A/N: I am sincerely hoping that everyone will get through the next two chapters without too much of a headache. Best of luck!


Minerva stood with her hands clasped behind her back, gazing across the flat landscape of her family grounds, brow furrowed even as the last rays of sunlight turned a distant line of oak trees a shade of crimson.

The sprawling sea of plains and fresh air did nothing to alleviate the coil of anticipation she felt in the pit of her stomach. There is nothing to be done now but wait.

"Mistress?"

The high voice caused her to turn, a familiar prickle indicating that her Animagus senses were active in helping her eyes adjust to the dark room.

"Yes, Olive?"

"The drawing room is prepared with all the materials youse asked for, Mistress," the Elf said respectfully, peering up at her.

"Did the wards require adjustment?" Minerva asked out of curiosity. Twenty-six people in the drawing room was quite a lot.

"Yes, Mistress. But Ise only moving them a little bit," the Elf replied. Large green eyes regarded her quietly. Minerva nodded.

"Thank you, Olive. I believe that should be all for now. Our guests should be arriving shortly," she replied. She made to gather her parchments, but paused when Olive remained, twisting her small hands lightly. Minerva raised an eyebrow.

"Mistress, is youse wanting a potion now or later?"

"I should think later… if you would please remind me to take one before I return to Hogwarts," she replied. A gentle press against her sternum indicated that the area was tender, but less inflamed, as she had done little today but paperwork.

Olive nodded, bowing at the waist before disappearing with a small pop!

Sighing softly, Minerva returned her gaze to the windows.

"Merlin, let us hope I am not being foolish."


"Blimey… you'd think we'd be used to that by now," Ron said despairingly, running a hand through his hair even as the familiar wave of nausea rushed through him.

I hate Portkeys.

Next to him, Harry made a grunt of agreement, his face rather green, while Ginny, who always recovered the fastest, was already giving a sweeping glance around the room.

"Wow… this is a really beautiful space," she said softly, eyes crinkling as a few of the Hogwarts professors on the other side of the room waved at them in greeting. Ron gave a smile that came out more like a wince, and he took a deep breath, placing a steadying hand on Harry's shoulder.

"I'm too old for this," he mumbled, drawing a snort of amusement from his friend. Ginny rolled her eyes.

A moment later Ron straightened. They were standing in a large formal drawing room, standing to one side of an extra long conference table that looked to hold over twenty people. Across from them, there was a large bank of high windows along the opposite wall that overlooked darkened grounds. Without the light, he couldn't place the landscape.

"Where d'you think we are?" Harry asked, voicing the question that was on all of their minds.

"Looks like an old Pureblood manor," Ginny said quietly, her eyes raking over the high copper ceiling and elegant chandelier above the table. Harry nodded in agreement, looking to the deep blue paneling along the walls behind them that were tastefully gilded without appearing overwrought.

There was another pop as two elegant witches in rich sapphire robes appeared and quietly looked around the room. Unconsciously, Ron found himself straightening in response, smoothing one hand over the front of his dark navy blue Academy robes self-consciously. Wonder who they are.

"Yes and no. It's not as pretentious looking enough. I would maybe guess Ol' McGonagall's manse by the look of the architecture, though I don't know anyone who's ever been there," Ron replied absently, still taking in the two beautiful women on the other side of the room. They stood quite close and while they didn't bear much resemblance to one another, something in their body language and close proximity suggested that they came as a unit.

"Wait… is that Hermione?" Harry had followed his gaze and was peering at the younger of the two witches rather directly. Ron felt a wave of embarrassment as Harry called their friend's name loudly, waving a hand for attention. However, he was surprised a moment later when a brilliant smile broke out across the witch's face and she moved to lean across the table between them.

"Hello Harry," the witch said softly. Ron blinked, unable to reconcile the familiar voice with the unfamiliar woman standing before him. A moment later, large caramel eyes turned to him and she smiled. "Hello Ron… Ginny."

"Blimey, it is you," Ron breathed, eyes widening as his mind worked to match his friend to the rather beautiful woman standing before him. His heart lifted. Hermione's lips curled slightly and she gave a light chuckle.

"It's been awhile," she replied evenly. Next to him, Ron heard Ginny make a small derisive sound. Hermione's eyes immediately flicked over, but rather than comment, her smile turned wistful and a moment later she was turning to the woman beside her.

"Master, if I may… these are three of my good friends from Hogwarts. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Ginny Weasley," she said rather formally, gesturing gently toward each of them. Ron gave a small smile, feeling uncharacteristically anxious as the elegant dark-haired witch turned her focus toward them.

"My apprentice has told me wonderful things about each of you," the witch said warmly, her full lips curling into an attractive smile. A moment later she gave a rather demure nod even as her startlingly light aquamarine gaze flicked between the three of them, sending a strange thrum through Ron's chest.

"Diamantina Kallas, it is a pleasure to meet you all in person."

The witch's accent was musical and while he couldn't quite place it, Ron assumed she must have been from somewhere tropical or warm. Both she and Hermione seemed rather tanned by comparison to everyone else.

They murmured their greetings and a moment later Ron was surprised when the two witches turned in synch and began moving to greet the others in the room. He had assumed that their friend would have joined them immediately, but a moment later it was clear that Hermione was intent on seeing her mentor through the introductions. He and Harry exchanged a look as Ginny folded her arms with a disbelieving bark of laughter, shaking her head angrily.

Ron tried not to feel slighted, and he gave his sister a light push on the elbow to uncross them.

"Hey. Don't make a scene, okay? This isn't the time," he said softly, trying to keep his own feelings out of it. Ginny rolled her eyes, letting her arms drop even as her posture continued to broadcast her anger.

"Yeah, whatever," she mumbled, still watching the two witches with a glare.

The elegant woman - Hermione's master, his mind supplied - introduced herself to Professors Flitwick and Sprout, Hestia Jones, and a tall wizard with bright white hair that Ron didn't recognize. Ron's brow furrowed as he watched his friend greet the other Order members elegantly, appearing to bridge the gap between their former teachers and her new mentor with a few choice phrases that had everyone chuckling.

Hermione was… different. A glance at both Harry and Ginny told him that the two of them were thinking the same thing, though, unlike Ginny's stormy expression, Harry appeared to be gazing after their friend with a tinge of pride.

A moment later they all turned again at another soft pop!, Harry smiling broadly even as their own mentor, Gawain Robards appeared, quickly striding forward to clap a hand on Ron's shoulder.

"Hey boys… Ginny," he said by way of greeting - reaching out to cuff Harry affectionately on the head. Dark blue eyes twinkled even as they quickly took stock of the room. "You didn't let them start the party without me, didja?"

"'Course not," Ron replied with a half-smile. It felt good to have Gawain there.

Their mentor chatted amicably with Ginny for a moment as they chose seats near the center of the long mahogany table which had been prepared with parchment, quills, and matching leather folders before each seat. Ginny circled around to sit on the other side, pulling faces as she greeted their other brothers, George and Percy who had been chatting in hushed tones.

His parents arrived a moment later followed by Hagrid, Sturgis Podmore, Bill and Fleur, and a stately witch that Ron didn't recognize, though the luminous lime green robes indicated that she must have been a Healer.

His ears perked up as he heard Professor Vector chatting with Hermione's mentor in a language he didn't recognize. A moment later the three witches chuckled softly even as the Arithmancy professor nodded at Hermione in affection, her small hands gesturing oddly. A moment later, Hermione blushed and appeared to give the woman a gracious bow before Professor Vector moved away.

Ron flushed when his friend's mentor suddenly locked eyes with him, her clear gaze rather startling as she appeared to watch him for a long moment while Ron froze, feeling a sudden rush of adrenaline pulse through his body - and then abruptly, the witch moved on… smiling absently as Hermione turned to greet Hagrid as he came up behind them and gave his friend a gentle hug.

Unsure of what to make of the moment, Ron filed it away before moving to take a seat next to Gawain.

"Anyone seen Minerva?" The wizard asked curiously, already pulling out a pair of reading glasses as he flipped open the leather folder. Ron pulled his forward, quickly glancing around to see others finding seats at the long table.

"Not yet, sir," he replied, eyes already taking in the carefully organized outline before him. Before he could read anything in earnest, Gawain snapped his fingers, pointing a hand at Harry.

"Exits?" Their mentor's gruff voice pinned Harry with the surprise question. Automatically, his friend looked up.

"Ah ah ah… don't look, Harry. Did you see, Ron?" Gawain repeated the question. Ron closed his eyes, trying to remember the layout of the room.

"Five. Two at the other end of the room, two in the corner right behind us, and one in the middle along the back wall. You could count the bank of windows, sir, though they don't appear to open," he said. Opening his eyes, he found his mentor nodding approvingly.

"Good boy," Gawain replied even as Harry made a noise of frustration. The wizard turned to his right and lifted a brow. "Never forget, lad…"

"Constant vigilance!" Their three voices said together and Ron saw Harry shake his head and chuckle as Gawain gave him fatherly clap on the shoulder. Across the table, Ginny's eyebrows were lifted in bemusement, though a moment later her face brightened and her green gaze slid past him. Ron turned in his seat to see that Luna and Neville had appeared.

"Hello everyone! I do hope we aren't late," Luna said in her breathy way. Neville looked around a bit anxiously, but a moment later the platinum-haired witch took his hand and led them both toward seats next to Ron.

"The Headmistress seems to have staggered the arrivals, so you're right on time," he replied, giving his friends a smile. Smart move. That many people arriving at once would be hell on the warding.

"Blimey, is that Hermione?" Neville asked suddenly, frozen mid-way to sitting. Ron followed his gaze, noting that his friend was sitting next to her mentor a bit farther down the table, the two of them eerily synchronized as they read through their materials quietly.

"She looks gorgeous," Luna said dreamily. Yeah, she does.

"I woulda thought she would have been sitting with you guys," Neville said quietly, fixing Ron with a questioning glance. He shrugged even as Ginny huffed.

"She doesn't have time for us anymore," his sister hissed bluntly, flipping a parchment aside impatiently. Inwardly, Ron sighed. If his sister wanted to be childish, that was on her.

"Perhaps she wants to help make her Mistress feel more comfortable... I would imagine it must be hard to meet so many new people at once," Luna replied thoughtfully.

Surprisingly, there was an amused chuckle to Ron's right. They all turned to Gawain who was shaking his head, his blue eyes flicking down the table toward the two women to their far left.

"Believe me, if there's any witch who can hold her own, it's Diamantina Kallas. And by the way, she goes by the title of Master… I'd, er… try not to forget that," he said.

"How d'you know her?" Harry asked quietly. Again, Gawain chuckled softly before sitting back and crossing his arms casually, looking over his glasses toward the witch in question.

"Beyond the fact that she was a member of the First Order for a time, she used to be a helluva live-wire when she was apprenticing beneath Minerva," he replied, mouth twisting into a smile.

Ron absorbed that information quietly while across the table, Ginny frowned.

"Hermione's master apprenticed beneath McGonagall?" she asked.

"Yes'm, I assumed that's how Miss Granger made that connection," Gawain replied evenly, giving a cheerful wave as Wickleffe Temple appeared alongside Percy, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Dedalus Diggle. He quickly turned, offering a hand as their other teacher strode over with a smile. Wickleffe's dark brown curls seemed a bit mussed.

Ginny muttered something under her breath and Ron sighed.

Everyone knew that the Mastery Societies were a complicated web of relationships and traditions. It seemed that some things were allowed to be common knowledge and others not, with very little apparent rhyme or reason. While it made little sense to him, it was the world that Hermione had chosen for herself. There were bound to be things in her life that she could no longer share, just as Harry and Ron were hoping to be sworn into the community of Aurors where secrecy was the way of life.

I wish Ginny would just recognize that instead of being such a massive pain in the arse...

He was distracted from his thoughts a moment later when two more witches appeared before the row of high windows and the ambient conversation level dropped momentarily.

Andromeda Tonks stood next to Narcissa Malfoy, and Ron fought not to broadcast his surprise. Hiding his reaction by stroking his beard, he sat back and saw a number of other faces registering their surprise and for a few, suspicion.

A moment later, however, everyone's attention shifted as the large oak doors at the other end of the room opened and Headmistress Minerva McGonagall strode through, looking calm and assured - her elegant emerald robes and aristocratic features betraying little indication that she had changed since Ron had last seen her, nearly a year and a half ago.

"Good evening," she said by way of greeting, nodding as a chorus of voices rose in answer. Even though the witch spoke rather softly, her voice seemed to carry effortlessly and Ron noted how the entire table seemed to lean forward expectantly. The mark of a natural leader, he thought.

The Headmistress folded her hands behind her back, standing behind her chair as everyone hurried to find a seat, turning slightly and settling in to give her their full attention.

The witch waited for the last bits of side chatter to die down before lifting her chin slightly.

"Each of you has received a letter outlining the seriousness of our meeting tonight. I thank you all for taking the time out of your lives to answer my summons and to consider the information I will present shortly. Though we may not all recognize each other, I wish to affirm my conviction and belief in each one of you… " The witch gazed around the table slowly, her green eyes meeting each person carefully, and as the familiar piercing gaze reached him, Ron felt himself straighten a little taller.

"It is my hope that you will keep an open mind throughout our meeting. The decisions to be made afterward are left to each individual. I make no secret of the fact that my information is incomplete, however I should hope we can agree on a mutual course of action to counter any effects of Darkness that seek to threaten our world and community."

The seriousness of the charge seemed to weigh upon the room and Ron glanced around to see everyone responding to the Headmistress' words with the same sense of resolve.

"Before we begin our meeting, I would like to take a moment to make a few specific introductions to our company and then I shall get down to business," the Headmistress said briskly, moving a chair aside and stepping into the chair at the head of the table. Her familiar silver spectacles gleamed in the bright candlelight and everyone waited as she pulled forth a parchment that appeared to have a list of names.

"Renata Montvoisin, if you would be so kind as to stand?"

The elegant witch in lime-green robes that Ron had noticed earlier slowly rose. She looked to be in her mid-sixties, with olive skin and tastefully coiffed white hair that somehow managed to set off the loud robes rather nicely.

"Some of you may recognize Renata from visits to St. Mungo's Hospital," Headmistress McGonagall explained, giving the witch a small smile. "Renata has long been an ally of the Order of the Phoenix and many of us at this table are indebted to her expertise. I have asked her here as a formal acknowledgement of her assistance to our cause over the years. Thank you, Renata."

"La Voisin," Wickleffe murmured softly, giving the witch next to him a cheeky smile as she sat gracefully. She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I've never heard that before," the witch replied sarcastically, earning a few chuckles. Ron frowned and Gawain leaned close.

"La Voisin was the nickname of a French witch who was burned for heresy in the seventeenth century," he murmured, sniffing lightly. "She specialized in poisons."

Ron's eyes flicked back to the lime-green Healer's robes and he nodded at the irony. That's gotta get old…

"Talfryn?"

To Ron's far right, the silver-haired wizard next to Hestia Jones rose with a flourish, giving a gallant little bow. Ron thought his silver goatee made him look like a rather pleasant evil genius.

"Mr. Hawtrey has taken over my post as Transfiguration Professor at Hogwarts, however prior to that appointment, he has completed a considerable amount of research abroad and is well-connected in many ways that cross international borders," Headmistress McGonagall explained.

The Hogwarts professors had taken over the right end of the table and they began murmuring amongst each other even as the wizard sat back.

"Master Kallas?"

Hermione's mentor stood calmly and once again, Ron found himself appreciating the petite witch's exotic beauty. While she seemed quite delicate wrapped in her royal robes, he found himself frowning slightly as something in her posture seemed to reveal a bit more strength. Nearly as mysterious as McG...

"Some of you may recall Master Diamantina Kallas from her participation in the Order during the First War. She and Apprentice Granger have traveled a long way, and they have graciously agreed to contribute their expertise to the discussion tonight."

Ron took note of the deliberate phrasing and slowly turned to exchange a meaningful glance with Harry. What if Hermione doesn't stay to help?

Harry's gaze seemed troubled.

"Narcissa?"

Automatically, Ron found himself glancing toward Hermione again, who was watching the blonde-haired witch rise with a remarkable amount of serenity that seemed to match her master's. Narcissa herself was looking exclusively at the Headmistress, her porcelain features set rather severely as if she expected to hear a chorus of protesting voices at any moment. Ron decided that he felt rather sorry for her.

"I have asked Narcissa to join us for a multitude of reasons, the least of which is for her unerring devotion to the side of Light despite assurances you may have perceived to indicate otherwise. Mistress Black has agreed to share important intelligence that will be discussed shortly."

He exchanged a subtle look with Neville, the both of them surprised by the intimation that the witch possessed a Mastery of some sort. Ron hadn't been surprised that Narcissa had decided to return to her maiden name, and surprisingly he found, it made him feel a bit more reassured at her unexpected presence.

"Very well, I believe we are all met." The Headmistress moved the sheet of parchment and opened her folder, everyone else at the table quickly moving to follow.

"Minerva, if I may?" Kingsley Shacklebolt's booming tones fell across the momentary silence and the witch nodded her assent to the wizard sitting to her immediate right.

Ron looked up to see the Minister of Magic rise, his large brown eyes already betraying tendrils of regret.

"I wished to express my deep condolences to each of you personally… upon being unable to formally accept the invitation to rejoin the Order," he began, gazing around the room. Ron felt his heart sink even as a number of heads were already nodding in understanding, his parents' included.

"Regretfully, I feel my position as Minister of Magic falls into direct conflict with the needs of the Order and while I am immensely grateful for Minerva's leadership and foresight, I think it will be best for all if I continue my duties in an official capacity so that there can be no question of the direction of the Ministry and the integrity of its Minister. I will do my best to ensure that the pathways will remain clear for your continued efforts, however I cannot in good conscience be in two places at once. I thank you all for your consideration of tonight's summons… Be well."

The tall wizard gave a firm nod and a small bow toward the Headmistress even as a number of people murmured their understanding and appreciation.

"Thank you, Kingsley." The Headmistress rose smoothly, her lips curving into an understanding smile and immediately Ron understood that she had already been appraised of the Minister's decision. They shook hands firmly.

Kingsley looked around the room once more before Disapparating with a crack.

Even as the wizard disappeared, Ron felt the energy in the room shift... there was a communal acknowledgement that whatever was about to be presented, it was either complicated or dangerous enough that their own Minister didn't want to be involved. He felt a prickle at the back of his neck and had to actively work not to shiver.

Swallowing a feeling of unease, Ron sat back and gave the Headmistress his full attention.