HARRY POTTER WLoF REWRITE PART 3 CHAP 5

Moria looked up from the seat she was sitting in and gave an eye roll as Giacintro walked into the room. They stared at each other as the other members of the group chatted amongst each other. She then huffed looking away, folding her arms over her chest. Giacintro walked to the other side of the room, farthest away from her. She scrunched up her nose and looked away, only to look back at the door when Lucio came through the door.

"Ah, so everyone's here. Good."

"Sir." They all greeted.

"I hope that everyone has greeted one another."

"Some more polite than others." Moria grumbled glaring at Giacintro, who didn't seem the least bit bothered by the stare.

"I am Lucio Nacar, and I will be your supervising officer for the remainder of your training period. Depending on how you six do, this could last a few months to a few years under my company. That is not to say that you won't go on individual missions, however for the time being, team missions is what we will currently be going through."

"Shouldn't the women remain on team missions?" Giacintro drawled. Basilio let out a slight huff and Nico looked at the other man annoyed. Lucio looked at the young man. "They'll need better protection than us."

"Considering that this is a learning experience, Muraro." Lucio stated. "All six of you are to be on team missions. Depending on how well you do individually, will determine when each and every one you will be able to go on solo missions."

"Well the women should-"

"We have names, you know." Moria drawled out, picking under her fingernail, giving a bored tone into her voice. "Contrary to popular belief, just because we decided to join a career that you only see as being a testicle and testosterone only job, we're just as qualified as you bunch are."

"You'll only slow us down."

"Gia!" Basilio snapped.

"How so?" Moria asked coolly.

"Because of what you are."

"You make us sound like animals at a zoo."

"You're diving too far into the meaning of my words." Giacintro snapped. Lucio seemed to observe the pair, a frown on his face. Giacintro it seemed would be the major problem in this group. Even if Nico and Florentia were awkward towards one another, they could still work together. He, however, seemed completely against women in the force. That probably was because of his past with his family, but still... "That's the problem with women. They dive too far into a matter that shouldn't concern them." He snapped.

"And the problem with men is that they don't dive far enough." Moria replied. Lucio held back a chuckle at Giacintro's startled expression. It seemed that he had found one of the few people who could stand nose to nose with Muraro.

"Alright, alright. Enough you too." Lucio ordered with an easy smile. "Onto other important matters."

Moria continued to glare at Giacintro for several minutes before turning to look at Lucio.

If the room hadn't been chilly before, it was ice cold now.

---

"I still can't believe we're all in the same group!" Rosetta cheered as she and Florentia walked out after Moria, apparently ignoring the exchange of words between Moria and Giacintro. Moria mumbled something in reply, before yelping as Rosetta pulled her and Florentia to her.

"We're like two peas in a pod."

"There are three of us." Moria grumbled, rolling her eyes with a slight smile on her face.

"Details, details." Rosetta huffed.

"Florentia, can you babysit Harry and Max in a few days? I have to go…visit someone." She said, almost nervously. Florentia nodded.

"Sure thing."

"Who?" Rosetta asked. Moria shrugged.

"Someone I knew from London." She replied evasively. Rosetta stared at her then shrugged.

"Sure I don't mind." Florentia replied with a smile.

"Why can't I babysit?"

"Need I remind you what happened a few weeks ago when I left you alone with Harry and Max for ten minutes?"

"It was an accident. How was I supposed to know that Harry's uncontrollable magic would rear its head when I said boo? Besides it wasn't THAT bad."

"Harry turned the mailman into a frog, Rosetta." Moria replied with a raised eyebrow. "I had to obliviate the man after we caught him and turned him back. How is that not bad?" Moria remarked and Rosetta huffed.

"Hey, we caught him before he hopped off into a lake. Mission accomplished. And he always did look a little…"

"You finish that pun and I'm smacking you upside the head." Moria warned.

Rosetta huffed.

---

"You have to stop blaming them, Muraro."

Giacintro turned to see Lucio staring at him, his arms crossed as he leaned against the door jamb.

"Don't know what you mean."

"Not every woman's fate is going to be your mother's."

Giacintro froze, before shouldering his bag. Lucio sighed. "Carrying that burden by yourself is not going to do you any good. Taking it out on your teammates, is, likewise, not going to do any good. What happened to them was a tragedy, but the more you see the sacrifice through them, the more pain it's going to put on you."

"Enough Sir."

"What do you see in Mrs. Black that reminds you of your mother so much? " Lucio asked and Giacintro froze. He then shouldered his bag and stepped out. As he walked down the hall, he spotted the rest of his team chatting. He stared at Moria.

"Oh my little Gia, women must forge their own paths. We cannot abide to men forever my sweet."

"And look where that idea got to you mother. Father was right…" Giacintro thought as he walked in the opposite direction, almost as though running from the image of a woman with dark hair and brown eyes lying on the ground…

Moria wasn't his mother…but it didn't matter.

A woman was a woman.

---

As she had asked Florentia, about a week or so later, the half-dryad was standing outside the home of Moria and the two children. "Sorry. Max isn't feeling too well right now, so she's in bed." Moria apologized as she pulled on her shoes, retying the ponytail as several shorter strands began to fall out. Her hair was now shoulder level, just reaching her shoulder blades. "Harry's in the living room. He said he wanted to play a board game with you, if you don't mind."

"Of course I don't." Florentia said with a bright smile. "You go have fun."

Moria offered a slight smile, which was barely seen before she turned and left the room. Florentia turned around at the sound of Moria dispparting away and then clapped her hands as she entered the living room.

"Alright, so what are we playing?"

Harry held up the board game and Florentia smirked at the muggle game 'Trouble'.

"So who gave you that?"

"Madam Olga. It's a Christmas present she bought us." He explained as she sat down.

"Well that was nice of her."

"She couldn' find the original board game she was going to give us at her place. Me and Maxi will just find it later." He stated as he set up the game. As though he had summoned her, a raspy, chest throbbing cough sounded in the living room. She looked up to see Max at the foot of the stairs, rubbing her eyes. She, in all words, looked like a very sick little three year old girl. Her face seemed to have sunken a bit, dark bags under her eyes, a slight shade of green on her face, and she looked EXHAUSTED. Glancing at Harry, she observed a rather surprised look on his face.

"Gonna…get…some…water…" Max muttered tiredly, giving another cough.

"I'll go get it sweetie." Florentia said, beginning to stand up.

"No…it's otay…I'll get it." She muttered, padding tiredly to the kitchen. Florentia frowned.

"She didn't look like that before Auntie Moria left." Harry muttered as the spigot turned on and the sound of rushing water sounded. "If she did Auntie Moria wouldn't have gone."

Florentia opened her mouth to question Harry, but her question was muted by a crashing sound coming from the kitchen. She could have lit a fire under his butt, and she was sure Harry wouldn't have gotten up faster than he did with that sound, racing to the kitchen, followed swiftly by her. Max was in front of the counter, curled up on the ground.

"Maxi! Maxi!" Harry called out, shaking his adoptive sister's shoulder as Florentia kneeled in front of her. Did her stomach flu get possibly worse? She turned her over and that theory went through the window.

How many stomach flu's caused almost black webbing-like markings to crawl up the girl's face?

Harry's bloodless face turned paler.

"What's wrong with her?!"

"She's been cursed."

Harry's eyes became a round shape and he opened and closed his mouth several times. Florentia frowned, biting her lip.

"Did she touch anything in the past day or so, Harry?" Florentia asked, looking at the shell-shocked boy.

"No!" He exclaimed at first, then. "Wait…when we were out with Auntie Moria shopping, she touched a teapot in this thrift shop and she said it stung her. We all just thought that there was a chipped piece on it…" He said, growing slowly more and more horrified. She looked back at the little girl. Muggle hospitals couldn't do anything…and she didn't-

She froze and then stood, gathering up Max. "Come along Harry." She said.

"Where are we going?" He asked. She didn't answer. "Miss Florentia? He asked as she took several steps into the earth. "Miss Florentia?" He asked again.

"Hang on."

"To w-" Harry began to ask but watched in surprise as Florentia's body seemed to shift. It became darker, the skin cracking as though it looked like bark from a tree in the woods. The white part of her eyes slowly darkened to pitch black, her eyes beginning to glow. She let out an unearthly, at least in his opinion, hiss as her lips disappeared into a jagged crack, and her hair became green vines.

He yelped as several vines wrapped around his waist, hoisting him up.

"Hang on…" The creature hissed and he barely managed to voice anything before the world seemed to blur as this version of Florentia raced into the trees at breakneck speed. He felt sick for a second before focusing on the small hand that was crawling up wooden Florentia's shoulder. He forced his hand through the wind and gripped Max's hand, just to reassure her he was there.

---

"Dumbledore." Moria greeted as she sat down at the small coffee shop that was situated in the Italian Ministry. "You surprised me with that letter."

"I assure you, it was not on purpose." The older wizard said with a smile. Moria offered a small one in return. "I heard that you have joined the auror program here."

"You heard correctly." She replied.

"I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that." He said.

"…you said something about Remus and Neville in the letter. Is he and Geoffrey alright? And what about Neville?" Moria asked, changing the subject.

"Straight to the point as ever."

"Call it habit." Moria replied with a grin, which slowly faded. "Well?"

"Neville is doing wonderfully...his grandmother is raising him to be a fine young man. Remus is fine, Moria. However…he has run into a bit of a problem."

"Problem?"

"Several months ago, his great-aunt passed away…she had been caring for Geoffrey during the full moon time of the month."

"Not his father?"

"Ever since his mother died, Remus hasn't wanted to burden Lyall with taking care of Geoffrey. I think deep down, Remus fears that Lyall still feels guilt for what happened in his own childhood."

"I guess that makes sense...but..." Moria frowned in realization. "I'm assuming that neither you nor any of the Hogwarts staff can care for him during that time then?"

"Unfortunately, the Ministry is against it, and Mr. Lupin is well…"

"Being himself and saying that it's not worth the trouble, right?" Moria asked dryly.

"He is a very self-sacrificing man." Dumbledore admitted. "Which is why I came to ask you something."

"I can't move now…" Moria trailed off, flushing. It's not that she didn't miss England. She missed it desperately…but she had to stay here at least for a few more years with her job now. He smiled a twinkle in his eyes.

"Who said anything about you moving?"

---

The world seemed to change, the blurring trees turning darker, the hurried sounds of animals disappearing replaced by the slight whimpers that Max emitted, Harry observed. They were deep in the forest, he figured. He gripped Max's hand to which she barely returned the hold. Finally Florentia stopped. He became aware of hissing.

"Intruders…Intruders!"

"It is I!" Florentia hissed out. "Florentia! Daughter of Glicina!"

"Florentia?" Voices echoed from around the them, hidden amongst the trees. Harry pressed himself against Florentia. "You were ousted years ago! How dare you darken the Garden's doorstep."

"I need your help!"

"Go away Florentia, we-"

"Enough my sisters. I wish to hear what my daughter has to say." A voice called out. The other half-dryads froze and then bowed, moving away. A creaking sound entered Harry's ears and Florentia stiffened. A woman seemed to grow out of tree, a crown of branches and thorns adorned on her head. Her hair was long and similar to Florentia's, vines that flowed down onto the ground. The only major difference was that the figure that stood in front of them didn't have defining feet. Instead from her waist down, it reminded Harry of a tree trunk that was gliding effortlessly through the dirt.

"Return to your human form, daughter." The creature before him told Florentia. Almost hesitantly, she obliged, letting Harry down as she transformed back into her human self. "Now…what is it that warranted this visit?"

"I need your help. SHE needs your help." Florentia implored, holding Max up. Harry gasped at how far the curse had gotten. She looked like that doll they had found at Madam Olga's place, one side of the face was spiderwebbed with the blackness. Her face was contorted in pain.

Florentia settled the pair on the ground and Harry went over to Max, holding her protectively. "Hawwy…" Max said tiredly, her voice hoarse with pain, but trying to hide it, maybe for his benefit.

"I'm here." He said watching Florentia.

"She is not of our concern."

"She is only a child. I didn't have any other place to turn."

"You have your father's people."

"Muggles can't do anything, Mother!" Florentia implored. "Please."

The creature in front of her was silent, observing the little girl. Harry held Max tightly, but it seemed to do very little. Within a few moments of tense silence, vines slowly wrapped around Max and lifted her away from Harry.

"Hey-"

"Harry." Florentia commanded and the little boy was silent, watching as Max was brought up front and center. The woman lifted a glowing finger and glided the finger over the outline of Max. The little girl emitted a tiny sound, that sounded reminiscent of what Harry had heard every so often during naptime or at night. She was calling out for her Dad.

"A very strong curse embedded in this child." Glicina commented and Harry tried to swallow the lump in his throat. Glicina pulled out a clear crystal, which glimmered in the dim lighting around them. Gently she tapped the crystal against Max's forehead, uttering words and sounds that Harry couldn't understand.

Then the pained expression Max's face lessened and he watched as the crystal dulled and darkened. The webbing also seemed to vanish, almost as though it was being sucked into the crystal. By the time the darkened cracks had disappeared, the once clear crystal was dark and opaque, almost as though the night sky on a cloudy day had been captured in the crystal.

The color to Max's face had returned, her expression was less pained. He saw that her breathing had quieted as she was returned to them. She looked like she was sleeping now, only the faint hint of a fever, when he checked her forehead with his.

"It'd be best to watch her."

"I know, I know." Florentia hissed out, her voice sounding as though the trees were amplifying it. "I won't bother you again. I'll take her to someone else."

"Oh no, dear daughter, I was meaning the ability she has."

"Ability?" Florentia whispered in confusion. "Well she's a witch, but-"

"You will see…I sense great things from both the boy and the girl. However at present, their memories of this little adventure may be detrimental."

"I…suppose. Wait, what are you doing?!" She asked as she saw a dryad appear behind Harry and press a stone to the back of his head. A dazed expression slid over his face as the stone began shining.

"Relieving him of this memory." Her mother commented. She looked about ready to object but the look her mother had given her, changed her mind. She nodded as she picked up the children.

"You can never return here, you understand that my daughter?" Glicina asked. Florentia froze for a millisecond, and nodded, her back turned. Then as quickly as she had appeared, she jumped back into the tree-line hopping to every other tree.

---

Spells were flying, men were screaming curses, both magical and non-magical in languages Moria didn't understand. Weeks had passed since Dumbledore had come to visit.

"Wish we could go over there."

"Lucio wants us to observe and learn. We'll be down there eventually." Nico commented. "Besides we aren't the only team here." He added motioning towards where another group stood, in a different corner.

"We also have to make sure none of those we're fighting against get out of the perimeter. Once they take a step out, if there can, apparition would be a snap. Well actually a pop. All we need is a crackle and-OW!" Rosetta yelped as Moria smacked her upside the head.

"Honestly, your puns are the worst." Moria commented as she kept her eye on the warehouse. "It's rather interesting."

"What is? The fact that the idiots are seriously trying to flee the other aurors because they were caught pissing in an unauthorized zone?" Rosetta asked.

"Or the fact that you decided to bring a shovel along?" Giacintro asked, earning a glare from Moria.

"The shovel, for your information, I picked up so we wouldn't be spotted." Moria reminded. "And I sincerely doubt they're running because they took the piss somewhere. They're hiding something."

"For once, I agree with you." Giacintro said, but apparently needed to add some sort of criticism to his compliment. "But seriously, a shovel. Of all the things you could pick up, you pick up a muggle shovel." He growled out, though Moria didn't seem to be listening, instead was staring at the edge of a building. She slowly advanced to it, picking up the shovel.

"What good would a shovel do in the magical-" He began to complain, but stopped as she swung the shovel up, slamming the broad surface against the man's face, wrenching him off his feet and slamming him into the ground, all with a resonant ringing sound echoing around. She sunk the blade in the dirt, next to the now concussed smuggler.

"That." She said as Rosetta snorted loudly.

"He's the farthest one to have escaped, I will admit." Basilio said as he walked over and yanked the man up, tying his arms behind his back. "Young too. Can't be more than a teenager."

"Aw, the youth of today." Florentia commented.

"I wan' to file a complain'!" The young man roared, blood streaming from his broken nose, causing his words to sound disjointed. "She atta'd me!"

"I 'attacked' you because you were trying to escape the perimeter." Moria said sweetly. "Besides, don't worry, you'll have plenty of company. Your mates will be joining you."

"Giucciano will have…oh about five…maybe ten of you. Depending on the charges that is."

"You actually do trials?"

"Of course." Rosetta asked, cocking her head to the side. "Why? Does England not do that?"

"They do, it's just…" Moria trailed off, before shaking her head. "Never mind. Forget I asked."

The look on the rest of her team's faces, clearly said that it was something big, but a shower of red sparks called each of the groups to where their team leader was. Lucio was observing several large cages, many of which, the gate part had been pried open, the lock mechanism destroyed.

"We have a problem." Lucio said.

"I'll say, this must have been some party." Rosetta commented at the amount of destroyed areas. "Any casualties."

"Only on their side, but that's not the problem."

"Then what is?"

"They were smuggling nagas."

"Nagas?" Moria asked, her eyebrows furrowing to the one time she took Care of Magical Creatures.

"Creatures from India. They were going to smuggle them to Egypt, which would then be distributed throughout the Middle East and African continent. Illegally of course. We managed to get them before they got to their buyer."

"Okay…so the problem is?" Nico asked.

"The problem is, is that do you SEE any nagas?" Lucio asked. Moria's frown deepened.

"They escaped."

"Yes."

"Any direction where they were headed?"

"Probably towards the mountains so they can try heading back to India." Lucio commented and then sighed. "I highly suggest you go home and get some rest. You'll be needing it. The next few days…we'll be naga hunting."

"Yes sir."

---

It had been a few weeks since then, and the Italian Ministry had managed to keep quiet about the nagas, oblivating any muggle that had seen nagas. Not even other Ministries, other than the Indian Ministry were aware of the danger. But that wasn't what worried the Italian Ministry. Apparently, from what the Indian government informed them, these nagas were of a more…violent…background. The villages that they had dwelled around had feared the night, nervous and frightful that a naga would come in and steal a child. They apparently had an appetite for human flesh, namely children.

It was late one night and two people were walking down the single road in Rhêmes-Notre-Dame. And the little blond haired, five year child that was holding the older man's scarred hand was slowly getting on his nerves. Remus glanced down at the little boy. It was only a few days since the full moon, so while he didn't necessarily BLAME Geoffrey for his slowly growing annoyance, the five year old wasn't making it any easier.

"Why not just ask for directions?"

"Because I don't speak Italian, Geoffrey." Remus argued.

"I'm pretty sure there's a spell for that, Dad. But I'm guessing you didn't use it." Geoffrey countered.

"Geoff, stop."

"But-"

"GEOFFREY." Remus snapped and the little boy promptly shut up, though he looked hurt by Remus snapping at him. He stuck out his bottom lip and wiggled his hand out of Remus's grip, crossing his tiny arms. Guilt flooded into Remus pretty quickly after as silence ensued. He finally spotted a house and glanced at Geoffrey, who seemed to be content at staring at the ground. Remus turned and made Geoffrey stop just a few feet away from the door.

"Stay right here. Understand?" He ordered. Geoffrey was silent. "Geoffrey Benjamin Lupin. Do you understand?"

"Yes Sir." The little boy replied with little emotion. Remus sighed, before walking to the door and knocking. A few moments later he heard footsteps and a middle-aged man, whose stomach was nearly a circle, his face covered in heavy wrinkles answered. He began to speak in rapid Italian.

"Lo non parlo italiano." Remus said quickly, one of the only phrase that he actually knew. The man gave a jovial laugh.

"My apologies." The man said in English with a thick Italian accent. "I should have realized. May I ask what you be needing?"

"Directions." Remus said, trying to make it as simple as possible as he held up a piece of parchment that had the said address.

"Ah, sì sì." The man agreed nodding. "It's a bit of a walk though. But all you have to do is continue walking down the path and it will be the third house on the left. There is a mother who lives there with her two children." He said. Remus frowned. A mother? What mother with two kids did he possibly know that would warrant him coming here specifically by Dumbledore?

"Grazie tanto."

"Prego." The man said and closed the door. Remus turned around, and to his frustration, Geoffrey was no longer there.

"I swear to Merlin, it's like James decided to possess that boy and make him do things to rip my hair out." Remus grumbled. "Geoffrey! Geoffrey come on, it's getting late! And we have a long walk…or apparition…to do!"

Nothing answered him.

"For the love of…Geoffrey Benjamin Lupin! Get your little behind out here right this minute! I'm not in the mood for ga-"

"DDDDAAAADDDDDD!"

Time seemed to slow down right then at the high-pitched, panicked scream and every amount of frustration that had been there moments vanished in an instant as he raced towards where his son's voice had come from. He slid around a corner and saw Geoffrey pressed against a tree, a side of his face red from blood that was sliding down his face. In front of him was an eight foot&hellip naga, he realized. From the waist down was nothing but a coiling snake's body, covered in glistening green scales. The waist up was the body of a male, but the head was grotesquely shaped into a hybrid of a human and snake, horns growing out of the jaw. Clawed hands rose, trying to make another swipe for the boy.

"Protego!"

The naga hissed in anger and looked at what had stopped him from taking his meal.

"Get the bloody hell away from my son!" Remus yelled out, throwing another spell which forced the creature away. He ran to Geoffrey grabbing hold of his arm, and wrenching the stunned boy to his feet.

"Run! Now!" He ordered, trying to keep one eye on where the naga had gone, and another on his son, who seemed to be having issues getting his feet to work. "Geoffrey! Move!"

"BEHIND-"

He felt it before he heard or saw it. Burning pain in his back and shoulder. He turned again slamming the naga with a throwing spell, but stumbled, pain numbing his mind for several seconds. The hastily thrown shield spell barely held before shattering as the male naga slammed him into the tree. If he wasn't still sore from the transformation two nights ago, he was now. He could hear Geoffrey yelling as the naga began to slam Remus over and over again into the tree, hissing and spitting like a cobra. It jammed his claw into Remus's midsection then went to bite his neck.

His vision, at the point had grown blurry, but he was just conscious enough to see the naga be thrown away by a spell, feel himself hit the ground painfully in a crumpled heap. He could hear a feminine voice yelling and the last thing he saw in his vision was Geoffrey crying and a young woman he was quite sure was dead.

Then his world went black.