Chapter Twenty-One: Dead…

I own nada de eso. Sorry.

So here's the next part. I hope you like it!

Kailey's Point of View:

"I just don't understand why you want to sit at the table with your opponent!" Ron huffed on our way to Care of Magical Creatures. "It doesn't make any sense! How d'you know he won't cheat off of you?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Relax, Ron, Krum isn't a bad guy, he won't cheat off of us,"

"Considering there isn't anything to cheat off of…" Harry muttered under his breath.

"What, Harry?" Hermione asked, looking past Ron and me to try and see Harry. Ron sniggered as Harry shook his head.

"Nothing, Hermione," he replied as we resumed our walk through the cold snow.

"Wish they'd dig us a path or something," Dean complained from ahead of us and Seamus nodded eagerly as we approached the cabin.

"That is not Hagrid," Lavender mumbled to Parvati. I couldn't contain a small laugh at this obvious statement. The short witch with gray hair certainly didn't look like Hagrid at least.

I sighed and shook my head when the other three gave me questioning looks. I had thought we had escaped all of the 'half-giant' drama, but I guess I was wrong. Professor Grubbly-Plank ordered us all closer, complaining that we had been tardy just as the Slytherins arrived behind us. I noticed with a slight bit of satisfaction that Malfoy had been shunted to the edge of the group, leaving Pansy Parkinson in the lead of the group.

She led us all around the hut and to the paddock. At the very back of the paddock stood a shimmering, white unicorn. It tossed its mane and whinnied, pawing the ground a bit at the sight of us as we all gasped. Well, the girls gasped, the boys were all trying very hard to act macho and unimpressed by the spectacular sight.

"Boys, stay back!" Grubbly-Plank commanded, throwing up a hand. "Unicorns prefer a woman's touch. Girls, come along forward," she added, waving us forward.

Hermione and I followed the rest of the girls, all of us moving very slowly so as not to startle the already unhappy unicorn. I noticed my wand growing warmer as we approached, but I ignored it. As we drew closer, Grubbly-Plank began explaining a few things about the mythical creature in front of us.

"The blood of a unicorn has many magical properties. Can any of you explain one of them?" she asked, ignoring the boys in the back for the most part.

"Unicorn blood has the power to stop you from dying," Hermione quipped as soon as Grubbly-Plank nodded at her. "But if you drink it, it'll curse you forever,"

"Exactly, five points for Gryffindor. Now, the hair of a unicorn's tail can also be used in the core of a wand. For every piece of tail hair taken, the unicorn will shine just a bit less brightly. But if ever faced with the wand it helped to create, the unicorn will glow up to one hundred times brighter, depending of course, on the power of the wand's wielder. This unicorn has been caught by Mr. Ollivander at least one time," she informed us. "In fact, he was the one who told me where to catch her."

She continued telling us about the unicorns and their preferred habitats and foods before allowing us all to move in slowly to pat the mythical horse. We all stepped up, one at a time, to pet the creature. But as I stepped closer, I noticed the unicorn began to shine just a bit brighter. I paused and took a curious step backwards. She whinnied again, startling the other girls, but when I stepped closer, she grew even brighter than before. I smiled to myself as I took the last step and laid my hand on the unicorn.

"Oh my!" Grubbly-Plank cried out as the other girls gasped at the sudden flash of light steadied into a shade of white that was almost unbearable to look at for very long.

The unicorn leaned into my hand with her head so that my hand was on the front of her face, just underneath her horn, her golden eyes facing me. I rubbed her between the eyes and they fluttered closed. "So…is this a normal reaction, Professor?"

She just stared at me, open-mouthed.

"I hope she decides to stay," Parvati stated after class as we all headed back to the castle. "Really, I do, that was what I had thought this class would be like; unicorns, not monsters,"

"I would hardly call a hippogriff a monster," I said before Harry could open his mouth as his face betrayed first shock then anger. "Especially not to its face," I added without missing a beat.

"Even so, that was an amazing lesson. Did you even know that the core of your wand was from that unicorn?" Lavender insisted. Grubbly-Plank had stuttered for a moment before she had been able to further explain how one would be able to tell if the core of a wand matched the provider. The other girls had all given me jealous looks when the unicorn had leaned her head on my shoulder as we began to leave.

"No, but I hardly expect that to be a common thing to begin with," I answered with a shrug. "Still, I can't wait for Hagrid to come back,"

"I dunno if he'll bother to come back, Kailey," Seamus informed me somewhat solemnly. "Harry, did you keep that article?"

He nodded, but hesitated before handing it over to me. I frowned and decided to only read the title. My frown transformed into a glare and I couldn't stop myself from reading. I don't really think any of the boys were surprised when I crumpled it up into a ball, mixed it in with a snow ball and threw it in the air only to aim a fiery blast at it that created quite the explosive firework.

"I shall squish that pest someday," I said with forced patience. "And that day draws closer with every word she types."

"I'm a bit afraid to ask," Hermione admitted, exchanging a glance with Ron as we began climbing the stairs. "But shall I assume it had to do with a certain foreigner?"

I nodded, still glaring. "And Hagrid," Harry added in an undertone. "According to the article, he's half-giant,"

"But Skeeter's always off the mark," Hermione argued as we entered the school. "Isn't she?" she asked in a quieter tone once it was just the four of us together.

"Except for the fact that she's not wrong this time," I murmured, wishing I had something to kick at.

"But he'll come back to teach, you said so," Ron said, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Yeah, but he'll need some…persuading," I replied. "C'mon, we're going to be late," I added before they could push the subject further.

Keena's Point of View:

"Not a word from you," I groaned when Sirius found me in the bathroom the second Saturday after term had started. I just wanted to go back to bed. I didn't want to have to deal with his not-so-subtle hints of going to the hospital wing or even worse, the actual hospital.

"This needs to stop, Keena," he said, pushing himself off of the doorframe and kneeling in front of me. "Don't you understand how worried I am?"

"The last thing I need is to go have some healers abduct me in the hospital," I groaned as he brushed the hair out of my face.

"I believe the term is actually 'admit' you to the hospital," he grinned before leaning down and lifting me up. "And the last thing you need is to be sick, think about Harry. How's he going to concentrate if he's worried about your health?"

"He's not worried," I mumbled, leaning into his chest. "And don't you tell him; there's no need for him to know," I accused before he could have any ideas.

"How d'you know you're not losing weight over this?" he asked, trying from a different angle, I suppose. I shook my head. "And how would you know that?"

"Because," I answered sourly. First the man wants to get me into a hospital and now he wants to discuss my weight? Fool.

"How?" he persisted.

I glared at him moodily before looking away as he set me down on the bed.

"Well, if you're not losing, are you gaining?"

"Sirius, I would have thought by now you knew not to discuss things like weight to women," I replied acidly. He ignored me, taking my venom as confirmation to his question.

"You need to see a healer."

"I do not," I answered. "And I'm within my rights to choose not to do so," I added purely for effect.

"You would be…if you were head of your family." He said airily.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What are you talking about?"

"You're a pureblood now," he shrugged. "And not a man, clearly, so you are not head of the family,"

"Brilliant Sirius, I'm glad you know I'm not a man,"

"Well, since you're clearly interested in why this matters, I'll tell you despite your rude demeanor." I scoffed and rolled my eyes, but he ignored me. "It may be medieval or worse, but in a pureblood family, the wish of the head of the family must be obeyed when concerning certain health issues. Death, coma, that sort of thing," he explained carefully, though he was grinning wickedly which meant he was not done.

"I'm not dying and if I were in a coma we wouldn't be speaking at the moment." I replied when he didn't continue immediately.

"Right, but there is something else that falls under the rather short list that a pureblood's magic ties them to the head of the family for." We both stared at one another. "Are you going to ask?"

"Why would I do that when you're clearly about to tell me?" I replied unhappily.

"Pregnancy," he answered after a moment.

"Sirius, we've already established that I'm not. Pomfrey's spell failed. I've just got some strange bug," I answered, shaking my head. "For all we know, it could be an after-effect from all the drinking I used to do that my body is struggling with,"

He shook his head. "Doesn't matter, if James or even Harry tells you to go, your magic will want you to listen,"

"I can always refuse," I replied. "My magic is my own,"

"Yes," he agreed. "But your conscience will get to you,"

"Like yours did with your family?" I argued. "They clearly thought it was something of a health risk to be so comfortable with muggle-borns,"

"Sure, my conscience struggled, but it wasn't an actual health risk and my magic knew that," he replied easily.

"You annoy me,"

"You love me,"

I rolled my eyes, but smiled at his goofy grin all the same.

"Does that mean I win?" he asked, probably referring to my smile.

"No,"

"But you smiled…"

"Yes, because I think you're foolish,"

He rolled his eyes and kissed my forehead, running his hand through my hair once. "It would help me to sleep so much better if you would just go and take care of this. I can't handle worrying over you and Harry and Kailey all at once,"

"Then stop worrying over me," I replied, taking his hand in mine. "I'm a big girl, you know, lived without parents and everything,"

"No, you just ended up with Remus for the last twelve years," he answered, shaking his head and standing up. I frowned at him as he headed to the dresser for a cloak.

"Oh!" I gasped and jumped out of bed, rummaging around my drawers for a moment.

"What do you think you're doing?" I almost jumped again as he turned me to face him. "You should be in bed," he said sternly.

"No, Sirius, it's a Hogsmeade day!" I reminded him. "We've got to get ready,"

"I've got to get ready, you'd better stay here and rest," he answered, steering me towards my bed. "Unless you'd rather visit Poppy?" his question was very hopeful sounding. I snorted. "Fine, then you can't come to Hogsmeade,"

"That is so…ridiculous, Sirius! You know I want to see everyone!" I complained, planting my feet and glaring up at him.

"We don't have to be there for another hour. That leaves plenty of time to visit the good healer," he stated in a final sort of way. "Or plenty of time for me to get Severus in here to babysit,"

I sighed. "I'll go and see her, but you're not allowed in with us," I bargained. "That's not negotiable," I added when he opened his mouth to argue with me.

Not twenty minutes later, we headed up to the hospital wing. I felt a growing sense of dread with every step I took closer to that white linen and lemony-scented room. Even if something was wrong, there was no way I was missing out on this trip. Nor was there any way I would be sleeping anywhere except my own bed. It was only the knowledge that I was an adult who could remove myself from Poppy's care legally if need be that kept my feet moving. That, and Sirius had his arm over my shoulders, pushing me forward when I paused for even the tiniest of moments.

"Professor Potter, what a pleasant surprise," Madame Pomfrey had the doors open for us and immediately had me over at my old bed, curtains drawn and wand out all in the same moment. "Just some preliminary checks to begin with," she said as she flicked her wrist in several directions. I sighed, glad that Sirius was staying true to his word and not coming around the screens.

With another, sudden, flick of her wrist a scale was placed in front of me. I rolled my eyes. "You've spoken with him in the last twenty minutes?" it was more accusation than question. I stepped onto the insulting equipment in any case.

"He sent along a patronus," she confirmed. "Now, hold still," I chose to ignore the number that appeared happily in front of my face. "Odd…if you've been sick so much, you shouldn't be gaining a thing, but here you are with a good—"

"Yes, I can see that quite well," I interrupted, eyes closed. "Could you just please tell him I'm fine so I can leave? He wants me at St. Mungo's if I'm not 'better'. I don't think I'm sick at all," I whispered, knowing full and well that he was listening in as best he could.

"The problem is, dear, that I'm not sure why you're so sickly. It may be best for you to have a few days off to get this all cleared up,"

I sighed again. "Look, just do that damn test to see if I'm…just do that and he'll be satisfied when it turns negative,"

She looked at me skeptically. "And if it's not?"

"It is,"

She folded her arms and gave me a hard stare. "Here's what we'll do; come back tonight after the trip to the village. That way you won't have to be a nervous wreck the entire time you chaperone those children,"

I rolled my eyes. "Fine with me,"

Kailey's Point of View:

Hogsmeade trips were supposed to be fun, right? Not so when your father insists that the school Auror tails you everywhere you go. Never mind the fact that said Auror was planning on following you to begin with, but just knowing my dad had put him up to it as well made me angrier. We were on our way to the Three Broomsticks because Keena and Sirius were meeting up with some friends. Not to mention it was freezing out to begin with. My shoes had soaked through with dirty slush by the time we entered the crowded and bustling pub.

"Who is it you're meeting up with again?" Harry asked as his godparents scanned the room, though to be honest, Sirius looked as though he was looking for enemies rather than friends. It was probably why Harry was giving me a cautious glance as he asked.

"Some old school friends, Harry, the ones you met at the cup," Keena answered with a smile. "And I think Remus was thinking about coming to meet with us as well,"

"Libby and Johnny?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Hopefully," Sirius replied. "And we're clear in here. You lot can go ahead and find a table, just stay nearby," he instructed, giving me a meaningful look. I rolled my eyes in reply and set off behind Ron who had already spotted a booth.

"What'll you have, dears?" Madame Rosmerta practically flew to our table, a minor miracle considering how high her sparkly turquoise shoes were.

"Four butterbeers, please," Harry answered, glancing around to see that we had all nodded in agreement.

She nodded and weaved her way back to the counter, flicking her wand at empty tankards as she went causing them to zoom onto the tray she was carrying. She nodded to Sirius and Keena on her way over, both of whom were now standing with a blonde witch and red-headed wizard we had met at the cup.

"Who're they?" Hermione wondered, following my gaze.

Ron turned around and waved as the blonde witch caught his eye. "Those're my Aunt Nickie and Uncle Orion, my mum's little brother," he answered. "She's a part-time Auror and he's a full-time one," he added, boasting a little.

"Cool," Harry replied, turning to glance at them as well. "Do they get up to much?"

Ron shook his head. "Not as much as they did during the war. At least, that's what they tell us in the letters,"

Madame Rosmerta came back with our drinks and we thanked her just as she sprinted off again.

"That woman knows how to move in heels," I muttered, shaking my head.

"It can't be that bad," Harry replied with a roll of his eyes.

"You try it sometime," I challenged, Hermione smiling into her butterbeer as she scanned the pub again. "Hagrid isn't here, Hermione," I told her again. "He won't come back till he's convinced people want him, remember?"

"He won't even open his bloody door," Ron grumbled. "How're we supposed to help him if he won't let us?"

I opened my mouth to respond when I realized I was being attacked by a complete and total stranger. I shoved the attacker off of me and massaged my wind-pipe before looking up to see Libby hugging the life out of Harry as well. I breathed out a sigh of relief and leaned back in the seat as Remus gently pried her off of her son.

"Merlin, Libby, don't do that," I panted, trying to calm my racing heart.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself," she answered with a guilty smile as Johnny grasped Harry's hand before giving me a quick pat on the shoulder. I did my best to repress the shudder that the simple touch elicited.

"All right, you four?" he asked, though his eyes lingered on Harry and I a second longer than on the other two.

"Good," Ron shrugged and Hermione and Harry nodded in agreement as I shrugged, angry that I hadn't been able to stop from flinching again.

He nodded at us. "We'll be right over there if you need anything," he replied, steering Lily over to their table. I was fairly certain that the brunette witch (Amanda?) was staring at 'Libby's' response to seeing us all again.

"She is going to blow their cover," Harry mumbled as he turned back to face the center of the table. He couldn't quite hide the smile that was threatening to take over his entire face. "But how are we supposed to help him?"

I just shrugged, looking around to see nobody was coming near us. Bagman was by the counter, but he was surrounded by goblins and he kept looking over towards Sirius who was studiously looking away from that section of the pub. "We'll get him back soon enough," was all I said, scanning the room again.

"Who're you looking for?" Hermione asked, noticing my present occupation of periodically looking around.

"Nobody you like," I grinned just as a stiff breeze blew into the pub from the door. "Bloody hell, not already," I grumbled, shrinking down in my seat.

"What?" Hermione asked again, staring at me and my new position in my seat.

"Skeeter," Ron replied, his nose wrinkled and his ears turning pink. "She who you were looking for?" he added, exchanging a look with Harry before facing me. I nodded sourly.

"I dunno how we're gonna get away from here," I added unhappily. "Maybe Sirius'll start a brawl with Remus and Johnny,"

Keena's Point of View:

"Want to start a bar fight, anyone?" Sirius asked, turning away from the door while ignoring a frantic wave from Ludo Bagman once more.

"That shade of yellow shouldn't be legal on her," Lexi stated disapprovingly, flipping her bright blonde hair over her shoulder. Jeremy rolled his eyes at his wife but said nothing as James and Damien exchanged glances and snickered. "Can't you arrest her?" she added, looking around between the Aurors assembled at the table.

Damien snorted. "I wish. She makes enough trouble as it is,"

"You've no idea," I answered, rolling my eyes. "Poor Kailey and Harry've had to deal with her for months now,"

"And how've they dealt?" Amanda asked curiously.

"Surprisingly well," Lily answered quietly, taking a sip of her drink, not looking at anyone but Rita. She looked back over to find Amanda giving her a doubtful look. "What?"

"And how is it that you know this?" she pressed, leaning forward.

"Amanda—" Nickie tried to interrupt.

"You've just appeared out of nowhere, you and your husband," she stated, glancing at James, whose face had turned to stone. Sure, it hid his emotions, but it was obvious he was hiding something. "And Remus, you don't have any relatives."

Remus quirked an eyebrow and looked over at me and Sirius as if to say 'well, damn.'

"So, who are you two really, then? And why have you two trusted them? You're supposed to be Harry's guardians," she accused Sirius and me quickly, still keeping her voice low.

I glanced back over to make certain that Rita and all her yellowy glory were still within view and a good distance away from us. Thankfully, she was accosting the goblins who had just been bothering Bagman, who was now being spoken to by the twins.

"Are you suggesting that I would allow harmful strangers near my godson? My nephew?" I asked just as quietly, raising an eyebrow at her. Amanda gave the tiniest sign of deflating when Nickie picked up the slack.

"Of course not, but don't you think we all might like to have an idea on who and why?" she requested bluntly. "It's not as though we're in wartime. No bloody dark lords are about to jump up from the grave and reclaim old powers,"

No dark lords, maybe…

"Are you admitting that these two are strangers?" Orion asked, looking straight at Lily and James, neither of whom had said one word nor made a move to do so.

A very heavy silence fell upon the entire table.

"I don't see how our relation completely concerns you," James answered finally. Lily fidgeted. "Are they not allowed to make new friends?"

"Friends are fine," Jeremy answered. "But why lie?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Lily asked after trading a look with James. I bit my lip in anticipation. Were they really about to do this?

"No, it isn't," Lexi disagreed, huffing a little bit. "You both seem too comfortable with the group,"

"Like you've known us for years rather than in passing two times," Nickie added, frowning. "It's odd, not to mention your obvious comfort with Harry,"

"As though the fame has zero effect on you, like you're not used to it, especially you, Johnny. I expected Sirius to be worse about it," Amanda added, folding her arms across her chest. "What is your secret?"

I found myself leaning forward in interest, despite already knowing what they were all talking about. The silence returned before we were all interrupted.

"Trying to ruin someone else's life?" my head snapped up to see Harry glaring angrily at Rita Skeeter who had just sat down with her camera man. She looked surprised and half the room fell silent.

"Oh, Harry dear! And Kailey too! How simply divine! Why don't the two of you join us—?"

"I thought we told you to stay away from our godson?" Sirius asked, standing up and heading towards the kids' table.

"Mr. Black! You're here as well? And Ms. McIntosh!"

"Merlin, you still can't get names right, can you? No wonder you get all your facts wrong, you don't even get names to begin with," I answered, not bothering to stand in favor of rubbing my forehead. "His name is Auror Black, and I'm a Professor, Ms. Skeeter," Jeremy and James chuckled at my condescending tone.

"Names are not always as important as…breed," she replied arrogantly.

"You should know, you old cow," I answered with a roll of my eyes.

She turned bright red. "One would think you would watch your tongue, Professor, lest the Ministry were to hear of how exactly this 'Auror' escaped his prison cell," Sirius' face turned red in anger and I noticed his hand twitching towards his wand.

"Is that a threat?" Orion asked, standing from the table to reveal his own badge. "Because I can show you to your own cell quite easily,"

"You might like to show that oaf at the castle who calls himself a Professor to one first. The readers don't seem to like a giant being so near their children," she shot back heatedly, realizing her quill wasn't quite good enough to beat our numbers.

"Who cares that he might be half-giant?" Harry shouted back, just as angry. "He's got nothing wrong with him!"

"Then perhaps you'd consider an interview?" she asked, spinning to face Harry again, looking over Sirius' shoulder. "Tell us of the real Hagrid, your friendship and why it even exists. Is he like a father, Harry?"

The sound of breaking glass alerted me to the fact that there was now mead all over our table. James shook his now bleeding hand out and wrapped it in several napkins.

"How dare you," Hermione seethed, standing from her own seat and stepping in front of Sirius, who held her back from going any closer. "Anything'll do for a story won't it? Doesn't matter whose life it is so long as you've ruined it! Never mind if it's a couple of fourteen-year-olds, a half-giant or an orphan! You're disgusting!"

"Professor, is this how you allow students to speak to their betters?"

I blinked and looked at Hermione. "Betters? Why, of course she wouldn't say such a thing to her betters! How ridiculous, she's perfectly spot on," I winked at her and some of the redness ebbed away from her face, though her expression was still murderous.

"Listen here, you little—"

Very suddenly there was a half of a flask of butterbeer hanging over Rita's head before it was unceremoniously dumped on top of her. There was shock throughout the pub for one moment before gales of laughter erupted.

Kailey stowed her wand away neatly before saying something to Sirius who nodded and the four of them left the pub without another word. Skeeter did her best to wipe herself clean with a napkin before ten more drinks with varying amounts of alcohol were dumped over her again. The laughter was renewed and the eleven of us exited the pub to head for the Hog's Head. I sent a patronus along to let Dumbledore know where Sirius and I were off to.

"Never thought the daughter of Severus Snape would play a prank," Lexi laughed as we walked in the door. The inn-keeper nodded to us before summoning his pot of floo powder and leaving it on the counter for us.

"The witch deserved it," Remus replied with a smirk.

"Agreed," Damien nodded. "Too bad your glass broke," he added, nodding to James, who was still holding his hand. He grimaced in reply. "Amanda, why don't you help the fellow out?"

"No!" I cried as she lifted her wand from her pocket as Lily gasped.

"Why not, Keena? It's a simple spell," the seasoned healer reasoned.

"It will lift the disguise," Lily whispered.

"Why don't we all head to Potter Mansion?" Sirius suggested after a rather pregnant silence. "We've been staying there," he added to the confused looks on several faces in the group as he reached for the floo powder on the counter and offering it to me first.

I brushed myself off as I stepped into the kitchen and found myself facing Binks, his hands folded behind his back as he swept into a deep bow. "Welcome back home, Mistress Keena,"

"Thank you, Binks," I replied, accepting a towel to wipe my hands off. "Could you prepare the dining room? We're to have some guests," I requested as the fire turned green behind me. "There will be eleven of us,"

He bowed and snapped his fingers and several more house-elves suddenly flooded the room and marched into the dining room carrying cleaning supplies and one elflet, Twinkle, carried a tray of tea and cookies. I turned to face Lily and Remus who were accepting towels from Binks.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Remus enquired as Lily's hand shook.

"It brings us one step closer to being able to live…normally. I want to give Harry as much normality as possible. Being ready has little to do with it," she answered quietly as James stepped through the fire.

"Keena, would you help us with the spells?" he asked before he was all the way through the grate.

"Of course, but I wouldn't recommend being transformed when they all arrive," I answered. "Binks can show them in, and Remus, you could meet them in the dining room?" he nodded and the three of us headed into the hall.

"Thank you," James said as soon as we were all assembled and I began removing the spells. I shrugged, trying to hide my smile. "What?" he asked, noticing my smirk and Lily gave me a curious look as her hair returned to a fiery red.

"It's nothing," I answered, trying to stop smiling.

"Liar," Lily grinned. "What is it?"

"It's just…I'm glad that you're letting them all know," I replied, now unable to harness my smile. I felt like a Cheshire cat. "There, all set," I said as I finished the final unmasking spell and smiling up at my brother, twirling my ring as I did so.

Lily gasped and I looked at her to see a dawning expression of understanding. The initial shock was quickly followed by a slightly guilty grin. I tilted my head in question and she rolled her eyes. "You're excited because of the wedding," she answered. I blushed and looked down. "That's it, isn't it? You were waiting on James and me,"

James snorted. "Why would you do that? We'd've been there no matter what,"

I huffed. "Maybe I wanted my brother and his wife to be there when I got married since my father won't and neither will my mother," Voices floated down the hall from the other room. It sounded like they were all questioning where the three of us had gone. "Shall I introduce you?"

James nodded as Lily slipped her hand into his.

I gave them one last smile before marching into the dining room. Remus and Sirius were on their feet, looking nervously determined whereas every other expression in the room ranged from suspicion (on Amanda in particular) to pure curiosity (mainly Lexi). Finally, Orion stood up.

"What is going on? Who are those people?"

"You may wish to take a seat," Remus replied, though it sounded as though he'd been repeating that mantra for several minutes.

"What we have to tell you is exciting, exhausting and highly illegal," I explained as Orion sat back down. "It has to do with Remus, Lily and mine's work at the Ministry, in the Department of Mysteries,"

"We were in Spell Inventions," Remus added. "That's why we were able to continue research after Lily and James had gone into hiding."

"You remember, Amanda, the day Neville Longbottom was born? He was dead," I said, placing my stare on her.

"Yes, I remember. You and Remus had something you wanted to discuss with me but you went straight to him instead. Like you knew something about his condition that we couldn't fix," she replied, her eyes narrowing in something akin to distrust. "And then you placed a spell on him, I don't know how, but he was alive,"

"You brought a child back to life? Is that what you're saying?" Nickie interrupted, sounding awestruck.

"Not just a child," I answered. "I also performed the spell on James, not ten minutes after his first death," I paused, allowing what I had just said to sink in before adding, "I was successful,"

Long chapter, and filled with a lot I think…and a semi-cliffy…sorry! I hope you enjoyed it and will happily review. Next up is 22!

:-D