Last time...

"I thought I could…I didn't help you, when you came to me, when you pleaded with me to help him, when you were barred from ever seeing your friend again. I should have helped you. So I thought…I could watch this one, guide her…I didn't realize he had been reborn anew, not while he still lives. Then Jörmungandr showed up, and she rescues Fenrir, and then I knew. I had another chance to do right by you, to do right by your friend. How could I not take it?"

"And as she is now?" Jareth wondered.

"As she is now…" The woman trailed off again, perhaps mulling her words over to choose them with care. "I have never been more proud to call a witch my charge. Now, you are going to help her, yes?"

"Of course, I'm going to help her. What sort of Fae did you take me for?" Jareth snorted in amusement, having heard enough. "Now, let's get you to the Healer, Hedwig."

"Don't you sass me, child." The woman scowled, holding her arm close to herself as Jareth guided her towards the main Healer's Room. "You should be more like Hera. She calls me her Clever Girl."

"Of course, Mother."

Chapter 69

The letter turned out to be from Sirius, asking how she liked the idea of teaching; as if asking about her future career choices. That was rather subtle for him, she thought in fond amusement. It went on to talk about how Kreacher had seemed to turn over a new leaf all of a sudden, and how he himself had realized that maybe he shouldn't be so hard on the little guy. Things weren't perfect, a little stilted, but better. Apparently, Kreacher had taken to singing Hera's praises the way he had Walburga's. The locket, now repaired, was also in the small box that Hedwig had delivered.

Today was going to be another difficult day. Snape was being inspected this time, though he'd requested she not use the Time Turner to aid him. It didn't leave her much of a choice but to show up early for class to help him set up, having rushed through a fortifying bit of tea and biscuits the kitchen elves had made. He didn't look even the slightest bit surprised to see her arrive early. She helped with the little tidbit things, trying to calm her nerves, and waited until the others were in class to go to her own seat.

"You will notice," said Snape in his low drawl. "that we have a guest with us today. We are continuing with our Strengthening Solutions, you will find your mixtures as you left them last lesson, if correctly made they should have matured well over the weekend — instructions" — he waved his wand again — "on the board. Carry on."

As Snape's apprentice, Hera was once again set apart from her classmates. When she'd completed her potion, she went around the room to help her fellow peers; as was one of her duties. She was well aware that how she did things was nothing like the way Snape would do it. For Neville, it was calming advice, a staying hand. For Theo, it was going over cutting measurements. For Seamus, it was a pair of flame retardant gloves and a sheepish grin. She liked to think her assisting style was closer to how Frigga taught magic.

"Well, the class seems fairly advanced for their level," Umbridge said briskly to Snape's back. He was currently checking over Dean's potion. "Though I would question whether it is advisable to teach them a potion like the Strengthening Solution. I think the Ministry would prefer it if that was removed from the syllabus."

Snape straightened up slowly and turned to look at the woman. The Strengthening Potion was in their list of recommended potions to learn…from the Ministry. Did she even know what the recommended list was? How did someone who'd been sent to evaluate the subjects and teachers taught at Hogwarts, and not know what was supposed to be taught? Hera knew that the woman was there to be an annoyance, because Fudge had lost all reason for a moment, but still…

"Now . . . how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" Umbridge questioned, her quill poised over her clipboard.

"Fourteen years," Snape replied. His expression was unfathomable.

"You applied first for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?" Professor Umbridge asked.

"Yes," said Snape quietly.

"But you were unsuccessful?"

Snape's lip curled. "Obviously."

Hera wasn't even bothering to pretend continuing to check on her fellow classmates, as everyone had decided watching this happen was the better part of valour. She'd cast stasis charms on the lot of cauldrons, getting sheepish looks of thanks from various parties. What could the woman be thinking, bringing up such a thing? It had nothing to do with his teaching methods! Though it appeared that he was dialing things back a bit this year, he was still every bit the acerbic professor they'd always had. How he'd treated students was well known, but Umbridge wasn't attacking that. Umbridge was attacking him because of his desire for her job!

More scribbling on the clipboard.

"And you have applied regularly for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?"

"Yes," said Snape quietly, barely moving his lips. His anger was palpable, and Hera was sure he was already planning what to poison the woman with so it couldn't be traced back to him.

"Do you have any idea why Dumbledore has consistently refused to appoint you?" asked Umbridge.

"I suppose it would be because they have not found another competent Potions Master, as Slughorn insists on staying in retirement." said Snape jerkily. "I suggest you ask the Headmaster himself."

"Oh I shall," said Professor Umbridge with a sweet smile.

"I suppose this is relevant?" Snape asked, his black eyes narrowed.

"Oh yes," said Professor Umbridge, quickly backpedaling. "Yes, the Ministry wants a thorough understanding of teachers' — er — backgrounds, you see…and with such questionable decisions…taking on an apprentice so young…follies of youth…"

Everyone – Everyone! – knew he had been a Death Eater. Umbridge was hinting that it could be used against him now. While Hera was all for dragging that man kicking and screaming into the redemption he claimed to want for himself, she did not care for this woman dragging him through the mud just because he'd offered who Umbridge thought was the wrong choice an apprenticeship. Before Hera could act, however, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Ron had taken the stasis off his cauldron, and had taken something out of his pocket…a Fainting Fancy.

It was in the cauldron before Hera could move to stop him, not that she tried all that hard. She did, however, make sure to shield Ron and those close by from the blast. The cloud that arose out of his cauldron looked like something that came out of an eldritch nightmare, all pink and sparkly, like some kind of foamy behemoth. She suspects Jareth may have had something to do with that part, but who's to say if Fred and George tested what Fainting Fancies even did to Strengthening Potions? Snape managed to shield himself just in time, but only just; Umbridge was not so lucky.

Having had her back turned to the cauldrons, Umbridge had not been aware of the danger till it was too late. When the cloud dispersed, the High Inquisitor was trapped in some kind of pink like amber, quill and parchment on clipboard still in hand. The magic around it that Hera could see kept shifting too fast for her to be able to make any sense of it, having not yet settled. Snape took to running some kind of diagnostics over the crystalline structure. It didn't appear that he had any better understanding of what was going on with it than she had.

"Mr. Weasley, you are a disaster." Snape declared, upon seeing Ron's now empty cauldron. "That will be an O for the day."

"But-"

"Oh, and 10 points to Gryffindor."

"But…But…"

"Get. Out, Weasley." Snape ordered, pinning him with a look. "Don't make me take those points back."

"We understand, Sir!" Dean – who had been Ron's partner – exclaimed with a wide grin, hauling Ron up out of his seat, and pushing him out the door.

"Now, for the rest of you…back to work. You have a potion to complete." Snape reminded them, turning back to investigate the strange structure now in his classroom; even going so far as to giving it a comical poke. "Let's see if you can do that without encasing me in whatever this is, hrm?"

That evening, Hera was at a crossroads. Her closest friends were starting to ask questions; ones she couldn't answer without revealing everything. She'd promised she'd tell them what she could of that summer, but again that would involve revealing everything, and that was what she was considering now. She had promised she would tell them everything, if their Occlumency shields were strong enough, but that didn't mean she wasn't nervous about it. So much depended on their choice after this, that there was no way she could think about it calmly.

The entire situation felt overwhelming. They wanted to help her. They wanted her to teach them. They wanted her to play Seeker for the House team. That last one was a surprise; not only because Umbridge had been on some kind of war path before being encased in whatever had come out of Ron's cauldron, but because Hera had belonged to Gryffindor's House team before her resorting. She hadn't thought they would consider it. At least she'd actually get to try out this time, what with all the delays in getting the teams approved again, instead of pulling some risky stunt in class that should have gotten her detention.

The informational crossroads she stood on was her most important dilemma, though not her most pressing. She could get through teaching them, and even Quidditch, without telling them anything. She was aware enough to know that this was going to keep coming up though, and would rather face it head on. Having avoided it for this long, she could see the pattern begin to emerge. They would begin to feel insulted soon enough, hurt that she could not bring herself to trust them, if she could not find it within herself to confide in them.

At lunch, she'd asked Professor Snape to test their Occlumency shields. She hadn't told him why it had been needed, only that it was important. He'd done a cursory check, and found their shields to be above the standard level. They'd really been putting their all into it. By dinner, the four of them knew to be ready, and now she lay awake as her internal debate raged.

"Do you still want to know?" Hera speaks the words into the darkness. Curfew and lights out happened ages ago, Hermione had even come back from rounds some time ago. The girl doesn't even hesitate.

"It's about bloody time." Hermione huffed, throwing the blankets off of herself. She was still wearing her uniform. "I thought you might have actually gone to sleep, you know."

"No, just having a bit of an internal crisis." Hera replied lightly, trying for levity, but something in her tone must have caught Hermione.

"Hera, you don't have to tell us." Hermione insisted, because she meant it, but was stopped by Hera's easy smile.

"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't wish to tell you, but this secret is something I've carried before I truly knew what it was, and I…" Hera trailed off, wondering how to say what troubled her. "Everyone has been so accepting…of everything this past year, and I…I wonder if this will be the thing that 'breaks the camel's back' as it were. It could be like Second Year, but worse."

"If I may." Pansy interjected, causing the other two to jump; as they had not realized she was awake too. They look over to see both Millie and Pansy sheepishly grinning at them. "How you reacted in Second Year sort of cinched it for the rest of us."

"…What?" Hera belated asked, once it felt like her heart was back in her chest.

"For Slytherin…We were angry you weren't one of us, and so we lashed out as the other Houses did," Pansy explained. "but you didn't react like we expected. For Slytherin, we expected righteous fury, for the one who was our Heir to stand tall in the face of overwhelming opposition, but you just retreated so much that no one could reach you, both physically and mentally. You didn't react with anger, or rage, just…disappointment, sadness."

"We realized our mistake too late, that we should have stood with you. So when Hermione came to us with that Potter Watch list, we jumped at the chance." Millie added. "We think it's why all the other Houses united around you as well, because not one of us ever wanted to make that kind of mistake again. We have been both bully and victim; for the reputation our House has, for the type of magics we tend to relish in, for the blood of our lines, and the traditions we hold dear. If we want to be better, we have to be better."

Hera suddenly felt extremely guilty for excluding them.

"Don't worry. We don't need to know, and if you decide to tell us later, then that's okay too." Pansy insisted, seeing her expression. "I'd get Draco though. I get the feeling that he's closer to this than we are."

Hera didn't know what to say for several seconds, only managing to nod before replying. "I won't keep it secret forever."

"Go." Millie shooed them. "We'll cover for you if it's needed."

...

"Hera?" She hears. She, along with Draco and Hermione, all froze at the sound of Neville's voice from beside the entrance; having been hidden in the shadows. "This isn't going to be like first year with the forbidden forest is it?"

Hera relaxes at the sight of her friend, and replies with a soft smile. "No, Nev. Would you mind keeping Fred and George at bay, should they decide to follow after us?"

Neville's eyes widened in surprise.

"Some secrets might not be ready for them to be in the know." Hera revealed, before her smile widened just a touch more. "At least, not yet."

Neville's grin widened to match her own, and nodded in understanding. "You'll tell us when you can, if you can, yeah?"

"I promise." She agreed, and then the three of them were out before they could think better of sneaking out after curfew.

…

She had expected to see Ron waiting for them in the alcove she'd told him to be at. She had not expected him to have company.

"Luna?" Hera couldn't help but exclaim, even if quietly, upon seeing her.

"Oh good, I was worried I would be late." Luna sighed in relief, tilting her head as she regarded her friend. "You look more clearly defined now that you aren't fighting yourself so much. Are we going to see the Chamber of Secrets tonight? I think I'd quite like that."

The others all look to Hera as one.

"What?" She shrugged. "I didn't tell her. She's Luna. She just knows stuff."

Luna just giggled at them.

"You know, as a Prefect, I feel like we're supposed to stop things like this." Ron commented idly, as Hera made her way to a very specific snake epitaph subtly inscribed on the wall by the suit of armour near the library. "You know, be examples of responsibility for the midgets."

Hermione snorted at him, and Draco's shoulders shook with silent laughter.

"Alright, you lot! If you don't quiet down, Mrs. Norris will hear us! I'm trying to get this thing to open!" Hera hissed, though maybe that was in parseltongue, because the alcove suddenly dislocated from the wall. "Everyone through, quickly! Quickly!"

They all managed to get into the passage before the alcove locks back into place, and most importantly, before Mrs. Norris rounded the corner.

…

"We've got a bit of time if you want to explore a bit before…" Hera began, seeing as Hermione and Draco both were lost in some kind of instantaneous knowledge high.

The two were sort of staring in awe at everything, but at her words it was like they'd launched themselves further into the room to explore.

"I think we may have lost them." Ron snickered, watching as the two of them excitedly pointing at things and trying to talk over each other in their enthusiasm to share their findings with one another.

"Just wait till they find the study." Hera replied with a sly grin.

Luna had made it her self appointed task to pet Fenrir into a happy puddle of goo, something the World Eater was absorbing with relish. She seemed to think nothing of an ever growing basilisk saddling up for his share of pets and rubs, not needing to understand him to know what he wanted. Ron found himself flopping down beside Luna to use Fenrir as a pillow and cautiously pet Jör, something he hadn't attempted at Grimmauld Place. Hera just fondly watched them all, her friends, quickly accept another facet of herself. She had hidden this for far longer than she'd needed to, but now it felt right having them all here, and she found herself basking in the acceptance.