Disclaimer: First chapter.


"N-No more..." Kat pushed the woman away when she came at her with another cup in her grip. Purple vapor leaked over the lip and Kat officially decided she was done with the doses then and there. "This shit is over with."

"Young lady." The old woman set the cup holding the vile steaming mud down at her bedside and placed her hands on her hips. "Do you or do you not want to get better anytime soon? If you do, then you need to take all of these potions daily."

"I don't need that shit to get better." Kat rolled onto her side, one hand coming up to her head as it began to ache without the potions no matter how much she wished it didn't. She bit her lip and refused to let the woman see her face and the pain that it would undoubtedly show. "I don't need them anymore."

"You said that yesterday, the day before yesterday, the day before that, and the day before that. Yet every time you said those same words I needed help to make sure you took them. You need this potions and you're going to take them now or I'll have to call over Mr. Black help me with giving you the next few and I know you don't want that." The matron knew her better than she let on. She hated the man nearly as much as she hated the man that she had woken up to hovering above her. Forcing the vile sludge down her throat herself was almost favorable than having to deal with either of them.

"Get the fuck away from me already." Kat closed her eyes when the light began to hurt. "I'll do it myself later."

"I'll leave the list for you then. I expect that you to have drunk at least three more of these by the time I get back to you." The matron waved her wand through the air and the dreaded paper floated over to rest with the cups of the vile potion. "If you haven't, I'll make sure you do before I retire for the night."

The spike being driven into her head made it impossible for her to answer the matron. She found it in her to nod her head as a second spike joined the first one. She stopped herself from crying out when she tasted blood on her tongue. A third spike would soon join the other two and, regardless of what she tried, she would begin to sob at the mind rending pain it would cause. She would need to drink the potion soon or she would have it forced down her screaming throat.

It had happened yesterday, the day before yesterday, the day before that, and the day before that after all.

"Fuck...when is this going to end?" She turned over and blindly reached for the cup, somehow wrapping her fingers around it. She wanted to gag as she tried to prepare for what she was about to do but she ended up plugging her nose instead.

She could still barely down one of the cups. She still needed to do it two more times. The fact she threw the cup against the wall was an accepted fact by now as the two spikes driving through her skull were ripped off once the mud settled in her stomach.

She would need to wait for the pain in her skull to become unbearable before she even considered downing two more cups of the steaming mud the nurse was forcing on her. When she could do nothing but scream was too late but when light was too painful was too early. She had yet to find the place where the pain was too much for her to understand what she was shoving down her throat.


Firewhiskey didn't help. The bottle was empty and he merely sat at the small table of his rooms, one of the few things in it. He ran a hand over his face, leaving his glasses askew in the aftermath of the motion. As always, in the distant corner, a silver glow bathed the room in its light. Hazel eyes, as always, were drawn to it time and time again.

No number of glasses could draw them away and now it was more liquid courage than anything.

Everyday seemed to end like this now.

Firewhiskey. Glass after glass of the liquor.

He would eventually rise from his seat and stumble over to the source of the glow. He would stand in front of if then. Simply stand there for minutes to hours at times. His vision would be rendered blurry with tears as he looked at what he once had, all that he took for granted.

And then he would drown himself in it.

"They're not bad people Lily." He was beyond wrong. They were absolutely terrible people. Some of the worst he had ever seen and they were forcing him to do this. Forcing him to give them his precious little baby girl because they wanted to hurt him.

"Those people are nothing but monsters James!" He wanted to agree with her. He wanted to just say yes and tell her everything but he couldn't. Not now and, hopefully, never.

He felt the mirror start to burn in his pocket.

"Just trust me on this Lily. Please." She had to.

"I don't want our daughter to have to grow up with those monsters around." And the stubborn woman he loved didn't want anything to do with their scheme. Merlin he loved her.

"She won't." It was the only thing he could make sure of. "I promise you she won't have to deal with anything like you did."

"What about Severus then?" The bastard Snivellous... Maybe Sirius was right when it came to letting him meet Moony on a bad night.

"I-I don't see how he matters here Lily." But he did. Severus hadn't exactly been silent over the years when he spoke with Lily. No amount of pleading could make him not tell the woman he respected the harsh truths of how important blood was in their world.

"He does James since he's a half-blood. He was one of the smartest kids I knew in Hogwarts. He was far from a bucket of sunshine but he wasn't like Lucius." She had a point, he could definitely concede to that. There were few who could actually match Severus Snape when it came to Potions and one of those who came close was currently talking about him. "That man treated him like trash because he was a half-blood and no one lifted a finger to help him. Our daughter is a half-blood just like him, and me, or have you already forgotten?"

"Lily, please just trust me on this. I would never hurt Kat. Never." Honesty was in his voice but she knew him too well. She must have known what was really happening.

"I'm not so sure now James." Her quiet words broke him more than seeing her tears ever could. "I can't deal with this or you right now."

"Lily! Lily! Come back! Merlin's beard..." She left the room no matter how loud he called for her. He was about to head out after her when he heard the pop of her Apparition. The near red hot mirror was wrenched out of his pocket. "What do you want Padfoot?"

"Am I interrupting something Prongs?" The bastard was smiling in it.

"...No." The lie was terrible even to his ears.

"I heard the shouting." His smile dropped ever so slightly, became that bit more forced and less natural.

"We weren't shouting. We were...we were having an intense disagreement." Merlin he was terrible at this.

"So, problems with your wife then Prongs? How can I help you and her so you two patch things up the fun way." And now the bastard was really smiling. "I'll even watch your little Kitty Kat for you."

"Just get here if you really want to take her." He was glad to hear some good news today at last. "Don't bother with the bike."

"AND I try to do something nice and you just have to ruin my fun don't you. Your Floo's open right?"

"To friends."

"I'm a friend right?"

"Just get over here Padfoot."

"Give me a few minutes. I've got to make sure Kreacher doesn't bring 'nice and sweet-better than nasty old dog-Mistress Bella' back."

"See you then."

James Potter ripped his head free of the small personal pensive. He wasn't gasping and sputtering and he didn't bother wiping away the tears as he let himself fall over the rim. His vision was blurry as his tears dripped from his eyes to his glasses and he ripped them off, sending them clattering across the floor somewhere.

"What did I do?" He asked an empty room the question and blindly reached for his wand. The tip was pressed to his temple and a silvery wisps followed it as he drew out another memory. He didn't look at it as he dumped it into the pensive and lifted himself off of it in a near daze. He somehow stumbled over to the bed nearby and collapsed onto it.

"What did I do?"

His nights always ended the same now. He asked himself the same question and received no answer.


"Dumbledore."

"Ah, it is a pleasure as always to see you Lucius and your company is quite stellar if I may say such a thing." The Wizard slowly rose from his desk. adjusting his half moon spectacles and panning his eyes over the company the Malfoy had brought with him. The bowler hat wearing Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic Dolores Umbridge, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Amelia Bones, and Head of the Auror Office Rufus Scrimgeour. He noticed a somewhat sour looking Minerva at the door and met her eyes for the briefest of moments.

Her expression softened but her eyes still carried worry as she closed the door and began her march back down the steps.

It was quite the collection of people for a meeting Dumbledore hadn't been expecting.

'I have a feeling I won't like the outcome of this meeting.' Despite any misgivings, he offered all present a brief handshake and a smile.

"Would any of you care for a sherbet lemon? They're quite the sweet if I do say so myself." When none took the offer the Headmaster chuckled as he drew one out for himself. "I find there will be more for me then." He took his time unwrapping the sweet, all of those present in the office taking the chance to sit down and, after a moment, glance around. Countless eyes watched them from the portraits around the room and Albus Dumbledore was once again not a fool.

Fudge was the first to squirm as he popped the candy into his mouth and leaned back in his chair. Lucius's eyes flashed from portrait to portrait before settling in front of him only to flicker out again when Dumbledore looked down at his desk.

"Pardon me, I'm afraid you've caught me at a rather bad time what with all these papers strewn everywhere." He adjusted his spectacles and drew out his wand. "I'll need a moment simply to make my office somewhat presentable for the illustrious Minister of Magic."

The process of collecting and sorting the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of papers strewn across the office would take thirty seconds at the speed he was going. The office was filled with only the rustling and whistling of paper moving through the air and the portraits continued to stare at the guests to the Headmaster's office. All of them had no right to be here. It was the idea he was going for.

Amelia's eyes drifted from the portraits to the papers before drifting back to the eyes of the portraits. It was a constant cycle for the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and one she couldn't break no matter what she tried to occupy herself with.

Dolores attempted to glare at the Headmaster, no doubt the nature of this visit one of vindictive pleasure for the woman, but her eyes began to fart to and fro the longer the papers put themselves away. The past Headmasters of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would not let her leave their sight and she began to squirm just like the others.

At last, once the papers were out of sight and Dumbledore's wand was once again put away, Scrimgeour cleared his throat.

"Headmaster, I'm glad that we didn't interrupt you during some of your more important tasks but something rather...worrisome has been brought to the attention of the Ministry of Magic as of late." Rufus must have lost whatever wager with Amelia as he spoke with the Headmaster. Behind his half moon spectacles, his eyes never left those of the Head of the Auror Department. The twinkling of them seemed to dim the longer Rufus attempted to look at them. "Myself and my colleagues simply wish to...we simply wish to..."

The Headmaster rose a hand up, Scrimgeour ceasing as a student in class would when commanded by a teacher.

"I believe I understand what you are asking of me." Dumbledore leaned forward, his hands forming a steeple for him to rest his bearded chin on. "One of the occupants of the Hogwarts Hospital Wing has come to the attention of the Ministry and you have come because of several troubling and baseless rumors." The warmth of the fireplace seemed to leave the room. The eyes continued to watch them all but Dumbledore's had quickly become the most terrifying. "I wish to assure you all that none of those rumors are true as you all must know. They are nothing more than the product of schoolyard gossip." The aged Headmaster let a chuckle shake his head. "I am simply allowing an injured friend to recuperate within the school during break. They will of course be gone by the time the students return and any expenses shall be drawn from the Headmaster's personal expense account."

Dumbledore reached out and took another sherbet lemon from the glass case on his desk. The crinkling sound as he unwrapped the plastic echoed like a gunshot to the ears of those gathered before him and he popped it into his mouth after a moment.

"While I am esteemed to know you all care so deeply for the molding of young minds, I must regretfully inform you that rumors, as they are prone to do, has wasted some of your most valuable time."

The eyes of the Headmasters did not leave them and neither did Dumbledore's own.

"I'm sure you all can see that this rather impromptu meeting has no true necessity."

Dumbledore couldn't help but think those gathered before him looked like scolded children. The sight was not dissimilar to when he would have parents and students before him as both a Professor and as Headmaster. The Lord and four high ranking Ministry Officials all had a similar look to those same children as their parents turned their anger on them.

"Gossip and rumor mongering are things we cannot escape but I feel we can at least learn to identify them before they reach a level where the Minister of Magic has his time wasted on them." The eyes on the Minster drifted away. "His time is much more valuable than any of us yet he's wasted time on the rumors we all should have known were false before bringing to his attention." Dumbledore shook his head and Fawkes, from his perch, let loose a mournful note to echo throughout the room.

"H-Headmaster Dumbledore is right." Fudge found his voice with the eyes, so many eyes, away from him and he turned to those he had traveled to the office with. "You all need to stop relying on mere rumors and gossip. As the Minister of Magic my time is extremely valuable, something that cannot be wasted on every absurdity you draw from rags like that Quibbler dribble."

"Minister F-" For once, Lucius found himself cut off.

"Minister Fudge is of course right." The eyes had left Dolores. "It is our duty as the Witches and Wizards of Magical Britain to ensure that his time is not wasted on things like the nonsense you brought to him this morning."

"Indeed." Dumbledore rubbed at his shortened beard. "I feel the Ministry of Magic is feeling the absence of so many high ranking officials such as yourselves and it is something that grows greater and greater the longer all of you are away." He rose from his seat and stepped over to the fireplace. "You all must get back as swiftly as possible."

"Indeed." Fudge stepped away from his seat first and strode over to the fireplace as the rest of his party followed. He clapped Dumbledore on the back and shook his hand. "I'm sorry for wasting your time with such nonsense Headmaster Dumbledore."

"All is forgiven Cornelius." Dumbledore gladly accepted the handshake with the customary humility. "I simply hope that the Ministry is still standing in your prolonged absence."

"I'll get it all under control when I get back." Fudge puffed with pride as the flames of his fireplace flashed green. Dumbledore took a bag of Floo Powder down from its place and offered it to the Minster of Magic.

"I'll be off now but expect me to write to you later Albus. Office of the Minister of Magic!" Green flames consumed the Ministry.

"Headmaster Dumbledore. Office of the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic!" His Senior Undersecretary followed with a rather cold goodbye.

"Headmaster. Office of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement!"

"Headmaster. Office of the Head of the Auror Department!"

Dumbledore smiled as he offered the bag to Lucius Malfoy.

"I do wish that you have a pleasant day Lucius."

"Goodbye Dumbledore." The Malfoy snatched a handful of powder form the bag, sending it scattering onto the floor as he took too much. The eyes never left him. "Malfoy Manor!"

The fireplace flashed from green to red and Dumbledore hung the bag back where it belonged.

He awarded himself with another sherbet lemon as he sat down.


AN: Well...I may be sadist or a discoverer of something legendary. I'm still going to keep watching this thing and see if its just a burning chicken or actual phoenix.

Also: Three months this time. Totally not my fault.