Shelley had no doubts about anyone having plans regarding Livia. "You still doubt them, Livia?" Shelley questioned, a little perplexed. "Or is it you need to stop being so annoyingly humble? We all know you can be a badass when crossed." Shelley laughed as did several others. Shelley figured Livia needed some levity right then, given they would shortly leave for a burial service.

Livia was surprised her friend was embolded by her first taste of freedom. Perhaps Liam made her a less reticent. She didn't know what to say, nonetheless. No one else wanted to chime in openly, either. Livia had gotten so accustomed to being cautious that she needed time to adjust, at least in regard to herself.

Shelley then opted to ask Livia about Brontë, and they went outside together. Brontë landed on Shelley's arm; they shared a moment before Shelley let her former owl rejoin her mate. Livia reinforced how much Brontë appreciated raising eight clutches to date with Sevy. Pleased, Shelley went back inside with Livia.

Just then, Ben decided that he wanted to address the group, to deflect attention away from any uncomfortable silence: "I just want to say to everyone here how glad I am that Ted befriended me again. I don't know how I could have escaped my horrible situation without Ted or especially Athena. Given what the ministry became, I feel very fortunate today."

"You did that yourself, mate," Ted responded. "Athena and I just made the logistics easier." Athena was content to let Ted speak for them both.

Just after 14:30, all assembled prepared to make their way to the Forrest & Sons Funerals, to get to Godric's Hollow. They had dressed in dark suits and dresses, like a gothic formal. Of course, Professor Snape dressed like this daily, as if perpetually ready for a funeral, even his own. Once there, one by one, each touched the appropriate portkey for transport to the cemetery, where all reassembled. Truth be told, probably only the chief mourners really wanted to pay their respects at the outset. Others came because they wished to lend moral support. About 16 total showed, led by Basil Forrest. Before the service began, Livia had the coffin opened to ensure they buried the right man in the right place. No one who knew her found this surprising. She put her hand on his shoulder one last time, bidding him farewell, and asked Harry if he wished to do anything. He bowed and lowered his eyes. Others touched the coffin before or after Forrest closed it for the final time.

Forrest led the service, then offered the committal words. The coffin was lowered by workers into the grave. Everyone dropped roses on top of the coffin. As earth covered the coffin, Harry spoke, thanking everyone for coming. He expressed his own amazement given how he had not really known the deceased until after his death. He thus reconsidered all that had passed in the years he had known him. He reconfirmed that Professor Snape's unwavering love for his mother and determination to avenge her death guided everything he did. As he made his remarks, Livia thought she saw someone else approach but could not see who; people blocked her sightline. Harry admitted that there was much he didn't know because the deceased took so much with him. He then turned towards Livia and observed that she undoubtedly knew the deceased better than anyone present. He asked her to tell those assembled what he had missed and what they all should know.

"Thank you all again for being here," Livia stated. "Harry recounted the most important thing, but indeed there was a great deal of complexity to this man that perhaps only I and the previous headmaster ever saw. You did not grasp how he agonized over that man's death, even though Professor Dumbledore himself requested that Severus take his life so that, for one, the Dark Wizard would trust him. Not all of you knew that he staged fights with me for various purposes, including how I argued with him as him, which later he revealed had amused him. In fact, he orchestrated the intervention that spared several of my friends here today from severe punishment by asking his nephew to break up two potential fights – you know the incident, Filius. He did it owing to a concern that I might throw away my education over whatever repercussions transpired."

Ben hung his head to hear of that again. I have thought of that night so many times – just like Christopher said. He never knew it had been Professor Snape's idea to spare him the beating he would have received. He would have deserved it, too, he believed. He had to admit the words Christopher spoke that night seemed incredibly mature – he now knew why they were.

Livia continued: "What you also do not know is that he enabled me to create a potion that helped me stop the bullying of my friend, Selene. He even tipped me off to two Slytherin boys who later cornered me. He offered to punish them, though most believed otherwise. I asked him to do nothing. I turned them into 'rat-faced, flea-bitten dumbasses' to maintain his image over mine. Finally, I must tell you that he possessed a sense of humor and self-awareness. Once, I half-jokingly teased him about my favorite crow, Alastair, chasing him to, umm, soil him or his clothes. He told me: 'If you asked him to do that, Alastair would become the school mascot. Everyone will start feeding him until he becomes too fat to fly'."

Livia recounted Professor Snape's comments in his voice, perfectly replicating its cadence and inflections. Everyone laughed, regardless of their feelings towards attending. "Now you know why I found him funny. He was so much more than what you saw, but no one could know. That is, nobody could think he acted strangely these last seven years. My lessons in Occlumency and Legilimency revealed far more than you imagined. Now you know why I sincerely mourn him, not from an obligation, but on his own terms for his own being. Thank you all for coming."

There seemed to be a kind of stunned silence but also a moment of clarity for many where various things in the past made more sense. Livia finally looked towards the back and saw who had joined the group. "Oh my, Helena, you're here!" Livia cried out. Livia was given an aisle to run towards the back. Livia put her hand out and with her second hand was able to touch Helena Ravenclaw's diaphanous energy. "May I?" Livia asked.

"Okay, I came, after all," Helena replied.

Livia embraced a ghost. Everyone's jaws dropped, even Filius who could see only a bit of it from his position. "Did you know she could do that, Filius?" Professors McGonagall and Slughorn asked simultaneously.

"I had no idea, actually," he answered. "I'm as shocked as everyone else."

"Did you know about this, Ginny?" Harry Potter asked his girlfriend.

"No," she responded. "I never saw it, of course – and Luna never told me, either."

Meantime, Helena had congratulated Livia for her speech and truthfully encapsulating why she cared, if omitting what the group did not need to know. Helena said that she could not stay long because such excursions tired her out. They would talk later back at the school. Livia nodded at her, released her and let her return to where she felt strongest.

"I'm sorry about that," Livia said. "I didn't know Helena would come to support me. In some ways, she has been a mentor to me for years." Livia then placed a second flower, a white lily, on the dirt-covered burial plot of Severus Snape. She paused, kneeling in the dirt, vowing to return every 3 May to place a white rose there for him, which she did. Livia started a procession of people placing flowers there, beginning with Harry Potter, who then stood next to her as one of the chief mourners. After each person did so, he or she came to Livia and Harry to offer condolences to the principals. Some also thanked Basil Forrest for his thoughtful, if brief, service.

"I'm as shocked as anyone that you could embrace Helena Ravenclaw," Harry told Livia as they stood next to each other. "Can you teach someone to do that, or is it your gift alone?"

"I don't know for sure, but I think I could connect someone to a spirit by placing their hands correctly to feel the energy," Livia replied. "If another can feel it, they could do it without me, eventually. You saw the result of practice – I could not touch Helena right away or very well."

"Your ability makes me wish I still had a stone I received as part of Professor Dumbledore's will," he revealed. "I dropped it somewhere in the Forbidden Forest early yesterday."

"Do you want me to try to find it?" Livia inquired.

"You could do that?" Harry put back to her.

"Between a murder of crows and four Barn Owls, it's possible," Livia answered.

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked. "What are crows and owls doing?"

"They may find the Resurrection Stone that might help me do what Livia just did to Helena Ravenclaw, only it'd be my parents, not Helena," he answered.

"What about Fred?" she questioned. Ron heard that part and wanted in on the discussion.

"If I find it and Harry agrees, I'll try," Livia responded. "You know how fond I was of both Fred and George."

"And Bill," Ginny stated. "I know as well as Ron." Ron nodded.

"Him, too – but he's a married man, so let's not talk about that," Livia said.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Oh, I'll tell you later," Ginny replied.

Filius and several others shook Harry's hand and hugged Livia. He in particular did put together what Livia said but still found it hard to believe. It made sense, he told her. So many details seemed extraneous to an overall picture, though they had a place, after all. She asked him about the school's future, since prior headmasters got their pictures – a ghost-like yet verbal presence – in the headmaster's office. He sensed that Professor Snape likely wouldn't get one, given his tenure of less than a year and the common view that he had abandoned his post.

"You now know why he left the building – he had to stay alive long enough to give Harry a way to know everything that he and Albus Dumbledore discussed," Livia asserted. "I couldn't tell Harry because I remained perched in his quarters as a Screech Owl. I had no ability to speak."

"You will have to convince the entire Board of Governors, though I know you already have one vote," Filius said.

"One vote?" Livia inquired.

"Ask your Uncle Jack," Filius answered.

Livia knew what he meant, though she had never asked Uncle Jack. It made sense, given everyone knew him and he knew so much. She introduced her friends to Harry; they had only heard of him. They were all impressed as well as gracious. Shelley hugged him hard, telling him how her family had uprooted itself since Livia confirmed the Dark Lord's return for them. She was so glad that had ended. They all told him that they had no idea about Professor Snape, either, and that Livia tended to go right along with them, never giving any indication she knew anything different. Ted made a point of telling him that Livia had only revealed to them that the deceased had hated his father, which appeared obvious to all her male friends afterward. Harry nodded his head, having some insight about the significance of that, even though it didn't describe himself.

"You really told them nothing except that?" Harry asked, after Ted had walked away.

"Not even when I imitated him singing the most ridiculous songs," Livia responded. "I was accurate singing as him because I understood him, not just because I could impersonate him. They asked me a few times if I had learned anything about him, and that was the most innocuous thing I could say. He later admitted to me that he wouldn't even try to deny that."

"When did you do that?" he inquired.

"Well, we all graduated in 1991, but I believe it was 1990," Livia answered.

"So these were the people who wanted you to confirm what I said?" he queried.

"Some who asked me, yes," Livia affirmed. "They knew they could trust me, so when I told them what you said was true, they believed you, also. Lies of omission I can miss or I may avoid knowing but so far my training has led me to not miss overt ones stated directly to me. I'll let you know immediately if I find that stone. It would be a shame to leave it. What does it look like?"

"It's dark and looks like a pyramid," Harry said. "I believe he found it in a ring." He indicated the size with his fingers. Livia nodded.

After everyone in the group expressed their condolences to Harry and Livia, the group walked to a location where they could be transported back to the funeral home. Uncle Jack invited everyone back to his house, either before or after they all had a final toast in the local tavern. Many liked a visit to the inn, so everyone assembled there for a drink. Ben had said little during the service, but he remembered what had happened in that establishment so long ago that he had to speak to her. "Livia, I know this isn't the best place or time to say anything to you –"

"Then why talk to me?" Livia put to him.

"Because I remember, and it still hurts me," Ben answered. "I wanted you to know that I haven't forgotten. I know you haven't. But I do still want to earn your forgiveness somehow."

"Ben," Livia began, "if I start hunting down the Dark Wizard's ministry cohorts, it will include your father. It might even include your uncle, though I understand he did not actively participate to a great extent. I don't know all that will be asked of me. Should I get the chance to capture or interrogate your father, I won't be nice. He likely will be imprisoned. I'll enjoy making him squirm. I'll even taunt him regarding my own father. How do you feel about that?"

"I got away from him," Ben recounted. "I built my own life. When I finally confronted the truth of what your brother and his wife said, I set a path to abandon that manipulative man. He will get whatever he deserves. I can't feel sorry for him after all that he did."

"Will you change your mind when he is led away to prison?" Livia asked.

"I can't say I know for sure, but I doubt it," Ben replied. "Again, come see me when you are ready. I'm sure this is not the day. You've gone through a lot." Ben left shortly thereafter.

Everyone else separated from the inn after bidding Livia farewell, owing to various obligations, including other funerals or memorial services. Livia made plans to keep in touch with Shelley, Liam, Ted and Athena as well as asked Ginny how to get her mother's advice regarding twins. Livia still had to transfer her belongings to her great uncle's house, as various people sought to restore the school to its former state. Those running it took a brief hiatus and would finish the spring term in June and July. For the time being, at least, Hideki remained head tutor. Livia's formal leave extended through the end of 1998, though the actual timing of her return seemed open. No one could remember a female faculty or staff member with children, despite the fact that magic made raising children easier. Contractual protections in some places remained unarticulated, despite the theoretical appearance of no particular bias against working mothers. Underlying assumptions or inherent views died slowly everywhere, it seemed, though Glorianna Gardenia had dedicated herself to eradicating this since becoming a mother herself about nine years previously.

Uncle Jack seemed to have a handle on her situation, which compelled Livia to revisit what Filius had said to her. "How long have you been a school governor, Uncle Jack?" she asked.

"I started around 1974," he replied. "I had just moved here permanently and took over running a sweet shop after working with the ministry for some years as I slowly retired from competitive dueling. I wanted a more consistent home life. I knew a variety of people affiliated with the school – Filius, Horace and a few others – and they suggested I apply for an open board spot. The composition of the board isn't supposed to be widely known, so I had no reason to tell you. I also had no reason to tell them private things you said to me, either, since they didn't conflict with my duties. Telling them could have exposed my role as well, so I thought better of doing it. I had watched the school closely in case it ever admitted Alice or anyone else I knew."

"I understand there likely will be resistance to giving Professor Snape his due, owing to a perceived sense that he abandoned his post," Livia stated.

"That's my guess, too, but I know Harry and you will wear everyone down on that point eventually," he asserted. "Get your brother's advice. Collect official testimony regarding this once you have completed your other tasks. Harry should lead the effort, in my opinion. I know the new ministry has become anxious for you to interview the Malfoys, to confirm what you have revealed and to begin rooting out the residual associates of the Dark Lord. I'm expecting the new ministry to contact you soon, though I told someone that you needed to settle your uncle's affairs."

"I also wait for a truth serum to mature, though I shouldn't need it to interview the Malfoys," Livia said.

"Will you have any conflict speaking to them?" Uncle Jack inquired.

"No, not unless the ministry wants it to be an issue," Livia answered. "I see no reason why I can't act professionally."

"I'll let them know," Uncle Jack responded. "We should see Baldur Bodlington tomorrow, so he can assist you in dealing with your uncle's other will. First, visit your brother and get your birth certificate. Your brother likely will prove very helpful, though I'm sure you will have enough identification to satisfy a solicitor. Still, they're all anxious to see you."

Livia went outside in late afternoon light and called all her avian friends, leaving food in various places for all. The crows and owls arrived with some neighborhood songbirds. Ardith wanted to join them, so Livia obliged. Livia fully described the stone that Harry Potter lost in the forest adjacent to the school and asked them how, if possible, they could find it. They suggested pairing an owl with a crow, as each's sight varied, and really both types of intelligence and vision only could find such a tiny item. Mel flew next to Alastair, Sydney paired with Benedict, Brontë with Edward and Sevy with Archer while Ardith went with Edward's son, Edgar. The songbirds engaged additional crows and would serve as liaisons between pairs. All liked the challenge of a virtual needle in a haystack. The group also claimed they could elicit help from whatever animal they came across, by using a universal signal that existed for cooperation at times – a type of "time out" for animals. Before leaving, Sevy asked if this stone's power would allow him to see his namesake again. Livia deemed it possible, if both stayed close to her. Sevy said he definitely would find it and took off with Archer. Livia smiled. See, Sev'rus – he does have loyalty to you.

Given that Livia could accomplish little there before Monday morning, she decided to visit Cambridge. Her things could wait. Since the new ministry likely would reestablish the pre-existing network of travel the corrupted one disrupted, she asked just before she left what she needed to do to have her own cottage linked to it. Uncle Jack said he would ask and get the appropriate forms for her to set this in motion and get the same service as himself. He expressed happiness because doing this would make getting to Cambridge easier for him. Apparating was more for the young, he said. Getting his own online again and connecting with hers seemed like a great luxury. He hoped it would make him a much more frequent guest in his grandniece's home.

With that all settled, Livia told Uncle Jack she would see him Monday morning and departed. In Cambridge, Adelaide had just woken up and sat in her chair with a special cup and some biscuits. Livia paused for a moment thinking about the last time she had visited her cottage, looked at the garden and in her bedroom at the picture of Christopher and her from her brother's wedding. All she did those last 24 or so hours crept up on her and she drew a deep breath. She tried to draw a modicum of comfort from having sung to his corpse that morning. Yet he now lay in the cold earth hundreds of miles from her, where the flowers and then he eventually would crumble into nothing. He called it "as it should be," though she would never accept this fully. She partly collapsed and felt like crying. Nonetheless, she had to move forward, to ensure his sacrifice and that of so many others mattered. Livia had to remain strong for them. She soldiered on.

Livia knocked at the connecting door and opened it. Tom sprinted through his home to the hallway and the door connecting the residences. He grabbed her forcefully and spun her around.

"Are you ever a sight for sore eyes," Tom stated. "I've missed you so much. What's with all the black, Livia?"

"Tom, I'm so happy to see you," Livia responded. "We buried Christopher's uncle today."

"Oh, so soon?" Tom inquired. "Funeral directors aren't consistently that fast."

"I cleaned and dressed his body myself," Livia informed him. "I wanted it done right."

"Oh my God, Livia, how were you able to do that?" Tom asked.

"I felt I owed him that as a sign of respect," Livia answered. "I didn't want anyone else to touch him but me. Christopher would have appreciated me doing it. So would Rev. Woodcock."

Alice came forward, holding Adelaide, briefly giving her to Tom as she embraced Livia. "Did I hear correctly – you handled your uncle's remains?" Alice queried, puzzled. "Blimey. Where were you all this time? It never seemed clear to me."

"I did clean and re-dress his corpse," Livia confirmed. "He concealed me in his quarters. I basically lived much of the last four months as a grey Screech Owl in his living room. The only person who saw me thought it strange, but since Uncle Sev'rus clearly had purchased her, no one could seriously challenge him. By the time anyone saw me, the issue also had become moot." Livia opened up her locket, showing them Christopher's picture as well as his uncle's.

"They really did resemble each other," Alice said. "Stunning. Must have felt like losing Christopher again. Did Uncle Jack tell you who protected our residence?"

"He attended the funeral today as well," Livia replied. "I'm sure he wasn't too pleased when I revealed something that went back to that stunt pulled on me at that one dance. Uncle Severus essentially sent his nephew to break up what would have been two fights. None of them knew that until today. I told them because I wanted it known that they had not really seen him."

"He did?" Tom queried. "You never told us that, either. No wonder you appreciated him."

"I have kept quiet about many things regarding him," Livia confessed. "He played a very dangerous game, and I felt anything I revealed about him could someday hurt him. My friends, except one, did not even know Christopher was his nephew, since they saw him in a low-lit room. Either Nils or Uncle Jack told Ben."

They all moved into a relaxed living area to sit down. Alice made some tea so they all could talk and unwind from the various stresses of recent days or weeks. Abby came to sit next to Livia to show her support as well. Tom remarked that being a Screech Owl could not have disagreed with Livia too badly since she looked great, even if decked out entirely in a funereal black.

"Are you going to tell me I'm glowing or something?" Livia asked. "The only good thing about being a Screech Owl perhaps is that I missed out on morning sickness."

"Oh," Tom responded. "I suppose not. That's going to be so hard to go through without Christopher, no matter what we say or do. I'm so sorry, Livia."

"I can't imagine, even though I had Adelaide not that long ago," Alice asserted. "I mean, your situation seems so painful and, still, they are your link from your memory to your future. That's a lot for any woman to handle."

"Well, it's not like it's more preferable to not have them," Livia declared. "It's a gift and a burden – sometimes it may seem more like one or more like the other. I just will try to remember the former more, though I'm sure some situations other than mine make that view impossible." Thanks for the insight and summary, Sev'rus.

"Are you going to need financial help or just assistance managing?" Tom inquired.

"The latter, I would think," Livia answered. "I believe Christopher spent so much on this ring, he had nothing else to leave me. His uncle, however, made me trustee of his estate. I'm probably also inheriting the man's childhood home in the Midlands along with its contents. As I understand it, he lived very modestly, meaning I'll suffer no financial hardship. I'll just need to show his solicitor some papers, including my birth certificate."

"What's the solicitor's name?" Tom queried. "Maybe I can handle some of this."

"Phillip Beckford, I believe," Livia replied. "I'm not sure of his exact location."

"I may be able to find him in a national directory," Tom maintained. "Or just get me his contact information when you can. Let me see your ring. I'm curious."

Livia took it off and handed it to him. He found the band with its diamonds resembling buttons exquisite as well as the larger diamond set in the Claddagh's crown. Tom had never seen a natural Alexandrite stone, either. He understood a little about their ability to look different, given its quality and the light source. Some held tremendous value. He guessed that this ring held that kind of stone. Christopher had no discernable estate to leave because Livia wore it. He passed it to Alice. She knew about quality better than Tom and found this ring fit for a duchess, at least.

"If I understood Uncle Jack correctly, Ben made this as a custom piece?" Tom asked.

"That's what both say," Livia confirmed. "Ben said Alice's ring inspired him doing this."

"Humor me, just for a minute," Alice began. "Your uncle wrote that Christopher was followed after he picked this up. You don't think Ben had anything to do with that, do you? We just wondered, given the situation and timing. Would he protect us if he felt guilty about that?"

"Perhaps he feels guilt, but he did nothing wrong," Livia responded. "I'm certain, though I could see why you might worry about that. I think both he and Uncle Jack fought off a few people, but my perch obscured a few things. I didn't even see that Ben had accompanied Uncle Jack until I saw him as myself."

"I'm glad," Alice stated. "I didn't enjoy the thought, but that dance made me ponder it."

"I totally get that," Livia said. "Ben has no allegiance to those who tried to hurt me. His father does. If Ben feels guilt, he might worry that his father contributed to Christopher's death. I don't believe he did. Still, that man has his judgement day coming. Since Ben hid from him, he doesn't warrant suspicion. Uncle Sev'rus positioned himself to know everything. It was part of his duplicity. He confided in me, though. He had to conceal me secretly because those who disliked me counted on him as one of them. Learning of my existence there would have exposed him."

Much of the remainder of the evening involved catching up on what Tom and Alice had done since January, as well as their friends. Tom had established himself as a valuable asset at Becket, Hart and Church, so they had no immediate plans to want him to teach in London – at least not yet. Alice had done some research and made presentations at Woburn Abbey and Cambridge, with a few scheduled elsewhere. Her book had prompted her greater involvement in aspects of art history, given the Woburn Abbey collection and the acquisition of various works. She disclosed her amusement that some dismissed her as a dilettante, when she merely tried to balance being a wife and mother of a young child with her work. Usually, when those assuming such a thing met her, they got quite a shock when she challenged their own conclusions with painstaking detail or at least upset their biases. Livia chuckled. Where have I heard that before?

Livia disclosed how she would catch up on payments she gave Tom for her cottage. After duplicating her birth certificate, Livia settled into her own bed that night. Her bobcat remained at school, but she still pondered the note inside of it as she stared at the picture on her nightstand. He sure felt real enough to miss. She hadn't read her ring's inscription often because it essentially replicated the one on her necklace. That night she stared at it: "Livia, Ever My Love, Christopher, 8 January 1998." The hypothetical had become hypnotic. She supposed that she never got over her initial regret that Christopher Prince couldn't be real enough for her – because she had wanted him to be. That sorrow became so pronounced that no one would know that her grief for him wasn't legitimate. In some way, it constituted an even more substantial occasion for mourning than if Christopher Prince had married her that day. Would she get over it, no matter how resilient she supposedly seemed? Like Severus Snape, she had to ask herself if she truly wanted to get over it.

Still, so much lay ahead of her that she only had an off-moment to feel sad. Monday morning came soon enough. First, Livia spoke with Tom about various legal proceedings before he left. Livia then headed back to Uncle Jack's residence to reach Baldur Bodlington's office. Uncle Jack accompanied her. She also came with her birth certificate and added it to the papers she needed to present to Phillip Beckford, too. She made an extra for Bodlington to have as well, in case it smoothed out any problem in passing Severus Snape's estate to her children. Bodlington, professional yet gentle and helpful, told them that, if she knew a muggle solicitor, judge or barrister, it would help her settle matters more quickly. Both Uncle Jack and Livia nodded that she did, in fact, have such a contact. Bodlington also gave her information that might help Tom Woodcock settle the muggle estate for her, though he clarified that she still would need to meet Phillip Beckford in person. He also revealed that Livia just needed to visit the home branch bank in Diagon Alley at week's end to claim what remained to her, after funeral and probate expenses as well as Harry Potter's share. By then, the bank would have a life insurance policy remuneration as part of the estate settlement, also. Bodlington noted that Beckford had moved his office, away from the area of the testator's row home to a nearby town named Blackburn.

Livia and Uncle Jack decided then to retrieve all of her belongings from the school and transferred them to his house, whilst structural repairs and meetings took place regarding the completion of the 1997-98 school year. Professor McGonagall acted as interim headmistress. Uncle Jack told Livia that she wanted to oversee the repairs, though he had no idea how long that she would run the school. Still, the board would support her for as long as she wanted the post. They hoped to drop the "interim" if she continued during 1998-99 year, which seemed likely.

"Uncle Jack, how did Sev'rus get his position?" Livia asked. "How did that go?"

"Well, the board was threatened to choose him or have it stacked with hand-picked members of the ministry who would choose him," he said. "It was a much-debated decision, but the bulk of us felt that we would be better off trying to be a buffer overseeing the school without hand-picked new governors, so we approved this action. I must say that I had hoped, though I kept this to myself, that he would not be exactly what the new ministry expected. I also believed you would mitigate whatever they envisioned, too. It wasn't perfect, but both pretty much happened."

After they returned to his residence, Livia had a chance to check in with her avian friends and keep them well fed. They had conducted some searches so far and had gotten a lead about a red squirrel uncovering and moving the stone in a search for food after a centaur apparently crushed it into the ground. They had not located it yet. Sevy had taken it upon himself to organize how everyone searched. Meantime, Ardith could come and go from the house. Everyone reported to Sevy so he could keep track. Whilst some birds like Alastair and Benedict initially felt he had become a little Napoleonic, they changed their minds when they realized his motivation had become unexpectedly personal. They opted to be supportive. Alastair changed his mind first. Other animals joined the search, too. A few participants called it "Sevy's Crusade." Livia confirmed that Sevy hoped he would see him namesake again should they find it, owing to a quality the stone possessed. She didn't know if it definitely would occur because she wanted him to be right. Should they find it, others would likely get an opportunity before she did, though.

Two notices also came from the new Ministry of Magic. Once concerned general information on applications for chimney use being connected to a wider network, affecting potentially both Livia and Uncle Jack. Uncle Jack opted to take on that issue entirely for his residence and Livia's cottage. The other letter, personalized, came to Livia regarding her ability to participate in interviews of the Malfoys. It seemed to Livia that they would gauge her abilities based on this performance. That is, they could determine if Livia should just give evidence or do more regarding their pursuit of former ministry official Dolores Umbridge, the first person they would put on trial. Livia's role in that case might hinge on the interviews she conducted, though the letter also requested a witness statement regarding the Carrows. Livia used their messenger, a Tawny Owl named Greta, agreeing to meet an official at Uncle Jack's residence to convey Livia to the Malfoy home on Thursday, 7 May at 10 am. Since the Malfoys desired to cooperate, the new ministry gave them the courtesy of avoiding a public appearance. The information mattered more than parading the family in front of the press.

Livia returned to Cambridge to check with her brother on finding Phillip Beckford in Blackburn. Tom had found two practices with solicitors named Beckford, so the information showed him which one to contact. She shared the documents she had received regarding the confirmation of death and burial. Everything looked appropriate to Tom. Whilst he understood the need for Livia to meet Beckford and for him to verify things, Tom asked to join her, perhaps with someone from Becket, Hart and Church who owed him a favor. Livia did not relish the drive – it seemed like wasting 3-4 hours. With another person, she couldn't speed him up, so she thought about the potential of finding the home she visited once and merely having a car service drive her from there to Beckford's office. She couldn't get there, since she had to verify the location better.

Livia checked in with her avian "family" on Tuesday, ensuring none wore themselves out trying to find a tiny stone. Sevy and Brontë seemed very confident about the status of the search. They had located the red squirrel, though neither got what she told them entirely. They believed Livia could assist them in bringing the search to a positive conclusion. She got a sense of where to meet them and did so. Sevy and Brontë got the squirrel to come out. The squirrel told Livia to call her Astra. Astra pointed out where she had dug recently and had uncovered the stone. She knew another squirrel found it and buried it nearby. Livia thanked her and wished she had a muggle metal detector that could work there. Livia imagined making her wand act like one and opened herself up to feeling through it like she held Inigo Montoya's sword in "The Princess Bride."*

Livia took a few steps to one side and closed her eyes. That way. She walked about five steps to her left. Her sensibility got stronger, but her sight in the dense woods did not help. Livia could not believe it was a pleasant spring day, as the forest seemed dark enough that only owls could negotiate it, though their hearing mattered as least as much. Livia did not know what Sevy tapped into – he later claimed it as intuition, but Livia thought perhaps something else guided him. Sevy suddenly flew to a log a few yards from her and made a twittering, kleak-kleak sound, jumped down and put a talon into the ground. He wanted Livia to dig there. She felt it, too. A little under two inches down, she found a very curious, solid, quasi-pyramid dark stone. Livia smiled. Sevy cried out and seemed to dance on the log. Brontë joined him. Livia sat on it and patted them both. Sevy had found the needle in a haystack. She told the owls that she could meet them back at Uncle Jack's residence. Once there, she called them all, including Ardith, for a congratulatory cheer and juicy rewards all around. Livia then went inside and wrote out a quick note to Harry Potter about the team effort of crows, songbirds and owls resulting in one Barn Owl finding the right area to dig. She had it, she believed. She asked if Friday might be too long to wait. Brontë took the note. He said he'd come at 15:00 Friday to identify the stone and, if the right one, try it out.

Meantime, her brother had gone to his office and rang Phillip Beckford and set up a time to meet the following day at Beckford's office. He also faxed Beckford copies of the records Livia would bring. Beckford told Tom that he had expected to hear from someone, given his last conversation with the deceased. He also wished to tell Livia that Severus Snape had sole freehold of his property, given his lack of living parents or another claimant. An outstanding offer on the land also existed, given a desire of developers to create some sort shopping area on that block. The town had approved the proposal, but Snape represented only one of two left to sell. Beckford recommended that Livia accept, given the fact that she already possessed a place to live. All she needed to do is remove whatever personal effects she wished to have before the developers chose to take possession and demolish the place. Beckford would also transfer the Barclay's account of the decedent to one in Livia's name, where he would also deposit the proceeds of the sale. She then just had to visit a branch in Cambridge and present identification to make it her home branch.

The firm's expert in wills would join Tom from Becket, Hart and Church, hoping she could resolve the situation quickly as a thank you for Tom's help with a case of mistaken identity involving her brother-in-law. Tom had defended Jill Bennet's brother-in-law, Calvin Upton, regarding a pub altercation. Upton had been accused of accosting another man in a row whereas he had witnessed the event rather than actively got involved. The brawl had created a lot of confusion. Upton had the man's blood on his shirt, yet not on either hand. Tom demonstrated Upton lacked the time or means to clean either hand, which another man had done.

Livia spent Tuesday night in Cambridge so that when Jill Bennet arrived the next day, the three of them could drive to Phillip Beckford's office. Tom took a camera, in case they saw the property. Bennet arrived rather early so they could make an 11:00 appointment. Bennet, an extremely petite woman, could barely find a suit small enough for her. She wore dark, framed glasses and she pulled her brown hair back into a slick bun, making her seem older than 30. Tom thanked her profusely for coming. Livia stayed very cordial but tried not say too much about the situation beyond what Tom already had told her. Given that Livia wore something deriving from her funereal clothes, Bennet took Livia's reserve to be either shock or deep sorrow. Livia got the sense that Miss Bennet had something of a crush on her brother that he totally missed. Livia thought that Bennet took Tom as a yardstick to judge any man remotely interested in her, which to Livia didn't seem a bad rubric at all. Essentially, he had served as hers, even if Alice found it funny. The idea actually did transcend how Tom looked, though Livia saw the visual pattern, too.

Livia sat in the back and tried to either sleep, meditate or do anything to take the numbingly long drive off her mind. She contemplated questions to put to people the following day as well as what she might have to do to prove her worth to the new ministry. Few knew much about her, after all. She imagined how she could recreate what she used years ago to project some images from her mind so others could see them, when her Legilimency yielded pertinent information. Livia knew she might have to discover a lot about a variety of people to convince them of her accuracy, if not other talents useful to hunting down hiding Death Eaters or their bureaucratic allies.

Livia nearly missed that Bennet had inquired about her ring. She did take it off so the woman could examine it. Bennet had some doubt as to its authenticity, given its possible value.

"I know it's very real," Livia told her. "It represents why Christopher didn't have a significant estate to leave me. I also know the artisan who made this ring. The will in question belongs to Christopher's uncle, who, after his death, made Christopher's children his heirs."

"Children?" Bennet asked.

"I'm about four months along – I expect twins in October," Livia replied.

"Oh, right," Bennet responded. "I'm very sorry. I can't imagine. How did his uncle know?"

"I think he changed his will only weeks before his death," Livia stated. "I'm not sure how he revised it – if he put them in place of Christopher or what. I guess it doesn't matter now."

Tom, Jill Bennet and Livia arrived promptly to meet Phillip Beckford in a small building converted into office space. Livia thought it interesting that Beckford, a tall man with sandy blond hair and greying temples, did not seem much older than the deceased. He said something about representing his client whilst young and undergoing a tragic situation regarding the death of his mother and subsequent death of his father. The testator barely had reached adulthood when he became parentless, which may have caused him to retain his childhood home. Livia knew that assertion veiled a truth, but she had no desire to dispute the account. It gave all present an easy way to sympathize with the deceased. Tom presented Livia's papers, including a certified copy of her birth certificate. Beckford seemed satisfied, especially given Tom's standing to affirm his sister's identity. Bennet scrutinized the will, finding it in order. Though Tom's presence made an examination of Livia's ring not strictly necessary, Beckford found it worth reviewing, given its unusual qualities. He was impressed.

Livia signed some documents, as did Miss Bennet as a witness. Beckford took the particulars of Livia's Cambridge address, in order to send information when the account transfer had taken place, as well as the sale of the property. Beckford had obtained keys to the house and told Livia she would have 30 days after the transaction to remove whatever she wanted from the property. He also provided Tom with directions to find it, since they could do a quick survey on their way back home, as the location remained only a short distance from his office. When Bennet briefly excused herself for a lavatory visit, Beckford asked Livia how much her brother knew about her abilities. Livia told him that Tom knew everything.

"I know it all as well regarding the deceased," Beckford said. "It relates to younger family of mine that attended school in Scotland with the late Severus Snape. That and his family issues gave me one of my first clients. That's why I have keys, among other things. I know more about why he kept that home, though I suggested that he sell it. You did, too?"

Livia nodded. She was glad to know and not entirely surprised that Sev'rus would have found such a solicitor or vice versa. She just wished he had listened and had wanted to live.

They all shook hands when Bennet returned, though Beckford whispered to Livia before they left: "Severus should have listened to us." Before driving back, Tom and Jill Bennet contacted their office to ensure that they could make a detour to visit Severus Snape's home, rather than worry about rushing back. The firm took care of a few details over the phone that made the need for such a concern unwarranted. Tom did find the home in about 15 minutes.

All could see how the row of brick homes came from a turn-of-the-century, if not earlier, shabby neighborhood. At least the grime of those days had resolved to some extent, though not entirely. The town desired to remake its image. The development would go a long way as a movement towards gentrification, even if it would never create a garden paradise. Livia anticipated its exterior appearing like something out of a Dickens or Gaskell novel. Jill Bennet decided she wanted to eat something in the car rather than go in, so Tom and Livia went inside. Tom ate in the kitchen as Livia used the lavatory.

Livia remembered everything she saw from years ago – nothing changed much, if at all. She gave Tom a tour. Tom tried to figure the man out but felt the house did not relate to him. Tom took photographs and told her he found the house depressing. Livia agreed. She told him that she had viewed it once, owing to Christopher, and had called it "part museum, part mausoleum."

"Blimey, that is so apt," Tom stated. "That couldn't have gone over well."

"It didn't," Livia admitted. "Still, I stand by it. I didn't lie."

"Why did he want to stay here?" Tom asked. "I don't get it."

"Well, call them reasons or excuses, but I think anything that reminded him of the childhood love he lost became primary," Livia answered. "He cultivated a level of indifference about his own life, too. It contributed to a disinclination to move, even when he could have."

They paused in the library. Livia wanted to go through every book there but knew Tom should get back. She needed to be ready for interviewing the Malfoys as well. Since Livia had at least 30 days to go through the house, she knew she possessed no urgency to stay. Knowing where the house sat also meant she would have no problem finding it again.

* Author's Note

In an earlier chapter, Livia viewed the Rob Reiner film "The Princess Bride" (1987) in Durham before Tom and Alice's wedding. Alice's parents wanted her to get bridal ideas based on the parallel they were drawing between their pretty, blonde daughter and Robin Wright, the actress portraying Princess Buttercup.