was trapped in some kind of nightmare and in a way, she desperately hoped that she was, that this was all just a dream.
Really she hoped for nothing more than to wake up in her bed and come down to find her mum and dad chatting over their morning tea.
It was well after eleven when she and her mother were told that they were free to go. Her father's body had already been transported to St Mungo's and the processing team had taken the bodies of the death eaters away.
"I have to get back to the ministry, do you need somewhere to stay tonight, Andi?" Anelia asked as she came back into the sitting room where Tonks and her mother were sitting on the couch.
"I am going to go stat with Bella," Andi said in a croaky voice.
"Well if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," Amelia said kindly.
"Thanks Amy, I will," her mother promised as she wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her robes.
"Take care of her, Cadet Tonks," Amelia said before she swept out of the room through the gaping hole in the wall.
"Come on, let's get out of here," Andromeda said as she got to her feet.
"Okay," Tonks nodded as she got up and followed her mother to the fireplace
Tonks watched her mother throw floo powder into the hearth before stepping into the green flames and vanishing as the flames flared high and then faded away.
As she threw powder in and prepared to follow her mother, Tonks wondered how something like this could have happened to someone as kind as her father. Her father was the kindest man she knew and had never done anything to anyone, he had given his life to save her mother's.
She would never see him again. She would never be able to roll her eyes at his lame jokes or hug him when she had a bad day. Her dad had always been there when she needed someone to talk to, to make her laugh or just pass a Saturday watching a horrible sci-fi movie marathon together.
Tears began to flow down her cheeks and as she realized he was really gone, her father was dead!
Doing her best to push her grief down, Tonks stepped into the fireplace and called out the address of the only man she knew who could help her strike back at the people responsible for her father's murder.
"Peverell Beach House," Tonks called in a shaky voice before she was sucked into the green vortex that was the floo network.
Peverell Beach House, Cornwall, 6/3/1992, 23:57
Harry and Bella were in the sitting room relaxing after putting the children to bed. Harry was reading an article about a new species of serpent that was recently discovered in Mongolia and Bella was reading The Punishment of the Shrew by Anita Quim.
Harry was just thinking about turning in for the night when he heard the 'woosh' of someone arriving by floo. He jerked his head to the fireplace and was surprised to see Andromeda step out looking almost lost.
Before Harry could comment, his niece stepped out behind her. Both of them looked very dishevelled with red puffy eyes and their faces covered in dust and tears and scorches in their robes.
"Andi, what happened?" Harry asked as he saw the tearstains on his sister-in-law's cheeks.
"We were attacked... They ki-killed Ted," Andi answered in a voice barely above a whisper.
Before Harry could say anything else, Bella swept forward and engulfed her sister in a hug. Harry heard Andi sob into Bella's shoulder as she held onto her for dear life.
"Tonks, what happened?" Harry asked warily as he came to stand in front of her.
"We were attacked by death eaters. they... they killed Dad," Tonks choked out before she burst into sobs
Harry wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into his chest while he rubbed her back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bella lead Andi into the kitchen, no doubt Bella had taken her to get her a glass of wine.
Harry didn't know what else to do so he just held her and tried his best to calm her down while she let out what he was sure she had been holding in since Ted was...
Harry felt his own eyes welling up as his niece cried, he had become close to Ted, they usually congregated together at any family function. Ted was a good man and Harry was devastated to learn that he had been killed as punishment for what he, Bella and Sirius had done.
Harry's mind was whirring with what this meant, he had not expected Voldemort to retaliate so quickly for their attack on Avery but in hindsight, it was obvious that he would do something.
Harry guided Tonks over to the couch and sat her down. Reaching over to his end table, he took an empty glass and poured three fingers from the bottle of firewhiskey sitting beside it before setting the bottle on the coffee table and offering her the glass.
"Here, it looks like you need it," Harry said gently.
"Thanks," Tonls sniffed as she took the glass and took a sip.
"Who was it that attacked you?" Harry asked as he poured himself a glass and swirled it around.
"Amycus Carrow le-led the attack," Tonks sniffed before taking another sip of whiskey.
Harry listened as she told him about the fight between the Tonks women and their attackers. Harty wasn't surprised at the brutality Andromeda displayed, she and his wife were very much alike in many ways.
Harry couldn't help but respect Ted even more when Tonks told him how her father had been killed. Ted had given his life to protect his wife and Harry couldn't think of a more heroic way to go out than that.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked when she had finished retelling everything she remembered.
"Not really," Tonks muttered.
"I meant physically, were you hurt," Harry clarified.
"Yeah, I got tossed around a bit when Mum exploded the sitting room wall but other than that, I'm fine," Tonks answered before taking a large gulp of whiskey and belching a tongue of flame.
"I am sorry this happened, Ted was a good man," Harry said before he took a deep drink from his own glass of whiskey.
"We were about to watch a movie," Tonks mumbled in a voice barely above a whisper.
"How are you dealing with your first kill?" Harry asked hoping to change the topic.
"Considering the bastard probably killed my dad, I don't feel any regret. I just wish the ministry had killed him when they captured him instead of letting him escape so he could kill my father!" Tonks exclaimed angrily.
"They had to give him a trial before they could execute him," Harry said though he couldn't really disagree with her.
"That doesn't stop you though does it?" Tonks snapped.
"What do you-
"My class was called in to process the scene at the Carrows property last February. I know that you're the Reaper, Uncle Harry," Tonks stated before draining her glass and setting it on the coffee table.
"Do you remember when we first met?" Harry asked curiously.
"Yeah, Mum and I came over to Grimmauld Place to tell you about Sirius," Tonks said looking confused by the question.
"Well, do you remember the next day when Sirius blurted out my last name?" Harry asked.
"Yeah but I never understood how you could be a Potter when Harry Potter is a child," Tonks admitted.
"He is. Harry is the child version of me," Harry explained before taking a large gulp of his drink and setting the empty glass on the coffee table.
"You mean you're a time-travel or something?" Tonks snorted disbelievingly.
"I am," Harry answered seriously.
"What does that have to do with the Reaper?" Tonks asked.
"It can help you understand why I do the things I do as the Reaper," Harry answered.
"So you are the Reaper?" Tonks asked.
"I am," Harry agreed.
"Then why do you do it?" Tonks demanded.
"Because this war that is just starting now killed almost everyone that I ever cared for and I refuse to let it happen again," Harry said before refilling his drink.
"Did you know me?" Tonks asked.
"I did. Your son was my godson," Harry answered before taking another drink of whiskey.
"I had a son?" Tonks asked looking flabbergasted.
"Yes," Harry answered simply.
"Bloody hell!" Tonks exclaimed before refilling her own glass and taking a large drink.
"Unfortunately I never really got to know him because of my work," Harry confessed.
"What did you do?" Tonks asked.
"Originally I was an auror before I was recruited into a counter-insurgency team," Harry answered having to tiptoe around his D.o.M oaths.
"There are no counter-insurgency teams," Tonks said.
"Not in auror corp, there aren't." Harry agreed.
"You were a spook," Tonks muttered in realization.
"I was. On my last assignment, we were ambushed by a fugitive death eater who was an ex-unspeakable by the name of Augustus Rookwood. He sent me thirty-two years back in time to Azkaban prison," Harry continued.
"The Azkaban killings of eighty-two, we had to read about that in our class on cold cases," Tonks muttered in realisation.
"Yes, that was how your aunt and I met," Harry nodded.
"So you"ve been killing death eaters for over a decade?" Tonks asked looking amazed.
"When I can. I tried to stop Voldemort from returning at all but I ran into a slight complication so I've spent my time thinning his ranks when I can," Harry answered.
"I want to help you," Tonks said as she locked eyes with Harry.
"Absolutely not. You're one of the people I want to keep alive this time around," Harry exclaimed before he could stop himself.
"Wait, did I die in your time?" Tonks asked sharply.
"I don't want to-
"Just tell me," Tonks demanded.
"Yes," Harry said with a tired sigh.
"H-how?" Tonks asked her voice sounding weak.
"You were killed in the Battle of Hogwarts," Harry replied.
"Oh, do you know who-
"My wife," Harry said before she could finish asking.
"I always knew she didn't like me much but I didn't think she disliked me that much," Tonks muttered looking a bit shaken at this revelation.
"Bellatrix is not the same person she was in my timeline and she does care for you in her own way," Harry assured her.
"Please let me help you with whatever it is you're doing," Tonks implored.
"I'm not doing anything for a few months at the earliest," Harry admitted.
"When I'm stuck in the academy," Tonks muttered.
"Probably, I have a busy summer ahead of me," Harry shrugged.
Before Tonks could reply Andi and Bella came out of the kitchen both of them looking very sombre.
"Andi is going to be staying with us for a little while," Bella said as she led Andromeda into the sitting room.
"Okay," Harry agreed as Andromeda took a seat on Harry's other side so he was sitting in between mother and daughter.
Tonks had become very quiet as she watched Bellatrix approach the fireplace and throw floo powder into it.
"The next time you and Bella go on one of your field trips, I'm coming with you," Andromeda said in a croaky voice pulling his attention from his wife who was floo-calling someone.
"How-
"I just heard you telling Nymphadora and I've suspected it was you for years," Andromeda said before snatching the firewhiskey off of the coffee table and taking a drink straight from the bottle.
"So you knew Harry was from the future?" Tonks asked incredulously.
"Of course, I knew. After your cousin spilt the beans that day at Grimmauld Place Harry told me and Amy the whole story," Andromeda said after swallowing down the burning alcohol causing smoke to billow out of her mouth as she spoke.
"Amelia knows?!" Tonks demanded looking at her mother in surprise.
"She does, she was at Azkaban the night your aunt and I escaped," Harry answered before taking the whiskey from Andi and copying her example, drinking it straight from the bottle.
"Ted always suspected you were the one putting down death eaters," Andi said with a sad smile.
"That doesn't surprise me much, he was always sharper than he let on," Harry chuckled.
"Was Alecto at your house tonight?" Bellatrix asked as she came back from the fireplace.
"I don't know, the night was a bit of a blur after... after Ted got hit I just lost it, Bella," Andi muttered quietly.
"No, it was just Amycus and I got him," Tonks answered.
"Then we'll have to pay Alecto a visit which means we'll need Cissa's help to get to her," Bella said as she took the almost empty bottle out of Harry's hand and poured herself a glass.
"Of course we do," Harry groaned.
"She has the Carrow twins over a barrel for that attack on Draco," Bella shrugged as the fireplace flared to life and Narcissa stepped out looking very concerned.
"Andi, are you alright?" Narcissa asked as she pulled Andi to her feet and began checking her over with her wand.
"I'm fine, Cissa just a few bruises," Andi assured her but let Narcissa carry on nonetheless.
"I think I need to lay down," Tonks mumbled as she drained the last of her glass and stood up looking a bit tipsy.
"You can use the room you used to sleep in," Harry offered.
"Thanks, I'll see you in the morning," Tonks slurred before she made her way up the stairs.
"You're fine, physically," Narcissa said giving her sister a critical look.
"I told you as much," Andi shrugged.
"So what do you want, Bella? You said this was urgent," Narcissa asked.
"We need help getting to Alecto Carrow," Harry answered before Bella could answer.
"I will have to wait until the girls get out of Hogwarts but I think I can arrange a meeting," Narcissa assured him.
"And your fee?" Harry asked.
"I will do this for free, Ted was family to me too," Narcissa said with a slight waver in her voice.
"Thank you, Cissa," Andi muttered before pulling her sister into a tight embrace.
Harry sat there while the three sisters talked pondering his next course of action. Alecto Carrow was inconsequential in the long run but taking her out would definitely send a message to Voldemort and demoralize his followers.
Harry had been whittling away his inner circle for years now meaning that every inner circle death eater he dispatched was a major blow to Voldemort's forces.
Tonight was the first time since coming into the past that he had lost someone he cared for. He, Ted, Sirius, and Jonathan had become close friends over the years. Ted's death would have rippling effects on the Black family and Harry couldn't help but feel in part responsible for his death.
He knew that Voldemort had attacked the Tonks family in retaliation for his and Bella's attacks. the Tonks' home was nowhere near as fortified as his or Sirius' making them a prime target for attack.
"You look lost in thought," Bellatrix whispered in his ear, pulling him back to the present.
"Sorry, I was just thinking," Harry said noticing Bella was the only other person in the room.
"Cissa took Andi to bed," Bella said at his questioning look.
"I should have seen this coming," Harry sighed.
"So should I," Bells admitted as Narcissa came down the stairs looking troubled.
"How is she?" Harry asked.
"I gave her some dreamless sleep, she should be fine until she wakes up," Narcissa answered.
"Good, I'll contact Sirius in the morning," Harry sighed.
"I'll come by in the morning to check on her," Narcissa promised before she walked over to the fireplace.
"Thank you, Cissa," Bella said giving her sister a soft smile.
"She's family, I would do the same for you," Narcissa waves her off as she tossed some powder in the fireplace.
"Good night, Cissa," Harry said as he stood up.
"Good night," Narcissa said before stepping into the fireplace and disappearing in a flash of green.
"Let's go to bed, I think we have a long day to look forward to," Harry said as he helped Bella to her feet.
"Yes, I am exhausted," Bella said as she allowed him to lead her to their bedroom.
Neither of them spoke much as they got ready for bed, both of them were too lost in their own thoughts to talk about anything.
As Harry lay in bed with his wife a few minutes later he couldn't help but wonder who else they would lose before this war was over.
'No one else,' Harry thought to himself as he wrapped his arms around Bella and she snuggled into him.
He lay there for a long time as his thoughts drifted around before he fell into a restless sleep where the events of this evening filtered into his dreams.
Avery Manor, Hampshire, 6/4/1992, 01:29
"CRUCIO!" Voldemort roared as he processed what his servant had just told him.
The team he had sent to send Peverell a message had failed spectacularly! This was on top of the disaster that was Avery's summer home.
Peverell had killed his first in command, a dozen or more recruits, and destroyed the Durstrang ship in a single evening!
Tonight was supposed to be a blow against Peverell and all his people had managed to do was kill Andromeda's mudblood husband!
"Now, Auror Dawlish I wish to know what the next raid on the vampire dens will take place," Voldemort hissed as he glared down at his newest servant.
"Yo-York, my lord," Dawlish answered at once.
"Excellent, make sure you're on that team and send me a signal through your mark when your team is in place," Voldemort commanded.
"Yes my lord," Dawlish answered at once.
"Now leave me," Voldemort hissed and watched John Dawlish scramble to his feet and make a hasty retreat from the ballroom.
Voldemort was starting to think that a campaign of limited bloodshed would no longer be feasible, he was taking too many losses and gaining little ground for his efforts.
No, it was time to go back to the more tried and true methods of scorched earth. The break he had planned to give the wizarding world would be cancelled, Great Britain was going to face a reckoning!
Perhaps he could not strike at the Blacks but he could still find a way to spread fear through magical Britain.
Unfortunately, any future plans would have to wait until he had completed the corruption ritual. If that ritual was successful there would be very few wards that could keep him out.
His plans abroad were stalled until he could find a reliable way to transport people under the ministry's nose. The loss of the Durmstrang ship had been a devastating blow to his plans and the infuriating thing was he didn't believe Peverell had even planned to destroy the ship.
He was still trying to work out a method to duplicate the ship's ability to travel between bodies of water but he was honestly stumped.
Rising from his seat, Voldemort stalked from the room and made his way toward the front doors. With Avery dead, he had been forced to vacate this manor but he still came here for meetings to keep his current residence a secret. It was only a matter of time before the ministry taided this property so he thought it best to have a contingency plan in place.
Reaching the wardline Voldemort turned on the spot and Apparated to Little Hangleton where his ancestral home awaited him.
Great Hall, Hogwarts, 6/12/1992, 08;39
Harry couldn't help but smile widely as he entered the great hall to a sea of blue. Every occupant of the hall had blue skin.
He had taken a shower this morning so he was as blue as everyone else so as not to raise suspicion. Today was the last day of term so he figured he might as well go out with a bang.
'Pop'
Harry jumped when there was a sound like a popping bubble as the robes and hats of every student in the hall turned an ivory-white colour.
Harry was confused for a moment as he had nothing to do with this particular change.
Shaking his head, Harry took his seat at the Gryffindor table and fixed himself a plate of waffles.
He had just begun to eat when Susan took a seat beside him. Just like him her shin was bright blue and she was sporting ivory robes with a matching pointed hat.
"Nice robes, Potter," Susan beamed as she began fixing herself a cup of tea.
"Huh," Harry asked as he looked up at her.
"You look like a Smurf," Susan smirked.
"What's a Smurf?" Harry said as he went back to eating his breakfast.
"It was a cartoon I saw when I was in Florida last summer," Susan answered.
"Nobody here will get it," Harry said before taking another bite of his waffles.
"I'm sure somebody will get it," Susan giggled.
"So the robes was you're doing I take it?" Harry asked curiously.
"I may have convinced the Weasley twins to give me a hand sneaking the dye into the laundry last night," Susan admitted.
"It's not permanent?" Harry asked as he looked up at her.
"No, it will wash right out," Susan assured him.
"Draco is going to go bonkers," Harry chortled.
"Well he is very easily agitated," Susan shrugged.
"Tell me about it," Harry agreed.
Over the next hour, more and more students filled the hall most of them donning blue skin and white robes.
"On the upside, this is a good way to learn who showers in the morning," Susan whispered as Crabbe and Goyle entered the hall, both of them having undyed skin.
"I don't think those two ever shower," Harry pointed out.
"True, Ron isn't blue either," Susan giggled.
"No surprise there, he is always in a hurry to get to breakfast," Harry said.
"Oooooh, Daphne looks livid," Susan muttered as she gestured to the Ravenclaw in question who was giving him a truly frightening glare.
"Maybe she's angry about her robes," Harry said optimistically.
"I would say that she's unhappy about her hair," Susan said seeming to take joy in the alarmed look on Harry's face.
Harry hadn't paid much attention because he was distracted by the robes changing colour but now that he looked around he realized everyone with blue skin also had matching blue hair.
"Bugger, I didn't even think about hair," Harry muttered realizing that there could be some adverse consequences.
"What do you mean?" Susan asked sharply.
"Well I chose this particular dye because it was designed for fabric and won't adhere to skin for very long," Harry started off.
"But?" Susan pressed seeming to get the jist of where he was going with this.
"But it is semi-permanent on fabric or on... or on hair," Harry said almost whispering the last part.
"I am going to murder you," Susan hissed as her worst fears were confirmed.
"Oh this is not good," Harry muttered as Hermione made a beeline towards their table looking just as livid as Daphne.
Hermione's skin was dye free but her bushy hair was bright blue just like everyone else's.
"Potter what did you do to me?!" Hermione demanded as she stood over him with her hands on her hips.
"I *um* I didn't think about *um* hair," Harry stammered feeling very uncomfortable with the look she was giving him.
"I can't make it come out of my hair, how long does this dye last?" Hermione demanded her brown eyes boring into his.
"A month," Harry mumbled in a soft voice.
"A month!" Hermione exclaimed looking horrified.
"Oh you are going to get it when we get home," Susan muttered darkly.
Hermione shot him one more furious glare before she spun on her heel and stormed off to the Ravenclaw table. She was immediately waved over by Daphne. Harry watched the two Ravenclaw girls begin conversing and felt a sense of foreboding when both girls looked his way.
"This can't be a good sign," Harry muttered weakly.
"Whatever they do to you will be well-earned," Susan said testily.
"I really am sorry," Harry said already feeling regret for setting up this prank.
"You will be," Susan smirked as she glanced toward the head table.
Harry turned to where she was looking and felt his stomach drop when he spotted Professor McGonagall making a beeline for him.
"Bones and Potter, come with me," McGonagall hissed in an eerily calm voice.
"Professor?" Susan asked in alarm.
"Come along, Bones," McGonagall said as she began striding down the Gryffindor table.
Harry and Susan got to their feet and hurried to catch up with her. Harry was surprised when she stopped halfway down the table and instructed the Weasley twins to follow her as well.
The four students followed behind her as she marched them up the grand staircase. As they walked Harry noticed that almost every student they passed was blue with ivory white robes and had an annoyed expression on their faces.
McGonagall opened her office door and gestured for them to step inside. She stood in the hall as the four students stepped inside before she stepped in behind them and slammed the door with a loud 'BANG!'
"I am amazed at the lengths you four have gone to this year to cause disruption among your fellow students," McGonagall began.
"Professor?" Fred asked in confusion.
"After the itching powder underpants fiasco a painting was hung in the laundry room, Mister Weasley," McGonagall said giving them both a pointed look.
"This painting communicates with all of the paintings in the castle since its occupant has to pass through many of their frames on the way to my office," McGonagall said giving Susan a pointed look.
"But Professor I-"
"Your conversation about deploying the white dye was observed by the painting of the three nouns on the fourth floor, Miss Bones," McGonagall said cutting her off.
"Why am I here Professor, I had nothing to do with that?" Harry asked warily.
"Ah, that is another story altogether, Potter. You see there are also paintings in the four house common rooms who all spotted a boy fitting your description entering their house common rooms late last night carrying a school broomstick. I can only imagine the broomstick was so you could enter the ladies' side of the dormitories," McGonagall answered and there was no mistaking the smirk playing on her lips.
Harry cursed internally, it was times like this that he really wished Sirius had let him bring his Dad's invisibility cloak to school this year.
"What is our punishment?" George Weasley asked looking unconcerned about being caught.
"I do believe you, your brother and Miss Bones will be working in the laundry room for the first month of term next school year," Minerva said without losing a beat.
"The laundry room?" Susan asked aghast.
"Yes, for your detentions you will be washing all of the Gryffindors' laundry by hand," Minerva explained.
"And me, Professor?" Harry asked unsure if he wanted to know what horror she had in store for him.
"I will be overseeing your detention personally, Potter. I don't want to ruin it for you so you will have to wait until next year to find out what you will be doing," McGonall answered looking far too pleased for his liking.
"Yes Ma'am," Harry muttered feeling a bit uneasy about what he would be doing during detention with his head of house.
"Now, the train will be leaving shortly. Run along and get your things. The sooner we get you lot out of Hogwarts, the better," Minerva instructed as she opened her office door and gestured for them to go with a wave of her hand.
The four of them dashed out of the office and began making their way toward Gryffindor Tower.
"Way to go, Potter," Susan exclaimed when they were a corridor away from McGonagall's office.
"Don't blame this on me. I didn't even know that you three were piggybacking on my prank," Harry shot back.
"Your itching powder prank increased security on the laundry room," Susan pressed on.
"I seem to remember you adding powder to Parkinson's knickers," Harry smirked.
"You were already making a powder blizzard over the upper years undergarments, I figured I might as well get something out of that prank," Susan exclaimed.
"Then don't try and say that was all me," Harry said stubbornly.
"Fine, but my Mum is going to be furious when she finds out about this," Susan sighed.
"I do believe we'll have you beat in the angry mother department, Bones," Fred sniggered.
"Too right. Mum might just murder us when she finds out about this on top of getting chucked out of Peverell's final exam," George agreed looking far less cheerful than his twin.
"Surius won't care but Aunt Amelia will probably ground me for the entire summer," Harry admitted.
"I hope she does," Susan muttered moodily.
"That's just mean, Bones," Harry said shooting Susan a smirk.
"My hair is going to be blue for a bloody month, Potter," Susan scowled as the four of them began climbing the grand staircase.
"A month?" George asked in surprise.
"It may wear off a bit sooner," Harry said trying to sound optimistic.
"But it could be longer," Susan shot back as they passed a gaggle of blue Ravenclaws coming down the stairs.
"If you want to look at the glass as half-empty then sure," Harry agreed.
As the four of them made their way back to Gryffindor Tower, Harry couldn't help but wonder if he would be able to make it to London before word of his mistake with the dye got out.
Harry deeply hoped so, otherwise, he wasn't sure he'd survive the train ride home.