Chapter 3
“Sirius’ name was cleared.” Fred said and Ophelia slumped in his arms again. “Oi! Come on, no passing out on us. Wakey, wakey.”
“Cleared…” Ophelia whispered.
“There’s more.” Fred warned.
“More?”
“Two years and two days after he went into the Veil… He was ejected from it.” George said.
“What?” Ophelia’s voice was blank.
“The Veil spat him back out.” George replied.
“He claims, it didn’t like the way he tasted.” Fred added.
~~~
“What…?” Ophelia didn’t know what to ask. “Where…?”
“Freddie, you stay with Ha-“ George paused, it didn’t feel right calling the young woman by Harry’s name, she clearly wasn’t Harry, anymore. “With Ophelia. I’ll get Verity to close up.”
“Right you are, Georgie.” Fred turned to Ophelia, neither of them concerned about her still being in his arms. “Are you ready to sit up, yet?” He asked.
“I think so…”
“If you’re not sure, you can stay there.” Fred waggled his eyebrows. “I don’t mind, not at all…”
“Cheeky…” She huffed.
“Yep, and you knew that before you landed in my arms.” Fred grinned.
“Tell me… about Sirius. Please…?”
“Sirius.” Fred smiled. “He was spat out two years and two days are he fell into the Veil. Unconscious and barely breathing. That was the day after he was declared innocent. Hermione thinks the two are related. Not sure how, but it’s possible, I suppose. If you want to know the details, you’ll need to ask her. When she gets on a rant, we tune out.”
“Me and Ron did, too.” Ophelia agreed.
“The Unnamed and the Unspeakables all assessed him and sent him to St. Mungo's. They kept him in a magical coma for a few weeks, to let him recover and for them to give him the after-Azkaban treatments for dementor exposure, which he'd not had access to, after his escape. By that time the Ministry had announced his innocence and survival. Then they had to tell him about you. If it had been anyone other than Kingsley and McGonagall telling him, I think he’d have attacked them. But they did tell him and he was furious! He’s moved back into Grimmauld and banned most of the Order, other than us Weasleys, Hermione and McGonagall. He sees Andromeda Tonks three times a week, has McGonagall over for dinner twice a week, mum pops in on him almost daily and we have dinner with him twice a week, too. In fact…?” Fred grinned. “Tonight’s our night, to go to Grimmauld. Wanna come?”
“Yes!”
“And just think. You already know the address, so even though it’s still under Fidelius, you don't have to be told.” George snickered as he joined them, again. “I take it we’re not going to warn Sirius?”
“Nope.” Fred grinned. “Springing his godson, who’s now his daughter, on him ten years early, with no warning? Excellent prank. I’m up for that.”
“Oh, dear…” Ophelia heaved a fake sigh. “Poor Padfoot…”
~~~
Ophelia let Fred take her side-along apparition, as she was nervous enough that splinching was a possibility and she didn’t want to risk it. They landed in the park in the centre of Grimmauld Place, using the same gate as Moody, Remus and Tonks had done, when they’d collected Harry after the dementor attack. As they exited through the same gate and approached the house, Ophelia was suddenly worried about Sirius’ reaction to her and her new identity.
At the base of the steps that led to the front door, she came to a stop, unable to go any further.
“Ophelia?” Fred asked, quietly. “Alright?”
She forced herself to take a couple of deep breaths, before she nodded and climbed the steps. The door swung open silently and after another deep breath, she walked into the entrance foyer. Surprisingly, the place was no longer the dark, forbidding place she remembered. Okay, it was still dark but the feel of the place wasn’t nearly as heavy.
Ophelia and the twins had barely got inside, before they heard arguing. One of the voices was that of Sirius Black, while the female's was only vaguely familiar. At first, they were in no hurry to interrupt the argument, but when a baby’s cries joined in and neither voice tried to calm the child, Ophelia decided to act.
She looked at both Fred and George and saw alarmed expressions. All it took was a raised eyebrow and both twins were nodding.
Ophelia stalked forward and into the downstairs parlour. Here, she paused in the doorway for barely a second, just long enough to register that it was Andromeda Tonks that Sirius was arguing with and that Sirius held a baby, Teddy she presumed, in his arms. Fred and George, barely a half-step behind her, silenced and immobilised the other two adults, while Ophelia slipped (possibly)-Teddy from her former-godfather-now-father’s arms, casting a gentle soothing charm on the boy.
“And just what is the meaning of this?” Her voice was low and warm, but the look that she gave Sirius and Andromeda was any but warm.
Both tried to speak but the twins’ silencing spells were still in effect.
She eased (possibly)-Teddy’s head down onto her should and his screams dwindled to cries. “You fight like that with a child in the room?” If anything, her expression got colder. “Your mothers would be so proud of you both, finally living up to standards of House Black.” Sirius winced but Andromeda raised her head and sneered.
Ophelia glanced at Fred, who was to her right, the same side as the other witch, and at Ophelia’s almost non-existent nod towards Andromeda, cancelled the charm holding the older witch silent.
“It’s the spawn of a werewolf, let it scream.” The older witch spat.
“It is a child-” Ophelia started to say.
“It’s a beast, it should be put down.” Andromeda snarled.
“Huh…” Ophelia grunted. “Oh, you’re such a kind and caring grandmother, aren’t you?”
“That’s no blood of mine.” Andromeda spat out.
“You don’t want the boy, then?”
“No, I don’t want the beast!” Andromeda screeched. “That’s why I brought it here, to get rid of it, only my darling cousin is refusing to kill it and I am a healer, I can’t kill any living creature, not matter how much I wish otherwise. It’s part of my oath.”
“Some healer you are.” Ophelia heard George whisper almost silently.
“Whatever would the Ministry say?” Ophelia made no bones that she was taunting the witch. She knew that Tonks and Remus had married and she knew that once Kingsley had become interim Minister, he’d had Umbitch’s anti-creature laws repealed.
“I don’t care!” Andromeda screamed. “That beast is responsible for my daughter’s death, if I could kill it myself, I would!”
“You are the legal and magical guardian of this child.” Ophelia said.
“It’s no child.”
“If you don’t want him…” Ophelia continued as though Andromeda hadn’t spoken.
“Oh, I most definitely don’t.”
“…then sign him over to me.”
“Have it.” Andromeda tried to turn to the door.
“Oh, no, not so fast, Madame Tonks.” Ophelia was thankful that George hadn’t cancelled either immobilising spell. “You will sign away, any rights to this child and anything he may inherit. Disown him, if you must. But you will sign a contract, before you leave this room.”
Andromeda glared at her, but nodded sharply. “Then get the contract, the sooner I’m away from that animal, the better.”
“Fred, darling…?” Ophelia looked at Fred, letting her eyes open wide and her lips pout fractionally.
“Yes…?” Fred took a wary step back.
“Fred, would you please go to Gringotts and ask for the Black account manager and a contract goblin to come here? Tell them to take the fees from vault 711.”
When Ophelia named the vault, Sirius’ eyes widened, he knew that vault, it had been his and he’d left it to his godson. So, how had it come to be under this witch’s control?
“I can do that.” Fred was relieved that was all she wanted. “Back in five.” He turned and left the parlour, the crack of his disapparition coming only a few seconds later.
“I suggest the pair of you sit down, neither of you are going anywhere until this is settled.” Ophelia gestured to the pair of clearly refurbished sofas, while George glanced at the double piano seat and when Ophelia nodded, he dragged it closer.
“And while we wait, let me tell you about your daughter’s death.” Ophelia rubbed circles on a now calm (and confirmed as) Teddy’s back. “This little one had nothing to do with it. She was fighting for the likes of you. You, who didn’t even bother to show up, even though you swore that when the Order was called, you would come with them.”
“I was manning a healing station.” Andromeda objected.
“Not at Hogwarts, you weren’t.” Ophelia spat at her. “I was there, I saw the healers and you weren’t among them.”
“I-”
“No.” Ophelia shook her head. “You broke an oath. And today, you declared that you would kill an infant. You, Madam, are no healer, you are an oath-breaker. And I will see that the relevant memories are handed to the authorities. I understand that you have muggle qualifications alongside your magical ones, be grateful for that, as after today, your magical ones will likely be rescinded.”
“I don’t care.” Andromeda snapped. “The magical world has taken everything from me. My sisters, my parents, my husband and now my daughter.”
“And if the healers’ guild agree that you are an oath-breaker, it’ll take your magic, too.” Ophelia warned.
“That would be relief.” Andromeda admitted. “I’ve rarely used it outside of emergencies since the first war started.”
The conversation stalled, then, Andromeda alternating between glaring at Sirius, the boy in Ophelia’s arms and Ophelia, herself. While Sirius spent his time, glaring at Andromeda, looking wistfully at Teddy and looking at Ophelia with confusion. But thankfully, Fred was as good as his word, and a few seconds before his self-declared five minutes were up, he escorted two goblins into the parlour.
“Mr Weasley has explained why our presence was so hastily requested.” The clearly more senior goblin informed the room. “Transferring custody of an infant, is one of the few reasons that we will travel to our clients, instead of expecting them to travel to us.” He looked at each person. “Before this happens, it would be wise to have fresh identity, custodian and inheritance tests performed.” The goblins wasted no time in setting up their portable desk in the space left between the sofas and the piano, once George moved the piano seat to one side.
“Could we also have proprietary tests, too, please?” Ophelia requested. “We do not know what the child’s parents claimed, in his name.”
“Agreed.” The senior goblin nodded. “For all parties? Transferring custody of a child, when there are living blood kin, can be complicated. And if the intended recipient doesn’t share blood, it’s even more complicated.”
“Agreed.” Sirius had finally overridden Fred’s spell.
“Very well. Bogrod.” The goblin snapped his fingers at his associate. “The four tests for…” He turned to Ophelia, seeing as she was the one with the child. “For how many people?”
A glance at the twins, had both of them nodding.
“All six of us, please.” Ophelia answered.
“Tests for all six.”
“Yes, Gornuk.” Bogrod replied and pulled out four folders, retrieving sheets from each and forming six small piles.
“Who has current custody of the child?”
“I do.” Andromeda stood and crossed the goblins’ desk.
“Three drops of blood on each sheet.” Gornuk ordered and without a word, Andromeda took the offered knife and cut her thumb, before returning to her seat, given Ophelia and Teddy a wide clearance.
Gornuk looked at Sirius. “You, Heir Black, should have claimed you Lordship before today. Come.”
Sirius sighed, but obeyed, it didn’t pay to mess with those who controlled your money. Another cut and red dropped onto another four pages.
“Next? The child?” Gornuk asked.
“Yes.” Ophelia nodded. “The boy, then myself.” She placed a small numbing charm on Teddy’s finger and pressed the self-cleaning blade to it, letting the requisite blood fall where directed, before doing the same to herself and returning to her seat, absently healing the wounds as she sat down.
“Messrs Weasley.” Gornuk ordered.
“Got it.” George was the first to step forward, quickly followed by his twin.
“While we wait for the test to process, we shall draft the required contact, to be finalised once we confirm names to be added to said contract.” Gornuk said. “A transfer of custody? Anything more?”
“Assuming that custody of the child is awarded to me, I wish to blood adopt him.” Ophelia answered.
“And if it’s awarded to me, I would do the same.” Sirius countered.
“As long as it’s no longer with me, I don’t care.” Andromeda sneered. “I will be disowning the beast, as soon as I can.”
“Bogrod?” Gornuk looked to the other goblin. “Do you require more information?”
“Once I have confirmation that Madam Tonks is the boy’s current custodian and has the authority to sign on his behalf, all I need is confirmation that a blood relation is stepping forward to claim him. I will use a standard transfer contract and, at that point, my business with Madam Tonks is complete. Adoption, if requested would need to happen after the contract is signed by all parties and would be the purveyance of the new custodian.”
“Very well. We wait on the tests.”
“The child’s tests are complete.” Bogrod replied, handing a sheaf of parchment to Gornuk.
“The child’s name is Edward Remus Lupin. His mother, Nymphadora Cassiopeia Lupin, née Tonks is deceased. His father, Remus John Lupin, is likewise deceased. His current custodian is Andromeda Violetta Tonks, née Black. He stands to inherit a cottage from his father and a vault from his mother, upon his majority. Already claimed in his name, are three trust vaults, one issued by the Black Family charter, one instated by his mother and one by his godmother, Ophelia Black.” This last sentence had Sirius startling and Andromeda frowning.
“All keys to the trust vaults will be handed over, immediately, along with the key to Mrs Lupin’s vault.” Gornuk stated and Andromeda’s frown turned to a sneer as she drew four keys from the purse in her hand. “Control of the wardstone for the cottage will be transferred by Gringotts, once we have the new custodian’s magical signature recorded. Bogrod? Are you ready for Madam Tonks to sign the transfer contract?”
“I am, manager.” Bogrod slid the contract to the edge of the desk and Gornuk picked it up, quickly reading it, before placing it back on the desk and indicating to Andromeda.
“You will need to sign here, here, here and here, Madam Tonks.” Each time Gornuk pointed to a place, Andromeda signed. “Thank you, Madam Tonks, the child is no longer your concern, nor may you have any further contact with him, without that consent of whomever his new custodian will be. And as you have signed the codicil, you also no right to be notified of that, without their consent. Your business is complete. Here are your copies of the tests done this evening.”
Andromeda nodded sharply, snatching the sheets of parchment from Bogrod’s hand, as she spoke to Ophelia. “I will box up its remaining things, along with that of the beast’s sire and send them here. Don’t attempt to contact me further, it is unwelcome will be denied.”
“Very well, Madam Tonks.” Ophelia nodded.
“Leave. Once his stuff has arrived, your access to this house will be revoked.” Sirius glared at his cousin.
“Of course, cousin…” Andromeda sneered the word and strode from the room, as quickly as her dignity would allow.
“Now to the child’s new custodian.” Gornuk said, once the front door slammed. He studied the four sheets that Bogrod handed him. “In the case of the Messrs Weasley, while they are indeed blood kin, their direct common ancestor is five generations back, one Phineas Nigellus Black. Lord Sirius Black’s grandfather is the child’s great grandfather. As he is closer than the Messrs Weasley, they are eliminated from consideration. Miss Ophelia Black is likewise blood kin.” He glanced quickly at Ophelia and she nodded. “We are unable to rule in favour either Miss Black or Lord Black, as while Miss Black is the daughter of Lord Black, she is also recognised as the child’s godmother, therefore her claim is equal to his.”
“What!?” Sirius squawked. “Daughter? I have no daughter.”
“May I speak with Lord Black privately, for one minute?” Ophelia asked both Gornuk and Sirius.
“One minute is acceptable.” Gornuk nodded.
Sirius glared at her, before nodding sharply and gesturing to the far end of the room.
“Fred? Would you take Teddy for a moment, please?” Ophelia smiled at the redhead.
“Sure.” He carefully lifted the now sleeping child from the witch’s arms, soothing the boy back to sleep.
The moment the silencing shield went up, Sirius snarled. “I have no daughter.”
“You had… no daughter.” Ophelia corrected. “When you went into the Veil, you had no daughter…”
“Then how do you explain Gringotts saying otherwise?” He demanded, waving towards the goblins.
Ophelia smirked. “Simple. When you went into the Veil, I was Harry Potter.”
Sirius blinked in surprise, then frowned. “Tell me something only Harry would know.” He ordered.
“When I told you about Mr Weasley being attacked by the snake, that I was the snake… you said… the world isn’t split into good people and DeathEaters, we’ve all got both light dark inside us, what matters is the part we choose to act on… Oh, and you called me James, right in front of the bloody Veil.” She huffed, stepping back to wait for his reaction.
He blinked a few times, while his brain processed her words. When it made sense, he leapt forward and engulfed her in an almost smothering hug.
“Harry!” Sirius gasped.
“I was.” Ophelia replied. “I'm not, anymore. Now, I’m Ophelia Dorea Hyacinth Black. Your daughter.”
“How?” Sirius shook his head.
“The Unnamed and the Unspeakables.” She replied. “Let’s get the Teddy situation sorted and we’ll sit down and I’ll explain. Okay? Please?”
“You want Teddy? As your son?”
“As much as you wanted me, as yours.” Ophelia answered.
“Then let’s do this.” He cancelled the silencing spell and guided her to one of the sofas. “I withdraw my claim, in favour of my… daughter’s.” He blinked at the absurdity of that sentence.
“Miss Black?”
“Yes, I acknowledge my father’s statement and renew my intent to claim Edward Remus Lupin, also known as Teddy, as my son.” Ophelia stated bluntly.
“Of course, Miss Black.” Gornuk nodded. “If you would sign here, here and here. And Lord Black, if you would counter-sign here, acknowledging and approving Miss Black’s claim.”
Ophelia quickly signed where directed and handed the quill to Sirius, who signed his own name below hers. A flash of light and four copies of the contract appeared. “One for you, Miss Black. One for Lord Black. One for the Ministry and one for Gringotts’ records. If you wish to blood adopt the child, Miss Black, an appointment with our rituals department will be necessary.”
“I do.” Ophelia nodded.
“Very well, one moment and I shall inquire as to the next available appointment.” The Black account manager turned to the desk, pulled out a small book from his waistcoat pocket and using a tiny quill, wrote a short note in it. Within twenty seconds, the book glowed and a faint chime sounded. “Ah, excellent. There is a vacancy at four o’clock, tomorrow afternoon. Would you like me to reserve the time-slot for you?” While Gornuk was speaking, Bogrod was packing up the items that he’d placed on the desk.
Ophelia looked from Sirius, who nodded, to Fred and George. George nodded and Fred smiled.
“Yes, please, manager Gornuk.” She nodded and the goblin made another note in the book, waiting only a few seconds for another chime to ring.
“Done. Please allow at least fifteen minutes for customer service delays, Saturday afternoon is a busy time in the bank, with many of our business clients demanding our attention. If you could arrive by three-forty, that would be preferable.” Gornuk stepped away from the desk, allowing Bogrod to shrink it and put it in a small box, that went in his pocket.
“We shall. Thank you, manager Gornuk.” Sirius nodded formally to the goblin.
“Lord Black, Miss Black, Messrs Weasley. Thank you, for you transaction.” Gornuk held out a ledger and before Ophelia could react, Sirius held out a key, which Gornuk took, pressed into the ledger and handed back.
“Uh-uh, I got this.” Sirius said to Ophelia, who’d started to rise. “Manager Gornuk, Contract Writer Bogrod, allow me to escort you to the floo.”
The goblins nodded and the three left the room.
“Whoa…” George exclaimed. “Congratulations, mama…”
“… it’s a boy.” Fred finished with a waggle of his eyebrows.
“Oh, shut it.” Ophelia huffed. “Not how I expected my day to end…” She sighed.
“How did you expect it to end?” Fred asked.
“I finished the last of my NEWTs this afternoon,” she told them, “and I expected to go home and relax. I had tentative plans to contact Kingsley, tomorrow… but that’s obviously not what happened.”
“What did happen?”
“I ran into Croaker. He was part of the team that was called in by the Wizengamot to sort out my Id issue for my exile.”
“Wasn’t that supposed to be fifteen years?” Sirius asked, re-entering the room, a large-ish box in his arms.
“Ten years… or my memory returning, whichever happened first.” Ophelia sighed. “No matter how it happened.”
“How did it happen?”
“Want me to start at the trial and work my way to today?”
“Please.” Sirius nodded.
For the next hour, Ophelia explained how Harry had been convicted, but allowed to choose his sentence and upon choosing exile, how he’d met with the Unspeakables and the Unnamed and that at the end, it was Ophelia that walked away. How the Unnamed had blocked all her memories of being Harry Potter away, behind walls that she wouldn’t know existed until her sentence was complete. How they’d implanted memories in her mind, memories of growing up not knowing anything of her father, other than his name, of a mother that died when she was young. Memories that told of attending a year-round, extremely exclusive, private girls school, one that was very reticent about its pupils, going so far as to forbid any form of visual recording of those that attended. Memories that told of deciding six month ago, that she could no longer tolerate the overly strict rules and withdrawing, without notice or warning. Memories of returning to London and finding her current flat, and taking whatever work she could get, to supplement the inheritance-funded payments that came each week.
Then she told of waking up, of two sets of memories filling her mind. Of meeting with Croaker and securing her current identity with the Ministry. Of taking Croaker’s time-turner, completing her NEWTs and taking a fake message to George, only to discover that Fred was alive. It was George that told about Sirius’ return from the Veil and invited her to come with them to Grimmauld. Only to arrive and hear Sirius arguing with Andromeda.
“I’m just glad that I remember all the false memories, the ones that the Unnamed implanted. Otherwise being a girl would be odd. What is odd, is that it doesn’t feel odd. If you know what I mean?” Ophelia said. “At least this way, I know how to look after Teddy.”
“You do?” Sirius asked.
“Oh yes.” Ophelia nodded. “Some of the implanted memories are of babysitting and childcare. In fact, only a week and a half ago, I went for a job interview at a childcare place in Covent Gardens. Didn’t get it, but they said that was only because I was so much younger than some of the other applicants and they like to offer a more grandparent-y vibe.”
“That’s more than I knew, when James and Lily told me they were pregnant.” Sirius huffed. “And Andromeda sent his things along, so at least you’ve got his cradle and clothes.”
“Did she send Remus’ stuff, too?” Ophelia asked, she waved her wand and the cradle floated out of the box, another wave and it enlarged to its original size, shortly followed by a change-table.
“She did.” Sirius nodded. “I think she even sent some of Tonks’ stuff, but I’m not sure about that.”
“I’m going to have to find somewhere else to live.” Ophelia moaned. “I can’t keep a baby in a one bed flat, on the top floor of a five-storey building.”
She laid Teddy on the change-table and with well-practiced hands, changed his nappy and redressed him, before slipping the sleepy infant into the cradle, along with draping her cloak over the side of the cradle, near his head. Scent was a big thing for infants and she wanted to surround him in her scent, a scent that hopefully represented calm and care, to the boy.
“Here.” Sirius said. “Move in here. There’s plenty of room. Three floors of bedrooms. You can have any of the rooms on the second or third floors, for you and Teddy. Kreacher was rather insistent that I move into the Master bedroom on the fourth floor. We came to a compromise, we combined the Master bedroom and the spare room, across the hall, into a single large room, removed the bathroom access and put all the portraits in there. The tapestry room was left alone, but we removed one door into it. I moved into the other bedroom on that floor and as it’s the only bedroom on that floor, the bathroom is now an ensuite.”
“How is Kreacher?”
“Not good.” Sirius shook his head. “Losing yo-“ He paused and changed what he was going to say. Ophelia was clearly not Harry. “Losing Harry… was harder on him than losing Reg. I don’t know if he will recognise you, or not. Some days he doesn’t even recognise me. I had to get another house-elf, to manage the house and keep an eye on him. He spends most of his time puttering around the portrait room, pretending to clean their frames and polishing Reg's shrine. He’s lost the ability to apparate, which is usually a sign that he’s old and going to die soon.”
“Oh, dear…” Ophelia sighed. “Should I go and see him?”
“Walk by the room.” Sirius suggested. “If he recognises you, great. If he doesn’t, leave him be. No point in upsetting him further.”
“You’ve had a bit of a change of heart about him, Sirius.” She frowned slightly.
“Yeah…” The man rubbed at the back of his neck. “Hermione and Ron blasted me, when I first got back here and started ordering him about. Tore into me and told me what he’d done, what Reg had done and how Kreacher had ended up working for the three of them. That was after St. Mungo's had healed most of the damage from Azkaban, and Ron’s got a really powerful incarcerous.” He was finally able to think clearly. “It took a few lectures and watching how he was with them, before I realised that the way I remembered him treating me, wasn’t really his choice. The bond with my mother, meant that he was forced to treat me how she wanted me to be treated. And as I hadn’t formally claimed the house as mine, the remnants of that bond still affected him. But as I hadn’t given him a reason to treat me differently, he didn’t.”
“So, the difference in his behaviour after you…” She paused, not able to say the words. “It was because he had a reason?”
“Yes, sort of.” Sirius shrugged. “As much that, as him choosing Harry as his Master. He was still bound to the House of Black, but in his eyes, Harry became the only member of the Family worthy of the name Black.”
“Harry was the only member of the Family to do anything to recover items stolen from the Family. Hence, he was the only one looking to protect the Family.” A new voice entered the conversation.
The pair turned to see George lead Kingsley enter the room.
“What?” It was only now, that Ophelia realised that George had left them.
“Hermione and Ron told me that Harry ordered Kreacher to recover any Black Family items stolen from the house.” Kingsley answered. “In an elf’s eyes, recovering lost or stolen Family items, is protecting those items, which is in turn, protecting the Family.”
“And I didn’t care about my parents’ things, about anything Black related.” Sirius added. “I never wanted to see them, again. So, I didn’t care if they were stolen. That meant, I wasn’t protecting the Family.”
“Oh…” Ophelia nodded. “I get it. Harry wanted the stolen items back, wanted the locket destroyed. Kreacher saw that as honouring the Family.”
“And Regulus, especially, yes.” Sirius nodded.
“Okay, that makes sense.”
Kingsley looked at Ophelia and Teddy, in the cradle between her and Sirius. “That’s new, I thought Andromeda refused to leave Teddy with you?”
Sirius sighed. “Madam Tonks is no longer Teddy’s custodian.”
“What? Why?”
“She came here, today, to convince me to, in her words, ‘put the beast down’. We were arguing about it when Ophelia and the twins arrived.”
“Ophelia?” Kingsley blinked.
“That would be me.” Ophelia smirked. “Ophelia Black, this idiot’s daughter.”
“Daughter?!” Kingsley looked gobsmacked.
“Oh, it gets worse…” George grinned.
“Worse? What? How?” Kingsley asked, looking very confused.
“It’s not just who she is…” George went on.
“.. but who she was.” Fred finished.
“I… I don’t… understand.” Kingsley looked even more confused, if that was possible.
“Hi Kingsley, I’m Ophelia Dorea Hyacinth Black, Sirius' daughter, I used to be Harry Potter.” Ophelia repeated the phrase that the Unnamed had used as an unlocking pass-phrase for the ex-Auror, ex-Minister, now Head of the DMLE’s memories.
Kingsley blinked, shook his head and blinked a few more time, before sighing and flopping down onto the sofa beside Sirius.
“Now, I know what Moody meant, when he moaned about bloody Potters.” His hands rose to frame his head. “Ow… that hurts.”
George snickered. “I can imagine.”
“Who else knows?” Kingsley demanded.
“Outside of this room?” Ophelia asked and waited until the black man nodded. “Croaker of the Unspeakables and Rumour of the Unnamed.”
“That’s it?” He blinked again. “But… I tested you for NEWTs this afternoon.”
“So?” Ophelia shrugged. “Doesn’t mean I told anyone who I was, just who I am, now. I’m not going back, Kingsley. I’m not going to be Harry Potter, again. Harry Potter was ridiculed, vilified, loved and hated by the wizarding world. Why in Merlin’s name would I want to go back to that?”
“Put like that…” Kingsley sighed.
“I wanted to get my NEWTs out of the way before I did anything. Besides, I had intended to approach you, tomorrow, but of course Croaker had other plans. He sent me with a bogus message for George.” She went on.
“And of course, they brought you to Sirius.” Kingsley moaned.
“And he was arguing with Madam Tonks about killing Teddy.” Ophelia nodded.
“Do you want me to deal with that?” Kingsley asked. “I can call in an Auror to take your statements or memories of the incident.”
“Please. And memories. I don’t want there to be any confusion over what she meant.” Sirius was not happy with his cousin’s behaviour.
“As you say.” Kingsley nodded. “With your consent, Sirius, I’ll summon a pair of Aurors, directly to me, that way they won’t need to be given the secret for the Fidelius.”
Sirius nodded. “Best do that in the hallway, more room than in here.”
“Plus, you should tell them that it’s not life-threateningly urgent.” George suggested. “The Head of the DMLE, personally calling for Aurors…?”
“Hmm… Good point.” Kingsley agreed, with that he stepped out of the room and quickly sent a Patronus off.
It was after nine o’clock, before the Aurors left with Ophelia’s and Sirius’ memories. In that time Teddy had been fed and was now happy laying on the fluffy rug that Sirius had pulled from the box that held the rest of Teddy’s things.
The adults (and the twins) all had bowls of rich beef and vegetable stew, in their hands, while plates of buttered, crusty rolls, sat on a table between the sofas.
“God, that’s good.” George moaned around a mouthful.
“Don’t speak with your mouth full, George.” Ophelia chided.
“I know you’re a mother now, but…?” Sirius frowned. “Isn’t it supposed to be Teddy, you tell to not speak with a mouth full? And isn’t he a bit young for talking?”
“Gotta get in whatever practice I can, dad…” Ophelia smirked.
“Oh, gods, that’s just so wrong…” Sirius muttered.
“Oh, hush.” She snickered.
“Do you plan to tell anyone else?” Kingsley asked.
“Hermione and Ron.” Ophelia answered. “Molly, Arthur, McGonagall. Maybe Luna and Neville. Not sure.”
“May I suggest adding Bill and Fleur to that list?” Sirius said. “Bill’s not a full werewolf, but he’s picked up a few… abilities. Including enhanced senses. I don’t know if he knew you well enough to know, or even if you’d smell different to a werewolf, than Harry did. But I’d be happier if he knew.”
“He and Snape.” Kingsley agreed. “He’s the best potions Master in Britain and we don’t know how you’ll react to different potions after such a change.”
“Snape?” Ophelia blinked. “He’s…?”
“Alive, yes.” Kingsley nodded.
“But… he died in front of me.”
“No, he’d taken an antivenom potion right before he met with Voldemort.” Kingsley corrected. “It was under a delay until he said the activation phrase.”
“You have your mother’s eyes.” Ophelia whispered. “It was the last thing he said.”
~~~