“Are you ready to go?” Amelia asked Andi, grabbing her old auror robes and putting them on, first checking that she had her wand with her.

Andromeda Tonks nodded, checking to make sure she had her own wand, even though she knew it was exactly where she had placed it earlier, in her robes, easily and quickly accessible. Ted wasn’t fond of her going on these trips with just Amelia, but he acknowledged that they were important. They had to get to the bottom of what had happened with Sirius Black. Regardless of whether or not Hailey was right and Peter Pettigrew was alive, Sirius had never had a proper trial, and that was a serious miscarriage of justice.

Following Amelia Bones out of her office, they made their way through the bowels of the ministry, past all of the auror’s who were currently in the office and not hunting down dark witches and wizards. They could hear a growling noise ahead of them, and shortly after, they came across Alastor Moody, chewing out a young auror for apparently making a mistake. While Moody was semi-retired, the department still appreciated him coming in to help out occasionally, especially with some of the newer recruits. While some of the things he taught Dora Andi thought were inappropriate, she still nonetheless appreciated that he had taken a shine to her daughter, and more importantly, taken her under his wing.

“Oh, Bones, what’re you doing here on the weekend?” Mad-Eye growled. On anyone else it would’ve sounded like a threat, but with Moody, it still sounded like a threat, you just knew that it wasn’t. If he was threatening you, he made sure that you knew it. Taking too many dark spells near his throat had made his voice more gravelly than it naturally was.

Madam Bones nodded to the grisled old auror. “Moody. Andi and I are just heading over to Azkaban to question Black some more.”

Smiling at Alastor, Andi nodded as well. “Alastor, how are you today? Is your knee giving you any trouble?”

The old veteran’s face grimaced, what was an approximation of a smile, the best that the countless scars and wounds on his face would allow. “Only when I breathe. So, going to see Black again?” He shook his head and sighed, leaning on his staff heavily. “I can’t say that I like all of this business myself. If there is an innocent man in that place, then we need to get him out, and find out who is responsible for it. If I had my way, heads would roll for that kind of thing.” Moody suddenly spun around faster than Andi had thought he could still move and slapped his staff over a stack of papers the young auror had just placed down. “Jeffreys! Don’t put those blasted papers in that file, they go in the one labelled, outbox, who taught you to read, a hippogryph?”

“Right, well we'll just get out of your hair, shall we?” Andi said as politely as she could.

“Now hold on a moment, I’ll tag along. Grubbly-Plank! Take over babysitting this greenhorn.” 

Andi watched as Moody’s one remaining eye flashed dangerously when the man, Grubbly-Plank, opened his mouth – probably to protest – he then thought better of it and just nodded with a sigh.

“There’s a good lad,” the old auror growled. “I knew what they said about you couldn’t all be true.” He swivelled back to Andi and Madam Bones – ignoring the other man when he tried to speak – and gave them a slight nod. “They should be able to manage without us for a little while. Bones, did you test to make sure that Andromeda was who she said she was?”

“I’ve told you countless times before, call me Andi.’

The veteran auror grinned. “Good, it’s you. Now, you test me next.”

“No one is going to impersonate you, Moody,” Amelia said.

Alastor looked affronted, like the very idea that no one would impersonate him hurt his feelings. “You don’t know that! Constant vigilance! I keep saying it, yet no one takes me seriously.”

“Fine,” he replied with a growl after Amelia just looked at him. “Let’s just go.”

With two loud cracks and a single popping noise, the two ministry workers and Andi appeared on the very end of a stone pathway. It hung out over the ocean, waves smashing violently against the island’s high rocky edge.

An ominous gloom and oppressive darkness began pushing in on them the second they had appeared on the island edge, causing Andi to shiver immediately and pull her robes tighter around herself.

“Expecto Patronum!” all three of them yelled a moment later over the whistling of the wind and the almost continuous rumble of the thunder overhead.

A silver glowing owl burst out of Andi’s wand, lighting their way, and pushing back the gloom and the cold. A raven appeared from Madam Bones’ wand, circling around them, flying in the opposite direction to Andi's owl. Lightning cracked across the sky in a violent display of nature as a bright light emitted from Moody’s wand, surrounding them in a soft glow and creating a bubble that helped keep the dementor’s presence away from them. Andi had heard that Alastor rarely used a corporeal Patronus, preferring the non-corporeal light to make it harder for people to identify him.

In the distance, Andi watched Dementors fly over the dark castle’s walls and swoop down to investigate them, circling overhead but staying away from their patronus light. 

Alastor glared up at the dementors circling them as they started walking towards the black castle ahead of them. “Is it just me, or do they seem more agitated than usual to you?” Moody yelled over the howling of the wind.

Amelia bones shook her head, glancing up briefly at the creatures as well. “No, it’s not just you. I have gotten reports from several others who have visited as well that they have been agitated for a few weeks now. They won’t say from what though.”

“Let’s hope it isn’t a sign of anything bad. We really don’t need the Dementors abandoning their post and attacking people.” She shuddered. “It was bad enough the last time they worked for You-Know-Who during his rise in power.”

The older witch turned to look at her sharply. “Do you think that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is behind their sudden behaviour?”

She shook her head and sighed. “No. Well, I hope not. It’s just odd that it almost coincides with the first report of the new muggleborns with magic, don’t you think?”

Amelia frowned, but didn’t reply, instead sighing as she looked around.

Andi had her suspicions about the origins of these new muggleborns that have been reported, seemingly spreading out from the UK, but she hadn’t even spoken to Ted about her thoughts yet. She didn’t want to needlessly cause issues, just in case she happened to be wrong.

Not wanting to keep putting up with it, Andi carefully whispered a heat charm, the magic helping to partially alleviate some of the cold that the Dementors permeated around them. With fierce winds, Dementors overhead, and the angry ocean below them, the three wixen made their way along the narrow path, their robes billowing all around them.

“Blasted Dementors,” Moody grumbled, glaring at the creatures that were following them.

With a tap of the department head’s wand, the castle gate opened, a loud creak and even louder bang echoing around them as the doorway slammed down, creating a walkway across the gap, the ocean far below them.

Once they crossed the threshold into the castle, Amelia waved a special badge at the Dementors that told them that they had authorisation to be there, and all but one Dementor backed off further. They still needed their Patroni to prevent the influence that they created, but there was less pressure on them now. Andi had asked why she waited to show them the badge until they entered the castle, and Amelia had said it was to prevent anyone from picking up the magical signal as the castle walls prevented anything from passing through them.

With a relieved sigh, Andi loosened her robes, blowing them dry from the stray ocean water that had managed to hit her as she looked around inside the courtyard. The sound of the weather and the crashing of the waves were muted, with the rain and other effects kept away by magic.

A young woman with a silver butterfly hovering around her approached them hesitantly, smiling and relaxing when she noticed Amelia and Mad-Eye.

“Don’t just relax, girl!” Moody snapped, glaring at the auror intern. “We could be any number of dark wizards here to rescue a fellow criminal. Constant Vigilance!” he roared, causing the young witch to flinch and look ashamed.

The head of another auror intern, a young wizard slightly older than his companion, popped out of the closest building to glance at them. “And you! You should not let another auror greet anyone by themselves. They could be easily overpowered, where were you, lad?” Alastor growled, causing the young wizard’s eyes to widen and he hastily stepped out with a silver glowing snake wrapped around his neck.

“I can see it was a good idea for me to come here today, if this is what all of the guards are like,” Moody said, turning to look at Amelia.

Madam Bones sighed and shook her head, looking disappointed at the younger wixen. “I appreciate your vigilance, Moody. Andi and I will go and see Black. We will most likely see you back here before you finish with the interns.”

With a nod at Andi, Amelia walked off between the small buildings in the courtyard that housed various prisoners, expecting her to follow.

After a brief wave to Moody and the poor interns, Andi hurried after her, making sure to glance at any prisoners that she saw, checking to see that they were in reasonable health for a being in a place like this. This particular area of Azkaban was generally considered the ‘nicest’ as it had far less Dementors around. It was usually reserved for the temporary prisoners.

Andi caught up to the magical law enforcement head just as the massive doors into the castle proper silently and smoothly opened. Lanterns of a ghostly blue-green flame provided the maze like corridors ahead with dim light. Designed to reveal anyone not given permission to be there, the flames also concealed the auror’s and their interns who were supposed to be patrolling. Considering both Moody and Madam Bones were about, for their sake, Andi hoped that they were.

With a flick of her wrist, Madam Bones’ wand fired off a thin red stream of light that they hurriedly followed. The spell that Amelia cast was one that very few wands were able to cast – as it required permission from the Azkaban castle itself – because it provided the spell caster with accurate and updated information on where their particular prisoner was at that moment.

The entire castle was one giant constant shifting labyrinth, and that was without considering that the castle itself could and would happily rearrange itself to make it even harder for unauthorised wixen to make it through. Adding the various auror’s at differing levels of experience, and the Dementors, Andi could easily see why no one had ever escaped Azkaban and she had serious doubts that anyone ever would.

The cold hit Andi first, even harder than it had outside as they traversed a section of the labyrinth that opened up into over a dozen corridors leading off deeper into the castle. A Dementor hovered at the entrance to each section, their dark cloaks slowly swaying in the non-existent breeze. Eerily, their heads turned towards Andi and Madam Bones all at the same time, their creepy rattling breath that sucked out all life from the air echoing around the chamber.

Before the Dementors could begin to move, Amelia flashed her badge again, relaxing slightly as the Dementors stayed where they were. Andi noted that even the lanterns struggled to stay lit in this section, and even her owl and Amelia’s raven flickered underneath the combined weight of so many Dementors so close together.

Travelling for what Andi could have sworn was half an hour, but was probably only a few minutes, they finally arrived at Sirius Black's location. The entrance to his room was open and free of any doors, allowing them to see the surprisingly large room inside that housed a metal cage barely big enough to hold a small cot, a lavatory and a small space to stand up in. 

Even though she couldn’t see any nearby, the Dementor’s oppressive aura was barely reduced, and Andi knew that within minutes, one would patrol past. The Dementors patrolled each area every ten minutes, like clockwork.

Blue-green ghost light revealed the dim corners, a barred window providing a small amount of whatever genuine sunlight managed to pierce the clouds outside. Even with that, the room was still immensely depressing and gloomy. Andi had to give it to her cousin for how sane he was considering his circumstances, especially since it seemed like he was an innocent man.

“Ahh, Madam Bones and Andi, my dear cousin, what a pleasure to see you both so soon after the last one. My, if this keeps up, I might actually begin to think you aren’t a figment of my fragmented mind after all!”

The pale and gaunt man with scraggy, messy black hair lay on his cot on his back, his hands underneath his head. He was grinning, but Andi noticed that it never reached his eyes. Eyes that were as haunted as the haunted shack at Hogsmeade. 

With pale skin and so gaunt as to be almost skeletal, Sirius was a far cry from being a poster boy of perfect health. His once handsome face was sharp edged from the lack of nourishment, and sported a bit of a beard. Once a month someone came through and fed them potions to help keep them healthy, and make them lose any unwanted hair growth. The potions were inexpensive and so easy to make that even the first year Hogwarts students could do it.

Once again, Andi cursed whatever witch or wizard came up with the idea of Azkaban Prison as she stared at her cousin, or the shadow of the man that he once used to be.

“Once again, it’s truly us, Sirius. We have come to talk to you,” Andi replied.

The dark haired man’s grin widened, almost meeting his eyes this time. “Ah, but of course you would say that! Figments always want to trick me.”

Shaking her head, Amelia moved further in the room, her Patronus landing on her shoulder as she did. “Why do you insist that we aren’t real, Mr. Black?”

Sirius’s eyes hardened as he looked at the department head. “Because if I allow myself hope, the Dementors will just feed on it, and make me feel worse. Now if you aren’t my own mind playing tricks on me, and that is a huge if, and I don’t see my goddaughter with you to visit me, what do you want?” He spread his arms out from where he lay to take in his iron cage. “I’m extremely busy. 

Before Amelia could retort, Andi walked through the open doorway, her owl mimicking the raven and landing on her shoulder. “As we said last time, we can’t let Hailey visit you here. You of all people should understand that this is no place for an eleven year old girl.”

Instead of reacting like she had assumed he would, Sirius just shrugged his shoulders from where he lay. “I know.”

“You know?” Amelia asked, raising a single elegant eyebrow.

“Of course,” Sirius replied with a sardonic grin. “I had to be sure that you weren’t imaginary.”

“How does Hailey not coming to Azkaban figure into that?” Andi asked curiously.

Her cousin continued grinning. “I make it my life’s goal to never have hope, remember? But also because if she had come, I would have known for sure that I was dreaming.”

It would seem that Sirius was far more sane than he gave himself credit for. It sounded like a fairly clever way of attempting to work out delusion from reality. Although she had no idea how successful it would be against your own mind.

“Peter is alive,” she eventually said, looking her cousin directly in his dark eyes.

She could have sworn that she felt the air that got knocked out of Sirius from even the distance she was standing away from him.

For the first time, except when talking about Hailey, Andi saw genuine emotion in her cousin, besides the fake or muted kind. She could see pain and rage in equal measure. “No! You’re lying. I watched him explode!”

“Hailey told me,” Andi replied simply.

Suddenly Sirius was right up against his cage staring at her and clinging on to them like they were the only thing keeping him standing – perhaps they were, she reflected – while he had an unhinged expression on his face. “Let me out, I’ll finish the job I should have finished eleven years ago!” Sirius shouted, his pale face slightly flushed from anger.

“We don’t know for sure whether or not Peter is alive. We have only the word of an eleven year old witch still coming into her magic. Who knows how her power works? What if she only thinks so because of the connection he has to her parents.”

Andi shook her head. “No. I believe her. You weren’t there when I said his name and her magic triggered.” She swallowed, grimacing at the memory. “The expression on her face… it’s not one I wish to ever see on her ever again.”

“Let me out! I need to kill that rat!”

“Not protect Hailey?” Andi asked with disappointment, clearly she had underestimated Sirius’s selflessness.

Sirius’s face darkened further. “Killing Peter would do that!”

“Oh, so that would stop any and all harm from befalling her? She’s gaining more and more enemies by the day. A lot of people are at the very least unsettled by her little act of accidental magic that affected the entire planet. How is killing one man going to save her from that?” Andi asked, watching Sirius seemingly deflate, running his hands through his shaggy, dirty hair and sigh.

“It’s that bad?” He asked quietly, all previous signs of energy gone like it was never there to begin with.

Madam Bones cleared her throat. “It is. We have managed to shield her from the worst of it for the moment. Of course, she has no clue about any of this, and ideally we can sort it out before she ever hears about it. Thankfully her being the last Heiress of the House of Potter has protected her from a lot.”

“At least the pure blood idea of supremacy and their need to protect their precious power is working in our favour for the moment, but if there are too many more stunts like what she pulled a few weeks ago, even that won’t protect her.”

“What about Dumbledore? What is he doing to protect her?”

Andi shared a look with Amelia, before she turned back to Sirius to answer his question. “I don’t honestly know how helpful he is at protecting her. His idea of protection was to dump her off with her awful aunt and uncle with no oversight. Dora told me he tried to convince her that she had to go back to them outside of Hogwarts.” She shook her head at the audacity of the man. “Not to mention how secretive he is, you know what he is like, if anything, he has gotten worse in his old age.”

Just then, a silvery flash interrupted their conversation as a glowing goat ran into the room, being chased by an auror.

“Oh! Madam Bones! I didn’t know that you had arrived,” the wizard said, standing up straight and trying to fix his messy robes.

The patronus goat ran to Andi, distracting her from the conversation Amelia was having with her subordinate. 

Aberforth’s voice came out of the large magical goat’s mouth that it opened, but didn’t move like it would if it was talking. “Mrs. Tonks, this is Aberforth Dumbledore, I have a message from Hailey.” Andi’s heart froze as she heard Hailey’s name, a million bad things that could have happened rushing through her mind. “She was absolutely insistent on me informing you that she knows where Peter is, and what he is. Apparently he is a rat named Scabbers at Hogwarts? We will be there by the time this message reaches you.” Having finished its message, the large goat faded away with the magic that powered it dispersing.

Glancing around the cell in shock, Andi noted Sirius’ face had paled even more than it was naturally, before his eyes flashed with anger. “That rat! No doubt he is hiding there to hear news of whether or not his master has arisen once more.” He snorted, but Andi could tell there wasn’t any humour behind it. “Figures he would be a better rat than he ever was as a snivelling cowardly man,” he ranted.

“What’s this about being a rat?” Amelia asked, her eyes flashing dangerously.

“Oh, umm.” Sirius scratched his head, looking awkward, clearly hesitant to answer. “Didn’t I say? Peter is an animagus.”

⚡

“Madam Bones, what has brought you… and all of your companions with you, to Hogwarts today?” Professor McGonagall asked, looking at all of the auror’s arrayed behind Amelia warily. Each one was clearly dressed for battle, their wands close to hand, belts with magical potions full and easily accessible. Each auror more grim faced and prepared for violence than the last.

After apparating directly from the ministry, Andi, Amelia and Alastor had led the team of auror’s directly to Hogwarts. Once there, they assembled at the front doors and asked for Minerva McGonagall to join them. Molly and Arthur Weasley stood back nervously, identical worried expressions on their faces. 

“McGonagall,” Madam Bones said with a nod to the older Professor. “We have reason to believe that there is a possible dark wizard hiding within the walls of Hogwarts.”

Professor McGonagall looked shocked for a moment, before she shook her head slightly. “That’s absurd! Nothing and no one like that should be able to get past the wards.”

“He is an animagus, Minerva,” Andi said quietly. “Living as a pet rat with one of the first years.”

At hearing that they may have been accidentally harbouring a criminal for all of these years, Molly whimpered, curling herself into her husband's embrace. Arthur tried to put on a stoic expression as he held Molly, but Andi could see how scared for Ron he was.

Not that Andi could blame either of the Weasleys of course. She would be too if Hailey or Dora were in this situation. She was still worried for Ron, as she was worried for any student that could potentially get caught up in this. There is no telling what Peter might do, how he might react upon being discovered after all these years in hiding. Seeing as it was a school, Peter had plenty of hostages if the situation wasn’t handled properly.

McGonagall looked faint, before she clenched her jaw and became all business. “Right. If the Ministry is here, then you must believe it to be true. Regardless, we can’t let this continue, for the children’s sake, if nothing else. Let’s go and see Dumbledore.” Having said that, the old Scottish witch made a sharp heel turn, and walked off, expecting everyone to follow her, which they did.

A short time later, and running into very few students – Andi suspected that was deliberate on Minerva’s part – they arrived at Dumbledore’s office after riding the eagle statue.

While the majority of the auror’s that Amelia had brought stayed outside, Andi, Moody, the Weasleys, Minerva and Amelia herself filed into the Headmaster’s office.

“Oh? This is a curious group that you have brought to see me, Minerva. What has happened?” Despite the seemingly jovial tone, Andi could detect a slight edge to Albus Dumbledore’s voice. The Headmaster had been sitting in his chair with a relaxed posture, but now he leaned forward and steepled his fingers, looking at them all over the top of his half moon glasses that sat on his slightly crooked nose.

“We have reason to believe a dark wizard is hiding within the walls of Hogwarts as an animagus,” Amelia said, stepping forward slightly.

Dumbledore’s blue eyes settled on the department head, twinkling as the corner of his eyes crinkled when he smiled gently at her. “Would this ‘reason’ happen to be a certain interesting young lady by the name of Hailey Potter?” He held up a hand as Andi went to speak. “Don’t bother, I already know the answer to that.”

The old wizard leaned back into his chair slightly. “She is certainly a curious one, I grant you that. Very well, please provide me with whatever information that you know, including who and where and if it happens to be all true, we will go and capture him, making sure the students are safe, of course. That is our top priority.”

“We need to go and get him now! Our Ron needs to be kept safe!” Molly shouted angrily, her eyes flashing dangerously, before she collapsed back in on herself and huddled into Arthur again.

“If what you say is true, then a few more minutes to update me then plan won’t make a bit of difference, he has been hiding in your family for years, after all. I dare say taking the time to plan will make it safer for everyone.”

Andi watched Dumbledore sigh wearily, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes, before putting them back on after they had finished speaking. “So Peter betrayed the Potters? And James, Sirius and Peter all became animagi secretly? Certainly an interesting tale you weave. Very well, let’s plan how to capture Peter, shall we? Minerva, could you please go and locate Ron? Then report back when you have.” Dumbledore turned to look at Andi and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, she spoke over him.

“I am going to go and see Hailey, make sure that she is doing okay after the day that she has had.”

Dumbledore nodded. “Very well, I believe that she will be at the library right now, studying with her friends.”

With a nod, Andi left his office before he could start speaking again. It hadn’t escaped her that he apparently knew Hailey’s schedule off by heart, but not Ronald Weasley’s.

While it had been a number of years since Andi had lived at Hogwarts, she still remembered how to get to the library from almost anywhere in the castle. Within a few short minutes, she entered the quiet area, nodding towards the librarian, before going deeper into the large room almost overflowing with tomes and spellbooks.

As she turned a corner, Andi nearly ran into a bright green haired boy. “Mum? What are you doing here?” Dora asked, a confused expression on ‘her’ face. It was always odd when Dora changed like this. She never knew what to call her child, or even what pronouns to use and when she asked, all she got was a shoulder shrug, which didn’t help at all.

“Ah, Dora, I was here on some Ministry business and I wanted to see how your sister is doing.” It warmed her heart to be able to claim Hailey as family like that. Fairly soon, it would be legally so as well, once the paperwork had been finalised. Normally it would have been done much quicker, but since Hailey is the last member of the Potter family, there were more checks and verifications that were slowing the process down.

Dora pouted. “Not here to see me? What am I, the family dog?”

“Well, you do do such excellent tricks,” Hailey said with a giggle. Leaning around Dora, Andi could see that Hailey was laying on a nearby couch with her head in Hermione’s lap. A blonde girl with bright blue eyes and wearing Ravenclaw robes sat on a single seater, giggling at Hailey’s comment, a book on her lap. Even though she had never met her, Andi assumed that it was Ariana – she could see the passing family resemblance to Aberforth and Albus.

Stepping forward with her hand outstretched, Andi greeted her daughter’s new friend. “Hello, dear, I’m Andi, Hailey and Dora’s mum, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Springing up from her seat, Ariana grabbed Andi’s hand to shake, before jumping in surprise when her book slid from her lap and hit the ground with a loud thump, revealing a small white kitten with black and grey patches. The kitten let out a startled yelp before clinging tightly to Ariana’s robes, causing the blonde witch to wince in pain and quickly sit back down again. Gently patting the kitten and cooing at it, Ariana looked up at Andi and smiled.

“Sorry about that, I forgot she was sleeping on my lap.” Looking down at her cat, she cooed again. “Sorry, Ally, I didn’t mean to do that.”

Smiling at the cute scene, Andi winked at the young witch. “You’re fine, she’s a cute little kitten.”

“Thanks! The younger girl said, blushing and looking fondly at her kitten.

Hermione was absentmindedly running one hand through Hailey’s still blue hair, while the other held a book up. It was cute watching them together like that, although Andi was a little surprised, she thought that Hermione had an issue with touching, from the interactions she had seen between Hermione and others, even her own parents.

“Nice to see you again, Andi.” Hermione put her book down and nodded at her with a smile.

“You too, dear.”

Smiling at her eldest child, and patting her cheek, Andi was briefly surprised by what felt like a preliminary 5 o'clock shadow, like what Ted had before he shaved. Clearly Dora had put real effort into this form, it was more than skin deep if it could grow hair – unless she made it that way. If that was the case, then her metamorphmagus skills had gotten a lot better.

Hailey turned her head, and gave a small wave and smile at Andi, appearing quite relaxed in Hermione’s tender care. “Hi, Mum, nice to see you again.” The blue haired witch’s smile got wider and she blushed slightly when she called Andi mum. She of course thought it was adorable, and it warmed her heart.

“How are you doing, sweetheart?”

Her adopted daughter shrugged her shoulders slightly “I’m okay, it’s been a long day. A mostly fun day though.” She smiled at Ariana when she said that.

“Glad to hear it. Did you spend much money?”

For some reason Hailey blushed, looking embarrassed while Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed. “Uhh, yes?”

“She bought a broom!” Dora interrupted, laughing then laughing even more when Hailey pouted at her. Clearly Andi was missing something about this broom business. 

Before she could ask anymore about it, an enchanted parchment folded into the shape of a bird flew up to her and dropped into her outstretched hand. Unfolding it, Andi read the hastily written note.

Peter Pettigrew has been apprehended.

Madam Bones.