"Holy SHITE! Where the hell did that come from!" Aaron shouted at the same time he tried to whisper the words. Harry would have laughed but he just sat there hovering on his broom in shock. They were watching as a second year tiny little thing completely annihilate every beater challenge Vaisey and Urquhart could think of. Catherine Rowle was twelve year old born to both a squib father and mother, her mother was a from a prominent pure-blood family from Australia. They met in the United States where they both moved to early on.

"You can close your mouths now," Cat quipped sarcastically.

"Cat where the hell did you learn that?" Ginny asked and the boys on the team just nodded along.

"You know both my parents are squibs right and I'm American?" They nodded. "Well dad's favorite sport is baseball. Since I was five I've been playing fast-pitch softball, basically the girl equivalent and the better one," she smirked.

"I saw one of those games on TV, before Dudley changed the channel that is," Harry said.

"Yeah well the U.S. rocks at it and were totally going to take the gold during the Olympics this year."

"Can you show us a pensive memory of some games, so we know how you got this good," Harry suggested as most of the team including himself were still rather clueless.

"Sure, sure."

"Alright try-outs over!" Vaisey yelled, "You got the job practice is Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays."

"Sweet this help with my training," She stated and at their looks explained, "I want to go back and play in college, no offense but this world really sucks for my parents." They nodded all knowing how pureblood families react to squibs especially the Rowle family.

"How did try outs go," Daphne asked later that night as they were in their own common room. Daphne was running her hands through Harry's hair as he lay with his head in her lap. She was reading an ancient runes' text given to her by Professor Babbling, it was an ancient Egyptian text that showed runes being used it different aspects of farming. Daphne was excited to try and adapt them to her family's greenhouses.

"Good Cat Rowle is the new beater and insanely good. I think Jess is jealous," Harry snickered.

"Andromeda wrote back to Neville she contacted a few clients she knows and found a squib neurologist whose going to take over treatment of Neville's parents. He's going to contact a psychologist he knows also. Neville gave permission in the letter to Andromeda to give his parents files if she found a doctor. He suspects they may have retreated into their minds from pain among any other problems."

"That's great!" Harry said sitting up a smile stretching across his face for his friend.

"Yes but Neville's grandmother isn't thrilled with trusting muggle or squib doctors," Daphne sighed. "Neville already okayed it though and his parents are being moved to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery already. Apparently Lady Longbottom is less then pleased she sent a howler to Neville. Susan sent Amelia a letter to try and have her talk to Lady Longbottom."

"But he's trying to have them helped," Harry started. "What the bloody hell could she have to say against that!"

"Lady Longbottom grew up in a time where squibs were supposed to be silent non-entities who accepted their lot in life and worked for the family. Squibs like the neurologist Andromeda found were treated like Andromeda and Sirius, cast out and forbidden contact."

"Stupid bloody fucking purebloods," Harry said getting up off the couch and standing with his arm on the mantel of the fireplace. Daphne got up and wrapped her arms around his chest from behind and gave his shirtless back a kiss. Before laying her head up against his back.

"Different generations, babe," Daphne said quietly, "same as in the muggle world.

"I know I just don't get how people piss family away," He turned and brought Daphne into his arms, "Come on let's go to bed." They walked to the bedroom with Harry's arm wrapped around Daphne.

"Awe how cute," Aiolos hissed sarcastically from where she was curled on the couch.

"Jealousss," Harry hissed back with a smirk.

Aiolos sighed, "I need to get laid."

"HOLD," Sirius yelled out to the DA who were fighting in mock duels. Half were fighting, the other half were watching and taking notes. Fighting was exactly the right word for what they were doing too, they were not dueling. Severus and Sirius both had drilled it into them this past semester that Death Eaters, didn't bow, take ten paces, or wait stupidly for their opponent to throw a spell.

"Who can tell me what Dean here did perfectly and what Michael Corner did wrong," Sirius asked. He was standing next to Dean who was in the process of getting up off of Michael Corner., who was unconscious on the ground.

"Perfectly! He cheated," Stephen Cornfoot exclaimed. Sirius just looked at him like he was stupid as did some of the others in the room, most were either muggleborn or half-bloods. The other purebloods looked like they were in agreement with Cornfoot. Harry tried not to laugh as Sirius woke up Corner and healed him; he mostly fainted from the sight of the blood coming out of his nose. Sirius asked him the questioned but Michael looked rather outraged himself.

"Seamus your snickering along with my godson tell me why?"

"Cause no Death Eater's goin' to give a rats arse 'bout cheating," Seamus said.

"Five points to Gryffindor. Now Dean here did exactly what every single one of you should do if you're disarmed and have a Death Eater gloating over you. Beat the crap out of him! You never stop to gloat while your opponent is still awake or alive or there our spells flying around you! Corner go run some laps, Dean give him his wand back." As Sirius spoke a track appeared and Corner sighed wanting to curse his damn pride, laps sucked. He had Dean's wand but stood over the cocky Gryffindor to gloat only to find himself with his legs kicked out from under him and Dean pummeling him in the face.

"Alright let's switch it up." Sirius called and the students taking notes walked over to get their sparring partners from Severus. Severus had a tendency to pair up students that had disagreements during the week, this had one expected advantage and one unexpected advantage. The expected one was that the students took the duels more seriously than if they were dueling their friends. The unexpected one was leaving many of the professors happy, duels over girls or guys, or just petty disagreements weren't being fought illicitly instead the students waited for the Friday meeting of the DA to duke it out. Severus and Sirius made sure the students understood that all arguments ended after Friday duels.

The only students who weren't permitted to duel others were the New Marauders, they could only duel amongst themselves separate from the group. Occasionally Severus and Sirius paired up two or three of the regular DA students against one of the New Marauders. Those duels tended to be a learning experience for the DA and helped the students to realize sometimes it was better to cut and run than keep fighting. So far the DA had learned to dodge, summon silently, stun silently, and shield silently using protego, orbis protego, and revenio protego, which set the curse back at the caster. They had learned only a few offensive spells, ones that were easily cast back to back, confrigo, defodio, diffindo, expelliarmus, impedimenta, reducto and bombarda. They were being taught to get creative with their spells during duels. Using simpler spells that Death Eaters wouldn't bother shielding or even paying attention to once cast, the twins were the best at it using spells around their opponents that were time release or seemed absurd until the effect took place. Sirius had taken the twins under his wing and was training them outside of DA.

"Gather round," Sirius called out to the DA. "Since this is the last meeting before break we figured you could have some fun. We going to have a game of capture the flag." With that the room changed around them, they were standing in a clearing and either side of them was a forest that reminded them of the Forbidden Forest. "In the forest on either side is a cabin you can put your flag in there and come up with your game plan."

"Nominate your captains," Severus said and immediately voices rang out.

"Hadrian or Harry," came from a majority of the voices.

"Aaron," came from Harry. Aaron rolled his eyes at Harry having called out Harry's name.

"Angelina," was called by Katie Bell, Alicia, and the majority of Gryffindors.

"Rodger," was called by some of the Ravens and Puffs that hadn't called Harry's name.

Severus, "Do you four want to be up for captain?" All but Vaisey nodded. He wrote the three names on a board that appeared and took a vote. "Hadrian and Miss. Johnson are captains." They picked their teams with Angelina going first and selected Fred.

Harry smirked at her, "George. You didn't really think I let you have both of them?"

Angelina let her anger get the best of her and picked, "Daphne." Daphne sighed as she joined the side with Fred and Angelina.

"Ready to lose babe," Harry quipped as she walked past him; she stuck her tongue out at him. "Blaise."

"Calm down Angelina," Daphne muttered to her captain, "he's trying to make you angry." They continued on and off until everyone was on a team, Harry choosing more for strategy while Angelina picked her friends more often than not.

"Alright here are your flags," Sirius handed over a white flag to each captain, the flags changed in their hands. Harry's flag turned green and had a king cobra coiled around a lightning bolt. Angelina's changed to gold and had a lion roaring with a wand and broom crossed underneath the lion.

"You may only stun your opponents," Severus spoke, "once stunned you will have a minute to revive your downed teammate, if they are not revived I or Professor Black will escort you from play. Your flag must be placed where the other team may retrieve it. You have twenty minutes to plan your strategy," He dismissed them to their sides.

Harry led his team quietly through the woods and about five minutes in came to the cabin. It was a simple, one story, ranch style cabin that was empty in side save for a fire place. Harry smirked when he saw it and took the flag casting a fireproofing charm on it, used to protect jewelry and important documents. Harry placed the flag on the back wall of the fireplace and stood back.

"Incendio," flames roared to life in the fireplace. "Alright were going to split up into three. One group led by Blaise is going to be on defense of the flag. Blaise feel free to use your illusions in different rooms in the cabin. I want Rose, Selene, Ernie, and Su on defense with Blaise. If the flag is taken cast the caterwauling charm to let everyone know. Go set up." Harry turned to those left and smirked as he lead them out of the cabin, "The second team is going to be in the woods the main goal is to take out Angelina's fighters. Aaron you're in the lead, I want you Alicia, George, Ginny, Astoria, Aiofe, Gwenth, Luna, Susan, and Terry to man the woods. George do you have any of your prank stuff on you?" He nodded. "Good they said only a stunner can take out the other team but they didn't say we couldn't get creative with it. I want all of you disillusioned and to set traps for them. Alicia any tips on how she'll attack?"

"Well with Daphne and the others knowing on you think, she'll probably focus on attacking in numbers. She'll split between the flag and attacking with more on the attacking side," Alicia replied.

"That's what I thought. Alright she favors the Hawkshead formation in Quidditch. She'll probably come in at a vee formation now so set up accordingly. We've got ten minutes get to it." They nodded and Aaron and his crew took off with Aaron who was giving orders.

"Alright Draco, Nev, you guys ready to do this," Harry asked as he started leading them through the forest, far right off of the cabin. He was working with the theory that the other teams' cabin was directly opposite their own.

They walked in silence until they reached a spot near the main clearing but still in the woods. They could see Angelina's team spread out around their side of the clearing. Harry held up his hand and the three Slytherins stopped and knelt hidden by a cloister of trees and shrubs. "My guess is she left the Marauders on her team as defense, so we've got Hermione, Hannah, Theo, Astoria, Tracey, and Daphne at least."

"Only, I counted the fighters on this side of the vee, put together with the other side leaves only six of them guarding the flag," Draco spoke quietly.

"We've got two minutes," Neville said watching the timer above the trees set by Severus.

"Alright disillusion charms and silencing charms," Harry whispered. "We let them pass our fighters can take them out. For us we stay hidden, once we get the cabin in sight we'll make a new plan, only stun someone if you have to and do it point blank we don't want the flash to give us away." They nodded and all three cast the spells they sat disillusioned in the trees, Neville and Draco on either side of Harry.

The timer stroke zero and Angelina and her fighters started moving forward slowly. When they all reached the clearing they paused for a moment as if wondering why no one fired on them yet. They kept moving and slowly the fighters passed by the trio who kept still and silent as the last in the line on their side, Zacharias Smith passed. Harry silently lit the tip of his wand red and the trio moved forward and into the clearing. They silently moved and heard a girlish shriek come from behind them.

Neville snorted quietly, "Lavender." They kept moving swiftly and silently, had anybody been watching closely they would have been able to see the strange distortion that came with moving while under the charm. The distortion lessened as they came into the trees on the other side of clearing. They moved quietly and swiftly through the woods picking their way through making sure not to step on twigs or leaves. About twenty yards out from the cabin they stopped, no one was in sight. They knelt in formation still with Harry in front of the two others; Harry watched the environment for a few minutes.

Harry smiled to himself and quietly cast, "homenum revelio," on the area. The area around the cabin lit up with six red outlines, two were up in the trees about ten yards from the cabin. "Shit, lay flat," Harry muttered. He relaxed though when he noticed they only circled within ten yards. The owl landed to the right of the cabin while a small gyrfalcon landed to the left of the cabin.

"Daphne put up some wards, probably an alarm and a minor protection ward. Both Hermione and Astoria are in the trees," Harry whispered.

"Ten yards or so," Draco said just as quietly, "for the wards. They're staying in side of the trees they land on."

"We need to find the rune wards she put up," Harry said.

"My guess is the trees they're on," Neville said.

"To easy, think Slytherin Nev," Draco commented.

"I could send them out but we need to take out the birds first," Harry smirked.

"They're gonna kill you for that," Neville chuckled.

"They are birds at the moment."

"Mmhmm try that for a defense," Draco snarked.

"Whatever, focus," Harry muttered.

"Harry do you have your dad's cloak," Neville asked?

"Yeah."

"Transform into Bay and we'll stick the cloak to you, find the runes while we take out them out."

"What about my smell? Bay's a bigger predator then them."

"I've got a pack of dung bombs," Draco suggested.

"That'll work," With that Harry took his dad's cloak out of his pocket and handed it to Neville. He transformed into Bay and they threw the cloak over him and stuck it to him, with his snout barely showing. Bay took off with his nose to the ground while Draco and Neville moved quickly through the trees. They separated and tossed the dung bombs into the space around the trees. The birds if possible made a look of disgust and circled the cabin perimeter but saw, smelt, and heard nothing so they went back to the trees they were sitting on. When they landed twin jets of red light struck each of the birds. Draco gently floated Astoria in her gyrfalcon form down to the ground while Neville scrambled and caught Strix as she floated down.

They moved quickly from the trees incase those inside of the cabin saw the light. They moved to the front of the cabin and waited for Harry to do his thing and scent out the wards. A few minutes later a faint blue shimmer was seen briefly marking the fallen wards.

Draco jumped a little as something cold and wet hit the back of his neck. He turned and saw a floating nose. "Nice Harry." They un stuck the cloak and it fell off showing the large grey wolf that was Bay with his tongue lolling out of his mouth. Bay lay flat against the ground and transformed back. Harry replaced the disillusion charm and sat by his friends.

"So kick in the front door, three prong attack, or Santa style?" Harry asked with a grin.

"Santa style?" Draco and Neville both asked like he was nuts.

"The chimney," Harry said in a voice that clearly stated how did you not get that.

"I say two through the front door and one through the back window," Draco said ignoring Harry. "So who wants to go through the window?"

"I'll do it. It'll be spelled but I can get it open muggle style without alerting them," Harry volunteered.

"I say we blow the door Gryffindor style and give Harry a better chance at slipping in," Neville said with a grin.

"You just want to blow something up," Draco quipped.

Neville waggled his eyebrows, "Your point?"

"Right lets use the deprimo spell, it gives off smoke when it blows."

"See you inside," Harry said before moving off to the back of the cabin. Draco and Neville slunk next to the ground and took up positions on either side of the door. They waited a few minutes for Harry to get in place before Draco cast the reavling spell once more, highlighting their targets. Neville sent the spell at the door and it blew into the cabin, they entered immediately casting and dropped Tracey and Hannah.

Harry used his knife that he always kept on his person and popped the screen off the back window. He used his knife blade to prop up the window enough to slip a wire into it and hook it on the old fashion window lock. He heard the blast and snickered as Daphne moved in front of the rooms' door that was open; the flag was in the room he was currently breaking into. The lock clicked and he slid it open all sound masked by the duel now taking place. Harry slipped in and quickly moved behind Daphne. He pressed the tip of his wand to her neck and cast the stunning spell, catching her as she fell. Draco was unconscious and Harry quickly revived him and cast at Theo's turned back.

"Incarcerous," the chains shot out of Harry's wand and wrapped around Theo as Neville disarmed him. The look on Theo's face said it all.

"You guys suck," Theo said as he was stunned by a smirking Draco. The three teens moved back into the room that Harry broke into and took the flag.

"Aw shite!" Neville said as he picked up the flag and a siren blared around them. Harry quickly conjured a copy of Angelina's flag.

"Neville give it to Draco," Harry said as they were moving through the cabin. "Transform and fly it back." Draco nodded took the flag and turned into his own gyrfalcon form and took off. "Race ya back," Harry smirked at Neville.

"Go!" Neville said as he took off running.

"Hey I'm the Slytherin, I'm supposed to cheat, you cheater," Harry called after his friend and took off running. About halfway back they ran into Malcolm, Gram, and Rodger. They quickly through up shields, Harry's a reflecting one. As the spell reflected Harry silently cast a banishing charm behind it propelling the curse back at Gram with blinding speed. Harry turned to face Rodger while Neville faced off with Malcolm. Neville quickly overpowered Malcolm while Harry played with Rodger until the scenery faded around them and Sirius's voice was heard.

"FREEZE!" Sirius called, "POTTER WINS!"

"What he still has the flag," Rodger called back pointing to the flag in Harry's hand. It vanished as he spoke and Rodger turned back to Sirius and the others to see Draco wave his flag at him. "Bugger."

"Very well done, Harry's team lost seven competitors while Angelina's lost all but seven when their flag was taken." Sirius said happily as everybody was revived and gathered together in the room once more. "Now for the winners," Sirius said and gestured for them to listen to Severus.

"The winners are exempt from the potions and defense against the dark arts homework assigned over the holiday break," Severus said though he looked pained to do so but then he smirked, "The losing team must write an extra essay on creative uses of spells." The winners gave a cheer and everybody started talking at once and leaving the room in groups of friends.

Harry felt odd he was on his belly and moving through a cold black hallway. It seemed somewhat familiar to him but for the most he couldn't figure out what was going on. He moved pushing himself along, he was sleek, powerful, and fast. Everywhere he looked were vibrant color shapes but only shapes nothing very defined.

Suddenly he stopped there was a man ahead of him in the hallway. His tongue flicked out tasting the air for a scent not recognizing it. Harry suddenly realized as the forked tongue appeared in front of him, he was pulled into Voldemort's twisted mind. Fuck, ran through his mind as he once again became aware of Voldemort's thoughts. He was debating leaving the man alone and continuing with his master's plans. Harry internally furrowed his brow at that thought; he was moving closer to the man and could hear not only hissing but speech. He realized the man was talking to himself.

"Damn, bloody, all nighters," The man muttered as he stood in front of some rotating doors, one of the doors stopped in front of him. "No damn it, I don't need the prophecies. I need the library mysteries. Stupid doors." The man raised his hand and flicked his wand and doors rotated faster. He sighed and turned on his feet to pace when he stopped dead looking at Harry. Harry struck and sunk his fangs into the man, repeating the strike faster than he could comprehend. The man crumbled to the floor and Harry got a glimpse of himself in the reflective door, Nagini. Nagini/Harry moved off to push open a door when she jerked back, the man was moving.

"Diffindo," The man bleeding and broken on the floor fired the spell at the snake. The snake let out a screeching hiss as spell cut into her tail section, slicing it wide open. The snake turned and fled.

Harry shot up in his bed sweaty, disoriented, and panting. His breathing was slowing as the room around him stopped swimming.

"Harry!" Daphne came into view worry written all over her face. Behind her stood Professor Snape looking equally concerned in his students' private room.

"I got pulled in again to Voldemort's mind,' Harry started blinking his eyes a few times to clear his thoughts. "Only I was in Nagini's body and mind too, she attacked someone. I'm not sure where but the man was talking about prophecies, the library, and there were rotating doors."

Severus cursed to himself before conjuring his patronus, "expecto patronum," the doe turned to Severus waiting. "Amelia, Nagini attacked someone in the Department of Mysteries hallway." He sent the doe on his way and turned back to Harry. "Is she still there?"

"I don't think so; she got hit with a cutting curse after turning her back on the man. I don't know how but he managed one hell of a curse after that attack. Nagini bit him multiple times. Nagini was looking for something. She wanted to get something for him."

"The Prophecy," Severus answered, "he doesn't know the whole thing."

Daphne snorted, "So he's wasting his time going after some two bit alcoholics' prophecy that doesn't even say anything useful and would be completely absolutely irrelevant had Dumbledore done his job and taken out Voldy forty years ago!" Daphne spat out her words with contempt and both Harry and Severus looked at her in a bit of awe.

Finally Harry started laughing, "Thought about it much."

Daphne pouted, "Well it's true," she huffed.

A large dog patronus came into the room and Amelia's voice was heard, "We found him, it was Unspeakable Bode. He's been taken to St. Mungo's, we've heard nothing about his condition yet. Nagini's gone and nothings missing."

"Here," Severus said holding out a potion and at Harry's look added, "Small dose, you have to be on the train tomorrow." Harry nodded and downed the small amount of dreamless sleep before falling into a dead sleep.

"Happy Christmas," Harry murmured as Daphne's eyes fluttered open as he pressed light kisses to her face.

"Happy Christmas," Daphne quietly replied back letting Harry amuse himself with pressing kisses to her face and neck. She giggled quietly as he moved to her neck.

"I have a present for you," Harry said with boyishness evident in his voice that was hardly ever heard. He rolled over in their bed and opened a drawer on his bedside table. He pulled out a thin jewelry box. He handed the box over to Daphne and watched as she opened it. Daphne gasped as she opened and pulled out a charm bracelet that was made of sapphires and emeralds, it had a clasped that was a Celtic lover's knot and dangling from the bracelet were two platinum wolf charms. As Daphne fingered the bracelet gently Harry spoke, "It's tradition in our family to give a bracelet for the first Christmas gift after a marriage. I read about it in my dad's journal, it's supposed to signify something with meaning to the couple.

"Harry it's beautiful," Daphne said tearing up a bit as Harry took the bracelet and clasped it on her wrist. Daphne reached up and pulled his face to his and pressed her lips to his. Harry moved his arms so that they pulled Daphne firmly to him. He leaned them over as they kissed and moved a top Daphne and slipped his tongue into her mouth.

*POP* They both jumped and separated at the noise. They turned towards the end of their bed where a smirking house elf stood.

"Erm hmm," Nips cleared his throat, "Young Miss Astoria is threatening to come in and wake you up if you're not down stairs in two minutes." Nips smirked again before popping out.

Harry groaned, "I'm not getting him any more gifts." Daphne giggled as they separated and got dressed before going down to join the others to open gifts.

The weekend after Christmas brought two visitors to Potter Manor in the form of Cadmus and Connie Hammer.

"Unspeakable Hammer, Auror Hammer, welcome back to Potter Manor," Daphne greeted them as they stepped out of the floo.

"Cadmus and Connie are fine Mrs. Potter," Connie said with a smile.

"I would return the favor but you're the first person to call me Mrs. Potter. I rather like it," Daphne said with a dreamy look that made the Hammer's chuckle.

"Ah Madam Minister how's the pregnancy coming?" Cadmus said when Amelia walked into the entrance hall.

Amelia scowled, "I'll be damn happy when the elections are over and when I stop throwing up every damn morning," she muttered before turning and walking out.

Connie snickered at her boss's retreating form, "Told you not to ask." Cadmus blanched a bit and walked ahead of Daphne and Connie. "She's still throwing up?"

"Not as much but yeah, Sirius is just happy she stopped throwing up because of his aftershave." Daphne laughed as they joined the others who were gathered in the training room. Only Severus, Blaise, and Belladonna were over currently the other New Marauders spending time with their families. Blaise and Harry were sparring with swords in the middle of the room with Godric giving pointers as was Xavier. Evelyn and Belladonna were dueling in one half of the room. Sirius was working with Astoria and Susan on some of their spell work. Amelia was observing with Cadmus when Daphne and Connie entered just behind them.

"As much as enjoy your company," Cadmus started loudly enough for them all to hear, "this unfortunately isn't a social call." Everyone stopped their actions even Godric who was the only one in the painting of himself and Salazar. "We found something in Rodolphus LeStrange's head."

"Why don't we move to the library and I'll get Severus," Harry suggested sheathing the sword of Gryffindor in its holder currently strapped to his waist. Severus was working in the lab with Salazar on a potion for the last year; neither would tell anyone what it was.

Harry quietly knocked on the door so as not to startle Severus, "Severus," he called opening the door a bit even though it was his lab.

"Come in Hadrian," Severus said as he placed the potion under stasis.

"Cadmus Hammer is here. He has some news involving the LeStrange we still have in custody. We're meeting in the library," Harry said the last towards Salazar. As Harry and Severus walked to the library Harry asked, "Are you ever going to share the potion you two have been working on?"

Severus smirked knowing the curiosity was getting to his student, "We're getting close to having a viable potion to test, though we need a subject. It should only be a month or so more before we can test it. Afterwards I'll share it; right now I should not want to get anyone's hopes up." Harry looked at his Mentor curiously but was prevented from saying anything as they were at the library.

"Good, Snape we'll need your opinion on this," Cadmus said as they entered. Harry perched on the arm of the chair Daphne sat in while Severus moved to take a seat next to Belladonna. "Now what I tell you here now about some of our operations will be denied if a word of it ever gets out to the public, understood?" Cadmus looked sternly at all of them in the room including Amelia. After getting a nod from everyone he continued, "We have certain unspeakables that specialize in the mind magics, legimency and occulmency. We've been having them work on Roldophus for the last few months. Last week they came across a memory that they largely discarded but struck me as curious. The memory was of his wife Bellatrix placing the cup of Hufflepuff into the Lestrange vault at Gringotts." Severus sucked in a breath making the connection right away. The others looked at Cadmus in confusion so he continued, "In 1945 Hepzibah Smith was murdered supposedly by her house elf, missing from Smith's vast collection were two items Hufflepuff's cup and an old locket with an 'S' inscribed on it. With the cup being in Rodolphus's memory I did some digging and found that Hepzibah Smith was a frequent customer at Borgin & Burkes. At the time of her death she had befriended a clerk at the store who showed interest in her collection, the clerk's name was Tom Marvolo Riddle."

"Shite," Harry summed up everyone's feelings with that one word as he put it together.

"Language," Belladonna, Evelyn, and Amelia all said at once to which the teens present rolled their eyes.

"Considering one of ol' Voldy's horcruxes is locked up in Gringotts, the most secured place in England, I think shite is appropriate," Sirius replied in his godson's defense.

"Can't we use Roldolphus to get it," Xavier asked.

"There is no way the Goblins will allow us to force Roldophus to get the horcrux and I'm not willing to risk sending Lestrange out to get it with his wife and brother on the run," Cadmus replied to which the aurors in the room nodded their agreement, Roldolphus was almost as feared as his wife.

"I could ask," Harry started to speak but then winced in pain.

"What's wrong?" Came from everyone who was looking at him.

Harry ignored them and quickly pulled the mirror that was in his pocket out, it was burning red. Harry flipped it over and Hermione's panicked face came into view, "Harry my family's under attack!" Hermione's voice rang out before she disappeared from the mirror.

"Accio Granger Port-key," Sirius's voice was the next thing heard in the room.

Amelia jumped up, "I'll alert the aurors, the rest of you go." She commanded already moving out of the library to get to the nearest floo. The small medallion that served as a port-key for the traveling as a group to the Granger's house flew into the room and into Sirius's hand.

"This will take us to their back yard," Sirius explained for those who didn't know as everyone placed a hand on the medallion or someone holding it.

"Astoria you're staying here," Xavier spoke and silenced his youngests' protests with a look, "Floo to Bill's, alert him and then stay with Ginny and Theo." Astoria nodded and left the room.

"Ready," Sirius asked before saying the activation word, "Owl." They disappeared in a swirl of colors.

Hermione was lounging in the family room of her home while her parents watched a rugby match on the telly. She glanced up every now and then to check the score of one of her father's favorite sports. She didn't care for the sport but her father went wild for it and was currently yelling at the telly, she glanced at her mother who rolled her eyes at Hermione before smiling. Hermione smiled as she went back to her book, suddenly a loud alarm sounded all around the Granger house. Hermione shot up and her wand was in her hand as she moved to the window looking out the front of the house.

"We have to go now!" Hermione shouted to her parents as she ran for portkey Amelia made for their family to travel to Potter Manor. She ran into the living room and grabbed a plain clock off the mantel above their fireplace and came back into the family room and grabbed her parents, as the alarm changed to a chirping sound.

"Damn," Hermione whispered as she moved the clock hands to 3:10 as her parents put their hands on her shoulders.

"What?" Her father asked urgently.

"They're on the last layer of wards," Hermione spoke quickly as the portkey flashed red. She paled and started rambling as she spoke, "Oh no! They put up their own wards, anti portkey wards. We can't leave." As Hermione spoke her father was moving to the front closed he kept locked, he quickly un locked it and threw it open and grabbed to bags out of it. He moved quickly back to the room with his wife and daughter.

"Liz," He called in a tone he hadn't used since his military days, it made his wife jump and look straight at him, instead of out the window she had been peeking through. He opened the smaller bag and took out Browning pistol; he loaded it with a full clip and gave it to his wife. "Go in the basement if anybody enters without calling out to you shoot them." He gave his wife a kiss and moved her to the basement, "stay quiet and hidden."

Hermione took off up the stairs as her father went for his guns. She ran into her room and grabbed the communications mirror. "Harry," She called out a few times before his face appeared in the mirror. "My family's under attack." She said quickly without waiting for a reply knowing her best friend didn't need any more information. She ran back down the stairs as a final alarm rang out signaling the wards had fallen. "DAD!" She called out as she hit the bottom stair.

"Dining room," Her father yelled back she ran into the room and saw the dining room table flipped and her father behind it with his service rifle up and loaded. "Get behind the table," he said just as an explosion rocked the house, dust and derbies fell from the ceiling. Hermione ducked behind the table. Her father had his rifle aimed at the entrance to the dining room that led in from the front door so she pointed her wand towards the other entrance way.

*Crack* a loud crack was heard as the door flew off its hinges and splintered into the hallway. Immediately someone draped in black enter the door way and David Granger open fire with a small burst.

*pop* *pop* *pop* Hermione heard the short burst of her father's rifle before hearing a thud and someone yell, but she didn't turn to look. Hermione saw part of the cloak flash into view and started casting; she chose the bombarda curse and fired as soon as the Death Eater came into view. The silent, colorless spell slammed into the Death Eater's chest.

"Ahh damn mudblood!" The death eater yelled as he staggered back. Hermione wasted no time and iced over the floor with a quick spell. The Death Eater fell back his head banging off the floor and Hermione fired another spell as her father's rifle went off. She sent an over powered incendio at the fallen death eater, his robes instantly catching fire. The death eater started shouting.

Another appeared in the doorway behind the fiery death eater and made the mistake of tending to his comrade first. "Decapitare." Hermione's spell hit as her father's gun went off again. The Death Eater Hermione it with the ribbon cutting curse, the death eater crumpled to the floor.

"AHHHH!" Hermione heard the scream of frustration and then a female voice shout, "REDUCTO MAXIMUS!" The spell crashed into the side of the house like a bomb hit it. The spell threw her father into her as shrapnel flew everywhere. Hermione dazed with cuts littering the left side of her body her right side was covered by her father.

"Dad," Hermione muttered disoriented and moved him off her, "DAADDDDYYY!" Hermione's anguished scream rang out as she looked down at her father. He was unconscious and bleeding from several places but the most horrifying injury was a piece of metal rebar through her father's left side. Hermione quickly felt for a pulse and almost cried with relief when she found one.

"Awww is the wittle bitty mudbloods daddy dead," a sickening baby voice said from behind her. Hermione whirled bringing up her wand but the voice yelled out, "crucio!" Hermione hit the ground screaming. "Naughty wittle mudblood trying to curse her betters."

Hermione was panting with tears streaming down her face as painful aftershocks racked her body but she looked defiantly at felon she recognized from the paper and rasped out, "fuck you bitch!"

Hermione flinched as she readied herself to be cursed again but instead heard a voice that did make her cry in relief.

Harry shouted over the din of the spells flying, "Ignis flagellum!"

They landed about twenty feet behind Hermione's house in a wooded area that was out of sight of muggles; Amelia had also placed Notice-Me-Not charms around the area two years ago when they added the wards to Hermione's house. As they took in their surroundings they could see smoke billowing up in the air.

Severus was the first to speak, "Daphne, Evelyn, Blaise, Susan, take out the Death Eaters setting fire to the other houses. You'll need to do it as quickly as you can; one of them is also their warder. For now just stun any muggle that gets in the way." They nodded and moved through the woods to the other backwards hoping to surprise as many death eaters as they could.

"Alright let's go be careful," Severus said and he, Belladonna, Sirius, Xavier, and Harry moved towards the Granger's house. They saw three death eaters milling about the back door, each shouting about jumped up mudbloods. As they moved they heard the rifle going off as well as a fire roaring in the upper right part of the house that looked like it had been it with a deprimo spell.

"Pick one," Harry said quietly as moved forward. "Got yours? Wait for it." They nodded and were only a few yards off of the arguing death eaters.

"Little bitch is flinging spells left and right, how we supposed to get in there?" Harry heard one of them asked.

Harry rolled his eyes and deadpanned, "How about using a shield charm you pathetic idiots." The death eaters turned but the others were already casting. One fell to Severus's sectumsempra curse, his wand hand cut off from his body. Another fell to Belladonna's near point blank reducto hitting him square in the face. The last was a hair quicker then Sirius's ice spike curse. The death eater rolled backwards and had shield up while looking at the five he faced grabbed for his emergency portkey. Nothing happened.

Sirius smirked, "You three go on Xavier and I can handle him." Severus, Belladonna, and Harry nodded moving on up to the house while the duel started behind them.

"You guys go around front I'll come up through the back," Harry said just as they heard the loud yell of reducto maximus. Harry who was standing closest to the back door had to steady himself from the spells' shockwave.

"Bellatrix," Severus hissed.

"Go now," Harry said urgently before moving in through the shattered sliding door. He carefully stepped into the kitchen and took in the two downed death eaters. One of the death eaters was missing a head that had rolled over near the stove; his body was surrounded by a pool of blood stemming from his neck, or what was left of it. Harry vanished the blood so he wouldn't step in it and heard Hermione's scream he moved forward quickly but had to side step the last death eater. The death eater was lying in a pool of half water half ice and was still on fire, his arms contorted and frozen in pain from burning alive. Harry once again vanished the ice as he heard baby talk come from the next room.

Harry looked in still hidden in the hallway and saw the turned over table with a whole through the middle of it. His expression hardened as he saw his friend's father unconscious while she stared defiantly at whoever was cursing her. "Fuck you," he heard Hermione say and he burst into the room casting loudly over the din of spells colliding together in from and behind the house, "Ignis flagellum!"

Harry invoked the flame whip curse in a fury and snapped it towards Bellatrix LeStrange with deadly speed. The flaming curse struck Bellatrix in her outstretched wand arm cutting open a two inch deep wound from her shoulder to her elbow, around the bleeding wound was a second degree burn. Bellatrix howled in agony and turned on Harry casting.

"Avada Kedavra," The green spell shot at Harry who ducked it while casting his own curses.

"Deffodio, sectumsempra, reducto." He sent the three curses aimed at different areas while adding silently to the mix a bombarda hex aimed at the floor Bellatrix was standing on. Bellatrix was shielding the three verbal curses when the bombarda hit sending her flying backwards and out the hole in the wall she created. Harry sprinted out after her just as the house flashed red, indicating the warder had been dealt with. Sirius came in as Harry left and immediately gave Hermione who was holding her dad a portkey to St. Mungo's.

Harry followed Bellatrix out, firing silently at the witch getting to her feet. Bellatrix was able to shield or reflected his curses, but was on the defensive. Looking around at the carnage and her fallen or dueling comrades she grabbed for her emergency portkey while sneering at Harry.

Harry though was casting again, "Sagitto," three deadly arrows shot out his wand as if fired by cannon and towards Bellatrix. Harry smirked as he saw the arrows disappear with her; a small known fact about portkey travel was that while spells cannot impact the travel, physical objects can. Seeing Bellatrix portkey out the remaining conscious death eaters copied her, ending the short battle. Harry turned back towards the house to see Sirius walking out of the giant hole in the wall.

"I portkeyed Hermione and her father to St. Mungo's. Xavier and I are fine the last death eater from the back is bound and unconscious," Sirius spoke quickly. Harry nodded and immediately turned searching for Daphne, who was running up to him.

"Harry," She breathed out as she ran into his arms and pulled him in for a hug. Harry quickly pulled back looking for any injuries on his wife. "I'm fine Blaise is hurt badly though," Daphne answered his searching look. "My mum apperated him to St. Mungo's when the wards fell." As they spoke several pops were heard around the yard heralding the arrival of the aurors.

Nymphadora Tonks, Hestia Jones, John Dawlish, Fedor Krum, and Bill Weasley all arrived to find seven wands pointed at them. They looked at the wands with apprehension knowing they were likely dead if they moved an inch until they were recognized. When the wands lowered Dawlish spoke first.

"I take it its over?" He received nods as Xavier walked out of the hole with Liz Granger who was looking pale and shocked pistol still in hand.

"Where's Hermione and David," She fired off before anyone else could speak.

Sirius answered, "I portkeyed Hermione and your husband to St. Mungo's our hospital. Severus and the others can take you with them." At the looks from the others he continued, "I know you all want to go now. I can take care of this," he gestured to the aurors and Fedor and Bill. "Go," Sirius urged. They nodded and Tonks tossed them a portkey.

Once everyone was holding it she tapped it with her wand and spoke the activation word, "Emergency room."

Far away from the Battle that took place in the Granger's normally peaceful neighborhood five death eaters landed at the Dark Lord's headquarters. Bellatrix Lestrange was the first to land and did so with a cry of pain, one arrow fired by the blasted Potter brat was stuck into her already wounded right shoulder, making that arm useless for right now. The second arrow fired was stuck into her right thigh, the third was embedded into the wall behind her.

Next to her appeared Rabastan LeStrange who growled out, "epskiy," as he pointed his wand towards a gaping shoulder wound that was pouring blood out. The epskiy stemmed the bleeding but that was all. He limped over to his sister-in-law as three more death eaters appeared, one missing a leg collapsed to the floor. The second death eater had a large ice spike penetrating his stomach, the ice turning red with blood, he quickly fell to the floor gurgling blood. The third and final death eater, who was bleeding from wounds on his arms and leg, from the Granger house started to limp towards his commrade but was stopped by Rabastan.

"Don't bother he's dying," Rabastan growled as the death eater with blood pouring out of his mouth coughed once and then stopped moving. "Diagon Alley had better have gone better," Rabastan left muttering.

A/N

Okay this chapter took on a life of its own as i started writting it that was completely different from my thoughts before hand. Next chapter will deal with the aftermath of the short battle. Should Sirius have a girl or boy?

Thanks,

AM