For those who have been with me since the beginning. I couldn't have gone this far without you.

Chapter Nineteen: The Beginning Of The End

Jessica, James and Mick were piled up, very carefully, in front of the door to the library, where the so-called "family meeting" was taking place.

"Not much of a family meeting if we're not invited," Mick muttered.

"Shush!" Jessica ordered. "They'll hear us."

"Don't step on my toes," James hissed. "Ouch! What did you do that for?"

"Couldn't resist," Jessica whispered back, and held back her laughter admirably.

"Hurts," James said.

"Be quiet!" Mick said suddenly. "I can't hear a thing."

"Neither can I," Jessica said with a pout. "You'd think they'd make this easier on us."

"Of course they wouldn't," James berated her. "Uncle Ron's a genius with security, you know."

"That he is," said their Uncle Fred from behind them, "and you three are making it entirely too easy for him to block your pathetic attempts at eavesdropping."

James nearly let out a whoop of joy at seeing his two favorite uncles. "Will you help us?"

George shook his head solemnly. "Now that we're adults, we have an open pass to these sorts of things."

"We were just downstairs seeing the last of the 'guests' off," Fred said with a smirk.

"I thought everyone left!" Jessica protested.

"Not all of the reporters did," George said gently. "Remus's death is big news. The Potters turning up at the funeral is even bigger."

"I wish they would go away," Jessica muttered. "I hate them. I hate all reporters."

"You don't mean that," said a jolly voice from behind the rather tall twins. "Some reporters have been known to be quite charming, you know."

"Jessica, James and Michael Potter, this is KC Allen," Fred said proudly. "He did that article on Remus, remember?"

"I liked that," Jessica admitted cautiously. "It made Uncle Remus seem sort of heroic."

"That's because he was," KC said simply, and reached out a hand. "You're a pretty lass, Miss Potter."

To her mortification, Jessica blushed red to the tips of her hair. "Thank you, Mr. Allen."

"What is he doing here?" James demanded, still unsure of this newcomer. "What does he want?"

"He wants," KC said with a grin, "to help you out. That's all."

"How would you help us?" Michael asked, placing his hands on his hips and spreading his feet apart in a natural stance he had seen his father use when he was displeased with any action of his children's.

"Not very trusting, are you?" KC asked. "Rather like your father in that aspect, I suppose."

"They do have a rather natural. distrust of reporters," said Harry, who now stood in the door. "Damned good to see you again, KC. Damned good."

"Who could blame 'em?" KC muttered. "I myself can't stand reporters. They always ask questions, you know."

Harry let out a roar. "Well then, you'd best come on in. I think you've got your work cut out for you." As KC headed inside, Harry turned towards his children with a twinkle in his eye. "How'd the Extendable Ears work?"

"Rather shoddy piece of magical equipment if you ask me," James teased. "They didn't do the job they were supposed to at all."

As Fred and George fumbled for words to defend their marvelous invention, Ron came over to stand in the doorway, leaning heavily on his cane. "That's because you're up against me, children. Fred and George have yet to invent a spy toy that I can't manage to foil somehow."

"It's only a matter of time," George muttered. "Only a matter of time."

Hermione came to the door then, and placed a hand on Ron's shoulder. "George Weasley, you know for a fact that Ron is the most brilliant strategist and anti-stealth officer the Department ever had."

Ron blushed a solid crimson. "Thank you, love."

"My pleasure," she said, and then stood up on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. "How's the leg?"

Ron shrugged. "Hurts," he said simply. "I think it's best we go sit down."

George shook his head. "I don't know why she stays with him when she could have one of us," he marveled.

"It's frustrating," Fred agreed, "when you know you're the better looking brother."

"It just goes to show you," Michael said, "that looks aren't everything."

Fred and George laughed out loud. "You just might make it as the heirs to the Weasley family name," George teased.

"Go on in, Fred and George," Harry said firmly. "I need to speak with my children. KC, I'd prefer you not start until I come back into the room."

"Yes sir!" KC responded, and gave a mock salute. "Don't know why he ever gave up the Department," he muttered to himself as he walked in the door, "damned good at giving orders, he is."

As the last of the adults entered the room and the door was once again firmly shut to the three Potter children, Harry sank to the floor and gestured for his children to do the same.

"All right, then. What's this all about?"

"Well, we're members of this family, too, and we've got a right to know what's going on!" James announced, and crossed his arms across his chest.

"I want to know what's happened to Delia," Jessica said, a bit quieter and more unsure than her brother. "I just want to know that she's all right."

Inside of his chest, Harry's heart broke into little pieces. It seemed that this little girl who had been granted to him by some higher power would always be destined to make him see things that were not visible to him at first glance.

"Delia's just fine," he assured her. "In fact, I'm sure she's doing wonderful. Of course, you'll know that she's a Healer."

Michael squirmed a little guilty. "She didn't want us to tell anyone."

Harry smiled. "I don't blame her, or you for that, but the fact is that she can and will help a lot of people."

"But what if she doesn't want to?" Jessica demanded. "What if all she wants to do is go to school and be with her friends and be normal?"

Harry sighed then, and stretched his long legs out. "It's hard to explain, Jessica. You see." his voice trailed off then, and he wished desperately for Ginny.

As though she had heard him, the door opened slowly and out stepped his wife. The years had done little to change her, at least in his eyes, and her eyes still showed the same love and kindness they had when they were schoolchildren attending Hogwarts.

"Delia?" she asked then, and raised her eyebrows at him. He nodded.

Carefully, she sank to the floor to sit next to her husband, who immediately helped her down and supported her back.

"Mum? Why can't Delia just be normal?" Jessica raised her eyes to meet with her mother's.

Unquestioning, Ginny spread her arms out wide, and Jessica launched herself into them. "Delia can't be normal, love. Just like." she paused, and thought a moment. "Just like we can never be normal. Being a Healer is like being a Seer. If she tried to be anything other than what she was, she would never be happy."

"Will she still go to school with us?"

"I don't think there's any doubt that Delia will finish out school at Hogwarts with everyone," Harry said firmly. "It's in her best interest, after all."

"No matter what happens, Delia will always have you," Ginny said, "and that's an important thing to remember. It's something I don't think that she will ever forget. She hasn't changed, after all, she's just realized that there's something more to her than she had originally thought."

"We'd best go inside," Harry said, rising in a fluid motion, and then helping his wife up. "We don't want to miss any of the action. Delia's going to Heal Sirius."

Jessica, James and Mick's faces all fell, and Harry grinned suddenly. "That means you all, too. Well, hurry up."

The room was arranged in a way quite unlike any of the children had ever seen. All the furniture had been placed in a sort of semicircle, with each of the adults seated around it. It looked very much like a Council of War that might have taken place in the adventure thrillers the boys loved to read, rather than a real life meeting.

KC was seated on the hearth, taking notes furiously while Anna explained to him what was going on.

With a whoop, James rushed inside and dove onto the couch onto his godmother's lap. "Good afternoon, Aunt Hermione!"

Hermione let out a startled whoosh of air, and then laughed. "Hello to you too, James."

Mick smiled and walked calmly to Anna, who held out an arm for him.

Raina fussed anxiously over Sirius. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Sirius chuckled, and took her face in his hands. "I'm going to be just fine, Raina. After all, it can't hurt. It can only help."

Raina nodded. "Well, it's your decision."

"No." Sirius said firmly. "If you don't want me to do this, then I won't."

Raina shrugged helplessly. "Sirius, I."

He caught her hands, studied the lines on them, and then looked into her eyes. "Tell me what to do, Raina."

"Sirius, don't do this to me."

"Don't do what?"

"You're making me feel perfectly horrid."

Sirius's face fell. "I didn't mean to."

Raina sighed. "I know, I know. Since you seem to have your heart set on this, we'll let the girl try. I have my doubts, however."

Sirius grinned. "I think that all present know that, my love."

Her heart stopped a minute and her eyes filled with tears. "Oh, for Merlin's sake," she muttered, and leaned down to press her lips to his.

"Yuck," James muttered and looked down at his hands.

"I wouldn't say that," Ron said, "one day that's going to be a very. entertaining enterprise that you will enjoy as much as Sirius is right now."

"I'm never going to kiss a girl." James said defiantly, and jutted his chin out in a way that reminded Ron very much of Harry.

Suddenly, he pressed James's head down a little so he could lean over him, and kissed his wife fully. When they both came up for air, Hermione's eyes glittered and she was struggling for breath.

"You see," Ron said and patted James's shoulder, "it really is quite entertaining."

"It's disgusting," James muttered.

Delia stood at the opposite end from everybody, holding on tightly to Orion's hand. "I'm scared, Orion."

He was startled, and looked down at her. "Why would you be scared?"

"What if I do something wrong, and he ends up even worse off than he already is?"

Orion smiled. "I don't think you'll do that, Delia. You've got this under control."

Delia breathed in deeply. "I wish I was confident as you are in my own abilities."

"That'll come with time, when you know your own limits and boundaries better."

"If I don't know my own limits, how do I know that I can help Sirius?"

"Because you have to," Orion said, and looked her straight on in the eye. "Neither of us has the luxury of staying in our comfort zone in this situation, Delia."

"I just don't know."

"Just don't know what? You're going to be fine. I'm here to catch you if you fall."

"You mean if I fail," Delia corrected him softly.

"No. I meant what I said. Don't put words in my mouth."

Amazement in her eyes, she looked up to gaze into his. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Don't apologize for anything. We'll get to do all of our apologizing later, after this is all over."

"That'll be nice," Delia muttered.

"Yes, yes it will. Now, go on then and get it over with. Sirius will appreciate it more if there's not a whole lot of pomp and circumstance."

"All right then."

Purposefully, she crossed the room and halted in front of Sirius's chair.

"I'm ready," Sirius said, in answer to her silent question, and smiled.

Delia drew in a shaky breath and placed her hands on Sirius's face. She could feel his pain, feel every cell in his body fighting against this disease which sought to destroy it.

The virus was hungry. It couldn't feed properly, because there had been no Dark Magic performed to mutate the cells.

Delia knew then what she must do. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth.

The room filled with a bright yellow light, blinding everyone for a minute as Delia challenged Light Magic energy from every wizard and witch in the room into Sirius's body.

The virus strands cried out in excruciating pain. She could hear them. Every cell in Sirius's body rejoiced, as though they were seeing the sun for the first time in years. She could feel them.

The battle wasn't over yet. Then she gave a cry, and the light retreated to darkness.

Raina was the first to recover. Delia's head lay on Sirius's lap, her hair wet with sweat and exertion, while Sirius looked as though he were in a blissful sleep. Panicked, she checked his pulse. It was just that, a sleep.

Then, feeling somewhat guilty, she checked Delia's. The girl was alive, just very tired.

"Thank Merlin," she muttered.

"I'll say," KC said, and rose. "Well, I know what needs to be done. I'll just leave then, and."

But KC never got to finish his sentence, for just then there was a very loud bang.   it out!