Chapter 119: Getting to know another further

“I can’t believe I’m dating Remus.” Nymphadora said in shock.

Fleur gave her two knuts. “And me Bill.”

“What’s wrong with them?” Alt-Nymphadora asked.

“Oui, what eez wrong wiz zem?” repeated Alt-Fleur, a frown on her face.

““Nothing.””

It was Nymphadora who spoke first. “Remus is too…nice for me? Too adult? At least our version. And he’s happily married.”

“Bill eez quite charming. I don’t question zat. In fact ‘e eez really sexy with the scars but ‘e pales in comparison to Rick.” Fleur added.

“You got it girl.” Nymie gave her a smile and they high fived.

“Wait, you’re both… Rick?!” Alt-Nymphadora exclaimed in shock.

Alt-Fleur was grinning with appreciation. “And ‘ere I zought english knew nozhing about passion. Alzhough, cheating? I do not condone zhat.”

“No one is cheating.” Nymphadora quickly refuted the notion, waving her hands.

“Oui. It’s just Lily and Bella ‘aving fun and dragging ‘im along.”

Alt-Dora was confused. “What do you mean?”

“Aunt Lily is bisexual.” Nymie confessed. “And she’s quite the hungry lioness. She wanted the whole panoply of the Black sisters? She got them. Amelia Bones? She got her.”

“Mom is sleeping with Rick?!” Alt-Dora was dumbfounded. “What about dad?!”

“Dad hasn’t been in the picture since I entered Hogwarts.” Nymie shrugged her shoulders. “Mom caught him cheating on her and well… he wasn’t really a good dad. He did the job but there wasn’t much affection behind it. He doesn’t hate me, he’s happy I’m his daughter but he doesn’t have the paternal fiber.”

“I…” Alt-Dora was having an existential crisis now, thinking about her own experience with her dad. With hindsight and another point of view she realized that it was the case. Yet her parents were still together and very much in love.

“He’s the reason I have a thing for older men.” Nymie gave her counterpart the coup de gras. “Rick had been like a big brother and father figure to me. He offered me my first toy broom, offered me my first beater kit, made me realize Nymphadora was a beautiful name and that the others were just mocking it because they were just salty that I was better than them. He’s fun too. One moment he has this daddy aura that made me drench my panties and the next he’s like a childish and petty kid. You never get bored with him. How couldn’t I fall in love?”

“I’m learning so much about myself right now.” Alt-Dora said in a daze. “You really like our name?”

“Yeah, don't you?”

Alt-Fleur snorted. “She goes by Tonks but her nickname is ‘She-that-must-not-be-named’.

“Merlin, that must sucks! You know what? Come here.” Nymie grabbed her lookalike  by the shoulders and pulled her close. “Here is what Rick told me, word for word. I know because I’ll never forget them.” She cleared her throat and used her metamorphmagus ability to sound exactly like Rick then spoke.

“Fuck them. They’re just jealous. Of you. You’re an excellent student, a good beater on the pitch and you can change your body anyway you want. The only thing they can make fun of to make themselves feel better is your name. How pathetic does that make them? Hm? And you know what? I always thought that Nymphadora was a beautiful name and that only you could do it justice. I say, wear it with pride, like a badge of honor and you will see that they can’t use it to hurt you. Make them call you Black because they are unworthy to say your first name out loud, not because they’re making you ashamed. They’re not good enough for that. Besides, do you want those kinds of people to have such a precious name in their dirty mouths? I know I wouldn’t. Next time they make fun of it? Hex them and tell them ‘Nymphadora’ is only for friends and family and not for the sorry excuse of wizards and witches they are. It’s too good for them.”

At this point Alt-Dora was frozen in shock. She wished someone would have told her that when she had been in school.

“Look me… We’re unique. Women like us? You’d have to go to another reality to find one.” Nymie let out a small chuckle at her bad humor. “And a unique name like the one we have? It’s fitting. A unique name for a unique woman. Always keep that in mind and you’ll see, you will be happier.”

Slowly, Alt-Dora nodded but said nothing.

“Who else eez ‘e sleeping wizh?” Alt-Fleur went back to the original topic.

Fleur was more than happy to answer her. “Lily, Bella, Marlene and Amelia are ‘is wives, so zem, obviously. Us two, zen Andromeda and Narcissa.”

Alt-Fleur’s jaw dropped to the ground. “Mon Dieu! C’est un étalon ou quoi?”

“T’as pas idée. Je pourrais mourir de fatigue sur sa bite tellement elle est bonne. Elle est parfaite. Bien longue et bien épaisse comme il faut et comme j’aime. Elle me remplit comme pas d’autres! Il a l’endurance qui va avec en plus! Y’a deux jours, j’ai passé toute la matinée à genoux sous son bureau pour lui sucer la queue. Il a jouit quatre fois et était prêt à me baiser sur son bureau comme une pute après ça.”

“Putain, la vache!” Alt-Fleur’s eyes were as wide as saucers and very much envious.

“Dès que j’ai fini mes maîtrises avec Lily et lui, je vais tout faire pour qu’il me mette en cloque.”

“Et Maman et Papa? Ils t’ont dit quoi?”

“Maman est jalouse.” Fleur said with a smirk. “Papa n'aime pas trop l’idée mais-”

“Can you speak in English, please? That sounded like a very interesting and juicy conversation but we feel left out!” Alt-Dora interjected unhappily.

“I’m not. I understood every word they said. You don’t speak French?” Nymie asked with surprise.

“No. I do not speak- What did you do?!” Alt-Dora exclaimed when Nymie taped her head with her wand.

“Translating charm. Now you’ll understand what they are saying.”

Alt-Dora looked at the two veela. “Speak French so I can see.”

<I was talking about Rick’s big fat cock.> Fleur said without shame.

“Okay, it works,” Alt-Dora turned to her look alike. “You’re teaching me that spell,” then turned back to the two Fleur. “Please tell me more about Rick’s fat cock.”

While Fleur and Nymie talked more to their Alters, Lily and both Remus came back into the room and went to James and Sirius who were having a very animated conversation with the Weasley twins.

“Remus! Why did you-”“And Sirius-”“Never told us-”“You were the Maraudeurs?”““You’re our idols!””

“You hear that Moony? We have fans!” James was euphoric.

“You’re damn right we do! We’re the best pranksters! We were bound to have some.” Sirius commented.

Lily rolled her eyes and tuned them out. Instead of staying there, listening to the idiots, she walked to Hermione having a debate with herself.

“But that’s not fair!” Alt-Hermione declared.

“It’s a bit hypocritical of you to say that, especially when you’re privileged.”

“I’m not! Either of those.” the muggle-born witch denied vehemently.

“No? Aren’t you a witch? A muggle-born one at that?”

“Yes, but I don’t see how-”

“There are nearly 7 Billion people in the world. 100 million of them have magic. The rate of birth of a witch or a wizard from a muggle family is about 11 on average every year in Wizarding Britain alone. Please tell me how you’re not privileged and how it’s not hypocritical of you to say ‘it’s not fair’?”

Lily had a déjà-vu. Her Hermione’s words were the ones Rose gave her in her first year.

“Me too, I didn’t see it like that. Rose had to point it out to me.” Hermione said to the Alt.

“Hermione, do you remember what I told you after that?” Lily took part in the discussion.

“Of course!” she answered brightly. “That motivated me even more to learn about the wizarding world. You said that this unfairness doesn’t mean you can’t reach the top and have to stay forever at the bottom. You reached the top and are a muggle-born. There is no reason I or others can’t either.”

“That’s about it.” Lily confirmed then turned to Alt-Hermione. “There is nothing you can’t do in the wizarding world but you need to embrace it. Culture and all and not just pick what you like and go to war with what you don’t like because muggles are more advanced in that regard. You wouldn’t go to another country and dictate people how to live, no? It’s the same when you’re in Magical Britain. It’s a complete other world from muggle Britain.”

“It can change however. With Voldemort gone plenty of good changes happened.” Hermione tried to cheer up Alt-Hermione.

“You need to be smart about it. Usually my husband attacks the other Lords’ pride. After the first wizarding war. Plenty of people were making money out of my name, because I defeated Voldemort. Good, bad, sometimes really bad slender. We fought that by proposing a libel law. You’re free to say what you want but you’re not free of the consequences of your words. The lords didn’t care, then Rick proceeded to insult them and make up so many nasty lies right in the middle of a full Wizengamot session. The Lords were absolutely furious.” Lily remembered so fondly the moment she chuckled.

“What did he do then?” Alt-Hermione was very curious now.

“He basically told them to go eat a flobberworm, that he could say whatever he wanted because there was no law against it and if they felt their honor was tarnished they were free to ask for an honor duel and that I would be his second. Now, in context, I just killed Voldemort six months earlier and Rick nearly killed him too six months before that. No Lords were ready to challenge him in an honor duel.”

Alt-Hermione was shocked at first then laughed at the absurdity of it all.

Lily continued the tale. “Then he apologized, and admitted that he had made everything up to point out the necessity to have that law. 93% of the Winzengamot voted for it. We used a similar tactic for the law for the protection of the house-elves. The secret is to appeal to their superiority complex. Subtly and indirectly link their attitude to something they believe less than themselves and they will change their tune on the spot to appear better. But for that to happen, you need to integrate yourself first in the wizarding world.

I had to learn all the pureblood etiquette, customs and manners to be taken seriously and to be heard. I hated every second of it but I endured because I knew that at the end of it all, I could change bit by bit things for the better. For something more fair. The law for the werewolves? Sixteen years we fought for it. It took a lot of work, a lot of reputation building, networking, and the arrest of Voldemort and his followers, to finally pass that law. It’s not easy, sometimes it’s infuriatingly frustrating to deal with those cavemen and keep your temper in check but it’s worth it.”

“Now Professor Potter is the role model of the perfect pureblood wife.” Hermione added that tidbit.

“I really should let go of my views, don't I?” Alt-Hermione said, looking back and forth between her lookalike and Lily.

“For certain things like the freedoms of elves? Yes. For others like equality for all? No. Just keep that opinion private until you can go public with it.” advised Lily.

“Good!” Hermione exclaimed happily. “Next on the agenda: divination.” she said, picking up her own copy of Divination for Dummies.

“There is no way you’ll change my mind about that!” Alt-Hermione shouted in indignation and a challenge.

Lily couldn’t help herself and laughed. It lasted all of two seconds until the loud sound of someone apparating was heard. Turning around she saw Bella shoulder carrying a very ill looking Rick.

“A bit of help, please.” Bella asked.

Sirius and James were the closest and the first to get to Rick. They dragged him to  a free couch and laid him down.

Everyone, no matter the universe, was worried for him.

“What happened?” Lily inquired Bella as she made her way to her husband.

“Finding the Diadem took a toll on him.”

“What diadem?” Ginny asked.

“The Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw.” Bella let herself fall down in an empty seat.

“You found it?!” Alt-Hermione exclaimed.

“Voldemort did. Made a Horcrux out of it and hid it in the room of requirement.” Lily shared.

“Okay, stop for a minute! What’s a horcrux and why were you searching for it?” Sirius called a time out.

“And why is Lord Potter in that state?” Alt-Ron added.

“Lily, please.” Bella begged, completely worn out.

The redhead nodded and turned towards the others. “A horcrux is a soul anchor. Basically, you rip a part of your soul and put it in something. That way when you die, you don’t completely die. That’s how Voldemort survived me blowing his head up.”

Sirius’ reaction was immediate. “Merlin’s Balls! That man is insane! Butchering his own soul?!”

Lily turned to Ron. “My husband is a magic sensor, a very, very sensitive one. If there is dark magic around, he feels it physically. A horcrux which is the foulest of magic? Here is the result. And he’s wearing his protection rings against it. Without it he would probably have fainted the moment he arrived in this world from Harry’s shard in his scar alone.” she pointed out.

“So all we have to do is destroy that diadem and Voldemort is mortal again?” James asked.

“That’s not that simple.” Alt-Hermione shook her head. “From what Professor Dumbledore told Harry, Voldemort made several.”

“WHAT?!” The last time Sirius had used this volume of voice was for the quidditch final in 94’. “He’s beyond insane!”

“Six. Hermione. The exact number is six.” Lily revealed.

Alt-Ron was curious. “How do you know that?”

“Six soul shards plus himself makes it seven. Seven is the most powerful number in arithmancy. In our world we stopped him before he could make the sixth but finding them all had been a pain. More than a decade in fact.”

“The diadem and the cup were at the same places. The ring was gone. And The Locket wasn’t in the cave replaced by a fake.” Bella revealed. “We found it at Grimmauld. We were lucky, Mundungus was stealing shit, including the locket. God I forgot how loud that thing was.”

“Okay, that’s too much information in one go, cousin.” Sirius commented.

“The ring was destroyed by this world version of me.”

Everyone turned to see Albus stepping in the room followed by Shacklebot, Moody, Bill and Arthur.

“Alas, without Regulus and Rick in his life, he wasn’t able to survive the withering curse. From what I understood, he planned to have Severus murder him so he could be seen as nothing else but a loyal servant to Voldemort.”

“It can’t be, sir! I saw it myself! I was there under my invisibility cloak!” Harry and Rose had come from a side door, having heard the commotion.

“I’d like to see the memory if you don’t mind.” Albus asked then apologized. “And on behalf of my counterpart, I’d like to apologize for the way he treated you and the life you had. What he did…” Albus shook his head as if he was in pain but said nothing more. He didn’t let Harry ask about it however. “That means the ring is gone, we have the diadem, the cup, Harry destroyed the journal in his second year, the locket and… Harry.” he finished with sadness.

“Nagini. Voldemort’s pet snake. He made her an horcrux. You told me yourself.” Harry chimed in.

“Then that means we have them all but the snake.” Bella said.

“Wait a minute here!” James interrupted. “I zoned out when Albus said Harry was a horcrux?! We’re not killing him!”

“We’re not, James.” Lily had a pleased smile at his reaction. “Rose made a ritual to deal with them back home.”

“We can already deal with all the ones here but Harry’s.” Rose shared. “I’m still working on the ritual for him. It will take a bit of time because an object is entirely different from a living being.”

“Oh.” James was caught off guard. “What do we do then?”

Albus took the lead. “For now, we need to find a safer place to stay. Soon this world’s Lily’s protection will stop on Harry as he will be magically mature. From what I understood, Grimmauld is not an option anymore.”

“What about Potter Manor?”

“Destroyed in 79. You-know-who razed it to the ground after killing the Potters seniors.” Moody revealed.

“What about Black Oak?” Narcissa suggested.

Andromeda was doubtful. “Does Rick being Lord Black in our world even work here?”

“It does. When we went to Gringotts to recover the cup in this world me’s vault, Rick was able to take the Potter's heir ring for Harry, despite being declared as dead. The goblins made some test and since he is Corvus Potter they had no choice but to let him do as he wished with the Potter vaults.”

“What’s an heir ring?” the aforementioned wondered and everyone looked at him weirdly. “What?”

“This is one of the mistakes my alter-ego made. Not telling you about your responsibilities, privileges and duties as the last Potter.”

“That’s alright, Albus. I’ll… I’ll teach him.” Bella was instantly on her feet and went to kneel at her husband’s side as he had woken up. “Ugh. I’m never going horcrux hunting again. Black Oak then?” He stood up with a grunt helped by Lily and Bella. “If someone can apparate me there, I can open it then the floo. The problem is-”

“If this world version of Bella and I learn of it.” Narcissa finished.

“We’ll deal with that problem later. Making sure Harry is protected is the priority.”

“Why?”

“““Harry!””” Alt-Hermione, Ron and Ginny exclaimed in outrage.

“If I die, the horcrux in me is not a problem anymore. The prophecy is fulfilled and-”

“Don’t bother with the prophecy. There are plenty of ways to go about it. Dad defeated Voldemort and I didn’t have to do anything.” Rose cut him off.

“Wait a minute! Rose, what are you talking about?!” Susan shouted, not having liked what she heard.

“What mini-Amelia said.” Sirius pointed at Susan with his thumb not liking the idea that Rose had a prophecy over her head. He may not be her uncle or godfather but he spent lots of time with the Potter because of Duncan being there with his mother, so he was very familiar with the young redhead and cared deeply about her.

Albus took back control of the situation on the spot. “We’ll talk about this at a later time, it’s not important.”

Andromeda went to grab Rick. “You’re tired.” she said to Bella then apparated away.