Chapter 7
Ghosts in the Darkness
- - - - -
In Little Whinging, Harry was writing a letter to Ron and Hermione, telling them that he had met someone. He held a certain sense of reservation however in revealing all of the details. But he felt like telling them about his sister, only he didn't mention she was.
Even though his birthday was a few short days away, he was already packing to return to Grimmauld Place. His trunk and Hedwig's cage were ready for his departure as he eagerly anticipated as soon as they sent word.
Downstairs, he could hear his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon arguing. Their voices drifted aimlessly upstairs and they made no move to conceal that fact. Apparently, Aunt Petunia was distraught over having driven Elizabeth from their house. Uncle Vernon was attempting to console her, except that she wasn't paying much attention. She was rambling, her words tumbling over one another as her thoughts switched as easily as flicking on a light switch.
He finished the two letters and set them aside, hoping Hedwig would return soon. He didn't need to write to the Order, he realized. Dumbledore would surely have informed them that he had a visitor. Hopefully he wouldn't have revealed who it was. He wanted to see the looks on their faces when they realized that she was truly his sister. And, even better yet, she had the proof that she was.
He sat back in his chair, grinning. He had a sister. After everything that he'd been through, he had a sister. Professor Dumbledore must not have known about her or surely he would have told Harry by now. He shook his head at the thought of it. At this time, the darkest time in Harry's life, he had a flesh-and-blood relative to stand by him during the long and complicated year he was certain would lie ahead. Thinking about that made him realize he still held onto the truth about the prophecy. Things were going to get more complicated now that she was there. He was going to have to tell her about it. She had to know that there was a chance she could lose the only blood relative she had left.
Sadly, this wasn't a very pleasant thought. Just thinking about it made his insides ache. He had just met her. He could hardly imagine even wanting to say goodbye.
In London, it was after midnight when Buffy snapped off the light, her eyes stinging from exhaustion. It had been a brutally long day, she decided as she lay her head upon her pillow. She had met her brother that day and had seen the ruins of what had once been a beautiful home, she knew. As she drifted off to sleep, she smiled, recalling the look on Harry's face when they'd hugged for the first time.
Buffy rolled over, her eyes closed. In her mind, she was dreaming.
There was a large room. She was sitting on one of the cold steps, her eyes darting around the room as suddenly the sounds and sights became apparent to her.
There were jets of light everywhere. Violet, green, blue and red. There were cries of alarm and footfalls that kept rushing around her. They seemed to be blurred as Buffy stood up, blinking.
She was facing a single person. He was very thin and quite tall, with dark hair and eyes. He held a wand and was aiming it toward a woman standing above him. She also had very dark hair and eyes, which glittered with near insanity. For a second, Buffy thought it was Faith. But then the woman shrieked in triumph. Buffy found her gaze ripped back to the man.
Time seemed to stop. She was watching him fall backwards, the look on his face stunned and shocked. There were voices around her, but they sounded as though they were coming from underwater they were so slow and stuttered. She watched as the man fell backwards through a veiled opening.
She herself let out a shrill scream until she realized that someone else was moving toward the veiled opening. He was struggling against two arms which had latched themselves around him.
It was Harry.
Buffy screamed again, but it wasn't because she was horrified that someone was dead. It was because Harry was so desperate to get to the veiled opening that she felt compelled to scream.
The scene changed. She was standing alone in the same room, which was pitch black. Hearing a murmur, she turned and saw the veiled opening. It seemed to be glowing in the dark. She took a few precarious steps toward it. As she moved to hover over it, she saw pure blue light inside with tiny blurs of white spinning inside. She pushed the veil aside and stared down.
A single face blinked unconcernedly up at her, as though daring to ask her who she was.
Buffy kept her gaze, all the while her hand reached down to touch it ever so gently.
"You cannot help me now," said a voice, an echo of a man who had fallen a great depth. "I am already dead."
"Are you a shadow?" In her dream, Buffy's voice sounded distorted and far away.
"I am but a prisoner," the voice replied, blinking up at her again.
"Who can set you free?" she asked, her hand passing through his face.
His face suddenly contorted, his smile widening almost eerily into an endless scream. It had changed to a face belonging to one she'd seen only yesterday.
She gasped and fell backwards, suddenly falling... falling...
Buffy gasped out loud and sat up, breathing hard. "Oh, my God," she whispered.
- - - - -
Buffy was drinking a strong cup of coffee when a knock sounded at her door. She smiled. It was ten past eleven and she knew that it had to be Harry. After all, they were only fifty minutes from a meeting with his Headmaster.
She stood up and opened the door. He was grinning at her, waving slightly. She invited him inside before locking the door tightly behind her. He looked surprised to see that she looked exhausted. She sat back down at the desk, curling her legs up underneath her. "Would you like some coffee? I think there may be a few muffins left, too."
Harry gratefully accepted a muffin but declined on the coffee. He still wasn't used to the taste. He found it almost ironic that he preferred tea while she liked coffee.
She took another long sip and regarded him thoughtfully. "Why don't you tell me about this Albus Dumbledore?" she asked curiously. "I suppose I should know about your Headmaster before I meet him, right?"
Harry nodded and began breaking off bits of his poppyseed muffin. "He's the Headmaster at Hogwarts, which is my school," he began, chewing slowly. "He's the most powerful Wizard I know. He's been at Hogwarts for years, he has. He..." He paused, swallowing hard. "There's some things I should tell you before I can even begin to explain how many times he's saved my life."
"There's something bigger here, Harry, isn't there?" Buffy asked, watching his face carefully.
"How can you tell?" he asked.
Buffy wiped her hands on a towel and leaned back in her chair, resting her head against its wooden post. "I had a dream last night... it's the reason why I look like I do today." She frowned slightly as she recounted it. "There was a lot of light and someone was screaming. There was some sort of tapdance. And then a figure fell backwards through a curtain of some sort..."
As she spoke, Harry's eyes widened considerably. "How...?" he asked, interrupting her. "How did you know about him?"
"About who?" Buffy asked, not having the clearest idea of what he was talking about.
"Sirius," Harry explained impatiently, "Sirius Black. He was my Godfather."
"Was, as in past tense?" Buffy asked, even more curious now.
"He died," Harry replied, looking down and hugging his knees to his chest. "He died maybe a month ago. He was the closest thing I had to a relative, before I met you, of course."
"He was murdered, wasn't he?" Buffy asked, carefully averting her eyes from his. If her dreams really were a vision of the past, then what was all the bright lights and all of the voices in the veil? She didn't even want to begin to tell him of the rest of the dream.
Harry nodded, confirming her suspicions. "Are you a seer?" he asked, wondering out loud if she had seer blood in her.
Buffy frowned, downing the rest of her coffee. "Not that I know of," she said, shaking her head. "I'm just me, weird dreams and all."
"I have weird dreams, too," Harry blurted out loud. Buffy glanced at him with raised eyebrows. "Well, I do... see... this is what you asked me not to talk about."
"We have a half hour," Buffy said, her eyes darting to the clock. "It might be best if you start."
Harry started talking about Voldemort and about the night sixteen years ago when he'd shown up at Goddrick's Hollow, killing both of their parents before turning the wand on Harry.
Buffy gasped in horror as Harry described in vicious detail the spell used to kill both James and Lily. "So that's what that message board said," Buffy whispered. "You're the boy who lived."
"No one is ever able to outlive that curse," Harry said bitterly. "I'm the only one."
Buffy gazed at him with eyes much different than how he would have been looked at by someone like Sirius. They weren't haunted with a past full of ghosts in the darkness. No, she was staring at him with sympathy. And understanding. It was the way that a sister would look at him.
Harry continued the story, talking about his memories with the Dursley's. When he got to the darker parts, Buffy scowled deeply, almost growling in certain places. He finally stopped talking when there was a sudden gust of wind. Buffy jumped up, nearly dropping her empty mug, but Harry's eyes were resting on the fireplace in the room. "It's all right," he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. "He's travelling by Floo powder."
"By what?" Buffy asked in a hushed voice. He didn't have time to explain as the empty fireplace suddenly erupted into emerald-green flames. Buffy actually screamed, tripping backwards over her bed, dragging Harry with her, too, since he didn't have time to let go. The siblings glanced up from the floor as a single figure walked inside, looking as though it were normal to be stepping out of fireplaces every day.
"What the..." Buffy muttered as she spied the figure. It was a very old looking man, with long silvery hair and a matching beard and mustache. He had deep periwinkle eyes which sparkled almost serreptitiously. He offered a hand down to her and she took it. He helped her to her feet. She then turned and helped Harry rise. She was stunned to see that her brother was grinning.
"Hello, Professor," Harry said in a warm tone as he sat on the edge of Buffy's bed again.
"Professor?" Buffy asked, a question clearly in her voice. Harry almost started laughing again. He knew that she was thrown by this elderly man in long robes of a deep blue who looked as though he'd just stepped out of one of those fantasy clocks.
"Would you care to introduce me, Harry?" the Professor asked, occupying the empty desk chair. He seemed to radiate a strong sense of power as he spoke, his deep voice full of wisdom and knowledge.
Buffy sank down onto the bed beside Harry, trying not to completely lose it. Harry decided to step ahead and gestured toward his sister while handing the Professor the folder of essentials sitting on the other end of the bed. "Professor Dumbledore, this is Buffy Summers... err... Elizabeth Potter. She's my... sister."
"Indeed?" the elderly man asked, turning his attention to Buffy, who gulped. "Would you care to elaborate?"
Buffy looked from one to the other and whimpered. "I need more coffee."
Harry forced down a laugh as he watched Buffy's trembling hand pour even more bitter coffee into her mug. Once she sat down again, she appeared to be taking great, deep breaths. "Right. Elaboration. Well, how is this... I found out about a week ago that I have family in England. I was born, or so I thought, and raised in California. Once I found out that I had a second life here, I had to come." She decided to leave out the part about her being a Slayer and being part of a huge Council. There would be time for that later. "I went to the agency that my... our mother had gone to eighteen years ago... and she gave me enough information to find Harry. I wanted to meet my brother and since I have, my life really has changed." She looked down, as though trying to collect her thoughts. "I come from a family of Wizards," she said, shaking her head as though to comprehend it, "and before you arrived, Professor, Harry was telling me about his scar."
Professor Dumbledore glanced from one sibling to the other. "How did you find out you were the child of James and Lily?" he asked gently.
Buffy opened the folder Harry had offered to the Professor. "This," she said, handing him her birth certificate. As soon as he saw it, his eyes twinkled.
"Of course," he said, handing the bit of paper back to her. "Of course... they wanted you to have a Muggle upbringing."
Buffy had half a thought to ask what that word meant but held her tongue. She vaguely remembered Harry describing it the day before.
"They did," Buffy said quietly. "My mother in California was fantastic... I never once believed I was adopted, not once. I was loved and whole and..." She wanted to go on and spill about being a Slayer, but something held her back. She knew that this Professor, whoever he was, could sense that there was something else about this woman, because he kept staring serenely into her eyes. Her eyes begged him to not ask her to elaborate on that.
Harry didn't seem to mind. He hadn't asked Buffy what her life had been like before he'd met her. He was curious, certainly, but whenever she even thought about her old home, her eyes darkened and she became withdrawn. And since he'd known her all of two hours now, he knew it would be futile to ask.
Professor Dumbledore, on the other hand, had more questions. "What are your intentions now?" he asked her. Harry had neem wondering that himself. They both turned as one to glance at his sister, who shrugged.
"I don't know," Buffy said with a half smile. "I-I would love to return to California and take Harry with me, but even that's not possible anymore." She sighed in frustration and looked the Headmaster in the eye. "Perhaps you could explain something for me, though. Could you tell me why my brother is living in that hell house with an Aunt and Uncle that abuse him?"
Professor Dumbledore smiled the tiniest of smiles. "I am sure by now that Harry has given you many details of his life. This is one he must have left out. When your mother died, there was an invisible protection left in Harry. She died for him because she loved him. And with that, only time alone with the blood that runs from his mother's bloodline could provide a seal to ensure that this bond would never be broken. This is why Harry has spent time with his Aunt Petunia. She, until now, was the only one who could carry that protection. And now there's you."
Buffy nodded. This much she could easily understand. "How long must Harry stay with Aunt Petunia?" she asked quickly.
"He doesn't have to anymore," the Headmaster explained. He watched as Buffy took a long drink from her mug before lowering it. He wasn't surprised to see the mug wasn't shaking in the slightest. "You now carry the protection that your mother left in him when she died. Your blood should be enough to carry his protection."
"Maybe you'll have to explain to me later what you need protection from," Buffy said with a sideways glance, "or maybe I'm just seriously stupid."
Harry took her hand. "You said it yourself," he said, his voice soft and gentle, "we have to take this easy, one day at a time. If we overwhelm ourselves, I could lose you. And I've lost enough people in my life."
She smiled sadly at him before turning back to the Headmaster. "I hope this convinces you that I'm not out to murder Harry or anything."
"It does," he said, bowing to her slightly. He looked at her with eyes full of respect. "It also comes to show that even I am not seeing to all that goes on within the castle walls." He regarded her with a smile. "I am certain that Harry will tell you this many times over. Your mother was an extraordinary Witch with great talent and an uncommonly kind heart. She saw great things in those who didn't believe they could possess them. She was firm in believing that only the true window to the soul was through the eyes of the one who could make things happen. I see in your eyes the same resilience that was from your mother. I can feel a great power inside of you and in time you should learn to become what you were born to be."
"Am I Wizard?" Buffy asked in a hushed voice.
Professor Dumbledore shook his head, thinking. "No, you would be a Witch, following your mother's path. But there is a deeper power, a stronger power I sense within you. I can see the conflict of dreams that hold visions of the past and prophecies of the future. I can feel an ancient power inside of you, strong enough to destroy all great things in this world."
"You would be correct," Buffy replied. She took a deep breath and seemed to think about that for a moment. "Oh, my God! Where are my manners! You came here expecting lunch probably and I have been an unworthy hostess!" She jumped up and quickly grabbed a small menu tucked neatly behind her telephone. "I'll just call down and order room service. Do you have a preference, Harry?"
He shook his head and she grinned. "I'll order you something my adoptive mother was best at preparing," she said, turning back and speaking into the mouthpiece.
Professor Dumbledore took the opportunity to talk to Harry quietly. "I am glad I had a chance to meet your sister."
"You truly believe she is my sister, sir?" he asked, incredulously. Only yesterday he'd been full of deepest concern.
The Headmaster nodded. "It is evident that even in your short time together that has grown to respect and love you as a sister would. In time, a place in your heart and soul that has been abandoned for these many years will start to fill. For you, at last, have found family."
Buffy hung up the telephone and turned back to them, reading off a memo pad she'd been jotting notes down on. "I hope you don't mind that I ordered Italian," she said with a shy smile.
"Not at all," said Harry, who never could get enough ethnic cooking. Their Aunt Petunia certainly didn't do enough of it. She suddenly stood up, stretching. "If you'll excuse me for a moment."
As soon as she disappeared from the room, Harry turned to Professor Dumbledore. "Sir," he said, "if she really is the last of my mother's bloodline, then surely I would be able to stay with her and not return to the Dursleys."
"The spell in complicated," Professor Dumbledore said after a moment's thought. "But we can work around it." He paused. "She does have to consent to become your guardian. And before you jump ahead, I have been receiving daily owls from the Weasleys, almost demanding you return to The Burrow."
"What happened to Grimmauld Place?" Harry asked.
"The Order has found new headquarters since the death of Sirius Black," the Headmaster said in his serious voice. "The Weasleys have returned home for the summer holidays as long as there are still two at Hogwarts. And I do believe that their other sons have also gone home for the holidays."
"Sir," Harry continued, "would it be wise to set up a meeting between Elizabeth and the Minister of Magic?" He was thinking about introducing his sister to this strange world that she was still struggling to comprehend. Introducing her to a man who spent all of his life trying to understand Muggles seemed like the perfect idea.
"I shall do it when I return to my office this afternoon," he promised the younger Wizard as Buffy returned, looking slightly out of place.
"What have I missed?" she asked cheerfully.
"Elizabeth," Harry said seriously as she sat down next to him. "When Professor Dumbledore said that bit about the bloodlines, he meant yours as well. I would perfectly safe with the protection my mother gave to me if I was under the roof a member of my mother's family. I would really like to share these next few weeks with you."
Buffy smiled and hugged her brother tightly. "I think it would be a wonderful idea."
"You do?" he asked hopefully.
"I've never had a brother or a sister before," Buffy said, tears sparkling on her lashes. "I finally have the chance to do the right thing and I've never felt more certain about doing it. I would love to have you stay here, but I think I'll need a larger room. I'll arrange it this afternoon."
"Are you sure?" he asked her. "I don't want to impose..."
She looked as though she'd been insulted. "Never," she gasped, shaking her head. "You could never ever do that. You're my brother, Harry. Like it or not, you're my family now. And I am going to hold up my end of the bargain whether you like it or not. You are going to be spoiled rotten these next few weeks."
Harry grinned at her and she grinned right back. "Thanks," he said, squeezing her hand. "Thanks for everything." He turned back to her. "I usually spend a few weeks with my best friends at their home. That's what Professor Dumbledore said when he referred to The Burrow."
He was thankful that she didn't ask him to elaborate. All she did was nod. "I understand. I'll be happy to..."
"I want you to meet them," he said quickly. "I mean, if you don't mind..."
"I don't," she said, smiling at him as she sat down. All too soon their lunch arrived and they dined, Harry and his Headmaster asking Buffy about her life in California. She didn't give out too many details, especially when it concerned her slaying. She just told them that she'd had a relatively normal life.
She could tell that Professor Dumbledore was gazing at her behind his spectacles, almost as though trying to decipher what she was hiding. She promised herself she'd tell Harry everything.
When their food arrived, both Harry and the Headmaster seemed surprised. She had ordered a bit of Italian cuisine since she'd been dying for lasagna. She could tell that neither her brother nor Professor Dumbledore had had this dish many times before, because they were both exchanging slightly amused glances.
"I hope you don't mind that I've ordered this," she said hurriedly, paying the delivery man and stepping back inside her room. She quickly set out a few plates and a couple of glasses that had been stored in one of her boxes. She poured them a bit of juice and dished out the Italian dish.
"Not at all," Harry replied, picking his way through several cheesy layers.
She could tell that Professor Dumbledore wanted to ask her a serious question. He gazed at her a moment, chewing thoughtfully. When he swallowed, he finally said, "I heard that you had visited Goddrick's Hollow."
Harry nearly dropped his fork and glanced at Buffy in surprise. "You went to my old home?"
"I had to see it," Buffy replied quietly. "There was just something inside of me that wanted to see where my parents... our parents..." She let out a loud sigh and gazed down at her food, as though it were insulting her. "I didn't mean any disrespect for James and Lily."
"I only know because we have our own methods," the Headmaster replied, eyeing a glass carefully before sipping slowly. "for detecting when that ground has been disturbed. You found their Memorial all right?"
"The cross and portrait," Buffy realized, swallowing a little too hard. She coughed and reached for her cranberry juice before her hand froze. "I could see it, yet the driver... he was following me and he could not."
Harry looked surprised, but Professor Dumbledore's eyes twinkled again. "Surely you must be beginning to understand that you do possess some of the same powers that you parents did. You would not have been able to see the momentos otherwise. You are a very clever young woman, Elizabeth. It has been an honor to meet you. And I can tell already that you have a deep affection for Harry."
"I do," Buffy murmured sincerely. "I found out about him two days ago. Now I can't imagine a day without wanting to get to know him just a little better."
"He has a lot to tell you," the Headmaster said, carefully gaging Harry's reaction. It was exactly as he expected it to be. A lot of complex emotions spread across the younger boy's face and he glanced at his sister, as though wanting to tell her more. "But at another time, perhaps. We should discuss moving you out of the Dursleys', Harry. I need a few hours to tweak the magic for that charms we cast around that house. As long as you are within a few hundred feet of your sister, you should be safe."
"Thank you, Sir," Harry said as Buffy, too, said her own gratitudes. As he turned back to his plate, he saw his sister gazing affectionately at him. She winked a bit before returning to her lasagna.
The meeting came to an end as the sun was starting to reach the lower sky. Buffy thanked the Headmaster for coming as he Disapparated. Buffy was so shocked that she didn't even bother asking what he did. She just assumed it had something to do with magic and left it at that.
As soon as Harry left, Buffy picked up the phone. She was about to dial America when a knock sounded at her door. She moved to answer it and found one of the attendants carrying a large box. "This just arrived from California," he said, handing her a clipboard. She signed her name and accepted the box, carrying it into her room.
She opened it quickly and found a small package from her friends and from Giles. There were books, certainly, mostly of Slayer lore. Apparently Giles wanted her to keep up with her studies even though she was no longer employed with the Council.
There were letters from Willow and Xander. There was even a letter from Angel, telling her he'd moved to Los Angeles. Faith sent along her latest diary, plenty full of her adventures as a Slayer.
Lastly, there was a black leather envelope at the bottom. She opened it and pulled out a single check. Her eyes widened when she saw the amount written on it.
She fumbled for the telephone and dialed Giles' number in Sunnydale. Although it was in the middle of the afternoon there, it took a good five rings before someone picked up the phone.
It was her Mother.
"Mom?" Buffy asked softly, hearing Joyce's voice on the other line.
"Buffy!" Joyce cried happily. "Rupert, it's Buffy!"
Giles picked up the other extension. "Good Lord... we didn't expect to hear from you for a week. Especially with that dreaded Council lurking about."
"I just received your package," Buffy said, tears smarting in her eyes. "You must have sent it the day I left."
"The day before, actually," Giles said. "We didn't want to make a scene, because we knew how hard this was for you."
Buffy smiled, wishing they could see her face at this moment. She was completely touched. "Thank you," she said genuinely. "This way, I can find a different Hotel and hopefully get off the payroll of the Council."
Joyce's tone completely changed. "Have they..." she began sharply.
"No, Mom," Buffy said quietly. "They haven't interfered since I got here. But now I'm starting to think it'd be a good idea if I disappeared for a while."
"Have you spoken with Harry again?" Giles asked curiously.
"In case this line is being tapped, it might be a bad idea to divulge all of the details," Buffy said sadly. "I wish I could write in ancient Sumarian or something and just send you a letter."
"So, you've actually met your family?" Joyce asked, sounding confused.
Buffy could tell that Giles hadn't told Joyce anything. She quickly began explaining things. "I spoke with Laurie at the agency, Mom. She told me that my parents had died fifteen years ago, or nearly so. She gave me an address where I could find my brother, though. And I have. He's wonderful... and he's almost sixteen."
"I'm sorry to hear about your parents," Joyce said sympathetically. "But I'm glad to hear you have a brother."
"I know," Buffy said, glancing at a photo album her mother had sent her. "Mom... these pictures..."
"I want your brother to know that you had a good life here," Joyce replied back. "And I wanted you to remember where you came from."
"Thanks, Mom," she said, sniffling.
"You're welcome, dear."
"Oh," Buffy said, confusion knitting her eyes. "One more thing..." She dropped her voice to a deadly whisper, amusement flickering in her eyes. "Did you know that I come from a family of Wizards?"
Silence.
- - - - -
Chapter 8... Harry gets Ron's response; the Council realizes that their former Slayer has disappeared; Buffy has another Sirius dream.
Chapter 9... All hell breaks loose at the Dursleys; the Council gets their first come-uppance.
Author's Note:
As for Dumbledore's little speech, hehe. I completely took that from Lupin in the third HP movie. And added a bit of Elrond in there as well. Don't ask me why. It just made SENSE. :)
To the Reviewers:
Oh, my God! You guys really made a bad night at work completely worth it! I came home to find 96 reviews for a 6-chapter story! I'm about to die and go into the Heaven of happy fanfiction writers! I'm sorry this chapter isn't that long, but hey... it had a good point... right? Right?
To respond to some of your questions, aherm...
I changed that bit where it had "mudblood". I realize now that I didn't even mean to put it in there. It would have been something Petunia may have used. This was in Chapter 6.
Buffy is going to change her name from Buffy Summers to Elizabeth Potter. It'll happen in Chapter 10.
boo23, you'll see in a later chapter that Joyce is trying to get her daughter back... only then Buffy'll have a decision to make... it's just something I wanted to use to later complicate the story. I hope you don't mind this explanation.
As for relationships, you've made me laugh as I've read your comments. I promise I won't pair her with Snape! The only way I'll ever do that is if she's over 21 and therefore it could make more sense. I can't really pair her with Remus OR Sirius (if he's brought back) because they are her father's age. I'd pair her with a fruit fly for all the good it'll do dating Percy. I might put her with another Weasley, but that seems a bit cliche. I'd have to twist it a bit, first. Since I'm a few chapters ahead of this right now, I have a pretty good idea what'll happen, so unless you're my beta, you'll just have to be surprised.
The next chapter will probably be posted Thursday. My beta reader promised it to me tonight, but you never know, knowing her. I don't know how long this fic will be, and I promise to keep up longer chapters. Some might be shorter just because they are... but some will be longer. I promise. :)
Lastly, about Sirius, I got my other beta reader in on this. I've made a decision and it, too, will happen in Chapter 10.