"Little witch… What is your name?" Ginny stares silent and round eyed at the man holding Rebecca's sword. "Cat got your tongue?" He challenges.

"Ginny… Her name is Ginny." Michelle answers for her.

"Well… Ginny…give the other sword to Michelle."

Ginny kneels down and unwraps the Ulfbert. She begins to grab the weapon by the bade as well as the handle. The man says "Stop!" Frightened, Ginny freezes. "Don't touch the blade like that; you'll be cut. Touch only the handle." Ginny looks at him with questioning eyes.

He has a thought and turning to Michelle he asks "Does your coat have a scabbard?"

Michelle is baffled by the question and shrugs. "This isn't my coat."

"Wait here. I'll get you a scabbard."

While they are alone Ginny confesses. "I don't like him. But I think you should trust him."

Michelle nods.

In Dumbledore's office, Snape asks "Could he have created the memories?"

Dumbledore shakes his head. 'They can be by one of us, but one can tell that it isn't quite right. These were real."

Moving in tandem, separated to observe a wide area, Ceirdwyn and Alex Raven hunt the area from which the Burrow could be observed. Alex glances to Ceirdwyn on her left and silently catches her eye with a nod. Then with a glance to her right, Alex lets Ceirdwyn know someone has been spotted in that direction. Ceirdwyn nods back in response. Alex glances from Ceirdwyn to a place ahead and then with a nod looks to a different point. Ceirdwyn understands Alex's intent. They will catch the spy in a pincer movement.

Hermione gets increasingly nervous as the unlikely pair walk through the parking lot toward the classroom. Adam senses her heartbeat and pauses. "I know small one. Just remember, you'll be the most dangerous person in the room."

"But, you…?"

"When you boil it down, I'm just a guy…a muggle."

"But you…?"

"...are just an exceptionally old muggle."

"But…"

"Can't even float a feather."

"But…"

"Nope."

"But…"

"Nope. The difference isn't in our skills or powers, it is in what we are willing to do. It isn't the weapon that kills, it is the hardened heart of its wielder."

"I don't think your heart is hard. Maybe it was once…"

Adam nods. "When we take another of our kind, we receive some of what they were and some of all those they took."

Ceirdwyn and Alex Raven move only when the wind rustles the grass and leaves. Alex draws her sword. Ceirdwyn gives her a harsh look and a shake of the head. Be the spy witch or watcher, the attack will be to restrain and not to kill. Ceirdwyn knows that her student has been taking vengeance on those she feels committed wrongs in World War 2, but there comes a time to embrace life again… as she once taught Duncan McCleod. She had walked the same path not long ago. Duncan had returned the favor. Perhaps Alex would as well.

The young woman watching the Burrow intently would be shocked to know that four millennia worth of muggle has moved to within a few yards (meters).

Alex draws her sword. Ceirdwyn shakes her head. Alex turns a palm up in caution and smiles slightly. The sword is for intimidation only. Ceirdwyn nods slowly in agreement.

The next step they take is critical as their shadows will begin to fall in front of the young woman revealing their presence if she ceases her intense focus on the far away Burrow.

A whirring noise starting to come from her bag suddenly gets the woman's attention. She opens her bag to withdraw a small device with wildly spinning disk inside. But she is instantly distracted by the sensation of cold steel on the side of her neck. In involuntary shiver runs through her.

"Move and I'll pith you like a frog in biology class."

Ceirdwyn looks to Alex in shock and amusement. Alex shrugs while grinning widely and suppressing a laugh. "It just came to me."

The woman ignores the warning and moves. Ceirdwyn pounces on her, reaching for her wand hand. Suddenly, Alex is standing alone. Shocked.

Ceirdwyn feels as though he's being pulled apart. Her world spins. Her arms are wrenched and twisted. The blur ends, but the pain does not. "Son of a bitch! What did you do?" Ceirdwyn finds herself looking up at a young woman who is looking back in horror. She can see Ceirdwyn has what appear to be several extra elbows but are actually bad fractures.

"Tonks!" Ceirdwyn sees an old man with a staff limping toward them as fast as he can will himself to go. "What did you do?" He snarls.

"She must have jumped on me when I apparated. She's been badly slinched."

"You apparated in front of a muggle?" He accuses.

"The other one was going to turn me into a frog…"

Ceirdwyn answers through her subsiding pain "She said 'pith' and that means to stick her blade through your spinal cord at the base of your skull. But it was only a warning."

Tonks and Moody are shocked to see the Old One recovering before their eyes. Ceirdwyn gets up. "I get that your name is Tonks. What did you do to me?" Looking around she realizes they are no longer in the field. "Where is this?" Looking to Moody she asks "And who are you?"

"Tonks…" Moody hisses.

"Yeah?" Not taking her eyes off Ceirdwyn.

"Take her back."

"Her friend will kill me."

"If that is the cost that must be paid…"

Ceirdwyn asks "Wait, I have questions."

"Tonks…now." Moody hisses.

"Petrificus Totalis" Tonks says with a flourish of her wand pulled while Ceirdwyn was distracted. Ceirdwyn stiffens and falls over. "Think of what we could learn about them. Don't you want to know why they are at the Burrow?" Tonks observes.

"Of course, that's why I sent you." Moody growls. "But there is a lot she could have learned as well. If you had done your job properly…" He stops cold at the sounds of a slight shuffle of shoes on the stone floor and steel sliding on leather.

"Is it my turn now?" The two aurors turn to see a fully healed and mobile Ceirdwyn with her Celtic sword leveled at them.

"She's armed." Moody growls to Tonks. Tonks nods slowly. "Why didn't you disarm her?"

She was splinched. She was frozen"

"She is neither at the moment…"

"Why were you spying on the Weasley family?" The sword's triangular tip dances just in front of Tonks' nose. She goes slightly cross-eyed watching it. Ceirdwyn is shocked when Tonks' hair changes color from a yellow-green to a bright red and her face changes shape to retreat from the sword.

"Expelliarmus!" Exclaims Moody.

Ceirdwyn's sword is pushed away hard, but she maintains her grip as she's twisted around. Making use of its momentum, she makes a spin back toward her starting position.

"Petrificus Totalis!" Tonks yells.

Moody causes a rope to wrap itself around Ceirdwyn. "Take her back. You were to observe only. 'Interfere not into the affairs of the Old Ones for they are subtle and dangerous.' What were you thinking?"

"Well, this one wasn't very subtle." Tonks says as she mimics the sword point with her finger in front of her own face.

"Take her back."

"The other one will be there… She's…."

"Going to be one seriously pissed off Carvetii." Ceirdwyn answers.

"Tonks!"

Tonks hauls Ceirdwyn to a standing position and they apparate.

Once more Ceirdwyn feels like she's being stretched and pulled through a small hole. But it is also less painful and not as unexpected as Tonks holds her close.

When they arrive, Ceirdwyn is pleased that she has no broken bones. But she's concerned that she senses another immortal close by but out of sight.

Tonks says "I'm going to release you and leave. Don't kill…" There is a thunk as Tonks takes a blow to the head from the pommel of Alex's sword.

"Well… I didn't kill her." Alex says as she untangles Ceirdwyn. "Maybe a bit of dame bamage…" Alex grins.

When Tonks regains consciousness, Ceirdwyn and Alex are examining her wand. "She's back." Alex observes. "How should we kill her? Burning? That is the traditional way isn't it?"

Ceirdwyn shakes her head. "Too much dried grass. We could start a field fire."

"Hanging?" Suggests Alex.

Ceirdwyn shakes her head. "No rope. No trees with good limbs."

"We could throw her in a pond. If she drowns, she's a witch. If she floats, we can tie rocks to her and throw her back in."

"We already know she's a witch."

"So, we can go right to weighting her."

Ceirdwyn shakes her head. "No pond."

"We could shoot her."

"No gun."

"I could poke a her a few times, bleed her out."

"Takes to long…and all of the begging…" Ceirdwyn shakes her head. "And have that sweet little girl find a pool of blood and a rotting corpse? I don't think so.

"We could bury her." Alex has a thought. "Maybe we could bury her alive."

"Have you seen a shovel?" Alex shakes her head. "A pick?" Alex shakes her head again. "Neither have I."

Tonks breathes a sigh of relief. Ceirdwyn hold up the wand. "I bet this stick would be good for toasting marshmallows or sausages." Alex nods eagerly. Ceirdwyn waves the wand around roughly. Tonks now fears for her precious wand.

Alex starts giggling at Tonks discomfort. Ceirdwyn sits Tonks up. "We're not going to hurt you or your stick."

Tonks nods "I was just doing what I was told to do." Alex gives Tonks a furious look. Her grip on her sword tightens producing a slight noise as her knuckles whiten. Tonks cringes.

Ceirdwyn puts a hand up to caution Alex Raven. Turning to Tonks, she explains "You are too young to know the evils that were committed by those who were 'just following orders.' But Alex lost many friends to them. Now, why were you spying on the Weasley family?"

"My mentor found out that a muggle traveled via the floo system with a witch to this house. This was authorized by a secret group. He wanted to know why."

"Grace?" Alex asks Ceirdwyn.

"Or Adam."

"It was a woman." Tonks confirms.

"Grace" Ceirdwyn repeats with a nod.

"Do you know what is going on?" Tonks asks.

"We do." Ceirdwyn says as she motions Alex to release Tonks. Ceirdwyn hands her wand back.

"What?"

"Something you should not interfere with…" Turning to Alex she says "You know…maybe…"

"Wistman's Wood?" Alex questions. "Her?"

"Maybe…" Ceirdwyn says with a shrug.

Tonks is intrigued. "What is Wistman's Wood?"

Ceirdwyn puts an arm around Tonks' shoulders. "Your past."

"My past?"

Alex nods. "A time when the feminine moon ruled." Tonks is at a loss.

"Before us." Ceirdwyn says.

"How old are you?"

"About one thousand nine hundred fifty. But she's a bit older." Alex explains. Tonks knees weaken. "But the people who gather in Wistman's Wood follow a religion from seven thousand years before us." Tonks looks from Alex to Ceirdwyn. Ceirdwyn nods.

The smith returns to the courtyard where Ginny and Michelle nervously await. He is carrying a bundle wrapped in paper. It is certainly not what Michelle expected a scabbard to look like. "I almost forgot. This came for you." He says as he tosses it to her.

Michelle sees her name on it and opens the package. It contains a stylish raincoat. She likes it and puts it on in place of the one she came with. Michelle grins as it fits.

The smith nods. "Now, unless I miss my guess…" He takes the Ulfbert, steps up to Michelle opens the left side of the coat and slips the sword neatly into the hidden scabbard made for it. "Perfect. A matched set. Rebecca's sword would be too long."

The coat seals the deal. But the smith has Michelle swing each sword, which she does awkwardly. "Which is heavier?"

Michelle says "Rebecca's. For sure…"

"Actually, it is the Ulfbert. But, the Ulfbert has better balance." Michelle blushes.

Amanda paces as mutters "What is taking them so long?" Molly takes another spoonful of ice-cream. "Go in, select the sword I described, pay the man, and get out. What is so complicated?"

"It can take a long time for one of us to get the right wand." Molly observes, savoring yet another spoonful.