Chapter 6

"Attention! Attention please!" said the headmaster's voice from the podium. "We have some late arrivals to our school."

All heads in the Great Hall swiveled to face the front. Everyone had already been sorted right?

"I would like to welcome 6 new students to our school, as well as a new faculty member. They have come all the way from America, so I expect you to make them feel at home in our fantastic castle. All have been sorted into Gryffindor. Amelia and Angela will be in fourth year." He motioned to the two eldest girls, who seemed to be twins. They went and sat down at Gryffindor table. "Sirius and Beatrice will be in third year." A boy and a girl went to sit as well. "Remus will be in second year." Another boy. "And Noah will be in first year." The youngest boy scurried over to sit at the table, between his brother, Remus and Jake. James watched all of this in interest.

"Finally, let's give a round of applause for our new astronomy teacher, Professor Lucy Black."

James's jaw dropped as a woman stood up at the table. Her hair and eyes were extremely unique and he had only seen a handful of people who possessed either and even fewer who had both. All of her children seemed to have gotten one of these traits. He knew those traits. He had seen them everyday on his brother and father and even himself. After the applause finished, James watched the lady.

He remembered her. So long ago, he remembered playing with her in the backyard of the Burrow. James watched as kids went up to say hi, like they always did for a new professor. He looked down the teacher's table to where Teddy sat in his DADA chair. At that point, he knew his suspicions were confirmed. James hurried up to where Teddy sat slack jawed staring at Professor Black.

"Teddy?" asked James, cautiously.

"James, you realize who that is, don't you?" asked Teddy, still not looking at James, but at Lucy. James looked around and saw that some others looked surprised at Professor Black's appearance as well. Professor Hewett looked startled, Hagrid was spilling wine down his front, Professor Longbottom was slack jawed as well and Hermione, who had just taken on a part-time library post, was glancing around nervously at the kids in the crowd, particularly Albus and Lily. When she saw James looking, her eyes widened.

"Yup, I know," said James. "I just needed some confirmation before I go do something." James started walking away as Teddy shook out of his trance.

"Before you do what James?" asked Teddy, nervously. But James didn't stop walking up the table's length. "James?"

All those who had been startled by Lucy's appearance before now turned to watch as James made his way up to her. A couple of second years were saying good bye to her as he came forward.

"Hi, and you are?" she asked. Her eyes lighted on his hair (his father's), then his eyes (his mother's).

"Oh, I think you know who I am, Aunt Lucy," stated James. He crossed his arms and stared her down as she got more and more uncomfortable. Finally she sighed.

"James, come with me," said Lucy, getting up from her chair. James followed her out into the hall. "The rest of you ought to come too," she called over her shoulder. He heard chairs scooting behind him as Kennedy, Neville, Hagrid, Teddy, Hermione and McGonagall followed behind them. He swallowed and followed Lucy through a door, into a room behind the teacher's table. He had heard of this room from his dad. It was where the tri-wizard champions went after they had been selected. Lucy sighed and conjured a chair for each of them to sit on. The only one who didn't look surprised by her appearance was McGonagall.

"Ok, so, I bet you are all wondering why I am back," began Lucy. "Basically, it is because Minerva asked me to. She said everyone missed me and she made me feel bad about not getting to watch my nephews and niece and all their cousins grow up with my children," here she flashed a timid smile at James, "and she said I had been gone too long, so I came back and I brought the whole clan with me. Hamal and I will live in town with our other daughter, Izzy, who will come to school in about 3 years. Hamal is going to be working with Fred and Roxy in the joke shop."

"Wait, how long has this been planned for?" asked Teddy, not able to contain himself.

"Umm, well, Minerva sent me the first letter in June, but Fred and Roxy only accepted Hamal's application last month. They knew who it was the whole time, yes."

Teddy cursed under his breath. "I can't believe they didn't tell me! I was in there just yesterday!" Lucy smiled at him gently.

"Yes, well, we asked them to keep it a secret."

"But why?" asked Hermione, leaning forward.

"Yeah, why not just send an owl to give us a little warning?" asked Kennedy.

"Because I wanted to tell you all in person. I also wanted to face Harry for myself, not hide behind a letter or a messenger. So please, don't tell him yet. Don't tell anyone yet. Not even Lily and Albus, James. Hermione, definitely not Ron or Ginny, because they would tell Harry. George and Angelina don't even know and my husband is working for their kids! Please, I'm begging you. Harry will know by Christmas, I promise."

Everyone glanced around. Kennedy relented first.

"Fine, I won't tell. But I think you should tell the kids who are here. Especially Lily and Al. They deserve to know. I'd like Sophie and Luke to know too. They are in their 6th and 4th years here, in Ravenclaw. I'm going back to the feast now." Kennedy stood and gave Lucy a hug. "It's really good to see you, Luce." She smiled and turned to go.

"Wait one moment, Kennedy. I'll join you. And I agree with her, Lucy. I also think you ought to tell Harry, too." With that, McGonagall and Kennedy left. Neville smiled at Lucy, and then followed them out.

"I agree with 'em, Lucy," said Hagrid, heaving upwards. "Olympe and I sure would like to have ye by for tea some time, though?"

Lucy smiled. "Of course, Hagrid."

Hagrid smiled, his eyes twinkling. "It is good ter see ye, Lucy." Hagrid lumbered back to the Great Hall, leaving only Teddy, Hermione and James behind. She sighed and turned to Teddy first.

"Teddy Remus Lupin," she said smiling. He was not. "I have never seen a person who looks so much like both his parents. Not even in my children. I don't know what Harry's told you about me, but I'm sure you probably remember me, since apparently James does and he was only about two when I left with Hamal and my girls."

"Uncle Harry never talks about you," began Teddy. "Every so often an interviewer will ask him about his long lost sister and he'll just clam up. The only things I know about you are from Aunt Ginny. She said that Harry didn't know about you until two years after the war ended. You and Hamal Black showed up at the Burrow one day after they had been searching for you both for months. Then Hamal disappeared for two years. You whiled away your time as an assistant here and when he came back, you got married. A year later, you had the twins, Angela and Amelia. Then you disappeared to God knows where, never to be heard from again until today." Teddy glared at her bitterly. James wondered what the connection between the two was.

"Teddy, I-"

"Save it. You were supposed to be my godmother and help Uncle Harry take care of me! You left me and I had no idea why! I idolized you, you know! Then you just up and left and Uncle Harry wasn't the only one who moped until Al was born. Grandma Molly was inconsolable for months! It was all Aunt Ginny could do to hold us all together. Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey named their kid after you, you know! Everyone loved you so much Lucy! Why did you have to leave? WHY!"

Teddy's face was red, his hands were in fists. Lucy's head was bent to the floor, tears dripping down. James heard Headmaster Steinwright telling the students it was time for bed, but he made no motion to move. This was too important.

"Teddy, you don't understand," began Lucy, looking up. "There was so much pressure on me to be perfect that I snapped. I had to get out of there. Yes, I realize that Harry had all this fame thrust on him when he was only 11 and so did Ron and Hermione and you have always had some kind of spotlight on you if you mess up, but I just couldn't take it. I just couldn't do it anymore." Lucy's head fell to her hands. Hermione was by her side in an instant as Teddy dropped to his chair.

"You could have talked to us, Lucy," said Hermione, tucking a strand of Lucy's hair behind her ear. "That's what family is there for. We were your family then and we still are now. We still love you Lucy. We don't want you to leave again." Hermione held her close while James sat still.

"It's true, Aunt Lucy," said James, walking over to the pair of women. They looked up at him. "They missed you. I could tell, even when I was two. I remember that year. It was tough. But I think us kids grew closer. It made us more independent because the adults weren't always there. Teddy and Victoire looked after the rest of us because they were the oldest. But we came out stronger in the end. Right, Teddy?"

Teddy sighed, but then got up and stormed out. Lucy watched him go, and then looked at James. She smiled shakily.

"Thank you, James, for trying to help. I was wondering if you could tell me something?" asked Lucy, wiping her tears away.

"What is it?" asked James.

"Will you tell me where all your aunts and uncles are tonight?"

A/N: Lucy is one of my shining gems of a character. But you won't know her story at all unless you read the story of mine called Lucy Lily. I guess it isn't necessarily necessary to understand what is going on, but it tells you who Lucy is and how she is Harry's sister (younger sister, I might add and married to Sirius Black's kid. If that doesn't intrigue you, I don't know what will) and why she came back now. Just read the story and all of my memory loss stories if you want the full picture of Harry and Ginny's story after Hogwarts. Or, send me a review with your questions and I can answer them (Ahem, ahem). Hopefully, I will post the next couple chapters soon, though!

This is one of my favorite chapters, but the next one, I like even more! The reason I put up three now is so that I have some more time to write some more chapters and still appease you readers' need for more story. I hope you enjoyed them!