Delphini retreated back to the mountains of Scotland, running away from that place – away from her teacher's son! She was wrong! She was wrong, she thought. She didn't know what happened – she knew what she was doing – she went there to remove him so her teacher could love her, but when she did, he looked scared. And as she attacked him, she saw visions – memories – all of him and her teacher. All where her teacher showed so much love to him – the day he learned how to ride a bike and her teacher was so happy – the day when he and his siblings made a cake and her teacher kissed each and every one of them – the day when he cried so loud, her teacher came and wrapped him in her arms, protecting him... then he saw a memory, a recent one where he and her teacher were yelling at each other.
"Before I would even think about letting you near that kind of danger is the day I have done everything in my power to stop it!" Her teacher cried out.
"Then you'd be dead by then!" the boy said.
"Then I'll just have to keep myself alive until I know you're safe."
"Then what? You die – you give your life – but why? There are so many ways to prevent that!"
"Because I love you – and Merlin knows what I would do just to keep you all safe!"
She remembered the photo that she saw. The way her teacher smiled and laughed when the boy embraced her. The love in her teacher's eyes there was the same and much more powerful when her teacher was yelling at the boy.
She was wrong – her teacher won't love her because she removed the boy! She would hate her! She would kill her!
Breaking down to her knees, Delphini cried as she imagined the look on her teacher's face. The pain, sadness, and anger as her teacher would look at her, with a wand pointed at her. Because of her distress, her Obscurus was summoned and destroyed the trees around her, creating a plane field.
She can't lose her teacher. She can't lose Professor Black. She can't lose her mother. Then, she remembered a story she and her teacher read. It was one of those children's stories. If she told her teacher the truth and apologized, then maybe... she would be forgiven, she thought. That's right, she'll tell her – she'll admit to what she did, get punished for it, she'll do whatever she can as long as she doesn't lose her teacher.
~*~
Theodore was at the reserve checking the security when he saw McGonagall's Patronus come to him with a message that his youngest son was at St. Mungo's after surviving an Obscurus attack. Just by the mention of Theo, Theodore dropped all that he was doing and transformed to a Peregrine Falcon to get back to the Manor as he placed a spell to prevent anyone from apparating to the inside of the reserve if they were outside. He flew as fast as he could and once he was there, he used floo and to get home.
He arrived at St. Mungo's and was greeted by McGonagall and Neville as they were the ones who took Theo and another student to St. Mungo's after the attack. He saw his children and as well as the Potters, Grangre-Weasley, and Scorpius with them, all being checked by Healers. The sight of them made his heart beat a lot faster anxiously.
"Sofia!" Theodore came to her side when he saw her crying.
"Dad, Theo – he hasn't woken up!" Sofia cried.
"What happened?" Theodore asked.
"It came out of nowhere," the student he's never met spoke, her voice was cracking. "We were looking by the Shrieking Shack and then it suddenly attacked us – Theo said that it was after him – he made me go back to call for help – I'm so sorry – I should have stayed to help him –"
"There was nothing you could have done, Miss Roth," McGonagall comforted the girl.
"Dad, Theo – he's badly hurt," Romulus told him.
Theodore turned to the room he was told his son was in and was about to enter but Healers and Neville stopped him.
"LET ME GO! I NEED TO SEE MY SON!" Theodore roared.
"Theodore, the Healers are still working on him – you can't enter," Neville told him as he held him back.
"I CAN – I NEED TO SEE HIM! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENED TO HIM!"
"We will tell you but you need to calm down first!"
Theodore grabbed Neville by the collage of his robes. "I'll calm down once I see for myself that my son is alright!"
"Mister Nott, please," McGonagall took Theodore's hand and pried it off Neville.
Neville didn't take it personally as he knew that Theodore was worried for Theo. The boy was attacked by an Obscurus! Even he would be acting this way if his own daughter was the one there.
"Theodore, please," McGonagall held him down.
"I need to know if he's alive, please," Theodore begged.
McGonagall saw tears building up in the man's eyes.
"After Roth went to get help," Neville told him. "We managed to find Theo being attacked by the Obscurus – we couldn't get near it because of it power – but, suddenly, he cast a powerful fire spell that kept the Obscurus away from him – but it also burned him, Theodore. Right now, the Healers are trying to regenerate his skin and try to prevent permanent scarring – that's why you can't go in there!"
Theodore turned to the door where his son was inside, he peeked into the room and saw him being tended my three Healers – and one of them was Maisie – trying their best to heal his son.
"He lost consciousness after the attack," Neville continued. "And then his phoenix came and let him drink its tears to heal him inside – we've contacting Carina, but we can't reach Sinora... I know you're afraid for Theo, but you need to trust Maisie and the Healers to cure him... but right now, your other children needs you... they tried to get to Theo – they saw him lose consciousness – they saw him hurt... they need you right now."
Theodore turned to his sons and daughter. He saw Sofia crying in Romulus' arms while Viktor tried his best to calm himself but the sight of his brother's burned body was haunting him. Theodore went to his three eldest, Sofia got up and wrapped her arms around him and cried in his chest, and with his other hand, he held Viktor, trying to comfort him.
"He was dying," Romulus spoke. "I saw it... we couldn't touch him because his flesh was... and we couldn't do anything – we're his older siblings and we just stood there and watch."
"You couldn't have done anything, Sirius," James spoke.
"We could have tried to save him – I could have saved him –"
"Sirius," Theodore called his son. "You can't blame yourself for what happened – understand? Neither of you can... this was out of your control."
"Will he be okay?" Roth asked. "He has to be okay."
"He will be," Theodore replied. He then took his daughter and wiped away her tears. "Theo will get better – he'll wake up – alright? He's a fighter, just like your mother."
"Where's Mum, Dad?" Sofia asked, she was hiccupping now from all the crying.
"I'll send a Patronus to your mother – try to contact her as soon as I could – but right now, I need you all to stay here and wait – were any of you hurt?"
"No, we came along because we can't leave Sofia and the others like that," James answered.
Theodore turned to him. "Thank you, James."
James nodded.
"I'll contact Harry first – tell him of the attack – maybe he could tell Carina about the attack as well – I'll get your Uncle Roman as well, maybe he could stay here with you."
"Mister Nott, I'm afraid that I must return to Hogwarts," McGonagall spoke. "It won't be long until the parents demand to take their children home... I'll take Miss Roth with me as well – I'll leave Professor Longbottom with you."
"Thank you, Professor," Theodore nodded at her. "Do any of you want to go back?"
"I have to go as well – Lily needs me – she was left there at the castle with Hugo," James said. "
"So, do I, Roxanne is also at school – she might be panicking right now," Fred said.
"You should go to your siblings," Theodore said.
Before James could leave he brought Sofia to a hug and whispered something to her, a reassurance that Theo would be okay and an apology why he needed to go. Sofia understood his reason and then told him to be safe.
But just before James could leave, Theodore called for him. "James, thank you for staying with Sofia."
"It's no problem, Uncle Theodore," James replied and then left with McGonagall, Fred, and Roth.
Roth turned back to Albus, Scorpius and Rose and before she could say anything, Rose told her that they would tell Theo that she was alright and they would try to contact her as soon as he wakes up. After that she left with McGonagall.
For the past few hours, Theodore already contacted Roman, Sirius, and Charity – telling them that they were at the St. Mungo's and about the attack. They told him that they would get there as soon as they could. He's been trying to contact Carina and Harry, but he couldn't seem to contact them. He cursed under his breath when he failed once again to get to Carina. He should use his Patronus again – but if he does then –
"THEODORE!"
Roman burst through St. Mungo's.
"Roman!" Theodore called for him.
"THEODORE – WE NEED TO GET TO SINORA, NOW!"
"I can't leave my kids – they need me –"
"NO!" Roman grabbed him by his collar and then revealed his pocket watch. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! Carina needs us!"
Theodore looked at the pocket watch and saw the hand that had Carina's face looking in distress and was pointing at Sinora. She was in trouble. Carina needs them.
"Dad, what's wrong with Mum?" Sofia asked.
Theodore didn't know what he should do, what he should say. So many things were happening right now and he could only be at one place at a time.
"Theodore!" Neville called his attention. "Go to Sinora, I'll stay here with the children and wait for Sirius and Charity."
Theodore nodded at Neville, he then turned to his children.
"I'll come back with your mother – just stay here and wait for your grandparents with your Professor!" Theodore then ran with Roman to get to Sinora. As soon as they got out of St. Mungo's they apparated to the mountains of Scotland to Sinora.
~*~
MUM!
Carina dropped her papers at the disturbing faint call she heard. It sent a chill down her spine as the voice sounded like Theo. She tried to contact Hogwarts via floo to see if everything was alright but for some reason all floo connections were cut off, she tried apparating but it seems like there was a spell the prevents her from leaving the tower. There was something very wrong and she needed to get out of there. She went to grab her wand and then was about to leave her office but was stopped when she saw Delphini standing before the door, her uniform all tattered, her face stained with tears and dirt, and she saw sure that she saw that the girl got a few burns as well.
"Delphini, what happened to you?" Carina asked.
"Professor, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to," Delphini cried. Her eyes went to Carina's hand and saw her wand and coat. "Please, don't leave – don't leave – I'll explain everything!"
"Delphini, I –," Carina was torn between staying with the girl and leaving to head to Hogwarts. She had a very uneasy feeling after hearing Theo's faint voice. But like she said, her children come first.
Delphini approached her but she tripped, luckily Carina caught her.
"I'm sorry – I'm so sorry – I didn't mean to – I thought you didn't love me –"
"Delphini, tell me what happened," Carina's voice rose as felt her heart beating faster, why does it feel like Theo's voice calling out had something to do with Delphini crying before her. "What happened! Tell me!"
"Tell her, Delphini."
Carina and Delphini jumped at the sudden voice of the Headmistress in the room. To Carina's surprise, she saw the old woman standing before them, with her wand in hand, and behind the woman, people entered through the door and blocked every chance of escaping for Carina. Caging her inside the tower. Some of them had wands in hand, others held Muggle weapons – knives, guns, and even fire hydrant axes. The sight of it caused Carina to turn pale. The last one to enter the room was a face that she has seen so much in The Daily Prophet. And just the sight of the woman had Delphini hide behind her.
"Euphemia Rowle," Carina glared at the woman. "I see your Anti-Magic Rallies has grown in supporters."
"People will always follow the truth, Carina Black, and the truth is that magic has done nothing but bring chaos to this world," Euphemia answered.
"That is such a strong allegation from someone who was raised and was born into a pureblood family – the Rowles, I believe."
"Yes, pureblood families who care for those who follow their tradition and values... and love only those born with power –" Rowle then showed her arm where it was covered by scars. "—courtesy of said family."
Carina frowned. She's a squib, she thought, and at the sight of the abuse had her pity the woman. But the fact that Delphini hid the moment Rowle came to the room reminded her of the danger she threatens and as well as the attacks that have been happening in Scotland.
"Then what's your plan, Rowle?" Carina discreetly ran her wand on her tattoos and casted a spell non-verbally. "Use a child to kill people – destroy homes – and then gather all your supporters to take down the Ministry?"
"We're not fools, Professor," The Headmistress spoke, but not long, her face and physique started to change and looked like a man. "What power do a small group Muggles and Squibs have against the entire population of the Wizarding World of the United Kingdom? Muggles on the other hand... they have the weapons that even the Ministry could not cope with – their numbers are far greater than all the witches and wizards combined in the country."
The transformation stopped and revealed Mister Harvey. The Ministry worker that was there at the meeting. Carina glared at him.
"You plan to kill every person possessing magical blood – but what about you – these people holding wands?! It's quite contradicting that most of your followers are witches and wizards!" Carina exclaimed.
"Witches and wizards who know the pain of having to hide all the time – in the dark – who were left by their Muggle families because of what they are!" Euphemia spoke. "People always thought that magic is the greatest thing in this world, that it could bring peace, but what they don't see is that magic is power and with power, there will be those who want it for themselves – take Grindelwald and Voldemort for example! They want to make Muggles subservant – killing off Muggleborns, Squibs, and Muggles for sport because they were not pure! And they failed!
"A small population of witches and wizards can never overrule a country whose more than half of it's population are Muggles – numbers do not lie, Professor Black, and no matter what they try – no matter how many more try to overrule Muggles will, they can never win. And it's about time when all the chaos made by the magical world is stopped. Permanently."
"So, you use a child for this ideal of yours! You abuse your child to create a weapon that would kill families – destroy homes! WHAT MAKES YOU BETTER THAN ANY OF THOSE MEN YOU MENTIONED?!" Carina cried out. "I SAW THE MARKS! I SAW THE SCARS! HOW DARE YOU HURT AN INNOCENT CHILD AND TURNED HER TO A WEAPON!"S
Delphini jumped at the sudden rising of voice of Carina that her fear of being found rose. She took a step back from her.
"You won't be saying those things, Professor, once you find out what this innocent child did," Mister Harvey spoke.
"No!" Delphini cried out.
Carina turned to her. "What are they saying, Delphini?"
"I'm sorry," Delphini shook her head.
"A few hours ago," Mister Harvey continued. "An Obscurus was found at Hogsmeade Village. It didn't destroy the village but rather, went after one student."
"NO! PLEASE!" Delphini was shaking violently as her tried to control her emotions, knowing that it could summon the Obscurus and kill everyone there, including her teacher.
"Delphini!" Carina reached out to her, but Delphini took a step back. "Please, tell me... what did you do?"
"She hunted down Theodore Regulus Nott, and word says that he was barely breathing when he was found by his teachers by the Shrieking Shack – covered in marks made by an Obscurus!"
It was as if everything stopped.
Carina felt numb and a deafening sound filled her ears. And it was as if she forgot how to breathe... Theo, she thought. Her son. Her son was attacked. She couldn't find it in her to look at Delphini as the news sunk in. She could hear Delphini crying out as she apologized but it fell deaf ear, she has shut out everything around her as her only thoughts were of her son.
Of Theo. Of the boy she cared, she raised, she loved. Her and Theodore's son. He was her son and they took him from her.
Delphini saw Carina's hands trembling, her hold on her wand tightened, and tears falling from her eyes. She tried to reach out to her teacher and tell her that she didn't kill him, but before she could take a step forward, Carina waved her wand.
Everything around them – the window sills, the tables, the statues on the pillars moved and caged the witches, wizards, Muggles, and Squibs that were near, and at the sudden attack of the inanimate objects, the witches and wizards of the Anti-Magic Rallyists went to attack and sent spells at her. Carina blocked every spell they threw at her, and from her flesh, her tattoos peeled off of her skin and became three-dimensional creatures and attacked the people around her. Her arm was bleeding due to the peeling of ink from skin, but the pain was nothing to the pain that she felt of knowing that she has lost her son.
With the witches and wizards trying to fend off the ink-creatures, Harvey stepped up and engaged in a duel with Carina. She blocked the spell sent to her and then sending one of her own. When Harvey sent nails, screws, and shards of glass at her way, Carina created a barrier before her that once these objects passed it turned to birds that then attacked Harvey, but Harvey managed to destroy them. She used fire spells as an offensive attack, knowing how Theo loved fire spells. Theo was all she could think of as she battled these people.
"PROFESSOR!" Delphini cried out.
For a moment, Carina turned and saw the girl being held by Rowle with a knife to her throat. And with that short moment, Carina was taken down by a Cruciatus Curse by Harvey. She fell to the ground. The man approached her and stepped on her hand that held her wand, breaking her wrist to forcer her to release her wand. Her tattoos were forced to return to her arm and stopped the attack on the other members, and the statues, window, and chairs stopped their hold on the people. They surrounded her. Carina looked up and saw Delphini crying furiously as she begged Rowle to let her go.
"It hurts, doesn't it? Being stepped on by people more powerful than you," Rowle spoke.
"You took my son – nothing could be anymore painful than that," Carina cried. "HE WAS JUST A BOY! AN INNOCENT BOY! HE WAS MY SON! YOU HAD NO RIGHT!"
"Tell that to the other Muggles, Squibs, and Muggleborns whose families were killed because of magic," Rowle said.
Harvey pointed his wand at her.
"No, we will execute her the Muggle way... so people would know that magic is done for," Rowle told him. She then turned to the Muggle holding an axe.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Carina bellowed. "I'LL EVERY ONE OF YOU! YOU'LL PAY FOR TAKING MY SON! MY SON!"
Carina tried to get out of Harvey's hold but he pressed down on her more, stepping on her broken wrist even more. She kept fighting, she wasn't going to let them kill her – she won't let them kill her – she won't die until she made them pay for killing her son.
"PLEASE, DON'T!" Delphini cried. "NO! STOP! STOP! STOP!"
An explosion happened. The Obscurus attacked the Muggle holding the axe and Harvey that was stepping on Carina. Carina was not sure what was happening, she could see the Obscurial kill the people around them – destroying the Tower – and for some reason, she was not being touched by the destructive power. But, though she was not being touched by the destructive power, it didn't mean that the tower wasn't. She felt the tower rumbling and slowly tipping to the side. Carina reached for her wand with her other hand and then created a magical bubble to protect herself inside as the tower fell.
~*~
Theodore watched in horror as the tower at Sinora crumbled to the ground, students and teachers were running out of the castle as an Obscurus and Anti-Magic Rallyists were attacking them. He tried to get to the tower but Aurors were keeping him back.
"CARINA!" He called out as he and Roman tried to get through. "LET ME GO! MY WIFE IS IN DANGER – CARINA!"
The tower finally fell and the Obscurus' power was growing as it destroyed everything in its surroundings. The horrific sight had forced Theodore to use force and hexed the Auror and then ran towards the castle, passing the barriers that stops him from Apparating inside. Following him was Roman. They were about to be captured by Aurors but Harry stopped his Aurors from attacking and told them to focus on evacuating the castle as he went to follow Theodore and Roman.
Theodore and Roman transformed into their Animagus forms and went to where the tower was seen crumbling. And once he was there, he tried to look for Carina. He couldn't see her, all he could see was the rubble and the Obscurus. He needed to control that power – prevent it from destroying the castle even more.
"GO, TAKE CARE OF THAT! WE'LL LOOK FOR CARINA!" Harry told him, and he saw his best friend take out his compass to help look for Carina.
Listening to Harry, Theodore held out his hand then summoned a magical bubble to encase the Obscurus. He started with a large that had them all inside, and slowly shrinking it to a smaller one where he and Roman were no longer inside it, and he continued to do so until it was just the size of a car.
"ROMAN! WHERE IS SHE?!" Theodore called out, panicking.
"I FOUND HER!" Harry said and then started digging. "SHE'S ALIVE! SHE'S GOT UP A SHIELD!"
Carina could hear Harry and Roman's voice calling out to her. Opening her eyes, she found herself in her magical bubble, safe, but surrounding her bubble were the bricks, pillars, and parts of the tower that could crush her the moment she releases her bubble.
"CARINA!"
"ROMAN! HARRY!" She called out. She saw Roman's face peering through a small hole far from her.
"HOLD STILL!"
With magic, Roman and Harry levitated the large pillar and the other parts of the castle that were covering Carina, once it was all gone, he ran to where the magical bubble once was and went to Carina's side. She was injured badly, bleeding, and probably broke a few ribs as she was clutching to her side and her wrist. He tried to carry her but Carina winced at his hold, and just had him help her to her feet.
"ROMAN, GET HER OUT OF HERE!" Theodore called out.
"Carina, let's go," Roman said, but she wasn't moving he begged. "Please, you need to go to St. Mungo's – Theo is there – the Healers are tending to him –"
"Theo?" Carina turned to him. "He's alive?"
Roman's brows furrowed. "Yes, he is! He's alive! And you can see him now if we go!"
Carina cried at the knowledge. Tears of happiness, relief and sorrow. Her son was alive. Theo was alive, she thought. But then she turned to the Obscurus.
"No, wait," Carina turned to the rampaging Obscurus. "I can't leave her like that!"
"CARINA, YOU NEED TO SEE A HEALER!" Theodore told her.
"SHE NEEDS TO KNOW!" Carina said.
"TO KNOW WHAT?!" Roman asked. "CARINA, YOU NEED TO LEAVE, NOW!"
"OUR TOP PRIORITY IS TO CAPTURE THE OBSCURUS AND PREVENT ANY MORE CASUALTIES!" Harry told her.
"She thinks she killed Theo! They told us that she killed him!" Carina said to them. "Let me talk to her – maybe she would calm down! Please, she's still just a child!"
Theodore turned to Carina, and then to Roman, and Harry – who was also helping with creating another layer of a magical shield to trap the Obscurus. He nodded, reluctantly.
"Harry, please," Carina turned to the said man, begged.
Harry too reluctantly agreed and lets Carina approach the rampaging Obscurus. She came closer until her hand touched the magical bubble.
"DELPHINI!" Carina called for the girl. "PLEASE! DELPHINI! LISTEN TO ME! THEO IS ALIVE! YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AFRAID ANY MORE! WE CAN TALK – PLEASE, YOU HAVE TO STOP THIS!"
The Obscurus's thrashing lessened.
"Please, Delphi, you can tell my – you can explain to me why you did it, and I will listen, please!" Carina begged.
The Obscurus turned to a small blob of dark sand that was floating around, and slowly it was forming a girl, creating her face first. Carina smiled sadly at the sight of Delphini's tear-stained face.
"Please, please, stop this," Carina told her.
"I'm sorry," Delphini cried. "I'm so sorry! I didn't – I didn't know – I thought you would love me if he was gone!"
Theodore turned to Roman and Harry with wide eyes.
"That's not how love works," Carina cried. "There is so many kinds of love, Delphi, and just because I love my son doesn't mean I can't love you... I care for you – I'm happy that you enjoy our classes – I'm happy that you love me, that you see me as your mother – I'm happy that you made me that poem, I would read it every day – I love you because you're my student... so, please, stop this..."
Delphini continued to cry, but the Obscurus was no longer there, and standing in the bubble was just the girl. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Professor! I just wanted you to love me! I wanted you to be my mother! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Carina smiled as she saw Delphini no longer summoning the Obscurus.
BANG!
A gun shot was heard.
Theodore released his hold on the barrier and went to catch Carina, leaving Harry to keep the Obscurus in the bubble. Roman and Delphini looked at the one who fired the gun in horror and saw that it was Euphemia Rowle. Barely standing. Barely standing as she held the Muggle weapons.
"CARINA!" Theodore cried as he pressed on her wound. He couldn't heal her, he didn't know how to heal this wound, he knew that the metal object was still inside her and was causing so much blood to come out.
Delphini watched in horror as Theodore and Roman tried to stop the bleeding from Carina's wound. They couldn't seal the wound with the bullet still inside. She watched them – Carina, as she held on to Theodore, who was now covered with her blood.
Roman got out his wand to capture Rowle but Rowle suddenly disappeared, taken in by a vacuum-like motion. A portkey.
Rowle got away... but Delphini knew where she was. There was only one place that her guardian could go. Enraged by what was done to her teacher, Delphini summoned the Obscurus and was thrashing inside the bubble.
Harry was having trouble with keeping the powerful Obscurus in the bubble, and to his great fear, it broke the bubble. For precaution, he and Roman created a bubble to protect them from the Obscurus but instead of attacking them, it disappeared. And so did Delphini.
"Theodore," Carina spoke in a weak voice. "I want to see Theo, please, I have to see him, I want to see our son – please."
"You will, we'll go to St. Mungo's and get you healed, and then you'll see him," Theodore said after wrapping her wound with a cloth that Roman conjured, and then carried her in his arms.
"No, I need to see him now, please – they said that he was attack, I need to see my baby boy – please," Carina cried.
"You will, but we need to get that thing out of you and stop the bleeding!" Theodore grunted.
"Carina, calm down, you'll see Theo, we promise," Harry told her, he then turned to Roman. "Get them to St. Mungo's now, we'll meet you there."
"And the Obscurial?" Roman asked.
"I'll have Aurors looking at the mountains, she couldn't have gone far – go!"
Roman led Theodore through the rubble and out of the bounds where the spell that prevents them from Apparating. Once they stepped out, he took out his compass and gave it to Theodore so he could apparate with Carina in a weak state. After Theodore was gone, Roman was about to follow after them when he saw someone running through the trees. Taking out his wand, he created a whip and captured the fleeing figure and then reeled them in to him. To his surprise. It was a man, one of the Anti-Magic Rallyist as he saw the pin on the shirt. And based on the man's clothing. He was a Muggle.
"You're coming with me," Roman grunted and carried the man on his shoulder and took him back to where Harry was.