Fluff 'N Stuff
12 Grimmauld Place, Islington, London, August 3, 1995
Mina woke early and and looked around the unfamiliar room. “Right, magic.” She glanced over at the other bed, where Tonks was sprawled, then checked her watch. “Hmmm… after 10am, I’m late for check-in.” Trying not to disturb her roommate, she found a door and opened it, “Closet, not what I was looking for.” She closed it and opened the other door, leading out to a hallway, and she went down it, hunting for the bathroom. The first door she opened led to a set of stairs going up, presumably to the roof. The second door revealed a full bathroom, which she entered and performed some morning ablutions, thankful that she at least had a toothbrush and some toothpaste in her purse, though her luggage was at the hostel in Surrey. She returned to the bedroom to check on Artemis, but didn’t find him, so she descended the stairs level by level, passing several snooty-looking portraits, who all eyed her with various expressions of curiosity, disgust, or outright hatred. Many of them spoke haughtily to each other, wondering out loud who this Mudblood was who disgraced the Ancient and Noble House of Black with her mere presence. Shivering, she hastened her steps and made it to the basement kitchen, where Molly Weasley was having a staring contest with Sirius Black and Remus Lupin.
“Um, good morning?” Mina entered the room hesitantly, wary of their angry looks.
Molly looked over at her and smiled, “Good morning, dear, how did you sleep? Would you like something to eat?” Without waiting for a response, she bustled around the kitchen, pointing her wand and making various foods fly through the air. “I believe Harry is still asleep, poor thing. I heard him screaming a couple times, but Ron appears to have calmed him down.”
Mina hesitantly sat at the table, giving each of the adults a small smile of her own, “You are all terribly kind to allow me to stay with you. I should check in with my handler, I was supposed to call him at nine. I’m sure Alan is worried about me. Is there a telephone I could use?”
Remus spoke up from the other end of the table, “This house doesn’t have a phone, Mina, but I can take you to one after lunch. I need to go to Diagon Alley anyway.” He smiled warmly at the teen, who nodded, glancing inquisitively at his scars.
“What’s a fellytone?” asked Sirius eagerly, “And can I come with you? It feels like ages since I’ve been outside!”
Remus chuckled, “That’s exactly what Ron called them, Hermione tells me. It’s a method of instant communication, like a Floo Call.” He noticed her looks of curiosity. “I was attacked by a beast called a werewolf as a child, and became one myself. It has caused me many difficulties as an adult. I hope you’re not frightened of me.” He looked down at his book sadly.
Mina frowned and waved a hand, “I’m not scared of you, Mr. Lupin. I’ve seen worse in my line of work.” She settled into the food with a knife and fork, then looked around, “Have you seen Artemis this morning, Mrs. Weasley? He wasn’t in the room with me and Miss Tonks when I got up.”
Molly laughed, “Your cat friend is sunning himself on the terrace with Crookshanks, Hermione’s cat. He’s very chatty. Is he under a spell? An animagus?” She stood and started walking towards the stairs, “I should wake up Nymphadora and the other children, if the boys haven’t dragged Harry out to the back garden already. She’s late for work, again.”
Sirius piped up, “I’ve never seen an animagus who could speak in their animal form, Molly. It must be something else.”
“I’m not entirely sure. As I told you all last night, I’m the reincarnation of the Princess of Venus. However, that doesn’t mean I have all my memories of my previous life. I think he was at the Lunar Court, but I can’t recall if he was human or feline at the time.” Mina shrugged, “It doesn’t matter. Outside of Alan, Artemis is my best friend.” She looked sad and thoughtful for a moment, then continued in a softer voice, “He’s my only friend, really. Being a superhero means moving around a lot, not staying in one place long enough to make connections.” Molly nodded to show she had heard and strode up the stairs, going silent as she reached the foyer and passed Walburga Black’s portrait.
Remus glanced at Sirius, whose eyes had widened in shock, “No friends at all? What about school? Surely you’ve made some acquaintances over the years, that you keep in touch with by letter.”
Mina shook her head as she finished eating her plate, then stood up and carried her dishes to the sink, “No one I can speak with freely about my work. It’s too dangerous, either job, to have friends. They just make easy targets for my enemies, and those of the Crown.” Her shoulders shook with silent sobs, but when she turned around her large blue eyes were clear of tears. “As I can’t change my clothing until I speak with Alan, could I maybe borrow a book? Or perhaps meet the other children?”
Remus leapt to his feet, nodding, “Yes, of course, Mina. The library is on the second floor, it’s probably where we’ll find Hermione. Come on, I’ll introduce you.” He bounded up the stairs, firing a hex at the curtains over Walburga's portrait so they didn’t open as Mina passed through the foyer.
Mina followed him wordlessly, Sirius stopping her to pull her into a hug. “I know how it feels to be on the outside of things, Mina. Don’t lose heart, you’ll find friends, eventually.” He released her and stepped back, “Until then, unless I miss my guess, Molly has already silently declared you an honorary Weasley, because we all think of Harry as family. On that note, please, call me Sirius, and him Remus.”
Mina gave him a small smile, “Thank you, Mr. Bl-Sirius, for your kind words,” then turned to follow Remus up the stairs. She passed through the foyer without comment from any of the portraits, going up the stairs and nearly bumping into Remus as he stopped in front of a pair of double doors.
“Hermione, are you in here? You know you’re not supposed to be here without an adult.” Remus opened the doors and smiled warmly at the bushy-haired brunette girl curled up on one of the couches, holding a large tome. He turned and chuckled, “Ah, hello Bill, didn’t see you there. Thought you’d gone off to Gringotts already.”
A tall ginger man with a ponytail and an earring grinned at the two newcomers from a table where he had a collection of books on runes, “Eh, they told me I could take the week off. Who’s this?” He turned his warm blue eyes to Mina.
Mina held a hand out to him, “Aino Minako, MI6. The… other world calls me Sailor V.” She struck a superhero pose with a smile. “Have you met Artemis yet?”
The other girl put in a bookmark and stood up, coming over to the others, “Hermione Granger, one of Harry’s best friends. Thank you, he’s told us kids what you did. I'm actually surprised he didn't wake you earlier, he was quite loud. We'd been leaving things out of our letters to him, under orders. And yes, your familiar has talked our ears off.” Hermione chuckled, “I’ve never met any pet quite like him before.”
Mina laughed, “Don’t let Artemis hear you calling him a pet, he’s much more than that. We both came to this planet to find the Princess of the Moon Kingdom. We've been actively searching for her since I turned twelve."
"Twelve, you say?" Bill frowned, glancing at Remus, "And you've had no luck in all this time? Where have you looked so far? Would you accept some help? I'm sure the goblins would be able to point you in a vague direction, at least."
Mina laughed hollowly, "I have been from the tip of the pass of Magellan to the Bering Straight, through the Sahara, the Serengheti, and the Sinai. I've looked on the streets of Berlin as well as Johannesburg and Paris. MI6 doesn't know anything about the Moon Kingdom. Artemis being named for one of the Greek goddesses of the moon, we thought Athens or somewhere near there would be ideal." She sighed, shaking her head, then continued, "I know I'm supposed to be part of a team, but the rest of the team isn't active yet. Any aid you and your friends could give us would be gratefully accepted." She looked at Remus curiously, "How would this affect the Life-Debt Harry owes me?"
Remus blinked, "I don't think it would resolve it, Mina, Life-Debts are tricky things."
"Ginny owes Harry one, for saving her life at the end of her first year." Bill looked worried, "She hasn't even tried to pay him back for it yet. These things can carry on for generations. Snape owed one to James Potter that was only fulfilled when he saved Harry's life."
"I can't wait decades to find the Moon Princess, you know." Mina was shaking her head, "I'm no Seer, but I fear she could be in danger now."
Bill nodded decisively, "In that case, I'll fetch your Artemis and we'll put our heads together with some people I know." He turned and exited the Library in search of the white cat.
"Meanwhile, Hermione, why don't you lead Mina down into the garden and she can meet the rest of the kids. I'm taking her to a telephone after lunch, and then to Diagon. You're welcome to join us." Remus smiled at the bookworm as her eyes lit up.
"Follow me, Mina," Hermione stated as she placed a marker in the book and stood up, "I'll introduce you to the rest of the kids. I'm so glad another girl's showed up, Ginny and I were feeling quite outnumbered amongst all these boys." She led Mina down all the stairs and through a small door to the back garden, where Harry and four gingers were playing fetch with a large black dog. "Hullo all, this is Mina, Harry's new friend. Mina, that's Ginny," a girl with long hair waved, "Ron," the tallest brother grinned at her, "and the twins Fred and George. Not many of us can tell them apart, even after knowing them for years, so don't fret if you can't manage it just yet."
"Harry just was telling us how you two met," Ginny exclaimed, "I've never met anyone who's cooler than Bill, but you just might take the cake." She laughed, "Bill's my oldest brother, I have six of them. This lot is only the younger half."
"I've met Bill briefly, Mr. L-Remus introduced us just now." Mina nodded around the circle. "Where is Mi-Sirius, I wanted to thank him again for his hospitality."
One of the twins chuckled and gestured to the dog, "There he is, acting the puppy. They've told you he's an animagus, yes?" He waited for her to nod, then continued, lowering his voice, "The garden here is really too small for him to run around properly, but he's not allowed to go out. Ministry's still looking for him, since we haven't quite yet cleared his name." At her shocked look, he explained, "Sirius was arrested for several murders, which he didn't commit, but until the true perpetrator is found and brought to justice he's wanted. They have a Kiss-On-Sight order for him." He shakes his head sadly.
Mina looked furious and whispered back, "If you have a lead on the other person, I can get Alan and some of my other contacts at MI6 to look into it. No one should be under an execution order, especially not your friend."
He smiled at her gratefully, "It would literally mean the world to us all if that happened. My name is Fred, by the way, I'm the older twin by two minutes. We'll try not to pull any pranks on you until you get to know us a little better." Fred winked at her, "My brother and I want to run a joke shop when we finish school."
Mina laughed, "The world could use more jokes. Now, what can I tell you about myself that Harry over there hasn't already spilled?"
Ginny bulled her way between them, "Freddie, don't hog her! Harry really didn't say much, other than that you saved his life. And that you're a superhero!" Her brown eyes danced, "It's so exciting to meet a real live superhero."
Harry grumped at her with a smile on his face, "I see you've gotten over your hero worship of me." He laid the back of one hand on his forehead as he clutched at his heart dramatically, "Alas, replaced by a girl!" He fell over laughing, and Sirius loped over and flopped on his stomach, snuffling in doggy humor, making Harry grunt as all his air was suddenly taken away. "Uncle Siri, gerroff, I can't breathe!"
They all laughed at the antics of the boy and his godfather, who suddenly transformed back into a human and sat on the grass next to Harry, blinking furiously, "D'you mean it, Harry?"
Harry gasped as he caught his breath, "Of course I meant it. You're my godfather, aren't you? And one of my Dad's best friends? That makes you my uncle, no matter the blood relation." He glanced behind Hermione and Mina, where Remus had just entered the garden, "That goes for you as well, Uncle Remus."
Remus choked, "Uncle?" He sat down on the grass next to them as if poleaxed, "I'm honored, truly." He looked around at the beaming teenagers, "Alright, you lot, Molly sent me out to let you know that lunch was ready." He pulled Sirius and then Harry to their feet, drawing the pair of them into a hug, as Hermione and the Weasleys vanished into the house to give them a moment alone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After an enormous luncheon spread put on by Molly, who seemed determined to make up for lost time in mothering Mina, Remus stood in the foyer with Mina. "Now, you've Side-Along Apparated before, yes?"
Mina nodded, looking nervous, "Just the once, last night, when Mr. Shacklebolt and Miss Tonks brought us here from Surrey. My luggage is at a small hostel there, though if you wish me to stay here I can cancel the reservation."
Remus chuckled and tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow, Hermione rushing down the stairs to join them at the last minute, "Sirius wouldn't dream of having you sleep anywhere else. Tell me the address so we can go there first, then to make that phone call. And we'll pick up some two-way mirrors while we're out, you can send one to your Alan and that way the pair of you can still keep in touch, even without non-magical technology."
Mina laughed, "My reservation is at the Surrey Youth Hostel, on Market Road in Woking."
Remus nodded, "I've been there before." He smiled as Hermione grabbed his other arm, "Ready to go?"
Hermione nodded excitedly, "Do you think I can get some of those mirrors as well? My parents are non-magical, and I always have to be careful about how many letters I send them by owl. You know it looks rather odd."
Remus smiled, "Sirius gave me access to his Gringotts account, so that should be fine. Hang on tight, we're going now." He carefully waved his wand and the three of them Disapparated from Grimmauld Place, landing at an Apparition Point in a secluded alleyway somewhere in Woking. "Alright, the Hostel is just a couple blocks away." He hid his wand and led the girls down the street. "Turn here, cross at the light, and it's there on the left."
Mina led the way up the stone steps into the Surrey Youth Hostel's lobby and spoke to the receptionist, a lanky young woman covered in acne, "Hi, yes, I had a reservation under Alda, luggage sent ahead from Heathrow, but I need to cancel it and get my luggage back, please."
The young woman, whose nametag read Janie, looked at her computer, "Yeah, I see it. Alda, booked for the whole month." She frowned, "You sure you wanna cancel, girlie?"
Hermione intervened, motioning for Remus to shush, "She's staying with me instead. There won't be a problem, will there?"
Janie shrugged, "My boss'll hit the roof when he finds out she left, is all. Cain't get a replacement booking in time for the rest of the summer hols."
Remus sighed and pulled out his Black Family Proxy Card, "Here, we'll pay your boss for the inconvenience of losing a customer." At Mina's protestation, he grinned, "You know Sirius would want to do it anyway."
Janie eagerly took the card and swiped it through the reader, then handed Remus the machine so he could sign, "An' your luggage is in the closet by the stairs. We didn't take it up 'cause ya wuzzint here last night."
Mina went over to the closet and pulled out her two suitcases, one orange with white stripes and the other orange with black spots, then came back to stand with Remus and Hermione, "All set, thanks again."
Remus pockets the card and receipt, then gestures to the door, "Phone next, I saw one on the next street over." The girls nodded and followed him out. "Remind me to do something about those before we go to Diagon," he whispered.
"I appreciate you, truly," Mina said as she entered the booth and picked up the receiver, "I may be a while, why don't you two go to that cafe next door and I'll meet you there when I'm done?" Remus and Hermione each took a suitcase and started over, as Mina closed the door and dialled Alan Farrell-Alda, her MI6 handler and childhood friend, "Alan? Sorry I'm late for check-in, you would not believe the day I had!"
Alan's voice was heard on the other end of the line, "Minako Malinda Margaret Annette Aino, where the devil have you been? Do you know what time it is? We have been worried sick about our best Agent!"
Mina cringed at the vitriol in Alan's voice, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but the place I'm staying at isn't on the phones, and I had to wait until someone could bring me out to the shops!"
Alan let out a heavy sigh, "Fine, but can you at least tell me where you are? When we didn't get word from you last night at the Hostel I can honestly say about three people lost their heads."
Mina laughed, "I'm currently looking at the Hostel down the street, but I'll be staying in London after all. Made a new friend, and his, ah, family invited me to stay with them instead."
"Him?" Alan asked in a teasing tone, "Mina, you haven't gone and found yourself a boyfriend already, have you?"
Mina sighed, "No, it's not a romantic friend, so stuff it. Harry's different. Kind of shy, honestly, and very self-conscious. Reminds me of myself, but his relatives, uh, weren't as nice as your family when he was given to them. But we're not staying with them, thank Venus, we're staying with some very nice people who were friends with his parents, a long time ago. Remus actually said I can send you a mirror to talk with me while I'm there, since technology doesn't work in the house."
Alan sounded skeptical, "What sort of place does technology not work? Another planet?" He laughed at his own joke. "But seriously, Mina, what do you mean, a mirror? I'm not that vain."
"Alan, it's complicated, but trust me, you'll understand when you see it. It might be delivered by an owl, so don't shoot the messenger, please. My new friends will be very upset."
"An owl carrying a mirror, Mina? Next thing you'll be telling me is that you've teleported."
Mina laughed, "Well, actually..."
Alan gasped, "Really? You really have teleported? I thought that was just science fiction."
Mina grinned, though Alan couldn't see her, "To the simple-minded, high technology is indistinguishable from magic."
"Mina-ko, you're going to have to introduce me to those new friends of yours. Imagine what MI6 could do with such things!"
"I can, all too well, Alan, and I think we're better off without Q getting his hands on most of this stuff." Mina sighed heavily as Alan whined, "No, I mean it, in the wrong hands I hear a lot of it could be very dangerous."
"You're mean, and you've severely piqued my interest, but I suppose I'll have to back down." Alan's voice had a smile in it, "Is there anything you can tell me about these new friends? Other than that there's a boy named Harry who reminds you of yourself?"
Mina bit her lip, "To tell the truth, Alan, I don't know what I can tell you right now, this isn't a secure enough line for that sort of talk. We may have to wait for those mirrors."
A groan of frustration came through the earpiece, "Minaaa, you're really frustrating, you know that, right? Fine, keep your secrets for now, but I'll get them all out of you eventually."
Mina giggled, "Maybe you will and maybe you won't. Remember, some of these aren't mine to tell. The owl may get there as soon as this evening, but if I have to send it Royal Mail you won't receive your mirror for two or three days. I hear one of the perks of Owl Post is that the bird can find someone even without a complete address."
"I'll look forward to either one, then. Take care of yourself, and we'll talk again soon, Sailor V." There was a click as Alan hung up the other end of the phone, and Mina, smiling, hung up her own and walked over to the cafe, where Remus and Hermione were discussing Frankenstein.
"But Mary Shelley only wrote the bloody story in the first place because she was tired of having sex," Hermione argued.
Remus sighed, "A good thing she did, too. It's spawned some amazing genres."
Mina interjected, "I hear she wouldn't have even been at the orgy in the first place if some volcano in Indonesia hadn't erupted the previous year."
Remus chuckled, "And I thought I was the obscure history buff. You two are something else. You get everything squared away with your Alan?"
Mina blushed and nodded, "He's not my Alan, but yes. He's to expect an owl or a Royal Mail delivery with one of those special mirrors you mentioned."
Remus stood up and brushed his slacks off, "We should get going, then, if we want to purchase them today." He took the empty mugs to the register and came back to the girls, "Come on, I've got to fix your suitcases before we go."
Hermione led the way out of the cafe and to a secluded alley, "Alright, you're using the Shrinking Charm, right? I practiced it last year, but couldn't quite get the hang of it."
"Right you are, Hermione, five points to Gryffindor," Remus grinned and pointed his wand at both suitcases, "Reducio!" and they shrank to the size of matchbooks.
"Incredible! And all my things are still intact?" Mina watched in amazement.
Hermione nodded, "Oh, yes, nothing will be damaged or misplaced. It's just... a lot smaller." She giggled, "Barbie-sized." Mina giggled also.
Remus harrumphed like an old man, "Alright, you two, pack it in, we're off to Diagon Alley now." The girls composed themselves and took Remus's arms again, who waved his wand and Disapparated the three of them to Charing Cross Station, just a block from the Leaky Cauldron. "This is the non-magical entrance, I thought you might like to see it." He let them go and they chatted as they walked down the street.
Mina looked puzzled, "What is Gringotts? You've mentioned it once or twice before."
"Gringotts," Remus said patiently, "is the wizarding bank. Bill works there, as a Cursebreaker. He's one of the few humans they employ, it's mostly run by the goblin clans. The vaults contain our money, and possessions we don't keep in our homes. They also offer various magical services, such as geneaology, investments, and other things, for a fee."
"Geneaology? As in, tracing your family tree?" Mina asked, then fell silent as they turned into the Leaky Cauldron, which even at mid-afternoon was packed with various patrons.
Remus navigated the three of them through the bar and out to the back alley, "Yes, do you think you'd be interested? You never know who you might be related to." He tapped a brick and the wall opened. "Welcome to Diagon Alley, the London Magical Shopping District. You can find just about anything in these shops, or special order it, but I recommend not going down Knockturn Alley unless you have a couple adults with you, if you absolutely have to go. Dodgy place."
Mina's eyes are wide as she looks around them, trying to take in everything at once, but she nods when he mentions Knockturn, "I'll remember that. And perhaps I should have that geneaology test done, Mum was adopted and she didn't ever tell me her former family's name, only that they abandoned her. She did mention a highly gifted younger brother, but would never elaborate on what exactly those gifts were."
Hermione looked excited, "Maybe I should get one done as well, I'd love to know if I'm not, in fact, a first generation witch!"
Remus chuckled as he led the two teenage girls down the main street of Diagon Alley, "We'll go to Gringotts first, then, since you two will need to exchange your pounds for Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts." They came to the steps of Gringotts and went up, entering the fabled hall. "Now, girls, be polite but blunt, the goblins don't appreciate wizarding waffling, they only appreciate gold." He approached a free teller, "May your gold everflow. We need to exchange some pounds, and get a couple geneaology tests."
The young goblin nodded, "Stonebreaker will take you to a private chamber. There is a consulting fee of five Galleons per test, are you willing to pay that?" He rang a bell, summoning the other goblin.
Remus nodded and showed the Black Family Proxy Seal he was wearing, "Bill it to the Tertiary Vault, please."
The goblin grinned, showing several pointed teeth, "Yes, thank you."
Stonebreaker, a middle-aged female, arrived and escorted the three of them to a room off a side hallway. "I heard you want to know your families. Each of you, take one of the knives and cut through the pad of your wand thumb, then drip five drops of blood onto the parchment. Be warned, magical relatives will glow on the sheet." The girls each did as instructed, Remus leaning back against the wall next to the door.
Hermione's filled in first, with a disappointingly low number of glowing names. In fact, there were only two besides herself in the twelve generations listed: an Amanda Forthrightly, date of death July 27th 1693, in Lancashire, England, and Samantha Geraldine Lupin O'Shaunessey, date of death May 13, 1907, in Dublin, Ireland. She stared at the parchment, then looked up at Remus with large round eyes. "You're my cousin?"
Remus jerked off the wall as if pulled by a hook, "What's that?" He hurriedly stepped over to the table and eagerly took in Hermione Jean Granger's family tree. "Samantha Geraldine, that's my father's great-aunt. The family disowned her for marrying a M-" he coughs hurriedly, "Well, a non-magical person. So you're her great-granddaughter." He smiles, "Dad would have been thrilled to find a witch after all this time. As he's dead, I'm your Wizarding Head of House. That makes me your magical guardian until you come of age in two years." He drew her into a side hug. "Welcome to House Lupin, you are third in line to inherit when I die." He turned his attention to Stonebreaker, "I guess I'll need to set her up with a Trust Vault and everything else. Can you summon Axebeard, please?"
Stonebreaker chortled and stepped out of the room, as Mina gasped at the parchment in front of her, completely filled with glowing names except for the last two generations. Surprisingly, her own name wasn't one of those. "Um, Remus, can you tell me who these people are? It says my mother was the only non-magical person in her family for three centuries." Remus and Hermione turned, stunned, and looked at her mutely. "See, here, it says the only non-magical people on this parchment are my mother and father, my mother's adopted parents, my stepmother, and my half-brothers." She blinked, and then looked back at the parchment, "Being a Sailor Guardian makes me magical enough for this family tree?"
Remus picked up Mina's genealogical report and started to laugh, "Oh, Hermione, look at this. Mr. High-and-mighty Draco Malfoy has an aunt who was a Squib."
"WHAT??!" Hermione nearly screeched, trying not to let the sound out of the room, "Your first cousin is the boy who calls me a Mudblood nearly every chance he gets. He's the worst bully at the school, thinks he's practically a prince because his Daddy is rich and he comes from an Olde Wizarding Family."
Mina looked faint, "My only living family are wizards who hate the fact that I exist, that my mother existed."
Hermione hugged Mina, she looked so crestfallen, as Remus said gently, "If you like, someone can perform a Blood Adoption, essentially removing your mother's wizarding blood and replacing it with their own. It would mean that the Malfoys can't try and control you, or hurt you in any way. I would be happy to do it myself, I've always wanted a daughter. I only have twin sons." He smiled wanly, "Gwydion and Gareth, their other father was Sirius' younger brother Regulus, and almost nobody knows they exist. It, ah, wasn’t and isn’t safe for them here in England. They live in America, and I go visit them during the holidays. As Sirius has no children, one of them will take over the House of Black when they come of age, and the other will inherit House Lupin." He grinned suddenly, "Narcissa Black Malfoy won't ever get her clutches on the Black Family Fortune for her Drakey-poo, both because my boys are older and were sired by the Spare Heir, and because she's only the youngest daughter of a Cadet Line."
Mina blinked at the flood of information, "Um, can I have some time to think about your offer? This is all very sudden."
Remus hugged her from the opposite side to Hermione, "Of course, take all the time you need. I know this can be surprising and confusing, and it was a lot to discover in the past couple of days."
Hermione looked across Mina quizzically, "Wizards can have babies together?"
Remus nodded, smiling sadly, "Yes, though rare, it has been known to happen. We were worried at first that my boys would be werewolves like I am, but instead they are born Animagi. Gwy is an albino timber wolf, and Artie is a red panda. Reggie would have been so pleased, if he had lived."
Stonebreaker returned with a goblin about her own age who had an impressive beard, the first Hermione had ever seen, "I hear you need Family Services? Found yourself another heir, Master Lupin?"
Remus turned and his grin widened at the sight of Axebeard, "Take a good look at the Family Trees Stonebreaker just helped us make, Axie-boy."
Axebeard picked up both sheets of parchment, smiled widely at Hermione's, and then burst out cackling at the one for Mina, "Oh-ho, Lucy's going to be in a right pickle once he learns about this! I can't wait to see his face." He sobered and looked at Mina kindly, "I knew your mother, you see, and you're the spitting image of her. Lord and Lady Malfoy brought her into this very room on her eleventh birthday, demanding that we perform a Magicus Inheritance Test. When poor Malin failed, I was instructed to procure a pouch of precious gemstones and turn it into a one-way Portkey to an unknown and random destination. This became all the inheritance the Malfoys would ever give her, and after she was gone they demanded I strike her from every public record."
Mina spoke quietly, "She turned up at the York Home for Orphan Children. They stole everything of value except one ribbon," she gestured to the bright red silk bow in her long blonde hair, "and sold it off. Five months later, two farmers named Eugene and Rosemary Rider took her away for fosterage. They'd been attempting to have children for several years, but without success. A year after that, they legally adopted her under the laws of the British Crown and her name officially became Malinda Elizabeth Rider, being given the name of the Queen. She attended the Joseph Rowntree School, where she received very high marks on her A-Levels and O-Levels."
Remus broke in to explain to the two goblins, "They're the non-magical equivalents of O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S.."
Mina continued in a soft voice, "Mum received a scholarship to Manchester University to read for a degree in International Business. That's where she met Aino Daisuke, a young shipping executive from Hokkaido, in Japan. They fell in love, and her parents called him Dai because it was easier for their broad Yorkshire tongues to say. Unusually for the decade, he insisted that she complete her MBA before they got married. She graduated in 1973. Granny Rosie lived just long enough to see Malinda receive summa cum laude, with highest honors. They married in 1975, and Gramps passed away a month later. I was born October 22, 1980, here in London, and Mum died just after my fourth birthday. After I turned five, Daisuke simply abandoned me with some friends of hers in York, old classmates, and went back to Japan.” She stared at the table, fighting back tears, "The friends he gave me to turned out to be in the Her Majesty's Secret Service, and when I was activated as Sailor V, the Guardian of Love and Justice, at the age of 12, the family brought me in as a Special Agent. They've told me what I know about Mum. They also used their influence abroad to find out what had happened after he just up and left me on Alan's doorstep. He's since remarried to a 'proper' Japanese wife, who has given him two young sons. My half-brothers are ten and six, and apparently Aino Daisuke has no desire for his daughter in their lives."
Remus and Hermione hugged her tighter as she lost the battle and tears fell, Stonebreaker sniffed audibly, and even Axebeard seemed subdued. "Mina," Remus hesitantly started, "Did Alan's family ever legally adopt you, or have you simply been fostered all these years?"
Mina gulped for air, "J-just, just fostered."
Remus glanced at Axebeard and nodded once, who nodded back with a grim smile. "Mina, in light of this, I really think I should adopt you today. Now, if possible."
Mina looked up at him in shock, "You mean it? Real Family? Yes!"
Hermione looked from Remus to the goblins, wiping tears from her own eyes, "Sorry to interrupt, but as both my parents are still living, I don't think I need an adoption of my own."
Remus nodded, "Yes, that's true, but I still need Axebeard to draw up paperwork declaring you a Ward of House Lupin."
Axebeard interjected, "That's easily done, the adoption will take some time, though. We'll need to use one of the Ritual Chambers. Stonebreaker, we'll need a Healer on hand, just in case."
Stonebreaker nodded, "I trained as one, would I be allowed to stand in?"
Axebeard stroked his beard thoughtfully, "Yes, that would work perfectly, it means we won't need anyone else except Lord Ragnok, the Bank President." At the blank look from both girls, he explained, "Lord Ragnok must oversee all High Rituals performed in the Bank. Stonebreaker, if you would go ask him to attend us, we'll meet you there."
Stonebreaker hurriedly left the room as Axebeard picked up some more parchment, "Now, we'll need to copy your family trees, and of course once Miss Mina's Adoption is complete hers will change, so we'll need to take a dagger with us to make the new one." Axebeard muttered a few words in his own tongue and after a flash of light there were four copies of each Family Tree. "One copy is sent to the Ministry, one goes with you, and the final two we keep here at the Bank, one in the Goblin files and one in your Family Vaults."
Hermione, ever the curious one, asked, "And why does a Healer need to stand by?"
Axebeard looked somber, "On occasion an Adoption will force a Creature-blood Inheritance to manifest. A Healer is necessary in case the person becomes violent or ill from this Inheritance."
Mina bit her lip, "Creature-blood Inheritance? Sounds dangerous, and scary."
Axebeard nodded, "Some are fearsome indeed, hence the precautionary measures, but between three goblins, a witch, and a werewolf wizard you should be fine if things get out of hand."
Mina gulped, "Alright, lead on."
Axebeard led the way out of the room and down the hall, trailed by Mina, Remus, and Hermione. They were met in a large stone room painted with glyphs and sigils by Stonebreaker and Lord Ragnok, a much older Goblin wearing an iron crown. "May your gold everflow, I hear you wish to perform a Blood Adoption today. Not many choose to go this older route, but we will always offer it." He cleared his throat, "Anyway, please step into the circle marked with a crescent moon, and if the gentleman werewolf would stand in the one marked with the rune Eihwaz, defense, we can get this over with." Mina and Remus followed his instructions, Hermione staying along the wall next to Stormbreaker. "Now, hold out your wand hands towards each other and repeat after me, Frasad eisgelt humfetz bolefik koprodin Lupin sanguinus." Mina and Remus dutifully intoned the words, rainbow light flashing from their outstretched hands and forming a chain binding them together. Lord Ragnok held out the dagger and cut through the palm of each of their hands, allowing seven drops of blood to drip from them into a goblet filled with a green liquid, then he stirred it with the dagger and handed the goblet to Remus. "Drink half." Remus did so, handing the goblet back to Lord Ragnok, who then passed it to Mina, "Drink the rest, quickly." Mina emptied the goblet, wincing at the flavor, and then fell to the floor with a cry, shaking. Hermione jerked, as if to run to her, but Lord Ragnok held up a hand, "No! You must allow the potion to complete its magic, or the Adoption will fail!"
Hermione looked on in mild terror, biting her nails, as Mina convulsed on the floor, screaming, and sprouted feathers. Stonebreaker frowned at Axebeard, who was hovering almost anxiously next to Mina's circle, asking sharply, "Did you know that the Malfoys have Veela blood?"
Axebeard blinked, "It's so many generations back, it was presumed to have been bred out of the line. I'm very surprised to see it in the daughter of a Squib."
Hermione spoke up, her face ashen, "That's probably because she's not entirely human to begin with." The three goblins looked at her sharply as she continued, "She is the reincarnation of the Princess of the Planet Venus, from the long ago Moon Kingdom Court."
Lord Ragnok eyed Mina, whose thrashing was subsiding, with undisguised curiousity and pride, "The Moon Kingdom is revered amongst the Goblin and Centaur Nations. If they are truly returning after all this time, we shall stand ready to aid them in any battle they choose. It was a Blood Oath of Fealty, sworn by the leaders of our past, and carried down to the present day."
Hermione’s golden eyes grew wide as she stared at Mina, “That explains why Bill was so adamant about helping her find her team.”
As the last of the rainbow lights faded and Mina's feathers retracted, Lord Ragnok motioned Stonebreaker forward and nodded, “Indeed, young William Weasley is one of our best human Cursebreakers, and gifted with the title Goblinfriend. He is under an Oath of his own to seek out things that befit the Goblin Nation. The return of the Princess of the Planet Venus certainly qualifies. I shall reach out to him personally to coordinate matters more smoothly, but he shall be Goblin Liaison to the Moon Kingdom, when it is re-established.”
Hermione smiled faintly at Lord Ragnok as Stonebreaker entered the circle of the crescent moon and started waving her hands over Mina, and Remus knelt next to them, “I’m sure Bill will be thrilled with the news, and his girlfriend Fleur will be over the moon at the discovery of a new Veela. I know she finds it difficult to be here in England, so far from home and family.”
Axebeard stroked his beard thoughtfully, “Fleur? Ah, you mean the elder Delacoeur girl, Triwizard participant and daughter of the French Assistant Minister for Magic. Yes, she’s recently taken a part-time position here. I am under the impression it’s why young William requested a transfer back from Egypt. In fact,” here he exchanged glances with Lord Ragnok, “I believe she’s scheduled to work today. Shall I go fetch her?”
Lord Ragnok waved a hand, “Yes, by all means, bring her to us. The Princess will be needing reassurance.” Axebeard nodded and left the room.
Mina was waking up under the ministrations of Stonebreaker, “Ooooh, ouch, my head is splitting. What happened?”
Stonebreaker helped her to sit up, cautioning, “Don’t move too much yet, your Venusian heritage combined with the wizarding blood and activated a dormant Veela gene from your Malfoy ancestors. You had a seizure, and started sprouting feathers.”
Mina giggled, “Just my luck, I turn into a bird.”
Remus chuckled, “Well, my new daughter, life will certainly be more challenging from now on.”
Mina blinked, “Daughter? You mean it worked?”
Lord Ragnok nodded regally, “The Blood Adoption was successful, you are no longer an Aino, except on paper in the non-magical world. Your new Wizarding name is Minako Malinda Hope Lupin.” He addressed Remus, “I hope you’ll forgive my presumption with that.”
Remus beamed, “My mother would be thrilled to have a daughter of mine carry her name, thank you.” He turned back to Mina and helped her back to her feet, “How do you feel? Any difference from before?”
Mina gratefully accepted his assistance and clung to him when they were both standing up, “Other than the feathers, I don’t think so, Da.” She smiled up at him brilliantly, her eyes sparkling like sapphires, the moniker falling ever-so-naturally from her lips, “But I’ll let you know.”
Lord Ragnok stepped away from the circles and held out the dagger and a blank sheet of parchment to Mina, “You’ll need to do the genealogy test again, Princess, so we can file the new version.” She sighed and cut her wand hand once more, the new Family Tree unfurling across the page with Remus John Lupin listed as her father, in place of Aino Daisuke. Malinda Elizabeth Malfoy Rider still appeared, but the Malfoy connection was muted. “There, the Malfoys cannot claim you now. May your enemies cower before you, Princess, I look forward to much collaboration.” He bowed low and disappeared from the Ritual Chamber so quickly it almost seemed as if he had Disapparated, smirking.
Axebeard returned as Lord Ragnok left, with a willowy blonde woman who seemed ethereal. “This is Fleur Delacoeur, our French liaison. Miss Delacoeur, I wish to present to you Princess Minako Lupin, reincarnation of the Princess of the Planet Venus.”
Fleur curtsied, then stepped forward and took Mina by the hands, kissing both cheeks in greeting, “Tres bien, I am glad to meet anuzzer Veela in Aingland, I thought I vas zee only vun. Et une Princesse, non? Maman will be t’rilled to meet vous. And your hair, eet eez le plus bel or I haz aiver zeen.”
Mina blushed, then spoke in fluent French, “Je vous remercie pourvos aimables paroles, je suis tre heureux de vous rencontrer.” She continued in English, “Please, just call me Mina, and be my friend?”
Fleur grinned, flashing perfect pearly white teeth, “D’accord, mai oui, et vous must call me Fleur. Ve shall be great amies, friends. Oo are vous staying vit?”
Remus cleared his throat at this, “Fleur, hello again. Of course she’s at Headquarters, Sirius would throw a fit if she left. I want to thank you for agreeing to take care of my new daughter.” He looked at Mina with pride.
Fleur tinkled with laughter, “Ah, zat must be ze raison vous are ‘ere, in ze Chambre Rituelle. I approve, but as an aimployee of Gringotts I am meant to zay zat.” She winked at them. “I vill zee vous tonight at dinner, oui? Enchantee, until then.” She kissed Mina’s cheeks again, hugged Hermione, and waved at the rest before going back to her duties in another part of the Bank.
Remus laughed as she left, “Well, I can say for sure that no gathering the pair of you attend will ever be boring.” He looked Mina up and down, "Are you recovered? At least enough to go to the mirror shop and bookstore?"
Mine smiled at him, "I think so, Da. But you should get Hermione's papers done before we go."
Axebeard nodded, "I have them here, you only need to sign with your House Lupin crest." Remus kissed a ring and pressed it, glowing, to the papers Axebeard held out, "There, all done, these will be filed with the Ministry and placed in your vaults. May your enemies cower before you." He bowed and left them alone with Stonebreaker.
Stonebreaker handed Mina a crystal vial filled with a bright purple potion, "Now, you'll want to take a spoonful of this at bedtime, until the vial is empty. This will help control your Veela side, as well as settle any magical fluctuations you may have." Mina nodded and placed the crystal vial carefully in her purse. "Miss Delacoeur will get in touch with her mother, and they will contact you to offer training in Veelahood. I'm sorry I can't be of more help, but as Axebeard said, it's been centuries since we had a Veela born in the British Isles, so the records are spotty at best. Miss Delacoeur is the perfect contact for you to have, and you're so lucky she was here. Until Madame Delacoeur owls you, you may write to me with any questions you have, and I'll try my hardest to answer them. May your enemies cower before you." She bowed them back into the lobby and left them to get their pounds exchanged from the same teller who had helped them previously.
Before they left, Remus pulled the girls aside and whispered to them urgently, "I need to ask you both not to reveal the existence of my sons until I or Sirius says it's ok. Not only would they be under public suspicion due to their half-breed status, the fact that they are the sons of a werewolf and a Death Eater would have people clamoring for their incarceration in Azkaban." He held up a hand as they voiced protests, "I know, I know, they're just children, and barely older than the pair of you. But that would make no difference to the militant Light. Not even Albus Dumbledore knows of them, and he pokes his nose into everything. The goblins know, obviously, and Bill might possibly have been informed, but other than that no one in England is aware of them."
Mina smiled, "Of course, Da, though I wouldn't mind meeting them once things settle down a bit more."
Hermione nodded, "Not a word until you tell me to, Cousin." She chuckled, "It's so natural to call you that. I'm glad we did the genealogy test, for all that it was spur of the moment. Can we at least tell the others about that part?"
Remus smiled as he led the girls down the steps of the bank, "Yes, that part's no secret. Neither is the Adoption. They're going to wonder why we were out so long, anyway." He looked at the sun, gauging the distance to the horizon, "We were inside for two hours, it's nearly suppertime. We may not have time for a very long visit to Flourish and Blotts, I'm afraid, if we want to be home to Headquarters before Molly serves dinner."
Mina smiled up at him, "But we can come back another day, yes? I want to explore more of this wonderful place."
Remus grinned as he led them into a shop called Fractal's, "Of course, Mina. Now," he addressed the shopkeeper, a wizened old witch, "We'll need, oh, three sets of communication mirrors, please."
The witch nodded, then brought out three packages bundled in bright cloth, "Two mirrors in each package, already preset with activation passwords of Rorrim on all six. You may change it by tapping the top right corner of the frame three times with your wand."
Mina, with a glance at Remus and Hermione, asked hesitantly, "And what if the person doesn't have a wand, Miss?"
The old witch cackled and gave the three of them a gummy smile, "Muggle family, is it? Then in that case you can set it yourself with your own wand, or ask a professor up at Hogwarts. Be warned, if you change it, it can't be changed again for six months, except back to the default."
Remus cut in, "How much for the three pairs, Madame Fractal?"
Madame Fractal tapped the register with her wand, "The total will be Sixty Galleons, Fifteen Sickles. How will you be paying?"
Hermione's eyes widened and she tugged urgently on Remus's sleeve, hissing, "Remus, I haven't got Twenty Galleons, Five Sickles!"
Remus waved her off and smiled, handing over his Black Family Proxy Card once again, "It's fine, I promise. Call it an investment for your future." He winked at Hermione as Madame Fractal swiped the card on the register and handed it back, cackling again. "Thank you, Madame Fractal, have a nice day." He pocketed the card and packages, then led the girls out of the shop and down the street to a shop with the marquee Flourish & Blott's over a quill and scroll of parchment. "Now girls, I'll give you thirty minutes to browse, and then meet me back here at the front with your choices."
Hermione immediately dashed off to the corner on Arithmancy, while Mina more sedately went to the section marked History, trying to look at everything at once. She picked up a nearby basket and selected two copies of several which appeared interesting, planning on sending one of each choice to Alan with the mirror. She looked down as something furry brushed against her leg, seeing a large cat with a squashed face. "Oh! Hello, lovely." She pet the store cat for a bit, giving Remus a rueful smile when he and Hermione came looking for her. "I was just saying hello to this beautiful cat."
Remus chuckled and Hermione giggled, "That's not just a cat, Mina-mine, it's a Kneazle. They're larger and more intelligent than most normal house felines. Not as smart as Artemis, they can't speak human, but they understand us well enough." He inclined his head at her discarded basket, "Some light reading?"
Mina stood up, blushing furiously, "Yes, Da, I figured I should learn about this wondrous new world, and send copies to Alan as well. I hope that's alright." She ended the last sentence more as a question.
Remus nodded, smiling, "That's fine, I'm sure he has many questions for us all." He reached for one entitled The Statute of Secrecy and the Muggle-born Wizarding Student, selecting two copies of it just as Mina had the others. "You'll want to add this one, then, and have him read it first." He riffled through the pages to the end flyleaf, "He'll need to sign this page before he's allowed to read any of the others, and he won't be able to speak of Magic to anyone who doesn't already know."
"I'll be sure to add that to the note, Da." Mina nodded back, a feeling of warmth suffusing her entire body every time she said the word.
Hermione juggled four heavy tomes, "Are we ready to go pay now?"
Remus and Mina laughed, then nodded and Hermione led the way back to the entrance, where the shopkeepers were shouting, "Five minutes to closing, please make your way to the till in an orderly fashion!"
The three of them paid, the teller shrinking their packages for them, and then exited the shop. "Hermione, I've just had a thought: should we go pick up your parents? So we can announce it all at once, and not have to repeat ourselves?"
Hermione blinked, then smiled, "Yes, I do believe we should. Mum and Dad will just order takeaway, they do it a lot when I'm away at school or they've been busy with the dental surgery, they would appreciate one of Mrs. Weasley's home-cooked meals." She grinned at both Lupins, "Besides, anything to make old Walburga's portrait speechless will make your pseudo-brother very happy."
Remus grinned back at her, "I do believe you're right, you little minx. What's the address? I've never been to your house before."
Hermione rattled off an address in a Luton suburb. "The surgery is part of the house, we won't have to walk far at all to get their attention." Hermione and Mina grabbed onto each of Remus's arms, then he waved his wand and they Disapparated to Luton.
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They appeared in a nicely appointed sitting room. "Mum and Dad will be just downstairs, if they didn't hear us Apparate in and are already on their way up."
As Hermione spoke a woman rushed up the stairs wearing scrubs, her hair the same flyaway bush that Hermione sported, "Hermione? What are you doing home so soon? I thought you were staying with Ronald's family for the rest of holidays? Is something the matter? Are you ill?" She looked at the other two with interest, "And who are these people? I'm guessing you'll be Professor Remus Lupin, she's told us about you. All up in arms she was, indignant that you were let go." She peeled off her gloves and held out a hand, "Doctor Jean Granger, Dentist. Richard's downstairs with our last patient. I said the cat must have knocked over a picture again. And who is this lovely girl?"
Hermione laughed, "Mum, breathe, everything's fine. This is Mina, but you'd probably know her by the name Sailor V." Mina struck a superhero pose with a sheepish grin as Jean gasped in acknowledgement. "Anyway, we just found out some interesting news and thought you'd like to come to dinner to celebrate. Save you the trouble of ordering that curry I know you have on speed dial."
Jean gave her daughter a Look, "You're right, I was just about to order curry. Let me fetch your father and we'll get changed. Fifteen minutes alright, Professor Lupin?" She bustled back down the stairs, barely waiting for Remus to nod.
Remus burst out laughing once she was out of earshot, "I see where you get it from, Hermione." Mina, meanwhile, had collapsed into one of the overstuffed chairs, giggling, as Hermione blushed.
Jean and Richard came back into view, "We'll be right back down, Hermione dear. Jimmy Turner needs braces, Rich, but his father won't pay for them. Can we--" Their voices faded as they ascended a staircase.
"So, Hermione, is Crookshanks here or back at Headquarters?" Remus asked once Mina's giggles finally subsided.
Hermione waved a hand airily, "Oh, no, he's at Headquarters. Good excuse, though."
Remus smiled, "It was, that. Quick thinking on your Mum's part, too." He waved his wand, shouting, Expecto patronum, and a silver wolf shot out of his wand, "To Molly Weasley, Headquarters, 'Please set two additional plates for supper, the Grangers are joining us for an announcement.'" The wolf loped down the hall and vanished through a wall. "There, I thought I should give her some warning. Oh, and you'll need to be read into the secret once we arrive, or you won't be able to see the place," he directed at Jean and Richard, who had appeared again in the sitting room. "Please link arms with the girls, and I'll take all of us."
"Remus, it won't exhaust you, taking so many?" Hermione asked solicitously.
Remus waved a hand, "Nothing a hearty meal and a good night's sleep won't cure. Hang on, this will be disorienting." Jean and Richard nervously linked arms with Hermione and Mina, who slipped their other hands into Remus's elbows. He waved his wand and the five of them Disapparated from the Granger's sitting room, to the nearest Apparition Point to Grimmauld Place.
Jean and Richard stumbled, Mina and Hermione catching them before they fell to their knees. "Sorry, Mum, Dad, I should have warned you. Almost there, it's just around this corner."
Remus led the four of them out of the alley and down the street, coming to a stop in the park at Grimmauld Place. He handed the Grangers a small slip of parchment, reading The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix can be found at Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London. Once they had nodded their understanding of the contents, it burst into flames and vanished into ash, as Number 12 shouldered into being in front of them. "Quickly, up and in, and keep quiet until we get past the entry hall. The portraits speak, and most aren't very nice."
They followed him like a trail of ducklings into the house, where Sirius was waiting for them, beaming. "Come in, come in, it's wonderful to finally meet you. Welcome to my ancestral home."
Remus, Mina, and Hermione emptied their pockets of the packages and suitcases, which Remus tapped with his wand and reverted to full size. "Here you are, Hermione, why don't you give these to your parents now?" He handed her one of the mirror pairs, "I think we still have a few minutes before Molly calls everyone to eat, yes?" At Sirius's nod, Hermione took her parents to a sitting room and started showing them how the mirrors worked, while Remus helped Mina take her things up to the room she had spent the previous night in. "I'm sure you want to change too. Come back down when you're ready, Mina-mine."
She hugged him tight, "Thanks, Da, for everything," then shooed him out the door and closed it.
Remus chuckled and went back down the stairs into the kitchen, whistling. "And what's got you in such a chipper mood, Moony?" Sirius queried, smirking at his oldest friend, "Meet a bloke?"
Remus shook his head, grinning, "You'll learn soon enough, Pads."
Molly shushed them both, "Would you two get everyone, please? Dinner is ready." Remus went up the stairs and Sirius went out to the garden, the pair of them collecting all the dinner guests.
Bill and Fleur came out from the library as Mina passed, discussing something about work, "Goblin Envoy? Zat ees a great honor, Villiam!"
Bill smiled at Mina as the three of them descended to the basement kitchen, "How are you, Princess? I hear you've caused quite a stir in Gringotts' hallowed halls."
Mina nodded, "I'm good, thank you. Thank you both, I should say. Now, it's a surprise to everyone else. We've got some other news as well, and Hermione's parents are joining us for that." She grinned at their looks of shock, "Yes, it was quite the stunner. You'll see in a bit."
Bill escorted Mina and Fleur into the kitchen, the table groaning under the weight of so much food. He helped each of them into a chair before folding himself into a third, grinning at the outraged look on Ron's face. "Now, now, Ronnie-kins, you may escort our sister, or Hermione."
Ron scowled, then turned to look at Ginny, who had flounced in, "I don't need an escort, thanks." She zoomed into a seat as everyone laughed at Ron's dumbfounded expression.
Remus quietly took the seat on the other side of Mina, chuckling at Sirius's raised eyebrow. Harry sat next to Sirius at the head of the table, while Molly sat at the foot with Arthur to her right. The twins and Hermione's family were the last in. Several minutes of chit-chat and passing of platters ensued, until finally Remus stood up and tapped his water glass with his knife, "Attention, attention, I'd like to make some announcements. Bill and Fleur already know of a couple." Here he laughed, "Perks of working where they do. Anyway, the girls did the Goblin Genealogy Tests today and we found out a few things that were quite interesting. Firstly, Mina's mother was a Squib," much surprised muttering, "yes, yes, a Squib named Malin Malfoy." Here several shouts of amazement were heard, "Yes, Axebeard was overjoyed to meet Mina. He was the goblin who performed the Magicus Inheritance Test on young Malin, and then created the portkey when the Malfoys subsequently disowned her and ordered him to erase all written record of her. Well, when I found out that, as well as the fact that her father had abandoned her..." He trailed off for a moment, then shook himself like a dog and continued, resting a hand on Mina's shoulder, "Well, to make a long story short, I'd like to introduce you to my daughter, Minako Malinda Hope Lupin. I Blood Adopted her today." Several cheers were heard. "Also, as Bill and Fleur are already aware, Mina is now a Veela. Her Venusian heritage reacted with the dormant Veela gene in the Malfoy blood as the Ritual was happening. Lord Ragnok was very, very pleased when he heard the Moon Kingdom was returning. Apparently," and here he grinned at Bill, "The Goblin and Centaur Nations had sworn a Blood Oath of Fealty to the Moon Kingdom. When they fully return, Bill here will be the Goblin Liason to the Court."
Mina piped up, a smirk on her face, "I hope you don't have any trouble taking orders from a woman, Bill, the Moon Kingdom was and will be a matriarchal society, with a Ruling Queen and her King Consort." Several laughs went around the table at this, as Bill turned the color of his hair and gestured wordlessly to both his mother and his girlfriend.
Remus chortled, "I can see that you are well-suited for the position already, Bill." Another wave of laughter, then they all quieted as he raised his hand once more, "The last announcement I have from Gringotts involves the Grangers, which is why Hermione's parents have joined us tonight. They are, in point of fact, a Squib line," several gasps at this, "yes, a Squib of my own House, as a matter of fact. Hermione is the great-granddaughter of my father's great-aunt, Samantha Geraldine Lupin O'Shaunessey, disowned for marrying a non-magical Irishman." He toasted Jean and Richard, who had begun blinking away tears, "Welcome to the family, cousins."
Richard, his own golden eyes so like his daughter's, laughed, "I'm glad to meet you, cousin. I see where Grandmother Moira got her eyes from, it must be a Lupin trait."
Harry piped up from the other end of the table, "Being a bookworm must run in the family as well!" Everyone laughed at that, as Hermione, Richard, and Remus all blushed.
Jean looked worried as the laughter subsided, "Does this mean that you will be taking Hermione away from us? I know that we non-magicals have no voice in your world."
Remus shook his head gently, "I will not remove Hermione from you, I have merely named her a Ward of House Lupin, and, after Mina here, is an Heir to the House if something should happen to me. This does make her magical sponsor, her guardian if you will, in all circumstances that involve the Wizarding World, until she comes of age."
Harry jumped in again, "Like me with Uncle Siri, though if I could stay with him I would." He grunted as Sirius enveloped him in a bear hug, "Gerroff, Uncle Siri, can't breathe!"
Mina looked around at the gathered people, no, her new family, and smiled, "I'm so happy I ran into Harry yesterday, even with everything that happened." She looked at Remus, "Da, do you have an owl I can borrow, to send those books to Alan?"
Remus nodded, "Actually I do, his name is Octavian." A small brown screech owl flew down the stairs as if summoned by his name and perched on the back of Remus's chair, hooting querulously. "Octavian, this is Mina, my daughter." Octavian hooted questioningly, cocking his head to the side. "Yes, I said daughter. You are to follow her orders as you do mine." Octavian hooted, bobbing his head, and then hopped from Remus's chair to Mina's shoulder, beginning to preen her hair. She giggled.
Molly beamed at them all, "Oh, this is all so exciting, but you should have given me more warning, Remus! I would have made this an extra-special dinner!"
Remus shook his head, laughing, "No, Molly, this was perfect, thank you so much."
Sirius, having finally let go of Harry, jumped to his feet, "We'll take care of the dishes, Molly, since you oh-so-kindly cooked everything." He pulled on Harry's collar and nodded at the twins, who nodded in response and started stacking plates.
Mina stood up, Octavian still on her shoulder, "I should send him off now, so Alan can talk to me as soon as possible." She laughed, her blue eyes lighting up with mirth, "Oh, how I wish I could see his face when Octavian shows up!" She continued up the stairs, laughing, quieting only momentarily to pass Walburga's portrait. She dug around in one of her suitcases and came up with a notebook and ballpoint pen, then proceeded to write a letter to Alan.
"Dear Alan,
Hope this finds you well. I'm sorry for being so cryptic on the phone earlier, but you'll see what I meant after you read these books. Start with The Statute of Secrecy and the Muggle-born Wizarding Student, Da tells me you have to read and sign that one first. Yes, I said Da. Some things happened while we were at the bank today, and I now have a father! His name is Remus Lupin, and my new name includes his mother's, Hope. Apparently my mother's former family were very bad people, and they would have tried to get rid of me. I'll explain more once you call on the mirror, but I'll just say here that the Adoption was done to keep me safe.
Speaking of, you can activate the mirror by tapping it and saying ___, and you'll be able to see me. I asked the shop if the password can be changed without a wand, but I was informed that was not the case. I'll see if Da will reprogram it for me before I send the package off, but if not the default is "Rorrim."
Lots of love, Minako Malinda Hope Lupin, formerly Minako Malinda Margaret Annette Aino."
She folded the letter and wrote "Sir Alan Farrell-Alda, Alda House, Shropshire" on the front as Remus knocked on the door. "Ready for your first Owl Post, Mina-mine?"
She looked at him, "Da, can we reprogram Alan's mirror before we send everything off?"
Remus fully entered the room with a smile, "Of course, what would you like for the new password to be?"
She tapped her pen on the desk for a moment, thinking, then smiled at him, "How about Orange? It's a simple enough word to remember, but it doesn't rhyme with anything."
He unwrapped the mirrors, then pulled out his wand, "And what did you want the other to be? May as well do them both while I'm here."
She grinned up at him, "How about Brother? Since he's always been like a brother to me?"
Remus nodded and tapped the first one, "Orange." It glowed white for a minute while he tapped the second one, "Brother." The second one glowed as he handed her the Orange one. "There you are, two reprogrammed mirrors." He noticed Octavian getting antsy, "Oh, you'll want to tell this Alan that Octavian likes bacon and pineapple juice."
Mina nodded and added a postscript to the letter, also filling in the password.
"P.S. The owl's name is Octavian and he likes bacon and pineapple juice."
She folded the letter back up and bundled the Orange mirror with the stack of books, letter folded inside the first book, then handed the resultant package to Remus, "How does he keep ahold of it all, with no thumbs?"
Remus laughed and showed her how to knot the twine around the stack of books so there was a special loop that Octavian hooked his claws into. "See, he just picks it up like that." He walked to the window and opened it, "Off you go, then." Octavian flew around the room once and then out the window. "All done. Would you like to come down and spend some time with Hermione and her parents before they go home for the night?"
Mina shook her head, yawning, "I should sleep, I'm exhausted from today. You should sleep also, that was a lot of magic you threw around." She looked up at him, "What was the other set of mirrors for?"
Remus hugged her and kissed the top of her head, "I promise you'll meet your brothers soon." He chuckled, "I thought you'd like to have one to keep in touch with me, when you're out gallivanting across the globe."
"You're the best, Da, thank you!" Mina squealed and kissed his cheek. "How about mine you program as Family?"
Remus let go of her and unwrapped the other pair of mirrors. "Family," he tapped the first mirror, then looked up at her with a grin on his face, "And mine will be..., " he tapped the second mirror, "Princess." He chuckled at her expression, "Well, you are, Blood Adoption notwithstanding." He slid the Princess mirror into his pocket, "Now, to make sure you don't get them confused," he tapped the Family mirror twice and the frame morphed from the smooth plain silver to an embossed one with two wolves and a red panda on it. "There, all fixed. Good night, Mina-mine."
"Good night, Da," she hugged him one last time before closing the door, smiling.