Hogwarts was not the same. The entire magical world was not the same, especially since the attack on the Ministry of Magic. What had been obvious to certain few had finally come to light, and it had blinded those who had refused to see what was in front of them. This realization was a cruel and merciless when it revealed that Lord Voldemort had finally returned. This time much more powerful than before. The ones they had called insane and liars, Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter, had been right all along.

Panic had spread rampant throughout the magical community, like a wildfire- burning and destroying a forest. The trust, the bond that once held them all together had vanished, and was replaced by mistrust and confusion. Cornelius Fudge was no longer the Minister of Magic. He had swiftly resigned from the position of the Minister, and stepped down from the esteemed position. He had wanted to spare himself the embarrassment from being sacked from the job.

Rufus Scrimgeour had stepped into Fudge soiled shoes, and had made the Order of Phoenix and Harry Potter a shining beacon of hope for the magical community. Harry Potter had become the "Chosen One," and Albus Dumbledore was no longer regarded as a twittering old fool, but the powerful mastermind he was. Scrimgeour was not afraid, nor was he envious of the headmaster's power. He knew that Dumbledore did not want the position he currently held, and unlike Fudge, he wanted to work with Dumbledore to ensure the defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Everything seemed to be coming to together, at least with the ministry backing the Order of Phoenix. Of course, Dumbledore didn't trust the ministry just yet, despite their good intentions. Dumbledore suspected that the ministry had been infiltrated, and if it hadn't been, he knew that it would be soon. The information he passed to the ministry was very little, and this frustrated the new minister. He wanted to shove the Order into the light. And while the Scrimgeour's intentions were pure, he couldn't be trusted just yet. That pureness could easily be tainted by the darkness.

"The Chosen One," Harry Potter had hidden himself away from the public eye, avoiding it, like he had tried to do since he first entered the wizarding world at elven years old. He didn't want to be their beacon of hope. He didn't want his face plastered on posters promoting the cause. He wanted to fade into the background and concentrate on the task ahead, concentrating on the prophecy that had damned him.

Harry Potter no longer felt joy in this dark time, and it seemed like that darkness had surrounded him. He shut himself off from all his friends, because he no longer wanted to put their lives in danger. The fiasco at the ministry had taught him a hard lesson, and it wasn't one that he would soon forget. He knew now what his rash actions had cost him. It was a mistake he was going to be sure he wouldn't make twice.

Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, had died because of him. Because he didn't think before he ran off to be the "hero" everyone expected him to be. He no longer felt like a hero, or like the savior of the wizarding worlds. Harry had also made a vow that he would never put anyone's life in danger again, especially the lives of his loved ones and friends. He had destroyed their lives enough, and would take no further part in their destruction. He knew that in order to do this, he had to push them all away. He knew he had to keep them safe at all costs.

Harry had spent most of his summer at the Weasley's, and away from his abusive aunt and uncle; however, his time at the Weasley house had not brought Harry out of the deep depression he was now suffering from. Fred and George's playful tricks had failed to rouse him from his mood, and Hermione and Ron failed at bringing him out of it as well. They sat with him, attempted to engage him in conversation, but he just exploded at them at every turn. There was a wall there now between them now, and it was a wall placed there by Harry himself, in order to protect them. He did not want any more blood on his hands.

The return to Hogwarts hadn't helped his mood as the others had originally hoped. Harry had stayed withdrawn in his shell, even though he had made Qudditch Captain and tryouts were looming around the corner. He walked around in daze, just going about his regular routine. It had even unsettled Minerva McGonagall, and she hoped that soon Albus would do something to help the boy.

The insults, the detentions, and the continuous rage of Severus Snape had not even sparked an ounce of retaliation against the Potions Master. The amount of points Snape had taken away from Harry their first week back should have been enough to awaken the boy, but again, he had received nothing in return.

Since Sirius' death, the Order of Phoenix headquarters had changed, at least for the time being, until it was certain that no one could get into Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore was afraid the place had been compromised. Being a part of the Black family, it could have gone to Bellatrix Lestrange or Narcissa Malfoy, even though Sirius left the house to Harry. Magic worked in mysterious ways, and Dumbledore did not want to jeopardize the Order.

The new headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix was at Hogwarts. Most of the core members of the Order were professors at the school, and those who weren't took one of the tunnels leading to the room from Hogsmeade. Dumbledore had a tunnel leading from the Hog's Head, the bar and hotel owned by his brother, Aberfoth. The inhabitants of the school, however, could just go through the tapestry, covering what seemed to be solid stone.

The tapestry itself did not raise any suspicions in the school, because it looked like a normal tapestry. In fact, one might not even notice it if they were not looking for it. To enter the headquarters one must have the password that was given to you by Albus Dumbledore himself. If you did not have the password, you would not be able to enter. He had placed powerful wards that would alert him if anyone wad tampering around with it, attempting to force entry.

The room itself was vast, with floor to ceiling windows that let the light pour in from the sun, and had a fantastic view of the ground and the lake. Comfortable chairs littered the room, and an elegant, beautiful carved mahogany table sat in the middle, with matching chairs neatly tucked underneath it. The carvings showed the houses of Hogwarts. Each leg was carved with a different animal, a lion for Gryffindor, a snake for Slytherin, a badger for Hufflepuff, and an eagle for Ravenclaw. In the middle of the table rested the crest of Hogwarts in gold leaf.

Severus noticed her as soon as he walked through the tapestry. She sat in a chair facing a huge arched window that provided an excellent view overlooking the grounds and the lake. She was watching the giant squid drift lazily across the lake, its tentacles waving in the cool breeze as it passed.

Long dark hair framed her delicate face as she turned in her seat to see who had entered. A smile broke across her face when she saw him. A smile of relief and love. He noted she was dressed in all black, like he was, but then again, they always seemed to favor one another's wardrobes

"Ariana…" he greeted her with a nod as he strode over to her.

Ariana had moved to America after the fall of the Dark Lord, and had not returned to England since. She had taken refuge in the only place where she and her family could remain anonymous and blend in with everyone else.

She had chosen to live amongst the Southern Witches and Wizards of America, and during his trips to visit her, they would often head to New Orleans. Many witches and wizards there still practiced the forbidden art of voodoo, and it was a fascinating subject to learn about. The Americans had become more lenient with their wizarding laws, but there were still restrictions on a lot of things Severus didn't agree with.

"Severus…" she said with another smiled as she got up to greet him, pulling him into a hug as she wrapped her arms around him, catching him off guard. Severus stiffened slightly at her embrace. He wasn't used to people showing him such affection. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

"Too long, Ari…" And it had been too long. Almost two years had passed by since he last saw her. He has missed his friend dearly, and was all too happy to have her back in Europe with him. Severus usually made yearly visits to see his her, despite the disapproving glares from her soon-to-be ex-husband, Dante.

Severus wrapped his arms shakily around her and embraced her for a moment before letting go. A worried look crossed her face as her gaze went down to his trembling hands.

"Severus..."

"Don't…just don't Ari…"

Ariana bit her lip and looked back down at his hands, hands that were still shaking against their master's will, "he did this to you, didn't he?" her hands balled up angrily into tiny fists as she looked up at him, tears welling in her eyes as she fought back her own rage, "You've had one too many Cructiatus curses. You can't keep this up, Sev. I doubt you can even make a potion right now, can you? How are you even teaching? You shouldn't be teaching right now!"

"Ariana, I'm fine…really I'm—"

"Save it, Severus. You're ill. You need to rest. When is the last time you've even slept?" She watched him as her averted his eyes from her. A low growl escaping his mouth, "I know you don't like sleeping potions, Sev, but you need to sleep. You need—they don't work, do they, Severus?" She asked when she saw the uncomfortable look flash across the Potion's Master face. Normally people wouldn't have caught his slip, but they didn't know his like she did. They didn't care for him like Ariana did. "The sleeping potions? They stopped working. You never let your emotions slip, Severus. That's how I know how tired you are. Take off your glamour charm. Let's see what you really look like."

Ariana waved her wand, and in an instant relieved him of his glamour charm, a charm that he had used to mask his illness from the world, and more importantly the Dark Lord and Dumbledore. She watched as the glamour disappeared, and his face, which was full of rage, shocked her to her very core. Severus Snape looked horrible. There was no other word to describe it. Dark circles formed black bags under his eyes, and his once silky smooth hair was dry and brittle. Translucent white skin was now a sickly white, and his once slender frame now resembled a skeleton.

"Severus…" Ariana opened her mouth to begin, but found herself at a loss for words. She knew she shouldn't have taken his glamor off. She knew that and yet she had, against his wishes. She saw the truth, the truth of what this war was doing to him, and what it was costing him.

"I don't need your pity." He hissed venomously at her, as he cast the glamour charm back on himself, and turning his back to her.

"He's killing you, Severus. If you keep this up, you will die." The tears that had once threatened to escape earlier now freely ran down her face. She sank back in the squashy chair, resisting the urge to bring her knees to her chest, and forming a little ball. "You can't go back…"

"Do not tell me what I can or cannot do. I don't need you coddling me." He said finally glancing over at her form, noticing the tears that ran down her face, "I will be fine."

"You don't have to do this. Tell Dumbledore you quit. Tell him you're done. Show him Severus. Show him what he's done to you. Show him what the Dark Lord has done to you. If he knew, if Dumbledore knew he wouldn't let you go back! You know that…" Ariana pleaded with him, hoping that he would give him. That he would save himself.

"You know I can't do that."

"You owe her nothing, Severus."

"I owe her everything, Ariana…" Severus said as she looked away. The topic of Lily Potter had always been a sensitive one for both Ariana and Severus. Though Severus never really knew why Ariana hated Lily. He never bothered to ask. Severus was sure she had her reasons.

Ariana made a "tch-ing" noise with her tongue as she stared out the window. Her foot was bouncing angrily as she was lost in thought, trying to think of something she could do, some way she could save the friend that she had cherished for so long.

"Besides, Ari, if the Order loses me there is no one else who can replace me as the spy. If they lose me they could very well lose this war, and I know neither of us wants the Dark Lord to rule."

Ariana let out a sigh of defeat before turning back to him. It was no use to argue with him now. She would have to come up with a better plan later. A plan that would save him from the Dark Lord. Maybe she'd offer herself back up to him. Go back into his grasp. She knew he'd welcome her back, but that decision would have to come later. "Quit teaching."

Severus looked over at her, shocked at her suggestion, "quit teaching?"

"Yes. Quit teaching. I know that you secretly love teaching, especially when a student comes along that is talented enough to grab your attention, but Severus, if you can't quit being a death eater, you need to quit being a teacher."

"I can't just quit. Do you honestly think there is someone out there that is as qualified as me to teach these dunderheads?" Snape snarled at her before setting down in one of the armchairs and peering out the window.

"Then take small sabbatical. Find someone to take your post for a couple months. Get your rest. Say you need a vacation, anything to get Dumbledore to give you the time off." Ariana smiled gently at him, but worry was packed behind her eyes. "If you keep this up, Severus, you could die. Then you wouldn't be of use to anyone. You wouldn't be able to fulfill your promise to Lily."

Ariana saw his eyes widen slightly at her words. She had used the only trump card she had in her deck, and it had worked brilliantly. She knew that the very mention of his promise to Dumbledore, the promise he made to Lily, or rather for Lily, the promise to keep Harry alive and well. The promise to help vanquish the Dark Lord to atone for his sins. Sins that Severus thought he would have to repay for the rest of his life.

She knew that it was a bit of an underhanded move, but if it got Severus to take his health more seriously…

"You're right…" he finally said at last, and those words brought another smile to Ariana's lips. Severus leaned his head over to his hand, and massaged the temple there with a sigh of defeat. Who was he going to get to cover his post? Who would be trustworthy enough to take over his place, and watch over his precious Slytherins?

Severus shifted in his seat, deciding to change the subject from his "vacation". He would deal with that later with Albus. Hopefully between the two of them they would find someone suitable as a replacement. He shuddered to think what the students would say of his absence, but then again, he figured they would all be pleased about it.

He looked over at his friend, her eyes had become distant and glazed over as she stared longingly out the window. The squid was till letting its massive tentacles dance across the water. "Now that we're done discussing me… How have you been, Ari? How have you really been?"

Ariana looked over at him, a weak smile parting her lips, "I've been better. It's not easy…losing someone like this…especially in the wizarding community. Divorce is almost unheard of. I know the muggles do it quite frequently, but still…"

She looked down at the ground, fighting back her tears once again. It was one thing to shed tears of concern over someone else, but she wasn't about to cry over her own situation. She had shed enough tears, and she wasn't about to cry in front of him again. No, Ariana decided she wouldn't show him how weak and vulnerable she was really feeling, even though he probably already knew.

"It's his loss. You know that right?" Severus said in what he hoped was a comforting tone of voice. He was never good at comforting women, in fact, one could go as far as to say he wasn't good at comforting anyone. He tended to avoid human interaction.

Ariana let out a sigh. She had heard that same line before, from multiple people, but was it really only his, Dante's, loss? What about her children? The family that they made together that was now being torn a part because of them, because of her…

She stood up suddenly, running her hand through her hair, and walking towards the window. She stared out it, blinking back her tears. She felt defeated, and it was a feeling that she did not like having. Ariana was taken by surprise when she felt two arms snake around her, pulling her into an embrace.

Severus just held her there, resting his chin on the top of her, "It's going to be okay, Ari. It's going to be okay." He murmured into her hair, taking in the sweet scent of her shampoo. He repeated those words to her like a mantra, as tears finally found their way down her cheeks again. She turned burying her face in his chest, and letting all her emotions that she had bottled up free for the first time.

Having Serverus' arms around her was magnificent. She hadn't felt this warmth from him in ages. It was almost as if they were back in time, back when they were…she shook the thought away from her mind. There was no need to go there. Not again. Too many feelings were left there, and she was far too fragile to revisit those in her current state.

Serverus pulled away from her as he ran his hand through her hair absentmindedly, and placed his hand on her cheek. He noted she still used the same shampoo, or at least it was still scented the same. Jasmine. Just like he remembered. Memories of his time with her at Hogwarts started to bubble up to the surface, but he shut his mind off to them. It wouldn't do him any good to revisit though. He was a dead man after all.

He wiped a tear that was streaming down her face. "Stop crying. He's not worth your tears." Severus smiled down at her, and she returned his smile before sitting back down in her chair. Severus followed suit and sank back heavily into his. "He never has been worth your tears…" Severus said in a whisper to himself, not meaning for her to hear.

"Thank you, Sev." She said as she began to fiddle nervously with her hands. She needed that. She needed to cry like that. She had needed his comfort, and it was a relief to know that someone still cared about her. Her own children, it seemed, resented her at the moment, and it was all she could do not to fall to pieces. She let out a sigh as she waved her wand over her face, drying her tears, and fixing her makeup.

He nodded at her, "you'll return the favor at some point I'm sure." He smirked as he pulled a few pieces of parchment and scribbled something carefully on it, before folding it back up and putting it into his pocket. "You know I'm here for you."

"I know you are." She said before turning her attention to her watch, and looking down at the time. It had to be getting close to the meeting time. She sighed and tapped her watch a little impatiently, attempting to think of everything that was to be discussed.

Her thoughts automatically drifted to Harry, and she bit her lip, chewing on slightly. She wondered if he had anyone there for him. If he was bothering to open up to anyone. After all, he had just lost the closest thing to father he had. The toll it must have taken on him…

"How's Harry doing?" She asked suddenly, looking over at Severus, who had somehow produced papers, and was busy grading them as they waited for the other members of the Order. Severus looked up a bit agitated. She knew he hated to be disturbed when he was working, that, and Harry wasn't one of his favorite subjects.

"I wouldn't know, nor do I care to know about the boy's well-being." He let the words slide out of his lips covered in acid. There was no doubt that he hated the boy, but she knew that she couldn't take most of what Severus said at face value. Ariana knew that Severus cared for Harry. After all, he was Lily's child…

"Bullshit." She said with a slight smirk as he looked over at her in astonishment, "that's right, I said bullshit, Severus. That wonderful American vulgarity has finally rubbed off me."

"Why do you care about the boy's well-being?" he rubbed his temples again before laying the papers he was grading aside, and became rather absorbed with looking out the window.

"He is supposed to the savior of the wizarding world." She said with a slight smile, and fell back into the chair she had been sitting on the edge of.

"Please don't fill that child's head with more praise. His head is already as big as it can get."

"I seriously doubt that Harry Potter is arro—"

"As arrogant as his good-for-nothing father was."

"Severus…don't let old prejudices—"

"I am not letting old prejudices get in the way. The boy is arrogant. He has no regard for the well-being of any of his friends or allies, and his blatant disregard for the rules is what lands him and his friends in serious danger."

"And you don't think Dumbledore isn't to blame for any of it?" She watched Severus raise and disbelieving eyebrow at her. "Look, you know Albus set him up for so many things, and he kept a lot from him…that factors into it. And…look…I know you didn't like him, but Sirius died when Harry ran off to fight the Dark Lord at the Ministry…has anyone checked on him…made sure he was coping with Sirius' death okay?"

"The boy is fine, Ari." He said with a wave of his hand ending the discussion. He didn't know why she was so interested in the well-being of the boy, but he had no interest in finding out. Who cares what was troubling Potter. He didn't have any interest in that.

The tapestry glowed a shimmering gold, before the Boy-Who-Lived stepped through. His eyes were cast down, and when he heard Severus clear his throat, he finally looked up. The look on Harry's face shattered Ariana's heat.

Dark, purple circles hung under Harry's eyes. His robes were crumpled and they hung loosely on his body. She had heard the boy was slim, but this wasn't slim... This wasn't even healthy. Harry almost looked like a walking skeleton, just like Severus almost, and it pained her that no one had noticed. No one noticed the hurt and sadness that clouded the boy's green eyes. Lily's eyes. She could spot it easily. It was the same way her eyes looked every time she passed a mirror.

Ariana knew the boy hadn't coped well with Sirius' death, and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that Harry blamed himself for his godfather's death. She frowned and looked over a Severus. She wore a look that practically screamed See? I told you so.

Severus rolled his eyes at her. He hated when she wore that look, and when they were at Hogwarts together she often wore that look with him. "Potter…" he greeted him with a slight nod, before removing himself from his chair and finding himself a dark corner in the room. If Potter was there, then that meant the other Order members were not far behind.

"The meeting hasn't started yet?" he asked looking around at all the empty chairs.

"Obviously not, Potter, and ten points from Gryffindor for your silly little question." Severus snapped at him, before burying himself back in his papers. Grading even more harshly than before.

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it again. The argument with Snape wasn't worth it, for once. Harry sat down in one of the chairs that had been tucked neatly under the mahogany table. His eyes scanning the room, before they rested on her.

"Who are you?" he asked with curiosity. He couldn't understand why anyone in their right mind would want to be trapped in a locked room with Snape, but he was skeptical of her appearance. He had never seen her before, and that worried him. Paranoia set in. What if this woman was here to hurt him? To trick him? To—

"My name is Ariana Nikiforov. It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry." She got up from her chair, and held out a pale hand for him to shake, but when he didn't make a move she withdrew it quickly as if nothing had happened. "I believe you probably know my daughter. She transferred here from Ilvermorny. Her name is Maria Ravenswood."

Harry's eyes lit up slightly at the mention of Maria's name. She had hit the jackpot. Maybe this would at least get him to open up alittle, and talk to her. She knew Maria had tried out for the Gryffindor Qudditch team. She had played back at Ilvermony, instead of playing Quodpot, which happened to be the most popular wizarding sport in America for some odd reason. Perhaps he would talk to her without that look of mistrust plastered across his face. She supposed it was better than the sadness that had shone across it earlier.

"She tried out for the Gryffindor Qudditch Team as a chaser." Harry knew exactly who she was. He had watched Maria try out for the team he was now captain of. He has been impressed with her skills. She was far better than any of the other chasers that had tried out, and was better than the ones that were already on them. Harry had been thankful that his team had gotten some talent. Maybe they still had a shot at the cup this year. "She's a brilliant chaser…"

"She played at Ilvermony too. She must have gotten her Qudditch skills from me." She said with a sly grin, "I played back in my day at Hogwarts."

"What house?"

"Slytherin. You must have inherited your father's skills. He was magnificent on the field. It was always hard to trick him, and get the quaffle away." Ariana closed her eyes and thought back to her time at Hogwarts flying on a broom at the Qudditch pitch, quaffle under her arm, dodging bludgers…

"You knew my father?"

"Not really. We were in the same year, but we were in completely different circles…" She looked over at Snape who was busy pretending he was reading the parchment that laid in front of him. Some spy…she thought to herself. His eyes weren't even moving. "He was a fantastic chaser though. Even though we never really liked each other, or even knew each other well. We still practiced together sometimes in secret. Sirius always over watched us. I guess he thought I was going to curse James into oblivion or something." She said with a slight laugh.

Severus looked over at her questionably, even he hadn't known that Ariana had spent some nights alone with his mortal enemies. This was news to him, and he couldn't help but feel slightly betrayed by her secrecy. When had she had the time to sneak off with them anyway? How close had they gotten? She said she wasn't close with James, but had not said the same for Sirius. He had spied to the two in dark corners together, and occasionally coming out of the Forbidden Forest, but he always figured she was threatening him for bullying him. Could there had been something more between the two?

Harry opened his mouth to ask more questions, but the tapestry across the room turned gold, and let in a pack of Weasleys followed by the majority of the Order. Harry closed his mouth, distracted by everyone, and by McGonagall and Molly who were busy scolding the Weasley twins. The twins must have held everyone up with their usual antics, but everyone deserved a good laugh. —Especially in these dark times.

Ariana gave Harry a smile, before mouthing "we'll talk later," and turning toward where Severus sat in the back, gliding her way back to him. She settles herself beside him, she could see a bit of anger and confusion in his eyes. She knew he'd probably start trying to probe her mind to find a weakness in the walls there, but she was an Occulmens, and a Legilimens just like he was.

She locked eyes with Mad-Eye for a split second, his eyes were about to bulge out of his head. She kept her hand on the handle of her wand. Ready to draw it at the sign of a fight. She knew Mad-Eye would not want her there. Another Death Eater in the Order Ranks. She was someone that he couldn't trust, and someone he would never trust, no matter how much she proved herself to him.

"Let the games begin," she whispered to Severus as the last of the Order filled in the room. She averted her eyes from Dante, and kept the glued to Dumbledore, who had taken his place at the head of the table, ready to start the meeting. Ariana reached down, and grabbed Severus' hand, and held it tightly for reassurance.

Ariana knew this was going to be rough, especially with Dante here, his eyes boring into her, as if he wanted to set her on fire. She had too many secrets…too many dark secrets that might be exposed by her attending this meeting, and by her joining the Order. But she wanted to make a difference. She wanted to stop this war. –To stop the Dark Lord, and this was the only way she knew how, by completely exposing herself.