"What is a 12th gate?" Hermione asked still looking at Andromeda's sketch.

"Where magic begins. Where we began, how wizards and witches came to be. Legends old people tell children to frighten them. They're all lost now, broken up, things of no value of course, the gateways. Scattered to the four corners of the Earth but, well your sketch looks like the 12th gate. Are you investigating it?" Andromeda asked intrigued now picking at Hermione's parchment.

Andromeda looked at the archway and back at Hermione realization on her face, "Have you seen this gateway?"

Hermione swallowed and licked her lips for a moment.

"This the archway you were telling us about; the one Dora saw Remus in? With the veil. This is what the researchers are studying in their department?"

Hermione found she couldn't nod.

Andy let out a breath holding the back of the chair. "Why in Merlin's name would the Ministry have this thing?"

"They-"Hermione couldn't speak due to the charm placed on classified information.

Andromeda was silent, the clock ticked on the mantle, Hermione's heart seemed to beat with it, they looked at each other for a long time across the table.


Andy approached Bella in the shop in Diagon Alley, Tonks holding her hand, a tiny little toddler of three.

"Bella." Andy said quietly, she had come to get Dora a new outfit for Christmas. Bella paused and turned to look at her.

"Andy." Bella said curtly, her eyes darting to Tonks' face.

"I wrote you. Did you get my letters?"

"I did." Bella said her eyes glancing down at Tonks again, the big black eyes looked back at her. The little curls tied up in a ponytail.

"Why did you never answer?" Andy said hurt that Bella had not replied to a single one.

"I didn't think you needed one, I figured any love or comfort you needed would come from the mudblood."

Andy hissed slightly at the word and Bella raised an eyebrow.

"Not in front of her. Please." Andy said, her fingers tightening on Dora's.

Bella glanced at Tonks again, Tonks' thumb went into her mouth to suck.

"Why, that is who you chose to be her father." Bella said, the hurt apparent in her eyes, "Might as well accept what we think of it."

"If you would answer my letters Bella, even just one. I want you in her life." Andy said gently. "She's so like you Bella."

"And where do I fit in your life Andy?" Bella asked, Tonks stepping closer to Andy and burying her face into Andromeda's robes peeking up at Bella.

"Bella." Andy shook her head.

"You are still making your choice as I said, before she was born, I hope it's everything you dreamed of Andy."


Tonks sat up in the bed gasping, she forgot where she was for a moment before remembering she was in her aunt's cottage. Hermione had requested the previous night for her to come, they needed her help at work. She sighed heavily, Teddy was asleep next to her in the bed, his hair changing colours as he slept.

She went down the stairs leaving the sleeping toddler in the bed, Bella was in the kitchen having a drink that certainly wasn't water.

"Hi." She said turning to face Tonks, Tonks stopped short for a moment and then continued into the kitchen.

"Hi. Sorry couldn't sleep." She said pouring herself some water. Bella met Tonks' black eyes and turned to sip her drink.

"Seems to be a theme in this house." Bella said pouring herself a bit more of the amber liquid.

She watched Tonks drink the water and then she held out the bottle of amber liquid of which Tonks smiled and poured herself a decent slugs worth.

"Come." Bella said walking towards the door.

Tonks frowned slightly.

"Come walk with me. Teddy will be alright; Hermione will get him if he cries." Bella said now opening the door to the cottage. "Bring the bottle." She added as Tonks grabbed it and joined her at the door.


"I can hear you." The voice whispered in the darkness. "You can't hide away."

Hermione tried to quiet the crying baby in the closet. The clothes covered them as she held the baby tighter tried to soothe it.

"It's no use, I can hear your baby crying." The voice hissed. "Sweet little baby." The voice laughed, "She won't cry for long."

The closet opened and the face was there hovering above her. Hermione screamed and the baby vanished from her arms.

"Come and find her." The voice hissed.


Andromeda heard Hermione cry out, she listened for a moment and realized that Bella wasn't going to answer her. She moved to the stairs, Hermione called out for Bella with no response. Andromeda knocked gently on the door and then opened it.

"Hi Kitten did you have a nightmare?" She asked, Hermione's eyes were red rimmed and she gasped for breath. "Oh love." Andy came over to the bed and held her.

"He took the baby." Hermione whispered, "The thing, that thing took her. I couldn't hold onto her." Hermione cried. "I lost her."

"No Kitten, she's here." Andromeda's hand rested on the small little lump. "She's safe and sound right here inside her mommy."

Hermione hiccupped against Andromeda's neck. "Are you sure?" She said, her hand resting over Andromeda's.

"I'm sure. I can feel her." Andromeda said laying back on the bed and moving slightly to hold Hermione, her hand still resting on the little lump.

"He won't take her?" Hermione said closing her eyes and curling into Andromeda's embrace.

"Shhh I'll keep you safe Pet." Andy whispered, Hermione closed her eyes as Andy pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.


Bella and Tonks sat on the rocks looking out at the ocean, the waves crashed lazily dispersing the reflected light from the full moon. They sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts for a few moments.

"What happened?" Tonks asked as she sipped the amber liquid in her glass.

Bella sighed and didn't turn, her eyes still focused on the moon light. "She made a choice and I left."

Tonks drew her knees up against the cool breeze. "You could have come back. After that time in the shop."

Bella sipped for a moment and nodded, "I could have." She still averted Tonks' gaze. "I watched you, you know." Bella said after another minute of silence. "In that little playground by your house."

Tonks was fascinated by this; she had never known.

"I watched you until you went to Hogwarts. Your mum would write to me, tell me everything you were doing, even after I saw you in the shop. She still wrote." Bella took another sip, the nice burn soothed her.

"Why didn't you write back?" Tonks asked finishing her drink. Bella handed her the bottle.

"We all have regrets Dora." Bella said finally looking at her, "That's mine."


Bella walked back to the house on her own, Tonks had decided to sit by the water for a while longer. She glanced up and saw the bedroom light on and frowned, Hermione should be sleeping. She went in climbing the stairs slowly, the drinks on the beach had taken over making Bella's steps slightly uncertain. She pushed the door open slowly and saw Hermione sleeping and Andromeda reading a book. Her lover curled up tight in Andy's arms, she watched as Andy pressed a little kiss to Hermione's head each time she turned a page and then returned her hand to cover the sweet little lump. She saw Andy's lips moving and realized she was reading the book aloud.

Bella stepped into the room and Andromeda smiled at her, Bella touched her finger to her lips and crept up to the bed quietly. She took her robes off and switched them out for a t-shirt. "What happened?" She whispered as she crawled into the bed on the other side of Hermione.

"Bad dream." Andy whispered back.

Bella looked down at Hermione's sleeping form, "Poor Pet." She said brushing back a curl from Hermione's face. "I was talking to Dora on the beach." Bella said explaining where she'd been.

Andy nodded silently.

"I love you Andy." Bella said gently.

Andy looked at Bella and gave her a smile, "I love you too."

"Did you say what you needed to say?" Andy asked closing her book and taking a breath.

Bella nodded and reaching her hand out to hold Andy's when she went to leave the room. "Stay." Bella whispered.


"So it's the 12th gate." Birch-Lock said studying Andromeda's sketch thoughtfully. "What is that?"

"The origin of magic." Hermione said gazing at the sketch. "It's an old story."

"What the fuck." Tonks said coming out of the last memory in the pensieve, she was breathless. She needed a few moments to collect herself. Being an Auror she wasn't squeamish however seeing Voldemort talking to Lucius was enough to send anyone into a panic attack.

Hermione rubbed her back, "I know, I threw up the first time."

"I-" Tonks sat silent for a moment, it hadn't been Remus. It had seemed so real, he had been there just inside the mist, just within her grasp.

Hermione and Birch-Lock were quiet watching her. Their faces sympathetic to the emotions playing over Tonks' face. Birch-Lock poured her some water. Tonks took a sip, her hand shaking slightly.

"What would have happened if it had touched me?" She said in a hoarse voice.

"From what we know, it would have tried to pull you in. Get you to walk into it." Birch-Lock said squeezing her arm. "No worries though, we had you. Neither one of you are to go near this thing again. Is that clear."

Tonks nodded sipping some more water trying very hard to keep from being sick.


Andromeda looked around the vault, she had to have Bella with her in order to look as her vault had been cleared away years ago. The portraits muttered when she walked in, her aunt screaming about her blood traitor ways until she stunned it. "Really Bella you should clean the vault out and throw away the trash."

Bella kicked the portrait with toe of her boot leaving a scuff mark, she smiled. "Yeah but Cissy loved her so I don't have the heart to toss all this junk away." They passed each room in the cavernous vault, each door emblazoned with a family members name. Andy paused to look at her own, the door broken and hanging slightly sideways, being blasted off the tree meant you were blasted from the vault.

"What are we looking for?" Bella said as they approached an old door, Bella ran her fingers over it and it melted away.

"That red covered book with the stains on it. You remember, the one I drew in and got such a hiding over." Andy said going over to a pile that look promising and tossing some cloaks aside. Bella looked in desk drawers and tossed papers out.

"Do keep it neat in here Bella." Andy said in a slightly exasperated tone.

Bella looked at her and then tossed a stack of papers with a thwap onto the floor. "It isn't like she's going to need them."

Andy shook her head, Bella had never got on with their great grandmother and she could see that her sister held no regard for the old woman's last worldly possessions. After about an hour of digging Andy finally pulled it out, it was smaller than she remembered, the stain covered red book. She opened it and turned through the pages, it was there, the sketch she had given Hermione.


The Ministry messenger gave Hermione the wrapped package, the note simply explained the contents. They had been waiting all morning for it so it was rather exciting to have it arrive. Birch-Lock peered over her shoulder as Hermione pulled the ancient book out of the paper wrappings. The stains on it looked suspiciously like blood but Hermione said nothing as she carried it over to Birch-Locks desk.

"So this is the only book that has the story." Tonks asked as Hermione tried to open the book. She frowned when the cover refused to yield.

Tonks rolled her eyes and reached over, "Blood of my blood I will keep your secrets." She said with her hand flat on the cover. The book opened for Tonks who shrugged. "Blacks."

"It's in runes." Birch-Lock said looking at the pages as Tonks turned them. The book would not even turn for Hermoine.

"An astute observation Birch." Tonks said.

"Your niece is a real smart ass Black." Birch-Lock said with a laugh.

Tonks paused for a moment as she turned the page but then pressed on looking for the particular passage they needed. They found it towards the back, sketches of 12 different gateways. "You want to see all of them yes?" Tonks asked turning the page that showed happy wizards and witches exiting the 1st gateway. With each gateway the happy faces were less and less joyful and more tired and angry looking. At the final gateway the look was more fear than anything else.

Hermione was frustrated the words were in runes. This was going to take weeks to translate and not being able to open the book or turn pages was, to Hermione, a personal insult.

"The Pathway to Magic." Tonks reading the title of the chapter.

Hermione and Birch-Lock stared at her and she stared back. "What? It's what it says."

"You can read ancient runes like these?" Hermione asked astonished.

"No, it says it in English right here." Tonks said pointing at the lines of runes. She looked down and frowned, "Oh, no it's in runes again."

"How did you make it go to English?"

Tonks shrugged and ran her finger along the page, the ruins shifted and she smiled.

"The Pathway to Magic is a journey of trials through the gateways. It is not a journey for the weak, the weary or the worried."

Hermione and Birch-Lock pressed in on either side of Tonks, the words still appeared to them as runes but they listened to Tonks read.