A/N

This chapter is a bit longer than usual (10k words), but it contains a number of important events and should answer a number of questions. I hope you'll enjoy it.

Nel = Spiritualist Nowles' nickname

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The Joining

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Toledo – 20th of August

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Most of the guests had left the estate again, some of them deep in the night, the rest right this morning. Poppy, the only one among the teachers who knew a bit about the Congregation, had wished them well and even hugged Daphne.

The Grangers had stayed, Augusta Longbottom too, and naturally Spiritualist Nowles. Hermione was somewhat unhappy that her parents weren't allowed to watch the joining. Especially her mother, who in her opinion had a significant part in Hermione standing here – at this point of her development – would have loved to accompany her. Hermione understood that it was too dangerous to allow it. The identity of the higher members of the Congregation was too important to be known to someone who was unable to hide it. There was no way to teach her mother Occlumency, as it required a magical core to empower it.

Hermione sighed. After Harry detected the Squib status of his aunt and cousin, she had hoped that it would be similar with her parents. However neither Emma nor Dan Granger was a Squib. A short-lived smile appeared on her face. Despite some rumours at Hogwarts – rumours spread by purebloods who were unwilling to believe that a Mudblood could be such a powerful witch – she was neither adopted nor a changeling or the result of a semen donation. She simply was the child of Emma and Dan Granger, two Muggles – and she liked it this way.

Sometimes she feared to lose herself in this new world, to abandon her family while she learned her ways in the wizarding society. However Augusta had calmed her worries: "It's not one-sided, dear. You're on your way into the world of magic and Neville is learning how to live in the world of Muggles. Together you're on your way into a future were Muggles and Wizards are able to live together – that's my hope: If someone like Neville, a wizard from an old pureblood family, and you, born into a family that couldn't be more Muggle, are able to cope with each other, then the rest of us will one day follow your steps."

"Are you ready?" Roxanne asked her. Hermione nodded, forced a smile and followed Harry's godmother.

It was time for the Joining.

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After a car drive of nearly an hour – more to allow the teenagers a bit of time to gather their senses than out of necessity – they neared the location of the ceremony. It was a very old Chapel belonging to an equally old Manor, looking like it had watched the disappearance of the last Moors from Spain 500 years ago. The Chapel was not very large and built in a simple but endurable material, from a type of granite that Hermione would have expected to see in Greece but not here. A number of other cars were here as well and she noticed a few well-known faces among the guards. None of them would be in the Chapel, Hermione realized, but it was nice to know that Carmen and her friends would be close by.

Roxanne led the four teenagers into the adjoining building where the local priest had lived before. Hermione was relieved that Roxanne would be there for the preparations. She adored Agatha and she deeply respected Ana for her dedication and knowledge, but Roxanne had assumed a role akin to an aunt or more like a big sister: Hermione not only trusted her but really liked her, a feeling she knew the others shared too.

"We'll have a few guests," Roxanne explained while the teenagers changed clothes. They did this in the same room, partly to prepare them for the ritual. In a few minutes they would have to endure the looks of dozens of observers. If they were unable to show a bit of skin among their friends, they wouldn't fare well later. Hermione saw that Harry glanced several times in Daphne's direction and blushed when she noticed that Neville did the same with her. To know that Neville thought her to be attractive somehow calmed her nerves. Only his eyes would be important later.

"A few of them are required by the ritual. The joining of four new members demands thirteen other members for the Infusion. Traditionally some of them are family members, the rest stemming from other countries. So don't be astonished if you see some foreign faces." Roxanne sighed. "And then there are the observers. They are mostly here because of Harry."

Hermione hadn't to look around to 'see' how pale he was after this bit of information. While Roxanne continued to calm the boy, to explain that those observers weren't rubbernecks but simply important members of the Congregation who wanted to show their support and approval, she thought about the 'Infusion'. Ana had explained it a few days ago, that it was something between a binding ritual and an empowerment. Only through the Infusion they would be real members of the Congregation, able to detect other members, able to communicate with them. In addition Ana expected a strengthening of their already very strong mind link.

"Hermione?" Roxanne put her hand on the girl's shoulder and continued in a low and soft voice, while her friends waited at the door. "There is a very special guest in the Chapel. You have to know because you aren't allowed to speak with her."

Hermione frowned, thinking hard what this could be about.

"Sometimes we allow non-members to watch a Joining. The Cardinal will be there as he is our local patron. However I convinced the others to let your mother…"

For a while she was unable to continue because Hermione hugged her too strongly. "Thank you," she whispered.

"It's alright," Roxanne whispered. "I know how important she is for you. However there were a few conditions to her presence. The most important is a very special spell, something similar to a Confundus. She is able to watch you. She will be able to recognize you and some others, but most of the other guests will be no more than schemes to her. After the Ritual you have to wait until the others left the Chapel before you can speak with your mother. Do you understand?"

Hermione nodded eagerly and hugged her again. "Thank you, Roxy."

Roxanne tensed for a second and growled: "Call me Roxy again and I'll change my mind about this."

.

The robes were very soft, the feeling on the bare skin incredible. Agatha had told her that the Congregation used Acromantula silk to create them and while she had some problems to merge her memories of Hagrid's 'friends' with this fabric, she easily believed Daphne's claim about the worth of the robes. When Hermione and the others walked towards the chapel, she felt a bit light-headed from the potion Roxanne had given her. It was one of the ingredients of the Ritual and Roxanne had mentioned that Agatha would teach her later how to create it.

As they entered the Chapel a sudden calm overcame the teenagers. There wasn't much light, only a few dozen candles were lit, and a greater part of the Chapel was left in the dark, hiding most of the guests. With relief Hermione noticed her mother standing near a three-armed candlestick with Cardinal Marcelo at her side. In the middle of the chamber Spiritualist Nowles was waiting in a circle of eleven witches, the single unoccupied position now the target of Roxanne while she gestured the teenagers where their places were.

An unknown smell was in the air, mostly stemming from the incense burner in front of Nel. Apparently it interacted with the potion and the light-headedness increased. However there was something else. Hermione knew the feeling of having her friends around. It was a kind of emotional closeness, offering her heart and mind peace and security. Now there were other emotions too. She needed only a few moments to detect the ones from Roxanne and Agatha. That very strong one certainly belonged to Nel. There were many others, foreign to her, but in the background something extremely familiar took hold of her senses, a mix of love and a little concern and fear: Her mother. Hermione tried to reach out, to offer her mother the security she felt from her friends, and to her surprise she succeeded. A moment of surprise, then something like her mother's head leaning into the comforting hand of her daughter. It was an incredible feeling to be this close to her mother.

"Today we gathered," Nel's mental voice reached out to every mind "to welcome four new sisters and brothers in our family."

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The next two hours went in a daze. Later Hermione would be surprised to notice how long the ritual went on. She remembered hazily that there had been singing, drinking of a few more potions and eating of something that tasted like flavoured raw fish. It was nothing she would offer guests at a party but obviously it tripled the effect of the potions and the fumes. There was the feeling of not dozens but hundreds of persons watching them, like every member of the past would be there and offered their support and advice. Dozens of bits of information flooded her mind, far too much to understand everything, but somehow Hermione knew it would be there later, telling her many things she had to know to be a real member of the Congregation.

Sometime they had shed the robes and were left standing in something like a loincloth, the girls' ones expanded to encompass strips of cloth that covered their breast. The dozen witches standing in a circle around them started to cover their bodies with intense smelling oils, especially the arms, neck and shoulders. "This will strengthen a power line from your left hand to the right, allowing the magic to flow easier through your body," Ana had explained. Hermione felt her skin tickle, a tiny spark rushing through her body every time one of the three witches around her touched her bare skin. Sensing that Neville felt a bit alone – with Roxanne at her daughter's side, Agatha near Harry and Ana never leaving Hermione, there was nobody among his triplet of witches that he knew – and reached out again as she had done with her mother. She sent him her love and the knowledge that he would never be alone.

"She's a strong one," one of the witches at Harry's side commented, earning her a glare from Nel for the interruption and a deep blush from Hermione as she realized that they had been able to sense her signal to Neville.

However she was soon distracted again, as the emotions in the air started to intensify with every minute. Later she barely remembered some kind of oath she made. It had been something about never betraying her sisters and brothers, to gather and deepen the knowledge of the Congregation, to be careful with that knowledge and to use it to somehow further and help humanity and every other creature. With dozens of other voices joining in the oath it seemed to flow into every bone, muscle and sinew of her body, to drip into every part of her mind and heart.

Talent is nothing without a vision, Ironsides had remarked. Now she had a vision of her future.

They had left their old positions around Nel and entered the circle of the witches, holding hands with them and allowing the energies to flow freely. With every moment spent in that circle the energies and emotions intensified. Hermione was able to feel every witch within the circle and within the chapel. She detected Daphne, Neville and Harry, all of them far more clearly than ever before. There was no holding back, no hiding, no deception – if Hermione ever had any last qualms about this Congregation, they left her mind right at that moment and she sensed that it was the same with Harry, who had been the most troubled about this step.

No – exactly now and exactly there, they were where they belonged: Within the family circle.

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Toledo – 21st of August

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"We'll see them again in a few days, Daphne."

Daphne sighed and melted into Harry's embrace, closing her eyes, enjoying the moment of peace. Hermione and Neville had left the manor only minutes ago but she already missed them, missed that feeling of closeness. Hermione wanted to spend a few days with her parents and Neville had to prepare his OWL in Herbology. The change was still astonishing: Only one year ago Neville was mostly seen as a very mediocre student, shy and unable to do anything right aside from Madam Sprout's class. Now however, he was a strong and confident student, had a wonderful, loving and caring girlfriend and prepared to take his OWL one year in advance.

"He'll be a wonderful teacher," Daphne remarked, placing a kiss on Harry's cheek. "You're right, we'll see them again soon enough."

"Yes, he will," Harry grinned "our new first years won't know what hit them." Hugging Daphne he continued: "Hermione knew… that we plan to do something special."

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This morning

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Harry had been surprised that Hermione was his first visitor this morning. Normally it was Ciddy, Daphne's favourite house-elf, or Daphne herself who tried to extract him from his cosy bed. He wanted to greet her with a cheeky remark, but Harry's smile vanished as he noticed the frown on Hermione's face. His friend sat down on the edge of his bed, rubbing her hands nervously.

"What's on your mind, Mione?"

Normally the use of that nickname caused a smile or an annoyed look – depending on who used it – but not this morning. "That should be my question, Harry. What's on your mind?" Harry watched her, a bit confused what she was talking about. "Daphne and you…"

She knows! Harry paled a bit, trying to hide his reaction but the widening of his eyes revealed his thoughts. He was getting better at hiding his emotions, but Hermione had known him for years, knew every single one of his expressions – especially all those about his guilty conscious or getting caught in the act or in a lie. Sometimes it was scaring how easily she was able to figure him out.

"I don't know what you plan to do, but I know that it is something dangerous. You're afraid – not for you but for Daphne."

I should have known, Harry thought. She knows me far too well to hide something like that. Does Neville know it too?

"I haven't spoken with him," Hermione answered the unspoken question. "Neville is far too occupied with his OWL preparations to notice." She grabbed Harry's hand and squeezed it: "You don't have to tell me, Harry, but promise me to be careful."

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Present

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"It's not a real surprise," Daphne smiled weakly.

"No, it isn't. At least Neville doesn't have a clue. Irrespective of our success I don't want him to know about our attempt beforehand."

"Better this way," Daphne agreed. "he would try to stop us."

"Do you think that we'll succeed?"

"I don't know, Harry, I really don't know. We'll try our best."

.

"Your bond is very strong already."

Harry and Daphne were far too exhausted to really appreciate the compliment. For three hours Nel had forced them through dozens of exercises, testing, pushing and strengthening their bond. Mostly it had been the same type of lesson Ana had tried a week ago, but in comparison to Nel those hours had been a cakewalk.

"The next three days you'll use only mind speech with each other," Nel ordered. "You won't leave this wing of the house. You won't speak with anybody else. I'll speak with Ciddy about the meals and explain this to your family. We have only a few days left and we have to use that time wisely. Sit next to each other, touching as often as possible. You'll sleep in one bed – I expect you to behave at night."

Harry and Daphne nodded, both blushing furiously. The picture of Daphne in her silk nightgown at his side was sorely tempting. Would Roxanne know about the sleeping arrangement? Harry hoped that this was not the case.

"You're already very comfortable with each other. Your trust is already very strong. We have to enhance both. From time to time I will attack you mentally. The target of my attack is not allowed to defend him/herself against it. You have to trust your partner to shield you against me, do you understand?"

Both nodded again. This would be difficult. The reflex, the wish to defend would certainly be strong. However they knew that in a few days they had to trust each other completely. Daphne would need all her might to solve her own problem – to reach the mind of Alice Longbottom – and had to leave it to Harry to protect them against Alice's fears.

"Read to each other, talk about your childhood and youth. Tell each other all the little and large mishaps you had in the past, your fantasies, your dreams – the more personal, the more you wish to hide that memory, the better." Nel's voice was very serious now: "You have to understand that this is not the normal way. This emotional closeness shouldn't be forced, but grow steadily over years. However, your plan to heal Alice Longbottom demands this closeness. You won't succeed if your subconscious tries to hide something from your partner. You won't have the energy to fight two battles at the same time."

"I understand," Harry agreed.

"I trust Harry," Daphne squeezed his hand. "Nel? What about …"

She hesitated but Nel knew what Daphne wanted to ask: "About Harry's scar?"

Daphne nodded with a concerned expression. Since she learned about its foreign nature, she had the wish to separate it from Harry. That Ginny Weasley had been handling something infused with Voldemort's soul had been frightening. That something similar was attached to Harry caused her endless nightmares.

"We'll speak about that later, Daphne. For the moment you only have to know that this training will help you with Harry's curse too. Later, I will teach you how to merge your souls for a short time. It will purge both of your souls and minds of any foreign influence. However it is nothing you will attempt in the near future. Your bond needs time to strengthen naturally. You can't push it too much. Please don't attempt it without my approval."

She waited for both teenagers to agree again, but didn't seem to be content with that. "Harry – we both know that Daphne would like to purge that scar the sooner the better. So I have to trust you in this matter: If you attempt the Purge too soon, it will not only fail, but it will hurt Daphne immensely."

Harry squared his shoulders and nodded again. This time Nel was convinced that she could trust him to protect Daphne – even from herself and her good intentions.

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Nott Manor – 23rd of August

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Two months ago the world had still been all right. Two months ago her brother had loved her, her nephew had adored her and the friends of her family respected the name Nott. So much had changed since then. The Dark Lord had returned and with his return the downfall of the Nott family began. Lucius had immediately used the chance to strengthen his position among the Death Eaters and in the pureblood society. Within weeks he was the undisputed ruler among them, the Dark Lord's right hand.

At the same time her brother had lost his former position. Long gone were the days he saw himself on par with Lucius. Now he had to struggle to be endured among them. The same men that had bowed to him a year ago now openly despised and mocked him. Families now dared to propose for her hand that had been far too below them to attempt such a step in the past. They behaved like Hyenas, smelling the blood of the wounded prey.

Ophelia Nott sipped from her sherry, but even this divine brew wasn't enough to lift her mood today. One year ago her brother had gambled – and lost. He had lost the gamble, the stake and his closest ally – Zacharias Smith senior. Now he had to face the result and it wasn't pretty. Lucius wouldn't forgive that her brother had tried to shoulder him from his seat while the Dark Lord was away. Now, with his hold stronger than ever, he had been able to enforce a punishment. The punishment had been to send her on that damned raid. Certainly Lucius had hoped to get her killed. It would have broken her brother to know that her death was his guilt. Her nephew would be estranged from his father. The family Nott would have been at its end.

However that wasn't what happened at Pinegrew Manor. She had survived – she had been the sole survivor and exactly that was the crux of the matter. How did she survive? Yes, her brother had been overjoyed to see her escape from the manor, but right after the raid the questions started, the rumours began.

Coward was the most harmless rumour she had to endure.

Betrayer was the most dangerous one.

Her brother had stepped in and shielded her from her former friends and allies, protected her from the worst repercussions, but at the same time he lost the last respect he had among his peers. He had acted like a caring brother, not like a pureblood house head, and that wasn't something their society forgave. Ophelia knew that her brother could have reclaimed his former position through her sacrifice. He had decided to save her. It was his way to tell her: I did wrong in the past and I want to make up for that. She loved him all the more now.

Lucius however, Lucius and his sycophants – she hated them only the more.

Ophelia Nott would find a way to repay them their 'friendship' and she would find a way to repair the only friendship that was worth the name: Roxanne Pinegrew.

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Longbottom Manor – 25th of August

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Neville smiled as he put Hermione's letter aside. Four days, four letters, he thought. He wasn't surprised and he had reciprocated in kind. To write to his fiancée and to read her letters had been a more than welcome diversion from his learning. More than once his grandma had to calm him down after another gruelling session with his books. The closer the exam, the more he doubted his own knowledge about Herbology. The result had to be an EE at least and while his grandma was more than certain about 'him doing fine', Neville experienced a moment of jitters every now and then.

Hermione had been the same at the end of the third year, Neville remembered with a smile. He stared at the letter. She had demanded from him to spend at least a few hours every day doing other things – talking with his grandma for example. I should return the favour, he grinned, I should demand that she talks with her parents and not only spends her time reading books and doing whatever task Professor McGonagall had given her. Neville, like his friends, had no idea about the nature of that task, only that it had caused Hermione to behave more than a bit giddy.

In three days he would sit his exam. In four days he would visit his parents. He had been with them right after his return from Toledo, Hermione at his side. For a moment he had thought there was a reaction to her presence, but perhaps he had been wrong about that. I'll have to wait, Neville thought. In a few years Daphne will start her training in earnest. She will be able to help my parents.

The gong announced dinner time. With a sigh Neville stored the letter away. Hermione was right: I'll spend the evening with grandma.

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St. Mungo's Hospital – 26th of August

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The entrance to the hospital only a dozen steps away, Harry stopped Daphne and gently turned her around.

"Breathe, Daphne."

She nodded, with determination but still her whole body being very tense.

"Breathe," Harry repeated with a much softer voice. "We'll succeed today. It won't be like the last time. We trained, we learned, and now we'll win this fight. You're incredible and I fully believe in you and your abilities. You won't fail."

A shuddering sigh escaped her throat and Daphne slumped into his arms. She heard the conviction in his voice. He really believed what he said. Harry's words were able to break through her wall of insecurities. She didn't want to cause him pain. She didn't want to make it worse for Alice Longbottom.

"Nel said that you're ready. I believe her. This will be the day of her healing. You only have to do three things: Believe in yourself. Show Alice that you care for her. And allow me to protect you. If you do this, we will succeed."

This time her nod was a tad more relaxed, her eyes showed more conviction than before.

Alice – you'll speak with your son again soon.

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Healer Aaron Forsyth watched the weird group that had just entered the Janus-Thickey-Ward of long-term-care patients. Silently he guided them towards the room he had prepared for this examination. Only Ana Hernandez he knew personally so far. She had been here a week ago together with Augusta Longbottom, preparing this – whatever this was exactly.

Lady Longbottom had announced it as another medical examination of her daughter-in-law, but why this composition of the group? Everybody knew about Miss Hernandez's identity and job at the Spanish Ministry since the trial against Headmaster Dumbledore four months ago. She had been in the newspaper far too often not to be recognized. The other two women – a Spanish and an English, he assumed – silently yelled 'Auror' to everybody. However it was the last two persons that troubled him the most: Two teenagers around fifteen. How should they be able to help?

Aaron Forsyth shrugged and turned around. Lady Longbottom had been very determined and he wasn't eager to cross wands with the iron dragon. She had signed a paper that exonerated the hospital of any adverse effects of this examination. Hopefully she knew what she was doing.

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They had left Auror Carmen and Auror Tonks in front of the room with clear orders not to allow anyone into the room and even use force to prevent any interruption. This could easily take hours to finish and any disturbance could cause horrible results. Ana cast a number of locking and silencing spells, while Daphne prepared the room. She enlarged the bed to allow three persons to rest comfortably on it, dimmed the light and started her magical music player. Luna had introduced her to this kind of meditational music and Daphne hoped that it would help her to calm Alice.

Content with her preparations so far, Daphne turned around to take her first close look at Alice.

"She's looking so frail," Harry whispered and Daphne could only agree. Alice certainly weighed no more than 90 pounds and appeared like a low wind could knock her down and break her in two. Her face was incredible pale, the features very sharp. Her hands were moving slowly, her eyes fluttering, like she was caught in a vivid dream.

"Let's get started," Harry whispered, embracing Daphne a last time, before he changed into the silken robe he had brought along. Daphne did the same and changed – with Ana's help – Alice into a similar one. These robes were created from the same Acromantula silk the Congregation used in their rituals. Only these were without any embellishment aside from a dozen runes Daphne had personally embroidered on them.

Ana cast warming charms on the room and the bed, adjusting them slightly until Daphne was content with the temperature. It would be Ana's duty to recharge them while she watched them. In a way Ana's duty would be the most difficult one: She had to wait patiently, to watch and only to intercept if there was no other way. The interception itself would be extremely difficult and Ana had hoped that Nel would play that part. However the old Spiritualist had remarked that Ana knew the minds of Harry and Daphne far better than her, would know far better when and how to intervene. Hopefully she was right.

Daphne had banished a potion into Alice's stomach. After drinking their own potions, both teenagers took their places at Alice's side. Daphne had created the potions herself under Ana's watchful eyes, one of the many Congregation secrets she had learned at the Joining. Lying by her side, Daphne put her right arm and leg around the woman, feeling Harry's chest at her back, his right hand over her heart. The potions did their work and within minutes she felt her body relax, her mind enter a deep sleep.

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Slowly Harry followed Daphne as she walked through the scenery that was Alice's mind. It reminded him very much of the pictures he had seen from London after the bombing raids in World War Two. Buildings were burning everywhere, screams were in the air, and smoke filled the lungs and forced him to cough. Hastily he followed her instructions and envisioned a Spanish landscape around them, slowly changing the scenery. It only reached a dozen steps in every direction, but it lifted their mood immensely and allowed them to breath freely again for a moment.

There was no living person around, but they saw a number of corpses in bad shapes. Most of them had no clear faces, but a few were recognizable. "Certainly friends of hers, victims of the war against Voldemort," Harry remarked dejectedly and Daphne agreed with a curt nod.

Suddenly a motion to the right, a cackle – they whirled around only to see someone wearing a dark cloak hiding behind a destroyed house. Harry wanted to follow her, knowing that this was Alice's fear persona but Daphne stopped him. "We have to find Alice."

Harry looked around. "Do you have any idea where she could hide?"

"I assume she'll be somewhere familiar. Remember the pictures Augusta showed us. We'll have to find a building or place we remember from them."

Slowly they walked through the streets, nearing a crossing with half a dozen burning cars. From a lamppost two corpses were hanging, two men swinging slowly in the wind. Harry silently gestured towards them and Daphne followed him. The red hair was quite the giveaway to their identity, the bodies showing signs of a score of cutting curses, the faces full of pain even in death. "The Prewett twins, I assume," Harry remarked with a hoarse voice. "Shall we bury them?"

"I don't know," Daphne responded. "These aren't real bodies, but somehow they had been important to Alice."

In the end they decided to do it. Perhaps their action would draw her out of her hiding. Slowly they changed a corner of the crossing into a patch of meadow, dug a large hole and placed both brothers into it alongside one another. Harry looked around, waiting for any kind of reaction, while Daphne prayed silently. Only when they had nearly finished with putting earth on the corpses, did Harry notice a small person watching them from behind one of the destroyed cars. It was a small girl, with pigtails and a badly destroyed summer dress. Harry nudged Daphne and gestured with his head towards the hiding.

"Stay here." Slowly Daphne walked towards the girl, her hands clearly visible, and her face trying to show only compassion. Harry, as ordered, stayed behind. This would be the perfect opportunity…

"Protego!"

The shield was fast enough to deflect the sudden attack. One of the 'corpses' had risen from the ground. It started to throw spell after spell in Daphne's direction. A curse slipped Harry's mouth as he watched Daphne ignoring the attacker and hurrying after the girl that, with a little scream, had run away. He started to run himself, sending the attacker flying away with a Reducto, noticing at the edge of his vision that several more corpses started to move. Alternating between destroying them with Reductos and shielding Daphne, Harry followed her. She had nearly reached the car that had been the girl's hideout as a bright yellow beam hit the car. Funneling all his power into his next spell, Harry erected a magical dome around Daphne, a brilliant sphere of light that resonated like a gong as the blast of the explosion from the car's fuel tank hit her. Daphne remained totally unharmed, unlike Harry who was slung away, or the five corpses that were simply destroyed.

"Harry!"

Within seconds Daphne was at his side, tears streaming down her face as she saw the wounds covering his body.

.

I have to do something, Ana urgently thought. It had gone well so far, at least until a minute ago. Suddenly all seemed to go downhill now; Daphne's mind was a whirl of emotions, magical energies flowing freely around the teenagers. Especially Harry apparently was very active. Ana felt the sure signs of him casting protective spells, one of them extremely powerful. Moments later wounds started to show on his body, blood flowing freely.

This is bad, this is really bad. Hastily she started to cast healing spells, alternating with spells that were meant to calm Daphne. All was lost if Daphne now allowed her fear for Harry to overwhelm her. Go, Daphne, go.

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Thankful Daphne noticed the energies that suddenly erupted around Harry and her. Slowly the wounds closed again, his breath became steady again.

"Harry, we should…"

"Continue," Harry interrupted her.

"But…"

Harry gently squeezed her hand. "We found her, Daphne. We can't surrender now."

Daphne stared into his eyes and after a long moment of silence she nodded. She helped him up and moments later they were following the girl again, hoping that they would find her.

.

Two additional times there had been an attack, both times they had been better prepared and deflected the curses easily. For the first time since they had entered Alice's mind a weak smile crept on their faces. The angry screams proved that they were on the right path and the house in front of them could be their target. It was an old little manor, a burned garden around the house, the wall bordering the area partly destroyed. A very old but dead tree dominated the garden. "I think it's the house of Alice's grandparents," Daphne whispered.

Harry couldn't remember the house from the pictures. He simply had to trust Daphne's better memory. Slowly and carefully they entered the house, walking through the signs of destruction and pillaging. "There," Harry pointed towards footprints in the dust covering the ground: Little footprints, belonging to a child.

They followed them through the house and up the stairs, the wooden steps creaking. There was a noise in the air, something like a suppressed sniffling. They followed the sounds, passed rooms full of broken furniture and crashed pictures, only to reach a last room, the door slightly ajar. The sound was still there, but they saw only a large pile of cushions. Someone had erected her own little fortress, protection against everything that existed out there to hurt her.

Harry stayed at the door while Daphne entered the room and walked towards the pile, kneeling down, listening and waiting. After a while the sniffling noise stopped. Something moved, and frightened eyes were watching Daphne closely.

"Hi Alice," Daphne started with her softest voice. "I'm Daphne. I'm here to help you."

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She's simply wonderful.

Harry followed both girls, his eyes never leaving Daphne for long. It felt like hours that she had been talking with the little girl resembling Alice frail mind in this landscape, hours Daphne needed to calm down the frightened girl, to convince her to leave her cushion fortress and allow Daphne to touch her. Another hour Alice had spent in Daphne's arms crying. Only then had she been able to follow them.

"Should something happen, Alice, stay at my side. Harry is here to protect us. Nothing will happen. Please don't run away, trust us."

Harry wasn't certain that the time had been enough to convince the girl, but they had to go. He felt the exhaustion and it must be triple as bad for Daphne, as she had been the one to open the gate into Alice's mind and hold it ajar. Hopefully the way back would be uneventful.

.

Not so much luck, Harry cursed as he deflected another attack. Seconds after leaving the house the attacks had started; every step had been a fight not only to battle the attackers but also to convince Alice to furthermore follow them. Daphne had to completely concentrate on the girl to prevent another flight, had to trust Harry with their protection completely. The lessons with Ana and Nel were helpful, but would it be enough?

Harry cast a few muffling charms around the girls to dampen the sounds and lights of the fighting. He couldn't do more to shield them from the experience, the onslaught simply left him no more time. The attacking corpses had started to show faces, not only from Alice's past but also from the mind of Daphne and Harry.

"Harry!" The voice was soft, the sight was not pretty. A woman with red hair and the same green eyes he saw every morning in the mirror. Scars and burns were covering her, the hair was a mess. "Harry, it's so good to see you again. I've missed you." For a moment he hesitated, nearly wish that this would be real. Despite Roxanne being a wonderful godmother, Harry still missed his mother. However, this wasn't her.

"You're not my mother." Harry responded with a coarse voice. With more determination and a rush of anger, anger that these fears used his own mind to cause him pain, he repeated: "You're not my mother." A high-powered Reducto tore through the image of his mother, a second before he whirled around to send another attacker crushing into a wall and protect the girls with a new shield.

A sudden beam of yellow light broke through the shield and hit Daphne's hip. With a groan of pain she went down, not releasing her grip of Alice's hand for a second. The little girl looked like a doe ready to flee if only allowed doing so.

"No, allow us to stay." Daphne's voice whirled through Harry's mind, but he wasn't the target. Ana, he thought, hastily concentrating on the fight again. Obviously Ana was struggling with the idea to stop the attempt, to save them. Luckily she trusted Daphne and Harry and chose to help them again instead. A pulse of healing energy washed over Daphne's body, closing the worst gashes at her side, while Harry channeled all his emotions, all of his wishes to protect this girl from harm into a new spell. A glimmering, glistening shield appeared around both girls, stopping a new yellow spell with a deep, bell-like noise.

"You can't have her."

It was the first time that they saw their attacker. A woman in her late twenties, a wild mane of hair framing her face, madness in her eyes – she resembled Andromeda Tonks in a way, only much more wild and frightening. Luckily the success so far had been enough to prompt Alice to clinch to Daphne instead of running away.

"She belongs to me."

"No," Harry yelled back. "She belongs to her family. She belongs to herself. You can't have her anymore."

In the same moment both adversaries cast a powerful spell, the energies meeting in the middle of the place, fighting for dominance, trying to push the other one back. However they were equally strong, seconds lengthened to minutes and still there was no end in sight.

This has to be her victory, Daphne realized. Fully trusting Harry to go on, she kneeled down looked into Alice's eyes. The girls sat there for a while, not exchanging a single word but only their eyes telling their thoughts. Slowly Daphne pulled her own wand and offered it to the small girl. Alice stared at the wand like it would bite her, but after a while her hand very slowly went forward, her little fingers grabbing the foreign wood. She turned around, her frightened eyes resting on the mad woman that had caused her pain for all those years. In front of her there was this boy who was willing to defend her. He had endured pain and exhaustion to protect them against everything. He needed her help now. Unsure about what to do she lifted the wand.

"Target her," Daphne whispered. "Tell her what you feel, that you don't belong to her anymore, that you want to return to your family."

The slightest nod was the answer. For a while nothing happened; suddenly a warm orange light erupted from Daphne's wand in Alice's hand. It was weak in comparison to the spells that were still raging in front of them, but weak as it was it was all the difference that was needed.

"I want my family back," Alice whispered and the response was an angry scream from the woman that had been her nightmare for so long.

.

Longbottom Manor – 28th of August Evening

.

"I'm very proud of you, Neville."

Since his return from Hogwarts two hours ago, Neville had the broadest grin on his face. Despite his fears the exam had gone marvellously, the practical part even better than the written test. Madam Sprout had been more than happy with the way he handled the dangerous plants and even the examiner had been impressed.

"I made some small errors in the written part," he responded. "I should have read more and…"

"No," Hermione stopped him. "At the very most you should have stayed calmer, perhaps. I'm certain: With the practical part first instead of the written test you would have done even better. 107%, Neville, that's incredible."

"Yes, but the written was only 96%."

"Yes," Hermione smirked: "only 96%. A real lazybones you are. I'm not certain such a dunderhead should be allowed to be my fiancé."

Neville maturely stuck out his tongue but both Hermione and Augusta chose to ignore it.

"I'm very proud of you, too, Neville," Augusta agreed. "Your mother will feel the same tomorrow."

Neville's eyes became a bit dreamy and Hermione knew that he was thinking about a time when Alice would really understand again. He was too far away to notice Augusta's odd expression, unlike Hermione. She wanted to ask, but Augusta stopped her with a head-shake. Had something happened to Alice? Hermione knew that Neville's mother had her better moments in the past. Several times her healer had hoped for a real improvement only to be disappointed a day later. Yesterday Augusta had a secret visitor. Had it been about Alice?

Her condition was still far better than Frank's and at least allowed some hope. Frank Longbottom on the other hand had been catatonic for a long time, not even reacting the way Neville's mother did. The coloured chewing-gum papers he got from her at every visit were still his most precious possession.

I'll stay silent for now, Hermione decided, and hope for the best.

.

St. Mungo's – 29th of August

.

The next morning all three entered St. Mungo's Hospital at the earliest allowed hour for visitors. It was a wonderful summer day, a day for picnic and enjoying the sun within the family circle. In a way it was terrible day for Neville, Hermione realized. The message he delivered, the weather out there – this should have been a marvellous opportunity, a happy day of mother and son, but it would only show again that his mother was serious ill, that he perhaps would never have what was a given for Hermione and most other teenagers. At least Alice was still alive. Who was worse off: Harry or Neville?

They entered the room of Neville's parents and found only Frank Longbottom. He was the same as last time. He didn't react in the least, didn't show any sign of noticing his son's presence. Shocked Hermione observed that Augusta had started to sob. Gently the elder lady was caressing her son's hair, struggling hard to stop her tears. It hadn't been like this the last time and Hermione had no idea why this – sadly very familiar – sight troubled Augusta so much today.

"You have to be patient, Grandma. Daphne will help him some day."

Instead of soothing her, it only prompted Augusta to sob harder. Neville seemed to be equally shocked, but waited silently for his grandma to calm down again. The teenagers exchanged questioning looks, both clueless what had caused this reaction.

"Where is Alice?" Hermione asked after a while to distract Augusta from her grief.

A bit angrily because of her loss of self-control Augusta wiped away the tears and answered, her voice still troubled: "The healer told me that she's on the terrace." With a last gentle tuck of Frank's hair she left her place at his side. "Let's go."

Hermione and Neville followed her through the Hospital, both still troubled by her reaction. Little did they know about the conversation Augusta had the day before.

.

24 hours ago

.

"Alice is still recovering," Healer Forsyth told Augusta, his voice full of wonder about the sudden improvement. Irrespective of what those teenagers did in the six hours they had been in that room, it had achieved what a dozen of healers hadn't been able to do: Alice Longbottom was really awake again. "She's very weak and confused. The shock about the time she lost has been very great. We want her to stay at the Hospital for another month at least, but the signs are very good that she'll recover fully."

Augusta had been shocked. Yes, she had prayed that Daphne would be able to do this. Yes, Ana and even Spiritualist Nowles had told her that it was a real possibility. However after years of unchanged condition she hadn't dared to hope. She had done it, Augusta sobbed. She really had done it.

"And Frank?" She whispered the question, already knowing the answer in her heart.

Healer Forsyth sighed: "Unchanged. He's still catatonic. His physical condition is far worse than Alice's and he shows no signs of interaction with his surroundings. I don't know how long he will continue to live. I'm sorry, Lady Longbottom. There isn't much even, even after this wonder."

Augusta nodded weakly. Ana Hernandez had been the one who first told her about the success. Daphne and Harry were still recovering, both totally exhausted but according to Ana alright so far. Daphne hadn't been able to make a healing attempt on Frank, and in her heart Augusta knew that there wouldn't be a wonder for her son. She knew that she should be happy about Alice's recovery, but she could only think about her loss: Frank.

.

Present

.

The sudden summer sun forced the teenagers to shield their eyes from the bright light. Looking around they saw a number of patients in different states of physical and mental illness sitting in wheelchairs, nurses at their side and enjoying the weather. Hermione pointed towards a woman in a wheelchair at the edge of the terrace, only one arm and her hair visible so far. Neville nodded with a small smile and slowly walked towards her. Would his mother react in any way? He wondered.

"Hello mother." He greeted her, walking around the wheelchair. Suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks, causing Hermione to walk straight into him and nearly knocking him down.

"What…" Hermione gasped? The sight was unlike anything she had expected to see. Alice's eyes were open, watching her son closely, a small smile on her lips. There was no doubt: Alice Longbottom was seeing her son, really seeing and recognizing.

"Hello Neville."

Neville did the only sensible thing: He fainted.

.

Potter Manor – 30th of August

.

"You should stay in bed."

Roxanne's proposal was answered by Daphne's strongest pout, a gesture she had inherited from her mother. Four days ago they had returned to Potter Manor, unwilling to spend the last week before their departure to Hogwarts in their own house with the man Daphne didn't want to call her father anymore.

"She's my guest, I want to be there."

Roxanne narrowed her eyes. She had expected Narcissa's visit but had assumed it would be about Hogwarts and their duty as teachers. It was new information that Daphne had been the one to instigate this visit.

"Harry is with Sirius in the guest house. Shall I call him too?"

"No, let him stay there. This is girl time."

A few minutes later mother and daughter entered the tea salon, Daphne trying to walk mostly on her own, but her hand still resting on her mother's arm. Four days after the healing of Alice Longbottom she still felt very exhausted and knew that it was nearly the same for Harry. Both teenagers had wounds after the healing that had to be tended to, but Spiritualist Nowles had notified Roxanne that they would be alright after a week.

Roxanne had been incredible furious, speechless even for a whole afternoon. She had felt that her daughter was up to something, but certainly not this. She was furious at Nel and Ana too, was still not on speaking terms with her cousin despite the success. However this afternoon was about Narcissa and whatever Lady Black wanted to tell her.

.

"Mother, Aunt Ana forgot to tell you something."

"You mean aside from your silly decision to use your abilities years too early?" Roxanne growled. Narcissa watched the exchange a bit amused. She had been impressed to hear about the healing, impressed both by the shown abilities as by the courage of the deed. It was very Gryffindor to act like that and not for the first time she wondered what House the Hat would have chosen for Daphne without Dumble's meddling.

"Stop it," Daphne growled back equally annoyed. "It's not about that and this conversation is far too important to get distracted."

Roxanne immediately stopped as she noticed that her ever controlled daughter was near tears now. More serious than that healing? God, Ana, what have you kept a secret?

"After the attack on our home a few of the attackers were still alive."

"I remember. Ana delivered them to Amelia Bones."

"Yes," Daphne agreed, hesitating for a moment before she continued. "She delivered them, but not all of them."

Roxanne frowned. No? Why wouldn't she?

"She ordered her men to convey one of them to the Spanish Embassy and later to a Spanish prison. He's still there as far as I know."

"What's so special about that man? Is he one of those Death Eater recruits?"

"No," Daphne shook her head. Narcissa was completely forgotten. She knew about that man and his special relevance, but this was completely mother-daughter now. Her time would follow soon enough and she didn't like the idea in the least.

"He was a curse-breaker, a former employee of Gringotts, now working with the shadier elements of society. Like most of the attackers he wasn't a Death Eater but simply a criminal, a mercenary."

"Then why…" Daphne stopped her, breathing heavily. "Are you okay, sweetie?" Daphne nodded, too occupied with her thought to object the silly nickname of her childhood.

"To do his job he prepared himself duly. He was able to do that because he – or more exactly that bastard Smith – got some documents from his colleagues." She opened a folder and offered her mother a bunch of papers.

Roxanne hesitated, locking eyes with her daughter. This would be really bad, she felt it. Her daughter's eyes pleaded her not to look at the papers despite offering them. With a start she grabbed them and started to examine them. Within seconds she went pale and even paler after looking closer. This couldn't be. This simply couldn't be. This is Cyrus' handwriting. How could he? Roxanne was able to make two steps before Daphne's Leg-Binder hit her, Narcissa's Expelliarmus only a split-second slower.

"Breathe, mother, breathe," Daphne was instantly at her side. "Calm down. Mother, don't leave us now. We have to speak about this. Keep breathing!"

Roxanne needed several minutes to get her composure back, her heart still hammering, her jugular pulsating. This damned bastard, how dare he?

"Sweet apple pies we married, don't you think?" Narcissa tried to lighten the mood. "I'm not certain whose husband is the greater bitch: Darling Lucius who wants to beat Draco into Death Eater shape and is okay with using his own wife as the Dark Lord's fuck toy or darling Cyrus who was willing to endanger his own family to allow a killing attempt on Miss Granger."

Daphne gulped. She had known that the whole attack had been an attempt to allow Smith to take revenge for his son's Azkaban sentence, but still it was shocking to hear it out loud. Equally shocking it was to hear Narcissa speaking about what her husband had planned with her. She can't ever go home again, Daphne realized. How can a man do this to his own wife?

"Wouldn't it be nice if our darlings would kill each other?" Narcissa joked without any humour in her voice.

"It certainly would solve our problems," Daphne agreed equally humourless.

"You can't be serious, Daphne. He's still your father." Roxanne was a bit shocked. Certainly she had thought similar ideas before but still …

"He isn't my father anymore," Daphne whispered. "He stopped to be my father as he complied to let murderers into our house. You weren't there, Mum, as that bastard cast a killing curse at Hermione. Without me shoving her aside she would be dead now. God, the curse nearly hit me. Without Aunt Narcissa we both would have been killed."

Roxanne was deathly pale now. That tiny bit of information nobody had told her before. Cutting curses, reaper spells, yes, she knew about them and they were bad enough. However a killing curse cast in her house, nearly missing her own daughter – this was something completely different. Perhaps her daughter was right and Cyrus had stopped to be her father on that day.

"He stopped to be your father a long time ago, Daphne," Narcissa suddenly interjected, her voice speaking of doom. "He stopped to be your father two years ago when he negotiated the marriage contract between Draco and Astoria."

Both Roxanne and Daphne stared at her with wide eyes, not understanding what Narcissa could mean. They knew about the contract, knew about the conditions. However what had that contract to do with Cyrus being Daphne's father?

Narcissa offered mother and daughter her own version of the contract, the version she had received only a few weeks ago. "I didn't know about this until last month and I wasn't certain when and how to break the news to you. I fear today is as good as it can get. You already heard about his betrayal so this won't be too shocking – perhaps."

Roxanne and Daphne read the contract carefully, searching for phrases that were different from the version they knew about. Only when they came to the part about the offered money, did they stop. "That's far more than I saw in the contract Cyrus showed me two years ago."

"I know. Until last month I knew lower sums too, but these numbers are the real ones. These are the numbers Lucius thinks to be appropriate for our son. Best catch in the pond and all that, you know." She showed another smile without humour.

"Does he have this kind of money, Mum?"

"No," Roxanne shook her head. "I don't think so. Not without… oh… there was a letter from Gringotts. Cyrus tried to get a loan. 250,000 galleons – exact the sum he'll need. The bastard offered your engagement to Harry as security."

Daphne frowned, nodded for a moment, but hesitated: "But you heard about Harry only last summer, Mum. We're together since Christmas. Cyrus couldn't know about it two years ago. So how…"

"He had to find another way of raising money," Narcissa offered with a low voice.

"How?" Roxanne asked with a deep frown. "Grandma stopped to pay for his silly ideas and he never asked me – not that I would have paid this silly amount of money."

"I never expected you would," Narcissa smiled weakly.

"So how did he expect…" Daphne stopped dead in her tracks, paling, slowly grasping what this was about.

"He had to get his hands on more of the Pinegrew money," Narcissa explained "or he had to better Astoria's position regarding the family inheritance." She waited for a moment to allow her words to sink in. "The first would be possible through the death of Agatha or Roxanne, the latter through…"

"The death of Daphne," Roxanne's voice was barely a whisper.

"That's what they planned," Narcissa agreed. "Kill Daphne, destroy your backbone in the process and build the mightiest pureblood house on your bones." With a bit of surprise they realized that they didn't doubt Narcissa's words for a second.

"They'll die," Daphne's words were pure ice.

"They'll die," Roxanne agreed, tears running down her cheeks freely.

"They'll die," Narcissa concluded her face a mask of determination.

"We'll do this together."

"We'll need allies for this."

"Yes, and I already have someone in mind."

.

31st of August – Grimmauld Place

.

Slowly Narcissa walked through the house, her mind still on the conversation of the day before. They hadn't started to construct a plan. The Pinegrew ladies would need a few days to really comprehend and come to terms with the news. Narcissa had a few ideas already and intended to speak with her first choice of an ally in a few days – at Hogwarts.

Today however it was preparation time, travel time. Her things were mostly packed already and the house prepared for her months of absence. Kreacher would stay here and inform her of any happenings. He was ordered not to allow anybody into the house aside from Sirius and Remus – not even her dear sister Bellatrix. Especially not her dear sister Bellatrix, Narcissa growled.

She had already visited most of the rooms as she entered the 'Black memorial room' she had allowed Kreacher to furnish. Narcissa groaned inwardly as she noticed the painting of her Aunt at the prime position of the room, overlooking all those mementos Kreacher had carried together. There was Walburga's favorite arm chair, a small oaken table with a crystal vase resting on it. The black rose in the vase was charmed to last for months. Open boxes with toys from Regulus' youth. A single bookcase with a number of Walburga's and Regulus' favourite books. I should ask Sirius to have a look at them, Narcissa mused.

Suddenly she felt a light tug at her heart. Turning around she noticed a glass cabinet with a number of small objects resting on velvet doilies. A few rings, a bracelet, some cup Regulus won twenty years ago and a number of rings – but it was an old locket that drew her eyes towards it. It was relatively simply crafter but obviously very old. She didn't recognize the runes and depiction on the lid, but felt the protecting magic.

There is a Disillusion Charm on the locket, Narcissa wondered. Apparently I'm able to see it because I'm the lady of this manor. Perhaps Sirius would be able to see it too as Lord Black.

She looked closely at the locket, her eyes as well as her mind and heart drawn to it. Bleak emotions slowly filled her and Narcissa hastily stepped back as she noticed it.

What in Merlin's name is that?

Stepping back, sitting down in Walburga's chair, Narcissa pondered for a while. She could ask Kreacher about it, but first she would speak with Sirius. This was something dark and perhaps dangerous. This was another riddle to be solved.

.

A/N

Yes, Augusta is happy about Alice's recovery, but she is still a mother and now feels the loss of her son only the more.

With this chapter ends the first part of the story: Summer Break. With chapter 12 the next block of events will begin: The early months at Hogwarts.

About Lucius and Cyrus: This secondary plot will continue for a time. I'm not a crime author but I hope that you'll still enjoy the plan the ladies will execute and that there won't be too many holes in my murder plot.

See you next week.