AN: Sorry it took so long everyone, but here is the start of year six. There is possibly two more chapter for this year, maybe just one but I'm not certain yet. But I don't plan to spend loads of time on detail for the last two years. Three chapters at the most for year six and seven. I hope you all like this first chapter and I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner.

I also want to thank everyone for the reviews. I never dreamed this story would be so popular but I am glad it is.

The Forgotten Daughter.

Chapter 21: The Years Before: Year Six.

It was official.

2004 was the worst year of her short, miserable life.

What exactly was being miserable without adding a bit of danger into her life. Truth be told Melinda didn't need to add any danger, just being in England was dangerous enough. But going to Greece... that was dangerous all by itself.

So close to her sixteenth birthday as well. She didn't know if the gods kept an eye on their homeland, but she hadn't really spent more then a few seconds thinking about the drawbacks of leaving England for a while.

Spending the two weeks she'd planned in Greece with another demigod may not have been her best idea, or the safest. But she needed to get away from England. Away from the memories of Sirius.

She'd even gone so far as to get Tonks to come to the house everyday to make sure Remus wasn't wallowing in self pity. The first week after Sirius died the they'd barely talked.

Remus hadn't even tried to stop her when she'd sat down in the chair across from him in the kitchen and took the bottle of Muggle alcohol off him, Bourbon.

she found she couldn't stand the light alcohols. Bear tasted like crap and those fruity drinks girls tended to frequent made her want to strangle whoever was closest because they were just too fruity or sweet or sour. The point was she preferred her firewhiskey, Bourbon, Whiskey or Vodka. She would turn down a good wine either.

Remus has always been the one to enforce the rules around Grimmauld Place. So to see him sit there and allow her to drink more then her fair share of bourbon had been strange. They didn't even talk the time, they just sat there and drank.

The next morning they woke up in the living room, her on the couch and Remus sprawled out on the coffee table.

That's went the damn broke and they'd begun to talk to each other.

The next day she made plans and was on her way to getting out of England for two weeks, from July 30th until August 12th.

Dasha was back from Camp early this year (she'd graduated from Arcadia after the Twi-wizard Tournament) and had offered her a place to stay. Getting on a plane wasn't an option despite Zeus not currently being aware of her. So she'd had to wait a while for a legal international Portkey.

A round trip, she'd leave at five on July 30th and return to England at five on August 12th.

"I'm glad you made it in one piece," Dasha said, smirking as she grabbed one of Melinda's carry on bags and ushered her inside the small house.

Melinda already felt lighter. For the first time since Sirius' death she smiled sincerely.

The house was beautiful, decorated in earthy tones and lots of white, creams and silvers. Then the reds, blues and green thrown around. It was easy enough to believe Dasha was a daughter of Demeter but with a sense of fashion and décor that might make a child of Aphrodite jealous.

The house itself was two floors, two bathrooms, a large living area and kitchen, a back yard with a patio which connected to the kitchen. She learned this was where Dasha ate most her meals when she had guest. There was also Dasha's room on the second floor which was out in the open.

Sort of like a hotel would be since you walked up the stairs and beside a door to the left which led to the full bath there was simply her bedroom to the right. Since she lived alone Melinda assumed she wasn't to worried about privacy a door might give her.

The quest room and second full bath was on the first floor, despite how small it looked on the outside it was much bigger on the inside. She had to admit, she was jealous.

Grimmauld Place had been fixed up over the years but it felt nothing like this place with it's open rooms and windows. There was one whole wall in the living area which was just a big window. The same could be said for Dasha's room and the wall over looking the back yard patio in the kitchen.

Of course they were covered by golden brown curtains during the night and if one of them wasn't in a room.

"So, where is Sesha?" Dasha asked that evening, the night before her birthday she vaguely realized. "You don't usually go anywhere without her."

Melinda smiled, and accepted the wine glass from her friend.

"I left her with Remus. International Portkey travel isn't something Sesha is fond of, Portkeys at all really. I decided it was for the best she stay at Grimmauld, to make sure Remus didn't drink himself to death."

Dasha frowned.

"Didn't you arrange for someone to check on him?" she asked and Melinda chuckled, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry," Melinda choked out. "It's just the way you said that, makes it sound like he's a child or a pet."

Dasha chuckled, seeing were that might be assumed.

"I did, Tonks. She's an Auror, I don't think you ever met her." Melinda pushed her food around with the fork and sighed. "She was Sirius cousin, she didn't take his... death to well either."

"You told me about her I think, in your last letter," Dasha said. "How are you holding up?"

Melinda looked into dark eyes and shook her head.

"You'd think I'd bee handling it. I've had people die on me before. My parents, Cedric...but I just wasn't expecting to loose Sirius so soon. I only got three years with him, how is that fair?" Her green eyes were filled with tears by the time she'd stopped talking and Dasha gave her a look of understanding.

"The life of a Demigod is never lucky Melinda," she began. "Those around us have a tendency to get hurt or killed. Cedric was almost expected, at any time, because he was a demigod. And we tend to die before adulthood. We're cursed that way."

Dasha licked her dry lips and continued.

"But when those who are just mortal. Who we've gotten to know and love get caught in the crossfire... it hurts more. Because we never thought it'd be them. We never stopped to think that they could be next."

Melinda nodded and laughed bitterly.

"Add in the whole chosen one thing, and being on Voldemort's hit list..." Melinda trailed off as she shook her head. "At least I got that bitch in the end."

Dasha smirked.

"I heard about that. International news, Bellatrix LeStrange nee Black, killed by Girl-Who-Lived in Ministry Battle. That my friend is what we call justice."

Melinda laughed and raised her glass to meet Dasha's in a toast like manner.

"To Karma like Justice," Melinda said.

"Ditto," Dasha returned and they finished their dinner in near silence.

Over the next two weeks they talked, and Dasha led her around Greece. They were in Ithaca, where Dasha actually lived and were Arcadia was located, but they were easily able to get to other places in Greece.

Her favorite stop had to be Athens, and the Parthenon.

She knew her father and Athena always had a rivalry and there was bad blood between them, but that didn't mean Melinda couldn't respect Athena.

She remembered a long time ago she'd been asked by her father what her favorite part of a book she'd been telling him about was. She recalled rambling on about The Big Three domain choosing and how she like the story of how Athena was born.

Athena was one of her favorite Goddesses, along with Hestia, and Artemis. She had nothing against the other goddesses though. They were all important in their own way.

They talked about their personal lives and Dasha told her what was new at Camp Half-Blood. She wished she could go but she knew it was still too dangerous. Not only was she in the middle of a war in England but going to Camp was something final.

It would have made it easier for the gods to look at her and figure out who she was. Being sixteen made this a very bad idea.

As for her birthday, she'd been sixteen for over a week before she even begun to think about the Great Prophecy. She might be part of the prophecy but she really didn't think she was the one who would determine the fate of Olympus. She was far to busy determining how to save the Wizardry world.

Besides, there was more then a slight chance she'd never see eighteen at this rate. Neither can live while the other survives... that sounded pretty kill or be killed to her.

Another great thing about staying with Dasha was being able to visit Arcadia. Arcadia was a year round type school in the way it housed students who had nowhere else to go. Like orphans. So there were professors there years round.

One of them being the Dark Arts instructor. Dasha hadn't taken to the subject while she was a student but had taken the class in her second year but dropped it the following year.

Without Sirius to help her with her studies into the Dark Arts she'd begun wondering if she should go any further. Being able to go to Arcadia and talk to the professor there on the subject helped her greatly.

He'd even give her some editions of the subject which you couldn't find anywhere but Greece – seeing as Greece was one of the very few who didn't class Dark Arts as Illegal.

Melinda also talked about her life since they'd last talked. Besides the obvious grief of Sirius death she had to explain to Dasha about the faint scar on her left hand. I must not tell lies.

Dasha hadn't been impressed by her retelling of Umbridge. She had gotten the last laugh though. Through testimony of those forced to write with the Blood Quill, and her own evidence she'd stowed away, she'd gotten Umbridge fired and sentenced to a year in Azkaban for the use of an illegal instrument to punish minors.

One of the very few highlights of the year.

The other being the public's outrage that Fudge had refused to believe Voldemort was back for a whole year and lost valuable time. It was like they were blind to the fact they'd ignored the truth as well. Needless to say Fudge had been voted out, and would be returning as Minister. There was currently a vote going on, she put her money on Amelia Bones.

In the end Melinda was never more relieved that she'd taken this vacation of sorts.

xXx

"You can not be serious Albus!" Molly exclaimed. "She's just went through an ordeal. What she needs is to be talked to, to be protected. She's only sixteen!"

"Molly, I think we've had this talk before," Remus snapped, his eyes narrowed at the Weasley Matriarch. She was a lovely woman, but she was just so overbearing at times.

He continued after a second. "Melinda is not a child, she'd legally an adult in the eyes of the Ministry. I think it's time she was allowed to join the Order."

"I agree," Fred said and his mother scowled at him.

"Of course you would Fred," Molly said, sighing. "I know she isn't a child but she needn't be involved in this."

"I appreciate the sentiment Molly, but I think it's up to me what I want to do."

Everyone turned to the doorway where a very familiar figure stood. She didn't look much different from when they'd last seen her, but she appeared to have grown a little more, standing at 5'6, probably as tall as she'd ever get.

Her hair was a little longer, and was set in loose curls, more so then was natural for her to have. Her skin was a little tanner, like she'd spent the last two weeks in a lot of sunlight. Not that she wasn't naturally pretty tan. She wore a pair of dark skinny jean, a royal blue shirt and a black knee length cardigan.

"Lin!" Fred exclaimed, standing and walking over to pull the smaller girl into a tight hug.

"Hey, I missed you," Melinda said, leaning up to kiss her boyfriend.

It was a quick kiss, neither wanting to give the other Order members a show. Though she didn't miss the looks some gave them. Looks of happiness at seeing them together, the kind old people tended to give young couples.

"Ah, I'm happy to see you've returned," Dumbledore said, standing to greet her. "How was your trip?"

Melinda looked at the old man, noticing almost instantly the hand which was withered, like it was dying. She frowned as she walked to the table, taking a seat beside Fred who took her hand into his. He'd been worried about her since the Ministry Battle.

"It was refreshing," she replied. "What's this about exactly?"

"Albus here believes it's about time you were brought into the Order of the Phoenix lass," Mad-Eye said, rather bluntly but Melinda found that was one of the things that she liked about Mad-Eye. He didn't pussy-foot around about things, he simply said it like it was.

"That means I'll actually be told something, instead of kept in the dark about things?" Melinda asked, raising an eyebrow at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore sighed and nodded.

"I made a mistake by placing you with your relatives fifteen years ago. I made another mistake by not reocgnizing you as able to handle the destiny fate has placed upon you. I won't make another mistake by not giving you the tools to allow you to defeat Tom."

Melinda twitched a little, she didn't like to refer to Voldemort as Tom. To her Tom had been a misunderstood boy without any guidance. This led him to paths he might not have gone if his past were different. Voldemort was a monster, there was nothing of Tom Riddle left in him.

"Good," she said. "So, what's first?"

Moody chuckled.

"That's the attitude lass," Moody praised. "Always be willing to start at a moments notice."

Dumbledore nodded.

"Yes, first we'll conclude this meeting with some news. It seems Voldemort attacked the Bones family On August 10th," Dumbledore began.

"Are they alright?" Hestia Jones asked. She was a woman maybe a little older then Remus with long black hair and violet/blue eyes.

"Yes, yes. Unfortunatley Amelia was having a dinner with some of her cousins. I'm sure you recall Elmer Bones and his two children, Gretchen and Grayson."

"Squibs, weren't they?" another order member inquired.

"Yes indeed. Elmer himself wasn't, he was a wizard. Once part of the Ministry in Russia where he and his family fled when Voldemort rose to power. His two children on the other hand were squibs, tragic that." Dumbledore shook his head. "I digress though. Amelia had them over and Elmer, Gretchen and Grayson Bones were all killed in the attempt assianation of Amelia and Susan Bones."

"Terrible," Molly said sighing.

"But Madam Bones and Susan are alright?" Melinda asked.

"Very, dear girl," Dumbledore assured. "Amelia was hurt in the attack but I believe it was thanks to a certerian illegal club last year Susan was able to hold the Death Eaters off until their house elf, Mindy, could pop them to St. Mungos."

Melinda looked down some, her face flushing at the attention this brought her.

"I believe it best it some of the Order attempts to protect Amelia Bones until after the Minster election is over. I think that was his motivation for killing her, she is a light witch and would shatter some of his hold over the Ministry," he said and everyone nodded in agreement to this.

"Now, I do believe the only other topic is for the coming school year." He folded his hands in front of him as he spoke. "Security will be very tight this year, to avoid any accidents. Also, Melinda, I would like to set up a meeting, each Saturday I think will do. To go over some things you should know. Training to help you in the future."

"Why would she need such training Albus?" Kingsley Shacklebolt asked.

Albus looked at Melinda and then towards the others and sighed.

"I suppose it has been kept to myself for long enough," he began. "She needs these lessons because only she can defeat Lord Voldemort..."

Melinda pretty much drowned the rest out. She already knew the Prophecy, she didn't need to hear it again.

xXx

::Mistress, wake up. It's nearly time for the redheaded-banshee to start her rounds.:: a voice hissed next to her ear and Melinda groaned.

::Mistress! MISTRESS!:: Melinda jumped straight up in bed, clutching her cover to her chest. Looking to her right she saw the large familiar snake – Sesha.

::Sesha, what was that about?:: she asked, using her left hand to rub the sleep from her eyes.

::If you don't want the redheaded-banshee to barge in and find you and the red-twin then you should wake up now.::

Melinda blinked and then looked to the clock which was on the nightstand on her left. Beside her still sprawled on his stomach, his arm under the pillow and the covers bunched down around his waist was Fred.

5:30 was in large red numbers and she sighed.

"Fred," she muttered, placing her hand on his bare back. "Wake up."

Fred groaned and turned some, as if trying to shake her off. She rolled her eyes and slapped his back hard enough to leave a small red mark and make the Weasley twin shoot up and fall off the bed onto the floor, taking the covers with him.

She laughed, but shivered at the cold morning air which drifted against her bare flesh.

"What was that!?" Fred asked, sitting up on the floor and placing his elbows on the bed to peer over and up at her.

"I tried to wake you gently," Melinda said, throwing her legs over her side of the bed and getting up.

She wasn't all that surprised to find she was kind of sore. This would be the first time she or Fred had ever gone that far, and she'd heard from other gossips in the girls dorm that it hurt.

She reached over and grabbed her lavender colored robe from the chair that was next to the nightstand on her side of the bed.

"We needed to get up though. I return to Hogwarts today and if you're in here, in bed with me... naked, then your parents – more so you mom – are going to kill us both." She put the robe on as she spoke, tying it around the waist to keep it closed.

Fred's eyes widened and he shot up, and Melinda had to back bite laughter as the redhead scurried around her room looking for his clothes in his birthday suit. Five minutes later Melinda was standing in her doorway, kissing her boyfriend goodbye.

"I'll see you at Christmas," Fred said, tucking a strand of her wavy/curly hair behind her ear. "I'll miss you."

Melinda grinned.

"I'll miss you too," she said, giving him a quick kiss. "Now go, Molly could make her rounds at any moment now."

Melinda laughed softly as she watched Fred dart off towards the room he and George were staying in. once he was out of sight she closed her door and went about grabbing her clothes for the day and heading for the bathroom connected to her room.

She was happy now, but in the back of her mind Melinda knew it was too good to last. Sooner or later her yearly bad luck was going to catch up to her. And for the first time in a long time she dreaded going back to Hogwarts.