A/N: Alrescha is pronounced "Al-resh-ah." It's Arabic for "the rope." But that's not why Alrescha is named Alrescha. Maybe you can figure it out.

Major clues are in this.

The Scribe's Resurrection
Part Three: Chapter Twenty

Wednesday Evening, July 16, 1980

She'd written in code to Remus, telling him of the new baby that resided in the house, but not how she acquired it. And she told him of how she and Sirius weren't talking to each other. Remus wrote back, but Selena knew he did not know what advice to give.

Other than Sirius, Dumbledore, and Remus, no one knew where Lily and James were. Lily was about to give birth to her baby boy, and James wanted everything to go smoothly. Even the Longbottoms had fled from their home to Augusta Longbottom's house, feeling safety in numbers.

So now Selena dictated notes to a quill. She had decided to work from home, so she was working on an essay to submit to the head of her department, Rookwood.

Alrescha Polaris began to bawl. Frustrated, Selena turned to the bassinet and pulled out the baby.

"Shh, shh, now." Selena sighed. "Oh, sweetie, why won't you sleep? I changed you and gave you a bottle already... Shh, shh... I've got you. Mummy's got you." Selena pressed the child to her bosom, rocking her back and forth. But Alrescha fidgeted and kicked, fussy and attention-seeking.

Selena exhaled, looking down at the fickle child. Selena could not fawn over her and finish the essay on Spirit Separations by midnight. Rookwood had already been hesitant to give her a day more to work. An idea sparked in the young woman's head.

"Okay, Rescha, okay." Selena got up, putting on her slippers. "Okay, my baby." Selena walked out of the nursery and down the hall. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door of the bedroom she shared with her husband. She knew he was in there- he had ended his phase of melancholy music and depressed uncleanness. Now he was infatuated with books.

"Sirius?" Selena said lightly, switching the baby's position.

"Mm." Sirius looked up from a giant-sized literary piece. His hair was still long, but his face was shaven. His eyes seemed a little brighter.

"I need help," she confessed. "Could, could you take Alrescha for a little while? Only maybe an hour or two? Please? I need to get this letter done, and she just wants to be held... If you don't want to, you don't have to. I mean, never mind." Selena turned to go, but Sirius was already up and going to her. He held out his hands.

"Sure."

"Really? Oh thank you!" Selena eased the baby into his arms. Alrescha began to whine. "Ah, ah, baby doll, he's okay. Um, make sure you prop her head up. Don't allow her to go on her stomach for a really long time. She's fed and changed, so-"

"Go finish your paper."

"Thank you," Selena whispered. She left the bedroom, leaving Sirius with the baby girl.

Alrescha smiled a wide, toothless grin at him, but Sirius was unmoved.

"Alright, spawn of evil," he said. Alrescha stared with wide eyes, her nose flaring. "Merlin, Regulus made that face when I took his cookies, right before he... cried."

"WAAAAAAH! WAAAAH!"

"Oh, no, no. Don't cry, Alrescha, don't cry." Sirius moved back to the bed. Unsure of what to do, he repeated the same phrases that Selena used to soothe the child. "Hey, hey. What's a'matter? Who's the cutest baby in the whole wide world? You! Ah, c'mon sweetie. That's a girl!" Alrescha had closed her mouth, but she was still upset.

Sirius propped himself against the pillows and waved his wand to put the books away.

---

"Mmmwah!" Sirius kissed Alrescha. "You're my beautiful baby girl, aren't you? Daddy's little baby!"

"Whee!"

"Mmwah!" Alrescha cooed with happiness, and she turned her head towards the door when she heard it open. "Look, see, it's your mummy! Say 'Hi, Mummy!'" Sirius picked up Alrescha's arm, making her wave.

Selena felt like she had walked into another world. Instead of asking for the baby back, she hobbled over and sat next to them on the bed.

For a good half-hour, the young wife watched her husband and adopted daughter playing together for the very first time. Alrescha eventually got tired and fell asleep in Sirius' arms.

"I'll go put her to bed."

"Okay."

Sirius danced away with her, elated. He came back moments later and hopped into bed. He lay down with his hands folded over his chest. Selena still sat dumbstruck, but overjoyed.

"She is amazing! She looks like me, you know. They say looks skip a generation, but they can switch in the generation too. Alrescha's got my smile. Not my laugh, though. She laughs like me, but the sound comes out different. And she's getting so big! Did you see that cute little tummy? I mean, honestly she's definitely-"

"Sirius?" Selena looked down at her husband.

"Huh?"

Instead of giving an answer, she kissed him full on the mouth. When she pulled back, she found her husband staring at her weirdly.

"What was that for?"

"I'm proud of you."

"Thank you. I'm proud of you too. You've been taking care of Rescha all this time by yourself. Sorry, by the way."

"No, it's fine." Selena knew Sirius wouldn't be able to feel what she did. At least, not right now.

Selena sat for a second, then smiled.

"Oh ho, I know that look. You've got a nasty devil streak in you."

"I'm allowed to- our anniversary's tomorrow." Selena swung her leg over in order to straddle him.

"Goodness, it is." Selena bent down close to his face.

"I missed you."

"Me? Or did you miss my utterly provocative body?"

"Both."

"Hmm." Sirius' hands crept up her arms.

"Nope! Not this time." Selena stopped him, foreseeing his ploy to flip her over. She pinned his arms to the bed, leaning in to kiss him once more. In a flash, the scene changed. Sirius had moved so swiftly that Selena didn't notice she was heading to the bottom until she was already there.

"Unfair!" She mock-accused.

"Who plays fair?" Sirius didn't notice that his wife's hands rested on his belt buckle.

Saturday, August 2, 1980

"Hello, Neville! Hi! Aw, Alice, he's just so beautiful."

"Thank you; Alrescha's cute too!"

"Ahaha, yes." Selena looked down at the child, then looked at the other two babies in the room.

"Haaaarry, Harry," Sirius cooed. "Hello, mate."

"Isn't he just the most wonderful thing?" James sighed.

"And I'm his godfather." Lily and Alice conversed with each other, as did James, Peter, Frank, and Sirius.

"You did not adopt her," Remus whispered suddenly. "You told me you adopted her out of the blue. You liar."

"How'd you tell?"

"She looks exactly like Sirius." Selena sighed.

"She's Regulus and Darcy's."

"What happened to Darcy?"

"Voldemort Crucio'd her, knowing she'd die if he did."

"Merlin, I'm so sorry."

"It's alright." Selena didn't like to think about it. She swallowed.

"Ah-aaah!" Alrescha held up a limp arm.

"Oh, she wants you," Selena said to Remus. "Here."

"No, no. I, um..." The baby was placed in his arms. Remus blushed faintly, not knowing what to do. Alrescha Polaris smiled and squealed.

"Aw, she likes you!" Lily said, nodding in their direction.

"You think so?" Remus tilted his head.

"Of course."

"I don't know the first thing about babies..."

"Don't worry, Remus. You'll have one of your own someday."

"Psh, yeah, right."

"You will."

Thursday, December 25, 1980

Sirius walked into the nursery on Christmas morning to get his daughter. He found that Panache, Dash, Flash, and Effie were playing with her as Twinkles looked on. Sirius smiled and peered into the crib.

"Glad to see you're having fun, Alrescha."

"Dadadadadada."

"Yes, my baby?" Sirius lifted Alrescha out of her the crib as she giggled. Panache looked forlorn- there was no one to watch him now. Flash and Effie seemed to snigger at him.

"Dah!"

"Dah to you too."

Alrescha kicked and laughed as they went out of the nursery.

"So, are you ready to wake up Mummy? It's Christmas! Your very first Christmas!"

"Mumumumum."

"Yes. Mum." Sirius and Alrescha went into the master bedroom; Selena was asleep still. In a shushing gesture, he placed his index finger over the little baby's mouth. Alrescha's eyes widened and she pursed her lips. Her father kissed her black hair as he rounded the bed to face his wife.

Selena, lying on her side, twitched her nose while Sirius set the baby on the mattress next to her. Alrescha immediately began to crawl clumsily on her mother.

"Mmm..." On instinct, Selena cradled the baby, forming a protective shield.

"Mum," Sirius said quietly, poking Alrescha.

"MUMUMUMUM!"

"Ah, I'm up, okay?"

"MUMUMUM." The child crashed herself onto Selena's face.

"Alrescha." Selena sounded muffled.

"Hahaha," Sirius laughed and pulled the girl off Selena. "Good morning. It's CHRISTMAS!"

"WEEWAH!"

"Yes, it's weewah day."

"Weewah?" Selena asked groggily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Oh, come on, get up!"

"Okay!" She reached for her walking stick, which hopped its way to her left hand.

"Pop pop pop!" Alrescha grabbed Sirius' mouth.

"No, baby, I need my lips..." He bounced her up and down while Selena shook her head and went into the bathroom.

"Did you change her?" She asked with a toothpasty mouth.

"Er, no..." Sirius resented diaper-changing, but set the child on the bathroom counter anyway. Knowing what was going to happen, Alrescha began to fuss.

"No, no, no," Selena soothed, gently bopping her on the nose. She picked up a vibrantly colored ball and set it in front of the baby's face.

"Tah." Alrescha, mesmerized, grasped it.

"She's got such a short attention span..." Sirius muttered.

"So do you." He scowled.

"I want presents," he said, magically enforcing the diaper. Selena thought that this statement just proved her point.

"C'mon, let's see what's at the tree."

The young family ambled down the stairs to the Christmas tree. Sirius propped the baby up next to the tree, and Selena sat down next to her.

"Look, baby, look. Presents!"

"Ma moo?"

"Yes, ma moo..." Selena picked up a star-spangled one. "Look, this is from the Weasleys! Oooh, I wonder what it is, Alrescha!"

"BAH!" Alrescha took it, ripping the paper open. A knitted blanket rolled out, blinking with lights and dangling fuzzy balls.

"Ooooh," Sirius and Selena said together.

"Ooooh," Alrescha mimicked. She promptly put it in her mouth.

"Oh, baby, don't do that. I know you're getting teeth, but don't do that. You don't want to ruin it. I'll give you something else to chew on..."

"NO. Open my present first!" Sirius said to his daughter, picking up a box. Alrescha stared at him, as did Selena.

"It's alright, Daddy's just a nutter..."

The present turned out to be a teething object, something cold and squishy that Alrescha could put in her mouth.

---

Alrescha sat in her mother's lap, facing outward towards Dumbledore. She'd never seen so many people in her life, but she was too young to understand what was going on.

"We have a leak," Albus Dumbledore said plainly. "Someone is sending information to Voldemort." The room erupted in whispers.

"It's true," James said loudly. "Why else would only Frank and Alice be attacked out of an entire group of Aurors?"

"Be on your guard," Alastor Moody cautioned. "Any one of us now could be leaking information to Voldemort. If you aren't, then death might visit you at any time."

"Why say this now?" Emmeline Vance asked. "Why tell us someone's slipped?"

"Maybe they will stop." Dumbledore's eyes glided over them.

"Then it's not safe to continue our efforts," Alice said. "Not safe for us or our children. We've got little babies!"

"I know," Dumbledore murmured. A crease formed on his forehead; he clasped his hands and placed them to his mouth. "Someone- someone we know to be true- should hold our secrets."

"You and Moody," Sirius prompted.

"I agree," Minerva McGonagall concurred. "We know you both are loyal-"

"No," Moody said. "If we say this, then the leak, whoever he or she is, might attack or lead us straight to Voldemort. They've got to be pretty damn smart to keep on like this... And we don't know."

Selena knew this leak angered Moody to the very core, for he did not like to be hoodwinked.

"He's right," she spoke up. "We need someone who can't be fooled as well... Even though we're only human, and there is the possibility that we will, indeed, be fooled."

"I agree with Selena," Dumbledore said. "But what should we do?"

"I know," voiced Remus. "Dumbledore could be the head of everything, like he is now. But instead of telling us all what we're going to do, he should only give certain information to certain people... That way one won't know what the other is doing."

"This could work."

"No." Selena sighed. "I'm sorry, that's an excellent idea, Remus. But, see, what if he gives information to the leak? The leak is our friend! What if we blindly trust, thinking that this person would never lie to us?"

"Listen to no one but Dumbledore, then," James said.

"You all have such faith in me." A faint smile showed on Dumbledore's face. "What if I am the leak?"

Sirius laughed out loud, as did everyone else. But Selena did not laugh.

"He's right. He could leak too."

"But he would never! He- he's Dumbledore!" Dedalus Diggle said.

"I am only human."

"Deadlock," Lily murmured. "The only thing to do is quit completely... Or to keep going and wait for this person to slip up. Like Selena said, they're human, and they'll make a mistake. With all of us watching, they'll be more careful, and-"

"If people are too careful, they make awful mistakes," James finished.

"Yes."

"We should vote on what to do," Elphias Doge said.

A silence prevailed. Everyone glanced at each other, looking at them hard, as if this would tell them who was so unfaithful to the Order. Five minutes passed with these exchanges.

Selena bit her lip.

"Before we vote, don't think about who it might be. Think about what might happen if you vote a certain way!" She warned. "If we quit, and return to normal life, the leak might take the time to sell us to Voldemort. And if you think he won't find you... He will." She thought of Darcy. "He definitely will. We will forever want to eradicate any Dark Magic, so we will always be a threat. But if we continue, the leak will continue. We will have to fight more, suffer more losses. Bury more people. Until we find the key to Voldemort's demise."

"I... I want to go on," Frank said. "If I stop now- wait, I won't be able to. This is something we're all passionate about... We shouldn't have to stop just because there's a leak."

"Then we're keeping it alive, hun." Alice patted his arm and looked down at the baby in her hands. "No matter what happens to us."

"Are we agreed then?" Minerva asked. "We are going to keep going, regardless of what's going to happen?"

"Yes."

"I'm in."

"Got nothing better to do."

"Nothing else I can do," Selena heard Remus mumble. She lifted her arm and tapped his fingers lightly, letting him know she had heard him.

"Alright. This meeting is adjourned. Feel free to enjoy the food."

"Yesss!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Boo?"

"Yes, food," Sirius said, picking up Alrescha. "Let's find you something to eat, eh?"

"Boo."

"Selena," Dumbledore called. "Can you come here a moment?"

"Sure." Selena hobbled across the room and sat down in a chair next to the Headmaster.

"Tell me who it is," he said urgently, hushed.

"Excuse me?"

"Tell me who the leak is."

"I can't, sir, you know that." Selena's voice was lowered.

"I have such a bad feeling."

"I know. I do too."

"You know my informant?"

"Yes, sir." Severus Snape popped into her mind's eye.

"He told me something disturbing."

"Sir?"

"Voldemort knows of that prophecy we put in the Hall."

"No," Selena whispered, moaning. "Neville and Harry..."

"Yes."

"Oh, God."

"I thought that if we kept it quiet... Who told Voldemort?"

"My informant. He couldn't have known it meant Neville or Harry."

"I know. That must be killing him inside- it's a fifty-fifty galleon toss. It could be Lily's son."

"I fear for his reaction if it is so."

"He still loves her?"

"Love never dies. Not really."

"Poor dear... Oh, Harry. Oh, Neville."

"We need some powerful magic, Selena."

"I have found that there is no magic that erases the evil seed living within man."

"It lives in us all."

"And that's what scares me half to death." Selena paused. "But I know who is not the leak."

"Who?"

"Lily and James and Frank and Alice. They can't be."

"How are you so sure?"

"Because Voldemort needs an informant who won't kill their own child."

"What if he hasn't told them about the prophecy?"

"It can't be Frank and Alice- they were attacked. And James and Lily have hearts of pure gold. They're least likely to sway. They're too strong, Albus. I fear that the strength of the others will be tested. Will they crumble? Or will they rise up and be mown down, like Gideon and Fabian?"

"Either way, they will die."

"Yes, sir. They will die."

"And you won't?" He looked at her hard.

1:07 AM, Early Friday, December 26, 1980

"Hello, love." Artemis had swooped in through the window, bearing a letter. He hooted, nipped Selena's finger, and flew off.

The woman unsealed the envelope, finding it was from Gringotts.

We have received definite notice that Darcy Vega Knox has indeed passed away, and we have her will on record. You, Selena Nisha Riviera, have been entrusted with the entire contents of her vault, along with a house and her entire fortune. Selena read on, and fixed her eyes on some rather interesting statements. Your inheritance will not be disclosed to the Daily Prophet, though Miss Knox was very well-known. We will try to keep the Daily Prophet away from your affairs, as this is part of our Gringotts Policy.

Selena sat back and clucked her tongue, thinking deeply about why Alrescha Polaris wasn't the heir to this legacy. But when she gave it enough thought, Selena was sure that the only people who knew that Alrescha was indeed Darcy's baby would have to be the Archival Division of the Ministry. And the Archives were on Level Ten, which was only accessible through Level Nine, due to the secrecy surrounding history. And of course, that nifty quill Professor McGonagall had would definitely have Alrescha down for Hogwarts.

She sighed and turned back to her journal.

Oh, who could this leak possibly be? I mean, it sure as hell isn't Sirius or Remus. And it's not Alastor... Oh, I can't think. Maybe the leak really is that good. I just don't want Harry or Neville to suffer. I'm going to bed. Maybe dreaming'll clear my mind. Sincerely-"

The signature appeared on the paper.

Ending Author's Note: Oh man, this took so long, and it's SO SHORT! I was stuck, I really was. I'm so, so sorry. But now, I'm not stuck. I'm sorry. And I'm even on Winter Break, too!