Weasley Twins - A Fate You Can't Escape

Chapter 152 - Amendments and Animagi

The weeks slip by, and I throw myself into work.  Not only am I trying to further improve the potion from last month's moon, but I've also been revising the regulations for Veela.  Mia has been very helpful with this.  I added a second desk to my office, and we spend each day side by side.

"What's the percentage of Veela that dictates following the regulations?" Mia asks, searching through the papers on her desk.

"Currently one sixty-fourth. So a great great great great grandparent. Six generations back." I frown. "I don't think we convince the Wizengamot for any earlier than one sixteenth. Which is four generations. Maybe it can be revisited in a few years to get it down to a quarter like I'd prefer."

"Maybe some of the old bats there will die off, and we can get someone who wasn't around for the dawn of the twentieth century." Mia snorts, causing me to choke on the water I just took a sip of.

"Mia!" I gasp, wiping my watering eyes with a tissue.

"What?  You know I'm right."  She pouts a little, placing some of her papers in one of the many cabinets.  "We need people who are acceptable of change.  The wizarding world needs to evolve if it wants to survive."

"I know.  You just have to be careful what you say.  Especially here."  I tell her, reading through the Veela registry.

"Fine."  Mia sighs, reluctantly agreeing with me.

"Did you know that there is a breeding law for Veelas?"  I ask her, passing her the paper.

"That sounds gross."  Mia blanches.  She reads it over, looking even more disgusted.  "They have to apply to have kids?  At the risk of forced sterilization?  This is horrible!"

"Just another thing I have to revoke."  I add it to my ever growing list.

***

I sit up in bed, mind racing.

That's it. The middle ground.

Werewolves don't attack animals. Which is why back in the eighties, Sirius Black, James Potter, and Pettigrew became animagi.

What if the ministry formed an animagi task force to watch over the wolves during full moons? Once I finally have the potion done, we could move the shift location to a secluded area, using the wizards in their animal forms to guard them.

I fall back against the pillow.

I need to prefect that potion.

***

Two days later, I meet up as a muggle playground with Harry.  It's fairly empty for it being a weekend, but that's just probably due to the heat.  I keep subtly casting cooling charms on Teddy to keep him from over heating.

"There's something I wanted to talk to you about."  I tell Harry, giving Teddy a gentle push on the swing.  The boy cackles gleefully when Harry tickles his toes.

"Yeah?  What's up?" 

I tell him about my idea on the potential animagi project, asking for his thoughts.

"It's a good idea, if it works."  Harry scratches his head.  "But it would need to be tested small scale first."

"And based on my research, it takes a while for someone to become and animagus.  Plus I'll have to find a volunteer to undergo the spell."  I start to ramble, realizing just how much work would need to go into this.

"I'll do it." Harry pipes in and offers immediately.

"Harry! At least think about it first! Talk to Ginny! This isn't an easy task." I remind him.

"I know, I know." He sighs. "But it would be so cool to be an animagus!"

"Take a few days to think about it and talk to Gin."  I tell him.  "The time for recklessness is over."

"I will."  He promises.

***

I get a visit from "the chosen one" nine days later.  I'm sitting in my office, researching the effects of different moon phases for brewing.  Snape has been a very helpful resource, opening his home and library for me to use.

"Mr. Harry Potter is here to see you." The receptionist for my block of offices pokes her head in. Her cheeks are pink and she looks rather flustered.

"Thank you, please send him in." I tell her with a polite smile. She nods and hurries off. A minute later the door opens again, this time by Harry.

"Hello Hazel!" He greets me cheerfully, plopping down in the empty seat in front of my desk. "Nice to see you back, Mia." He greets my best friend as well.

"Oh, hey Harry."  She seems a bit surprised that he remembers her.  "Nice to see you too."

Mia turns back to her work, glancing up at us every once in a while.

"I did what you asked."  Harry shifts to conversation.  "I talked to Ginny."

"Yeah?"  What did she say?"  I put down my pen, having recorded my newest set of changes.  

"She wasn't thrilled at first, but she's come around."  He scratches the back of his neck.  "Do you think you'll actually get permission from the Wizengamot to do this?"

"Don't need it."  I smirk turning to stir the potion brewing behind me.  "Kinglsey signed off on it yesterday."

"Really?"  This is huge!"  Harry grins, excitement shining in his eyes.

"And as Animagi apparently fall under my jurisdiction, I just need you to fill out an application."  I set my stir stick down, turning to the other woman in the room.  "Mia, do you still have the form?"

"Absolutely!"  She smiles, pulling a parchment out.  Harry takes it from her outstretched hand.  

"I'll have it back sometime tomorrow."

***

For the second moon in a row, Fred is absent.  I wonder if he's "in a meeting" again.  This time Draco doesn't show up either.

So instead of being quietly woken up by someone who cares about me, I am roughly hoisted to my feet by two sneering men.  They hook their hands under my arms and toss my naked body out into the hall, my clothes following a moment later, landing in a heap a ways away.  They laugh as I scramble to gather the items to cover myself. 

Thankfully the woman who talked to me after the previous moon comes to my aid.  She stands between myself and the men, blocking their view as I dress in the cold hallway.

"They take an extra amount of perverted pleasure from humiliating us women."  She tells me quietly.  I finish dressing and she pulls me to my feet.

"Thanks."  I brush my palms over my thighs nervously.  "How was the moon for you?"

"Better."  She gives me a weak smile.  "Your potion has much improved from last month.  Only a could of minor scratches, and I was in control most of the night."

"I'm actually working on something else as well."  I begin to tell her as we exit the silver lined prison.  "Would you maybe be interest in participating in a trial run?"

"Depends.  What do you have in mind?"

"Well, for one, it would get you out of here."  I go on to explain my plan, telling her about how wolves treated animagi the same way as normal animals.  

"Merlin, Carrow."  She lets out a deep breath and I flinch at the name.  "You are sure something."

"Please call me Hazel."  

"Alright, Hazel."  She smiles warmly at me.  "You can call me Serena."

"Nice to officially meet you."  I grin and shake her hand.