Return of the Unicorns

by West29

After he is murdered in the Little Hangleton graveyard, Cedric Diggory finds out that he can reincarnate back on Earth. It's a golden opportunity to re-claim his life - but what will come of it?

25. Chapter 25

Return of the Unicorns, Chapter 25

Note: This chapter will be from the perspectives of Harry Potter, Cho Chang, and Hope Marshall.

Another Note: This chapter also contains a flashback, which is one of my first goes at writing a flashback. I do hope it works!

One Last Note: JK Rowling said, at one point, that the Dementors were inspired by her experience with depression in her 20's. Knowing that (and as a person who has also experienced depression), I felt all the more compelled by her description of the creatures. Since Dementors mirror depression and depression (a fair amount of the time) prevents a person from fully experiencing fulfilling relationships with others, I took the liberty of writing that Dementors can sometimes eliminate the feeling of connection between people (e.g. when Harry disconnects from the world and recedes into his own memory and re-experiences his parents' deaths every time Dementors draw near). I do hope that such an artistic liberty works, but please feel free to tell me if it doesn't.

It was time for Harry Potter to go back to Hogwarts and since it made the most sense, he would be taking the Hogwarts Express. At present, he was just about done packing his trunk. Hermione sat on a spare bed, having finished packing hours ago while Ron was summoning objects from all over the room willy-nilly and stuffing them into his own trunk.

A knock sounded at the open door and Harry turned around to find Hope.

"Want me to teach you a spell that'll help organize that?" she asked Ron, gesturing to his trunk.

"Nah, I like a bit of mess," quipped Ron as he stuck his tongue out at Hermione.

"More like so much mess, it'll transform into a Boggart and then attack every neat freak in Hogwarts," grumbled Hermione.

"More like the mess-Boggart would attack you directly!" countered Ron.

"No, no, Ron, don't you remember? Hermione's Boggart takes the form of an exam that she hasn't studied for, in a class that she didn't ever attend because she didn't even know she was enrolled in!"

"Why, you- I have nightmares about that!" Hermione went red in the face.

Harry and Ron jointly laughed at her chagrin.

"Listen, Hermione," said Hope, "I hate to break it to you, but my grandparents still have nightmares about the exam from the class they didn't know they were taking and know nothing about. And they are in their eighties. I don't think these things ever go away."

"Oh, botheration," huffed Hermione.

"Do we need to be heading down, Cedric – I mean Hope? Is that why you're here?" asked Ron.

"Not just yet, but since I need to get to the Ministry for the start of my training, I just wanted to say goodbye now to all of you. And of course, to thank Harry for the Patronus lessons."

"No problem," replied Harry. "Thanks for the Legilimency lessons."

"Any time." Hope approached Harry for a hug goodbye. "Keep in touch, okay? Any time you need me, just say so."

"You got it," said Harry, giving her one last squeeze before letting go.

"About that…" interrupted Hermione, "We have something for you." She pressed a Galleon into Hope's hand. "These Galleons are how we tell members of Dumbledore's Army when the next meeting is going to be. We made you one so that you could attend and maybe teach us something. Having an Auror come teach us would be great!"

"Well, I'm only about to start training, but thank you anyways!"

"Dumbledore's Army was started in part because of your death, so it'd be weird NOT to include you somehow," said Harry.

"Well, thanks, Harry, Ron, Hermione. I'm really honored. I'd better be on my way, though, because I have my first day of Auror training to get to and you all need to go catch the Hogwarts Express!" She made her way to the door.

"Always friends, right?" said Harry.

Hope nodded. "Always." She made her way out of the room and down the stairs.

A moment later, Sirius and Remus knocked at the open door. "Could we have a word with Harry before he goes?" Sirius asked.

Ron and Hermione nodded and Ron dragged his trunk – with dirty socks still poking out of one side – from the room.

"Ron! You left your divination textbook!" Harry shouted after his friend.

"Well, I don't want or need it!" Ron shouted back. "We just need to predict loads of miserable stuff for our futures and that'll placate old Trelawney for the next two and a half years, won't it?"

Harry rather agreed with that statement, but it didn't stop him from casting a banishing charm on the abandoned textbook to send it sailing out of the room and right into the back of Ron's head.

"OW!" Ron exclaimed.

When Harry turned back to Sirius and Remus, who'd just shut the door behind him, he could see them both laughing softly.

"You remind us of ourselves when we were your age," laughed Remus. "Divination wasn't exactly our forte either."

"Indeed," added Sirius. "What was it that Professor Abbott said? That you have all the clairvoyance of a turnip?"

"All the clairvoyance of a potato," Remus corrected him.

"Oh… right," drawled Sirius. "Anyway, this divination business is awfully dreary, and murky to boot. Seers are always predicting the end of the world, but they never give details! Like, all I want to know is, will the world manage to end during the upcoming war against You-Know-Who? Because I'd really like to know if now is the right time to start unloading on some of my long-term stocks!"

"What?" asked Harry.

"Never you mind, kiddo," said Remus. "Sirius and I didn't come in here to discuss divination and the stock market."

"Though it would be great if divination could actually predict the stock market! But that aside, we came here to give you a present!"

"You already got me a present!" Harry protested. Sirius had gotten him a set of Quidditch balls – two Bludgers, a Quaffle, and a Snitch – so that he could host Quidditch games whenever he so chose. Harry had immediately asked Sirius to take him to the back yard of the Burrow (where the Weasleys lived) so that they could play a game of one-on-one. It'd been wonderful. And for his part, Remus had gotten Harry a book on defensive magic that Harry was still reading.

"Well, I finally unearthed it from the attic yesterday evening after much searching and I'm sorry I didn't have time to wrap it, but-" Sirius held out a silver mirror. "This is a two-way mirror, Harry. You have one and I have the other. This way, you can talk to me any time you like. No matter the situation, I'll always answer and I'll always come running when you need me.

Tears pricked the corners of Harry's eyes as he accepted the mirror and then hugged Sirius. "Thanks, Sirius."

Sirius returned Harry's embrace eagerly. "It's what family does for family, right?"

"Yeah," Harry breathed, feeling an odd combination of elation and peace. "Family."

XXXXX

Cho Chang had never felt quite so relieved as when she boarded the Hogwarts Express to return to school that blustering January day. All through winter break, her father had been yelling at her to get her grades up, and her mother hadn't had the energy to fight him. Cho was seriously hoping they'd just get a divorce already.

It was a relief to be going back to Hogwarts, where she did intend to study hard – but where she also intended to give her all to being a member of a secret organization called Dumbledore's Army that was meant, among other things, to thwart Dolores Umbridge's authority over Hogwarts. Her father would have such a hissy fit if he knew. The thought made Cho smile.

It was also time, she decided to get her social life right. Cho had pushed away a lot of people who'd been friends as she grieved Cedric. While she wasn't sure that she wanted to befriend anyone who'd judged her harshly for mourning her boyfriend, she did want to start being more open and letting more people in.

It was time, in short, to be a better person. Someone worthy of Cedric – who was now reincarnated as Hope.

When Cho looked around the train platform, she saw that Harry Potter and his friends were being escorted by a group of Aurors. When Harry broke away from them to board the Hogwarts Express, Cho ran over and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Harry, uh-"

"Yeah?" he asked her blankly. He didn't seem angry – that was a good sign!

"Is… is Hope Marshall with you and your group of Aurors?"

"No, sorry," said Harry. "She had to get to her first day of Auror training really early, or she'd be here. But let's talk later. I think I have some ideas to help you and Marietta."

"Really?"

Harry nodded.

"Thank you!" exclaimed Cho. Those two simple words couldn't possibly express the relief that flooded over her that maybe, just maybe, her friend would be all right.

XXXXX

"Come on, Cho, we'd better find a compartment!" called Marietta as the two girls boarded the train at the last minute.

Cho nodded and followed her friend as both of them levitated their trunks ahead of them.

Cho came to an open compartment occupied by a single girl with messy blonde hair who was reading The Quibbler upside-down.

"Luna, do you have a moment?" Cho asked the girl.

Luna slowly lowered the magazine from her face and gave Cho her usual dazed look with her wide, blue eyes. Cho knew not to be fooled by that look – the girl was utterly formidable with hexes and Cho wouldn't want to cross her.

"Why, of course," Luna replied dreamily.

"Great – can Marietta and I join you?"

Luna's already wide eyes widened even further in surprise. "I guess… I don't see why not."

Cho levitated her trunk into the racks at the top of the compartment while Marietta reluctantly followed. Marietta was too polite to say anything mean about Luna openly, but she did give Cho a "what-are-we-doing-here-with-the-crazy-girl" look as they took their seats opposite Luna.

Once they were settled, Cho pointed her wand at the door. "Muffliato!"

"Ooh, are we telling secrets?" Luna asked, intrigued.

"Uh, yes… Luna, can I ask… do you believe in the reincarnation of unicorns?"

"Why, of course!" the other girl exclaimed, as if this was the most obvious and evident thing in the world.

"Cho, what are you going on about? Everyone knows the reincarnation of unicorns is just a fairy tale!" scoffed Marietta.

Cho shook her head meaningfully at Marietta. "No, it isn't just a fairy tale, Marie." And then it all came pouring out of her: the way she'd nearly kissed Harry after the last DA meeting before Christmas, her admission that Marietta was being pressured to betray the DA, her pleading for Harry's help as the boy left her by herself in the Room of Requirement, and then the heart of the story: Hope showing up and proving herself to be not just the reincarnation of the unicorn Rocinante, but also the reincarnation of Cedric Diggory himself.

"What did you say?" gasped Marietta.

"I reacted badly," confessed Cho. "I guess her reincarnation – you know, new name, new body, new appearance – really threw me because I accused her of being unfaithful in love and then I ran away."

Marietta stared at Cho in silent shock the way she had been for the entire telling of the story.

"It'll be okay," said Luna, who'd come over to pat Cho on the shoulder.

"Uh, we don't actually know that," cut in Marietta.

"Why, yes we do!" protested Luna. "Cedric Diggory was always a forgiving person, and I'm sure that forgiving nature hasn't faded through reincarnation! If Hope still loves you now, then I'm sure the way you reacted isn't enough to stop her love! The way she sent her mother to comfort you over Christmas – I'm sure she still loves you!"

"Thanks… I actually think I might believe you, Luna."

"Probably the first time in a century that anyone's believed her," Marietta muttered in Cho's ear.

"I heard that, Marietta!" huffed Luna. "And if people don't believe what I know to be true about unicorns and crumple-horned snorcacks and nargles, then that's just their problem!"

Cho laughed softly and raised a hand to high-five Luna.

XXXXX

It was after dinner at Hogwarts when Cho Chag finally had some alone-time in the dorm room with Marietta and their three other roommates – Diane, Shelley, and Megan.

"So… how was your break?" Cho asked as she and Marietta started unpacking.

"Fine," shrugged Megan. "Daniel decided he didn't want to go out with me, after all."

"He sounds like an idiot for deciding that," scoffed Cho.

"I thought Ravenclaws weren't idiots," countered Shelley. "Although I do think he was in the wrong, saying no to Megan."

"Uh, remember Gilderoy Lockhart, our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor 3 years ago? He was an idiot, AND a Ravenclaw," said Cho.

"Yeah, the way that you lot ogled him constantly and I didn't find the appeal was pretty much how I knew I was gay," Marietta quipped with a matter-of-fact eye-roll.

"Cho made a good point," smirked Megan. "Just because someone is in Ravenclaw doesn't mean they can't be stupid, and I think Daniel's really stupid."

"So… why do you like this moron?" asked Diane.

"Because he's really bloody hot!" scoffed Megan. "Now, what about our Cho? Who should she date next? And girl, don't act like you're still mourning Cedric. That has gone on for way too long!"

Cho stood up from her unpacking and turned to face her roommate. "Excuse you!" she spat. "But I loved Cedric and I'll not have anyone telling me that my love – or that I mourned him – is imaginary. I won't hear another word to the contrary, you got me?"

Marietta eyed Cho with respect while their other three roommates gawked in silence.

"But, that said," Cho continued after several moments of silence, "It has finally dawned on me that I've probably shut you all out as I grieved, and I'm sorry for that. I've not been there for you as a friend and at times, I've even been downright nasty. I feel so bad for neglecting all of you. So that's all coming to an end, okay? I've been too sucked up in myself and I promise to be a better friend from now on."

Megan abandoned her perch on her bed and went over to Cho. "Well, it's about time, girl!" she exclaimed. Then, she shoved Cho so she was lying on her own bed and then lay down beside her, the two of them staring up at the upper curtains of Cho's four-poster bed. "So, now that you're ready to discuss it with me sans any glowering, you can tell me when and how I should slip Daniel some Amorentia!"

What a predictable response. Cho just laughed.

She wasn't sure if her dorm-mates would pressure her to date anyone new, but Cho decided that if they brought it up, she could just say she was going to focus on improving her Seeker skills. After all, Ravenclaw had some matches to win.

XXXXX

A couple weeks of classes went by as Cho tried to stick by her two resolutions. Her resolution to pay more attention and get her grades up was going well, and she could see the appreciation in her professors' eyes every time she mastered a new spell. Her other resolution to make more friends was off to a shaky start since some people still called her a crybaby behind her back – but she was doing her best to branch out and be kind, anyway.

She was eating breakfast with Luna (now a friend of hers, no matter what nasty comments anyone might have to say) and Marietta when the Daily Prophet arrived bearing astonishing news: there'd been a mass breakout from the prison Azkaban.

"Oh, my Merlin," gasped Cho. "Hope… she's bound to be sucked into this somehow. I wish I could know how she's doing."

"Go to her," urged Luna. "Just do it."

"There should be some floo powder in Professor Flitwick's office. Just use some to get where you need to go, and apologize to him for it later."

Cho nodded silently, and then jumped from the breakfast table and took off like a shot.

XXXXX

Hope's day had been a bust from the moment it started.

The first in the order of disasters had been breakfast.

Now, normally, breakfast with her parents was a happy affair where her dad made some homemade delight like an omelet or crepes (her mom was hard pressed to boil water, so all culinary duties fell to her dad) and they talked about what they were going to do during their day.

And that was how it started, at least.

"So, Hope, I was wondering if I should get you any books on Arithmancy," said Natalie, "You know, since you've been so interested in mathematics and numbers during this lifetime and you never managed to fit Arithmancy into your schedule at Hogwarts.

What an understatement. Cedric had taken every additional class offered to third-year students at Hogwarts, except for Muggle Studies, Divination, and Arithmancy. If he'd tried to jam one more class into his third-year schedule, he would've needed to use a time-turner to get to all his classes and he didn't want to deal with the hassle involved in that.

"Uh, I mean, I'd love to read a bit of introductory material about Arithmancy out of curiosity, but I don't think I'd exactly have time to take a deep dive into the subject." Hope had barely started Auror training and it was already getting pretty time-consuming and stressful. And she wasn't even allowed a time-turner, gosh darn it.

"So, were you interested in statistics and mathematics as a profession before you came to England, or did you maybe also have something else in mind?"

Hope figured her mother was just making conversation, so she went along with it as her dad listened on with interest. "Well, in addition to statistics and math, I had an interest in a career in the law – you know, maybe going to law school and possibly becoming a Muggle lawyer. Before I came here, anyway."

"Oh, really?" asked Natalie. "Did you apply to law school?"

"Oh, yeah, I did! I even found out on Halloween that I got into Harvard Law School. But I ultimately decided not to go since I joined the Order of the Phoenix and then started Auror training."

Her father, who'd come from Pureblood wizarding roots and who had never take Muggle Studies, looked at her blankly. Her Muggle-born mother, on the other hand, gawked in disbelief. "You got into Harvard Blody Law School and you said no?!" she all but yelled.

"Uh, in the interest of re-joining the Wizarding World and discovering the lost memories of my past lives, yes," clarified Hope as calmly as she could. She was trying to act like her decision was a totally reasonable one. Because, to her, it was totally reasonable.

"You said NO to Harvard Law School?!" Natalie repeated dramatically.

"Is that prestigious?" asked an uncertain Amos.

"VERY," intoned Natalie. "One of my cousins went there. Now, he's a partner in a major law firm, friends with several people in the United States legislature, and he's probably made enough money to purchase his own private island in the Hawaiian archipelago!"

"That's a vast exaggeration-"

"And instead, you've volunteered to fight in a war that could get you killed AGAIN?! This is absurd! We need to talk about your life choices, young lady!"

"Your cousin doesn't, er, stand a chance of getting killed if you become a major lawyer and make loads of money at it, right?" asked Amos, who was still trying to catch up with all the Muggle-world details present in the conversation.

"It's a very safe and very, very profitable profession," Natalie clarified for her husband, before turning back to her daughter. "So why aren't you doing it?!" she intoned breathlessly.

"Dad, can you please tell Mom she's being ridiculous-" Hope began.

"Well, I don't think she's being ridiculous," Amos countered as he stood up to face his already-standing daughter. "I think you made the wrong choice and I'm sure there are plenty of ways you can go back and make the right one-"

"Really, Dad? You, too? Always going and assuming that the most prestigious choice is the right one?"

"Well, your mother and I have been meaning to talk to you about how you've been making some very risky choices, like deciding to make friends with an Azkaban convict and go cavorting with a werewolf every full moon!"

Hope saw red as she felt her tongue tie itself in knots. Really?! They'd been acting all supportive when this was what they really thought?!

Then, Hope's confused thoughts coalesced themselves into anger. This was so typical, so absolutely typical! Especially for her dad. He was the one who'd been so disappointed at his own kid ending up in Hufflepuff instead of Gryffindor. He was the one who'd pushed entering into the Triwizard Tournament, who'd wanted his own kid to win and attain eternal glory.

And then Hope remembered the time at the end of the year, the news that Professor Lupin was resigning, and why he was doing so…

**Flashback to Cedric's 5th year at Hogwarts/HP Book 3**

Cedric was halfway through eating breakfast the day after Hogwarts exams had finished when he heard the news whispered by his classmates all around the Hufflepuff table. "Did you hear about Professor Lupin?" "Oh my Merlin, I had no idea he was a Werewolf! Do you think Dumbledore knew?" "What would Dumbledore be thinking, hiring an actual Werewolf?!" "Thank Merlin that Lupin's resigning! What if he was a safety hazard to students at Hogwarts?" "I even heard he transformed into a vicious monster in the light of the full moon and tried to attack someone LAST NIGHT!"

Cedric looked up from his second helping of scrambled eggs and fried potatoes (both thoroughly doused in ketchup AND hot sauce, just the way he liked it). He didn't want to believe his ears. But before he could ask any further questions, a copy of the Daily Prophet caught his attention. Cedric grabbed it to read and he felt his stomach drop as the paper confirmed every last thing his classmates said was true.

"Stop it, everyone!" Cedric had all but shouted at his still-gossiping classmates as he also smacked his fist down onto the table – HARD. So hard it would probably leave a bruise.

"What?" asked Justin Finch-Fletchley. He and half the Hufflepuff table looked at Cedric blankly, as if they were wondering what they'd ever said that was offensive.

"Lupin didn't ask to become a Werewolf! He didn't ask to transform on the full moon! How dare you all say he was anything but an amazing teacher!" Cedric spat. It was undignified behavior for a prefect to be shouting and banging their fist on the table, but Cedric honestly didn't care.

"But-" someone protested weakly.

"Oh, never mind, I have to go," Cedric huffed, and bolted from the table as fast as he could.

He hadn't known where he should go, but his feet took him right to Professor Lupin's office. He stopped when he heard voices from within. A moment later, Harry Potter emerged from the office. Harry and Cedric nodded at each other before Harry headed off elsewhere and Cedric made for the professor's open door.

Cedric entered, closing the door behind him, and for a moment, he just stared at his professor, not knowing what to say. Here was this perfectly wonderful man – the best teacher anyone had – and yet life had beaten him about and pushed him away from any source of prosperity or happiness he might find in this world.

It just wasn't fair.

Without thinking, Cedric ran forward and barreled into his professor, throwing his arms around the man even as he stood there rigidly.

When he'd hugged his professor for a second, he wondered, for a second, if it was too much. Cedric had heard from some people that it was undignified for men to readily express their emotions, but then again, he'd always seen his father be so heartfelt and expressive, so he figured it couldn't hurt. And surely, Professor Lupin, of all people, could use a really good hug?

So, he ran forward and threw his arms around Professor Lupin as tears leaked out of the corners of his gray eyes. "I'll miss you, Professor! I don't want you to go!" he exclaimed.

Cedric's words seemed to snap the professor to reality as he returned Cedric's embrace warmly and stroked his hair as a gesture of comfort.

It didn't occur to Cedric in the moment, but later, he would reflect on how even in the midst of the ultimate rejection and the ultimate discrimination, Professor Lupin had instinctively comforted him for what he was going through in this situation. It took a hell of an amazing professor – and mentor – and person – to be there for others even when they'd suffered such a blow.

"It's all right, Cedric," the professor said gently. "To be honest, I was sort of expecting something like this to happen."

Cedric released the professor from his embrace and stood back as he blinked in confusion. "What do you mean, Professor?"

"I mean that the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor's job at Hogwarts is jinxed. That's why no professor – not for the past fifty years – has been able to hold onto the job for a year."

"Well, how do you get rid of the jinx?" Cedric asked eagerly. "I bet that with the help of Professor Dumbledore, and also with my help if you want it, you could disable the jinx!"

"I think this jinx runs pretty deep, Cedric. You'd have to defeat or even kill the person who cast it in order to get rid of it."

"Well, I don't know about killing anyone-" Cedric faltered for a moment before he recovered his enthusiasm – "But I bet I could help defeat that person and get them to release the jinx! How about that! Then, you could come back and teach Defense at Hogwarts for as long as you like!"

"That might be a little tricky… They say that Lord Voldemort himself was the one who jinxed the job." Wow, Professor Lupin even dared to call You-Know-Who by name?! Talk about brave!

"Oh… Well, you and Professor Dumbledore and Harry Potter and all the important Aurors could still have my help fighting against You-Know-Who. If you ever wanted it," Cedric offered weakly. He supposed his help wasn't worth that much if he didn't even dare to call You-Know-Who by his actual name (probably one of the reasons he'd ended up in Hufflepuff instead of Gryffindor), but maybe he could somehow be of assistance if they needed it! Hufflepuffs were just and loyal, and he could certainly be loyal to Lupin and Dumbledore as they brought down You-Know-Who once and for all!

"I'm sure you'd be invaluable," said Professor Lupin with a genuine smile.

"Oh! Well…"

"Don't underestimate yourself, Cedric. You've been one of my most outstanding students all year. In addition to studying hard and earning top marks, you've stood up to challenges when your classmates were shy or scared, you've tutored others learn when they fell behind, you were always there when anyone needed a shoulder to lean on, and…"

"Wow. Thanks, Professor," Cedric said. He wondered if Professor Lupin had been about to say something else before he trailed off, but Cedric didn't want to push it just in case the professor had lost his train of thought or didn't actually have any other compliments to offer.

"And you're honorable, Cedric. I first noticed it after the Quidditch match where Hufflepuff played Gryffindor. There you were, Team Captain and Seeker of a team that'd just won by a landslide – in a Dementor-infested torrential rainstorm, no less – and you were still asking Madam Hooch to consider a Hufflepuff vs. Gryffindor rematch because the Gryffindor seeker had fallen off his broom when the Dementors got close to him. It was very noble of you."

"Thanks."

"And I also noticed that you told Oliver Wood to congratulate his team – and his Seeker Harry Potter – on a match well played only when the Hufflepuffs were gone. And that you insisted on privacy for your conversation with Madam Hooch."

"Well, I, uh… didn't want to be a killjoy in front of the rest of the team or anything. I didn't want them to see me try to undermine them or anything when they'd worked so hard for their victory," Cedric said, trying to equivocate.

"It was incredibly gracious, Cedric. Few people are as kind and honorable and considerate as you. There are so many older, wiser wizards who would do well to emulate your example. It may sound odd, but you strike me as something of an old soul."

"Err, you do know I'm still a disorganized, procrastination-inclined, horny, bad-decision-making teenager who's wearing mismatched socks jammed onto the wrong feet right now, right?"

Professor Lupin just laughed and patted Cedric soothingly on the shoulder. "Good luck, Cedric. You're in for amazing things, I know it. In fact, there's going to be an event next year where someone will be chosen to represent Hogwarts. You'll be of age when it starts, so I highly recommend you put your name in for it. I have the feeling you'll get chosen if you do."

"Really? What kind of event?" Cedric asked.

"Oh, I can't tell you because that'd ruin the surprise," smirked Professor Lupin, "But eternal glory awaits the winner."

"I dunno if I need eternal glory – Harry Potter seems to have enough trouble being famous as it is, and I'm not sure if I want to mess with anything like that. Will you be okay after you leave Hogwarts, though?"

"I will," said Professor Lupin with a nod that smacked of resignation.

Deciding not to risk it, Cedric nodded, waved, and turned to leave. He was about to leave through the door when something made him turn back. "Hey, Professor?"

"You know, you should probably just call me Remus now that I'm no longer tasked with teaching you-"

"Ok, Remus – I'm sorry if this is random, but do you believe that unicorns can reincarnate? You know, have their souls come to Earth and live other lives after they die? And maybe even have their souls reincarnate into a human vessel if they want to?"

"Huh. Why, I haven't heard about such tales since I read about them in the works of Beedle the Bard when I was a child still waiting for my very first Hogwarts letter to arrive!"

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to bring up something silly. It's just that I had a conversation with Professor Dumbledore about it at one point in my third year and-"

"No, no need to be sorry! I suppose I never really considered the matter. There's no recent, credible evidence of unicorn reincarnation, since there are only old legends. But then again, I can't say that it would NEVER happen, either. After all, we know that all people have souls, and why can't unicorns have them? And there's no reason why souls can't be reborn into a new body through reincarnation, even if we can't prove it."

(Cedric momentarily wondered why Professor Lupin hadn't been in Ravenclaw before he realized that being bold enough to call You-Know-Who by his actual name was probably more than enough to put him in Gryffindor.)

"But I've never seen anyone recall memories from their past life the way unicorns did in the legends. So I suppose if I'm very lucky, I might be surprised and get to meet a reincarnated unicorn one day. Why, I might even get to watch them recall the memories of their past life!"

Cedric grinned. It was good to know that more than one wise person in the world was at least open to the idea of unicorn reincarnation, because he wanted to believe it himself.

"Thanks, Professor Lupin. You'll always be a professor to me. I look forward to staying in touch. And we Hufflepuffs aren't just loyal, we're really persistent! And we Hufflepuffs are also really good finders, so I'll totally find you wherever you are!"

Lupin laughed heartily as Cedric finally made his way out of the office door.

**End Flashback**

Hope had initially marveled at the memory when, late one night, she recalled it. What a beautiful thing, that she had managed to find and befriend the ever-so-talented and ever-so-understanding-and-kind Professor Lupin even after reincarnating into another lifetime. She and Remus had taken a moment over the holiday break to reminisce and hug about it.

It was only after returning home from the 5th year of Hogwarts that Cedric had discovered that his own parents had been among those to write complaints to the school that it was dangerous for a werewolf to be teaching at the school. Cedric had been beyond dismayed to realize that his parents had been part of the vast group complaining for Lupin's resignation.

How ironic, then, that the NEXT Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had been a disguised Death Eater whose contrived plan to bring You-Know-Who back to power had led directly to Cedric's death.

"I thought you LIKED Professor Lupin, but you're just going to keep discriminating against him behind his back?! It's not like he asked to be bitten!" spat Hope in her parents' decision. Her anger was directed at both of them, but especially at her dad. As part of his many duties keeping dangerous beasts in check for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, he had to manage and update (on a yearly basis) a registry of every werewolf living in Britain. That registry was public knowledge (though few people actually checked it) and it was basically free license to mindlessly hate anyone who was a werewolf. Couldn't her father have the mere decency to do something to protest the Ministry's anti-werewolf policies?!

"Hope, you should realize that werewolves are dangerous!" he attempted to explain himself.

Well, apparently her father couldn't be bothered to be nice to werewolves. Here he was, insisting on being a bigoted idiot.

"And we think you should reconsider some of your career choices. If you don't want to attend Muggle law school, there are plenty of prestigious positions within the Ministry of Magic that you'd be amazing at! Ones where you're not actually fighting Death Eaters, ones where you're safer, ones where you might not to have to associate directly with convicts like Sirius Black-"

"You KNOW Sirius Black is innocent, and you SHOULD know he's my friend!"

"We're just concerned!" protested Natalie.

"UGH! I don't have time to deal with this!" Hope all but shouted. Then, she disapparated on the spot before she could say anything that couldn't be unsaid.

XXXXX

The second she got to the Ministry, all Hell was breaking loose for no apparent reason. Figuring she should be with Kingsley if all Hell was breaking loose, Hope apparated to the reception area outside of his office.

The place was crowded with Ministry wizards clamoring for a moment of Kingsley Shacklebolt's attention. Since Hope couldn't talk to her mentor, she turned toward a small, excitable-looking wizard in his fifties who wore an oversized purple top hat. It was Dedalus Diggle, another prominent Auror and member of the Order of the Phoenix.

"Dedalus! What's going on?" she asked.

"You haven't seen?!" he exclaimed, shoving a copy of the Daily Prophet under her nose.

"No, I didn't get to look at the Daily Prophet this morning, I was-" she was about to explain that she'd had an unexpected and horrifying argument with her parents that she'd cut short by apparating to the Ministry, but she figured she shouldn't be airing her woes in the middle of such a clamoring, chaotic crowd where she and Dedalus could barely hear each other even when they basically screamed in one another's ears.

And then, she saw the headline. Oh, Merlin, the headline.

MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN: 10 DEATH EATERS ESCAPE!

SIRIUS BLACK IS PRIMARY SUSPECT

"That's a lie!" spat Hope the moment she saw it.

"Aye, a vile lie, but Cornelius Fudge is determined to spout it, the bastard!" Dedalus Diggle may have been short in physical stature, but what he lacked in height, he made up for in excitability.

The clamoring continued on for several more minutes before Hope saw Kingsley put his own wand to his neck and mouth the word "Sonorous." Knowing what was coming, she plugged her ears.

"EVERYONE THAT'S NOT AN AUROR, GET OUT! I NEED TO GET TO AZKABAN AS SOON AS I CAN!"

Since she was a trainee, Hope stayed along with Dedalus while everyone else suddenly seemed determined to run for their lives (or apparate, as the case was for a few wizards) out of Kingsley's office.

Since Hope and Dedalus were the only two Aurors left in the office, they were the only ones with whom Kingsley had to converse. Now that the office was empty, Kingsley removed his wand from his throat so he could speak more quietly and huddled close to Hope and Dedalus.

"You two! We need to get to Azkaban! It's an All-Aurors-On-Deck kind of day, and we even need you, Hope, even though you're a trainee. Once we're there, we'll want to conjure our Patronuses as soon as we can and then we'll set about reading the Dementors' minds in hopes of figuring out how they were turned to You-Know-Who's side or how the Death Eaters escaped. If we are exceptionally lucky, we may find some clues."

Hope and Dedalus nodded and each grasped one of Kingsley's outstretched hands so he could apparate them all to Azkaban.

Hope had previously heard descriptions of the Azkaban prison and had even seen some photos – and artistic depictions – of the place. It was a vast stone triangular skyscraper stretching into the sky above a lone hunk of rock rising from the Atlantic Ocean that served as its base. The place was perpetually dark and stormy, with rapid, heavy rains pelting the structure and everyone near it from every possible angle at once. Fog descended from the sky and rose from the sea in unpredictable streams, only to get blown away by the wind and the roaring waves just as fast as it'd come.

Hope was prepared for the foul weather and the darkness. But she was not prepared at all for the feeling of hopelessness that descended upon her the moment they arrived. They were never going to find any clues about the Death Eaters' escape, she just knew it. The Dementors would mistake them for prisoners and then they'd be trapped forever in this godforsaken place and why had she even bothered reincarnating back to the land of the living…

Hope tried to reassure herself of the one happy thought associated with this place: it was meant to keep the bad guys in. That was why it was so harsh and severe. But looking up, seeing a chunk knocked off one of the corners, she realized that there was no reason this place should even exist. It wasn't just cruel and depressing, it wasn't even secure. She may as well surrender now…

"Expecto patronum!" Kingsley and Dedalus bellowed together.

"Are you all right, Hope?" asked Dedalus. "You seem a bit weak in the knees, going a bit faint. Do you know how to cast a Patronus?"

"Yeah, Harry Potter taught me how over Christmas break." But it would be so much harder with Dementors on every side than it'd been in the warm, safe confines of 12 Grimmauld Place, or even when Harry had borrowed a Boggart from somewhere and stood in front of it to make the creature impersonate a Dementor. Dementors were Harry Potter's worst fear. Hope's worst fear was Lord Voldemort, but now that she was standing right outside Azkaban, she definitely saw why Harry was more afraid of the Dementors.

She took a moment to collect herself, and also made sure to cast waterproofing and drying charms on her clothing and that of Dedalus and Kingsley. The Dementors made things frigid enough without anyone having to get soaked to the bone.

"Thanks," they both murmured.

"Hope, I wish I could show you how to read dementors' minds, but I need to help Rufus Scrimgeour interrogate the Azkaban prison wardens. Dedalus will show you how it's done. Make sure you conjure your patronus first, though. And quickly!"

Hope nodded, and that was the only cue Kingsley needed for himself and his lynx patronus to be on their way.

While his Patronus – a capybara – protected them from the Dementors, Dedalus took a moment to explain the mind-reading spell (a variation on the Legilimens spell for humans) for Dementors.

"It's apt to be nasty work," he explained. "What's more, since you can't keep your concentration on a happy thought while reading the fearsome contents of a Dementor's mind, you can't keep your Patronus going while you do Legilimency on a Dementor. So we have to go in pairs, do you understand?"

Hope nodded.

"We can take turns with who does the Dementor Legilimency and who conjures the Patronus, if you like. It'll be easier that way."

Hope nodded again. "I can give the Legilimency a shot first, if you can instruct me while you keep your Patronus going."

Dedalus nodded.

XXXXX

Reading the minds of Dementors was even nastier work than Hope had expected it to be. The creatures' heads were full of spite and malice and hate. Upon reading the minds of Dementors, Hope discovered that the creatures didn't just want to suck the happiness from the world, they also wanted to suck the love and connectedness between people. She'd been in the presence of Dementors mere moments, and already, she was having to work hard to remind herself that she was friends – good friends – with Dedalus Diggle.

After a time that felt like days (but which the fancy gold watch her parents got her was actually only 15 minutes), Dedalus suggested that they switch.

Oof.

Hope nodded and asked Dedalus to give her a moment to get her happy thoughts together under the protection of his capybara Patronus.

Happy thoughts, happy thoughts… She had a few happy thoughts about Cho, about kissing her at the Yule Ball and holding her close and declaring everlasting love to her. But when she attempted a Patronus with those, they fell flat because Cho didn't love her anymore…

So then, she considered thoughts about her parents. Of the wonderful reactions on their dear faces when they learned (because Cedric had insisted on traveling to Diggory Hollow to tell them the news in person) that their own son would be the Hogwarts Champion in the Triwizard Tournament. Then that fell flat… She considered other memories of her parents (The Diggorys), even the ones that involved coming back from the dead and happily falling into their arms… but for some reason, those weren't working either…

So then, she considered the memories of David and Cristina Marshall and her childhood in Vermont, but the happiness of the memories of her other parents – or of her friends – or of Wellesley College – or of anything that'd occurred before she'd left the US and everyone she knew there behind to go fight for the Order of the Phoenix – just led to depression about losing them (and that lifetime) that made her the mist of her non-corporeal Patronus dissolve.

Finally, since memories from her current life (as Hope) weren't working and memories from her past life (as Cedric) weren't working, she turned to her other past life as the unicorn Rocinante. She focused on a general memory of gallivanting about with the herd.

That, at least, was enough to conjure non-corporeal Patronus mist. It would have to do, because that was the best she could muster.

So, during her turn shielding Dedalus Diggle while he read the Dementors' minds, she had to keep the Auror close to her because her non-corporeal Patronus mist might not protect him adequately if he strayed too far.

And to boot, she only lasted five minutes.

"Expecto Patronum!" Dedalus re-conjured his capybara to protect them both. "Are you all right, my dear?"

"No," breathed Hope. "I can't get enough happy memories together to make a corporeal Patronus the way I could back at Grimmauld Place. Tell you what – can you conjure your Patronus while I stick to reading the dementors' minds?" The Patronus-casting took a fair bit of effort, but it was by far more pleasant than the mind-reading of dementors.

"If you insist, my dear," replied Dedalus.

The dynamic worked fairly well for them since Dedalus had the endurance to linger on whatever happy thought was keeping his Patronus going and Hope was in a foul enough mood where she could keep reading the dementors' minds without a problem as long as Dedalus's Patronus protected her.

After Merlin-knew-how-long, someone tapped Dedalus on the shoulder and whispered something in his ear.

"We ought to go, Hope," Dedalus panted as he got closer to her. "Take my hand, we'll get back to the Ministry…"

"How long has it been?" she panted once they'd arrived.

"Nearly five hours. We need our rest. Come here, I've heard they're serving lunch and hot chocolate for all the people who are looking into the break-in at Azkaban. They want us to keep up our strength against the Dementors."

Now that she was out of Azkaban, Hope could feel the strength getting sapped from her limbs. She was able, she supposed, to use the Dementors' spiteful thoughts to keep herself going as she read their minds, but now that she was out of their presence, the spite faded and she just felt… weak.

"Why don't you sit down and I'll see about getting you something," Dedalus said, guiding her to a chair and patting her gently on the shoulder. Hope was too tired to object.

She found herself seated among several wizards who she recognized from her father's work at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

"How in Merlin's name did this happen?" one of the wizards groaned. Hope recognized him as Martin Pierce, Head of the Goblin Liaison Office.

"I dunno. This is the worst day of my life, easily…" groaned one of his subordinates

"Mr. Pierce! What are you and the Goblin Liaison Office doing here?" Hope chipped in.

"Who're you?" Pierce asked, baffled.

Oh, right. She knew him from her past life, but he didn't know her in her current life.

"Um, I'm Hope Marshall, the new trainee in the Auror Office. I've, uh, heard of you and your and your work at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

"Oh, of course! Well, it's always flattering to be well-known… Anyway, the situation with the Dementors got so dire that they didn't just bring on the Auror Office, they also brought in the Department for t the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to get a hand on the situation."

"The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures? Who've they assigned to go there?"

Pierce started listing off names that all blurred together in Hope's head until he got to "Walden McNair, Amos Diggory…"

At this, Hope jumped up like a shot. She couldn't go letting her dad be in danger with the Dementors! She had to go get him out of there! What if he was in trouble? Without looking back, she ran to the Ministry's Apparition Zone and disapparated right to Azkaban before anyone could ask her anything.

When she got to Azkaban, she ran smack into Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"What are you doing here?" her mentor demanded.

"I'm here to help! Kingsley, I can turn into a unicorn and if I do that, I won't be affected by the Dementors! I should do that!"

"You can't! If the Dementors know that you're a unicorn, it might get back to the Dark Lord! If you can't keep up a Patronus, you shouldn't be here!"

"I can do it," she huffed and ran past Kingsley, conjuring her honey badger Patronus.

The thought sustaining her Patronus was that she would get to her dad, and they would get out of this horrible place and they would resolve the stupid argument they'd had this morning and everything would be perfectly fine. They'd be a family again and everything was going to be perfectly fine…"

Hope sprinted through the crashing waves and the freezing rain. Dementors had a way of sucking your stamina, but Hope had an awful lot of stamina. Years of running on the track and cross-country teams and playing hockey and skiing and constantly being involved in some kind of sport had made sure of that.

She sprinted her way through crowds of wizards, some of whom turned their heads to wonder what she was doing unaccompanied. She didn't care.

Not seeing her dad on the outside of the prison, Hope ran through its walls, passing wizards who were interrogating the prisoners. If the dementors had made her miserable, the sight of the prisoners inside Azkaban had somehow managed to make her feel even worse. True, they were some of the worst people in the wizarding community – people who had stolen vast sums of money and tortured and murdered other people, but did they really deserve to trapped in a stone box for the rest of their lives while Dementors sucked every literal drop of happiness from them?

In her applications to law school, Hope had mentioned that she wanted to have a role in limiting the kinds of punishments allotted to criminals. That she'd rather err on the side of clemency than revenge. Sure, it made sense to lock away dangerous criminals, but did torturing them for eternity actually do anyone any good?

A surge of icy air entered her lungs, nearly stopping her from breathing at all. And… wow, she was dangerously close to losing track of the happy thoughts about her family there.

She concentrated back on thinking about how she would return to her family and everything would be okay with them again, when she rounded a corner and saw her dad being watched over by someone else's vulture Patronus.

If she'd had more time to contemplate things, she would've wondered who on Earth conjured up a vulture Patronus. But she didn't have more time to contemplate things because that vulture Patronus was flying away from her father as he read the Dementor's mind.

Hope didn't have time to think. She simply acted, directing her Patronus at saving her dad. They would be okay and they would be a family again. They would be a family again. They would be a family again…

That was when Hope felt herself fading. Now that her Patronus was far from her, she was left more susceptible for Dementors to get close to her, and she could feel their icy mist penetrating her lungs.

Then, one of their rotting, skeletal hands gripped Hope around the neck and physically dragged her from the spot where she stood.

The mist was no longer taking over her lungs, it was also occupying her mind.

And now, she was taken back to the forest, running for her life from Professor Quirrell, until he was using a knife to slash open her throat and drain it of precious unicorn blood…

And then, she was standing next to Harry Potter in the little Hangleton graveyard as a voice cried "Kill the spare!" and then she was cut down like a sapling with the force of the Avada Kedavra curse…

In what could possibly be the last moments of her soul's existence, Hope returned to the present moment where a Dementor was dangling her in midair by just her throat. She remembered how Professor Lupin had described the Dementor's kiss: "They clamp their jaws on the mouth of the victim… and suck out their soul."

That was what was happening to her now. There was no turning away. The Dementor gripped her face in its hands. Then, it aligned its body parallel to hers. Maybe, Hope thought on a crazy whim, the creature would rape her. Anything, anything but a Dementor's kiss. She might stand filling her body with the creature's angry void, as long as her head could reach backwards or sideways or any which way it could to gasp the cold, unadulterated air.

But of course, the creature had no such mercy. And so, Hope was forced to watch, with her own eyes, as an orb of light representing her soul exited her mouth. Suddenly, a silver unicorn ran through the air and headbutted the dementor away with its shimmering horn. And then she felt as if she was falling, falling, mercifully away from the Dementor, but into whatever dark depths awaited her below.