The New Marauder

Thirty three

     ~*~*~*~ Swan Residence, Forks Washington ~*~*~*~

At the sound of a heavy, dull thud coming from a room no one should have been in, Anna and Charlie dropped the vegetables they were cutting and ran up the stairs, passing a confused June on the way.
"What is she doing in here?" Anna gasped at the sight of Joanna on the floor, unconscious, while her body lay rigid but still jerking.
"Lay her on her side," Charlie said, snapping into first responder mode.
"Why would I do that?" Sirius asked frantically, still trying to shake his wife, hoping it'll get her back to normal but failing due to the convulsions.
"She's seizing, you idiot. Lay her on her side so if she vomits she won't choke on it," Charlie answered, placing a rolled-up towel under his sister-in-law's head for support. "How long has she been like this?"
"She was twitching when I came in. What are you doing?" Sirius looked to Anna as she bent down to open Joanna's eyes while shining the lighted tip of her wand to see if there's any reaction before conjuring her medical kit.
"The memory charm the healers put on her, how strong was it?" Anna questioned while searching the small box for a specific purple potion. "Charlie I need her on her back."
"What does that have to do with this? What are you doing?" Sirius asked, getting more angry that they're not answering his questions.
"Alright, but you'll have to be quick," Charlie answered his wife as he turned Joanna on her back, then forcing her lips open.
Without hesitating, Anna filled the dropper with a mix of dreamless sleep potion and calming draught, sliding it along the inside of her cheek like how she had to give Ori her medicine when she was a toddler, hoping she wasn't too late. When she pulled back, Charlie turned her back on her side until the fits of jerking movement slowed to a stop and her breathing turned back to normal.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Anna and Charlie leaned back and took in the small splotches of blood on the beige carpet. "Do you think?" Charlie asked, unable to remove his eyes from the red stain.
"No way to tell until she wakes, if she does wake," Anna sighed, running her hands over her face, knowing the chances of that happening aren't too great. "We need to get her out of here. Do you think you can put her in our bed until I can figure out—"
"What happened to her?" Sirius all but shouted, forcing the couple to remember he was here.
"You never answered my question," Anna snapped back, giving Charlie the nod to move Joanna.
"What question?"
"The healers, how strong was the charm they placed on her?" Anna asked again, gritting her teeth.
"They didn't— Wh— why does that matter?" He sputtered nervously, a little too nervously for Anna's liking.
"It matters because of what just happened," Anna supplied, narrowing her eyes at the shifty man before her. "Look, to help her, we need to know all the facts—"
"Why?"
"To help her, we need to know all the facts—"
"She's fine now, she just needs to wake up."
"If she does wake, there is no guarantee she won't seize again because of those charms."
"What does that have to do with it?" Sirius shouted, causing the little boy huddled in the corner to jump in fright at the adults who haven't noticed him yet.
Taking a deep breath to calm her anger, Anna slowly stepped toward the borderline hysterical man. "Because of her eidetic memory, you asshat."
"How do—"
"Orion," she answered in a level tone. "Orion had inherited it from her, James told me all about it when him and Lilly visited. And if those charms the healers put on her are strong enough, then they are actively fighting against her perfect brain to keep her child hidden from her, the same child whose room we are currently standing in, you fucking dult."
"Oh, I didn't—."
"Think about that, yeah. Maybe next time when you see a sealed door, you leave it alone."
"How did you know?" Sirius asked dumbfounded.
"You have a history—"
"I needed to know, just for a moment I needed to know who she is."
"You gave up that right when you left her with us," Anna snapped. "Now answer the question."
Sirius looked into the fuming woman's eyes before letting out a tired sigh. "The healers wouldn't do it; they said it was too unethical. So, I brought her to Dumbledore, I begged and pleaded for hours until he caved. He's the one who—"
"Made your wife forget the trauma and her daughter," Anna nodded. "We'll get him here. We might need him to reinforce those charms in addition to making her forget she ever walked into this room," Anna stated, bending down to pick up the towel left on the floor.
"I'll try—"
"You're going to make her forget again?" A small angry voice finally spoke from the corner, making both of them jump.
Quickly, the tension in the small blue bedroom grew to an almost breaking point as the father and son stared at each other. By the angry glare being sent Sirius's way, he knew the young boy heard everything. "Jamie," Sirius breathed out after another minute of processing. "What—"
"You made her forget," Jamie shouted loudly, causing his father to flinch.
"There are things you need to understand before being angry at me," Sirius shot back a little more harshly than he intended.
"I'll reach out to Dumbledore, give you two a moment," Anna mumbled, exiting the room quietly.
Jamie shook his head. "Mum told me what happened, she told me after I read The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts for the first time. She told me how there were three years missing from her life because of what your cousin did. I understand more than you think, but what I don't understand is how you could make her forget that she had a kid."
"If you read that book, then you know about what happened to the Longbottoms," Sirius deflected a bit. "That was the fate your mother was facing if I hadn't done anything."
"She was already like that?"
"Not there yet, but she was heading in that direction," Sirius explained. "The healers didn't know what they were doing. They said she needed time before—"
"So there was a chance she could have lived a perfectly normal life?" Jamie cut off his father in disbelief.
"They couldn't guarantee it—"
"But we'll never know because you took that chance away from her, just like you took our sister away from her, and now you're going to do it again," Jamie spit out furiously.
Sirius held in the anger he felt at his son's accusation. He had to do everything possible to keep his family intact. "Look, Jamie, I know we have never really seen eye to eye, but if we want to save your mother, then this is how it has to be," Sirius said, trying to keep his composure. "I need you to promise not to speak of this to anyone, even her."
"We have never seen eye to eye because you have never tried to understand me, and after this, I don't want you to start," Jamie growled, clenching his fists. "Do what you have to do, to save my mother, Sirius."
"Jamie," Sirius sighed, feeling his heart sink. "She needs this, she needs to forget so she can have a better life," he tried to explain once again.
"Secrets always come out no matter how hard you try to hide them. I will keep it for now. Mum will find out about this, one day she will, and when she does, she will never forgive you," Jamie shook his head and started walking toward the door, disappointed in the man he called father.
"Ja—"
"I will go along with it, I will keep your secret, I will pretend I know nothing, and when she is near, I will pretend to be your son. But I can't forget what you are doing to her. I won't let you take that away from me. Because when she finds out, she will need someone in her corner, to join her in hating you as much as I do right now," Jamie said coldly before walking out of the room to find his mother.

      ~*~*~*~  Hogwarts ~*~*~*~

"Shes more powerful than we thought," Minerva whispered as she made her way to the edge of the forest she had memorized herself from the times she roamed it in order to watch over the young child she came to care for.
"Indeed she is," Dumbledore hummed, looking down to the waves that crashed rhythmically against the cliffside under his feet while Severus, Filius, and Pomona continued to walk around, inspecting for anything in the spell work that could bring harm to Orion or anyone who would enter.
Professor Dumbledore initially wanted to wait until tomorrow, or rather later today, to bring in his Heads of Houses. However, the moment he started to inspect it, his Deputy Headmistress entered his office along with the others, stating that she had just gotten done notifying the rest of the staff that Miss Black had been found and returned to the safety of her dormitory. When they asked for a more formal explanation for why she was out so late, they had to search for her, they then switched to wanting to see it for themselves after Minerva explained fully.
"You are sure she has perfect recall? Just like her mother?" Filius squeaked out, remembering how brilliant Joanna Potter's magic became when she learned how to wield it.
"Yes, if we were to be standing in the Quileute Reservation, it would look exactly like this, even the smell would be the same," Minerva answered, trying not to give a proud smile.
Snape let out a small scoff as he gave the overly excited Charms professor a hard stare. "The question is, should we turn this over to the Ministry?"
"And why would we do that?" Professor McGonagall snapped.
"Despite her talent, this is illegal. If someone were to find out—"
"No one will find out," Dumbledore assured his Potions Master.
Snape took a calming breath before turning to his Headmaster. "And can you be sure of that?"
"The only people who know are the five of us, Miss Black, and Mister Scamander. She may tell her friends; however, I do not foresee them turning their friend into the Department of Law Enforcement."
"Exactly," Minerva agreed quickly.
"What if she decides that she is above all the laws later in the future because we have given her the freedom to not acknowledge they exist today?" Severus argued back at the Head of Gryffindor house.
"I will handle that with Minerva when we meet with her tomorrow," Dumbledore stated with finality. "Now, can we all come to the conclusion that this," he gestured to the surrounding area, "will be safe for further usage?"
"I see no reason why it cannot be used," Minerva stated proudly, giving Severus a pointed look.
"Do we know in what manner she will use this space?" Severus asked, giving the same look back to his colleague.
"I would imagine it would be used in the same manner Mister Scamander uses that suitcase of his," Dumbledore supplied.
"And we can trust that it wouldn't be taken advantage of?"
"From my knowledge and Minerva's reports, the child can be trusted. And if you want to hear the answer to your silent question, then the answer is no. She is not like her father, nor like any other Blacks that are in her family tree. If I must say, I believe she embodies her mother's spirit," Dumbledore replied, hoping it will assure the three remaining Professors.
"Then I say we trust her until she gives us a reason not to," Filius beamed.
"Pomona?" He asked, turning to Hufflepuff's Head of House, who was looking down at a small cluster of plants carefully.
"I agree with Filius. Though I wonder if I could take a sample of a few of these here just to be on the safe side," she pointed to the ground to the plants she hadn't seen since she last visited America.
"I would imagine Miss Black wouldn't mind if you did," Dumbledore nodded, then looked to the only one who has yet agreed. "Severus?"
The Potions master took another moment to take in the pure, unadulterated magic before him. He knew more than most what could become of Orion if she was gone unchecked. He almost lost the one his heart yearns for because of the last person who was doted on instead of being chastised. "So long as we keep an eye on her, perhaps individual lessons with each of us to keep her from the temptations others have been enamored with. If we all can agree to that, then I will agree."
"Minerva?"
Giving him a nod, she looks to her colleagues. "She has already distanced herself from wanting to play Quidditch, so that will not be a foreseeable issue this year. We can each hold alternating biweekly studies with her after supper, no more than two-hour sessions. We can discuss those sessions and her progress during our start of term, mid-term, and end of term meetings. If there needs to be adjustments or anything worrying arises, we can reconvene if needed." Minerva stated when she realized who Severus was referring to.
After taking in everyone's nods of approval to Minerva's plan, Dumbledore nodded himself. "Then that is what we shall do starting with second term. Until then, we will watch and observe how she handles Mister Scamander's private lessons." He finishes, gesturing for them to leave now that Professor Sprout seems to have gotten her fill of samples.
"I will get these to the Greenhouses to test them tomorrow. I will owl you with the results," Pomona says as they pass through the veil into the Headmaster's office.
"I will walk with you," Filius said, holding the door open for her, knowing the three left in the office will want to talk more.
Once they were gone, the three remaining Professors took a long moment to themselves to think about the bowl. "Shes eleven," Severus finally spoke up loud enough to be heard over the squeaks and hums of the knickknacks filling most of the Headmaster's office. "Shes eleven and she created this," he points to the innocent-looking glass with a mix of awe and fear.
"We will watch over her," Minerva said, not looking up from the desk.
"Will it be enough?" He asks one of the questions they all can't help but think, especially the man who taught the one who is still feared throughout Britain.
"For the moment, it has to be," Dumbledore answered, walking around to the opposite side of his grand desk lined with his most treasured trinkets.
"And when the moment comes that—"
"We cannot punish her for crimes she has not committed, nor will I allow her to be judged for the mistakes of others," Dumbledore cut Severus off sternly while sending him a look to let him know he was pushing it. "Tom Riddle was my mistake; I saw the signs, I did not act on them in fear I was possibly incorrect and my reputation would be tarnished. Yet by the time everyone saw him for the monster I did long ago, it was too late. I will not make the same mistake again. Miss Black is her own person who has a determination for not turning out like her ancestors. If you let go of the grudge you still hold against her father, then you will be able to see it." He finishes just in  time for a puff of smoke to appear out of thin air in between them.
As the parchment floats towards Minerva, the three of them hold their breath. They know only two people who send messages in this fashion; one of them being their new Professor, the other was a woman who was thousands of miles away.
Minerva let out a gasp as she read the note before handing it over to Professor Dumbledore. "Joanna Potter's mind is fighting against the memory charms. How is this possible?" She whispers, running every scenario she could think of through her head.
"The mind is a fickle thing, Minerva. Mrs. Swan says she was able to calm the seizures enough with potions," he reads out loud, then looks up to his Potions Master, who has more skills than one would think. "However, I believe I may need further assistance that goes beyond a memory charm," he muses.
"You can't mean," Severus balks.
"I mean that this is Joanna Potter we are talking about. I believe her and Lily Potter were your friends once, were they not?" The Headmaster replies smoothly. "Minerva, we shouldn't be gone for too long. Also, I'm pretty sure after tonight's events, Miss Black will want to sleep through her morning classes, so please inform her at lunch that she should come visit us here after her last class."
Minerva gives Dumbledore a nod of acknowledgement as she watches as he walks around his desk and takes hold of Severus's arm. "Good luck," she manages to say before their bodies twist into nothingness, unsure if the Headmaster knew what he was getting into by asking Sirius Black and Severus Snape to work together.

      ~*~*~*~ Swan Residence, Forks Washington ~*~*~*~