Ancestry 24 - Messy Black Spaces
Ron looked at the paper over dinner. "So that's the family's debt," he muttered.
"Apparently," Hermione agreed, looking at him. "Will your mother be mad?"
"No, it was four generations ago. It should've been paid off by now." He went back to the main story with a sigh. "I'm wondering where Dad's working now."
"Maybe the Leaky," Harry quipped, looking down at Neville, who was amused as he read the paper. "Xander was really pissed off that they tried to make him marry me, Hermione, and Malfoy."
Neville looked at him. "Like the 18?"
"Yes, he noted he wasn't one of them," Hermione agreed, looking at him. "He ordered me to graduate college with honors."
Neville smiled. "I'm sure you will, Hermione." He went back to the paper. "Someone's really mad probably."
"Pity," Harry said with a shrug. "They pushed their luck."
"They hit a whammy," Hermione finished.
"A what?" Ron asked.
"It's a reference to a game show, Ron. I'll explain it later tonight." He nodded at that, going back to eating. "So now what, Harry?"
"Voldie's got to be mad that Xander did what he couldn't, bring down the egos at the Ministry."
She burst out giggling. "Oh! I hadn't even thought about that!" She leaned on Neville's shoulder to giggle into it. "Oh, dear."
"Yeah, probably. Thankfully I can't hear him anymore." He grinned at Neville, who shook his head.
Ron looked over. "Isn't your cousin not a pureblood too?"
"The Dumass clan never cared about that stuff, Ron."
"Huh." He nodded. "So not only did he bring down part of the Ministry he did it as a not pureblood. Yeah, that snake loving one is probably really hating that."
"He knows where Sunnydale is. He nearly got captured there," Harry quipped. Hermione grinned at him as she calmed herself down and dug into dinner again. "Did you get anything for herbology, Hermione?"
"Not really. I've got two papers before that one, Harry. I was hoping I had a lot of it already in my notes."
"Can I bum them?"
"Of course." She nodded, looking at Neville.
Neville shook his head. "There's one book in our library that covers that. The second years really put her in a bad mood. I'd be exact in length." She winced but nodded.
Harry looked up as an owl landed in front of him. "Hello. What's up?" He took the package. "Thank you." He let it have some of his beef, watching her fly off. He looked at the package. "Found this in the library. I wrote some of it," he read quietly. "Let Tipsy and the twins see it for their own enjoyment." He opened the package, frowning at the book. "The Big Book of Dark Pranks."
Ron choked, shaking his head. "That's almost mythical!" he said, snatching it to look through. "Oh, the twins are going to be so jealous!" He grinned at Harry.
"They can borrow it when they come up to visit you, Ron. Maybe our next Hogsmeade weekend?"
"Yeah, I can tell them that."
Flitwick came down to snatch the book. "That book is definitely and permanently banned from any student using any spell in it," he told them all, staring at Ron hardest. "Because it is injurious to many to even contemplate the spells. Should you I'll make sure they're all going to hit you as well, Mr. Weasley." He went back up there, slapping the book down in front of McGonagall after he had sat down.
"Oh, that thing," she said, rubbing her throat. "Oh, dear."
"How bad is it?" Hermione called.
"It's horrifying to even look at some of the spells in it, Miss Granger. You may come try if you wish but I am not cleaning up your vomit."
She came up to look and stared at the dedication before moving on. "Oh, worms into food....lice from rice.... Oh, a penis shrinking spell. How delightful," she said with a smile for the teacher. "I need to use that one on Prefect rounds." She looked at a few students, who shrank down. "Before I have to see them again."
"That would be Dark," McGonagall said dryly. "Even if you could find a way to limit the time it worked."
"Yes, ma'am." She went back to her seat. "Six people wrote it with old pranks they ran into in ancient books and ones they got to work somehow. Including a relative of Professor Flitwick."
"Yes, my cousin," he called. "Thankfully he destroyed himself trying for another one. There's over a thousand banned spells in there, Miss Granger."
She smiled at him. "I won't let anyone get it from me, Professor." He huffed but stuffed his mouth again.
Draco looked at the book. "I've seen an edited copy of that. My mother read it through her last month of pregnancy, totally scaring my father," he admitted then sipped his water. The other Slytherins looked at him. He nodded. "He was terrified she'd do something to him with her mood swings. He warned me greatly about those things when I have an heir of my own."
Pansy Parkinson just nodded. "Then it must be dark." She'd write her mother about it later in case someone wanted to sneak and look at it.
***
Ron called the twins. "Xander sent a book for you two and someone named Tipsy but we're not allowed near it. The teachers have banned it completely. Said if anything like that was cast by a student it'd come back to get me too."
"What book?" one of the twins asked.
Ron grinned. "The Big Book of Dark Pranks." The twins moaned at that. "Flitwick has it." He waved and hung up. He called his mother, who was still huffy. "We good, Mum? And is Dad okay?"
"He's fine. Why wouldn't he be?" she demanded.
"You didn't see the paper tonight, Mum?" He hung up and went to his room to hide. Molly's screaming would possibly be heard at the school without a howler.
***
Arthur looked at the banker who was over that honor debt. "We've paid it off, multiple times, but they won't accept that last hundred galleons and they're just sitting in that same account. Each payment goes in there and they won't accept it. We should be able to bring them back to the family since they won't accept the payment."
"You should but the judge won't rule on that for another two weeks."
"It'll probably be longer thanks to that angry young man earlier."
"They knew not to screw with the Clan Dumass. Destina dueled a few and won their whole families from them for the insults they tried on her," the banker said dryly. Arthur sighed but nodded. "I have sent a note to the heirs over that debt. They have not responded."
"Can it be canceled if there's no response?"
"I have no idea. That's not really my area of expertise. You need to ask a lawyer."
"We can't afford one with that payment."
"Point." He nodded once. "You can ask one casually without incurring more than a consulting fee. Ask Mr. Potter if his could do so cheaply?"
"I hadn't thought about that. I didn't want to lean on Harry. Are there heirs left?"
"If the lists are right, there's three left. Their status is not included. The judge may have to determine that as you've made good faith efforts."
"The family really could use the money back. We've been paying that last hundred galleons for the last twenty-three years."
"I understand fully. I'll check with the judge over that hearing while you talk to a lawyer informally if you can. If you get it back they can take some of that for their fees."
"Point. Thank you." He shook his hand and went to tell Molly. Who was ranting about the paper. He took it to look at then at her. "They tried to force Dumass into taking in a harem of Harry, Hermione, and Draco Malfoy."
She paused to stare at him. "They did what? That's illegal!"
"Yes they're aware of that. Also that they violated the contract." He took off his hat to look at her. "I'll be working at the Leaky a few years at least. The Ministry owes Dumass about a hundred years of rent and interest." She winced. "We're working on it. As well as that debt vault we have." She huffed, going to the kitchen. "The suit to make them accept that last payment is in a few weeks but I need to talk to a lawyer about what I need to do."
"That's going to be very expensive."
"We can consult and not hire them. That should be cheaper. And if we win we can pay them out of that vault."
"But if we lose we can lose all those payments plus have to pay them more for the insult."
"Then we'll claim insult on them for not accepting the payment. That's why I need to consult with an attorney." He went to the floo to call Harry, getting Hermione in the dorms. "Is he in the bathroom?"
"Changing. They're going for a fly but I'm hiding because one of the fourth years doused himself in pixie lust potion." Arthur winced. "Harry, it's Arthur."
Harry came out pulling on a shirt. "What's wrong?" he asked. "An attack?"
"No, I needed to know the name of the lawyer you used, Harry. I need to consult one about a banking matter."
"Oh, he's in Diagon." He dug into his trunk to find his card, handing it over. "We went through him."
"Thank you, Harry." He smiled. "We're all okay. The building shrinking didn't hurt anyone."
"Xander said if there was something like desk pictures he'd have a house elf go look at wherever the storage area is."
"I'll let that be known tomorrow. Thank you, Harry."
"Welcome." He smiled, looking at Hermione. "Let's go beat that fourth year."
"May I?" she asked dryly. "Please?"
He grinned. "Go be a prefect?"
She paused then giggled. "Snape?"
"Yes. It's a potion he's tried to spray others with." He looked up. "Dobby?" He appeared, looking amused. "Can you take Hermione to Snape immediately?"
"Dobby can do. Let's go, Miss Grangy."
She took his hand and let herself be pulled that way. She forgot her wand on Harry's bed but he'd give it to her later she was sure. "Thank you, Dobby." She patted him on the shoulder. "That's very kind of you." He smiled and left. She looked at Snape, and the other three teachers in the teacher's lounge area. "We have a fourth year going around spraying pixie lust potion in the common area?"
Snape got up and stomped off. "Come along, Miss Granger."
"Gladly. He tried me and I had to swat him." She opened the portal for him and followed him.
Snape glared at the students who were groping. "What are we doing?"
"Nothing we wanted to do," Neville complained. He was tied against the wall. "Pailey sprayed stuff on everyone and caused that."
Snape let him free and looked at Granger. "I left my wand on Harry's bed because I had to run to hide." She headed up to get it, getting it from Ron. "Snape's here."
"Have fun," Ron quipped, closing the door again.
She went down the stairs. "The boys are hiding away from all this messiness."
"I can see why. It's rather disturbing," he noted blandly, staring at the kids. "Which one sprayed it?" She and Neville both pointed at one boy, who was trying to hide underneath a sixth year girl. "Let us go discuss this with the headmaster, Mr. Pailey." He hauled him up, not caring his pants were undone and he was shirtless and shoeless but had one sock still on. Snape walked him off by his arm. "The rest need to be cleaned with a potion, Miss Granger."
"Can I make it or is it something to call Madam Pomfrey about?"
"Call her. It's beyond your skills." The doorway slammed.
"Okay." She moved to call her then got out of her way. "Pailey was spraying pixie lust potion and got a lot of the sixth year, Madam. Professor Snape said you had a potion to fix this mess?"
"Oh, yes, I have it by the gallon," she admitted dryly. "I'll be right there, dear." She hung up laughing. It happened yearly. It figured it was a fourth year had caused it. He was about that age to start living on his hormones.
Hermione looked at Neville, healing his injuries from being bound. "You better?" she asked. "If I see another naked dick, I'm shrinking it for days," she noted at the first moan without having to look. They whined but quit groping and moaning. Fortunately the nurse got there with the potion to dose them all.
Hermione looked at them once the nurse had left. "I don't have rounds tonight, Draco and the Ravenclaws do." That got a light whine. "Do not influence the younger children." They nodded, heading out if they wanted to continue that activity. Though the potion had a libido inhabitant they were teenagers, they could get past that.
***
Draco looked at the mess in the hidden room in the astronomy tower. "What are you doing?" he demanded. "This is disgusting, people." He walked off. "I'm telling McGonagall." He stayed out there, putting a shield over the doorway as he had her summoned with a house elf. He pointed. "Mostly your students having at it for some reason."
"A fourth year dosed their common room with pixie lust," one of the Ravenclaws said as she walked past them. "Sprayed it on everyone."
"You can tell!" He got out of the way. "Do have fun. My eyes are burning." He walked off with the other Prefect, who was tolerably not stupid.
McGonagall gathered herself and removed the shield then walked into the mess still happening. Draco hadn't stopped it at all. She stunned the whole room with a freezing spell then summoned the nurse.
Poppy looked then at her. "I've dosed them already. Severus had me summoned to dose them in the common room. I can't dose them again for eight hours. It's only been two."
"Oh, dear," she sighed. "So what can we do?"
"Well, the potion was mixed too strong apparently," the nurse said with a smile. "I'd consider a cockring personally." She walked off again to report that to the headmaster. Who came to look to see the problem.
"How often does this happen?"
"Pixie lust is on the fifth year lessons," she said dryly. "We had a fourth year spraying it around apparently. The nurse has dosed them. They're still going at it." She refroze someone who got free and started again with a sigh. "Poppy said he mixed it too strongly."
"I can see that." He nodded. "Can we ban that potion?"
"It's on the OWL."
"Oh, dear."
"Otherwise it is banned. It is not to be made outside that one class. It's not to enter the school in any form. Every year we have to confiscate a perfume or body spray." She huffed and turned to freeze them more firmly. Then she looked at him. "Dumbledore just sighed and told them to be better beings."
"No, I believe that if you're going to have at it in the school you need to be discreet and hide in a way that no one can find you doing it," the headmaster said dryly. "Though I'm starting to see it as a plot of those who kept trying Miss Granger last year."
"Quite," she agreed with a small smile. "It's caused many a marriage to hurry up as well because they forget to use protection."
"I can see why it's on the OWL then. Fifth years are about that age to start acting out on that urge." He looked in there. "I can see why Mr. Malfoy was upset by it."
"With his family's curse on him it's a worry and stressor he doesn't need to have as he can't act on his."
"Poor boy. I got plenty when I was his age." He looked in there then used a different freezing spell on them. "Do we have to tell parents?"
"I'll send letters. They may call to complain but Mr. Pailey is going to be very sorry when his father finds his behind." She went in to take note of who was who and used a time stop spell on the room to make sure they didn't start again. She wrote out form letters, she had a template already done from having to write many of these over the years.
Then she went up to remind her house that such potions were illegal and not allowed even in body sprays. One of the second years had some, she smelled it on her, so she got to write another form letter. Plus give Severus something to destroy. She told the other heads of house but their people had already reported to them about it.
One of the Ravenclaws had tried to sneak her potion into the house but had gotten caught by Luna Lovegood. Who had said something to the poor girl that had made her throw it out and go cry for a bit. Which she fully appreciated the student doing for her.
***
Druscila walked around her great-niece's seat where she was tied up thanks to her minions. "Toujours Pur," she said in her ear.
"Which is why I left the family," she shot back, staring at her. "I got warned you were still around, Druscila Black."
She smiled. "I am. The mean new daddy sort isn't really one of us but the doggy adopted him."
"We appreciate that about Harry. Even if I'm not on the family tree."
"Hmm." She stroked over her throat. "You'll do fine as one of us. The naughty, nasty tapestry has been healed. So many are missing that we're going to die off if we don't bend this generation." She smiled at her. "The nice, soft smelling one, your daughter, and Harry are the only heirs."
"I know. I tried to have a second but I miscarried."
"That's a shame." She went to game face and sniffed. "Hmm. Not yet a slayer." She let her go, staring at her. "Make sure my family carries on, even if you cannot have them be a true Black. The name cannot die or we're all forgotten." She fled.
Andromeda gathered her wits and left before the muggle could get there, going to report that and then complain to her head of house about that insane thing still being around. She also gathered her husband and daughter to make sure they were warned.
Harry's note back simply said 'she's a seer who was driven batty by torture but she's never wrong'. That made them groan because seers had special protections under the law. Though he did note he was noting her to the aurors in case they ran into her. He did send a message to Blackrock too, just in case she wanted to visit the family's vaults.
***
Instead, Druscila had tracked down her other great-niece. Not the insane one, she was too far gone to do what must be done. Though she'd make a darling vampire so she'd work to turn Bellatrix later. Her other great-niece Narcissa. She found her having dinner and let her minions help her attack them. Her niece's date got eaten.
Narcissa got tied up lovingly by her and carried off so they could talk about how she had turned her back on the family's ways. Only the Mothers could kick a son out. She hadn't done that to hers for being a soft one. Though Narcissa smelled like one too. It was intoxicating to sniff her. Too bad soft ones were hard to turn. She had tried recently to practice for the last son of the family. It hadn't worked very well.
In her hiding place, Bellatrix shuddered at a sudden thought. "What was that?" she asked herself, going to look in the mirror. She cast a checking charm on those she cared about. Her husband was beside her. She decided to extend it to her sisters. One was in big danger. She scried then screamed and went to help Narcissa.
Druscila smiled when she appeared. "There's my great-niece," she cooed. "So much like me. You'll make a fine childer and I'll be a good mummy to you, Bella." She wandered over to play with this one. The magic still came at her call. Bella was frozen and in agony from it, staring at her sister helplessly.
"She's our ancestress," Narcissa called. "That's great aunt Druscila. She's a Scourge of Europe."
"Voldemort would save me," Bellatrix complained. "Or my husband."
"You should bear an heir then, Bella. The house has no childer." She stroked over her throat. "Even damaged they'd be a true Black." She smiled at her, going to game face. "We need more Blacks before the family falls in."
"I've got finish winning this war."
Druscila laughed, shaking her head. "You will not. Not at all. All the lovely blood will be wasted on a field of Arthur's. All the pretty ones will fall down and not be snacks any longer." She ran a fingernail over Bellatrix's cheek. "Even yours, niece. Your blood will be wasted and all that lovely purity will be gone. That leaves the soft one, the funny one, and the adopted one to carry on the family name. The Black family dies on your womb." She smiled at her. "So you need to bear a family heir soon, Bella. It's most important."
"I'll do what I can later," she complained, eyes wide. "What soft one?" Narcissa snorted at that. "Oh, your son. He's *soft*?"
"He manifested as I did," Narcissa said quietly.
"Oh, dear. No wonder. And no wonder he dissolved the Malfoy family."
"The ring's spirit hated himself for being the reason my son carries veela genes. He's the one that bedded her to give us a maternal ancestress."
Bellatrix looked at the vampire. "Why me?"
"I can't have another," Narcissa complained. "The Malfoy will rendered me infertile when I had problems bearing Draco."
"Then I must do my duty by the family," Bellatrix agreed. Druscila cooed and kissed her on the forehead, then wandered back to talk to Narcissa. Bellatrix set off her emergency beacon to her husband. Who showed up with a few other Death Eaters.
"Oh lovely, niece! Baby Bella brought me picnic snacks!" She cooed and clapped her hands in joy, then attacked the first one. Both sisters looked away as they tried to not to see the carnage. A few injured their great-aunt but she did win. Which brought Voldemort. Who managed to free the sisters at least but he was going to lose to the insane vampiress.
She had more minions on hand than he had brought. They all had magic still, which went against what they knew of magic but they'd ask Bellatrix later. Narcissa was let go by her aunt to go have fun while she slept off her huge meal. Narcissa fled back to a safe location to shake in fear.
Bellatrix bowed to her lord and master. "Thank you, Master. My great-aunt reminded me that my womb is the last chance for the Black family to be carried on."
Voldemort stared at her as he sipped his pepper up potion. "She's your great-aunt?"
"She's Druscila Black."
"How did she have magic?"
"It's said that new vampires have their wands snapped, My Lord. Maybe they get new ones that fit them better?"
"I had not thought of that need." He finished his potion then threw the vial in the fireplace to burn later. He looked at her. "It is important that such pure families carry on. I know Narcissa gave an heir."
"Draco, who ended the Malfoy family." She had decided to protect that nephew. "My other sister married a muggle and gave a supposedly good auror. May I be excused to go heal my husband and work on that need, My Lord?"
"Yes. Do so. Do not come back until you can present the heir you need to me. Tell me if she comes after you again."
"I shall." She bowed and backed out of the room he was using for audiences. Her husband was injured so she went to treat them and then jump him. There were spells to make sure she'd get pregnant that night. Then she'd use others to let a better parenting sort carry them. Still a pureblood but one who wouldn't be risked and the child wouldn't be killed before it could be named.
***
Harry looked at his ring. "Why do I need to know about that?" It told him why. "Oh. That's why. Where is she?" He got a location but the ring wouldn't let him go capture her to stop her. He sent a note to Neville and Hermione, then Xander. Neville really wanted to kill Bellatrix to avenge his parents. Hermione could spread that news.
***
Xander looked up as that note hit his heir's pendant. "Good going, Dru," he said sarcastically as he stalked a vampire. Buffy looked over. "Harry just alerted me that Dru's niece is trying to have a family heir."
"Of yours?"
"Of hers. Harry's over that family by adoption."
"Oh. Why?"
"Because bloodlines are important to some people," he said.
"That's good to know. Would Giles know about that?"
"I don't know. Go ask him?"
"Later. After we're done with this problem of the night." They went back to stalking the vampires that had managed to escape them earlier.
***
Druscila found her favorite new niece again, helping her with the spells to transfer the children to the pureblooded witches she had captured. "There, all better," she cooed at their stomachs. "Now there will be many Blacks born. And one may even be a boy to carry on the name." She patted the girls to scent mark them so no other vampire would touch them. "There, now you're safe from all like me." She looked at Bella. "It's a good choice."
"I can't stand children," Bellatrix told her with a slight shrug. "It's better this way. They'll serve in glory."
"Good." She strolled over to her. "You can join me. I would adore having you as a childer. Spike would adore having such a wild, strong childer as you." She patted her on the cheek.
"I have to finish winning this war for the family and it's ideals," she said. They were all trained that way so Druscila probably had been too.
Dru nodded. "I can accept that. Win the war if you must but you will not." She patted her again. "When you're gone, we'll mourn your loss, Bella." She strolled off. "Send them to their mumsies."
"I will." She called her niece the auror, without letting on she was herself, and disappeared right before she got there.
One of the girls had been awakened by Dru so she knew. When an auror stepped in she started to cry. "Help us!"
"Of course," Auror Nympadora Tonks said, coming over to check her over then untie her. "What happened?"
"There was a crazy lady! She's making us carry her kids! To keep the Black family going!" she snarled.
"Oh, shit," Nymphadora complained. "All right. We'll get you seen by a healer. Anything else I have to know right this second?"
"The other scary, pale lady said we'd all carry them."
"Pale?"
"She licked our necks."
"That's probably a vampire. I've got to deal with that after we get you to a healer." She called in Bones, who was not happy. Who let it slip to Harry, who was pissed off and went after Druscila himself for that. And Bellatrix. She was not going to survive the month. Xander pulled him back from the edge and gave him an idea on how to handle it. Then he came over to help him with that plot.
Dru wouldn't like it when she showed up to talk to Harry again. She really wouldn't. Even if he was in bed when she showed up, the other boys had crossbows and Xander had trained them in how to use them that night. She was badly injured so Harry got to have a good, long rant at her about that's not how the family is carried on properly.
Torturing other women into doing their work wasn't the Black way either. Dru pouted but pointed out it wasn't her idea. Harry glared and shook his head, banishing her from the main family line but keeping her as a Black heir at least. It displeased her but at least she hadn't really lost her family. Bellatrix would still be her childer some day. Spike would adore her as their heir.
***
Xander showed up at the ER after helping Harry and his roommates, looking at Tonks. "They've got a plan to capture Dru," he told her quietly. "She's not going to be in great shape. I gave the boys crossbows and taught 'em how to use them."
"She's heading for the school?" she demanded.
"This wasn't Dru's plan."
"I realize that. My aunt's cranked all the way over."
"And then some." He nodded a bit. "Harry's so pissed it radiates from him about this. He said it is up to them and he will claim them as heirs if the mothers ask. Or let them be adopted if not. As long as the adoptive parents are warned who their mother was so they're warned the kids may become crazy."
Nymphadora snorted at that. "That's not much help."
"What do you want him to do? He's already going to kill her. Or someone will. That just moved her name up the list."
She blinked a few times. "Point." She sighed, looking toward those rooms. "That's still cold."
"He leaves it totally up to them. He won't abandon them, he'll make the family take responsibility, he'll name them heirs. But that's all he can do as a seventh year. Not like he has a house he can raise them in. Though Dobby would probably turn them pretty militant."
"True," she agreed with a nod. "Dobby's very protective." Xander grinned and nodded. "So it's up to them about what they want to do about it."
"As it is for every woman."
"Hadn't thought about that." She nodded. "I'll let 'em know, Xander."
"Thanks. If they decide to raise them, let them know Harry's going to be scared of kids, because he is, but he'll be there when he can and understands what they need from him."
"I will. Boy probably has not a clue about kids of his own with how he was raised." She went in to tell the girls that. "I talked to someone who's talked to the head of the Black family," she told the girls. "He said Bellatrix Lestrange is not part of the Black family any longer. He's cast her out. She's due to die horribly."
A few grimaced but some looked pleased. "He also said that he will not make any demands on you for anything. If you decide to have the kids, he'll let them be adopted or if you raise 'em yourself he'll let them be Black heirs. He'll stand beside you with what you need for that, but he's got no idea about kids and he's barely not one himself."
"I thought Malfoy was the Black heir," one girl said quietly.
"No, Sirius adopted his godson, Harry, to do it." A few whined. "Yeah, he's a bit peeved. The Dumass family head taught him how to use a crossbow earlier to help against that vampiress. Who by the way is Druscila Black, and I'm told she's one of the Four Scourges of Europe." She grimaced. "She's also a seer. So if you see her again, let us know she managed to survive and we'll come take her out."
One nodded. "So it's up to us?"
"Of course. As the Dumass head pointed out, that's always been the woman's choice to make. Harry's not going to push in any manner. He's not going to complain about it no matter what. It's up to you to decide that." They nodded. "We need to know for the court cases if we manage to arrest her or her husband before Potter gets his hands on her."
She looked at the nurse sitting on the ward then at them. "I'm gonna go gather parents. The other aurors have been slowly doing that but a few are out of the area so I've got to hunt 'em down. Amelia Bones, the head auror, is going to talk to 'em for you." That got a few nods.
"She's got nieces she's raising so she'll be delicate. All right?" They nodded. "Good girls. I'll be back by tomorrow with the rest of the parents." She went to talk to Amelia, who had the last two parents to find. They were working with muggles. She'd fit in better.
Amelia stepped in to look at the parents. "We had an incident earlier," she noted calmly, looking at the group. "Bellatrix Lestrange was out and about." A mother started to cry. "Your daughters are healthy, still, but something did happen. Apparently someone pointed out that the Black family had no heirs so she decided to make some," she finished with a sigh.
The parents all stared at her. She nodded. "Magically done. So they're her heirs. Your daughters were knocked out. They're safe, they're healthy, but ...it was done by spell." She sighed again. "We've talked to the head of the Black family, who has finished casting her off the family tree for that. He's said he's not going to push any of the girls in any manner, it is up to them what they decide.
"If they wanted to be adopted out, that was fine with him. If they raised them that was fine with him and he'd let them be known as Black heirs. He did ask that if any were adopted their actual parentage was known so the future parents knew there was a mental instability possible." She looked around again.
"He said he'd stand beside them if they chose, but he's not going to get demanding or anything like that. He loathes what she did. He's learned how to use a crossbow tonight to stop her and the vampire that was helping her. Her great-aunt had been turned and was the seer who reminded her that the Black family had no more heirs." A few slumped.
"So that is where it stands. All the girls were not tortured. They were unconscious. They're all resting in the same room guarded by a nurse. But that is what happened. There's two who don't have parents here yet. We'll tell them when they're found. You are allowed to go gather your daughters if you wish. Or let them stay overnight if you wish."
"Who is the head of the Black family?" one asked.
"Harry Potter. Sirius Black adopted him." A few grimaced at that. "He had her to take out as soon as he saw her, a kill on sight order basically, but he had no idea she was going to do that. The vampiress Druscila prompted her apparently."
"Would he take in the children?"
"He has no idea about kids and he's a seventh year," Amelia Bones said. "He'd help them find good adoptive families if that's what the mothers want. The same as he'll help them if they want to terminate it." That got a few happier looks. "But the girls were not harmed during it, at least physically. The spell wouldn't have taken if they had been harmed."
"So they're healthy, they were just assaulted," one mother decided. Amelia nodded. "Can we find that one?"
"I wouldn't go against Bellatrix myself. Me, personally, she's one of the few I'd want backup to handle. Even if I intended to kill her for harming my family. Which she did." She stared at her. "If we find her first, she's being put up on charges and will die in jail. Or of being kissed. Or going through the veil. If Potter finds her first, she'll die. Probably in pieces because he's that mad right now."
The mother nodded. "Good."
"If he had known he would've stopped her. He had already cast her out of the family for her earlier deeds. Now he's finished it so she can't say she was once a Black."
A father sighed, looking at her. "My daughter will probably want counseling."
"That's fine. That's available. The nurses can set that up."
"She's not supposed to ever have a child."
"That's also an option that's available. As it has been for every other woman through history." He blinked at her. She shrugged a bit. "It is an option. That's her decision."
"I'll make sure she knows."
"If the nurse acts shocked, have them talk to me and I'll give you the name of someone I know who handles such matters." That got a relieved look from a few parents. "I can lead you to the ward if you don't have more questions." They followed her to check on their daughters. Amelia ached for the girls but she couldn't make their decisions for them.
She couldn't do more than be supportive and work harder to find Lestrange before Potter did so she could make the woman suffer. The nurses encouraged them to let the girls stay the night so they got to do that. Once they were gone, Amelia looked at the girls. "Dr. Priscone, who is at Mary's in upper England, is a doctor who is known to the magical community as an obstetrician," she told them simply.
"No matter what choice you make, he can help you with that. Or his daughter. We know one of his daughters is judgmental but not that much." She looked at the one with the father who had said she couldn't carry. "He can do medical things to fix that," she told that one, getting a nod. "That is still your choice but he can tell you about any dangers if you do decide to carry it." She put herself outside the door.
The nurse looked at the girls. "He's quite nice and specializes in hard pregnancies. We have one closer to London if you want their name, ladies." They nodded at that, laying down to think about their options. At least no one was pushing them. Outside one mother who wanted to be the grandmother to a Black as they were an old family.
***
Harry stomped down to breakfast, nodding at Draco. "We have to speak. Right now." Draco sipped his tea, giving him an odd look. "Saw your great-great aunt last night." Draco spluttered but got up to go into the hall with him. "She's tied up in Neville's trunk. She came to tell me she helped your direct aunt make sure there were more proper heirs coming."
"Excuse me?"
"Bellatrix used some sort of spell to magically impregnate at least six young women," he said more quietly. Draco winced at that, but nodded once. "I've left it up to them about what they do and if they want to adopt them I'll fully agree. If they want them to be Black heirs I'll let that happen and help the mothers however I can."
"Some will do it to have the money."
"I know. I've seen people like that too. I left it up to the girls. That's their choices." Draco nodded at that. "But yeah, Dru's in Neville's trunk. We didn't have great aim last night. She giggled at us shooting her with our new crossbows and cheered us on tying her up."
"It figures vampires are a bit weird about that sort of thing," he said, looking confused. "Why not stake her?"
"She's a seer. The rings all said I couldn't and Nev's backed it up. The aurors don't want to deal with a vampire."
"Oh Lord Merlin," Draco muttered, looking up. "Do you think she met my mother?"
"You can ask her."
"I will. Let me.... Huh, the law would say we couldn't stake a seer. Damn it." He walked off. "Let me finish my tea and I'll ask someone about it."
"Great. Tell McGonagall we're having breakfast up there to make sure she can't escape?"
"Gladly." He walked in and up to the teachers' table. "Madam, your house's seventh years are presently holding a vampire hostage that they caught breaking into their room." She choked loudly, staring at him. "She's a seer."
"The law says you can't harm true seers," Snape said dryly. "Which one?"
"My great-great aunt Druscila Black apparently. She was helping my Aunt Bellatrix with a family project last night."
"That was in the papers," Snape admitted.
"I heard from Potter." He looked at her. "He said they're eating up there to make sure she can't escape until it's figured out what they can do with her. He said the aurors didn't want to handle it."
"I'll talk to them myself and then the boys. Thank you, Mr. Malfoy."
"Welcome. I'm going to see if she's met my mother to nag her. Since she can't have more heirs.... It really may fall on my shoulders to carry on two older family names." He went back to his tea to calm himself down. He'd have to act very sure of himself when he talked to her instead of like she'd make him piss himself. He couldn't do that yet this morning.
***
Harry looked at the Black family ring and sighed, taking it off and tossing it out a window. "I told you to stop doing that," he called after it. "Before I toss you in a lake!" It floated back up to him so he took it back and it apologized. "Thank you. I need those brains." He put it into his trunk with the one he didn't usually wear as there were no more family members left. Neville and Ron were staring at him.
"They hated that Draco emerged. If he hadn't it would've been fine." Draco looked over from talking to Dru, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, he went full on Voldemort." He glared at his trunk because he could still hear the complaining.
"Then stop it. Not like I'm pureblooded. No one's really a pureblood or they're so inbred they can't do anything but suffer. Like half of you, the brains went with the lack of mixed blood. That's why the Dumass clan was much more powerful magically." The ring decided to think on that and sulk. You could even tell it was pouty.
Draco walked over to pick up the ring. "Someday I may give the family legitimate heirs," he told it. "But it'll be years. It'll be my heirs that carry on the Black family name if Potter allows it."
"Fine with me," he agreed. "Make one of your future kids worthy of being my heir and I'll name them to that title." He grinned.
"The family will," he started.
"Didn't that die when you closed out the Malfoy family?" Harry asked. "You can have more than one kid. You just couldn't name them Malfoys."
Draco considered that. "I...well, damn it!" he said, realizing that. Harry grinned and nodded. "I'll bear a Black heir with whatever non-British purebred wife I find." He looked at the ring. "Remember what happened because of the Malfoy ring doing the same thing." It flew back to Harry and put itself back on his finger. He grinned at the staring vampiress. "And yet they kept trying to get me to marry a man."
Druscila giggled. "It could be fun."
"But no heirs."
"There's ways."
"Yes but none that are tasteful or socially acceptable unless I carried them myself like a *proper* Black would've." He stared at her. She pouted. "You tainted the lot of bloodlines with my aunt."
"Blacks must be above all else."
"My father had that same feeling," he said dryly. "So he kissed the scaley arse of a snake fucking half-blood to win a pureblood war." She grimaced. "Voldemort." He smirked. "A *true* Black knows that you must do the duty yourself, not pass it off or buy it off. That way is laziness and shows inferior raising.
"Which, with two of the three of those sisters going the way they did.... One abandoned her son for no reason and the other tainted bloodlines. At least the other aunt only slept with a muggle and fell in love." He snorted. "I can forgive that sin since her daughter ended up with a rare gift."
Dru pouted. "But they're not pure."
"So?" He shrugged. "Neither's Potter."
"Does the ring know that?"
"Yeah." Harry grinned and nodded. "Apparently Sirius' grandfather met me when I was little. He called my mother spunky according to the ring. Though, not really, Draco. Well, half in her case I guess."
"Point. She was a half-blood." He hummed, considering that. "Are you going to date Granger? Whoever noted she'd make a fantastic Dumass matriarch was right."
"She's got her plans and I've got stuff I've got to handle. I still think of her like a sister. I doubt we could snog."
"You should try it," Draco offered. "Really, you should."
"After the war."
"Why risk dying if you haven't even gotten a kiss? Even I've done that and I've got that damnable curse on me."
Harry stared at him. "Is there a betting board or something?"
"Well, yes," he admitted with a grin. "But most everyone thought you'd go for Longbottom or Lovegood. Or possibly Ginny Weasley but most of us considered that as it being pushed on poetic grounds since she looks like your mother."
"Many have suggested that to her because of that reason," Ron quipped. "Or that she marry Voldemort thanks to that possession."
Draco shook his head. "There's a fate worse than death. Your mother and her howlers against the son-in-law from Hades?" Ron stared then burst out laughing.
"Hmm, the prophecy said he'd be killed by the power he knows not," Harry said dryly. "Nev, you up for that snog?"
"I like Hannah Abbot and we're marrying after the war ends," he quipped, going back to reading. "Not even a thought to get into your panties, Harry."
"Okay." He looked at Draco. "Someday I'll find someone to trip and fall onto their lips, but otherwise probably not anyone in the school. I want someone to have fun with me. Someone to enjoy a good fly, all that. Which Hermione can't fly because it makes her ill, and her idea of fun is roller coasters. Which I cannot take. I can do it flying but not on a coaster. Even the video of it made me ill."
Draco shook his head. "Well, hopefully you'll find one so you can write letters to them during the war so someone later on can publish them in honor of their grandmother and her great love affair."
"In that case it'll probably be the girl I love but can't marry for some reason," Harry joked.
"Could be," Ron and Neville muttered then nodded. The vampire moved so they pointed their crossbows at her again. She quit trying to get free again.
Draco looked at her. "I'd call Xander to see if you could go back to Sunnydale but he's in an awful temper about last night as well I'm sure."
"He's still venting," Harry quipped. "The heir's pendant is very informative about that language. I've never heard some of those words used." He grinned at Draco. "Then Buffy tried to lighten it with a joke of 'can you walk up to a man and call him a mother fucker because he's got kids and a wife."
Draco sighed, rubbing his head. Then he shook his head. "You probably could but I'm sure he'd be displeased."
"Even my father would've had an impolite word for someone that tried that," Ron agreed. "And then told my Mum to let her handle it."
"I'm sure they'd regret it," Harry said. He looked at Dru, who was getting free. He bound her with a different spell this time, making her moan.
"Oh, puppy!" she said, high with pleasure. "You do that as well as my Angelus did. Thank you!"
"Welcome." He grinned, looking at Draco. "I learned it from a book in the library."
Draco just nodded, looking that spell over. "I've seen it used in the past but they never had such fun with it."
"The demon that makes us likes such things," Druscila told him.
"Then I may not ever want to be turned. I'd bruise very easily."
"It's hard to turn a soft one," she admitted, pouting at him. "I tried and it went very, very wrong."
"Good to know. I'll see if someone knows why," he said. The auror came to the door and knocked then leaned in. "Yes?" he asked.
"The Minister has said that the laws against vampires do not supercede that she's a seer. Even though she's helped with the torture of a few women and harmed all your mental healths. He said to release her somewhere."
"Ooh!" Dru said happily, trying to clap. "Thank you! You look like a fun toy too. Did they send you to play with me?"
"Hell no," he said with a grin for her. "I've got a kiddie at home I have to go tell about you so her generation don't get to forget." He left, leaving Potter to handle it. Harry was a heroic sort, it was his sort of job to handle.
Harry tapped the pendant he wore to talk to Xander, who considered it. Then he sighed. "He said he can give her to Angel or he can give her to the Council but that last one might be mean. She might make them come after Buffy again if she doesn't eat enough of them."
She pouted. "They'd try to take my lovely blood from me," she said.
"Which I'm not against at the moment," Harry reminded her. She pouted at that. "Is every pure family like her?" he asked Draco.
"Mine? Yes. Lighter outwardly of course, it doesn't due to be known to be that dark and torturing." He looked at Ron.
"We have a few aunts and the like but we never talk about them." He looked at Neville.
Neville didn't even look up. "How would I know? I've only got a grandmother and an uncle from her side of the family."
Harry looked at his hand. "Charlus just said that many purebloods are that cranked because they never had to figure out their places in the universe and how to deal with it. Okay." He talked to Xander again, who agreed he could come grab her. He showed up.
Dru's eyes went wide. "How did you do that?"
He leaned down to grin at her. "I studied house elf magic. I can do like eight forms, Dru." He smirked. "Xander is not the person Buffy thinks he is." He took her and did a different binding spell, making her whine in pleasure. "Great, you like bondage. Thanks, guys." He brought her with him, handing her to Angel when he appeared.
"Helped magically rape a handful of girls to carry on her family's name." Angel winced. "Trying to mind fuck my cousin Harry and his roommates. Trying to make sure the Black family lives on." He stared at her then at him. "The UK said that her being a seer means they can't kill her."
"I'll...handle her," he decided, giving her a shove. "What the hell are you, Harris?"
He grinned. "You can't tell? That's shocking." He disappeared again without using his wand.
"I hate him," Angel told Dru, who just cooed at him and tried to pet him. "I really do. He's confusing and he's wrong and he's not human."
"He is. He's simply a Dumass."
Angel paused then blinked a few times. "Like Clan Dumass?" he demanded.
She hummed and nodded with a bright smile. "He heads them now. He's the last. Plus a son and a grandson I'm told. Maybe a daughter and her family."
"Oh, fuck."
"Well, they are like that."
"Yes, he is." He walked her into the room with the chains on the wall to tie her up for now. Then he went to think about his bad ideas against that boy. The Dumass' were powerful, slightly wicked, and mean when they needed to be. He had started Xander Harris on the path to be one like them. It was not a good thing in his atonement. Dru was giggling at him for that heavy thinking. He really wanted to stake her right now but he needed to know what she had done. He might even have to work with Spike against her.
***
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