Nassandra had not taken the news lightly. She began to smile and looked very happy indeed.

"The chances are almost positive that he's your father," Remus said, closing the book. "Which means that all four of the Marauders have children... all of which are in this very room."

Kim peered about uneasily at Harry, Natalie, and Nassandra. Harry looked slightly unnerved by the news, while Natalie looked stunned. Nassandra, however, looked confused.

"What's a Marauder?" she asked, puzzled.

Kim knew the answer to this. She'd been told by Lupin, as her father had certainly never mentioned it to her before. He'd also never told her that he had been the one who had broken up this group.

"There was only ever three Marauders at heart," Kim said slowly and then dragged her feet up the stairs and into her room. She was followed a few minutes later by Harry.

"Nice to see you again," Harry said, a bit awkwardly.

"I missed you." Kim ran over to him and hugged him. He smiled down at her and hugged her back. She decided to be the bold one this time and stood on her toes (as Harry seemed to have grown at least four inches already), and kissed him.

"Kim," Nassandra said, rounding the corner, "could I-" she stopped in her tracks at the sight of them snogging in the doorway. George bumped into her when she stopped and stared at them, too. Harry immediately stopped and jumped back a little, while Kim looked disappointed, wishing it hadn't stopped.

Nassandra and George both raised their eyebrows at the set of them and Fred, who'd followed George, came in and grinned.

"You could've at least closed the door," Fred joked, making Harry turn scarlet. Kim remained unabashed.

"You were asking?" she prompted stiffly, turning to Nassandra.

"Um, oh, yeah, I wanted to know if I could borrow your cloak for an hour. I've forgotten mine and I'm going to go into the forest..."

"Yeah, sure," Kim interrupted and crossed the room to her trunk and opened it, yanking out her cloak. Killer prowled into the room and jumped on her bed, curling up for a nap there. She tossed the cloak to Nassandra, "It'll probably be too short for you, though, I'm not exactly very tall."

"Thanks, I'll, er, leave you two alone, shall I?" she said and left with Fred and George. Kim sat on her bed and began scratching Killer behind the ears. Harry sat on the bed facing her.

"Bit embarrassing..." he mumbled.

"Not really, when you consider the fact that they're older than us and that I've walked in on Nassandra doing much worse," Kim replied.

Harry was still a bit red. Kim supposed he wasn't quite used to dating too many girls… or he might just be the shy type.

"So," he said suddenly, "did that guy, Karl, leave you alone?"

"No," she replied quietly. She looked up at him and his emerald eyes were blazing. She smiled a bit to herself. It was great that he cared and a wonderful feeling to have.

"I dealt with it, though," she said proudly. "I tolerated it simply because I knew I'd see you again."

He seemed to be taken slightly aback, but grinned in a way that made his features light up.

"The Dursleys were probably nothing compared to Karl, right? All they did was ignore me for the most part and try to keep me locked in my room or keep me outside. Pretty boring is all."

"I don't suppose you knew that we're allowed to do magic now that the Dark Lord's back?"

Harry looked stricken and surprised, making Kim guess the answer.

"I've done it loads of times and the Ministry hasn't complained once. Look, see?" She pointed her wand at one of the books in her trunk and said, "Accio Book." It zoomed toward her and she caught it. "See? No harm done."

"I guess you're right," Harry said, but was cut off by a large screech owl that had swooped in at that moment. Harry stared at it, while Kim looked at it, wondering why she'd gotten into trouble with the Ministry now instead of before when she'd used the Imperius Curse.

She got up and approached the owl, who dropped a thick envelope into her hands.

"I'm not in trouble!" she exclaimed, looking at the front, which bore the Hogwarts crest.

"Kim!" Ginny cried, bursting into the door, "did you get them? O.W.L. results!" She brandished a piece of parchment in front of her face.

"Hold on, let me open it, first," she replied, tearing open the paper. She slowly opened it and read what was inside:

Dear Ms. Barkley,

Enclosed are your O.W.L. (Ordinary Wizarding Level) results. As you expressed wishes to become a Healer to your Head of House, you will find that you needed high results in the following:

Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Potions, and Transfiguration.

You will find your results on the following page. Good Luck and enjoy your summer.

Sincerely,

A list of the examiners' names followed. Kim simply tossed the first parchment onto her bed and looked eagerly at the second one. This one read:

Your O.W.L. (Ordinary Wizarding Level) results are as follows:

Astronomy: Exceeds Expectations

Care of Magical Creatures: Outstanding

Charms: Outstanding

Defense Against the Dark Arts: Acceptable

Divination: Dreadful

Herbology: Outstanding

History of Magic: Exceeds Expectations

Potions: Outstanding

Transfiguration: Outstanding

Kim began to glow for a moment before re-visiting her Defense Against the Dark Arts scores, when her smile dropped a bit and she frowned.

"What'd you get?" Ginny inquired.

"I passed everything," Kim replied brightly. "Even Potions! I've got everything I need to become a Healer... well..." Her frown returned, "Not Defense Against the Dark Arts..."

Ginny took a look at her O.W.L.s, while Harry looked at Ginny's and handed it to Kim. It read:

Astronomy: Exceeds Expectations

Care of Magical Creatures: Exceeds Expectations

Charms: Outstanding

Defense Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding

Divination: Acceptable

Herbology: Exceeds Expectations

History of Magic: Acceptable

Potions: Acceptable

Transfiguration: Exceeds Expectations

Kim gazed longingly at Ginny's Defense Against the Dark Arts grade and wished she'd gotten at least and 'E' in it.

"Wow, Kim! You got five 'O's, and three 'E's! Only one 'A'!" Kim saw Ginny hand her paper to Harry. "You must be brilliant."

"Not in Defense Against the Dark Arts, I'm not," she snapped.

"But you're always reading things on Defense Spells and stuff, I don't know how you wouldn't have gotten an 'O' in it..." Ginny pondered.

"Ginny, those books aren't on defending myself against the Dark Arts... those books are on how to use the Dark Arts," she tittered, shaking her head.

She strode over to her trunk and pulled out several books, "Look," she began naming them off one by one, "Black Magic for the Advanced, Curses, Jinxes, and Hexes for the Advanced Dark Artist, Jinxes for the Jinxed. Dark Arts and Dark Purposes, How to brew Powerful Poisons, Curses for the Cursed, A Study of the Dark Arts..." She tossed each book onto her bed as she read them off.

"You see? It doesn't matter if I knew how to do the Cruciatus Curse when I went to Hogwarts, because I'd only ever heard of Expelliarmus ONCE before it was mentioned in class. Ways of protecting myself were known as the Unforgivable Curses, although I'd only ever killed two human beings in my life using the Avada Kedavra. The Dark Lord never thought that any other spells were really needed, so not too many bothered to teach me."

Ginny didn't reply, but instead picked up a handful of the other books in Kim's trunk. She looked at the titles.

"These don't look so bad, though," she said, "Advanced Transfiguration, A Study of Dragons, Chimeras and other Dangerous Beasts... and I don't know what this book is, it's got no title..." She began to open the book, but Kim snatched it away.

"That's my diary," she explained, concealing the book back inside her Death Eater's mask.

"But my point is, Kim," Ginny continued furiously, "you're over-dramatizing your life. Okay, look, when we go to Diagon Alley, we're going to buy you some new books, some new equipment, and some new robes."

"Do I have to?" Kim asked, looking hopefully at Harry for some support, but he seemed to be agreeing with Ginny, and turning over the revelation that Kim had killed in his mind.

"Yes. Now come downstairs. Mum has our Hogwarts letters with our school supplies there, so we can look at those now."

The three of them trooped downstairs to find Fred, George, and Nassandra coming in from the outdoors as it began to pour outside.

"Rain," Kim pointed out vaguely and obviously.

"Very good," Ron replied, grinning and brandishing letters in front of their faces. "Hogwarts letters..." He handed Harry's to him, and gave Kim and Ginny theirs. Kim opened hers and was only barely reading it, since she was looking at the rain outside. She abandoned her letter and the others and went to stare longingly outside the window.

"Woah!" Harry's startled gasp came from behind. Kim spun around to see him staring straight at a Hogwarts Head Boy's badge.

Harry let Ron hold it for a minute, examining it as though it weren't real.

Hermione came barreling in and saw the Head Boy's badge in Ron's hands, both wearing looks of sheer awe on their faces.

"Ooh! Ron, me too! ME TOO!" she cried, flinging her arms around his neck, making Ron choke and splutter.

"Not me..." Ron gasped, "...Harry..."

Kim blinked a few times and smiled at Harry, who was grinning oddly. He seemed happy, so she slipped off and into the back room to allow him time to revel. She was reaching for the back door when Moody's voice floated in.

"Where are you going, Sprite?" he asked, limping over on his wooden leg.

"I'm going outside," she replied and watched his reaction.

"You're going to get all wet and muddy. Then you're going to get sick. Fine, but I won't say I told you so when you regret it later."

Kim smiled at him, gave him an awkward hug and opened the door outside and stepped out. Since she was wearing a black shirt and black, pleated skirt that came to about her knees underneath her robes, she took off the robes and folded them neatly in a stack under the overhang of the old house, which disappeared out of sight once she'd stepped off of the back step and into the rain. She became immediately soaked since it was pouring so hard. Stepping carefully through the muddy grass, she saw the auburn color washing out of her hair, as well as the carefully curled waves. She sighed and looked at her long, straight, blonde hair and slung it behind her.

Closing her eyes, she let the water run down her face. She didn't even care when her shirt and skirt became sopping wet and began to plaster themselves to her skin. Kicking away her shoes and stockings, she tossed them near her neatly folded robes, which was soaked now that the house had disappeared from sight. She let her feet get nice and wet before stepping into a puddle and spinning small circles, getting herself even more wet.

She glanced toward where the house was and saw the back door open. Ron, Harry, and Hermione filled the doorway and Ron yelled out to her, "Oy! You're crazy!"

"You're going to catch cold!" Hermione said frantically.

Kim ignored them and continued to spin circles around and around in her bare feet and with only a shirt and skirt.

"So?" she replied, innocently. "I never got to do it as a kid... why shouldn't I catch up on it now?"

She spun more circles with her arms spread wide and began to splash about from puddle to puddle, listening to what Ron was saying: "That girl is a nutter. Er, no offense, Harry, but she's reminding me of Luna right now..." Kim was surprised to find that she didn't care what Ron thought of her. Being compared to Luna was an honor.

Then Natalie appeared in the doorway. "Kim, what are you doing?"

"Dancing in the rain," she replied simply.

"Looks like fun to me," Natalie commented and she, too, shed her shoes and stockings and folded her robes neatly, revealing her to wear a red shirt and plain blue jeans. She stepped outside and joined her.

"That's the spirit!" Nassandra cried and literally threw her shoes and socks away from her feet and took of her cloak. She wore the same shirt that Harry had once seen Tonks wear, and read 'The Weird Sisters' on it and a pair of shorts. She jumped outside and into a puddle, splashing both Kim and Natalie with water and making them giggle.

"You know," Harry said slowly and carefully, "it doesn't look too bad, Ron..."

"No, Harry, you're NOT going, too," Ron said faintly, but Harry did not humor him and removed his shoes and his socks and robes. He wore clothes that looked slightly too big for him, as the pants legs were rolled up once or twice and his shirt hung rather loosely on him. Before Ron and Hermione could protest, he, too, walked outside, raising everyone's eyebrows.

Kim took this special opportunity to splash him with the water from a large puddle. He retaliated quickly and soon, the four of them were engaged in a splash-war.

"What's going on out here?" Lupin wondered curiously and came to watch where Ron and Hermione were standing rooted to the spot at Harry's act of foolishness.

At that moment, Moody hobbled over, too, accompanied by Tonks and Bill Weasley, all three of whom were smiling.

"Natalie, you'll catch cold!" Lupin exclaimed and attempted to drag his daughter inside, but he was instead splashed with water and she ran off, giggling.

"Hey, Sprite, haven't you had your fill of the rain, yet?" Moody growled.

"Nope," she replied grinning from ear to ear before being attacked by Nassandra, who rather enjoyed the water war.

"You know," Lupin said quietly, coming inside, drenched from the splashes and the rain, "I'm starting to believe that there's a connection between those four." He shook his head, although there was a smile on his prematurely lined features, "They all act the same age, even though Natalie's eleven, Harry's sixteen, Nassandra is eighteen, and Kim is fifteen."

"I don't understand how anyone can be so thick," Ron said exasperated.

"Well, Ron, think about it," Hermione said, laying things out, "Harry's had to live with his aunt and uncle for almost his entire life, which can't have been much fun. Kim and Nassandra have never been able to do things like this when they were young because of the way their parents brought them up... and Natalie... well, she just likes to have fun." Lupin smiled at this.

"Very true," Moody growled. "When Sprite first told me she was going to go outside in the rain, I thought she'd gone off her rocker temporarily," he admitted as a small rumble of thunder was heard in the distance.

"Why do you call her that, Mad-Eye... Sprite?" Bill asked curiously.

Moody shook his head in a way that meant her did not know. "I suppose I find it fitting. She's got spunk in the way that she deals with the things that Snape sometimes has trouble with," he replied, watching Kim freeze some water slightly with her wand and throw the snowball at Natalie. The snowball hit her in the head, making the eleven-year-old laugh and retaliate as best she could. "I think I've taken a liking to her is all."

Lupin, Bill, and Tonks all looked at Moody in surprise. He'd never really taken a liking to anyone he hadn't known for at least twenty years and admitted it openly.

"You know, Ron," Hermione said slowly, "it does look like it's kind of fun..."

"Oh, come on, Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, "not you, too!"

"Hey, it looks fun to me!" Tonks said happily and climbed outside.

Hermione grinned, "Well, if Tonks'll do it, I don't see why not..." She began stripping off her socks and shoes and her robes and carefully went outside to join in the fun after she'd frozen some water into snow and thrown one at everybody. Ron looked incredulous as Fred and George ran past and joined them, still in their socks, shoes, and robes without a care.

Moody smiled, making his face look even more heavily scarred than it was. "Young ones living it up their fullest," she said to Lupin and Bill.

Ron then shelved his pride and stalked out to join them. Bill looked very much as though he'd like to join them as well, bit couldn't since he had brought only one change of clothes and if he got all wet, he wouldn't be able to change.

Nassandra's hair, meanwhile, was beginning to loose its teal color and the curls had already gone. The teal washed away to reveal green, which washed away to reveal blue, which washed away to reveal orange, and in turn, washed away several colors such as purple, aqua, bright pink, lavender, and several others. It finally stopped shedding colors and stuck permanently on a dark black that was the same color that Sirius's hair had been. She shook her hair wildly, as though she'd never seen its true color before.

0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0-o-0

After spending at least a half an hour in the rain (Ginny had joined them), with Moody and Lupin watching (Bill had gone off to greet Fleur, who had just arrived), it began to thunder and Lupin ordered everyone inside. Tonks looked as though she'd just had the time of her life and claimed that she felt as though she was Natalie's age again. Nassandra looked as though she'd never had so much fun and insisted on throwing the magical snowballs at Fred and George one last time before the three of them went back inside with Ginny. Natalie followed, laughing with Hermione, whose bushy hair was not straight and wet, although slightly frizzy. Ron followed them in and looked quite as though he was trying not to look like he'd had fun, although he was failing spectacularly. The last to come in was Harry, who had to drag Kim in after him.

"Oh, but it was so fun," she pouted and looked longingly at the door that Lupin had just closed behind them.

"You're all wet," he informed them, "you all need to go change into something warm so you won't catch a cold."

Moody limped off without a word to fetch a glass of water for his magical eye to soak in. When Kim, Harry, Natalie, Fred, Hermione, George, and Ginny walked by to go to their rooms, he was putting it back into place. Ron caught up with them and spotted the glass of water.

"Oh, good... water. I'm thirsty," he said and took a drink.

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed in horror, "Moody just put his eye in that!"

Ron spit all of the water into the sink as Fred and George collapsed into fits of laughter on the floor. "I thought it tasted a bit off," he said weakly and got himself some clean water to drink, instead.

Nassandra decided to take the large turkey Mrs. Weasley offered her and said good-bye to everyone (and a very warm one to George), before she Disapparated.

Kim began to get uncomfortable, since her shirt and skirt were plastered to her skin in a very uncomfortable way. She was also beginning to shiver since she was wearing a skirt and everyone else was wearing pants. Hermione and Ginny, who seemed to be sharing a room, went one way down the hall and into their room, while Fred and George turned into theirs. Ron disappeared into his room and Harry was about to follow before he turned to Kim and hugged her tightly. They began to kiss again, when someone cleared their throat behind them.

Lupin stood there, torn between amusement and much as though he'd rather not have walked in on them.

Harry turned crimson and headed back into his room while Kim scampered into her own and began to change out of her wet clothes and into her pajamas and lay down on her bed, hoping to get a bit warmer, as she was determined not to catch cold.

There was a knock on the door as she began brushing out her wet hair. "Come in," she replied to the inquirer.

Harry opened the door and went inside, not bothering to shut it. He went over and sat down next to her, while she brushed her blonde hair.

"Are you a blonde again?" he inquired.

Kim nodded a bit and then changed the subject, "Why does it seem like everyone walks in on us whenever we're kissing? Remember? Ron and Hermione... Nassandra, Fred, and George... Lupin...did you notice?"

"Yeah, I guess," he answered quietly and looking a bit cold.

Kim, herself, was shivering. She was rather cold but was refusing to get sick. She hugged the blanket tighter and put down her hairbrush. "It's cold."

"Yeah, I know," he replied, "still... it was fun."

"It was fun," Kim repeated, savoring the word fun. She hadn't really had much time for fun during her childhood. "But, I'm still cold," she added, grinning and her teeth chattering slightly.

Harry laughed, "Yeah, I know," he said, scooting over to her.

She laughed and let him under the blanket. "Harry, I love you."

He grinned. "Love you, too..." Then he began to sleep. Kim, slightly alarmed, wondered if she should bother to get up and even close the door. But he was so warm that she couldn't bring herself to budge even an inch and fell asleep within seconds.