Author's Note: I'm going to try really hard to finish this story this year, but don't hold your breath. I never thought this would happen to a story I've worked on for nearly 4 years. But with the release of the seventh book and most of my assumptions confirmed about certain characters, the story needed to be re-written. But then I found it troubling to do since I'd come up with a few of my own characters and didn't want to kill them off or completely write them out, so here I am, yet again re-writing my precious story. Only thing is, it can't be posted here. So I'm going to be nice and post the older version, which is utter crap and more than a little disjointed, and post the re-write in a new story under the name Broken Pedestal. Now I warn you that Broken Pedestal is completely different from this and yet this will have some spoilers for Broken Pedestal. Read at your own risk, though I suggest waiting for the re-write.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Hard Truth

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Down town Seattle was having a rather cool and sunny week. That Monday seemed normal enough. From the time that the five siblings awoke, to the time they started their second week of school, it was rather pleasant. They went about their day as usual believing that nothing was amiss.

It was the youngest of the five that felt it first. She was in the middle of her music class and in her short seven years she'd never experienced such fear. She tensed up as a knock came from the classroom door. When it opened tears were sliding down her face. Her young friend looked at her, not knowing what was wrong. When the girl placed a hand on her shoulder she screamed.

"Miss Alice," her teacher called for her. "Please come to the front." She stood from her seat and walked up to the front rather reluctantly. Her classmates stared at her wondering what was going on, why there was a police officer standing in the door way and why Alice was crying.

The teacher led Alice out the class into the hall where the school councilor, the principle, Alice's aunt Pearl, and the officer awaited.

"Alice, honey," Pearl said as she kneeled to Alice's eye level.

"He's dead, isn't he?" She replied, voice flat and hollow. Pearl's eyes seemed to gloss over with unshed tears. Alice sighed. "Would be like him to go and get himself killed."

The adults could only look at the small girl and think that she was in denial, that everything would crash down on her soon enough. It was with that thought that they all looked away; unable to watch the child that they knew would be hurting enough much too soon.

"Just like mom." They heard her mutter, looking down the empty hall.

"Alice," the councilor, Rose Mierter, started.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

John Stimpleton was the basketball coach for JV boys' team at Washington High School. He watched as the starters played against the reserves. His eyes seemed to follow two of the boys in particular. They were racing down the court from the opposing team's goal to their own. They were passing the ball back and forth between the two of them; weaving in and out of the other players. Those who had lunch that period--including some who were just skipping--were glued to the practice game even though most of the spectators didn't even like it. The two boys who were so much alike just seemed to be able to read the other's mind when they were on the court; always seeming to know where the other was and would be so that intricate passing techniques were able to be pulled off between them.

Zachirus and Marchilen were the heart of their team. The twins specialized in their diversionary tactics. Their opponents were always too focused on trying to predict when the ball would be passed next so that they could intercept it. TThat's exactly what they planed, leaving their teammates open for passing to make the shot.

That Monday, mid-noon, that Practice wasn't going to end well.

"Good, good!" John hollered over the court. "A little less play, boys!" he said speaking to the forwards. "Alright, Marc--" he suddenly stopped, making Marchilen stop mid pass, leaving the boy behind him to run right into him, both falling in a heap on the floor.

Zachirus looked over at the coach, the other teammates following his gaze. John was in fierce whispering with both assistant Principles. That wasn't something they saw every day. Especially when there was a police officer involved. What was going on? Marchilen and Zachirus shared a look.

Just then, John turned to face the slowly gathering team. He had an odd look on his face, like he would rather not be there at the moment.

"Twins!" He called. His voice wasn't very load, just demanding, a bit desperate. But the gym was silent; his voice was carried and echoed around the building.

Marchilen and Zachirus trotted over to the captain and other 'guests'. They were nervous wrecks. Being called over after the coach had a talk with the assistant principles and a cop didn't bode well for them. Though they were sure it had nothing to do with any of the pranks they'd pulled since school had started back or any of the experiments they were working on both at home and school, the situation just had them feeling uneasy.

"Coach?" Marc asked once he and his twin brother reached the group of adults.

"We'd better move this somewhere a little more private," vice principle Kalwane Leonard suggested, a rather tense smile on his face.

Unlike with Alice, the boys were told everything that their aunt knew. It wasn't much. They weren't expecting much considering how secretive their father was. It was only Monday afternoon and it felt like he'd been gone a lot longer than he near three days of reality. They were use to him being gone at odd times and not coming back for weeks or months at a time. They understood what he had to do, even if he never talked to them about it. It was just a shock that in a few weeks time, perhaps months, he wouldn't be coming back.

"It's just--are you sure?" Marc asked looking dejected on the seattie in the Principle's office. His brother, Zack, was standing off tot he side, facing the single window. Their aunt Pearl nodded while petting Alice's silky black hair as she sat in her lap. "Where's Gen? And Sean?" he asked all of a sudden. Their older sister and younger brother hadn't been mentioned till then.

The officer--Jerryl, he thought--stepped from his post against the door. "Your sister and brother went home followed by my partner, officer Ryland. Just to keep an eye on them." He added at the odd look Marc gave him.

"You never said why you officers where needed." everyone nearly jumped, having forgotten Zack as he stood behind most of them, quiet and detached. "Not to be rude or anything." he sneered turning to face the others. Marc looked at him with an odd expression. He didn't understand what his brother was trying to do.

"No, that's alright, son. Our department received a letter, not unlike a living-will. Your father informed us that you and your brothers and sisters would come into a rather hefty inheritance upon his death. In the letter your father expressed some concern about this, that perhaps others would be . . . Interested. Although, the inheritance isn't accessible here in the states. That's another reason we're here. We're to escort you all to the airport once you're packed and see that you're on the plane. When you reach your destination there will be a couple of other officers to escort you. I'm not so sure why your father wanted all of this. But it's been paid for and legalized. I'm sorry for your loss."

Jerryl didn't seem all that sorry. Dad probably threatened him. Zack let a small smile play across his lips. He'd been tuning out the officer after that. He looked back up to after hearing his sister's name.

"--is at the house packing I suppose. The letter was to be opened only by her and I'm assuming that it had some set of instructions for you to fallow. You'll have to speak with her on that."

"What about school?" Marc asked looking to the principal.

"You're welcome to return at any time. Though I believe that you may be attending school in this new place--where exactly will they be going?" Joyce Myrilan asked looking to Officer Jerryl then to Pearl.

"England I believe. Your mom and dad were raised in England. Your dad has stayed even after moving you all here. Something . . . Work related." She smiled gently down at Alice who was dozing off in her lap. "I myself haven't been there, but your mum said it was nice." She looked at the boys, "I guess we should be getting home then." She stood, waking Alice so that she could walk herself. Officer Jerryl walked them to the car and followed them in his patrol car to the house.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

After reading the contents of the letter that Severus had left for them, Gennavehn decided that a search of his room was in order. She'd been carefully riffling through his dresser draws and boxes in his closest for nearly an hour. It never ceased to amaze her how many things he could make fit in one place. The wonders of the magic that Severus never allowed them to use unless in practice and study.

Gennavehn had never understood why their father never told them anything about their world let alone visit it. They only just knew the bare essentials in case of emergencies that Severus was sure to never happen. Although she knew more than her brothers and sister, for her it was still not enough. Such as, she knew that the magical world was at war but didn't know why; she knew that Severus was a spy, but considering his snarly attitude and cynical personality she didn't know for which side he spied on. In fact she didn't know what sides there were and how many of them.

"He keeps us in the dark so much that we wont even know what we'll be walking into," she growled in frustration.

A light chuckle came from the doorway. "I didn't know that you were prone to talking to yourself, Genna," Sean had to muffle a laugh behind his fist at the infuriated look on Genna's face. It reminded him so much of their father. "Alright, just don't kill me. With my luck, your looks could kill."

"Not funny, book worm."

"That so cannot be the best you can come up with." he sauntered into the room with all the sex appeal of a Veela.

"You're way too young for that." She stood from where she had been squatting looking through the bottom drawer of the dresser. "Do you believe that he may have left something here, something that could tell us more about where he's from?"

"So that's why you're in here," Sean commented off handedly. "He wouldn't leave anything here, Gen. At least nothing that we would be able to find quite so easily."

"That's why you're here. Now come on. If nothings in here, there must be something in his lab. We're not allowed in unless he's here, and then only if he's teaching us something. I swear, dad is such a bastard at times."

They raced downstairs to Severus' private lab.

Reiteration: This is a posting of the early versions of Broken Pedestal. I have no intention of continuing posting under this story after the last chapter is up. As such, this version of the story wont stay posted on this site for very long, yet since it was added to several communities and on alerts I thought to give readers a preview - if you will - to let them know I have not, nor will I, abandon this story. Check out for Broken Pedestal instead.