The Calling Card
Harry and Narcissa stayed at Pounds House for the majority of the holiday. It was safer, if less exciting than going on the lavish affair she had wanted. However, the trade off was that Harry and Narcissa would spend one night out of the Manor and in Muggle London.
That was what led them to this moment; dinner at a restaurant that Harry could only designate as opulent. He smirked as he looked over the menu as he imagined what Vernon Dursley would think about this; Harry, the Lord of several prominent Houses, married to two incredibly beautiful women, and richer than he could ever hope to be...
He'd probably say that it didn't count because I'm not President of Sales or some nonsense. Harry thought as he looked over to his wife, "See something you like?"
Narcissa nodded and set her menu down, "The roast duck with cherry balsamic reduction." She smiled as Harry felt her foot, free of its shoe, slide up his leg, hidden by the tablecloth, "And you? See anything that looks good?"
"Yes, you Nymph..." He said grinning, "I see a very delicious wife that if she doesn't behave, I'm going to take right back to our hotel room." He looked at the menu, "That said, I was thinking of the lamb ribs."
The waitress arrived and Harry was very thankful that Narcissa calmed her actions as they gave their orders. Once they were alone again Harry took her hand, "So, Narcissa Fawkes, are you ready to finish out your seventh year?"
"I am. I am also interested in continuing with my apprenticeship as a medi-witch." She said sipping her wine, "Madam Pomfrey believes I have the talent for it."
"So do I. I've seen you practice, you clearly want to be the best you can." Harry remarked, "So, I certainly hope you aren't asking for permission because you do not need it."
That drew a smile to Narcissa's face. She knew that she loved her husband, she'd known it for some time now, she'd fallen for him shortly after he became her fiancee. But this, the knowledge that he wanted her to chart her own path, that cinched it for her. She knew at that moment that she would never love anyone the way she loved the man sitting in front of her.
The food arrived after some more conversation and the two began to eat. Harry ordered another bottle of the wine they had been drinking for the trip back to their hotel room. This is perfect...He thought with a smile.
Harry should know better than to tempt fate by having the audacity to be happy in public. He should, but he didn't.
Scene Break
Apolline had left Pounds House for Diagon Alley with Andromeda. She wanted to do something nice for the pregnant witch who was, as she reflected, the closest thing to a friend she had currently. She wore the Consort Ring Harry had bought for her after the wedding, a simple silver band with the sigil for Slytherin set into it. Andromeda, likewise, had a silver band with the emblem for Peverell. It marked them as Consorts, and thus under the protection of, Harry Fawkes.
"It's a bit late, isn't it?" Andromeda said after a moment, looking over at Apolline, "All the reputable shops are closing soon."
"Perhaps, but I was thinking of something a bit different than the domestic shops." She reached into her pocket and drew out a shrunken trunk, "I took the liberty of asking Dobby to pack a few things for the two of us. As you are on leave now, I am taking us to France for a few days."
"Won't the others worry?" Andromeda asked. The idea was quite tempting, however, she did worry. They were considered a threat by Voldemort now after all.
"Dobby has instructions to tell everyone where we are if asked. Besides, I believe it will do us both some good. Harry is on his honeymoon, it is not helping anyone that we are there." Apolline replied. At that, Andromeda nodded and allowed Apolline to lead her to Gringotts. The International Floo that connected Gringotts London to Gringotts Paris was expensive, but the coffers of their respective Houses could bear the burden easily enough.
In their haste, they did not notice the two black-robed figures skulking near a rundown shop that, judging by its tattered signage, had been an apothecary. Alecto Carrow swiftly began to place her packages down as Amycus began to trace runes into the brickwork. The runes, meant to amplify pressure, would turn the explosions shock wave into a deadly weapon that should if they had done their research correctly, triple the damage. That task completed, he traced the second series of runes that would activate ten minutes after the explosion, it would send another shock wave out to ensure that any onlookers would be maimed if not killed.
They had chosen this building for a few reasons, most notably that by being abandoned it wouldn't be paid attention to. No one spared a glance at the dilapidated shop, so the twins were free to fill it full of explosive potions, as well as a healthy amount of muggle petrol.
The job done, Amycus dropped a time delay explosive rune into the middle of the bottles and then he and his sister used their portkeys to vanish from the place just as the explosion began.
Apolline had just began up the stairs when she felt the wave of pressure knock her and Andromeda down. She heard muted screams through the dull roar in her head, both from striking the marble steps of Gringotts as well as what she believed to be shock. Andromeda hit the corner and was unconscious, she noted dimly. "D-Dobby!" Apolline called for the Fawkes family House Elf.
Instantly, he was there, "Miss Appy is calling?" Dobby asked, then stopped as his huge eyes took in the surrounding chaos, "Miss Appy and Miss Andi are in danger!"
"Take her to St. Mungos!" She directed, "Andromeda is injured!" The ringing in her ears was slowly beginning to subside. Apolline saw carnage behind them. The dead and dying seemed to stretch as far as she could see through the haze of dust.
Apolline watched as Dobby grabbed the unconscious witch's robes and they vanished with a pop. She sat up and rubbed her head. Everything hurt, but she didn't feel as if anything critical was broken. Slowly, she began to rise to her feet. Unsteadily she took a few steps to make sure she could walk under her own power.
A series of cracks heralded the arrival of the Aurors. Most of them went to the still smoldering ruins but a few went to check on the injured. One of whom, a young dark-skinned Auror came to see her, "Ma'am are you alright?" He asked Apolline as he drew his wand and began to cast diagnostic charms.
"I...I believe so." She said. She went to continue to speak, before another explosion drowned her out. She saw, rather than heard the Auror cry out in the direction of the attack.
Kingsley had been an Auror for less than a year. He had graduated from the Academy and had taken his place in the DMLE wanting more than anything, to make a difference and to keep people safe. Looking at the ground now littered with the bodies of his fallen colleagues, he didn't feel confident in his abilities. He lifted his wand and sent out an emergency signal to the Bullpen, calling every available Auror.
He did not know that the distress signal would also notify one Cecil Croaker of the Department of Mysteries. The Chief Unspeakable, upon receiving the signal summoned his own team of 'hidden Aurors'. These were Unspeakable field agents that worked as Aurors and Hit Wizards in order to gain information. They were sent to the crime scene with strict orders to observe and report everything they found while assisting the others.
Scene Break
Bellatrix found herself looking into her mirror. The charm confirmed it, I'm pregnant. It's only a few weeks along, but I am carrying Harry's baby... She smiled at that thought, remembering her daydream of those three black-haired children in the orchard. She wondered how Harry would react when he found out he was due to be a father. Besides the child he is claiming of Andi's that is. This is our child inside me...
His task completed at St Mungos, Dobby immediately went back to Pounds House to inform Bellatrix of what had happened. He found the Lady Slytherin standing in front of her mirror, inspecting her flat stomach with one hand, "Lady, my Lady!" Dobby cried, "Miss Andi is at St Mungos! There was an attack!"
That instantly roused Bellatrix from her reverie. Guilt at the annoyance she'd felt flooded into her, "What happened?" She demanded, summoning her cloak to her with a flick of her wand and rapidly putting it on.
"Dobby doesn't know Mistress, Dobby was summoned by Miss Appy to take Miss Andi. Miss Andi had fallen and was sleeping." Dobby replied, looking miserable at his inability to give her more information.
"Damn it all! I will return, find Harry and Narcissa and tell them what has happened. No matter where they are, do you understand me?" Bellatrix demanded before leaving the room and vanishing into the floo inside the study.
Inside the foyer of St Mungos Bellatrix found a circus as the wounded were brought inside. She rushed up to the front desk, pushing a man with a boneless arm out of the way, "Andromeda Fawkes. Where is she?" She demanded the welcome witch.
"I..R-Room four-fifteen..." She managed in a terrified squeak at the frantic witch before her. Bellatrix drew in a breath and rushed towards the lift.
The lift felt as if it would take an eternity, but eventually, she found her way to the fourth floor and then to the fifteenth room. Andromeda was laying in the bed unconscious. Beside the bed was a pale Ted Tonks.
"What are you doing here?" Bellatrix hissed as she took in the numerous wounds on her sister's body. Andi...what happened to you?
Ted didn't look at the witch, instead, his eyes remained on his ex-wife, "She forgot to remove me as her emergency point-of-contact..." He said absently, "I...she's carrying my baby..." There was a note of something in his voice, a trace of wonder that surprised Bellatrix.
"No. She is carrying Harry's." Bellatrix said, "Have they said anything about her yet?"
Ted nodded, "Before you left. She's been stabilized and the baby is alright. She hit her head in the explosion." He looked down at his ex-wife. She was, as ever, the most beautiful woman in the world to him. He'd thrown everything away because of his own idiocy. "That is my baby. But if she does not wish me to have claim, then I will not fight her."
Ted stepped away from the bed a final time, "It's good that you will be here when she awakes." He said no more as he walked out of the room.
For a moment, Bellatrix found herself wondering how Harry would react if their positions were switched. It was difficult. Harry, she knew, would not stray from the women he was with. He hadn't touched either of his Consorts, though it was his right. But if Harry and I had divorced somehow, and he found out that I was pregnant...
She shook her head. It didn't matter. She was with Harry and for the first time, she had someone she could trust.
The door opened and Harry, along with Narcissa entered. "Dobby found you?" She said to her husband.
"He did. Luckily we were walking back to the hotel and had taken a stop in the park. Is she alright?" Harry looked deeply worried, while Narcissa's normally carefully put together makeup was already streaking with tears, "What about the baby?" He asked her.
"Both are fine according to what I heard when I first arrived in the room. She's resting now until they believe she's ready to have her wounds magically healed." Bellatrix explain, leaving Ted's name out of the discussion. "They mentioned an explosion."
"It was an attack at Diagon Alley," Apolline said as she entered with a white-robed medi-witch. "Someone set up an explosion in an abandoned building. It was a series of them, one delayed until the Aurors had already arrived and were investigating."
The medi-witch said nothing as she began to cast charms to gauge Andromeda's status. Harry hugged Narcissa to him, allowing her to cry against his shoulder.
A delayed explosion...I know that trick. Bellatrix thought in horror and growing rage, "Harry, I think I know who was responsible. Riddle crafted time-delayed runes for exactly this sort of thing."
Harry's fists clenched around the upraised rail of Andromeda's bed, "I'll kill him." He said, his voice a quiet oath. He drew in his breath, trying to calm himself down, "He's hiding behind his charm, sending agents out to attack the wizarding populace."
"It's a recruitment tactic. He's showing those who would follow him that his reach and his plans are both inescapable. With this attack, he's showing that he is smarter than the DMLE." Bellatrix pointed out, "We need a war council before we decide what to do outside of just stopping him and killing him. We need the Unspeakable, the Headmaster, you need to speak with Salazar as well." She looked at her sister, "We need to know if there are any more of those soul anchors and then, if there isn't, we need to force him out of hiding."