A/N: Hello back, readers! Here is the final instalment for this seventh year, which means that at the end of this chapter, one of my favourite characters dies... :'( But, rejoice anyway, for one thing happens within these lines that you have surely been waiting for for a long time!

I also wanted to say that, although it will take a couple more months to get there, I officially have the end of this story planned, and dear old Alys will not go without a bang! :D

And with those words, here is the latest chapter, and here is the return of my favourite Weasley: General Hux! :P

Disclaimer: I unfortunately don't own anything related to Harry Potter. I own, however, my OCs Alys and Emy Warren, and the plot.

9. Seventh year (part 3): Professional matters

"Don't look so grim, Als, it doesn't suit you..."

Alys looked up from her porridge and made a face as Bill came to sit opposite her. The previous night had been weird, eating with the Weasleys without Emy or any other of the red-haired family members around, but the eldest had always been nice to her, and he endeavoured to make her smile all evening.

That morning, though, it wasn't really going to happen. She was starting her new job that day, and it was a bit frightening to say the least.

"It'll be fine, peanut." A spoon touched her nose and Alys met Bill's blue eyes. He did manage to make her smile, the bastard.

"Call me that once more and I talk dirty to your girlfriend."

Bill quirked an eyebrow. "Girlfriend? And who might that be?"

"Someone by the name of Fleur who appears to be French?"

The Weasleys, when embarrassed, had always had the habit of blushing on their ears. But as long as she stared, Bill never blushed, and his ears remained a healthy shade of pink.

He even chuckled. "Don't listen to everything my brothers say, Als... They like to embellish the truth." She had no answer to that.

After a few more pickings to her food and after an unsuccessful trial at drinking her cold tea - yuk - Alys sighed. "Are you coming with us?"

Bill smiled in comfort. "Nope. I always Apparate right to work. But Dad will take you."

"I hate Apparition. It's bloody uncomfortable," she said, shuddering even as she was reminded of the sensation.

"I have no arguments about that. Unfortunately, it is the easiest way to travel with magic."

Alys grunted. She would have rather covered herself in ash and use the Floo Network every morning rather than feeling that rubber band squeezed around her every day. But she did not have a choice, obviously...

When Arthur finally came down, he was his usual cheery self, and Alys followed him out into the orchard, her porridge left behind along with a smiling friend.

That day, she had dressed casually smart. Black pants, comfortable high-heeled boots and a dark blue belted tunic. She looked as Muggle as there was, but she did not care. Her folder under her arm, her handbag on her shoulder, she felt ready to face anything.

Except, perhaps, the enquisitive look that came on her instructor's face as she lined up with the rest of the applicants.

She was named Mrs Jace, apparently, and looked to be a stern mid-fifties woman with greying blonde hair pinned in a bun and austere rimmed glasses that made her look like a bird.

"Miss...?" she asked as she assessed her up and down.

Alys raised her chin as to look more confident that she was. "Warren. Alys."

"Ah, yes, the odd addition to our class. No wand, then, I suppose?" she added in a rather sarcastic voice.

"No. But I can read and write, if you wondered," Alys answered. She was starting to tire of these prejudiced witches and wizards...

There was an amused gasp going through the line, and then Mrs Jace walked away with a huff, continuing along the line to inspect the others' wands.

When they finally entered the room that would be their somehow class, Alys realised there was only one guy among the women. The room in itself was not as much as a class, more as a library. Each desk was facing a shelf filled with books, and there wasn't a blackboard. At all.

Alys took a place at the front, guessing she'd be the black sheep of the applicants and no one would want to be close to her. She was right, for everyone ignored her desk until the guy slumped next to her with an amused sigh.

"Those gals are stupid. They look at you as if you have the plague..."

Alys looked at him and raised a brow. "And you don't?"

He smiled. "Nope. You're a Muggle, right, not a Death Eater..." he chuckled just as one of the closest girls gasped at his words. "My Dad's a Muggle, by the way. Not Muggle-born, just...Muggle."

Alys smiled back at that, then she outstretched a hand. "Alys Warren. Nice to meet you."

He took her hand. "Nick Risby. Likewise."

Alys assessed him for a second. He was rather handsome. Tall, with short brown hair neatly brushed on his forehead, and grey-blue eyes. He was cleanly shaved but there was a strange ruggedly look about him. He wasn't her type, but he was nice enough.

"Which House were you in?" she asked as they unpacked their paper and ink - well, notebook and pen for her, parchment and quills for them.

Nick made a face. "Darling, Ravenclaw is written all over my face."

"Yeah right."

"Ladies, attention!" Mrs Jace then exclaimed, and Nick raised a hand to signify his presence. She ignored him.

"Dear Ems,

This week has been one of the weirdest of my entire life. Not that I learnt a lot of things, quite the contrary, in fact, but being surrounded by witches and wizards and seeing things fly and them waving their wands and stuff, it's like I'm under drugs most of the time...

This week I basically started learning about our History all over again. Well, except William the Conqueror apparently was a wizard. I shouldn't be surprised.

The guy who's sitting next to me, Nick, is a funny guy. He reminds me of David in a way. The other girls in the class seem to think we are dating or something, because they're always bitching about how we spend all our time together, but I really think he's not interested. Not that I am either.

(If you so much as think anything involving the word "Fred", I'm going to kill you!)

Anywho, I hope Christmas comes quickly, because I miss you even more now that I live at the Burrows. Molly and Arthur and Bill are the sweetest, as usual, but it's weird being there without all of you guys...

Love,

Als"

"Ready, mustard?"

Alys snorted as she packed her books and pencil-case - like a bloody twelve-year-old, really? - into her bag. "Mustard is not ready, Nick. I'm meeting with some friends in the city today."

"Oh?" Nick stopped packing his own stuff. "Muggles, I suppose?"

"Yeah, all my wizard friends are still in school..." she rolled her eyes.

"Yes, yes, of course..." pause, "can I come?"

Alys quirked a brow. "Really? You know, Muggle things are quite...boring, usually, to you guys. We're just grabbing a coffee and go shopping."

"My Dad's a Muggle, Als, which means my cousins are as well, don't know anything about the Wizarding World, and unfortunately, I'm quite close to dear old Cousin Julia." He smiled. "Shopping is more than fine. I just want out for a couple of hours."

Alys tilted her head to the side. "Well then, better hide this shiny stick of yours."

He made a face. "Careful, darling, those words of yours can easily go South..."

"Don't I know...mustard."

"Als!"

Alys let her bag drop and rushed into Marie's arms. The blonde had grown into a woman since summer, it seemed. She dressed more like a grown-up, and she looked radiant. "What's his name?" she asked knowingly.

David gnetly pushed his sister out of the way to embrace her as well. "The name is Tom, and he is 28. You look horrible, bitch."

Alys hugged the boy tight. "Talk about yourself, dickhead."

Nick had witness the whole exchange with a smile, and when he introduced himself, Alys noticed a look of pure greed on David's face.

She nudged him with her elbow. "Don't you dare think about it."

"Oh I am thinking about it..." he bit his lip then shook Nick's hand. "Delighted."

To Alys' surprise, Nick blushed.

"Dear Als,

Life here has taken a more interesting point. You know this horrible teacher of ours, Mrs Umbridge, is the worst teacher ever, but we decided to take matters in our own hands. I don't want to screw up my N.E.W.T.s.

So, 'Mione came up with the idea to create a group to study DADA more thoroughly, and of course, dear Harry is our teacher.

So far we've had two meetings, and it's brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I knew how to Stupefy and Impede, of course, but not really how to Disarm - even if all of that must sound like gibberish to you - and I have so much fun!

Umbridge is actually controlling every post coming and going to the castle, so this letter had to go through Floo first then by owl thanks to Mum and Dad - sending it to the Burrows would have raised suspicion.

So, please, in our next letters, let's not talk about our secret meetings at all. We'll have enough time to do that at Christmas.

Three weeks to go!

Miss you like crazy,

Love,

Ems."

Christmas came actually as quickly as Alys had wished.

Molly had started to prepare the Burrows for the big celebration until Alys asked her why they did not do it at Grimmauld Place. After all, Remus and Sirius and the rest of the Order would be alone, and that was not nice. Molly relented, even apologized for not thinking about it, and they both started planning together.

Alys even found herself a passion for table dressing, strangely enough. Bill made rather a lot of fun with it.

She had started taking self-defence classes in mid-November every Friday night. Bill was collecting her after the lesson to accompany her back home. She stumbled upon him kissing a gorgeous blonde - and very French - one evening, and was happy to have her own little blackmail to tease him with.

In fact, everything was fine, finer than should have been considering the current atmosphere, until a few days before Christmas break.

It was the middle of the night, and Alys woke up, startled out of sleep by a big commotion downstairs. She hurried to the living-room to find Mrs Weasley trashing about, pulling her hair in worry while Bill tried and failed to calm her down.

"Molly, what's happening?" she asked as she closed the lapels of her bathrobe.

Bill looked at her, blue eyes filled with tears. What a frightful sight... "Dad has been attacked. It's serious."

Alys' eyes immediately went to the magical clock beside her, and sure thing, Arthur's hand was stuck on 'In mortal peril'. "What are we going to do?" she asked in a much steadier voice than she thought herself able.

Arthur had been attacked. She didn't know by whom or what, she didn't know when or where, but it didn't change the horrible lump of worry that had settled in the pit of her stomach from growing by the second.

Bill gripped her shoulder. "Mum is going to Saint Mungo's. I'll drop you at Grimmauld Place. Fred, George, Ron and Ginny are going there as we speak, and you're not staying here alone."

Molly nodded. "Yes, good idea. You'll have company there and I'll join you as soon as I have more news." She grabbed her cloak and hurried out of the house without a look back. But neither Bill nor Alys would have complained.

"Come, Als, get dressed." Bill said in a weary voice, and she sweezed his arm in comfort before hurrying to her - and Ginny's - room to change.

Bill Apparated on top of the highest step before Grimmauld Place - which was a good idea, given you never knew where and when Voldemort's partisans might come around. He tapped on the door thrice, and as the numerous locks turned on the other side, he pulled Alys in for a quick hug. He kissed to top of her head, then Disapparated.

Alys had not put one foot inside that she heard a great commotion coming from the opposite side of the dimly lit corridor. It was coming from the kitchen. She made sure not to wake Mrs Black's portrait - not that she minded her insults at all - and hurried downstairs.

She was welcomed with a most alarming sight. Fred and George were being held off the fireplace by Remus and Sirius, while Ginny sat on the cold tiled floor, sobbing, and Ron and Harry - though why he was there Alys did not know - sat around the table, empty-eyed.

She thought it a good idea to signify her presence as so to calm her best friends down. "Good night everyone. Do you need help with these two lanky idiots, Remus?"

The struggle stopped at once. With a louder sob than the rest, Ginny launched herself in Alys' arms, who received the younger girl with a surprised look on her face but the adequate amount of force in the hug she gave her.

Remus and Sirius both acknowledged her presence with a relieved sigh. It seemed taking care of a bunch of scared and worried teenagers was not something they were used to.

"Als..." both Twins whispered as they drew her and still crying Ginny into their arms. She touched them with her free hand wherever she could reach - the neck, the arm, the hair - and gave them as many comforting words as she could find, although her own mind was filled with worry.

"Where's Ems?" she asked when they were all sat down in front of a Butterbeer - that brought the warmth they all needed.

George shrugged. "Surely in her bed back at Hogwarts. We didn't have time to warn her."

"She and Hermione will surely arrive as soon as the semester is over. I am to believe Christmas will be held here," Remus answered with a small smile. Sirius mirrored it with a bit of enthusiasm, and Alys realised the two men had probably not seen a lot of people these last few months. "Anyway, Alys, how is your training going?"

All eyes were on her and the welcomed distraction she provided, and Alys did not mind so much, especially not with Ginny's head in her lap of Fred's hand on her arm... "It's...interesting. We reviewed all of England's History, both Muggle-wise and wizard-wise. I was not aware that so many historical figures had been wizards! Lady Jane Grey; Charles Dickens; even the Hanover family!" She sighed. "I guess I should have known, but it was still surprising. A little before December, we started studying the Muggle government and how it works, and of course, it's a bit more boring for me."

"How are the other applicants behaving with you?" Remus asked in a soft voice. She smiled at hm, for she knew how he suffered from the look on other people's face as soon as they knew of his affliction - she, when told by Emy, had not even batted an eyelash.

"Most of them insult me behind my back, but I don't mind since I get graded better than the majority of them. I made a good friend, though, in the sole guy in class. He's name's Nick, his father is a Muggle and his mother a Half-Blood."

Fred's hand suddenly left her arm and she felt a strange compulsion to add another piece of information that was not really important in context.

"He's the first gay wizard I meet. I wonder why that is..."

There was no answer around the table, proving that that rethorical question was not really important in the current atmosphere. Soon, Remus and Sirius started another pointless conversation that no one listened to, and all the rest kept their eyes on the clock over the fireplace, counting the seconds and minutes until the first message would arrive.

It appeared that Arthur had been saved by the prompt arrival of help, wherever he had been. Molly was to stay at Saint Mungo's until later during the day, and Bill would bring more information before going to work.

So it was only normal that everyone was sent to bed by Remus - Sirius was more brash and less considerate of the hours of sleep needed by teenagers. Ginny asked to sleep in Alys' bed, which she granted, noticing the need for the younger girl to be comforted, and although she herself could not sleep, she felt lighter knowing her host was no more in 'mortal peril'.

Although she still wondered who or what he had been attacked by. And why had Harry been brought in at the same time as Arthur's children?

Saint Mungo's Hospital, when they were allowed to visit a few days later - with the addition of Hermione and Emy, who was spending every waking hour with her sister as if afraid to lose her - was, as the Ministry of Magic, hidden in plain sight. Immaculate and buzzing with people who all had various afflictions, it was one of the few wizarding places where Alys immediately felt safe.

Arthur's wounds, which had been the result of a rather painful encounter with a giant snake - where the Hell had he been? - seemed to be mending gently, to the extent where he would be home for Christmas Eve. Molly was delighted up until she noticed that her husband, ever the Muggle-lover, had experimented with the efficient if used in other conditions stiches. The children exited the room.

While Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny went in search for the tea-parlour, Fred, George, Alys and Emy remained with their escort for the day, Tonks and Mad-Eye Moody, the frightening wizard with his magical eye.

Emy, who was gripping her sister's arm so tightly she thought the blood could not flow properly anymore, seemed utterly distressed, to the point where her twin gently steered her away from the two Aurors to question her. "What's the matter Ems?"

Her blonde sister squeezed her eyes shut. "It's just that, with everything going on, with the 'war' and you working at the Ministry and so on... I feel that we are all in danger."

Alys sighed. "Darling, we've all been in danger the moment that bloody dark wizard rose from a cauldron in front of Baby Harry. Nothing will change that."

George wrapped an arm around Emy's shoulders, Fred opting for taking Alys' hand. "Girls, you both know we're here, right? Nothing will happen to our favourite twins while we live!" He said that with such a pompous voice that Emy let out a shaky laugh. Alys looked up at Fred, who was staring at her with such intensity that she felt like melting.

"Ems, we're safe. As safe as we'll ever be. Me, you, everyone. Just chill." Alys smiled, mirrored by the Twins but not quite by her sister.

When they went back to Grimmauld Place later on, Emy would reveal that Oliver could not come visit for Christmas because his parents feared the worst. Although why a twenty-year-old wizard was still dependant over his parents' opinion was a mystery...

On Christmas' Eve, Molly, along with Hermione, Emy and Alys, prepared quite the feast for their little party. Remus and Sirius, of course, plus the addition of Tonks, Moody and, surprisingly, Kingsley.

The dark-skinned wizard, with his deep baritone, showered Alys under questions regarding her training. He was still, for the moment, assigned to the search party for Sirius' head - stupid endeavour - but revealed that he, too, would have to choose a side in the Muggle elections.

The evening was rather pleasant, and it was almost too easy to forget what kind of gloomy house they were in, or who lurked outside, bent on killing innocent lives.

When Alys stood to go to bed, though, things became more...interesting, to say the least.

Fred had followed her into the hall for whatever reason when Alys found herself unable to move. She was trying, and failing, to put her foot on the first step of the stairs. Whatever she did, her foot always met with an invisible barrier.

"What the-?" she cursed, but Fred merely chuckled behind her. "What's so funny?" she growled, looking at her friend's smily face.

He merely pointed over her head. "Someone has a sense of humour."

Alys followed his gaze, and cursed even louder. Mrs Black stirred in her sleep. Mistletoe. Bloody mistletoe. May she be cursed on three generations. "Whomever put it there is going to suffer..."

Fred laughed again. "When you're not stuck anymore, you mean?"

She crossed her arms on her chest. "I suppose that I have to kiss someone to free myself?" His ears suddenly became rather red, and he nodded. "Well then...not going to stay here all night," she said as she grabbed Fred by the shirt and yanked him towards her.

The embrace and the kiss were awkward at first. Alys and Fred both kept their eyes open, slightly surprised to find themselves entangled in a way both had dreamt about but would never admit to having dreamt about. Then, slowly, he drew an arm around her waist, closed his blue eyes, and put a bit more pressure on Alys' lips.

She too, in due course, closed her eyes, her arms finding their way around his neck, her fingers playing with his soft red hair. She let out a small moan of pleasure when he deepenest the kiss, and that's when things became even more awkward.

Alys and Fred had been friends for years. Since they still were children by all means. They had seen each other grow, and had irremediably had to deal with a growing crush that slowly turned into deeper feelings.

Fred had been in love with Alys since he was fifteen. She had only just accepted her feelings at eighteen.

But now, as they stood there, all lips and tongues and arms, under the amused gaze of George who was of course lurking in the shadows, it felt like friendship was far behind... Far behind indeed...

When Alys pulled back and stepped backwards onto the stairs - suddenly freed - she was a deep shade of crimson, as were Fred's ears and cheeks. She cleared her throat awkwardly and launched a meek "Good night" before hurrying upstairs, leaving the poor boy breathing hard and damning this fluttering heart of his...

The rest of the school year passed even more quickly. After studying the Muggle government, Alys had to equally study the wizard's way of handling a nation; then had to study the different Offices in the Ministry and each of their raison d'être.

Her kiss with Fred was never far from her thoughts, more so at night, but even more present was the drowning feeling that something bad was going to happen every soon...

And with that feeling came one of Emy's shortest letters to date, which read "Als, we have a new Headmistress in the person of Professor Umbridge. Her teaching ways are far from Professor Dumbledore's. I'll be home for Easter to study. Love as always, Emy." With that, her twin was signifying her discomfort in the great and cold castle in the North, and her anger too, if the harsh lines of her writing were any indication.

But when Easter came and Emy stayed at the Burrows with Alys and the rest of the family - minus their usual additions of Hermione and Harry who remained back to study - things became even clearer: the Ministry, in its folly to refuse Voldemort's return, had also started to plant the seeds of the Dark Lord's ideas.

Alys was required to take twice as many exams as the rest of her class on the sole fact that she was a Muggle. When she passed them all brilliantly - even surpassing her entire comrades in no less than three subjects - she was required to prove she was able to defend herself in conflict. And then, when they struggled with reasons not to keep her in the program, they sent her to do a second interview with Mrs Shacklebolt who, of course, gave her a green card.

But there it was planted, the seed of the prejudice that would scar England and the world for years to come: Muggles were to be avoided; Muggle-borns even more.

And when, right after her Modern History exam, Alys crossed path with a group of important-looking witches and wizards - examinators for Hogwarts' N.E.W.T.s and O.W.L.s, she learnt later - along with a horrid-looking little witch dressed in pink, she knew Professor Umbridge was the Devil in pink fluffy shoes.

When Fred and George decided to leave school with a bang, Alys was the first of the Weasley's household to know. Both Twins cornered her as she was studying in the orchard, and if she was surprised to see them atop their brooms, she was even more surprised to hear what they had decided to do.

Dissing school so close to their last exams was not something she would have put past her crazy friends, but the knowledge that they already had a place to stay and to build their already thriving little joke-shop business was more of a surprise.

Of course, Molly was less than thrilled. She shrieked for days on end, even when the Twins left to move in their own flat in Diagon Alley; and Alys often found herself her main subject of attention after that, considering she had news from the boys every day or so.

They had finally admitted to their plan of emplying her as their associate and first employee, but had understood quickly that she had other plans that were no less meaningful but less...joyful.

The kiss was not discussed, although George, for days, made sure his twin and sweetheart - or such he called them in the privacy of his own mind - always sat next to each other. Worse, that they touched as often as possible...

All in all, when June arrived and the second part of Alys' training came close, she was persuaded that a war was going to begin soon. She was always seen with a hand in her jacket pocket, in the street and in the Ministry, fingers curled around her pepper-spray, and she had asked permission to learn how to handle a gun in cas things really went South.

Alys Warren was wise for her years, for one evening, as she sat in the Burrows' living-room playing chess with Bill, the war indeed broke loose.

The warning came in the form of a Patronus, a majestic beast made of light that erupted from the night and settled in front of the fireplace. It was a mountain lion, if Alys was not mistaken. Of perhaps in was a lynx, but what was certain was that it spoke with Kingsley's voice.

"Harry and friends gone to Ministry... Sirius and others gone to rescue... Sirius dead... Ron and friend wounded... Brought to Hogwarts Hospital Wing... All saved... Cannot go to Grimmauld Place..."

As the words rolled off the lynx' tongue, Alys' blood ran cold. Harry had yet once again put himself in danger. Worse: Sirius, his godfather, the last remaining twig that linked him to his parents, was dead.

She found herself crying before she could stop herself, and not even Bill's comforting arms as Arthur and Molly hurried around to leave for Hogwarts to check on their son could soothe her...

Sirius was dead. Voldemort had won yet again another good soul...

The war had begun.