February 13th 1998
With a new battle-cry, the Defence Association worked harder than ever before; the speed, strength and power emerging from some of those attending was impressive, to say the least.
The meetings did become more sporadic for a while, since the sixth years began to take apparition classes to prepare for their tests – at the beginning of April for those students already seventeen, and during the summer holidays for everyone else.
The Death Eaters had been worryingly quiet since their break-out from Azkaban, leaving everyone wondering if they hadn't just given up.
The Order and the Marauders knew differently however – Voldemort was lulling people into a false sense of security while he placed his people in the perfect positions to strike at the heart of the Ministry.
Already, Amelia had counteracted twelve Imperius Curses just in her department, and was getting increasingly frustrated by the constant assurances that the Ministry was 'dealing with' the threat.
The problem was, Amelia said, Fudge was too scared to make any ground-breaking changes.
Unfortunately, that was exactly what they needed.
But today, the Marauders were taking a break from the war, as the ten students took the thestral-drawn carriages down to Hogsmeade for the Valentine's Day trip.
The five couples – Neville and Daphne, and Cedric and Susan weren't officially dating (yet), but were accompanying each other as friends so as to lose any unwanted guests – strolled through the village until they reached the Hog's Head.
Abeforth glanced up as they entered and nodded to them, handing them the key to room 8. "Tell 'em congratulations from me," he muttered as they passed.
Hermione nodded to show she'd heard, but said nothing as they headed upstairs. Daphne unlocked the door and let them in, before locking the door behind them as a precaution.
One by one, they threw floo powder into the flames and flowed to the flat above Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, before flooing again to Ravenscroft Manor, and then making yet another journey to Potter Manor.
By the time they got there, Harry was rubbing his shins, having predictably fallen each and every time. "Remind me again why we didn't just floo straight here?"
"Because Jen doesn't want to set up a direct connection," Hermione answered. "You don't have to fall every time."
"Potter Portkey genes," Remus chuckled from the doorway. "They're as much of a curse as the hair."
"Tell me about it," Hermione muttered, eyeing Harry's hair.
"No time to worry about that now," Susan said, ushering the girls towards the door. "Sorry, Remus, but we don't have very long."
Remus smiled. "Of course, ladies. Oh, Hermione, Harry, Sirius wants to talk to you."
With difficulty, Hermione removed herself from the group of girls and grabbed Harry's hand. "Where is he?"
"His room," Remus answered.
"Why do you think he wants to talk to us?" Harry asked, as Hermione dragged him up the stairs.
"I've got no idea," Hermione answered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "He's getting married today – why would he want to talk to his godson and adopted daughter?"
"Put it like that and it sounds like a stupid question," Harry said, rolling his eyes.
Hermione laughed. "Think, Harry. That's what you have a brain for." She stopped outside Sirius's room, knocked once, and pushed the door open.
Sirius was already in his dress robes and was pacing up and down, his face white. "Remind me to apologise to Prongs when he gets back," he said as Harry pushed the door shut. "I laughed myself silly when he was this nervous marrying Lily."
Hermione glanced at where James Potter was slumped against the wall, wiping away tears. "Don't worry, Padfoot; he's repaying the favour."
"Thanks, mate," Sirius muttered where he thought James was and missing by several feet.
"Relax, Sirius," Harry said. "Addie's been walking on air for the last three weeks. What did you want to talk to us about?"
"Well, I know it's a bit late," Sirius said, "but I wanted to make sure that you two were okay with this."
Harry and Hermione looked at him.
"You want to know if we're okay with you finally marrying the woman you love?" Harry asked. "No, of course not, Padfoot – you know how unreasonable we both are."
"Neither of you are unreasonable," Sirius said.
"He was being sarcastic, Sirius," Hermione said, elbowing her boyfriend in the side. "Of course we're okay with it."
"I'm a little too nervous to appreciate sarcasm today, Pronglet," Sirius said.
Harry chuckled. "Sorry. I'll try to say everything in words of one syllable."
"Watch it," Sirius said mildly.
Hermione checked her watch. "Merlin's beard! I need to change!"
Harry laughed as she dashed from the room, but stopped abruptly when she returned and dragged him out after her.
"Is there a reason why you're not waiting for me to pop first?" Jen asked good-naturedly, examining her reflection in the mirror. Her dress had been carefully altered to allow for her growing baby bump.
Alice Longbottom, dressed in an almost identical red dress, patted her on the shoulder. "I was much bigger with Neville, dear. And Lily was massive towards the end."
"Besides," Addie said quietly, "we don't know what the future holds. That's been proven once already. I don't want to wait any longer than we have to."
Her white silk gown swirled around her ankles as she moved to sit in front of a vanity, allowing Meredith to fix a veil into her hair, which had been pinned back to allow it to fall in curls down her back.
Dress shopping had been difficult, so Jen had gone for her, into Muggle London, with the mirror, under the pretence of shopping for herself on a Saturday afternoon.
Showing Addie her own reflection had allowed the bride to choose her dress, and then Jen had visited Hogwarts, under the pretence of speaking to Dumbledore, to alter the dress for her.
"Fair enough," Jen said with a grimace, turning away from the mirror. "But I feel like a whale."
"A very beautiful whale," Alice said with a smile.
Jen rolled her eyes. "Thanks."
The door opened and the Hogwarts girls slipped in.
"Jen, you've gotten so big!" Susan exclaimed.
"I know," Jen said, settling a hand on her stomach. "Oh – we're kicking, if you want to have a feel."
While Susan, Luna and Daphne flocked to Jen, Ginny gave Addie a hug, being careful not to crease her dress. "Addie, you look amazing. Are you nervous?"
"No," Addie said, with no hint of hesitation. "How could I be?"
In no time at all, Sirius and Addie were standing in front of Amelia, her wand over their joined hands.
"Do you, Sirius Orion Black, take Addison Marlene McKinnon to be your lawfully and magically bonded wife as long as you both shall live?"
"I do."
"And do you, Addison Marlene McKinnon, take Sirius Orion Black to be your lawfully and magically bonded husband as long as you both shall live?"
"I do." Addie caught Sirius's eye and he gave her a small smile, mouthing five words at her.
I was hoping you did.
Addie bit back a laugh, remembering the first time she told him she loved him, and his identical response.
"Now this is normally the part where I complete the ceremony," Amelia said, "but there is one last vow that the bride has requested I include."
Addie smiled at the bewildered expression and released one of his hands to reach out to one of her bridesmaids.
Looking startled, Hermione stepped forward to take her hand.
"Do you, Addison Marlene McKinnon, take Hermione Jane Granger-Black as your lawful and magical step-daughter, to love, guide and cherish, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do." Addie wiped the tear from Hermione's cheek and kissed her forehead.
"Thank you," Hermione whispered, squeezing her hand.
Amelia waited for Addie to take Sirius's hand again. "Now, by the power vested in my by the Ministry of Magic, I pronounce you husband and wife." She smiled as thin gold ribbons wound themselves around their hands, glowing before vanishing entirely. "You may now kiss the bride."
Sirius cupped Addie's face and drew her to him in a soft, tender kiss.
"And you," Amelia added, looking at Jen, can remove the ward that stopped the Ministry from registering this."
Jen nodded with a smile, waving her wand. Normally, when a couple married magically, the Department of Magical Records received an automatic notification.
These could be blocked, if you had enough power and the right knowledge.
Luckily for the new Lord and Lady Black, Jen had enough power and Amelia had the right knowledge.
Just like the previous summer, the chairs flew to the sides of the Potter Manor ballroom and the guests swarmed to congratulate them, waylaid this time by the bride's embrace of her new stepdaughter.
Unlike the Lupins' wedding, however, the party was cut short for some of the guests.
After about an hour, Hermione checked the time and drained her butterbeer. "We need to go."
She was met with an outburst of protests from her fellow students and rolled her eyes. "Come on, we need to get back to the coaches before anyone realises we're not in Hogsmeade."
"She's right," Addie admitted, hugging them all. "Thank you all so much for coming."
"We would never have missed it and you know it," Harry said, kissing her cheek.
"We'll see you at the end of term," Sirius said, hugging Hermione, "and hopefully not a moment sooner."
Addie smacked him lightly in the stomach. "Don't jinx it please."
"We'll see you at Hogwarts then?" Draco asked.
Addie nodded. "I'll be back on Monday morning."
The students changed back into their school-robes, said goodbye to the new couple once more, and began the long process of flooing home.
One thing was certain – Harry's shins wouldn't escape the journey unharmed.
February 15th 1998
On Monday, at lunchtime, Addie almost floated into the staffroom. Despite now officially being Lady Black, she was still Professor McKinnon to the students – after all, it would be hard to explain how she was married to a supposedly dead escaped convict.
"Good morning, Addison," Minerva greeted.
"Morning Minerva," Addie responded, filling a plate with food.
The teachers were due to have an impromptu staff meeting, so Dumbledore had arranged for the house-elves to send food there rather than to the Great Hall.
"Is there a reason why you're so happy?" Minerva queried.
Addie smiled as the other teachers came in. "There might be."
"Is this going to take long, Albus?" Madam Hooch asked impatiently. "Someone managed to completely reorganise the broom-shed and charm the first-year brooms to play 'God Save the Queen'."
Addie choked back a laugh. If she didn't know better, she would have said that was the work of the Marauders, but there was no way …
Better ask Harry about that next time I see him. It's not really like him to prank, but that's far too James to dismiss the idea out of hand.
"It shouldn't take too long, Rolanda." Dumbledore waved his wand at the door, locking and silencing the room.
His actions caused the light-hearted atmosphere to freeze almost instantly; this was no ordinary staff meeting.
"Lord Voldemort has created Horcruxes."
Addie did not have to fake her confusion. After everything Albus had done to hide the existence of the things, he was now telling the Hogwarts staff of all people?
Minerva had collapsed into a chair, a hand on her heart. "Albus, are you sure?"
"It might just be me," Septima Vector said, "but what is a Horcrux?"
"Bluntly put, Septima, it is a piece of Voldemort's soul," Dumbledore said. "As long as he has this anchoring him to life, he can never truly die. We are working on destroying this as soon as possible. In fact, I have a location of one hidden in America."
America? That makes no sense. He agreed with Jen and Hermione that Riddle would hide them in places that were important to him. It can't be in America; he's never been there, that we know of.
Addie had to admit, if Voldemort wasn't so egotistical as to want to keep his Horcruxes in places that meant something to him, America would be a good place to hide one, since no one would think of it.
"It is my intention to take the Order of the Phoenix to search for and destroy this object as soon as possible," Dumbledore said.
"What is this object?" Pomona Sprout asked.
"It is my belief that it is a small golden cup that once belonged to Helga Hufflepuff."
Addie's blood froze in her veins and she fought to keep her emotions from showing on her face. So Dumbledore's not only leaving – he's leaving to destroy something that we've already destroyed. But he knows that! Jen told him last summer, but he obliviated her … Oh, what's the old goat up to now?!
"We will need as much help as we can get," Dumbledore continued. "So saying, Addison, Aurora, Charity and Sybil, I will ask you to remain here to keep the school running, while the rest of us join the Order of the Phoenix in our quest."
Addie felt her jaw dropped, but it was Aurora Sinistra who protested. "Albus, I agree that these … these things need to go, but you can't just leave the school with the four of us! What about the students? Classes?"
"From this point in the school year," Minerva said slowly, "the seventh year curriculum is simple revision. They could hold classes – practical applications. That would help them revise for their own exams."
"And we could always hold a session once a week for OWL students," Charity Burbage pointed out. "None of us is so bad that we couldn't cover the other subjects."
Addie couldn't help glancing over at Sybil Trelawney, who was gazing around vacantly. I wouldn't be so sure about that. "Yes, Albus, what about Voldemort? We all know he's after Harry – what if he takes this opportunity to …"
"Voldemort will want to beat Harry as an adult," Dumbledore interrupted. "My sources tell me that he is frustrated with being beaten by a child, and feels that he needs to prove that Harry is no threat by waiting until he is of-age and fully-trained."
It sounded plausible – just the sort of thing a megalomaniac like Voldemort would do – but Addie couldn't help worrying.
As Dumbledore began addressing the teachers leaving school, she looked over at Snape, pushing a thought into his head.
You're the source? Do you believe that?
To his credit, Snape didn't flinch at the sudden intrusion, but glanced over to make eye contact with her. Yes. And no. I think with Albus away, the Dark Lord will not choose his own ego over taking advantage. Try convincing Albus of that though.
"Very well!" Dumbledore clapped his hands together with a smile. "Now that's settled, I think we should get everything set up. We leave on Saturday."
As everyone got up to leave, Trelawney rose from her chair as well, pointing at Dumbledore with a trembling finger. "A grave mistake lies in your future, Headmaster! Danger lurks where you least intend it!"
"Thank you, Sybil, I'll be sure to look out for it," Dumbledore said kindly, guiding her out of the room.
Minerva snorted. "If she's a Seer, I'm a Slytherin," she muttered to Addie as she passed.
Addie attempted a smirk, but she couldn't. She couldn't the feeling that, for once, Trelawney was absolutely right.