As the days passed, Regulus's threats became more and more apparent that they went further beneath the surface than school-boy rivals and sibling-hatred. They were reaching the point of power versus power, and the Voldermort's power was becoming stronger and stronger with each new member of the dark side. The magical world was split, and it was no longer evident whom one could and could not trust. True there were the Malfoys, a family no one could trust, the Blacks, with the exception of Sirius, and the Snapes, a family who screamed the name "Evil!" Then there were the Potters, the Longbottoms, the newly formed Order of the Phoenix, and the muggleborns all fighting for the right to breath freely without the fear of Voldermort's reign. People began to place all of their trust into Albus Dumbledore, the only known man that Voldermort refused to fight. The reasons for this were unknown, but the power of Dumbledore was unmistakable.

Sophia and Remus sat by the lake one Saturday afternoon. Sophia was reading a novel as usual, and Remus was sleeping on his back beside her, one arm thrown over his face to shield the light. Sophia glanced over at Remus and smiled, there was nothing more innocent than a man that lay sleeping. As she returned her attentions to the book, something rustled behind her. She turned around and found nothing. Growing a little uneasy, she turned back around to face the lake. After a few more seconds, she heard the noise again, she turned around once more and came face to face with Dumbledore. Placing a hand over her heart she heaved a sigh of relief. "You scared me Headmaster."

Dumbledore narrowed his eyes in concern. "I do apologize Miss Miller, you do look a bit pale. Is something the matter?" He asked.

Spohia shook her head violently, "No sir, I fear I am still a little jumpy after the year's events."

"I do suppose that will last a long time." He stated.

Sophia smiled weakly, then asked, "Is there something you needed Headmaster."

"No. I was just walking the grounds." He replied absently. He then peered at her, his blue eyes had darkened with concern. "If you need anything Miss Miller, please let me know. These times are getting more dangerous with each passing day."

Sophia turned away from him and stared out to the lake, "Thank you." She whispered after a bit. "Headmaster..." She began after a bit. She turned to face him, but Dumbledore was gone. She pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face in her arms. She then felt a warm arm wrap itself around her and she looked up into Remus's concerned face.

"Is something wrong?" He questioned.

"No, I was just thinking." She replied. He nodded and kissed the top of her head.

"It's almost over." He said.

"The end of the year?"

"Yeah." Remus stated.

"It's weird isn't it?" Sophia asked.

"What?"

"How quickly everything changes." She ended. The conversation between the two of them silenced after them, and instead they sat beside the setting sun, gazing out over the dancing light on the lake waters, Sophia's head on Remus's shoulder while Remus held onto her tightly. At that moment, nothing mattered.

For the next week, Sophia felt something was off. She could not place her finger on it, but she knew her feelings weren't unwarranted. It was almost as if...she were being followed. It was an idea she would dismiss immediately, but it would come back to haunt her in the late hours of the night. For some odd reason, fear began melding itself in her bones. On one particular night, Sophia lay in her bed tossing and turning, tormented by a dream.

She was walking through a destructed building. Hundreds of bodies lay beside her on either side of a darkened path. She could hear the sounds of strangled screaming. Walking further down the path, the temperatures dropped, wrapping her arms around her body, she gave an involuntary shudder. The path ended at a door. Sophia pressed her hand against the handle and pushed it upon. The sight made her scream.

Sophia opened her eyes and as she screamed. Her body was soaked in sweat as were her sheets. She pushed back her blankets, opened up the curtains of her bed and ran out of the room. No one was in the common room, and Sophia was grateful for that. Running through the corridors she stopped in front of Dumbledore's office. Yelling out the password breathlessly, she ran up the staircase and pushed open the door to his office. "Dumbledore!" She screamed. Almost immediately the older man came running down the stairs.

"Miss Miller whatever is the matter for you to come into my off-. Miss Miller?" Dumbledore paused as he found Sophia's tear-streaked face. He handed her a handkerchief. Sophia looked at it curiously, then realized she was crying. Dumbledore put his arm around her and guided the shaking Sophia to a chair. "Tell me Miss Miller, what is wrong?"

"I...I can't get him out of my mind." She said as she clutched her head. "He haunts me now, in my dreams, in places I can't escape. I've been having what I thought was an irrational fear, but now I know it's true. I'm being followed, I keep having these dreams, and they all start out different but end the same. I don't know what they mean, and I don't know how to get rid of them. I see everyone I have...have...everyone is dead." She stopped. She folded her arms around her stomach and the tears left her stuttering. "Please tell me I'm going crazy, please tell me this isn't going to happen!"

Dumbledore placed his hand on her back, trying in vain to soothe her. "I would not be wrong in saying that this man that is haunting you is Voldermort would I?" He asked. Sophia shook her head violently. "Then I fear you are not going crazy."

"You mean..." She began.

"It's possible."

"No." She cried out in a strangled voice.

"Tell me Miss Miller, would did you see dead?"

"I...I can't. I won't!" Sophia yelled out.

"Was it Lily? James? Sirius?" Dumbledore began naming, she remained silent. "Remus?" He whispered. She looked up at Dumbledore, her features contorted with pain at Remus's name.

"He...he killed him while I was watching. He made sure I was watching."

"It was only a dream." Dumbledore stated.

"Was it? Was it really a dream? It seemed so real." Sophia remarked.

"It was only a dream, but Sophia, I do think it means more. I do not doubt Voldermort's powers, he knows how to get into minds. He knows how to play." Dumbledore affirmed.

"I do not want to play his games."

"I agree. Sophia, you need to leave."

Sophia's head shot up at the Headmaster's orders. "What?" She whispered.

"You are not safe here."

"No one is."

"Voldermort wants you, needs you badly. Mr. Black and Mr. Potter told me of Regulus's threats. Voldermort does not bother with threats, he just acts."

"I will not run away with my tail between my legs Headmaster, I refuse to do so!" Sophia yelled.

"Calm down Miss Miller. If you do not leave, your dream may come true." Dumbledore said in a deathly quite voice.

"How do you know this isn't a trap?"

"I don't."

"How can you expect me to leave everything?"

"Because Miss Miller, you are a very loving girl, and you know you must leave."

"When?" She whispered.

"Soon."

Sophia closed her eyes to block the remaining tears. "Where?"

"I know of a place you can go, where you will be safer than you would be here. "Where?"

"I won't tell you." Dumbledore declared firmly. Sophia nodded.

"No...I didn't think you would. Do I get to say goodbye?"

Dumbledore stared at her for a few seconds. "Yes."

"Thank you." Sophia mumbled. She stood up and headed toward the door.

"Miss Miller." Dumbledore called out. Sophia paused. "Do try to act as if nothing is new. We have many traitors at Hogwarts and who knows where else."

Sophia stayed at the door and clutched the handle for a few moments as if absorbed the entire conversation. She then took a deep breath and pushed it open. The next day was not going to be easy.

Remus knew something was up the next day with Sophia. She acted as if nothing was bothering her, and that was the giveaway, she acted. As the day wore on, he continued to grow more concerned, and by the end of the day, he knew he had a reason to. Sophia called Sirius, Peter, Remus, Lily, and James, all together in the Head Dorm. She stood in front of them, staring at her hands. The other five remained silent. Finally she spoke up.

"I'm leaving." She said in a deadpanned voice.

"What?" The five yelled in unison.

"I have to." She continued.

"I don't understand." Remus said.

"I talked to Dumbledore and he says that its best." Sophia pushed through as if Remus hadn't said a word. "He says the times are getting worse and I'm a top priority on Voldermort's list. He says it's best." She repeated.

"Where are you going?" Lily questioned.

"I don't know." She stated brokenly.

"When are you coming back?" James took up.

Sophia looked at him. "I don't know." She mumbled.

"How can you not know! Do you even know when?" Remus yelled. Sophia looked at him sadly.

"I do know when. Tomorrow night."

"And you tell us now?!" Remus screamed at her.

"I just found out." She whispered.

"This is ridiculous! You're running away!"

"I don't have a choice." Sophia said, her voice high pitched.

"The hell you don't!" Remus bit back. He then stood up and left the room. James started going after him but Sophia stopped him.

"I need to talk to him...okay?" James nodded at her words. Sophia took a deep breath, and then followed Remus.

Sophia found Remus in the astronomy tower. He was looking out at the grounds, and at first Sophia did not think he had heard her. At first. "How can you just leave?" He whispered.

"I don't have a choice. Please Remus, there's more to it. I can't tell you about it though. Not now."

"So now you're hiding things from me? Anything else Sophia, now would be the time."

"Please understand..." Sophia pleaded.

"Understand what?"

"I..." Sophia attempted to explain, yet she found that she couldn't.

"So where does that leave us?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you just expect me to wait for you until you gain the courage to face your problems." Remus demanded angrily. Sophia took a step back.

"I'm not running away."

"That's exactly what you're doing!"

"You think you know everything Remus, don't you? You think you have me pegged. That you understand everything that I've gone through, everything I'm still going through. You think you know what I'm feeling right now. You don't! You don't have a single clue!"

"That isn't my fault Sophia! I've tried. I've listened to everything, I've been there for you like some fool every time you needed someone, but what good has it done?"

"No one asked you to do that!"

"What did you expect me to do?"

"I don't know!" Sophia yelled. "I don't know."

"The funny thing about expectations, sometimes they're wrong." Remus stated. Sophia's head shot up.

"What do you mean?" She whispered.

"Simple. If you leave Sophia, it's over."

"You can't mean that." Sophia said, her voice choking with tears.

"I do." Remus affirmed. She stared at him for a few moments, then when the tears blurred her vision, she turned and ran. She ran out of the tower and through the lands. Finally she reached the lake and she landed on all fours, crying and hiccupping. How much more would she lose in a single year. Sophia spent her night out by the lake. She did not dare head to the Gryffindor tower, her heart was broken, and if she saw Remus again, it would break all over again.

Sophia woke up to Lily's shakes, "Are you crazy!" Sophia could hear Lily saying.

"I'm awake, stop shaking me please." Sophia moaned. She pushed herself up off the ground and winced at the crick in her neck. Moving her head side to side she heard a pop and was satisfied with the relief.

"Did you spend the night out here?" Lily asked.

Sophia looked around her then sighed, "Looks like it."

"I take it things with Remus didn't go well." Sophia remained silent at Lily's statement. "What happened?" Lily inquired.

"We broke up." Sophia replied.

"What?!"

"He said if I leave it's over."

"Then don't leave." Lily stated.

Sophia looked over to her friend, "I don't have a choice."

"We all have choices."

"Not me." Sophia confirmed. "Please understand there is more than what even I know. I have to do this, as much as I hate it. And Merlin knows how much I want to say here."

"When will I see you again?" Lily asked her in a quite tone. Sophia looked over at her, tears filled her eyes.

"I don't know." Sophia dropped her head, and Lily came up to her friend and hugged her.

The day passed all too quickly for Sophia. She packed little for Dumbledore had told her that her needs would be provided for. She instead spent the day with Lily, James, and Sirius. Peter's absence went unknown to them, which was odd, he had begun drifting away from them for a while. However, Remus's absence did not go unknown to Sophia. She kept hoping that he would just come and see her once, even if it was to say, "I hate you!" Anything would have been better than his silence. Both James and Sirius saw what Remus's actions were doing to Sophia, and growing tired of his childish behavior, they took it upon themselves to wake him up.

Sirius and James found Remus in the back of the library, reading up on some Defense against the Dark Arts book. James clucked his tongue and Sirius tsked. Remus glared at the two of them in return. "Why are you two doing?"

"Trying to wake you up." Sirius said.

"I am awake." Remus remarked.

"Don't be a smart-ass." James stated. "What is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem." Remus declared.

"Then go talk to Sophia! She's breaking down inside and you aren't helping her." James practically yelled.

"Did it ever occur to you two that this isn't your problem to deal with?"

"And did it ever occur to you that Sophia has her reasons for leaving? Did you have to be an ass about it?" Sirius replied.

"If you mean by my 'breaking up' with her, it was the logical thing to do. She's leaving for who knows how long, and probably no communication, it would not have worked out." Remus resolved.

"Do you love her?" Sirius asked.

"Of course I love her!" Remus screeched, his voice filled with shock.

"Then you could have found a way." Sirius whispered.

"This conversation is over." Remus ended.

"You're making a mistake." James countered.

"If I am, it's my mistake to make. Leave me be."

"Whatever." James stated. James and Sirius then left the library.

Night arrived and Sophia stood at the castle entrance whispering frenzied goodbyes to her friends. She hugged Sirius and he picked her up and held onto her tightly. Sophia buried her head in his neck. "You've always been a brother to me." She whispered.

"And I'll always be." Sirius declared. "Come back to us soon."

"I'll work on it." Sophia hugged Peter and when she reached James and Lily she paused. She hugged James first, and he held onto her tightly, almost pleading with unspoken words for her to stay. She then hugged Lily. Jokingly she stated, "So I guess we won't be spending the summer together."

"It isn't funny." Lily whispered.

"Smile guys, please." Sophia begged. No one did. She then hugged Lily once more and when she pulled back, everything inside her dropped, because it was then, in that single moment, she realized that she would never see Lily again. Swallowing her tears she looked up at James, and the same emotion filled her. This goodbye seemed too soon, and with the new found belief that two of her best friends would die before she ever saw them again killed the last bit of hope that lingered inside her. James bent down to kiss her cheek as he whispered his final goodbye. Sophia then squeezed Lily's hands. "You'll do wonderful in whatever you do. Good luck with James. He's a handful." That got Lily to smile.

She looked over at James fondly and smiled, "I'm looking forward to it. Please try to keep in touch." Lily whispered.

Sophia looked at her friend and said in all honesty, "I will try." At that moment Dumbledore appeared in a carriage.

"Are you ready?" He called out to Sophia. She turned to look at her friends who all nodded to her. She then gained her voice and nodded. She walked over to the carriage as the door opened for her. She paused to look at the castle one last time. Her hands shaking, she stepped inside the carriage. She never saw Remus that day, and it would not be for many more years that she would see him again.

Remus cursed at himself as he flew down the stairs and out the doors. Sprinting, he raced to the castle entrance but stopped as soon as he saw Lily, James, Peter, and Sirius. "Is she..." He mumbled out of breath.

"Yeah, she just left." Lily replied.

He looked out into the distance before crying out, "No..." The four friends looked at the pained Remus with sympathy.

"I'm sorry." Lily whispered.

A/N: Oh wow, sorry even I cried at that. One more chapter shall be up, then it's the end. I am writing a sequel to this though. Please review.

Lossenrhos: Thanks for the review, and I know I didn't explain much about Regulus but it was more of what Voldermort and the Death Eaters were up to more than it was about him. However, he will appear one last time in the next chapter.