This fic starts off really H.I.V.E.-heavy before evening out to a more or less equal mix of both series. It will also feature a pair of more or less OCs (Laura's parents) fairly heavily. This fic is set in the vaguely near future timeline of the H.I.V.E. series, with Higher Institute of Education starting shortly before Harry's eleventh birthday.

The title is based on the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote "Every vice is only an exaggeration of a necessary and virtuous function." Most (if not all) the chapter titles will be based off quotes as well; I'll put the quotes at the beginning of the chapter with the corresponding title. So, without further ado...

Chapter 1: The Beginning of Peace (of the Interlude During War)

"I don't know whether war is an interlude during peace, or peace an interlude during war." - Georges Clemenceau

St. Sebastian's orphanage was an old building that may have once been grand but had since fallen into disrepair. One of the front windows was boarded up after someone had thrown a rock through it; the patterning on the brick walls was obscured by grime; the white lintels were a dingy gray; and the surrounding neighborhood, which had once been at least law-abiding, was a mix of derelict buildings and estate housing. In short, it was the last place one would expect Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of Number Four, Privet Drive, to visit willingly, much less in the dead of night and with an infant in their car.

Not that anyone proper is ever going to know about this, Petunia thought as she watched Vernon approach the orphanage. They had claimed to be taking a long and long-deserved date night, and while dinner without Dudley had been nice, their real objective was in the seat to Petunia's left, where young Harry Potter lay tightly wrapped in blankets. A little bit of Benadryl in his afternoon bottle had put her nephew (not that anyone proper is going to know about that or Lily, either) fast asleep, and he would stay that way until the Dursleys were long gone; they hadn't risked losing their one and only attempt to be rid of her sister's son on something as small as the child waking up.

After checking to make sure that no one was watching, Petunia quickly set the bundle on the orphanage doorstep and just as quickly rushed back to the car. Vernon accelerated as soon as her door closed, and they were out of the neighborhood within five minutes.

On the doorstep, Harry continued to sleep even as chill seeped through his (enchanted with warming charms) blankets. Even as his lips started to take on a bluish tinge after four hours, he did not wake; sleeping charms were another thing Dorcas Meadowes, enchanter extraordinaire, added to the blankets she and Marlene gifted Lily. He would sleep until Mrs. McReedy checked the porch at five-thirty the next morning and noticed that someone had left a baby there overnight. She would shake her head and take him in to warm up; at least whoever dropped off Otto had had the decency to knock, and they hadn't come at the beginning of November.

...

Dark had long since fallen when Andromeda heard a knock on the door. "I'll get it," she said, grabbing her wand from the table. Ted's magic was much more defensive than hers; if it was a Death Eater attack, he would be better used to get Nymphadora and get out than to face them head on. As she walked down the front hall, Andromeda wondered who it could be; Nymphadora had been suspiciously well-behaved recently, so it couldn't be a neighbor complaining about her behavior, and no one magical knew about the house's location except…

Mary Mitchell, eyes red from crying, was standing on her doorstep. Andromeda quickly ushered her in. "It's Mary," she called to Ted before turning to Mary. "What happened? Is Andrew alright?" Mary nodded.

"He's fine. He went to talk to his relatives, and since they don't know we're married…" Mary trailed off. "Laura's sleeping though the night now, and I had to get out of the apartment. Lily's dead," she said. "They're saying Voldemort is, too, but there were only two shrouds when I checked. Harry's safe… somewhere… probably, but James and Lily are dead. They're saying Sirius betrayed them." Mary shrugged off her coat and started to pace.

"He wouldn't," Andromeda said.

"Are you sure?" Mary asked. "I mean, it's subtler than he normally is, but remember the werewolf incident?" Andromeda nodded; it had been after her time (after Mary's, for that matter), but word traveled fast in the wizarding world. "He can be downright nasty when he wants to be."

"Not Death Eater nasty." Sirius could be crazy sometimes, sure - it was in the Black blood - but he wasn't the type to set houses on fire with families still inside or to Cruciochildren into catatonia. Andromeda was sure of it. "He refused admission when he was sixteen and nearly died over it."

"I know, Lily called me to help when he got to James' place, but…" Mary shrugged. "He wouldn't be the first pureblood I trusted to betray me. I've spent the last seven years at war, Andy, and I'm not sure I trust anyone anymore, even people on our side. Especially people on our side."

"We'll find out the truth soon enough." Andromeda sighed; the fight was supposedly over, but the war was not over yet. "They'll probably want to do the trial as soon as possible to maximize feeling against Death Eaters." Mary sat down at the kitchen table with her and Ted.

"What are we going to do now?" Mary asked. "Half the wizarding world had been trying to kill the other half for decades. Where can we go from here?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, let's just hope we've really reached the end of the fighting." For now, Andromeda thought but didn't say. Mary nodded. "I'm thinking about going back to act as legal counsel; the wizarding system isn't too different from the muggle one, and it's what I was raised under."

"I'm staying out of it," Ted said. "Andy can do what she wants, and I'm willing to have a Floo connection again, but I like my job, and no one's going to kill me over it."

"I'm too scared to even consider a Floo," Mary said. "Macmillan is thinking of expanding his business to potions, and he wants me as a researcher. Not that he knows it's me yet - he got some of my potions from Macavoy - but he was in our year; I'm sure he suspects. It'll be nice to create things while not under dire circumstances for a change."

"I can toast to that." Ted flicked his wand, and three glasses flew in from the kitchen. "To calmer circumstances."

"To new beginnings," Mary said.

"To the Boy who Lived," Andromeda said.

"And to the Parents who Died," Mary said. "May they know peace in death, for they knew only war in life."

"To their memories," Andromeda began the traditional wizard's funeral toast.

"To their succesors," Ted said, "and to the future."

"To life!" The three drank and chatted; the future was uncertain, but at least there was a future for the first time in years.

...

Otto looked at the toddler suspiciously. Mrs. McReedy had left to "do errands", as she did every Monday afternoon, and she had left him alone with St. Sebastian's newest arrival. Harry, oblivious to Otto's displeasure at being made to look after him, giggled, looked at the pile of blocks Otto had dumped in front of him so he could read The Prince in peace, and -

A few minutes later, Otto woke up on the floor with a screaming migraine and with a very startled Harry looking at him. He tried to sit up and regretted it as the room started to spin rapidly around him. A room whose walls had definitely been a dingy gray a minute ago but were now bright green.

That might be useful in the future. He'd see what else Harry could do… once the headache receded; he would think up a plan when it stopped hurting to think.

Like it? Hate it? Have no clue what's going on? Review and let me know! This fic will be updating every other Saturday, and I'm planning on posting a different fic (39 Clues sort-of-fixit, if anyone's interested) on the Saturdays this fic doesn't update.