Chapter 24

FLEUR DELACOUR

Fleur sat with Edward as they both ate their lunch. She observed him while he ate as she thought about her mother's words. Edward still wore his gold-rimmed glasses and his usual Hogwarts robe. Her mother's words had been somewhat ominous, and Fleur had thought about them for quite a while. What was it that had her mother raise those questions?

Perhaps feeling her stare, Edward suddenly looked up and looked at her with a raised brow.

"What happened? Is the food not good?" he said, and Fleur shook her head.

"No. No. It's fine, I was just thinking about something," she replied as she finally picked up her own spoon to taste the food.

"Is everything alright?" he asked once more, and Fleur nodded as she thought about her other worry and considered that it might be a good time to tell Edward about it.

"It's just that a letter came from France, and father will be arriving just after the yule Ball," she was also a little miffed about that. While they did formalize their relationship, he had still not asked her out for the yule ball formally.

"Oh!" he seemed a bit surprised by the news though none of the concern and worry she was expecting appeared.

"Edward! you do know about…." And he cut her off mid-sentence.

"I know. I know. Don't worry about it. Leave it all to me," he said nonchalantly, and she thought that he was taking this very lightly.

"Edward!" she spoke out with a bit of heat. And he seemed to realize as his smile was gone, replaced by his serious face as his eyes focused on her.

"Convincing my father will not be easy. He is…." and she couldn't think up an appropriate word before he spoke up.

"Stubborn. Rigid. Protective," he spoke up as he gave her a small smirk, and she frowned slightly.

"I have read about him a bit, don't worry about it. I will handle him." He said as he squeezed her hand.

"Let me tell you something," he began in his serious tone, and this was what she called his 'wisdom' tone. Used when he usually wanted to lecture someone about something.

"In life you don't make a person choose between yes or no. You make sure that the 'no' never becomes an option."

She saw the huge smirk on his face and rolled her eyes.

"Ok Mister, I leave it all up to you. Now didn't we have to go and meet those juniors of yours," she said as she glanced at the clock, and he nodded as well.

"Yeah, it's almost time. I have reserved us a classroom, so there will be plenty of space, so let's go," he said and she got up from the bench as well as they began to leave the Great Hall. On their way, he suddenly spoke up.

"When you reach your carriage, check under your bed." He said, making her frown.

"What? Why? And more importantly, how do you even know that?" she questioned him, and he just shrugged as he gave her an enigmatic smile.

"Magic! Literal Magic!" he replied as he opened the door to a classroom, not answering her questions. Just leaving her in suspense.

0000

EDWARD WRIGHT

"Viktor Krum asked me out for the Yule Ball yesterday!" Hermione suddenly spoke up from the side as both of them rested from their waltz practice. Susan, Daphne, and Tracy already knew how to waltz and were all gathered around Fleur as they quizzed her about details of the dueling circuit.

"And how did you reply to this request?" Edward questioned as he turned to look at the huffing, flushed junior he had more or less taken under his wing. Hermione seemed to be fidgeting with her hands as she replied.

"I said yes," she replied and Edward nodded as he gave her a huge thumbs up.

"Good. Good. And you were thinking about skipping the Ball and now you are attending it with a celebrity. Sheesh, look at you go!" he joked and she just pinched his arm and he let her.

"It's just that I have never been to something like this. Plus…" and Edward cut her off.

"Plus, nothing! Nothing! It's just a school ball, and I can tell you eighty percent of the students have never been to something like this. It will all be fine, don't worry. Plus, you have already somewhat learned the waltz." Edward bulldozed the girl's insecurities. Honestly, often he thought how she had ended up with such a personality. Though, she had been more social in this year as she had finally expanded her friends' circle.

"So, have you decided on what to wear to the ball?" he asked her as he picked up the water bottle and took a small gulp to quench his thirst. Hermione gave him a stare and then nodded.

"Yeah, I have. Though I wanted to ask you a question?" and Edward nodded.

"Ask away?" and he noticed how Hermione hesitated for a second before she spoke up.

"Who exactly was Grindelwald, and why do is the Daily Prophet calling you the next Grindelwald?" Edward stopped at this. He was not expecting her to bring up such a topic. So, he thought about what he should tell her, given she would have already read what was available about the man, which was not much, given that he had stayed out of Britain for his campaign.

"Well, Grindelwald was a Dark Lord that rose up before Voldemort. While still debatable, some still hold him to be more dangerous than Voldemort given that he brought more than half of Europe to its knees." Edward began.

"Was he also a pure-blood supremacist?" Hermione questioned, making him shake his head.

"No. He had a different idealogy. An idealogy called Magic is might, of wizards and witches having superiority over the muggles or No-majs as they are called in America, I presume."

"And he was defeated by Professor Dumbledore," she finished, and he could see her process this all.

"But how do they relate you to him? You are a muggle-born?" she asked with a frown making him laugh.

"Well, this has to do with my skill set. The way I duel and the spells I use are somewhat inspired by the man. And while Gellert Grindelwald did horrible things, his talent as a wizard was second to only one person. A person who would eventually defeat him."

"And how did you learn all this? Like, how did you even find out those spells and techniques?" Edward had always thought about how such a day would come. A day when he might have to explain his skill set and knowledge. He looked at Hermione, who was looking at him with a small frown on her face.

He simply raised his hand and poked her on the forehead.

"And I will tell you if you beat my scores in your NEWTS. But before that, let's get back to practice and get those final steps corrected."

And he got up from his seat, as Hermione just held her forehead and gave him a nasty glare.

"WHY DO YOU ALWAYS DO THAT!" she spoke through gnashed teeth, making me simply laugh.

One day you shall understand. One day.

0000

ANDROMEDA TONKS

Life was simply an enigma. An enigma that always surprised her. Andromeda Tonks sat in the stands as her husband walked up to the head of the DMLE and handed Amelia Bones a stack of documents.

She had more or less forgotten about her family. The Blacks were ancient and one of the most historied families in the Wizarding world at a time. A family which had now been reduced to merely three members. A runaway witch, a wife to a blood supremacist's wife and a wrongly convicted murderer.

"Bring out the accused," came the voice of Amelia Bones and she could spot a couple of Aurors move as they brought Sirius forward. She should have known better. When she had gotten news about Sirius's betrayal she had been shocked and disappointed.

Disappointed that he had also become like the very family he had been standing up against. She had been heartbroken by his sentencing. Yet it was all a lie. A lie and it seems he was not the only one who had changed sides.

Regulus, she sighed as she remembered her little cousin. He had been the quieter one, much like her. Both of them silenced and ignored by the shadow cast over by the larger-than-life elder siblings. Andromeda had mostly been ignored for her elder sister Bellatrix and then for the younger and prettier Narcissa. A blessing she could now realize given how both of them had been doctrine by their mother and aunt's influence.

"And this here says that you wish to give a statement under Veritaserum?" Amelia Bones spoke from her seat and she could see Dumbledore's hands over this all. With the Christmas holidays there was only minimal staff at the ministry. Most of this staff was under his influence.

She looked up and found the headmaster himself sitting on the stands opposite to her as he looked on at the proceedings quite calmly. She frowned slightly. She had never understood the man. She still remebred the different rumors and stories she had heard about the man from his grandfather. Stories that if even were partly truth would change the man's image completely. This as one of the reasons she had never accepted help from the man.

She had also stopped Ted from engaging the man, cutting of his contact completely when they had vanished from school.

"Objection! Sirius Black is an Occlumens and hence could resist the effects of the Veritaserum!" spoke up the other lawyer, making Ted stand up.

"While that is true. The accused stands here without a wand and has presented an oath not to use any magic during the trial!" and she felt pride seeing him stand there. Ted Tonks. Named partner at one of the oldest law firms in magical Britain.

Ogden and Tonks. The Ogdens were pure-bloods, though they did not believe in the pure-blood bullshit, and when Ted was struggling to find a job, had hired him. And now, years later, even after receiving several other lucrative offers Ted had remained at the firm, becoming one of their biggest attorneys.

"Overruled!" came Amelia's voice as she banged the gavel.

"I have the written declaration right here. Moreover, the Auror Shaclebolt will be observing the accused during the whole process!" she finished and gave a nod to Ted, who picked up the Veritaserum bottle and passed it to Shacklebolt. Another one of Dumbledore's vigilante group members, from what she recalled.

The whole procedure was carried out. And it was too much of the court's surprise when Peter Pettigrew was revealed to be the secret keeper. The whole chamber was filled with murmurs, and she could see the look of pure surprise on the faces of the porters present.

This was the biggest scoop in years. A major scandal. They were going to have a field day with this.

"The court declared Mr. Sirius Black free of all charges. And the ministry shall present him with an apology for his wrongful imprisonment as well as appropriate compensation!"

BANG.

And a swarm of reporters rushed to the gate as they raced to report this to their superiors. She saw Sirius smile as he waved toward her. A smile dimmed by the loss he had suffered yesterday.

Ted shook hands with the man as Dumbledore also came to join them on the court's floor. She stood up from her seat and began to walk out. The trial was over. There will probably be quite a celebration but before that.

There was to be a funeral. A quiet funeral for the ever and now forever quiet Regulus Arcturus Black.

0000

BOOOOOM.

Sirius is free. Andromeda has the middle-child syndrome. Ted's a lawyer, not part of Order of the Phoenix.

What's hidden under our dear Fleur's bed?