He was dueling Lucius; he was even winning, it looked like. It took his full attention, which may have been why he didn't hear my warning; "Sirius, Bellatrix! She's-..!" By the time I got the words out, Bellatrix had sent a spell hurling through the air at Sirius. He stumbled back, and began to fall into the curtain.

"No, Sirius!" said my father, trying to catch him. Instead of stopping the fall then and there, Dad, too, tumbled back, and both fell into the curtain. Both were lost.

"Sirius!" Harry screamed. He tried to follow a retreating Bellatrix, but Remus held him back as best as he could. Yes, Harry broke free, but it took some doing. Bellatrix skipped off merrily, singing, "I killed Sirius Black!" After the verse about Sirius ended, she paused her song, then added, "And Jamison, too!"

I don't know, personally, how Harry had the courage to follow a murderer. It might be because he was a Gryffindor, and I was a Slytherin. In any case, I, who just lost my last remaining parent, simply crumpled to the ground, sobbing. All I could see was my father and Sirius. Two of the people I admired most gone.

I struggled for my footing, but I kept slipping, no doubt because my tears had soaked the ground where I was. I looked over to Tonks, whose mouth was hanging open in shock, still, and tears were flooding in her eyes, about to start running down her cheeks. Her hair wasn't pink anymore, either. I looked at my own hair, which, too, was no longer colorful; it was a mournful gray. I, too, could change my hair. It must run in the family.

My gaze went over to Remus, whose feelings I could only imagine, having just lost his two remaining best friends. He wasn't sobbing, but I think I saw a few tears dripping down. He nodded to me, seeing me staring, to say, "Let's go home now." I felt a cold, depression take over completely, but I got up and went with Remus.

Then I woke up.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I was sitting straight up in bed, thoroughly soaked in sweat. I must've screamed, because Severus came running down the hallway, into the room. Except for nights like these, I think he really enjoyed my company this summer, so he wasn't alone with Pettigrew, who I found very hard not to injure. I happened to look down, almost in shame, when Severus entered, and I noticed, because of my drenching in sweat, my nightgown appeared very thin, so I yanked up the blankets.

"Is something wrong? I heard screaming," said Severus.

"Wrong?" I said, "Well, sort of.." He whiped a tear from my cheek. I hadn't notice until now that my cheeks were wet, but not a sweaty wet, a tearstained wet. I didn't know I could cry in my sleep.

"What is it, Sophia Jamison?" he asked. I loved the way he always spoke to me; not like a child, as some I knew did, but as an adult; an equal.

"I-It keeps playing in my head!" I confessed, just letting it all out, and tears escaped my eyes. "And in my dreams!... O-over and over again, I-I see myself lose them... It was my fault.."

"Of course you're going to see it for a while," said Severus, "Sophia, you just lost people dear to you. But it's not your fault. Never think it's your fault."

"Tonks feels bad because she was fighting Bellatrix," I said, rubbing my eyes, which were no doubt red and puffy from crying, "b-but she got attacked from behind.. Had to turn around for a minute... I-I just stood there.. I did nothing! I didn't.. know.. what to do... Who to attack.."

"Sophia, listen very clearly to me," he replied, very stermly, but caringly, "It isn't your, or Tonks', or anyone else's fault. Don't get that in your head; your father wouldn't like it."

For the first time in since that day at the Ministry, I smiled a little, and my hair was bubble-gum pink, like Tonks' usually is.

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It was later in the day now, and I was sitting on the couch, doing what sixteen-year-old girls do: watching T.V. and eating junk food. I heard a knock on the door, but, knowing the people Severus talked to, I didn't bother to answer it. I thought of shouting, "Door!" but decided against it.

Severus walked through the room a moment later and answered the door, while giving me a look that read, "You didn't get it because...?" so I shrugged. I couldn't see who was there while they talked out there for a moment, but when he pulled them in and they took off their cloaks, I knew bloody well who they were.

Narcissa seemed worried, if not panicked. Her blonde hair, she pushed from her face. Bellatrix, on the other hand, seemed anxious to get out of here. Her crazy black hair, she let dangle.

"You..!" I couldn't help it; this was the woman who killed not only Sirius and my father, but caused my mother's death twelve years ago. I know it was her, even though she was in Azkaban at the time. The theory that Remus and I developed is that Bellatrix gave my mother a necklace which was hexed before going to prison. The necklace, which she wore every day slowly drove her mad, and one day, about three years later, my mother ended it with her own death, never once suspecting the necklace. I think Bellatrix was jealous.

"Me?" said Bellatrix, looking around to be dramatic, "What about me, Little Sophie?"

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child!" I snapped, "In fact, don't talk!"

"Sophia," said Severus, "Don't be ru-.."

"Don't be rude?!" I shouted, "Don't be rude to the woman whose caused everything that's gone wrong in my life?!"

"Dramatic, I see," said Bellatrix with a laugh, "Just like Sara was.."

"Don't talk about her!" I yelled, then turned to Narcissa, adding, "She caused the suicide of your twin sister! She more recently killed not only your cousin, but your brother-in-law! How can you even look at her?!"

Narcissa opened her mouth, but it was Bellatrix who spoke, "Dear Sophie, I wouldn't go yelling at my aunties if I were you. After all, not having parents anymore, we might have to punish you."

"Oh, that's it!" I said, charging at her, but Severus held me back, "Lemme go!"

"Fine," he said calmly, and, after turning me around to face into the hallway, let go, "You were about to leave, were you not? After your snack? Get your things, you'll have to skip the rest of that snack; they're expecting you back."

"Y-...you're kicking me out?" I stuttered, truly hurt.

"No, I'm not kicking you out," Severus said, "I'm just asking you take leave about one-half hour early. Go get your things."

"Also known as kicking me out," I muttered on the way to the room in which I'd been staying all summer. I grabbed my bags and took them through the living room, where Bellatrix, Narcissa, and Severus still stood.

"Buh-bye!" said Bellatrix, smiling and waving.

"Bye, Severus, see you at school." I said, "And goodbye, Narcissa." With that, I tightly tied my bags on the back of my motorcycle, and left.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I knew they changed the location of the Order's meeting place, but I hadn't been informed where yet, so I went to the place I thought I would have the best chance of someone being there; the Burrow.

When I parked my motorcycle, I grabbed my bags off the back, walked up to the door of the Burrow, and stared back towards the parked bike. Tonks gave it to me, and Sirius was very pleased to see me riding one like his, except that mine can't fly. My father hadn't liked it as much, telling Tonks it was "reckless" to buy a "young girl" a "deathly contraption." Mum would've loved it.. She'd've rode it as often as I do.

I was at the door to the Burrow, and yet I didn't knock. I just sat down out there for a moment, with now not only my father and Sirius' deaths playing in my head like a broken record, but also Bellatrix's face today. It made me want to re-do my family tree. Anyone would admite, most of my relatives were horrid people.

On my father's side, I was not even English, which I was greatful for. Dad was half American and half German. His sister Anna had three children, who were some of my closest companions; Juliet, the tom-boy, and Lola, the girly-girl, were twins, though they acted nothing alike. They had a younger brother, who was my age, named Chris. But they were fine. It was my mothers side I disliked.

Mum had three sisters named Andromeda, Narcissa, and, unfortunately, Bellatrix. She had a cousin named Sirius, too. Narcissa was her favorite sister. They were very close, if only because they were twins. My cousins on this side were Tonks and Draco.

My family thoughts were interupted by the front door opening, and a family voice saying, "Oh! Sophia!"

I instantly turned around and smiled to the woman I saw. "Hello, Molly! Can I come in?"

"Of course!" said Mrs. Weasley, "Come in, come in!"

I did so, and she brought in my bags. I went into the living room and saw Remus asleep on the couch. I gave a glance to Molly to ask what was wrong with him.

"He's just tired," said Molly, "Poor man's been working very hard."

"....I'm gonna wake him up." Without a furthur word, I went over and sat on his chest.

"Hey, get off of m-.." He began drowsily, but I cut him off.

"Wotcher, Remus!" I said, smiling, "Do anything this summer?"

"It might be easier to tell you about it," he said, "if you got off of my lungs."

I got up, flipped his legs off the end of the couch, making him sit up, and plopped myself beside him with a smile, "All right, now spill."

"Well for one thing, I went through your fathers will," said Remus.

"He had a will?" I asked, "He never said anything..."

"Yes, he had a will. He gave it to me before we went to the Ministry," Remus said solomnly, "'Don't open this 'til you come back', he said."

"What'd he want done with his stuff?" I questioned.

"You get half of his money," he replied, "But you can't touch it until you're of age. That's actually, er, all you get. He said you can take your pick of your mothers things, though."

"Whatever. What about the other half?"

"He wants it sent to his 'sisters only son'," said Remus.

"Chris gets it? Ok," I said, "...You do anything else this summer?"

"Well, Sophia," Remus began, "In the will it said, 'I leave my daughter to her godfather', but it didn't say which one, so.... I'm adopting you."

"Really?!" I said with a big smile the world hadn't seen for a while, "That's awesome! Does that make me a Lupin?!"

"Hold your horses, Sophie!" Remus laughed, "It's not finalized yet. You have to sign some papers agreeing that you want me to."

"You know darn well I want you to!" I said, "I'm gonna be a Lupin!"

"You don't have to change your name...." said Remus.

"Oh, I'm changing it!" I couldn't help but shouting, "I'm gonna be a Lupin!"

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In a voice so much calmer that it seemed like someone else's voice, I added, "Do anything else? I want to know everything, y'know."

He went half pale, and half red in the face as he said, "Yes, I did something else.."

"....Well what is it?" I asked. I had so much to learn about. After all, it was already the second week of August.

"I-I think..." he stuttered, "I f-fell in love."

"Sweet!" I exclaimed, "With who?" I crossed my fingers and thought, Tonks, Tonks, Tonks...

"...Tonks..." he said, but quickly added, "But nothing's going to happen about it!"

I looked at him in a confusion equal to if he had been speaking chinese. "Well, why not?"

"Because, Soph." said Remus, "I'm old... I'm poor... I'm.. dangerous."

"Remus!" I said, "You are not old, you can have all of my share of Dad's money, and you aren't dangerous when you take your freaking potion. That's like saying I'm too dangerous to date."

"It's different for you," he protested, "You're young. It's not as bad with you."

".......So you're not going to do anything about being in love?" I asked.

"Yep."

"Nothing at all?"

"Yep."

"You're such a fool, Remus," I said, shaking my head.

"No, I'm not, Sophia," said Remus seriously, "I'm not a fool. I'm doing the right thing here."

"It won't be the right thing when Tonks keeps getting rejected, thinking you hate her.." I muttered.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

An awkward silence had spread over the room in which Remus and I sat. I just listened to the silence until it ws interupted by the door, and a familiar voice; "Wotcher, Weasleys!"

"Speak of the devil.." I said quietly, before taking off running into the kitchen. I practically tackled Tonks when I hugged her.

"Wotcher, Sophie!" She said, laughing and hugging me back, "Where've you been?"

"Wotcher, Tonks!" I said, not letting go of her, "I've bee-... Your hair's not pink. Why isn't your hair pink, Tonks?"

"Oh..." said Tonks, obviously trying to avoid the subject, "Stuff..."

"Stuff isn't a good answer, Tonks," I said seriously. Sometimes, just by the tone of my voice, it seemed like I was the cousin who was nine years older. "What's going on?"

Tonks looked around to make sure no one else was in hearing range before she whispered, "I'm in love, Soph. He doesn't love me back."

"I'm really hoping you mean Remus," I whispered back.

"Of course I do," Tonks replied quietly, "Who else?"

"Oh, Tonks!" I said, no longer quiet, "He does t-...!"

"Shhh!"

"Oh, Tonks," I said, quiet again, "He does too."

"No he doesn't," said Tonks sadly, "He doesn't love me... He knows I love him, but he doesn't love me. I-I don't know what to do, Soph! I can't eat, and I can't sleep."

"Tonks, he does, I swear," I said, whiping a single tear from her face, "He just told me. He thinks he's too old, poor, and dangerous, or something. But even if he didn't say it, I think it's sort of obvious."

"R-Really?"

"Duh!" I replied, "If he didn't care about you, he wouldn't be trying so hard to make sure you're safe."

"Good point..." she agreed.

"He can't hold out that long, Tonks," I said, "His willpower isn't that strong. He needs you."

"Oh, look," said Ron, coming into the kitchen, "A girls meeting in my kitchen. How sweet. Get away from the refridgerator or I will hurt you."

I stood up and blocked the fridge with my body, "Make me, Weasley!"

Wordlessly, he just picked me up and put me down to the side.

"Darn it!" I said, trying not to laugh, "Why do I have to be so small?!"

"Someone's got to be the midget," said Ron, shrugging.

"..Y'know what, Ron?" I said, sticking out my tongue when I finished, "You suck!"

"Ahh," said Tonks, "That American blood, Soph. Got to love it."

"Say, Ron," I said, changing the subject, "I've only seen you and your mum. Aren't you missing about, oh, I dunno, six or seven Weasleys?"

"Fred and George don't live here anymore," said Ron, "Ginny's asleep, Dad's at work, you've never even met Bill or Charlie..."

"What about Percy?" I asked.

"Don't even ask," said Ron, "His name's practically taboo here."

"Wow..." said I, "That's real, er, special, Ron."

"Yes, isn't it?" said Ron, sarcastically, "It's just so special. Everybody is jealous because I have a git for a brother."

"Even I am envious," I agreed, laughing.

"I'm not," said Tonks honestly.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Suddenly, we heard loud, crashing sounds coming from the stairs, so we dashed into the living room to the end of the stairs, where both Molly and Remus were standing, and saw Ginny tumbling down. After many, many flights of gravity doing its job, Ginny hit the level floor. Everyone gasped at her, as she looked so broken; so painful. And yet her eyes were closed, and she hadn't moved since she fell. Hermione and Fleur Delacour stood at the top of the stairs, to where they had rushed as Ginny began falling. Of course, after the shock wore off, Molly fixed the few broken bones, healed the cuts, and she looked almost perfectly well. Soon after, her eyes opened, and she looked around in a confused haze.

"How'd I get down here?" Ginny asked.

"You fell down the stairs, Ginny!" said Hermione.

"Must've been sleep walking again.." said Ginny.

"I'm very suprised," said I, "Someone fell down stairs and it wasn't me or Tonks!"

"Yes, it's shocking, isn't it?" Tonks agreed.

"Maybe you ought to put a lock on ze door to 'er room," said Fleur, "We don't want zis to 'appen again, do we?"

Though she didn't say anything, Molly had a look that clealy said, "Maybe you should shut up a little bit," and she stared, almost glaring, at Fleur.

"So, why are you here, Fleur?" I asked, "I didn't know you were still even in contact with the Weasleys."

"No one 'as told you?" Fleur asked, "I am engaged to be married."

"Oh, really?" I said, "That's great! To who?"

"Bill," said Molly, and Ginny frowned.

"Wow, congratulations!" said I

"Zank you," said Fleur, smiling that Fleur smile, "I 'ope you plan on attending ze wedding."

"On a different note," I said, then abruptly hugged Hermione, "You didn't write me at Severus'!"

"I honestly didn't want Snape knowing where I live," said Hermione, "And then, the only owl here is Errol." I just stuck my tongue out at her.

"Hey, you didn't complain that I didn't write you!" said Ron, feigning offence.

"Because you never write me," I said with a shrug, "And I can't read your writing anyway."

"It's not his writing that's the hard part," said Ginny, "It's his spelling! He can hardly spell his own last name!"

"Gee, thanks, Ginny," said Ron, "Real wonderful."

"You're so very welcome," Ginny replied.

"Er, I'd better be going," said Remus, who felt quite uncomfortable, with Tonks staring at him and all.

"Awwwww!" I whined, "Don't leave!" but I spoke too late, for he had already Disapparated.

A few moments later, all was calm. Everyone but me were sitting, so when a knock was heard on the door, I went over to answer.

"Who's there?" I asked, having been told to ask before I open, just in case.

"It's Arthur Weasley," said the man on the other side of the door. I started to open it, but he added, "Wait! Don't open it!"

"Why not, Mr. Weasley?" I puzzled, very confused, "Is there something wrong with the door?"

"No, you have to ask me a question for security," Mr. Weasley replied.

"Errr, ok," I said, then searched my brain for a question, "What's.... uh.... Ron's middle name?"

"Bilius," said Mr. Weasley, then I reached for the doorknob, but again he protested, "I have to ask you a question before I come in!"

"Sure, why not?" I said, rolling my eyes.

"What's the worst word in the English language?" he asked me.

"Lycanthropy," I said without hestiation.

"Well it must be Sophia here then!" said Arthur, and I opened the door. "Yes, I was right." The next thing I knew I was trapped in a tight embrace, and I laughed.

"By the way," I said with a grin, "I never knew Ron's middle name."

"But...! It could've not been me!" said Mr. Weasley.

"But, Sir," I said, "It is you."

"But what if-..."

"It was you," I laughed, "And I knew it. A Death Eater wouldn't tell me to ask a quest."

"...You're just like Molly," said he, now laughing.

About an hour after Mr. Weasley got there, Mrs. Weasley made dinner. I offered to help, but she said she didn't need any. She cooked dinner, but I still felt bad not doing anything, so I decided I'd make a dessert. Following the intructions I knew as well as I knew to breathe, I made a wonderful pie.

Eventually, we were done, and she called out, "Dinner!"

As sudden as if I had blinked, the Weasley table was full except for Molly's chair. I glanced around slightly, and saw my chair was being used as Fleur's footstool. When she noticed all of us staring at her, she dropped her feet down.

"Oh, I am sorry!" she said, "I didn't realize we needed zat chair since we didn't ozer nights."

"It's ok," I said, putting the chair back in its stop and sitting down, "Pass me the-.." I stopped mid-sentence, because my eyes landed on two unfamiliar red-haired faces. One was muscular, the other tall and skinny.

Ginny nudged Ron, who said, "Oh, right. Sophie, this is Bill, and this is Charlie. Bill and Charlie, this is Sophie."

"Oh!" I said, "Nice to meet you two. I'd shake your hands if you were closer."

"I've heard alot about you from Lola, Sophie," said Charlie.

"Oh?" I said, "I should've realized... From her description... I see." Charlie, of course, was currently very close with my cousin Lola. Very close.

"We got here while you were helping Mum cook," said Bill, talking to me, but looking at Fleur.

"Yeah, I figured," I replied.

By the time we were all done, as it was a rule that no one leaves until everyone's done, it was around nine o' clock. It took so long because everyone was talking instead of chewing. Charlie's talk of dragons was very interesting to me, and Bill's stories of those who tried to rob Gringott's were so exciting that I had trouble not screaming sometimes.

"Ron, carry up Sophia's things for her," said Mr. Weasley, "She'll sleep in Percy's room."

"I'll carry them," said Ron, "But I'm not going in Percy's room; he's got cooties!"

"Idiot," Ginny muttered.

"Hang on, Ron," I said, "I'll help carry my things!" I looked at my stack of bags, and grabbed my purse, which was about the smallest thing I had with me, and started up the stairs.

"Marvelous help, you are," said Ron, lugging up my things behind me, "Bloody idiot."

"No, you!" I laughed, then asked, "Why do you have so many stairs?"

"How else would we fit so many of us?" Ron asked, expecting to win the conversation.

"A really big two-floor house?" I suggested, and Ron's forehead met his hand, causing him to drop half of my things.

"Clutz!" I laughed, "Go get that!" I pointed at my things falling down the stairs.

After about half an hour of Ron attempting to get my things up, we finally succeeded, and my things were in Percy's room.

"Well, what do you think?" Ron asked.

After a moment of thought, I replied, "...Too clean."

Ron laughed and said, "G'night Soph."

"Night, Ron!" I called after him as he climbed up more stairs.

I shut the door, and changed into my nightwear. Sitting at Percy's desk, I saw his prefect badge, as shiney as ever. Next to it was his Head Boy badge, which was even bigger, and shinier, I think, if it's possible. On the desk's corner, I saw a photo album labeled, "Hogwarts," so naturally I took it to back to the bed with me to look at. It felt sort of weird, sitting in a guy's bed, even if he didn't use it.

Opening the album, I was very suprised; he had pictures of everyone of every year, every house, from each of his seven years. No wonder the album was so big. Each person had their own page of photos, and his comments on them. A few were negative, but mostly, he wrote a positive thing about each person. I laughed when I saw each of Fred or George's pages said, "No Comment."

This book was so extensive, it had an index. Naturally, I looked up my pages from first, second, and third year (My third being his last). My first year page had a picture I was never aware had been taken, and said, "Nice girl. Wish she wasn't Slytherin."

I get that comment alot, I thought to myself.

Second year had a picture from Colin Creevey's camera, and I was trying to avoid it, with my hand almost against the lense. I wondered how he got this picture. The comment said, "Has been through a lot, but comes out with a positive experience." I remembered that that was the year I really started talking to him at all. I had told him about my mother, I recalled.

Third year may have been my favorite of these pages. The picture was from the night poor Remus transformed, so I was scratched up and slightly bloody, though more, I think, was from the Whomping Willow than him, because he only scratched me once. The comment was so suprising, I had to read it repeatedly; "Beautiful eyes. Wish she was older." Just seeing this made me want to find Penelope Clearwater, his, to what I know, still girlfriend. All her comments, I discovered, said, "Fun to spend time with," or, "Nice personality." I thought mine was better.

"Hey, Sophie?" said a voice in the doorway. I jumped about a foot in the air (even though I was sitting), and hid the album behind my back.

"Yeah, Hermione?" I said, looking at her standing there.

"..What are you doing?" she asked, "You seem.. jumpy.. Like you're up to something."

"When am I ever up to something?" I said, and she raised an eyebrow, "Just looking through Percy's stuff."

"Sophia!" said Hermione.

"Yes, Mum?" I said, and winked at her.

She said nothing furthur about it; "Goodnight, Sophie."

"G'nite, Mum!" I said, pulling the album back out, and turning to my own page from third year once again. I grabbed my favorite pen and wrote, in my fancy hand-writting:

Say! Thanks, Perce! ;)

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