Sorry for the delay! Here you guys go, another chapter for Antebellum!

To JUJUChick16: Your question was already answered – "The two, quite unknown to Ginny and the kids, had been having an affair for years."

To mxrolkr: Yay for being the first to catch me reference! If any of you are into sci-fi, you totally need to check out "Sanctuary". Amanda tapping is totally hot as a brunette. I mean wowza!

To Ro: Me too. *giggle* Killing Ginny makes Snarry so much more fun!

Hermione sat at the head of the staff table. No matter how many years that passed, she still felt odd having Minerva there at her left. It should have been the other way around, had Minerva not vanished after the war. Not that her partner's reasons for leaving weren't sound, but Hermione still felt somewhat guilty about it.

Hermione nodded curtly has Teddy Lupin walked in, and then stood to signal the meeting was going to start. Teddy was the last to arrive, ten minutes late, but knowing Teddy he would have some sort of good reason, and as he was not on her staff, technically, it was not her place to discipline him for tardiness, beside the point. Among her staff, Hagrid was missing, he had been excused to go talk to the Centaurs about the building project, and how it might affect them. Viktor was also gone. Oh Viktor, I will miss you. Hermione thought.

"As a result of this war with the Muggles," Hermione began. "and the fact that we no longer have the use of our wands, we need to adjust our curriculum. Albus Dumbledore didn't close this school during the war against Voldemort, and neither shall I. Regardless of the fact that wandless magic has never been taught to pre OWL level students in the past, this will have to be adjusted. The students cannot be left defenseless as they grow into adults, and we have no way of knowing how long this war will go on."

"Hermione and I have also discussed to opening Hogwarts to adults who wish to be instructed in wandless magic," Minerva added. "With the facility that Mr. Lupin will be headed up the construction of, we would be able to board some of the adults who wish to attend classes. We could set up a special Floo to allow others to come from the various other safe houses, and for those who have chosen to remain in their own residences, they could Floo to a safe house, and from there to Hogwarts. We need to carefully guard how many places have direct access to the school, as we cannot hope to keep everywhere safe from Muggle intrusion."

Hermione nodded. "Now that the Muggles are aware of us, a lot of the simpler charms we have always used to keep hidden will no longer work, as they often depend on a pre existing lack of knowledge regarding the Wizarding kind."

Neville spoke up. "I am willing to open up Longbottom Manor for use as a safe house. It's not like I'm ever there, anyhow."

Hermione nodded. "I thought you might, Neville. I'd like you to take charge of researching the most well protected Manors in Britain, and contacting their owners and asking if they would also be willing. I talked to Harry recently, and he agreed to support me in full evacuations of areas that are not one hundred percent wizarding. At this point, we need to focus on surviving a massacre before we can even contemplate striking back."

"Malfoy Manor is yours, Headmistress," Draco said curtly, and Hermione nodded in acknowledgment.

"I think we should get in touch with all of the surviving Order members, at DA members, and assign at least two at each safe house." Seamus suggested. "In the case that some Muggles to manage to get into one of them, I don't think it's right to leave the refugees defenseless."

"Who will be taking over for Defense classes?" Nero McGonagall asked.

Hermione sighed. "As some of you are aware, Victor has returned to Bulgaria. His elder brother was killed in the first attack, and that made Victor the head of the Krum household. Severus Snape has agreed to return to Hogwarts and take over as Defense Professor, though he made quite sure I understood it would only be until this crisis is abated."

Draco, Seamus, and Neville all snickered at that comment. The other professors, aside from Minerva and herself, had never had the pleasure of meeting Severus.

"What is Professor Snape like?" Cecilia asked.

Neville cleared his throat. "He held the Potions post for sixteen years, and I can assure you that he WILL come by your classroom and tell you what you're doing wrong."

"He's not that bad, Longbottom," Draco objected.

"To you," Neville countered. "I wasn't one of his Slytherins, however, and he was less kind to me."

"Neville, am I going to have a problem with you and Severus?" Hermione asked with a groan.

Neville shook his head. "Snape and I agreed a long time ago – I stay away from Potions, and he curbs his insults down a good fifty percent. We'll be fine, just don't expect us to be best mates."

"It might be wise for you to steer clear of Severus, Jean Luc," Minerva cautioned the French Divination professor. "If you remember our first meeting, and my disapproval, multiply that times ten and you get Severus."

"But Minerva," Jean Luc replied. "You have learned to respect my art. Perhaps he will too."

"I wouldn't count on it, Jean Luc," Kent Ology replied. "From what I've read, that man can hold a grudge for at least twenty years. And he is a Master Occlumance, so don't even think of trying to get into his head."

"Fantastic." Jean Luc sighed. "I'll just do my best to stay out of his way. Merlin knows I suck at wandless magic, and from what you guys are saying, I'm certain he is quite proficient."

"Severus has his merits as well," Teddy said firmly. "And with age, he has mellowed. Now, shall we get back on topic?"

Hermione smiled at her daughter's husband. The two of them were the only ones who knew about Severus' relationship with Harry…and Harry had no idea that either of them knew. "Indeed," Hermione nodded. "So Teddy, what do you need to get this building project started?"

"Aunt Min?" Harry called as he walked into the Headmistress' office. As Minerva and Hermione were together, they shared the office and the quarters attached to it, so it was most likely that Minerva would be here.

"Hello, Harry," Minerva replied, getting up from the couch in the corner and putting the book she'd been reading down on the side table.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Oh, somewhere on the ground with your godson, talking about the building project," Minerva sighed. "I suspect they will take most of the afternoon making up their minds. I would have just looked at a map, saving the time and energy, but not those two. Teddy's motto should be 'the hard way or no way', I think."

Harry chuckled. "He got that from Tonks, not Remus. But at least Teddy got his father's grace."

"Speaking of children," Minerva said nodding toward the boy standing behind Harry. "Who is this?"

Harry smiled. "Minerva, this is Abram. He is my cousin Dudley's grandson, and he is one of us."

"Is she a wizard too?" Abram asked, taking a step away from Harry.

"She's a witch," Harry corrected. "And my aunt. I don't think she'll mind if you call her 'Aunt Minerva'."

"Not at all," Minerva smiled. "Nice to meet you, Abram."

"Why don't you show Aunt Minerva one of your tricks?" Harry suggested to the boy.

Abram took another step forward, and started looking around the room. When he spotted the desk, he held out his hand, and a quill started floating toward him. "How's that, Harry?"

Harry glanced and Minerva's stunned expression. "Yes, that's perfect Abram. How about you go sit down on that couch over there and try one of Aunt Minerva's Ginger Newts."

"So you grownups can talk?"

"Yes, Abram," Harry smiled, amused by the boy's bluntness.

Minerva followed Harry over to the other end of the room. "How old is he?"

"Just turned ten."

"Is that the extent of his abilities, summoning?"

Harry laughed. "Oh, hell no. He can summon, move things, change colors, Dudley thinks he may have Apparated a few times, vanish things, do the engorgo charm…all silent, all wandless, and that's just what I've learned in the last two hours."

"If we can figure out how he does it, perhaps some method he came up with on his own," Minerva pondered, "perhaps we can implement it into the school curriculum and teach it to others."

"I thought of that," Harry said, "Which is why I think that you and Hermione should foster him."

Minerva sputtered. "What?"

"Dudley handed him off to me because Abram's parents have already been convinced that Wizards and Witches should all be killed…they have not figured out what Abram can do yet, but Dudley was worried that now that they know what to look for, they will," Harry explained. "I can't really keep him, not without Ginny here to help. I don't work in the same place I live, either. And, I am totally crap at wandless magic, and Abram needs someone who can nourish his talents."

Minerva nodded in agreement. "Very well, let's go for a walk and find Hermione. I have to inform my wife that I've taken in another stray."

Harry chuckled, well aware that this was not the first time that Minerva and Hermione had taken a child under their charge. Every few years, a student would roll into Hogwarts with a bad home life, ask for help, and they would be allowed to remain at the school during Holidays and the summer break. Harry found himself often wishing Albus had done the same for him, when he was growing up at Number Four, Privet Drive.

Quinn was in the Gryffindor common room. After his morning walk, he'd gone back to the rooms he was sharing with his father, and they had gotten into a fight. It was about nothing, really, but after that Quinn decided to move his belongings back to Gryffindor Tower.

"Hey, Quinn!"

Quinn looked up from the book he was reading. "Hey Teddy, how'd the meeting go?"

"As well as meetings ever go," Teddy said, cheekily. "The project is going to get started ASAP, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me out with something."

Quinn raised his eyebrows. "With what?"

"Well, with less magic that we can work with, getting this done is going to take some good ol' fashioned elbow grease. I was wondering if you would take charge of recruiting able bodied students to help out."

Quinn looked at Teddy, thoughtful. Doing this would certainly give him something to do, something to take his mind off of his mother, and grandmother. "What about classes?" he inquired.

Teddy shrugged. "Hermione says they won't be starting classes for at least a week. All the teachers need to rewrite all their lesson plans." He chucked and then added: "Without magic."

Quinn grinned. Like him, Teddy had been raised to be self sufficient with or without magic. Being related to the Golden Trio, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, that is, all the kids and grandkids had grown up hearing stories about how the three friends had done this, and managed that, with little or no magic. They'd been first year students at Hogwarts when they'd survived an encounter with a troll, and then gone on to save the Sorcerer's Stone from Voldemort. Most pure-blood Wizarding families just started teaching magic at an early age, leaving the kids to grow up with no idea of how to get by without it.

"Alright, I'll do it," Quinn finally answered. "Any rules on who I can and cannot recruit?"

Teddy shrugged. "Even first years can help with handing those doing the actual building their tools. Just no werewolf haters, please."

"You're not a werewolf, are you?" Quinn asked, surprised at Teddy's comment.

"No, but my dad was," Teddy explained. "I'm surprised you didn't already know that."

Quinn shrugged. "I'm sure there's a lot I don't know about you."

"Likewise," Teddy replied.

"Nah," Quinn said. "You've known me since I was born. I'm sure you know pretty much everything about me."

"Not everything. I'm sure you have your share of secrets as well."

"Just one," Quinn said quietly.

Teddy patted him on the shoulder. "Give it time, you'll get more. That's all part of growing up."

Quinn nodded. "I'll get right on recruiting. I'll just go up to my room and grab a quill and some parchment, and start. Should I have them just report to you?"

"It'll take me a few days to get the supplies we'll need to start. I'll Owl you with a date, time and place to meet, and then you just collect everyone you've gotten together and we'll meet like that."

"That works," Quinn agreed.

"See you in a few days, Quinn."

"See you, Teddy."

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