Love The Heartless

Chapter Eight

February 15th, 1970

Thankfully, Aurora had the day off work, so there was no need to call in. She did call Andrea and apologized for now showing up the night before. Explained she had a family emergency that she had to take care of.

Aurora had roused Andromeda out of bed by five thirty am, wanting them both to look smart since they were going before ministry officials.
"Are you sure you want to do this? Take me in, I mean. I can figure something out." Andromeda asked in a quiet voice as they walked towards the fireplace that Tom kept for the floo network.

"Andi. There is nowhere else I'd rather you be. At least I know you're safe if you're with me. I promise." Aurora squeezed her hand gently.
Andromeda nodded and wiped away a stray tear.
The younger witch picked up a pinch of floo powder, stepping into the fireplace.

"Ministry of Magic!" She said in a clear voice, the fire turning green and sweeping her away.
Aurora stepped in directly after, not wanting to leave Andromeda alone longer than she had to.

"Ministry of Magic!" Aurora said purposefully. The witch was swept up in the fire, catching small glimpses of other open floos before she was dropped into the Ministry's fireplace.

She swept off the ashes from her robes and stepped out of the fireplace. She had been to the Ministry once before as a child, but it seemed so much bigger now. She marveled at the great open space, watching as letters flew above her.

Aurora quickly found Andromeda, who was speaking to Dumbledore.
"Good morning, sir." Aurora nodded to the older man as she gently swept the ashes off Andromeda's robes. She couldn't have either one of them looking a mess before ministry officials.

"Good morning, Miss Nott. As I was just explaining to Miss Black here, it should be a short process. They will greet you, and you will present your wishes to house Miss Black until she turns seventeen, and finishes her schooling. I am merely here to ensure that there are no problems. Now, they will ask Miss Black to recount the abuse that happened in the Black family home. But, if she does not wish to speak about it verbally, we can request that the memory be extracted and used in a Pensieve. Do you know what that is?"

"The Pensieve is enchanted to recreate memories so that they become re-liveable, taking every detail stored in the subconscious and recreating it faithfully, so that either the owner, or a second party, can enter the memories and move around within them." Aurora quoted from one of the books she had read about memory charms.
"Precisely. And once the memory is viewed, they will launch an investigation into the Black family."

"Will... will I have to see the memory after they take it out?" Andromeda asked.
"If you do not wish to. But they will present it to the whole room." Dumbledore looked down at the two girls with sadness in his eyes. "I can ask that you be taken out of the room by an Auror that I trust with my life."
"Yeah. I'd prefer that." Andromeda nodded slowly.

Dumbledore glanced up at the large clock that was hung in the air.
"It is almost time for our hearing, shall we?"

The two young witches followed Dumbledore down a hall, and into a large room that was filled with witches and wizards in matching robes.
Aurora and Andromeda stood behind a large desk, with Dumbledore to the side.

"Emergency custody hearing of the fifteenth of February, for Andromeda Irma Black, resident at number 7 Bishops Ave. Called by Aurora Alessia Nott, and supporting witness, Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore." The woman from the middle of the room, whom Aurora recognized as Eugenia Jenkins, the Minister of Magic, announced.

"If I may, Minister. We request that Miss Black's memory be removed, and be shown to the room. The young woman does not wish to relive the horror that was inflicted upon her while under the Black family's care. We also request that Auror in training Kingsley Shacklebolt stay with her while she is out of the room for the viewing of the memory." Dumbledore moved about the room as if he had been there a hundred times before.