Capítulo 96: No Title Today
Pat-reon: HelloDarkness07
A/N: TRIGGER WARNING! Character death!! I will write a tldr at the end of this chapter, just in case you don't feel like reading the chapter with this in it. Thank you, and sorry!
—
3rd August, 1959:
Raising a glass of Firewhiskey in my hand, a wide smile on all of our faces, I look at my first friend in this new life, Darla White. Selene was in my arms, hugging me from the side, while Darla was hugging Ana close to herself. Dorea stood with Darla, holding hands with her.
Hearing a sniffle, I lay a kiss on Selene's forehead, and say, "Ana, Darla. Congratulations on this great news you've just graced us with. I am most definitely sure that the baby will be lucky to have the two of you as parents. And Dorea.. congratulations on making all this happen! To Ana and Darla!"
"To Ana and Darla!" I receive a chorus from Dorea and Selene, while the women in question stay silent, smiling with happy tears in their eyes.
We were in the Aves Manor, celebrating the happy news that the couple had just told us. Ana was pregnant. By Darla. Thanks to help from Dorea.
Apparently, and I didn't know it before because of fewer meetings between us, Darla had gone to Dorea for help in creating a child together.
I am a bit miffed that she didn't come to me, since you know, I'm a Healer, but I understand the comfort of having help from a fellow woman.
Anyway Dorea, in a manner befitting a mad scientist, had cooked up an Alchemical Potion that would allow Dorea to temporarily.. be capable of impregnating her girlfriend and future mother of her child, Ana.
The way it works is not as you'd expect. The couple drinks the Potion, and an.. exchange of bodily fluids would allow them to become pregnant as easily as actually penetrating would have. The other option was allowing Darla to grow a dick (which was also possible through Alchemy, funnily enough), but Ana preferred Darla as she is. Without a penis.
They began trying for a child four months ago, and they had just tested positive for Ana's pregnancy a week ago.
"My mother was certainly happy, even if she is still miffed that I didn't marry whom she wanted me to. But my brother, I've never seen anyone happier at becoming an uncle!" Ana says, as we chuckle at her gushing tale.
Ana and her family.. had reconciled. Five years ago, Ana had created something called the Gate, which was the nickname given to 'Long Distance Portal Gateways'.
Ana was inspired by my Vanishing Trunks, as well as the Sorcery Portals that she had seen me use, and spent a few years working on creating something that even a Muggle could use. She succeeded of course, Ana is a wonderful Enchanter.
The end result was a set of doors, each connected through a network. A vocal command specified which door you want to exit out of. There was also the option of turning a door off, so there was no need to be afraid of someone sneaking in through them.
The ICW loved her invention, really loved it. Each member country bought multiple Gates, one Gate to use as an alternative to International Portkeys, which took around 10 minutes at the minimum, favouring instantaneous travel, and others for their internal Government use.
The Ministry itself had bought one each for the DMLE, the Minister's Office, the Muggle Prime Minister's office, Diagon Alley, and every Wizarding town in the United Kingdom. Some richer families also bought them, to move from one of their houses to another, and I myself had three, one in Slytherin Castle, Aves Manor, and the Chamber of Secrets respectively.
I don't need it, and neither does Selene, but it is a commodity to have.
Anyway, when her invention became a success, her family, which had remained away after Ana had run away from home, and even when she had opened up a shop in Diagon Alley, mostly because she was in an open relationship with Darla, approached her. They met up a few times, and Ana welcomed them back in her life about a year later.
While talking, Darla then raises her eyebrows and asks, "And what about you two? Our little baby girl is going to need a friend you know."
As Selene turns to look towards me, I chuckle and say, "As much as I'd love it, we won't be trying for children yet. We have very long lives ahead of us, we're not in any hurry, you know."
Mostly, it's because of the threats that Selene and I know are coming, one of them being Apocalypse and his inevitable War against humanity. Neither Selene, nor I, want to bring a child into a world which is in a danger of harm from someone powerful.
But, a part of the reason we are saying no is Selene.. she's already seen so many of her children die of old age, she has descendants amongst the living, millions of them. None of her children became Externals, or became immortal. She believes that her Soul Curse prevents her children from becoming immortal, so until that curse is cured, Selene won't be having children.
She just doesn't want to risk seeing another one of her children die, and I don't want to see her face that.
As for me.. well, I'm.. not a father material. Hell, the Indigo Dragons I raised and loved with all my heart, I abandoned them the first chance I got to learn something interesting. I know I won't be a good father, so why risk screwing someone's life up?
Selene smiles, and says, "I-"
Suddenly, a pop occurs as a small being appears in the room with us. "MASTER MASON!" the Elf tearfully yells, as soon as he's there.
Trappy, the Potter Family Elf.
Why is he here? Why is he so sad? Why is he terrified?
"Trappy?" I ask, becoming sober at the sheer fear, sadness, and terror on his face. I immediately use telepathy to go inside his mind, to find out what's wrong.
At the same time that I do find what's wrong, Trappy jumps towards my legs, hugging them, and says, "Master Mason! Master Monty be dead!"
I freeze.
What?
Monty.. dead?
I don't know what I feel. Sadness, anger, resignation? Anger, and sadness, that's at the forefront. I don't deny that it had happened, Trappy felt it, he felt his Master die.
My sensitive ears pick the sound of vibration, and I look towards Darla, who had frozen in her place at hearing Trappy's proclamation along with everyone else. She plucks her Auror badge from a pocket, and after looking at it, she says, "Trouble in Diagon Alley. Someone attacked the Alley. I'm sorry, but I need to go."
This.. cannot be a coincidence.
I turn towards the crying Trappy, and a peak in his mind confirms my fear. Monty and Aunt Mia had gone to the Alley. And now Monty was dead, with the fate of Aunt Mia still unknown to me.
Putting my hand on Trappy's head, I cast a Sleeping charm on him, and say, "I'll come with you."
Darla doesn't even bother trying to say no to me, and just holds her hand out to me.
"Don't rush into things, Mason. Think and then act." Selene says, as I'm about to apparate us to Diagon Alley.
I nod at her, too upset to say anything in return, and just apparate us to Diagon.
Someone killed Monty, someone killed a friend of mine. I don't care who is responsible, I will be making them pay!
—
Diagon Alley, a few minutes ago:
Euphemia Potter was happy, far too happy in years. Not since her last Apprentice, Mason Aves, had become a full fledged Healer, was she this happy. And there were reasons for it.
First, Mason had to go to War, then he had to go and break his Oaths like an idiot, and in between that, Mason brought the news that Fleamont's nephew Charlus.. had died fighting for Gellert Grindelwald.
Not against, for.
Even Fleamont had been a bit down since that day. They didn't blame Mason, how could they? He was at war with Gellert Grindelwald, at War with the Nazis, and Charlus had ambushed him to take him prisoner. Fleamont knew that while the killing of Charlus was one made in anger, it was wholly justified. And Euphemia.. she was just upset that Mason had to kill another person, let alone someone he knew was their family.
And Mason had the good grace of not telling anyone about Charlus fighting for Grindelwald. He didn't even tell Darla, the sweet girl that he had fought a demon with. He also brought Charlus's body home, so he could be given a proper funeral. While Fleamont was upset at Charlus for disregarding everything his father Henry had taught him, he was glad that Mason didn't let Charlus's actions sully the Potter name.
But despite all his bad deeds, his crimes, Charlus was Fleamont's nephew. And his death had hit Fleamont hard. So, yes. Neither of the two Potters have been happy for a long time.
Until.. now.
Mia put her hand on her stomach, her heart still fluttering at the little bundle of joy growing inside her womb. She could feel it, feel her baby inside her whenever she put her hand above her womb.
Euphemia Potter was pregnant. At 68. And that was what had both her, and Fleamont so happy.
They had been trying for a child for decades, alas to no effect. There was something at work, both Mia and Monty knew, like a family curse or something. And they had lost hope for a child altogether. Hell, Mia was even considering adopting Mason as her son, just to have an heir to leave behind.
But now.. a miracle had happened, Mia had gotten pregnant. They didn't know what had gone wrong all those years, they didn't care. They were just happy that it happened now, late rather than never.
She was two months along now, with the conception being in the last days of May.
"Thinking about the baby again?" Monty asks, as he approaches her with a stack of Potion ingredients in his hands, and a large smile on his face.
Smiling at him, Mia says, "As if you weren't thinking the same? I can see the smile on your face, you know."
Monty smiles, and just keeps the ingredients on the counter. Mia looks at them, and sees that they were for some plant leaves, some roots, seeds, and even some dried animal parts. But she recognised the ingredients, of course she did, and she knew exactly what Potions Monty was going to start brewing.
She was a Master Healer, married to a Master Potioneer.
She rolls her eyes, and asks, "Invigorating draughts, Healing Elixirs, and Essence of Dittany? Really?"
"Hey, your due date may be half a year away, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared. And the Essence of Dittany takes two weeks to properly prepare, anyway." Monty says, defending his purchase.
Mia sighs, and watches him pay for the ingredients while the shopkeeper, an old friend of theirs named Jack Carkitt watches in amusement. He turns towards her, and says, "Allie was telling me 'bout it, yesterday. Congratulations are in order then, Madam Potter."
Mia smiles, and says, "We are still half a year due, Jack."
He chuckles, and says, "Aye. About time, I say. You be safe now, Madam Potter." He then turns towards Monty, who had wandered off to check out some more ingredients, and calls out, "Oi, Monty! Take care of your wife, ya idiot!"
"Yeah, yeah. You don't have to tell me about it." Monty says, bringing some more ingredients, one of whom makes Mia's stomach roll with the smell. His nervousness and excitement was endearing, if a bit annoying to look at.
Monty then looks at her, with the same expression that he had 50 years ago when they married, and asks, "Shall we take our leave then? I know Trappy must be sick with worry-"
Suddenly, he stops, widening his eyes, and before she knows it, Monty had rolled her behind himself, shielding her from something. He yells, "Protego!" As soon as she's behind his back, and not a moment too soon as a spell comes crashing through the apothecary window, and slams into Monty's shield.
The shield shatters, and both Monty and Mia are sent flying back.
"Bloody hell! Monty! Mia! You alright?" Jack asks, as he pulls his own wand out, and jumps to duck behind the counter.
Standing up, Monty looks at the closed eyes of his wife and for a moment, his heart skips a beat, as he sights the blood near her head.
'No. No. No.. she can't die, she can't die!'
But then, he sees her chest rise up, and breathes out a sigh of relief. He looks at Jack, who was kneeling in front of him, and says, "She's alive. Thank God!"
He didn't know what he would have done if Mia had actually died, let alone while pregnant.
They had been thrown over the counter by whatever spell hit them, and Mia had hit her head. He holds on to Mia's hand, and tries to apparate out of there. The knot in his stomach tells him that there were wards in place to prevent this from happening. Using his Portkey ring also gives the same result. None.
Taking a second, Monty closes the wound on her head, stopping the bleeding, and patches it with a conjured bandage. Being the husband of the Head Healer has some advantages, learning basic Healing spells is only one of them.
He then peaks out of the store, from under the counter, and says, "The fuck is happening out there?"
Through the broken windows, Monty could see pandemonium. People were running here and there, spells were shooting everywhere, without any specific target in mind. One of those stray spells must've hit his shield, he thinks.
As he listens silently, prioritizing his wife over saving anyone else, he hears the cackles of the attacking wizards, as they spelled down people, and destroyed shops indiscriminately.
Jack, who was also taking shelter behind the counter, says, "Looks like some sort of attack. I don't know who, though."
Suddenly, Monty hears something that makes him freeze. Somewhere near the Apothecary, a man was saying, "Oh, what is this? A stray little mudblood? Where are your filthy muggle parents, little mudblood?"
"I- I- don't know!" A tiny voice cries out, belonging to a girl who couldn't be more than 12 years old.
The man chuckles, and says, "Don't worry, they will come when they hear you scream. So, scream for me, mudblood. Scream! CRUCIOOOO!!"
The bloodcurdling scream that follows chills Monty to the bone. A man, an adult man, was torturing a child, who couldn't even defend herself. Monty was conflicted; stay hidden and defend Mia from anyone that tries to attack them, or go and save the little girl from a monster.
"CRUCIOOO!" the man yells again, taking matters out of Monty's hands, his decision made.
He was a Potter, a family of Gryffindors going back to the times of Hogwarts! His family might not have always been warriors, but they don't think twice about helping anyone else.
'Maybe this way I can redeem the Potter Family name that Charlie dragged through the mud.' he thinks, as he stands up.
Sadly, he looks at Jack, who has his eyes widened, hand clutching his wand tightly, and says, "Defend my wife, Jack. I will forever be indebted to you."
And before Jack can say anything, the 70 year old Monty jumps over the counter, and casts, 'Homenum Revelio' silently. A single wave of invisible magic shoots out of the wand tip, and immediately, Monty sees a spot on the outer wall glow white, and he sees the shape of a man on the wall, standing over the trembling and now silently crying girl, unable to voice out her immense pain.
Pointing his wand at the spot, Monty silently casts, 'CONFODIO!'
The piercing hex speeds out of his wand, through the wooden plank walls, and hits the wizard cleanly on the shoulder.
"ARGH!" he yells, as he gets thrown into the alley to the left of the apothecary.
Vanishing said wall temporarily, Monty walks through, and sends the girl flying through the open wall. After restoring the wall to its previous state, Monty sends another Piercing hex at the man, who dies on the spot with a hole in his head.
Furiously, Monty looks towards the Alley, and sees similarly dressed men and women sending spells at the panicking public. He sees a Hogwarts Professor, a young woman of just 40, using a shield to defend herself and the 3 children and two adults hiding behind her, muggles from the looks of it. They were trying to run towards the bookstore, but they were trapped by the walls.
New students, muggleborns, then.
And attacking them were 3 people, all dressed in black, with silver masks protecting their identities.
Making his decision, Monty slashes his wand, carving a hole in the man to the left. The others turn to him, and Monty yells, "COME ON, COWARDS! FIGHT SOMEONE YOUR OWN SIZE YOU TWATS!"
As one, the two wizards turn their wands to him, and Monty happily welcomes the spellfire shot at him with his own spells. The distraction had given the Professor the time to send the family of muggles and muggleborn to flee. As the professor joins him in fighting the Wizards, and three more Dark Wizards join the offensive, Monty returns spells with a fervour.
These people had hurt Mia, his wife, his love. They will die.
—
Mason's POV:
As I pop into existence in the Leaky Cauldron, I see Aurors cordoning off the area, while another group of Aurors was interviewing some people in the Inn itself. I start walking towards the Alley opening first, because I need to see it.
"Sir! Mr Aves! You can't go in there!" An Auror bravely says, coming in my way.
"Jenkins, if you know what's good for you, get out of the way." Darla calmly says, as she joins me in my walk towards the Alley.
He recognises her and widens his eyes, but thankfully says nothing else.
As soon as we're inside the Alley, I stop and stare at the carnage I see in front of me. Shops were destroyed, Fortescue's burned down, and the Apothecary caved in. I could see even more people sitting around the alley, some injured, some not. Healers were spread all around, healing the injured, while more Aurors were dealing with the damage.
"They came out of nowhere! One moment we were all happily shopping for the next school year, and the next curses were flying everywhere!" I hear one man explain to the Aurors.
Another says, "They were monsters! Throwing unforgivable after unforgivable! And if not that, then they were sending dangerous exploding hexes at the shops, trying to bury us all!"
"I lost my mom today! Where were you?! Why weren't you here to save her?!"
My heart clenches, hearing all the witness reports, coming straight from the mouths of the injured.
And then, there were the Unspeakables, standing in the middle with their wands pointed upwards. I ignore all of them, and go towards the Apothecary, where I can feel the unconscious mind of Aunt Mia. I feel Darla join her fellow Aurors in investigating and covering the bodies up, and I let her. She has a job to do, and so do I.
"Move aside please." I whisper, as I hold back my tears and start healing Aunt Mia's wounds. The Healer before me had already poured potions into her stomach, so half the work was already done.
"Aves? What are you doing here?" The Healer says, and I recognise her as one of the Healers from when I was learning.
"Master Potter is injured, Madam James." I simply say, that explanation is good enough, as I start feeding her the Magic from the Healing Realm to speed the process up.
Madam James looks at my hands, which were now glowing green, and says, "I thought you were barred from being a Healer." Although thankfully, it was not accusatory, nor was she trying to stop me.
Instead, she keeps her wand tip touched at Aunt Mia's head, to keep a continuous diagnosis.
Nodding, I take my hand off Aunt Mia's stomach, the Healer's part of the healing process done, and say, "I removed the bond Master Potter put on me. Report me later, but first tell me what happened."
Madam James sighs, and points towards the other side, where I could see a family of three, parents and a child, along with Carkitt- the Apothecary owner- the latter of whom was looking towards Aunt Mia every once in a while.
She says, "From what I know, the Potters were shopping for potion ingredients in the Apothecary when the attack began. Mr Potter saw the spell first, defended himself and Healer Potter from it, but Healer Potter was knocked unconscious. She suffered a cut on her head, but her injuries were superficial."
Superficial they may be, but I can't see her like this.
"Mr Carkitt and Mr Potter were awake and conscious, but stayed with their heads down, not willing to risk Healer Potter's life. Until.. they heard a man torture a little girl, and Mr Potter.. he went to save her. Then he went to help another Witch, a Hogwarts Professor, save a family of Muggles along with their muggleborn children."
I close my eyes, already knowing the rest. Monty.. Monty was dead. Along with Professor Rowle, the woman who taught me Charms.
Passing from mind to mind, I see the battle happen, and as tears leak from my eyes at Monty's ferociousness, I see the moment his Death approached him. A Killing Curse struck him from the back, coming from a black robed wizard who wore a golden mask, as opposed to the other attackers, who wore silver masks.
In the memories of the observer, I then see the new Wizard turn his wand over to Professor Rowle, and just like he did Monty, I see him kill her too. Cursed on the back.
The man then points his wand up into the sky, and yells, "Morsmordre!"
Widening my eyes, I stalk outside, and look up. Sure enough, the thing the Unspeakables were studying was the smoking green and black figure floating above the alley, yet still inside the Wards. A skull, with a snake passing through its mouth, moving around in the air.
The Dark Mark.
But.. Tom's dead? How?
"Monty?" I hear the soft voice of Aunt Mia say, as she regains consciousness.
I immediately go towards her, and sitting down next to her, I say, "Take a deep breath, Aunt Mia. You hurt your head pretty hard in the attack."
I look towards Healer James, and she just nods. She says, "Come, Master Potter, we need to transfer you over to the Hospital."
Aunt Mia looks at the look on my face, and I see the moment she realised what I wasn't saying. As tears start falling down her face, she once again asks, "Mason.. Monty? Where is he?"
Wiping my eyes, I put my hand on her head, and say, "We will talk later, Aunt Mia, focus on healing for now."
Tears keep falling, as she shakily nods, realising that no.. Monty was not here anymore. I then see her put her hand on her stomach. Her hand suddenly drops down, as if there wasn't any strength supporting her.
"She's going through shock. I need to transfer her to St Mungos immediately." Madam James says, after a single diagnostic spell.
Nodding, I create a portal and send both Aunt Mia, and the Healer to St Mungos by the moving portal. And then.. I drop down, crying my eyes out.
Monty was dead. Aunt Mia was pregnant, which is.. good, but the child won't have its father. James Potter will have no father to raise him, or at least, not Fleamont Potter.
Aunt Mia.. she lost her husband, a man she spent half a century with. Just like that, he's gone.
A hand softly lands on my shoulder, and I tearfully look up at Darla standing above me. I whisper, "He's gone, Darla."
Darla nods, and says, "I will try my best to find the people, Mason. Monty's death will not go unpunished."
I wipe my eyes, and say, "No.. it won't."
Standing up, I start walking out. Darla calls out, "Be careful, and don't break any laws!"
I smile, thankful that she isn't trying to stop me. Because I will not be stopped, not right now.
The Death Eaters.
Despite me killing Tom Riddle, preventing Lord Voldemort from ever being born, the Death Eaters were here, so soon after the last War ended. And I know exactly where I can find knowledge regarding them.
Because I recognised the voice of the man who killed Monty. Of course I do. I've met him a couple times, in the Ministry.
Abraxas Malfoy. A rich bastard who was 3 years my junior in Hogwarts. And he will pay for killing Monty.
Heads are going to roll, and people are going to die.
—
TLDR: Darla and Ana are having a child together with Dorea's Alchemical help, and Euphemia Potter is pregnant with little James. The Potters are in Diagon Alley shopping for Potion ingredients when the alley is attacked by death eaters. Monty loses his life while defending some muggleborns, and Mia gets thrown towards the wall during the initial attack. She's okay, and so is the child, but she's heartbroken, which sent her into shock.
Mason has sworn revenge on all involved, and Darla doesn't even try to discourage him, because she knows how much he loves Aunt Mia.
---
A/N: How are the Death Eaters still here, despite Tom Riddle being dead? Well.. It's a surprise for now.
This short arc will go for around 5-10 chapters, after which there will be time skips to the MCU canon. I won't be writing the X-Men movies in this story, sorry people!
Maybe some other spin-off fic, but not in this one. Sorry for the disappointment, but I want to finish this story dammit! So, yeah, MCU only.
And, sorry for killing off Monty!
Hope you all forgive me some day.
Thank you for your support! Tata!
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