Hello all and welcome to this new story! This is the first time I'm writing in about 3 years. I had an idea for a new story that would explore more of the Harry Potter universe, specifically, different geographical locations and other types of magic that are touched upon but not fully explained in the novel. This is also an exercise for me personally, it's been a while since I've written for fun, and I wanted to see if I would still enjoy it!

There will be Hindi and Sanskrit words used in this story. For a translation of any words that look unfamiliar, please see the author's note at the bottom.

Nothing in the Harry Potter universe belongs to me. There are direct quotes taken from the novels, and those do not belong to me either. All credit goes to J.K. Rowling.


Chapter 1: The Offer

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

A silver stag erupted from the wand, and its antlers caught the dementor where its heart would have been. The dementor was thrown backwards, as the black-haired boy shouted and started to run.

"DUDLEY? DUDLEY!"

A plump, blond boy was lying on the floor, his hands clamped over his face as another dementor crawled towards him, gripping his wrists in its decaying hands, growing closer to the boy's face and lowering its dark head as it leaned in for a kiss.

She awoke, sitting upright and gasping for air. Putting her face in her hands, she rubbed her eyes and sighed. Her dreams were almost a nightly occurrence; she always dreamed of the young black-haired boy with vivid green eyes. But rarely did they get violent, and they had never featured dementors.

She clipped her dark red fringe out of her eyes and reached for the glass of water on her nightstand. Grabbing the glass in one hand and a pencil in the other, she started writing in the small leather journal she kept at all times under her pillow.

July 4th, 1995

Dreamed about him again. The big blond boy was on the floor; they were being attacked by Dementors. Don't know who cast the Patronus, maybe it was the black-haired boy? Didn't see anyone else there, but it was dark. Patronus took form of a stag.

I pray that the next dream will not be so horrifying.

Sighing, she put her pencil, journal, and water back on the nightstand. Burrowing back under her covers, she yawned as sleep washed over her once again.


"Naina! Wake up!"

Naina groaned as she rubbed her eyes and sat up.

"Can you please not yell at me, Zara Mausi? It's far too early for this," Naina said groggily.

"Have you looked at the time? Your letter arrived and it's been sitting on the table for at least an hour now," said her aunt, a stern look on her face and hands on her hips.

Naina's eyes widened as she threw the covers back and dashed out of bed. Knocking her hip into the door, she cursed as Zara rolled her eyes behind her.

Running down the stairs to the large dining room, Naina snatched the letter off the table and ripped it open to read its contents.

Dear Miss Aurora,

After meticulous review of many applications, you have been selected for a position at the British Ministry of Magic, Department of Mysteries. You will receive the official title and description of your position upon arrival. Please report to the Department of Mysteries on July 24th at 10:00 A.M., and fill out the forms attached.

Please contact the International Portkey Office in order to arrange for a Portkey to London.

Please also do keep in mind that flying carpets are banned in Great Britain.

We hope to see you in a few weeks.

Sincerely,

Unspeakable #13876
The Department of Mysteries
The British Ministry of Magic

Naina let out a shaky breath and set the letter down, looking up to see Zara watching her with interest.

"Did you get the position?"

Naina looked up and smiled, letting out a wobbly laugh.

"Of course I got the position! They said I need to be there on the 24th, so I have to set up my Portkey for the 22nd or so," she said.

Zara smiled brightly, coming over to hug her niece.

"I'm so proud of you," exclaimed Zara. Naina smiled into her aunt's shoulder. She pulled back, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed Zara on the cheek.

"I couldn't have done it without you, Mausi. You know that, right? It's only because of you that I'm even capable of having this opportunity," Naina said sincerely, feeling a stinging behind her eyes.

Zara waved her hand. "It's nothing," she said. "It's my job. And now, enough talking! We need to start packing. Wardrobe shopping is also going to be an issue, the fashions in Great Britain are of course much different than they are here," Zara bustled around the dining room excitedly, her bangles clinking as she moved her hands for emphasis.

Naina groaned. It was going to be a long 3 weeks.


"Name?" asked the wizard sitting behind the desk in a monotone.

"Naina Aurora," she said with a sigh. This was the third wizard she had been directed to in the Portkey Office in the Department of Magical Transportation. She had arrived in London an hour earlier, and was planning on getting her first dinner in Britain in almost 20 years. However, it seemed to her that most people at the British Ministry weren't that organized compared to those in the Indian Ministry.

"I see your name right here. Do you have your forms?" asked the wizard, peering down at her over his glasses.

"Oh, yes, let me just get them," mumbled Naina. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her customs papers and handed them over to the wizard. She looked down at the shrunken

suitcases inside her purse, trying not to think about how much unpacking she would have to do once she found a home. If she ended up finding a home, that is.

Scanning through her papers, the wizard nodded to himself. "Everything seems to be in order. You just need to sign here, and then you can leave."

Sighing in relief, Naina signed the parchment the wizard slipped her and nodded her head at the man. "Have a nice day,"

His lips twitched in a motion that one could take as a smile. "Of course. Have a wonderful stay,"

Naina took that as her cue to leave. Exiting the office, she headed for the elevator. She got in, and the only other person there was a tall man with light brown hair, and a relatively scarred face. However, he looked kind, so Naina flashed a brief smile at him. He nodded in return.

The elevator ride to the first level was relatively silent. Naina nodded at the man once again before exiting the Ministry of Magic.

He looked familiar, she realized as she walked out of the Ministry of Magic. However, Naina couldn't place where she had seen him before.

She started heading to the Leaky Cauldron, the pub Zara Mausi had told her about. The pub apparently had good food and rooms where she could stay until she found a house or an apartment of her own. The Leaky Cauldron was one of the only things Naina remembered from the time she lived in England, so she felt a sense of comfort returning to a familiar place.

However, she didn't remember where it was, and stopped in her tracks, tugging at her fringe. She looked around for anyone who looked like they weren't in a rush, so she could ask where it was.

"Excuse me?" she asked, politely reaching up and tapping the shoulder of a tall man with shabby looking robes.

He turned around with a bewildered look on his face. Her eyes widened when she realized it was the same man from the elevator.

"How can I help you?" he asked, not unkindly.

"Would you be willing to escort me to the Leaky Cauldron? I've just moved here a couple hours ago, and I'm not sure where it is," she said sheepishly, pulling on her sleeve out of habit.

His eyebrow quirked upon hearing her voice, presumably taken aback by her accent.

"Of course," he said. "Right this way,"

Naina walked next to the man in silence that could only be classified as awkward comfort; they had just met, but he seemed kind enough.

He approached a door, and gestured to her.

Opening the door, she was greeted with a loud crowd; the pub was rowdy and the tables were almost all full. She turned back to look at the man who helped her. He was standing there, about to turn around and leave.

"Excuse me, would you like to join me?"

He turned around, looking startled. He looked at her for a couple seconds, his mouth open.

"It's just that I got here quite literally 2 hours ago," she said hurriedly. "I'd really appreciate it if we could talk for a bit, and if I could ask you some questions about the place,"

He sighed, looking down at her. "Alright," he said, walking forward. He walked past her in search of a table.

Naina tossed her curls behind her in exasperation. This was definitely an awkward start to her new life in England.


Remus Lupin was having somewhat of an odd day. He had a long day at the Ministry running errands for the Order, and would've liked to go back to Grimmauld Place to curl up with a good book. This witch who had quite literally popped out of nowhere, however, seemed to have different plans.

Remus would have been suspicious, but the witch seemed relatively harmless. She was quite short and seemed to be young. If he didn't know that she was foreign, Remus would have guessed that she was a recent Hogwarts graduate. Additionally, he was in a public place, so if this woman wanted to harm him, she wouldn't be able to do anything without being caught herself.

He signaled for a waitress to come over, sitting down at the table. The witch across him took a seat.

He appraised her silently, watching as she crossed her legs. She blended in well for someone who was foreign. Her robes were a deep red color that seemed to match her hair. The patterns along the sleeves were the only indication that the clothes she was wearing were not from Britain; they were embellished with gold thread and jewels.

She cleared her throat. "I should introduce myself," she said, thrusting a hand adorned with rings and bracelets towards him. "My name is Naina Aurora, and I just moved here from India a couple hours ago,"

He took her outstretched hand, shaking it firmly. "Remus Lupin,"

Naina raised her eyebrow impassively. "Nice name," she said.

Remus' heartbeat sped up. He wondered if she suspected anything about his condition, but showed no outward indication that anything was wrong. He inclined his head. "Same to you,"

There was a brief silence as the waitress came over and the two of them ordered tea.

"So, if you don't mind my asking," he started, eager to break the silence. "Are you here for work or studying as an apprentice?"

Naina laughed. "I have two Masteries," she said. Remus' eyebrows shot up behind his hairline. "I actually start work at the Ministry of Magic in two days,"

"Two Masteries already? Excuse me, but you look fairly young," he asked curiously.

"I do get that a lot, however, I'm a bit older than I look," she smirked faintly. "The system in India is slightly different than here in Britain. We stay in magical school for six years, then have the option of pursuing a Mastery." she explained. "I chose to pursue two Masteries, so it took me six years to achieve both of those rather than the ideal four years for just one,"

Remus nodded in respect. "That's admirable, here we attend Hogwarts for seven years and then have the option of either working or obtaining a Mastery,"

"Do you have a Mastery?" she asked.

Remus sighed. "Unfortunately not, I have a… health condition that prevents me from doing so,"

Naina nodded. "Of course,"

There was a pause, and both Naina and Remus started speaking at once.

"Where - "

"I - "

Naina smiled faintly and indicated for Remus to go first.

He cleared his throat. "Where in the Ministry do you work?"

Naina looked down uncomfortably. "I can't say,"

Remus frowned. "But surely you can – oh," he said, understanding dawning upon him. Naina nodded, knowing that he understood.

"What about you, where do you work?" asked Naina.

"I'm a freelance writer," lied Remus. There was no way he could tell this woman that he went on Order missions on an almost daily basis at this point, even though Voldemort's return was not public.

"That's really interesting!" she exclaimed, her eyes sparking in interest. "What do you write about?"

"Magical creatures," responded Remus, sipping his tea. "Werewolves, centaurs, and vampires, to be exact,"

"I'd love to read some of your work sometime," said Naina excitedly.

"Of course," he responded, sending a small prayer that she would never follow through with that statement.

There was a silence as Naina cast the Tempus charm. "Rama, it's getting late," she exclaimed. "I should try and find a room for the night. I haven't found a place to live as of yet,"

"Ah," Remus glanced at Tom where he was standing behind the bar. "I'm sure if you talk to Tom over there, you should be able to sort something out."

"Thank you," said Naina. "This was quite nice, if you don't mind I'd like to send you an owl sometime in the future?"

Remus smiled, knowing he likely wouldn't see this woman again. "Of course,"

They stood and shook hands. "It was lovely to speak with you," he said, shoving his hand back in his pocket.

"Likewise," she said. A small frown came over Naina's face. "And Remus," she said quietly.

"Yes?" he asked, looking inquisitively at her.

"Do be careful," she said, piercing him with her dark brown, almost black eyes. "He is back."


Remus ran into Grimmauld Place, rushing past Molly Weasley, ignoring Sirius' questioning glance.

"Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts!" he shouted into the fireplace, throwing in Floo Powder and waiting for the flames to turn green before stepping in.

Albus Dumbledore looked up as Remus Lupin stepped out of his fireplace, looking for the headmaster and making eye contact with him.

"Ah, Remus. What do I owe to this visit?" asked Dumbledore genially, standing up behind his desk.

"There's a woman," panted Remus, brushing soot off himself and taking a seat at Dumbledore's desk.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Of course there's a woman. It's obvious even to an outsider that you've taken a liking to Miss Tonks, my dear boy"

Remus sputtered, turning red. "That is – that's – that's completely irrelevant right now, Headmaster. There is a woman who knows about him," he emphasized.

Dumbledore's face grew serious. "And she's not in the Order? Who is this woman?"

Remus sighed. "This witch claims to have just moved here from India. She seemed to know about my, er, condition, as well,"

Dumbledore's eyebrows shot up. "And she's a foreigner as well," he murmured while stroking his beard, deep in thought.

"What's more is that she says she has two Masteries, and is starting work at the Department of Mysteries," said Remus, reaching over the Headmaster's desk and popping a lemon drop in his mouth.

Dumbledore sighed. "If what you say is true, I think we need to call an impromptu Order meeting to discuss this. An unknown woman with knowledge like that is dangerous, especially if she is working for the other side,"

Remus stood up. "I'll inform everyone at Grimmauld Place, sir,"

Dumbledore nodded. "I will send out a message to the others." The Headmaster stopped all movement.

"What is the woman's name?"

"Naina Aurora. See you in a few, Dumbledore," said Remus, throwing Floo Powder in the fireplace and stepping through.

Dumbledore cast his Patronus, informing the other members of the Order of the meeting. Aurora… he thought, a feeling of dread coming over him. I didn't expect to hear that name so soon.


"Naina Aurora?" asked Kingsley Shacklebolt, his voice booming across the room. "As in the daughter of Aarav and Riya Aurora?"

Dumbledore nodded. "It appears to be so. I've already confirmed with the Ministry, she starts work at the Department of Mysteries in two days,"

Arthur Weasley drew in a breath. "An Unspeakable… Albus, wouldn't it be a huge advantage to have her on our side?"

Dumbledore was silent, but the whole room came to a silent agreement that it would be extremely beneficial having another insider from the Ministry on their side.

Severus Snape rose. "Aarav Aurora was a Slytherin who favored neutrality," he said quietly. "If his daughter is anything like him, she will not want to outwardly pick a side,"

"The Auroras are notorious for their neutrality," agreed Dumbledore, nodding to Snape. "However, if you look at the files I retrieved from the Ministry, she would be an invaluable asset if she joined our cause,"

He threw a stack of parchment on the table, and everyone clustered around to read the files.

"She's a niece of the Patils," muttered Sirius Black, squinting to read the small print on the parchment. "She was born here, moved back to India when her parents died. And she turns 26 this winter, but already has a double Mastery in Arithmancy and Astronomy?" His head shot up.

Tonks laughed. "It's about time we got some strong women on our side,"

"We don't even know this woman! How are we sure she'll even be trustworthy? Keep in mind this is the safety of everyone in this house we would be risking," said Molly Weasley, wringing her hands worriedly.

"She doesn't have a place to live," said Remus, speaking up for the first time. "She told me she was staying at the Leaky,"

Dumbledore nodded. "Our best course of action would be to ask her to stay here. After that, I can meet with her and ask her to join our cause. However, she'll need to be monitored. Sirius, Remus, Nymphadora," he said, turning to the three of them. "I trust you three will be able to do the job? She's close in age to all three of you,"

Tonks nodded.

Sirius laughed and clapped Remus on the back. "Looking after a pretty bird? You don't even have to ask,"

Remus rolled his eyes. "I never said she was pretty, Padfoot," he reminded Sirius. Sirius waved away his concern with a hand. "I'm sure she is,"

Remus sighed and looked away, accidentally meeting Tonks' eyes, who winked at him. His cheeks flaming, Remus looked away.

"So shall I send her a letter?" he asked, bringing the conversation back to the topic at hand.

"Yes. However, if she refuses our offer, she must be Obliviated," said Dumbledore seriously, clasping his hands in front of him.


Naina woke up feeling rather well rested. Casting a teeth cleansing charm, she heard a tapping noise on the window. Sighing, she slipped out of bed and reached up to open the window. A small, brown owl came hooting in and dropped a letter on the table. She walked over to the table to look at the letter; it was addressed to her in an unfamiliar but tidy scrawl.

Dear Naina,

This is Remus Lupin, we met last night and had tea at the Leaky. How are you settling in? I do hope you are doing well.

I hope this is not too presumptuous of me, but I had a conversation with my landlord last night about the possibility of you staying in the house I am currently living in. There is currently a large family living here, as well as myself and my landlord. The house has just been discovered after a long period of no use, so the only rent you would have to pay is a helping hand to assist with cleaning.

Let me know if this sounds agreeable to you. If not, I apologize for my forwardness, and hope we can meet up for a meal at some point in the future.

Remus Lupin

Naina smiled to herself. This was just the opportunity she had been looking for. Any other woman would have been suspicious of a man they met last night offering them a place to stay, but she knew Remus Lupin was trustworthy. She had seen him in her dreams, after all.


Mausi means Aunt, if you didn't catch on to that.