196 Ch. 195 Births

The cleansing of the Forbidden Forest became something of a major event.

Contemporarily and historically speaking.

And the presence of the Hogwarts rumor mill made it impossible to keep such a drastic change under wraps, thus it obviously leaked to parents and then news organizations. And in the future, researchers of all kinds.

Although temporarily still a 'no-go zone', it was mostly to give the forest time to stabilize itself and find a new natural rhythm as less dangerous species and more neutral or positive ones returned. They needed time to essentially rediscover everything and acclimatize to a new ecosystem.

You know, what can they eat, where is food, finding safe drinking water, resting spots, predators need to solidify their territories, the works.

It was a major shift after all and we didn't want students to run into a random predatory or territorial creature. Hence why Christian, his parents, a few experts with their own teams from Fortress and the ministry alongside Hagrid, have been observing and recording the forest's state near constantly as they attempted to map out territories, new habitats, newly joined creatures, and even the effects of the ritual upon the forest itself.

The center of forest, where I enacted the ritual, still glowed and thrummed with magic at night, gradually becoming less obvious the further one gets from the epicenter.

A lot of important changes happened there due to the unarguably immense amount of magic which suffused the land.

For one, the majority of trees closest to the ritual have developed Dryads.

That was a big discovery.

Their smaller and much weaker cousins related to fairies and pixies, wood nymphs, still inhabit the magical world in some areas, which currently include the forest and Beauxbatons, but Dryads had become essentially extinct outside of the few remaining primordial forests of the world.

Dryads are much different than Wood Nymphs as they have two distinct appearances, mildly similar to Veela in this case.

First is the 'innocent' form. They appear as coquettish young ladies with pale green skin, hair in a variety of color depending of the leaves of their trees or the fruits they can bear, usually naked or less than modestly covered using clothing facsimiles made from plants.

This appearance is used when they are feeling playful, taking care of nature or trying to attract mates, which two of them technically offer some form of danger due to the difference in mindsets, but it is generally harmless. It is their most common look due to them largely preferring to avoid most people, resulting in only fleeting glimpses of lithe beauties, this actually beginning one of their most popular games.

Although if one manages to threaten them or get on their bad side then they will witness their second form. The 'Angry form' would be a large female form with bark-like skin capable of shrugging off most magic, sharpened wooden claws backed by powerful limbs, and tentacle-like vines for hair they can manipulate at will.

Dryads also possess powerful nature magic to support them in their desires to have their trees and forests flourish while also defending them. They are in tune with most animals and creatures to form mutually beneficial agreements with them. And their 'bodies' don't technically matter as long as their tree is intact.

They honestly would do a lot of good to the planet, but they do tend to be very protective of 'their' forests and have often clashed against humanity, magical or non, to halt the ever encroaching tide of 'progress'.

I find humanity's lack of long term perspective distasteful, but to hopefully fix many to the current problems of humanity, most of my solutions involve gradually reintroducing magic to the world in order to begin pooling ressources together to fix things on both sides and begin a golden era of humanity.

But that won't happen anytime in the next century that's for sure.

Disappointing.

But I'll focus on the problems in the magical world first, then worry about the non-magical one.

For now though, I would say the return of the Dryads is a wonderful thing for the British magical world and for the forest. They will help renew the magic of the land and keep it thriving as best they can, then in some years, when they are ready to reproduce, we can introduce a few to various protected magical forests and reserves to help there as well.

This will allow more natural magic to be breathed into the world and hopefully develop into more magical beings, creatures and humans to be born.

Long term, but necessary.

On another note, a most interesting development with these Dryads would be that they somehow consider me their progenitor.

Meaning they really like me and tend to listen to my words well enough.

I essentially formed a bond with the forest due to my ritual and a more direct one with the dryad as it was technically 'my' magic which 'awakened' them, thus I am currently seen as a sort of parent to the dryads and lord of the forest.

A rather… unexpected side effect, but not nearly a bad one so far.

I now have a feel for the forest, its health and the wellbeing of its inhabitants.

It was rather interesting.

Sol found herself quite at home here as a result, which pleased one Fawkes immensely as he tried to follow her around, then there were a few conflicts with some thunderbirds Sol knew or was being courted by, so a bit of a mess there.

But to me it was a different opportunity.

Druidic magic had become a lost form of magic over 500 years ago as various systemic educational facilities began opening across the world, leaving the Druids, who did not wish to adapt or change their ways, to slowly die out as humanity encroached on nature and the solitary Druids eventually vanished.

The closest thing still available would be the shamanistic magics of various indigenous tribes all over the world.

My connection to the forest, the Dryads and magic could be a near unique opportunity to rediscover this aspect of magic and form a possibly learnable system to reintroduce to the world.

It would tremendously help fields of Herbology, CoMC and Potions, maybe also Astrology, Divination and Runes as well.

I should be able to form rituals involving nature as well, maybe form a compendium of beneficial rituals to attempt a change in perspective regarding the nature of ritualistic magic. It was an important aspect of magic which, more often than not, touched on the most intrinsic of magics.

I just can't wait for the war to be over.

-Malfoy Manor, 30th of March, Jennifer Cross (née Geri Greyback) POV

'Master did warn me about the likely possibility of an accelerated development. Good thing we have been ready for months.' I thought as I received a report of Bellatrix Lestrange's water breaking.

'I Hope i can have my own little cubs soon as well.' I briefly thought as I imagined Scott and I with our own family. 'I miss him, but it is almost over.'

The Dark Fool is still courting the old families of Eastern Europe and Russia, my men are all in position while that pathetic excuse for a male, Malfoy, attempts to bluster about. His attempts to regain his standing and authority after both his wife and heir abandoned him while taking almost everything, losing any political value soon after and continuously failing his 'lord' have left him desperate and near broken.

He will likely die from his own owner's wrath after today's events come to light.

Bellatrix will die, the fool's child will vanish and the insult to the living will 'lose' the werewolves.

'The man-child will throw quite the tantrum. I wonder if he's going to enjoy our message?' I wondered as I left my assigned room.

Although not the worst thanks to my 'value', it is still far from the standards I desire.

Well those standards include my mate and a proper rutting by said mate, but that will come later.

For now, I sent out the agreed upon signal.

'Operation Unfit Parents is a go.'

And with that, my men who essentially acted as the majority of the security for this manor, began killing every single Death Eater scum currently in the place, only leaving that blonde worm to make him suffer at the hands of his own choices.

As i expected of my men, they swiftly acted as spells and echoes of dying screams rang out.

The target would not be aware of this due to our preparations.

The Healer was one of my lord's and had been at the maniac's side ever since most noticed the abnormal development of the fetus and none wanted to risk the Dark Fool's displeasure by allowing anything to go wrong.

He had gone to rather great lengths to assure the woman's survival, it would not do for her to die or they might have risked his displeasure.

The healer is one of ours mimicking the same strategy of the deceased Bartemius Crouch Junior by Polyjuicing himself and receiving new batches through medical potions or myself and my men.

My lord found it ironic to use their own tactics against them.

They had the man act as a trusted ally to infiltrate a highly protected and guarded enemy base, supported a months long insertion under polyjuice to keep an eye on the target, all to essentially kidnap a child.

According to my lord, the Dark Fool and his slaves would never believe or even think the ploy could be used against them.

Why would they?

They have always been the infiltrators. Always the subversives using cruel and unforgivable methods. Always the attackers.

Even with their current disadvantage, they would hardly be able to believe anyone would be able to infiltrate them like this, especially when the most trusted individuals at the Fool's side are spies for his enemies and the only one who could truly raise doubts about us has been incapacitated for months and is about to die.

And on my way to her, I was joined by a trio of my men who were in charge of clearing this floor as I neared the birthing chamber.

"Report." I ordered harshly.

"We got all the ones on this floor." The first, a black haired male with his lupine eyes activated, answered.

"The bleached prick was handled and the House Elves too." The second continued, he was fully covering his face using a more wolf-like Death Eater mask.

Something of a joke amongst 'proper' death eaters.

"And we're getting reports of everyone else being done too. Bodies being moved for the message, wards taken care of and means of egress handled." The last, my second-in-command, finished.

"Good. Let us finally finish this assignment." I replied sternly.

We arrived at the sealed doors flanked by two of my men, it wasn't earlier as the blood stains on the wall and floor would attest.

"Status." I ordered.

"She has gone into labor. The Healer is helping things along." The one on the left reported but he was interrupted by a baby's cry.

The chamber stoped noises from coming in, not out.

'Magical births are much easier than Muggle ones according to our lady.' I idly thought as a particular 'talk' amongst women was remembered.

"Let's finish this. The cub needs not know of this. Our Lord and Lady will handle it." I grimly said.

I knew that, in every way, the newly born child would have a much better life with them, but my female instincts still throbbed slightly as I prepared to end a new mother and rip a child away from its birth parents. No matter how monstrous they are.

It hits a bit too close to how many children were separated from their parents because they were werewolves. Monsters.

But I pushed those emotions down as I walked in.

"Delphini Slytherin. The heiress of the soon-to-be lord of the magical world. This is her name." Bellatrix declared with a fanatical gleam in her eyes as she gazed at the babe held by the healer.

I was not sure if not interrupting before the naming was complete was a good decision.

Naming a magical child is a much more serious matter in the magical world after all.

A name is likely the most personal and intimate thing a person owns. It becomes the representation of a person's entire self in the eyes of the world and magic itself.

It becomes part of your soul.

And now that child will almost always been known as Delphini Slytherin unless a set of blood rituals are enacted to adopt her into another family or she marries into one, which is technically a type of adoption if all familial parties are in agreement.

"Now hand her over." Bellatrix ordered as she held out her arms before snarling. "And you beasts get out."

I hardened my heart and with a wave of my wand, a wide eyed Bellatrix Lestrange lost her head before she could properly react.

The healer carefully covered the squirming cub to protect it from such a sight.

"Go to our lady. She should have already received the news and be ready. Tell her the cub's name. She and our lord already agreed to care for it as their own. Remember your vows on the matter." I ordered the healer who grimly nodded at me before activating his own portkey, designed to not harm the cub. "The rest of you, pack away her body, cleanse the place and ready our message.

We're done here."