Chapter 4

Harry Potter is not my work. 'nuff said.

Sarah sat nervously as the Order filed out, with many dark looks and grumbles that Orion looked amused at, the red now faded entirely from his eyes. Indeed, Sarah was no longer sure it was not a trick of the light…though it had been eerily similar to the crimson eyes of Voldemort, and Orion had already shown himself able to change the colours of his eyes.

"So, this is the Inner Circle of the Order. No wonder they were so useless during the War… I assume Mad Eye would also be included if he were here?" Orion said, clearly not wanting to move straight onto business- Sarah recognised it as a stalling tactic she sometimes used. Dumbledore nodded.

"Was this a problem?" he asked. Orion smirked.

"Problem? Oh no, not a problem…at least until Sirius, the Headmaster and Moody ended up dead and everyone thought Snape was a traitor to the Order. Kingsley and McGonagall did their best I'm sure, but-"

Snape was the one who became impatient enough to interrupt.

"Enough stalling! Tell us what you have to!" he snarled. Orion glanced at him, still smiling in an infuriatingly serene manner.

"Now now, Severus. Patience is a virtue."

Snape glared, and Orion lost his smile.

"Stay out of my mind, Snape. I can feel you probing, and if you don't desist I will break you." He said harshly, and Sarah suddenly caught a glimpse of the Dark Lord he freely admitted to once have been. Snape flinched slightly, and Theia placed her hand on Orion's shoulder, causing him to relax again, his cheerful façade returning.

"Now, onto business. Are any of you aware of what a Horcrux is?"

The group looked blankly at Orion, all but Dumbledore, who remained impassive. Orion sighed.

"As I assumed. Now, a Horcrux is a work of Dark magic most foul. In their most basic essence, Horcruxes are a fragment of a soul sealed in a carrier- usually an object- that act as an anchor to the rest of the soul, preventing death so long as they exist. They are quite unnatural, and created by a long and painful ritual which must be carried out in very specific circumstances. You see, killing causes damage to the soul, a rip of sorts. Given time this rip seals over, but, if you are quick enough, there is a ritual that enables a Wizard or Witch to widen the rift and separate their soul, placing it into an item or, more rarely, a being, to create a Horcrux. Most books say that an act of murder is also required, but I believe that it may be more the mind-set from murder that helps in the ritual- after all, what would Magic know of human morality?"

The group was still staring, but now in horror, and Sarah felt sick.

"You seem very well informed." Sirius said suspiciously. Orion rolled his eyes.

"Some of this I learned from my Dumbledore in Sixth year, but most is from Voldemorts memories- I do have them, remember? In any case, Horcruxes are not all that well known- hard to research, you see, and even the worst Dark Lords in history have created one at the most. Voldemort, of course, is different. You see, if Horcruxes really worked, we would have ancient Dark Lords all over the place, but we don't, which makes me think that there is some flaw inherent in them…"

"Are you saying that Voldemort made one of these…Horcruxes…and that's why he didn't die in October 1981?" McGonagall questioned. Orion grinned in a manner that made Sarah think of a predator, and kicked her mind into motion.

"No," she said softly, "not one."

The Order members stared at her, and Orion made a motion with his hand that indicated she should elaborate. Sarah sighed.

"The Diary must have been one." She said tiredly. "I must be another, and if his soul was badly damaged enough that I was created without the needed ritual-"

Orion clapped his hands, once, twice.

"Logic is a wonderful and terrible thing, no? Don't fret, Dumbledore, I'll tell you what the Horcruxes are. Now, I think we can all agree that Voldemort was never exactly sane, but he became increasingly crazy throughout the years, yes? I think this coincided with his creation of more Horcruxes. My Dumbledore believed that Voldemort wanted to create six Horcruxes and have his body as the seventh, given that seven is one of the magically significant numbers….he didn't quite manage that. No, if you want to kill Voldemort for good you have seven trinkets to deal with."

"Seven?" Sirius squeaked. Orion grinned.

"Well, not quite. You see, there have been seven Horcruxes of Voldemort- in order, the Diary, a Ring belonging to the Gaunt family, the Locket of Salazar Slytherin, the Cup of Helga Hufflepuff, the Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw, Sarah there and the snake Nagini, with the fifth piece of soul in the construct that is Voldemort at this current time."

Sirius, McGonagall and Snape all sagged, apparently overwhelmed by the scope of their task, but Sarah looked at the impassive expression of Dumbledore and Orion's grin and quashed her fear.

"You know more, Orion, or you wouldn't be grinning." She said quietly. Orion nodded.

"I defeated Voldemort, remember? I destroyed all the Horcruxes, and most of them shouldn't be hard to collect…. You see, one is gone already, the Diary. One is sat next to us and can be dealt with easily enough, although I'd prefer a different method to the one used on me. The Ring is hidden in the old Gaunt Shack that Dumbledore can find- be careful there, it has a very powerful compulsion charm and a deeply unpleasant withering charm on it, led to Dumbledore's death in my world actually. The Locket is actually in this house, stolen by Regulus Black before Voldemort killed him."

"My brother?" Sirius whispered, and Orion nodded, no longer smiling.

"He was a brave man, Sirius. I always regretted that you never learned how your brother helped in the war against Voldemort. The other Horcruxes, well, the Diadem is at Hogwarts so that will be easy to get. It's the last two that will be a real problem."

"The snake Nagini is always with the Dark Lord." Snape contributed, causing Orion to nod.

"And that should be the last one destroyed. The Cup is in the Gringotts vault of Bellatrix Lestrange- I'd advise you use a different method of retrieving that than I did. The goblins were quite angry than me, Ron, Hermione and Theia broke into the vault and rode a dragon out- it took half the gold in the Black Vault and all the goblin artifacts I had to pacify them. Lucky thing that the Blacks are so obscenely wealthy."

"You broke into Gringotts." Sirius said blankly. Orion nodded.

"Yep."

"Are you insane?"

"Probably. But then again, insanity is just a frame of mind."

Sarah's Godfather blinked at Orion, looking utterly bemused.

"Are you always like this?"

"Ah, no. Not all the time. I can be sensible, and I did spend most of my fifth and sixth years in Hogwarts in depression for various reasons. Insanity is liberating, you know?"

"Well, yes. That is true. Are there any other shocks you'd like to drop on us?"

"Not that I can think of…Theia? Anything to add?"

"I don't believe so. We've told them about the Horcruxes, we've offered to help…oh, we should ask Dumbledore to let us join Sarah's year in Hogwarts. And I should probably reveal who I am."

"Oh. Yes, you probably should. How did we miss that to begin with?"
"You must be more interesting."

"Oh, stop, you'll make me blush."

Sarah eventually broke into the conversation that they were holding.

"So, are you going to tell us who you are?" she asked. Theia shrugged, pulling down her hood and removing her scarf. Out of the corner of her eye Sarah saw Orion's hair change colour to a red-brown colour, almost bronze.

"We look like siblings otherwise." He explained. "I'm not that concerned with imitating Purebloods."

Sirius looked glum at that jab, and Orion shrugged at him.

"Be honest Sirius, how closely related are the Blacks and the Malfoys or Lestranges? In fact, how closely related were your parents?"
"Far too closely." Sirius said gloomily.

"Cheer up. You aren't so bad." Sarah offered. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Oh, cheers." He said grumpily. Sarah frowned at him.

"Are you sure you're mature enough to be part of the Orders Inner Circle? What is the Order, anyway?"

"There isn't really an Inner Circle, these just happen to be the only members who were part of the Order in the First War and skill. And The Order of the Phoenix is a vigilante group formed by Dumbledore in the First War. Of course, they used to be less vigilante since the Ministry used to accept them." Theia offered.

"Oh." Sarah said, looking at her and realising she didn't recognise her. Theia had quite long, pale blond hair and silvery-blue eyes in a pretty face, and Sarah felt like she should recognise her but didn't.

"I…think I should recognise you, but-"

"Miss Lovegood?" McGonagall said, sounding disbelieving.

"It's remarkable how different the lack of radish earrings can make her look, isn't it." Orion noted laconically. Theia smiled.

"Ginny's friend Luna Lovegood? I didn't expect that…so the crazy act is-"

"Mostly an act, yes. Although I'm surprised you know her, I didn't meet Luna until my Fifth year." Orion offered. Sarah shrugged.

"I know most of Ginny's friends, I made sure to talk to her on a fairly regular basis."

"Ah, that explains it. Hmm. My alternate female self is a better person than I am. Should I be concerned about that?"

"Probably not." Sirius said, while Snape looked at them in disgust.

"In any case, Headmaster, I assume we will be able to join Sarah's year? Incidentally, I'd like to take Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures, and I'll pass the Ancient Runes fourth-year test if you could get it for me. Divination really is a waste. Theia?"

"I think I'll stay with Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. It might be boring but at least I'll know what I'm doing." Theia said airily.

"Are you going to keep answering to Theia, or to Luna?" asked Sarah, curious. Theia shrugged.

"There will still be a Luna in your school, so Theia is better. I'll probably need to put on some glamours as well- we can't all be a Metamorphagus."

"If that is all, Headmaster, I have better things to do than listen to this inane babble." Snape said in a tone of disgust. Sarah grinned slightly, glancing at an amused Orion, and realised that half the casual talk had been to annoy the Potions Master, who had left in a swirl of his robes.

"That man has style, you know that? Is there anything else, Headmaster? Oh, I should probably say that you don't need to get Snape to give low quality Occlumency lessons to Sarah- Occlumency is the art of guarding the mind, Sarah. I'll do it."

"Are you qualified?" Dumbledore asked. Orion rolled his eyes.

"Assuredly more-so than a man who cannot let go of a grudge several decades old and has transferred it to the child of a man he hated. Snape is poor even at teaching potions, and while I may know that I can trust him to hate Voldemort I would not trust him to poke around in my mind. His inability to teach me to properly shield my mind led to Voldemort being able to lure me to the Ministry of Magic and led to the battle where my Sirius died. I will not let that happen again."

There was a long moment of silence after that declaration, before Orion spoke again.

"Now, if that is all, I would like my wand back and to be able to get some sleep. I don't know if you noticed during my story, but I was only broken out of Azkaban a week ago, and it's been quite a long day. Breaking and entering and dimensional travel, you know?"

Now that he had mentioned it, Orion did look quite gaunt, and there were dark shadows under his eyes. Still, he didn't look nearly as bad as Sirius had done when Sarah had first met him.

"You don't look as bad as I would have expected for someone imprisoned in Azkaban for a year." Sarah blurted. Orion looked at her.

"A lot of Dementors never returned to Azkaban after the War…the International Aurors seemed pleased about it, actually. Nonetheless, Azkaban was less a place of torture and more an actual prison when I was there. I still had Dementors floating past regularly though, one of the perks of being in High Security."

Dumbledore looked more closely at Orion, then shrugged and gave him two wands, one of which Orion handed to Theia, keeping a deep red one for himself.

"No, it isn't my Holly and Phoenix feather wand." He said, predicting the next question.

"I was holding that wand when I was hit by the Withering Curse that cost me my hand, and it destroyed the wand as well. This one is Thestral bone and Redwood."

"Odd combination." Sirius noted. Orion gave him a crooked grin.

"Knockturn Alley wandmakers tend to be a little less orthodox that Ollivander, although that doesn't necessarily mean they don't know their trade."

"Well, I believe I shall leave you for now…I have much to think on, and I daresay you wish to rest and become acquainted with the people you will be attending school with…or is that re-acquainted?" Dumbledore said, complete with grandfatherly chuckle. Orion glanced at him, his expression momentarily unreadable.

"Acquainted, I think. Have a nice evening, Headmaster." He said, as Dumbledore left in a swirl of robes.

"That man has serious colour coordination issues." Orion said, looking after him. Sirius cleared his throat.

"So…well, this is awkward. Looks like we'll have to find you somewhere to sleep…we did have George, Fred and Ron in one room and Sarah, Hermione and Ginny in another, but we can't just add you to each room…and I don't think Ron will manage in a room with you Orion, he looked worried enough as it was…maybe if we put Ron in one room, Fred and George in another, Hermione and Ginny, Sarah and Theia and Orion in one last room."

Orion raised an eyebrow.

"When did you become so responsible?"
"I didn't, but I can't let myself be shown up by a fifteen year old, can I?"

"You usually do…oh, Sirius, a piece of advice. Either be nice to Kreacher, or kill him. Remember the words of Niccolo Machiavelli."

"Who?"

Orion sighed.

"An author, hardly that relevant I suppose but, to paraphrase, 'Be feared, or be loved, but do not be hated'. Words to live by."

"Why, you've become positively philosophical Orion." Theia commented. Orion smiled.

"Hanging around you clearly has benefits. And besides, insanity gives you a very…unique viewpoint."

"And I thought I was bad." Sirius mumbled, causing Sarah to smile at her Godfather, who was handling this quite well, she thought, given that an almost clone of one of his oldest friends had turned up in his kitchen before turning out to be a male alternate version of the man's Goddaughter. Put like that it seemed really bizarre…

"I think I need to lie down from all the paradox." Sarah said, pinching the bridge of her nose. Orion gave her a sympathetic glance.

"Imagine how I feel. Almost everyone I've met today are people I knew to be dead. Then again, I've just dropped a whole lot of information on you, and I at least knew what I was likely to get into, so…"

"As self-sacrificing as ever." Theia murmured, causing Orion to grimace.

"Yes, I'll try to avoid that. I didn't enjoy the moping around I did during my fifth and sixth years."
"Mmm. I don't know, some girls quite liked the brooding look…"

"Quit it. I need sleep too badly to engage in a battle of wits with you."

"Or, of course, you don't want to admit to being unarmed…"

"Damn it, that's my line!" Sarah and Orion exclaimed at exactly the same time. Sirius burst out laughing, causing the two to glance at each other and scowl.

"This is going to get complicated quickly." Sarah grumbled. The only response from Orion was a grumble.

Later that night, Sarah rose from her bed, jerked out a restless slumber filled with nightmares. Internally thankful that she had erected silencing charms- using the Trace free wand of Theia just in case- she dressed quietly and made her way down through the old, dusty house to the kitchen, the one spot which didn't feel like a bad horror movie prop. To her surprise, the kitchen wasn't empty- on single figure sat at the table, head bowed.

"Can't sleep?"

Orion asked, dark red locks hiding steel grey eyes and his smooth baritone voice unusually empty.

"No…and I see I'm not the only one. Nightmares."

"Is that a question or a statement?"

"Both. The graveyard again."

"Ah. Yes. The Graveyard. Yet another traumatic experience to add to the list…myself, I try not to sleep too long. The nightmares are always eager to play, even more so when I can't remember what happened in them. It is a curious feeling, you know, to fear and hunger for them at the same time."

"I wondered what you were hiding from Dumbledore…you can't remember the times when you were…"
"Insane? Most of them. I remember some things…remember the look of terror on Draco's face before I transfigured him into a plush doll and left him outside Hagrid's hut for Fang to find. I remember the expression on Nott senior's face when I cursed him with a blood freezing curse. I remember the sight of Crabbe and Goyle senior looking at me in dull agony as my curse transformed their flesh to stone…and yet, I feel no guilt, no shame…and that horrifies me."

Sarah sat in silence, realising that to interrupt would do no good, awful though some of the words for.

"Dumbledore asked me why I came here, why I wanted to help. I could see it in his eyes, he was wondering if I wanted redemption."

"Do you?" Sarah asked, her voice soft. Orion laughed bitterly.

"Redemption? I sought it, once. But now, well, all the acts I feel guilt for I had no real part in causing, and all the acts I should be atoning for I feel no guilt over. It is a terrible thing, this life. I still feel, but not for so many. Something I realised in Azkaban…Dementors are far less effective against those without remorse."

"Why would you feel no remorse?" Sarah asked. Orion sighed, bringing up his right hand and laying his cane on the table. His head moved slightly, and Sarah sensed that his eyes were fixed upon the wood.

"I think…well, you heard my story of why I went insane. Care to take a guess?"
"Voldemort's soul." Sarah murmured. Orion sighed.

"Voldemort is in many ways, a broken man. All he feels is rage, and sometimes a hollow satisfaction. A terrible existence…and I fear I may take it on. Not entirely, for I still care for people…Theia, clearly, you, to an extent, some others, and my heart aches for so many…but not enough. I am a changed man. That, as much as anything, is why I want to find a way to free you of Voldemort's soul without causing it to infect your own…a purpose in my life."

"That is why you are truly here?"

Orion laughed quietly.

"Oh, my dear alternate self…or perhaps pseudo-sister is better. Yes, my dear pseudo-sister, of course I'm hiding something in my dark and troubled past. Always have an ace up your sleeve."

"You still have more secrets then."

"Naturally. If I gave all away, the Order would be far more eager to…dispose of me. I have, of course, admitted to becoming a Dark Lord under the influence of Voldemort's soul…I know how many of them look at me. Just another monster...whether that is true or not."

All Sarah could do was reach out a hand to the still gloved left hand of the tired and damaged Orion, neither of the two noticing the dark figure watching silently from the shadows just outside the kitchen door.

Broke my 'A Chapter a day' streak...ah well. Hope you enjoy, Read and review.