"It could be far worse, Severus." Dumbledore twinkled merrily.

"How?" Snape demanded.

"The Princesses could decide to work with the twins."

Both Snape and Flitwick looked at the Headmaster in alarm.

"Don't say that. Don't ever say such a thing. Never!" Snape rose to his feet before leaning down. "I hope I never hear such a thing again."

"I agree, that would disastrous." Flitwick paused before he moaned. "Would the school even be left standing?"

At that Dumbledore showed the first sign of concern.

31st July 1993.

The Daily Prophet and a selection of muggle newspapers all blared the escape of Mass Murderer Sirius Black. Paddy and Titania both sighed as they read the Ministry's announcement.

"That's a little different from what I remember." Paddy said.

"This Sirius doesn't seem to be as… sane as you." Titania said.

"No. No, I don't think he was." Paddy agreed. "I studied the Map. The one you got from the… local Harry. It's different from ours."

"How?"

"The layout, for one." Paddy said. "Ours was a long narrow piece of parchment, with a few lift-up inserts. This one is a much larger sheet. More… square, than rectangular. Each building in one quarter, layered by floor. We had it layered by floor but had the entire castle footprint in one go, not building by building."

"Huh…"

"Plus…" Paddy trailed off.

"Plus?" Titania asked.

"Their names? They're not the same."

"Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are proud to present the Marauders' Map." Titania said.

"Misters Moony, Whiptail, Padfoot and Spikes are proud present the Corsairs' Map." Paddy corrected.

"What?!" Titania gasped. "The Corsairs? Whiptail? Spikes?"

"I did a little bit of subtle digging, in the Ministry archives." Paddy sighed. "The Corsairs were animagi, like the Marauders, but they were registered. Moony isn't a werewolf, here he's a wolf Animagus. Peter is still a rat but he's not a plain garden rat, he's a Black Viking Rat, they're the only magical rat, like kneazles are magical cats. And they're nearly twice the size of garden rats. Sirius Black wasn't a Grimm, his Animagus form was that of a Scottish Deerhound. James Potter's was a stag, but unlike Prongs, he wasn't a Red deer, but a Sika deer. Sikas were introduced from the Far East, mostly China and Japan, while Red deer naturally migrated from Europe, during the stone age."

"The differences aren't big, but they're clear." Titania said. "If you know what to look for."

"If you know what to look for." Paddy agreed.

August 1993

Luna and Titania stood side-by-side, listening carefully to Paddy as he explained the practicalities of the Patronus charm.

"Theory is all well and good, but you need the practical knowledge far more than you need the theory." Paddy said.

"Don't I know it?" Titania huffed. "I never really understood the theory, but that didn't stop me from being able to cast it. What I need it to be able to control the animal that appears, when I do."

"I know, kitten." Paddy nodded. "First thing we'll do is check that it hasn't changed. You do know that a major emotional event can cause it to change, right?"

Titania nodded. "I know. And while I hope it has… I also hope it hasn't. It's my last link to the Potters."

"You'll never really lose them." Luna said, a soft smile on her lips. "They're in your heart and they'll always be there."

"Luna's right, kitten." Paddy whispered. "You may have taken a conversion potion to become my daughter, but in your heart James and Lily are your mum and dad, just as much as I'm your Da. You know the rules – no take-backs, no return to senders accepted."

"Oh, Da." Titania shook her head. "You are such a Marauder." She huffed.

"Of course, I am. And proud of it." Paddy huffed right back at her.

"Expecto patronum." Titania laughed as she cast and caught her breath as mist formed and grew into a recognisable shape.

"That's… what is that?" Titania frowned.

"That's a Gryfflix…" Luna whispered in awe.

"A what?" Titania looked at the other blonde, not sure she really wanted to know.

"A Gryfflix. They were hunted to extinction centuries ago." Paddy said. "A Gryfflix is a hybrid, usually lion or tiger crossed with an eagle. More cat than eagle, but it can fly. It can also tuck the wings away, magically, to look like a cat. Their feathers are supposed to be almost as magically powerful as a phoenix's." He frowned. "But yours is different… It looks more like… a leopard than a lion. It also looks very much like what I saw when you took the Animagus potion."

"Are you going to teach us to be Animagi?" Luna asked.

"Let's get through this year, then if your father agrees, I'll teach you." Paddy replied.

"Expecto patronum." Luna said calmly and watched as mist left her wand and formed the familiar shape of a hare.

"Very nice, Luna." Paddy smiled.

"Thank you, Uncle Paddy." Luna beamed back. "It reminds me of my mummy."

"I'm glad, little moon." Paddy's smile softened. "I wonder what your Animagus form would be?" He mused.

"I'm a honey dove." Luna replied.

"Titania made you drink the Animagus potion, didn't she?" Paddy shook his head in amusement.

"Of course, she did." Luna nodded. "And she pranked the twins into drinking it, too."

"Of course, she did." Paddy sighed. "What were they?"

"They're both Red Magma Kites." Luna laughed. "They changed in the Great Hall and flew up to the rafters and were stuck there when they shifted back."

"Dumbledore approached me later and asked what spell I used to turn them into birds." Titania chuckled. "He was most amused when I said that there was no spell but maybe the twins should pay more attention to what they ate and drank."

"Oh, Merlin…" Paddy closed his eyes and sighed.

"He laughed and said, 'I'm sure many people would say the same, however I doubt that they would have the gumption to follow through on such a thought.' Of course, I commented, 'And can you prove that I did?' He laughed, again and wandered off."

"Oh, Merlin…" Paddy sighed, again.

1st September 1993

As the two girls boarded the Express, Paddy pressed a small necklace into each girls' hand.

"Take these, wear them at all times. Even in the bathroom. Tell your dormmates that they're a gift from me." He said.

"What are they, Da?" Titania asked.

"They're just a necklace and pendant, you can change the pendant if you want but the clasp is engraved with a rune sequence that will… not quite repel dementors… more like, make you less interesting to them."

"Do the guards at Azkaban wear these?" Titania asked.

"No, these aren't as strong as theirs. Theirs have repel the dementors completely." Paddy answered.

"But these will just make us uninteresting?" Titania confirmed.

"Yes." Paddy nodded. "Along with your patroni you shouldn't have any trouble, but I'd stay within the main areas of the castle until they're withdrawn."

"We will, Da."

"Well, hello there, ickle secondie." A boy's voice came from the carriage's hall, closely followed by a pair of redheads and a chocolate-skinned boy. "Oh. Sorry. I didn't realise you still had family with you." The first redhead turned to Paddy. "Hi, you must Titania's father." He bravely held out a hand.

"Da, this is Fred Weasley." Titania nodded to the boy. "That's his twin, George." She jerked her thumb at the second redhead. "And this is Lee Jordan, their dormmate." She waved to the third boy.

"Ah, the pranksters that are getting pranked, right?" Paddy shook hands with each of them.

George said nothing, just whined slightly.

Fred grunted,

Lee laughed. "That's us."

"Titania says you're all in Gryffindor? Fifth year, right?" Paddy asked and when the three nodded, he went on. "Good to know. Last year was a bit rough on the girls, so I'd appreciate it if you'd keep an eye out for them. Luna tends to get a little lost in her books and Titania's not much better."

"We will." Fred eyed the two girls, as they stood in the carriage's door.

"Thanks, lads. After last year, who knows what will happen this year? I'd much rather plan for the worst and be pleasantly surprised, than loose my daughter." Paddy said seriously.

"We'll do our best." George added. "They're in Ginny's dorm, but we see far more of them, than we do her. I think she's embarrassed to hang out with us."

"I think she's too busy making calf-eyes at Harry to bother with us." Fred corrected.

"Either way… She doesn't hang out with us and we have lots of time to spend with Luna, Titania and Apollo." Lee ignored the bickering twins.

"They'd happily take Apollo and forget Luna and me." Titania told her father, mockingly.

"Oi!" The twins squawked.

"Never mind, lads, you don't get one without the other." Paddy laughed. "Now, you'd best get a move on, or all the compartments will be taken."

"Nah." Lee said. "I got here early enough to put my stuff in our usual compartment."

"Third from the end of this carriage?" Titania asked.

"That's the one." Lee nodded and dragged the twins with him, as he left the girls to say goodbye.

"Da? Da?!" Titania called through the flames of Apollo's fireplace.

"Kitten?" Paddy called back. "You alright?"

"Yes, Da." Titania replied. "We were far enough away from Harry's carriage and the necklaces worked well enough, that we had no real problems. The twins made sure we had some chocolate and Professor Lupin stuck his head in long enough to check that we were all okay."

"You saw Moony?" Paddy blinked in surprise. "How different is he?"

"Not at all." Titania answered. "He looked exactly the same, sounded exactly the same and acted exactly the same."

"Hmm…"

"There's a flock dementors circling the school, outside the grounds. Dumbledore's not letting them cross the wards." Titania said.

"Will they?"

"Yeah, but not until November. Not until after Sirius Black breaks into the tower on Halloween. The Gryffindor/Hufflepuff match, it was supposed to be Slytherin but Malfoy will play on the injury he got by insulting Buckbeak."

"Right." Paddy's head in the fire nodded. "How are you dealing with the cold?"

"It's not too bad. Hats and scarves are going to be needed a little earlier than usual this year, though. I'm going to start knitting straight away." Titania replied. "Luna said she'll help with the scarves, but she's no good at hats."

"You could add some protection charms to them, maybe some warming charms? Want me to send along a book on dressmaking charms and runes?" Paddy asked.

"Yes, please, Da." Titania nodded. "I'm thinking runes embroidered with a label sewn over them."

"That would work for the hats, but not so well for the scarves." Paddy objected. "Try adding them as a decorative border at each end of a scarf."

"Ooh, I could match them up. A scarf and hat, done in matching colours with matching designs and the rune work would just look like a fair-isle feature." Titania breathed in inspiration.

"How long does it take you to knit a set?" Paddy asked.

"Five days. Two for the hat and three for a decent length scarf." Titania answered.

"And how much are you going to charge for them?"

"Depends." Titania shrugged. "On the yarn, the design and whether it's a single piece or a set. A hat would start at ʛ2 and go up to ʛ5. A set? Start at ʛ5 and go up to ʛ10. Custom or commission work is much the same. Dependant on the same factors."

"You already ordered the labels, didn't you? Or do I have to do that?"

"Done, Da. I even have them with me, along with a good supply of yarn in a stasis cupboard in my trunk. Along with all the stuff that we did over the holidays."

"Alright, then." Paddy nodded. "There's not much else you can do, right now."

"Nope. We just have to wait." Titania sighed. "I miss you, Da, and it's only been one day."

"Same here, kitten. Put your names down for Christmas, Luna will be staying with us. Xeno wants to go to New Zealand looking for some sort of crystal spider and he's not sure if he'll be back in time. I suggested that he write up a Crisis Guardian Substitution contract, just in case Dumbledore objects. We're doing that in the morning at Gringotts, so fair warning, Luna might get a Gringotts letter and possibly a meeting with McGonagall."

"I'll let her know, Da."

1st November 1993

"Uncle Paddy?" Luna called into the flames.

"Luna? What's wrong? Where Titania?" Paddy asked, worried for his daughter.

"She's in the shower, Uncle Paddy." Luna replied and Paddy allowed himself to relax. "I said I'd call you and update you, then when she gets out, I'll have bath and you two can chat."

"Oh, lovely." Paddy sighed. "Thank you, Luna, thank you." He sat back, summoning a cushion to sit on, making sure to keep the connection open. "Go ahead."

"It's Halloween. Says it all. Sirius Black entered the castle, he tried to get into Gryffindor but the Fat Lady wouldn't let him. He slashed up her painting real bad and took off. We had to sleep in the great for the night, while the teachers searched the castle."

"Did they find anything?"

"No, nothing." Luna answered. "We did hear Professor Snape talking with Professor Dumbledore, though."

"Oh?"

"Yes, Professor Snape was trying to convince him that Harry should be warned, but while Headmaster agreed that he probably should, it wasn't going to happen."

"Did he say why?" Paddy asked.

"No, but we didn't expect him to." Luna replied.

"I'm here." Titania flopped onto a cushion beside Luna.

"Kitten, you're okay?" Paddy asked.

"Of course, Da." Titania assured her father.

"I'll leave you to finish up while I have bath." Luna smiled and pulled away from the flames.

"Happy bathing." Paddy laughed.

"Thanks, Uncle Paddy." Luna called as she left the trunk.

"So, interesting night?"

"It was actually." Titania said. "I learnt something very interesting."

"Yeah…?"

"I remember Snape as vehemently against Moony being hired to teach DADA."

"Yeah…?"

"Not this Snape. Apparently, McGonagall was the one to suggest Moony and Snape didn't even put up a single objection."

"W-what?" Paddy spluttered.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, too." Titania said.

"How did you find that out?"

"I listened, Da." She shook her head. "In the Great Hall, Snape and Dumbledore were talking and when Moony joined them, there was no… animosity, no… nothing really. They weren't friends but they weren't enemies, either. Just work colleagues, nothing more."

"Huh…"

"And it was a full moon, but cause this Moony isn't a werewolf, he was part of the search in the castle."

"And still, no-one found Black." It wasn't a question but Titania answered it, anyway.

"No, no-one found a sign of him. Not that they would have, Hermione's kneazle was helping him. It will be Crookshanks that will get him the passwords to the common room in February. And help him get into the Whomping Willow's passage to the Shack."

"I'd forgotten that." Paddy snorted at the memory of following the ugly ginger beastie.

7th November 1993

"Da?" Titania called into the flames.

"Titania?" Paddy answered. "Are you alright? No problems with the potion?"

"No, Da, it worked fine." Titania replied. "Luna and I dosed ourselves and a couple of the other lions. Not the quidditch team, though. We all spent the day in the hospital wing, being cosseted by Madam Pomfrey. She only released us a few minutes ago, I think she had more to worry about when Professor McGonagall and the team brought Harry in, he passed out from the dementors, but still caught the snitch. I can't talk long, dinner is in a few minutes and the twins are waiting for Luna and me to get changed."

"Alright." Paddy nodded. "Off you go, then. Call me tomorrow evening, after things have quietened down."

"Yes, Da. Love you." Titania stood and pulled her sticky jumper over her head and reached for a change of clothes.

19th November 1993

Luna and Titania settled themselves down on the stairs of the Clock Tower, a weak notice-me-not shielding them from watching eyes. Titania wanted to make sure that the twins gave Harry the Marauders' Map, or the Corsairs' Map, as the local version was called. They watched as the dark-haired boy, looked cautiously around the ground floor for staff or students, slightly alarmed when he didn't even bother looking at the stairs. After checking for spectators, Harry pulled out his cloak, before flinging it over his shoulders and making for the courtyard. A flick of a disembodied wrist and his floating head vanished.

Across the courtyard, the twins fiddled with a snowman. To Titania and Luna, it was clear they were waiting for something and that something, was Harry. They scooped their arms through his and dragged the struggling, but still invisible, boy into the tower and pushed him onto the stairs, a flight-and-a-half below the two girls.

Neither girl paid that much attention to what was said, they were more concerned with ensuring that no-one overheard the three boys. And given that Professor Flitwick and Madam Pomfrey were making their way from the hospital wing to the courtyard, obviously intending to go to Hogsmeade themselves, there was cause for caution.

Seconds passed before the twins and Harry parted ways, the twins going back to their snowman and Harry heading back into the castle. The One-Eyed Witch's statue was in Turris Magnus and stood on the landing for the third floor, the passage hidden under the statue would take Harry straight to the cellar of Honeydukes.

The girls debated for a bit, snowman or snowball fight? A cheeky grin from Titania and a snicker from Luna and the two carefully slid out into the courtyard, doing their best to not let the twins see them. Five minutes spent packing snow into drifts and the girls attacked.

Splat!

Thump.

Splat!

Whump.

First one redhead, then the second redhead found themselves buried under a large amount of loose snow that had been levitated across the courtyard. The twins dragged themselves out from under what could only be called a snowdrift.

"What the hell …"

"…was that?" They swore.

They were answered by girlish giggles, and a pair of blonde heads peeked around the edge of the fountain in the middle of the courtyard.

"You don't think they…?" One twin asked, eyeing the two girls.

"I do think they did." The second said, as he shook the snow from his hair.

"You know what that means?" The first asked.

"Snow fight." The second nodded.