Family Matters

It was a few days following Charlie’s reappearance, and the atmosphere around Hogwarts was tense. Everyone was trying to find out who had killed the Death Eater so publicly. Draco had bags under his eyes the next time Hari saw him. Everyone had been kept in their dorms to avoid interfering with the crime scene investigation.

“You alright, mate?” Hari asked as he sat next to Draco in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Draco shook his head, “Father has been trying to get my attention, and he’s using some rather unfavorable ways to do it. On the plus side, Mother has been safely moved into the old Black home, and with Uncle Sirius’s permission, she’s begun to fix it up. It was neglected for a few decades at a minimum.”

Moody slammed his cane as he entered the room, drawing everyone's attention. “Alright, you crouch-goblins. I have a lesson for you today. This is about Magical Cores. Every wizard has one, and they are all unique. They are usually elemental-based. Most of you will not be powerful enough to access it, but there are moments where you might be able to feel it—strong emotions being the most common trigger.”

Hari muttered under his breath, “Is it wrong I'm half-expecting him to turn out to be villainous?”

Draco snorted before he began to write on his parchment, casually placing it between the two of them. ‘You’re two out of three so far; let's see how the rest of the year plays out first.’

“Professor, if most of us won’t be able to feel it, why are you teaching it?” Lavender Brown asked. “How does it pertain to Defense Against the Dark Arts?”

Moody scoffed, “Because out of a class of this size, two will be able to feel it. But due to your generation—children of war—more of you tend to be born with stronger magical survival instincts. Magic is a beast, always trying to survive, and it comes and goes with the times. In peaceful times, fewer people have recorded experiences of feeling it. During wartime and post-war periods, we see more recorded instances. I suspect five or so of you will feel it during your remaining time here at Hogwarts.” He paced around the front, holding his hand palm out in front of the class. “As for its relevance to Defense Against the Dark Arts...”

The stale air in the room began to change, a frigid cold seeping into the atmosphere. Parchment papers, quills, and books began to move about on the desks. Students tried to cover the objects that floated, while Hermione’s eyes followed the current to Moody’s hand, where a small tornado had formed, causing chaos.

As more students stared at Moody's palm in astonishment, the chaos gradually died down. The small tornado dissipated, and the room settled back into an uneasy calm.

“If you find yourself able to do such magic, you should begin to meditate,” Moody said, a thin veil of sweat on his brow. “You must bond with your core in a much more intimate way to be able to use it.”

Hari was mesmerized by the display, feeling a flicker of recognition within himself. He glanced at Draco, who seemed equally intrigued. The mention of emotional triggers made Hari think of the intense anger he had felt when he found out about Charlie’s kidnapping.

Moody continued after taking a sip from his flask, “Understanding your core can give you an edge in defending yourself and others. It’s a rare skill, but one that can be incredibly powerful if harnessed correctly.” Moody’s eye lingered on Hari longer than he would have liked, making Hari feel slightly uneasy under the scrutiny.

---

Regulus covered his mouth as the tornado spun to a stop. “Oh god,” he muttered.

Lily looked at him from the table she was seated on, concern evident in her eyes. “What is it, dear?”

“I can’t believe I didn’t notice it before. Granted, he toned down his mannerisms. It makes more sense, but by Morgana,” Regulus muttered, shaking his head. “I thought he died too.”

Lily pulled at his arm gently. “Who died?”

Regulus looked at his firecracker love. “You remember how we thought Moody wasn’t Moody, just someone using Polyjuice?”

Her flame-red hair nodded. “Of course.”

“It’s Barty. My Barty. His core was air-based. That’s why he had issues at school so much.” Regulus gripped Lily’s hand for support.

“Does an elemental core really change you that much?” Lily asked, her voice soft and soothing.

“It can, especially after you bond with it. Barty was a prodigy; that’s why it took so long for him to be caught. It’s only after Evie— Evan Rosier was killed that he started to get sloppy, lost his mind, became untethered—whatever you want to call it.” Regulus began to bury his head in Lily’s shoulder, his distress palpable.

“I’m surprised he’s able to portray Moody so well. I remember him being more flighty as a child.” Lily stroked Regulus’s hair, trying to offer comfort.

“My best friend might be here to harm my sons, and I can’t do anything about it. I can’t even tell Charlie!” Regulus gripped on tightly to Lily, the fear in his voice evident.

“We will figure it out, my love. The three of us,” Lily said, kissing his forehead lovingly. “We’ve faced worse, and we’ve come through. We will do it again.”

Regulus took a deep breath, drawing strength from Lily’s presence. “You’re right. We have to be smart about this. We can’t let him hurt them.”

Lily nodded, her determination matching his. “We’ll watch him closely. Gather evidence. When the time is right, we’ll act.”

Regulus tightened his hold on Lily. “I just hope it’s enough. Barty was always... unpredictable.”

“We have each other,” Lily reminded him. “And we have our sons. We will protect them.”

Regulus sighed, his worry easing slightly in the face of Lily’s unwavering support. “Thank you, Lily. For everything.”

“Always,” she whispered, holding him close. “We’re in this together.”