Chapter 3
“No.” Ron breathes the word so low that he barely hears himself speaking. This can’t actually be happening. It was supposed to be a prank!
The Malfoys and the Blacks step fully into the office, the door shutting behind them with a thud. The sound sends a jolt through Ron’s bones, as if he’s suddenly aware that everything is about to change. He will never be the same person he was when he entered the room when he will eventually be allowed to leave it.
Ron barely registers Fogdune conjuring more chairs, completely caught up in the panicked insanity that is going on inside of his head. He feels nauseous and angry and scared and betrayed all at once. How can this be happening?! He is Ronald Weasley. He has always been Ronald Weasley. How can that suddenly not be true?
“Rigel.” Lord Malfoy nods to Rons as he takes one of the conjured seats. He turns to do the same to Harry and then Hermione. “Hydrus. Maia.”
“We need more information.” Ron forces himself to look away from the adults (and Malfoy the younger, but he’s electing to ignore that prat at the moment) to see Hermione straighten and stare down the wizard (Her uncle? His uncle? Or would Lord Malfoy be his cousin? Honestly, this is too bloody confusing!) with a determined glint in her eye. “You all need to tell us exactly what happened that night. And the events following. None of this is adding up or making sense.”
Malfoy the elder grimaces, clenching his fist around the snake head of his posh cane. Ron bets he doesn’t even need the cane. It’s probably a fashion statement or some other tosh! “It is not as easy as you make it seem, my dear. There are things about that horrible night that we do not know. Other things we thought we knew only to find out they were the furthest from the truth.” His gaze fits over Ron and Harry at that, causing Ron to bristle and clutch Harry’s hand tightly. What is that supposed to mean? Before he can find out, the man’s eyes land on the twins. He stares at them for a moment before standing abruptly. “Gorganea, Furud.”
Lady Malfoy’s head snaps up from where she is still holding Luna close, in the seat between her son and husband.
“Rather unfortunate names.” George frowns.
“But close enough to George and Fred for us to compromise on nicknames.” Fred states firmly, staring at the Malfoys with raised brows as if daring them to argue his decision.
Lady Malfoy stands, passing Luna to her husband and walking across the floor with unsure steps, an odd sight to see of the regal woman. Ron tenses, but the witch bypasses him and Harry to pull the twins out of their seats and into her arms. Fred and George stand stiff in her embrace, looking at the crying woman between them in silent bewilderment. In other circumstances, Ron would have laughed at the expressions, as it is he’s feeling rather nauseous at the moment. Finally, Lady Malfoy pulls back and cups one of each boys’ cheeks in her hands.
“I have waited so long for this day. You could call yourselves Tim and Tom for all I care. I am never letting anyone take you from me again.” A shiver runs down Ron’s spine at the hissed anger in the declaration and he’s sure that he must be grinding the bones in Harry’s hand together from how hard he’s squeezing. He’s ready to grab Hermione and have the three of them flee the bank.
“Deep breaths, Rigel. You look as if you’ll be sick.” Another voice causes him to turn his attention to Andromeda Black as she crosses the floor to kneel in front of him. She breathes deeply, gesturing for him to do the same. It takes a few tries, but he feels his breathing evening out after a few moments.
“It’s Ron.” He forces the words out as soon as he is able, the name she called him still echoing around his head.
“Ron.” The woman smiles gently, reaching out and patting his knee. She stands and looks around at all the occupants of the room. “Well, I believe introductions may be in order so that we are able to use one another’s preferred names. I’ll begin. I am Andromeda Black, though you are all welcome to call me Aunt Andi if you would prefer.”
“That makes me your Uncle Ted.” The man that has taken residence in one of the conjured chairs waves at the group, a friendly smile shining on his face. The younger girl beside him, probably Charlie’s age, grins at them as well and he gestures to her. “And this is your cousin, Nymphadora Black.”
Nymphadora mimes gagging before smirking at them all. “And if you call me that, we’re no longer friends. Tonks or Dora will do.”
Lord Malfoy seems to be experiencing several emotions at once, but straightens to his full height from where he still stands with his arms around Luna. “Uncle Lucius.” He inclines his head before glancing at Luna and the twins unsurely. His voice wavers with his next words. “Or Father.”
“Don’t worry, Daddy.” Luna smiles brightly up at the man, patting his arm. “Everyone will understand when the owl falls from his perch.” She then skips around the man to take the empty seat beside Malfoy, who looks rather scared and confused at the situation as a whole. He flinches but doesn’t pull away as Luna takes his hand. “Luna or Lyra or both.” She adds with a wave of her free hand before looking at her brother (and isn’t that an insane thought?) expectantly.
Malfoy glances between Luna and the rest of the room before staring at the floor with a scowl. “Draco.” He grumbles.
“Mum.” Lady Malfoy’s voice is quiet, her eyes still on the twins. She stares at the blond boys (Their freckles seemed to have disappeared in addition to the change in hair color. Ron might be sick all over his shoes if he doesn’t wake up from this nightmare soon.) for a long moment before looking over the rest of them. “And Aunt Cissa.”
“This is a load of bollocks!” Ginny outburst snaps him out of his still spiraling thoughts, startling him. His jaw drops as he turns to his sister (cousin?), her flaming red hair is now several shades darker, more auburn than ginger, and her eyes are the same grey that his, Harry’s, and Hermione’s had turned. Looking around him, it seems that all of his siblings now have grey eyes. Distantly, he registers some lost knowledge of pureblood families in his mind, grey eyes are a trademark of a child belonging to the Black family.
“Language, child.” Lady Malfoy is much more stern as she speaks this time, narrowing her eyes at Ginny. The tone and expression are met by the young girl’s new silver glare, defiance written over her face.
“You’re not my mum.” Ginny spits. “Or my aunt. We are Weasleys. I don’t know what you lot are playing at, but you can’t just steal other people’s children.”
Hear, hear! Finally someone sensible enough to voice the thoughts that are running rampant in Ron’s mind. This is all absolute insanity and he’s thankful that Ginny can see it too.
“You’re right.” The older woman nods, deceptively calm as she finally releases her hold on Fred and George and steps back toward her husband. Her eyes gleam, a dangerous look within them. “One shouldn’t steal others’ children. But that is exactly what happened. Someone took you from us. Broke into our home. Destroyed what should have been a day of celebration for you, Gemma. Stole almost every child of the House of Black of your generation. Someone tried to destroy our family and succeeded in many ways. The truth may hurt you, but the fall out of your disappearances has haunted our family for almost thirteen years. I will not have our family torn asunder once again, not now that you are back where you belong.”
Ron’s stomach drops to his feet and he’s standing before he even processes his own movements, dragging Harry with him. These mad people are going to kidnap them. He draws his wand shakily.
“Ronald!” Hermione hisses from where she stands. She lunges at him, trying to pull his wand arm down, but he shoves her off and pushes both her and Harry behind him.
“I told you before, we’re not going anywhere with you.” He tries to sound firm but the waver in his voice is obvious.
“Calm yourself, Ri-Ron.” Mrs. Black steps toward them with her hands held out, causing Ron to push himself and his friends another step toward the door.
“No.” He just stops himself from stomping his foot in emphasis, not wanting to be seen as a child.
“It would do you well to lower your wand while in Gringotts’ halls, Mr. Potter-Black.” Fogdune stares at him rather menacingly from behind his desk, causing Ron to falter. Hermione takes the chance to snatch his wand from his hand and stow it away with her own. Harry tugs him closer, slightly away from Hermione and the others. Ron glances at him.
“Wait and see what’s happening first.” He almost doesn’t hear his words, but the pleading in Harry’s eyes is enough to make Ron pause and consider. Maybe he should be looking at this more like a game of chess. He needs to strategize, not panic.
“I see that you have inherited James’ dramatic tendencies.” Lord Malfoy says dryly.
“You can’t just demand that we come with you when we haven’t heard the entire story yet.” Ron says after a deep breath, finding his footing. He shoves his anger and panic down, needing to concentrate if he’s going to get his family and friends out of this safely. It’s the giant chess game from their first year all over again, though these stakes seem higher for some reason.
“Ron’s right about that. We aren’t going anywhere with anyone until we know exactly what happened.” Hermione steps forward once more, placing herself between Ron and Harry and the adults.
The Malfoys and Blacks look between one another, seeming to have a silent conversation. Mrs. Black is the one to break the silence.
“The entire family had gathered to celebrate Gemma’s birth.” She nods toward Ginny who is still standing in a position that makes her seem ready to fight everyone in the room. Percy seems to finally break from the stupor he has been in since they were handed the results, tugging their younger sister (cousin?) into the seat beside him. “We all stayed at Malfoy Manor overnight. It was late when our celebrations ended and many of the children were already asleep. Everything was well when we retired. It wasn't until just before dawn that we were woken by a hysterical elf. The elf went on and on about how the ‘terrible wizard’ had taken the babies. They brought Draco and Nymphadora to us but hadn’t been able to save anyone else.”
Lady Malfoy takes over at the break in her sister’s voice. “We scoured the grounds and called the aurors. It wasn’t until after we had given our statements that we realized that James and Lily were missing as well.”
Ron feels Harry tense beside him and he can’t help the curiosity the statement makes him feel as well. How had someone managed to kidnap not only eleven children but two full grown mages as well?
“We were never able to find a trace of any of you. Then, Regina left to search for her boys on her own and never returned.” Mrs. Black nods at Ron and Harry. “Sirius left as well, going to the Order for help finding his wife and daughter and then never speaking to us again. There was no news of him, Lily, or James until Halloween night a few months later.”
“The family assumed that ‘Harry Potter’ was a child James adopted in his grief. Why he would leave his wife, we didn’t know, but one can’t receive answers from the dead.” Lord Malfoy seems to hold back a sneer at his words.
“Dad isn’t dead.” Harry says sharply. “Or Regina.”
“Which is news to all of us. Good news.” Lady Malfoy cuts in, sending her husband a quelling look. “It means that our family might be whole once again.”
“So.” Hermione seems seconds away from beginning her annoying habit of pacing. Ron resists the urge to pull the curl she is tugging out of her fingers. “That explains what happened that night. We were all taken by an unknown wizard. As were Lord Potter and Lady Black. Lord Black sounds as if he may have been potioned or spelled to act out of character. Why his family wouldn’t think to check, I couldn’t guess.” The curly headed witch sends the adults an unimpressed look and Ron swears that he hears Fogdune snort. “That does not explain why the Lestranges attacked the Longbottoms.”
Neville lets out a choked sound, curling in on himself in his seat. Hermione’s face falls and she leaves Ron’s side to sit beside the other boy, putting her arms around him.
“After her children were taken from her, Bella succumbed to the Black family madness.” Mrs. Black’s voice is strained. “She couldn’t bear to have you three ripped from her. She searched endlessly. I can only assume that she found Naos and went to retrieve him from his false parents.”
“My name is Neville.” That is probably the fiercest his friend has ever sounded, glaring at the woman from the safety of Hermione’s embrace.
“Very well.” The witch nods in acknowledgment.
“None of you ever thought to question yourselves? Why would you have just accepted the Potters adopting Harry or Lord Black not speaking to you?” Percy finally speaks up, brows furrowed.
“It…was not a question that ever crossed our minds.” Lord Malfoy furrows his own brows, frowning at the floor. “Which is rather odd, but not something we have an explanation for as of yet.”
“None of this answers how we ended up with our, erm, adoptive families.” George crosses his arms, looking at Fred as if they are speaking silently. Both turn their eyes on Luna.
“You have answers.” Fred states.
Luna hums with a small smile, swinging her feet beneath her chair. “Questions as well. Ask yours, Perseus.”
Everyone turns their eyes to Percy. Ron can’t help noting how his older brother’s freckles are gone and his skin is paler. He now looks more similar to Hermione and Neville than to the Weasley siblings. Percy purses his lips, seeming to have an internal debate. He finally looks at the adults with suspicious eyes.
“If this is all true, why do we not remember you? I would have been almost five when the kidnapping took place. If Bill and Charlie are the remaining Black children, they would have been eleven and nine. Mind magic is not an easy subject to master. To create years worth of new memories seems almost impossible.”
“For the average wizard, yes.” Mr. Ted Tonks-Black speaks for the first time since introducing himself. “It would take a master legilimens to accomplish such feats. Especially to intertwine memories between several individuals.” He eyes the Weasley children at the last part. “Though, one might assume that he only had to alter the memories of three of you. While Perseus, Wezen, and Castor were old enough to have established memories, the rest of you were quite young.”
Ron would have only been a year old when the Black Family Tragedy occurred. Barely old enough to walk, let alone remember anything. Despite this, though, something nudges at the back of his mind. He glances at Harry, examining his friend turned brother for a moment. He is the least changed of them all. While green eyes are now grey and glasses-less and his skin is paler, his hair is still black and curly, though slightly more tame, and his features still resemble those of his father, at least based on the pictures Ron has seen his friend looking at in a photo album for hours. Staring at the other boy, the vaguest of recollections crosses his mind, more dream-like than that of a real memory. A man with glasses laughs as a beautiful woman with the same grey eyes Ron now bears smiles at him indulgently. The Potters. Or who he can only assume are the Potters, James and his true wife, Regina. Ron blinks, letting the mental image dissolve as he looks around the room once more. Ginny and Neville glare at the adults, fire behind each of their eyes. Seeing their anger gives him the courage to speak again.
“I want to see my parents.”
All eyes turn to face him, and Harry as he’s right beside him. His new twin steps slightly behind him at the onslaught of attention.
“Rigel-”
“Ron.” He grinds his teeth as he reminds Lord Malfoy of his name once again.
“Ron.” The blond man nods, giving him what could be a look of pity. “Regina has not been seen since shortly after you all went missing and James was declared dead on Halloween 1981.”
“Not them.” Ron rolls his eyes. “I want to see my mum and dad.”
“Me too!” Ginny hops up from her seat, finally escaping Percy’s hold. She crosses the room to stand beside him, folding her arms across her chest.
Lady Malfoy sighs. “Children, you must understand that we can’t just let you go back to those that may have taken part in your kidnapping. They are not your parents.”
“Like hell they aren’t!” Ron can feel the anger bubbling in his chest and overflowing, spreading through the rest of his body. “They’re the ones who raised us! Mum patched up my bloody knees and Dad taught me how to throw a quaffle! They are my parents!”
The Malfoys seem rather taken aback by his outburst, eyes wide. Mrs. Black steps forward, holding her hands out in a placating sort of way. “Ron, we understand how hard this must be for you, but-“
“Oh, so you know what it feels like for your entire life to have been a lie?” Ginny snaps. He notices her fingers twitch at her sides and he’s sure that his sister/cousin would be wielding her wand if Ron himself hadn’t been threatened by their goblin observer for doing so earlier.
“We know what it’s like to have your life ripped away from you.” Lady Malfoy cuts in, seeming to have recovered from her earlier shock. “We know how it feels to have your entire world shattered.”
Her words cast a heavy blanket of silence over the room that is eventually broken by Fogdune clearing his throat. “I believe that my office has been occupied long enough for this reunion. I must ask you all to take your arguments elsewhere. I do have other clients.”
“Of course.” Lord Malfoy inclines his head at the goblin. “Would we be able to make use of the bank’s private floo?”
“For a fee.” Fogdune’s smirk makes the hair on Ron’s arms stand on end. “Per person, of course.”
“Remove the amount from my vault.” The wizard waves his hand flippantly before grabbing his cane and turning to the room at large. “We can resume our conversation once we arrive at the manor.”
“Hold on.” Percy stands quickly. “Newfound relations or not, I can’t allow you to take children that you do not have custody of.”
“Perseus-“ Lord Malfoy is cut off by his wife, a dangerous look in her grey eyes.
“You will find, Perseus, that these children are ours, both by blood and legalities. Whether their parents are present or not, we are their next of kin just as we are yours. You are of age, so we may be unable to force your hand, but your siblings and cousin are decidedly not.” Lady Malfoy outright glares at the recent Hogwarts graduate. “Now, we will be taking our children home. I hope that you will join us, though, again, I cannot force you.”
Percy gapes at the witch, mouth hanging open in shock. Ron is surprised as well. He’s not sure that Percy has ever been told off in his entire life. Anger tugs at the edges of his shock. Percy may be a prat sometimes, but he’s their prat. Only they are allowed to rag on him.
Before he is able to make his displeasure toward Lady Malfoy’s outburst known, Hermione tugs Neville over so that they are both standing by their new older brother. (Ron is still not sure he’s wrapped his head around this convoluted family tree.) “Of course Percy is coming with us.” His best friend shoots his older brother a look that sends the obvious message of the topic not being up for debate. “But he should probably stay behind to contact the elder Weasley brothers first.”
Something about the look in Hermione’s newly grey eyes and the emphasis in her words causes Ron’s internal gauge of Hermione Habits to go off. The curly haired witch is definitely up to something if the way she subtly steps on Percy’s foot is anything to go by. The older boy stares down at his younger sister in confusion for a moment before understanding crosses his face. Percy clears his throat, straightening.
“Yes. I should probably owl Bill and Charlie. If their glamours have broken as ours have, then they are most likely confused. It’s better that they find out from one of us.” The former head boy nods to himself before narrowing his eyes at Hermione. The two seem to have a silent conversation, Neville standing beside the two and watching along in confusion. Percy lifts his gaze to focus on the twins, staring at them with a severe expression.
“No worries, Perce!” George salutes their older brother (cousin?) in tandem with Fred.
“We won’t let any harm come to the little ones!” Fred smirks, but Ron can still see the seriousness his words carry.
Percy watches them for another moment before nodding again. “Very well. I’ll find an owl and then floo to the manor?” He directs the question at Lady Malfoy.
The witch suddenly seems much calmer and welcoming to Percy than she had been moments before. “Of course, Perseus. We’ll make sure the floo remains open for you.”
The elder Weasley brother’s lip thin as he nods yet again and moves toward the door. He glances back over the remaining former Weasleys and co. before making eye contact with Hermione and Neville. With a final incline of the head to his sister and their younger brother, he disappears from Fogdune’s office.
“Now that the dramatics have ceased for the moment, I must insist that your clan vacate my office.” The goblin practically growls at them. Ron supposes he must have reached his limit on hospitality.
“Of course. Come along children.” Lord Malfoy tilts his nose in the air haughtily as he offers his arm to his wife and leads the way out of the room.
The only reason Ron has any remaining hold on his frustration and sanity is the vice like grip that Harry has on his arm, nails digging in through his shirt sleeve. He can feel his twin brother trembling through the touch, meaning he has to keep focused on him and not just the anger boiling in his stomach. He’s still not entirely sure what has happened today, but he’s hoping to wake up from this nightmare soon.