A.N. I'm sorry for taking so long to update, but my schedule is so cramped that I had minimal time to write. Hopefully I'll be able to crank out another chapter over winter break. Sorry for taking so long to update, but honestly, I have no time whatsoever…

Mal

Remus Lupin looked down at the body of Morgan McClain, staring up at him with a horrified look on her young face. He sighed, shrugging off his shabby robe and placing it over her. Dumbledore and several of the other teachers were examining the rest of the room, a chamber with a great mirror in the middle of it, and a spilled water goblet at the base of it.

Remus turned and looked at the headmaster's solemn face, as he stared into the mirror.

"Albus?" Minerva McGonnogal whispered. "What are we going to tell Miss McClain's parents?"

Professor Dumbledore sighed, adjusted his glasses, and replied, "We will tell her the truth; that Lord Voldemort has risen again, and their daughter was his first victim."

Dumbledore turned to look at the girl's covered body.

"But… how could he come back Albus?" Minerva said, almost pleading. "How? We made sure he wouldn't come back when we took the Sorcerer's Stone and guarded it. How did he…?"

"Unfortunately, I didn't suspect that Voldemort would know to use an innocent, frightened young lady to get what he wants," Dumbledore said solemnly. "When one is frightened, thoughts can go askew and things can happen that one does not normally wish."

Remus turned to glance at Dumbledore's face. He looked old, older than Remus had ever imagined the exuberant headmaster to be.

"Remus," Dumbledore said quietly, so the others couldn't overhear. "I need you to alert the Old Crowd, tell them to go to meet in office at noon. Contact Peter first, he can help."

"Come," Dumbledore said. "We must go alert Miss McClain's parents."

~*~

Sirius was sitting next to Harry's bed, haphazardly brushing back his sleeping godson's hair. The scar stood out plainly against his forehead. Sirius frowned and drew his finger along the line of the scar.

He remembered seeing Harry on the floor, writhing and clutching his scar, moaning loudly. Then he had said two words, two words that filled Sirius with so much dread. "He's back."

Sirius had questioned Harry about what he had seen, what had happened, but Harry would only say that Voldemort was back, somehow he was back. Harry couldn't go into specifics, and kept clutching his scar.

Sirius jumped as Harry gave a loud moan in his sleep. He rolled over and clutched his blankets closer around him, giving another loud moan.

"Harry?" Sirius whispered. Harry whimpered and trembled in his sleep. Sirius shook Harry lightly on his shoulder. "Harry, are you okay?"

Suddenly Harry sat up, looking around wildly, and breathing hard. Wilber, who had been sleeping at the foot of Harry's bed, wasn't disturbed.

"Sirius?" Harry gasped.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked urgently, while trying to press a glass of water to Harry's lips.

Harry pushed the glass away, and looked up at his godfather. Harry's face had returned to its normal 11-year old self; the Aging Potion had worn off.

"I don't know," Harry said. "I just keep… dreaming. They're weird dreams. Red eyes and… snakes…" Harry gave another shudder and wrapped his arms around his knees, resting his chin on them.

"Harry… maybe you shouldn't finish your exams tomorrow. We can do them another ti-"

"No! Sirius I have to do them now, I might not have another chance!"

Sirius frowned at Harry and said, "Harry, you have lots of times to do your exams again. Don't worry."

Harry seemed to draw into himself even more. "Please Sirius, please can I finish tomorrow?"

Sirius sighed. "We'll see Harry."

~*~

Remus rifled through his student's assignments on his desk, searching for a scrap piece of parchment. On that piece of parchment held Peter Pettigrew's new address. He had moved after he felt his old flat was "too cramped." Remus would've been happy to have a flat half the size of his friend's old flat if he hadn't been working at Hogwarts.

Remus finally found the parchment, and walked over to his fireplace. He grabbed some Floo Powder from the mantelpiece and throwing it down, shouted his friend's address. He stepped into the flames, and was instantly transported to his friend's flat.

The flat was dark. The remains of dinner for two still sitting on the dining room table. Remus raised one eyebrow and looked around the rest of the room. There were melted candles positioned strategically around the room, with a little bit of wax splattered on the walls, as if someone had blown them out in a hurry.

"Peter?" Remus called out loudly. He heard a squeal from somewhere above him. This place had two floors? Sheesh…

"Go away Remus!" Peter shouted, a bit of pleading in his voice. "Come back tomorrow!"

"Peter come down here!"

"Remus, I have… COMPANY." Ah… that explained it. Peter had a girl over.

"Peter, you'd better get down here or I'm going to come up there and interrupt whatever you're doing!"

"NO! er-no…I'll be down in a minute."

Remus smirked and sat down on the couch, waiting for his friend to come down. Moments later Peter tromped down the stairs, hastily tying a bathrobe.

"What is it that's so urgent that you had to interrupt… us!?"

"Voldemort's back Peter," Remus said softly. Peter froze, his mouth open in a look of mixed horror and surprise.

"Wha-how? How did he come back?!"

"That's not important now, Dumbledore will explain it later," Remus said, standing up. "There's going to be a meeting at noon in Dumbledore's office. I-I have to go alert the rest of the old crowd… I'll see you then."

Remus turned to make for the fireplace. Peter sat down on the couch and whimpered, "How can he be back Remus?"

Remus turned and looked at his friend, who was rubbing his right hand up and down his left arm.

"I don't know Peter, I don't know."

~*~

Harry finished his tests the next day. As soon as they were over Sirius and Harry left, trying to get as far away from London as they could. Sirius didn't know how quickly the news about Voldemort would spread, but if they found him in London it would certainly be a disaster. They went to Sandy and Cameron's house.

Cameron was out on the front lawn, doing summersaults and handstands on the grass, while wearing a ridiculously poofy blue wig. Sandy was sitting in a lawn chair reading a magazine, trying to block out her daughter.

"Cameron!" Harry yelled. Cameron toppled over, in mid-handstand, and Sandy looked up from her magazine.

"Harry? Sirius?" Sandy said, throwing her magazine to the side. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"Not here," Sirius said, looking around nervously. "Inside."

Minutes later they were both inside of the cool house.

~*~

Peter Pettigrew paced back and forth in front of his fireplace. His best friend, one of his only friends, had just left after leaving him the distressing news about the Dark Lord. He was back.

Pettigrew lifted up the left sleeve of his bathrobe, staring at his arm. The Mark that had been absent for ten long years was standing out against his pale skin, an angry red skull and snake. Right before his eyes Pettigrew saw the color change to a burnt black, and a searing pain shot up his arm. Moaning, Pettigrew pulled his sleeve down.

"Sweetie?"

Pettigrew spun around, staring at his new girlfriend, who had one of his towels wrapped around her.

"Sweetie, what's the matter?"

"Um, Ursula… Something just came up. I-I have to go to work."

"Oh no…"

"I know honey, but we'll see each other again soon. I'll contact you as soon as things calm down at work." Pettigrew walked over to where the woman stood. He gave her a peck on the lips and hurriedly went upstairs to get dressed.

~*~

Sandy and Sirius were sitting at the kitchen table. Harry was dozing on the couch, with Cam sitting on his legs and watching a cartoon on TV.

"So… that's it. He's back and there's nothing we can do about it because we're in hiding," Sandy said bitterly. "This is bullshit. We shouldn't be here. We should be back in our own world-"

"I know, I know," Sirius said, raking a hand through his hair. "When Dumbledore learns of Voldemort's-" Sandy winced at the sound of his name. "- Return, he'll be reassembling the Order of the Phoenix-"

"-The who-what now?" Sandy interrupted.

"It's a group created to fight the Dark Lord… we had one back when Voldemort was strong, before Harry put an end to him for a while… I used to be a member…" Sirius laughed bitterly. "… Doubtful I'll be allowed back in."
Sandy snorted. "Ah well… Don't worry about that now. You have to take care of Harry, you're all he has left."

Thousands of miles away, a Death Eater meeting was beginning…