Disclaimer: Not mine. : (

Chapter 8:

Rhys paced back and forth in front of Helga ranting. He had been at Hogwarts for two weeks now. His father's inaction and the fact that he didn't know who to trust were starting to get to him.

"Rhys, your making me dizzy," Helga said. "It's not good to torment a pregnant woman like this."

"How could we not know, Helga? I mean, Salazar even looks the part of villain now!" he cried continuing pace.

"Rhys, you're being illogical."

"I cut off the idiotic beard!" he said petulantly.

"You're still upset about your mother," Helga said.

"Of course I am!" Rhys said. "Now I know why you hate Zarena."

"I don't hate her," Helga said. "She annoys me, but I don't hate her."

"Only because your too good a person." Helga blushed crimson.

"Now stop that. I'm not lying off you. Sit down!" He did, looking at her little bewildered for yelling at him. "Now, I want you just think through things calmly. Your father is still looking to see if there is anything that can be done for your mother. That does not mean he isn't acting."

"What do you mean?"

"We, Rowena, Godric and I, have been working on fortifying Hogwarts. No one knows about this. No one! We're casting enchantments even Salazar doesn't know about, but we need Slytherin blood for the spells. Four lines of magic run through this place and it can't be changed now. Zarena's been helping us, as well as caring for your mother. Remember that before you judge her too harshly."

Rhys looked unseeingly at the far wall. "She's been helping."

"Yes," Helga said going over to him. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "The Raven flies the side of the Lion in the end. He can not stand without her."

*********************

Rhys walked by the lake troubled by what Helga had said. "The Raven flies by the side of the Lion in the end. He can not stand without her." What was she talking about? Was it another prophecy? Or, as he privately thought more likely, has Helga just lost it entirely.

"Rhys!" Leo called running up behind his friend.

Rhys turned to see him followed closely by Zarena. The Lion and the Raven. Leo meant lion and Zarena was obliviously the raven Helga had mentioned.

"You alright, Rhys?" Leo asked. "Have you already heard?"

"Heard what?"

"I take that as a no," Zarena said. "Your mother has been killed."

"What?" Rhys said. "I, what?"

Leo looked at her and shook his head. "Be a little more blunt, could you?"

"My mum is dead," Rhys said ignoring them. "How?"

"My father," Zarena said. She looked around nervously. "I don't want to give details here. Your family is gathering in your aunt's study."

Rhys nodded and began walking back towards the castle. Leo grabbed Zarena's elbow.

"What's the idea telling him like that? Don't you care? Don't you have any feeling at all?"

Zarena looked at him, truly confused. "Yes, I have feeling. Mairead is gone. She was my, well she was the person I was closest to in the world!"

"You have an odd way of showing it!" Leo shouted. "And it really doesn't say much if the person closest to you was zombie you were assigned to watch! If you ever hurt Rhys like that again I'll... do something unpleasant!"

Zarena watched as he stalked after Rhys. What did two idiots matter anyway?

'They matter quite a bit, and you know it,' she thought. 'They are our best hope and you may be the only one who knows that.'

******************************

Helga grumbled audibly as another one of Godric's elves came in the see to her.

"Lady Hufflepuff is not looking happy," the little green creature said. "Lady Hufflepuff should be being happy. Is not good for the baby to be so sad. No, no, no."

Helga ignored the elf rather than yell at it. She went back to drawing out another vision she had. She defiantly had time to ponder the meanings of her visions. From what she could figure out, all signs pointed to the Gryffindor heir as being the 'savior.'

A soft knock at her door brought her attention up. Zarena slipped into the room.

"Your children are asleep," she said.

"Thank you," Helga responded looking critically at the younger woman.

Zarena had been helping take care of Helga's children since she couldn't get out of bed. She had been quite depressed since Mairead's passing.

"'Rena," Helga said gently, "come here please.

Zarena entered fully and crossed to Helga's bed. Helga patted an empty patch of mattress next to her. Zarena dutifully sat.

"It wasn't your fault, you know," Helga said. "You didn't kill her."

"I as good as did," the other woman answered. "You were right about me. The others should have listened to you."

"I was upset because you were hanging all over my husband. And you did a bit more I gather."

"I tried to seduce him," Zarena admitted without batting an eye. "It didn't work."

"I know it didn't," Helga said trying no to laugh at the very idea of Ulric betraying her like that. "You really don't understand love, do you?"

"Love is a myth," the younger woman answered cynically.

"No it isn't," Helga said forcefully. "You need to get past that idea if you ever plan to be happy."

"I don't," Zarena said.

"Don't what?"

"Plan to be happy," she said. "I don't think I can be. My mother was a Dark creature. My father is a, well there aren't adjectives foul enough to describe the traitorous son of a.."

"Yes, but what are you, Rena?" Helga asked cutting her off. "You aren't your parents or your brother, who by the way, is just as bad as your father. You need to find your own place. And look at what you do when given your own choices. You cared for Mairead. You helped us put up new defenses. And now you're caring for my children. You didn't have to do any of that. You could have just made sure Mairead didn't brake free for the curse without caring on a personal level, and said to hell with the rest of us. Somewhere, deep, deep, deep inside of you is a good person."

"Do you really think I can be good?" she asked skeptically.

"Anything is possible, my dear," Helga answered. "Snow in Hell for instance."

Zarena actually giggled. She stopped herself quickly. She did not giggle!

Helga just smiled, her eyes twinkling with knowledge and kindness. "Could you please go and fetch Ulric, Richard, Rowena and Rhys for me, Leo too, I think."

"What about Godric?" Zarena asked.

"If he will come," Helga said sadly. Then she brightened. "Rena," she called halting the other at the door, "you have a lovely smile. Try to use it more."

Zarena just nodded and left. Helga, still smiling, went back to her prophecies.