"The value of things is not in the time that they last, but in the intensity in which they happen. That is why there are unforgettable moments, unexplainable things, and incomparable people"
Fernando Pessoa, Portuguese poet (humbly translated by me)
Chapter 18
Unattainable
"What the hell?" Sirius exclaimed as he walked into a very transformed Defense classroom.
"I heard there would be a guest today" Remus replied beside him "I guess they're bringing all students in. Look"
First years Gryffindors were fighting their way through some seventh years Slytherins.
"This new person might as well be a hell of a wizard" James said "I wonder what spell he's going to cast in order to keep us all under control"
James, Sirius and Remus found their seats next to Peter, who was deep in conversation with a sixth year Hufflepuff. He sat still as she told him the most horrible story of them all: the one about how she got the still healing scar on her face.
"And then, all there I saw was blood, and her howl" Justine whispered just as Remus' hand descended on Peter's shoulder, making the boy jump up.
"It's just me, Peter" Remus said "Move over so we can sit down"
"You shouldn't be telling him those stories, Justine" James said with a smile "He won't be able to sleep at night"
"Who cares?" Sirius said as he sat down next to James "It's a good story"
"Thanks, Black" Justine said with a smile. She was a strapping young woman, her raven black hair framed her face and was in bright contrast with her pale skin, her different colored eyes, and the, now healing, huge scar. She was a year behind them.
"I really admire the way you're handling it" another voice spoke behind them "Most girls would hide form the world if they had that scar upon their faces. Your confidence is inspiring" she added with a smile.
"Thanks" Justine smiled to the red head Gryffindor "I've learned from the best" James snorted and Lily snapped the back of his head "So, what do you think this is all about?"
"I heard as much as you have" Lily Evans said as she leaned on top of her seat in order to whisper "They say this person was an excellent Auror until he was banished"
"Banished?" James exclaimed "For what? Arresting Dark Wizards? They should give them a medal. OUCH!" James yelled as Remus elbowed him on the side "What is it with you people!" but he saw the direction Remus was looking at and followed. A tall blonde girl in Ravenclaw robes entered the room. As she saw them, she smiled and walked toward them.
"So... intriguing, isn't it?" Abigail Craine Dumbledore said as she moved practically over Sirius and James in order to give Remus a quick kiss on the lips and then found her place next to Lily.
"Do you think it's your aunt?" Peter said, and they all went very quiet. The silence told them he shouldn't have opened his lips.
"Peter, my aunt was never an Auror" Abigail replied with a soft smile, but her eyes and voice showed how bad the comment affected her.
"Of course not!" James said as he stretched his hand behind Remus and smacked Peter on the back of the head "She's Dumbledore's wife, you moron. How could she be banished?"
"I think she is a bit more than that, James" Lily said, widening her eyes at him.
"It's ok" Abby said "Just, don't try to make it better" she smiled at James, who hinted a smile back before his eyes found something else.
"Oh, look who's here" James said and they all looked at the door.
A tall young man, dressed in Slytherin robes, with ivory skin, pitch black hair hiding out his eyes walked toward the desks, and found his seat next to a couple dressed with the same colored-robe. They were both blonds.
"Well, they did say the whole school, didn't they?" another voice said as he sat next to Abby.
"Do you know who this wizard is, Nicholas?" Abby asked her brother
"No, but he's probably someone big" he changed his tone to a whisper "I saw uncle Albus calling Moira to his office, and from her face, it wasn't a happy talk"
"What do you mean?" Remus asked.
"He told me to behave" Moira's dry voice said as she sat beside her cousin. She had her chocolate brown eyes staring at the door to the teacher's office. Before they could ask what was wrong, the door Moira was staring at, opened to reveal Professor Krank, a very old but intelligent and sweet lady, and a tall man. He was all dressed in black, his hair hung in a long braid down his back, and it matched the color of his clothing. His face was thin, he had a still growing beard, and his eyes were navy blue. As soon as he walked into the room, his eyes searched it, and found, not Moira's but Snape's.
"Good morning, everyone" Professor Krank said and the class responded "This is a very special class, for we have a great expert on the field of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Mr. Edgar Laois has agreed to talk to you about his work"
The class clapped as the man moved forward, a hint of a smile on his face.
"So I hear you are all learning to defend yourselves from Dark Magic" his eyes found Snape's again "But are you sure you, seventh years, that you're ready to go out and really face Darkness?"
The seventh years exchanged looks. The four Gryffindor boys didn't move, but stared at him.
"Let me tell you a little something about life outside of these walls" he said as he moved between the desks "I traveled the world, I saw many things, but the worst I have ever encountered was a wizard or a witch who wanted to harm another one, for the pure pleasure of it" he said as he walked. The students didn't dare to speak "There are three unforgivable curses" he turned to the class "I'm sure the majority of you already heard about them" the students nodded, only the younger ones were a bit confused.
"One brings you pain like no other you have ever felt. Another makes you a slave of someone else's wishes. And the third one kills you" he smacked both of his long hands together, making the students jump on their seats "as soon as it hits you" he walked again.
"Out there, you'll see many Dark wizards use these curses to accomplish terrible things. I've seen many, many do that to others, listen to their screams with a smile upon their faces" he stopped by Snape's desk "Dark Magic should be extinguished as the wizards who master them"
"Is that why you were banned?" a feminine voice asked. Edgar knew whose voice that was before he turned to find the owner. Moira was staring at him, defiance in her face.
"Well, I see Miss Craine, here, has a question" he said before he turned from Snape to Moira. Her eyes pierced his without a single trace of fear.
"Yes, I do. Is that why you were banned from Auror duty?" she asked again, as many students moved around in their seats. Abigail held her breath, just as Nicholas paid attention to Edgar's every move.
"I think that is personal, Miss Craine. Not something to be discussed in class" Edgar responded gallantly, but he obviously didn't know Moira as well as he thought he did.
"Lets change my question then, shall we?" Moira said before cleaning her throat "Do you really believe only Dark Wizards use unforgivables?" the room exploded with whispers, but Moira's eyes weren't blinking, and neither were Edgar's.
"No. I don't" Edgar said with something that looked like a smile, but was rather twisted "I've seen many Dark creatures do terrible things. For instant, the werewolf who deformed your friend"
"Hey!" Justine exclaimed "I'm not deformed, ok"
"Sorry, Miss Lorcan" he said, and nobody but a few students realized he seemed to know a lot of the students names, specially the ones with some Darkness in their family. Lupin tried to act normal and was doing a great job if it wasn't for Peter's sweaty brow and constant looks his way.
"I'm sorry. Even a scar like that didn't taint your beauty" he said with a smile, but Justine looked at him from the corner of her eye "What I meant was, a werewolf is not a Dark Wizard, but a Dark creature and yes, I do believe they should be purged"
"Excuse me, but I think different" but it wasn't Justine's voice that echoed in the room, but Abigail's "It's not like they had a choice, sir. And they are regular people, with feelings and friends, and just because they turn different once a month, that is not a reason to kill them all" Lupin was smiling quietly, not looking at her.
"Yeah, imagine if they did that to every creature that has fits once a month. We'd be out of women" James said, and got a few laughs out of this and a few snaps in the back of the head as well.
"And hello! The werewolf who did this to me is my sister, and I'd die before I'd let anyone touch her" Justine warned.
"No, sweetheart, you'd kill the person who'd try it" Nicholas completed.
"Damn right I would"
"Well, I see you all have your minds set" Edgar said, taking another step closer to them, and his eyes found Lupin's "You seem rather quiet, different from your friends here. What are your thoughts on the matter?" and Lupin just knew Edgar knew of his condition, or at least, suspected of it.
"I believe a witch or wizards powers should be trained and respected. Anyone can hurt others, no matter what backgrounds they're from. Putting labels on Dark Wizards, werewolves or anybody else is just plain prejudice"
"Here, here!" Sirius exclaimed and raised his hand so that Remus could high five it.
Some students clapped and cheered, others exchanged whispers, and some just watched everything from the best seat in the house. That was the case of Snape, Lucius and Narcissa. Moira simply smiled, feeling that a battle had just been won. She was wrong.
"What about you?" Edgar turned his back at the huddle, and gazed at Snape "What are your thoughts on the matter?"
Snape stood quiet for sometime, but didn't seem nervous at all.
"I thought persecution of our kind was over centuries ago" his deep voice responded.
"Do you think I'm persecuting you?" Edgar sounded a bit outraged "I mean, I'm just trying to teach you all that out there" he pointed to a window in the classroom "Nothing is simple like it is in here"
"You are very mistaken if you think in here things are simple" Moira replied.
Edgar turned on his heels and advanced on Moira extremely fast, making some students, and Professor Krank, gasp, and Moira lean back on her seat.
"Have you ever stood face to face with something incredibly mean, that would tear you apart in a blink of an eye, with a smile on its face, just because it could?"
"She has now" Lily responded. Moira and Edgar didn't move.
"Takes one to know one" Moira replied lower than a whisper, her eyes piercing his "I think you take everything to the extreme, sir" she hissed the last word.
"Oh, look at the time. Let's thank the presence of Mr. Laois in our class" Professor Krank said and clapped, so that the class would follow her. Slowly, Edgar moved away from Moira and bowed to the room filled with students.
The students moved to leave the room, but as Moira moved to get passed Edgar, he pulled her by her upper arm with such force that she gasped, but maintained her ground. Snape, who was up and ready to move out of the class, following Lucius, stopped in mid step, but as he caught Abigail's eye, he just moved to pretend he needed to find something on his book bag. As he leaned his head forward, his hair covered it, but Abby could see his beady eyes on Moira and Edgar. Nicholas got up, as did his sister, Lily, the four Gryffindor boys and Justine. Professor Krank took a few steps toward them, her wand in her hand.
"This conversation isn't finished, Moira" he said between clenched teeth.
"It's Miss Craine, to you, sir" Moira replied before she dropped her voice to a whisper "I think you should let me go before I get you into more trouble. I am a Dark Witch after all, aren't I?"
Edgar intensified the grip.
"Is that a threat?" he hissed.
"Please, sir, let me go" Moira spoke up in an almost trembling voice, her face showing fear "You're hurting me"
"I really think you should let her go" Professor Krank said, looking at Laois with very different eyes.
"We all think that" Sirius replied as he and the others took a step closer to Laois.
Edgar looked at them, and his eyes went back to Moira. He could see the smile implicit in her eyes, just like her mothers. In a fast movement, he let go of Moira, who stumbled back toward Professor Krank.
"Thank you for having me, Professor" Edgar said, trying to sound unharmed, and moved to leave the class.
"Are you alright, honey? Should I take you to the Hospital wing?" Professor Krank asked.
"No, professor, I'll be just fine" Moira said, massaging her arm.
"Alright then. I'll go have a talk to your father. Never thought Edgar would treat you all like this"
As Professor Krank left, Moira dropped the façade. Her face went from prey to predator in a matter of seconds, something that made Sirius smile.
"Damn, woman, you amazed me" he said.
"Sure did. It's one thing not to like Dark Magic, is another to label us all" James said.
"I'm glad you feel that way, Potter" Moira said with a hint of a smile.
"Yeah… what's he got with you, anyway?"
"Let's just say he's unbalanced, and my mother was the one who pointed this out for the Auror Internal Affairs, or something like that. He doesn't like his family either" she nodded at Snape, who apparently still hadn't found what he was looking for in his bag.
"I can't really say I blame him there" James said as he messed his hair.
"Well, you can't be perfect, can you?" Moira tossed back.
"I'm stunned they asked him to come to school" Abby said "Treating us like that, wanting to exterminate werewolves. He's not right in the head!"
Remus caught her hand in his and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head in retribution.
"Yeah. Me, deformed… he can kiss my sweet…" Justine started, but Moira interrupted.
"The Laois family has a very nice mask in our society, Abby. Edgar is the older brother of Liam, a guy I'm sure you've heard of" Moira said.
"Are you kidding! He likes Dark Magic! How can his brother be so …"
"Mental?" Sirius joked "Beats me"
"Can we just drop the subject? I'm already going to hear from my parents" Moira said as she got her book bag over her shoulder.
"Come on. I can get us some warm butterbeers" Lily offered as she led the group outside.
"Where did you get them? How?" James asked, amazed.
"You'd be surprised" Lily taunted and tossed back her long, red hair
"Let's just drink our way out of this, huh? I like you better everyday, Evans" Sirius said with a big grin on his face "Practically one of the guys" he joked.
James just smiled, completely in awe of her, and left. Moira was about to follow, but Abby caught her hand, just as Snape moved passed them, brushing the sleeve of his robe in Moira's.
"Yep, and he was a great help" Moira said as she moved out, Abby by her side.
"He was about to come at Edgar for hurting you when I told him not to" she told Moira, who's lips parted and eyebrows arched in her face "He's not just what he seems, Moira. You, of all people, should know that"
"Yes... I guess I should" Moira whispered to herself as a warm feeling washed passed her.
&&&
Justine was seated on the floor, outside Moira's private chambers. The castle was dark and the only fade light was coming from the sky, already brewing morning. The grounds were quieter, for the Aurors had been sent back to the Ministry. Only her, Moody and Ethan remained at Hogwarts. The worst had passed, and yet Justine felt as if something was still very wrong.
She spread her legs in front of her and sighed heavily. She didn't know what to expect from what was happening to Moira, to all of them actually, and that didn't sit well in her mind.
The door of the room opened and Remus came out. He sighed almost as heavily as Justine and sat down beside her.
"She's stable now. Sedated. Moody and Albus are with her" he said in a hoarse voice "I don't like the fact they have to keep her sedated, though"
"Neither do I, but it's better. She doesn't remember anything, doesn't know who she is. Damn, Remus, Moira's consciousness, her personality, her values are what kept her safe, what kept us all safe. If she doesn't remember them, she's a sorceress ready to rock and roll up our arses"
Lupin snorted at the last comment. Justine was right and if he was right as well, it wouldn't take long before Fudge, the Minister of Magic, to come to Hogwarts with an Auror squadron to take Moira away and lock her up somewhere. Maybe something worse, but he chose not to think about it.
"This sucks" Justine let out with a heavy breath "I hate waiting. Has she said anything yet?"
"I think she tried, but all I heard was hissing"
"Parseltongue. Damn"
They stayed quiet for a moment. The castle was pretty quiet as well, and the absence of students helped in that matter. The silence between them indicated they had both allowed to get themselves lost in their thoughts until...
"Do you remember Edgar Laois?" Lupin asked.
"What the hell! Are you reading minds now, wolf?" Justine exclaimed "I was just remembering that class we had with him"
"I know. I was thinking about that too. Don't know why, though"
"Weird… it's been years since his name crossed my mind" Justine said "I must admit, it was pretty satisfying to catch him" she hinted a smile.
"That's right" Lupin remembered and smiled "You were the one who arrested him, wasn't it?"
"Yep. That was my very first arrest as an Auror. That man had severe problems"
"He died in Azkaban, didn't he?" Lupin asked and Justine nodded "Horrible way to die" Lupin thought of Sirius.
"Yes, it is" Justine turned her head and looked at Lupin "He's free of that place, and she's not going anywhere near it. We won't let that happen"
"What? Are you reading my mind now?" Lupin smiled a sad smile.
Justine just stood up and offered her hand to pull him up. He took it.
"Do you think the Laois are involved in any of the things that are going on?" Justine asked "'Cause it can't be all coincidence"
"I think we have to look at all again, from the beginning. I have a feeling there's something we're missing"
"Peace, Remus. We're missing peace" Justine said "I'm going to get some shut eye. Let me know if anything happens"
&&&
Moira was silent and still in her four-poster bed. The curtains were closed around her, letting the two men see nothing but her shadow. Moody was seated in an armchair across the room, his wand in hand, his eyes tired but alert. Albus was seated right next to his daughter's bed, his eyes not leaving her. The silence in the room indicated how well they knew each other. Dumbledore didn't want to ask questions he knew the answer would not be good, and Moody knew that it didn't matter what he said, the man wouldn't leave his daughter's side.
There was a loud pop and Poppy's head appeared among green flames in the fireplace.
"How's she doing?" she asked.
Dumbledore and Moody turned their faces toward her. Moira didn't move.
"She was unstable at first, but she's ok now. Heart's beating and all" Moody said, not really sure of the medical terms "Doesn't remember who she is, who we are, or what the hell happened, though. She's also speaking in parseltongue"
"Oh" Poppy replied and the two men heard a low whisper in the background. Poppy's eyes widened and she tried as best as she could not to show that the ill-tempered wizard standing behind her was the one wanting news.
"How's Severus?" Dumbledore asked in a hoarse voice, as if he hadn't said a word in years.
"He's doing better. Cranky because of the pain and the fact I got to see him in pajamas" she said "But we're just waiting for the call to go back to Hogwarts" she said and her eyes found Dumbledore, but he was looking at the inert shadow on the bed.
"It shouldn't be long now" Moody answered "We'll keep you posted"
Poppy nodded, hinted a smile and disappeared, as did the flames. The room was quiet again. Moira moved and the two men got up in a flash. Light was entering the room now.
"Moira? What is it?" Dumbledore asked as he opened the curtains around his daughter. Moody was right behind him, wand in hand. Moira hid her eyes under her hand, and hissed something at them.
Moody's magical eyes moved to the back of his head and back again. He moved toward the windows and closed the curtains. Moira's hand moved away from her eyes.
"They're sensitive to the light" Dumbledore said and she nodded.
He looked into her eyes and his heart sank. The sparkle he knew so well wasn't shining in them. In fact, they weren't the same anymore. They were snake like, and the rich chocolate brown that reminded him of his wife gave place to an amber glow. He didn't recognize his daughter but he refused to accept that.
Moira looked away from him and moved her long and thin fingers in front of her. They were extremely hurt, nails broken because of some struggle she couldn't remember. She couldn't move them before, but slowly, her body started to respond to her commands. She could already feel her legs but moving them was rather difficult. She was still wearing the dress from a few nights before.
"Remember anything yet?" Moody asked, standing tall behind Dumbledore.
Moira looked at him, looked around the room again and hissed, but closed her mouth as she realized yet again, they couldn't understand her. She had been kept sedated for a long time, but she couldn't blame them for that. As soon as she was carried out of the room by the nice werewolf, she had almost gone into cardiac arrest, and the panic that caused her sent objects flying everywhere, and broke a few windows, but no one got hurt, and she was kept in deep sleep until she was calmer and could control her powers better.
Now, awake again, Moira was feeling better and less threatened by an environment she didn't recognize. Whenever she opened her eyes, she would find the bluest eyes searching hers. The oldest man in the room was always by her side and though she didn't recognize him, she felt at ease next to him. She didn't trust the one with the wooden leg and funny eye, but she knew he wouldn't harm her; no one would harm her, if the one with sparkling blue eyes was around.
Some of the other ones seemed to fear her. The nice werewolf didn't, neither did the pretty woman with the huge scar on her face, but the blond girl did. She tried not to show it, but Moira felt it. The blond one was afraid of her, of being hurt by her, and that really bothered Moira. She didn't know why, but it did.
So, as she sighed in frustration, a few drawers opened around the room and things flew in every direction. Moody aimed his wand at the door, as Dumbledore covered Moira as a father would a small child. Parchment and quills flew at them before everything went back to silence.
"What… are you alright?" he asked his daughter, but Moira didn't answer. She was picking up one of quite a few pieces of parchment that was on her bed and a quill. She wrote rapidly and showed the two men.
I just wished I had something to write with
Albus and Moody arched their eyebrows at her.
"Careful what you wish for" Moody joked and, for the first time since the transfer, Moira hinted a smile.
"Do you know what happened to you?" Moody asked.
Moira shook her head. Albus stood up, exchanged a few words with Moody, who argued back in a whisper, but ended up nodding and leaving the room. Then Dumbledore moved to sit in front of his daughter. He sighed deeply and looked at her eyes.
"There was a power transfer" he started "Moira, your mother was a Dark Witch and she passed away fifteen years ago. A few nights ago it was your birthday and the fifteenth anniversary of your mother's death. You got all of her powers"
Moira's snake like eyes weren't blinking.
"We feared you wouldn't survive the transfer because of the unbalance in the magic around you, but you did" his eyes shone brighter.
She wrote again.
But why can't I remember anything?
"You will… in time, you will" he said as if he believed it. He caressed her hair, and she didn't move away from him. She wrote again.
You're my father, aren't you?
Dumbledore smiled and Moira noticed that his eyes were getting wetter.
"Yes, I am. Did you remember me?" he asked but she shook her head "Then how do you know?"
I know you won't let them hurt me.
"Never" he whispered as he embraced his daughter in what it felt like for the first time. She allowed the contact but didn't respond to it. As they parted the embrace, she wrote again.
Hungry and in need of a bath
"I'll send your cousin up to help you" Moira thought of the blond girl and shook her head "You think you can manage on your own?" she nodded "Alright then. I'll send someone to fix you a meal and I'll be just outside, if you need anything" he kissed her forehead softly and left the room.
Moira stared at the door long before her father had left. She could feel power running in her veins and yet there was not one single memory preceding the night she saw the nice werewolf's eyes. She felt powerful but… empty.
The young witch looked at the curtains and saw that the light outside was becoming stronger. She pushed away the heavy blankets and moved her legs out of bed. The feeling of the cold wooden floor beneath her feet was pleasant. She pushed herself up, finding her balance on one of the four posters around her bed. She moved slowly toward the bathroom, and as she looked at the candles on top of the sink, they lit up in high flames, something that made Moira gasp softly and take a step back.
As her eyes adjusted to the light, she moved to turn the water on and looked at the mirror. What she saw made her breath get caught in her throat. She didn't know that her eyes looked like a snakes. That is why everyone around her was so cautious. Then a flash of gleaming red eyes staring at her crossed her mind. Moira blinked the image away, but it was there, buried in some part of her brain. Something bad had happened and she feared she would remember it soon enough.
The vapor from the hot water on the tub fogged the bathroom, and Moira, hidden away from her reflection, took off the torn black dress and let her body relax as warm water embraced it. She took in a breath and sank into the silence underwater.
&&&
"So?" Moody asked as soon as Dumbledore closed the door behind him.
"She doesn't trust you" Dumbledore said with almost a smile on his face.
"Did she say anything?" Lupin asked, his eyes red from lack of sleep.
"No, but she wrote them down" Dumbledore said as he moved to look at the sky. Not a single cloud in it. "She's taking a bath now, and asked for food"
Lupin smiled relieved and Moody nodded.
"I'll take care of it" Lupin said and took off toward the kitchens.
Moody stood tall in front of Dumbledore. The look on his face told all the Headmaster needed to know.
"Don't worry" a feminine voice echoed in the hallway, making the two men turn to find its owner. Chloe walked toward them "Her memories will come back to her when it's safe enough to do so"
"Moira has been broken down" another woman's voice sounded. Abigail walked beside her mother "If she knew of everything that has ever happened to her in this state, I'm afraid she wouldn't have survived the first night"
"Are you saying her memories got… locked up somewhere in her mind?" Dumbledore started but Chloe interrupted.
"In order to safeguard her well being. You have no idea of what she saw and felt, Albus. It is very sad that with her previous memories, those will come back as well"
Albus looked differently, for the first time, at his sister-in-law. He could only imagine what she had been through, at what his late wife had been through. He lowered his head and then raised it up again, his eyes finding the door to his daughter's room. Then, a hand on his shoulder made him look away.
"She will come back to us" Chloe said "Don't doubt that"
"I don't" he whispered and smiled a faint smile "I'll inform Sirius about the news. You should all rest"
Moody lowered his head and smiled. They would follow his instructions. Chloe, Abigail, and himself would lay down a bit, get some sleep, but not Albus Dumbledore. He would stay by his daughter's side, with the guilty conscience of a father who couldn't protect his child.
One by one, they scattered and found their beds, but Albus, after contacting a sleepless Sirius, went to his study and sat down by his desk, opened a drawer and took out the picture of his late wife. Tsarina smiled at him as wind brushed her brown hair off her face.
"She pulled through, dear. Our little girl pulled through" he said before holding the picture to his chest and closing his eyes for just a moment.
&&&
Sirius was asleep. His long body laid on the ground, between the Weasley's couch and the fireplace. So used to Azkaban, the man found it difficult to go back to sleep on anything softer than the floor. Beside him, on the couch, laid Harry. They had fallen asleep in front of the fireplace, waiting for news that never came. The noise had died down, and only after Arthur and Molly had insisted they go to bed, and they had refused, the Burrow had fallen into silence.
The first rays of sunlight hit the garden outside and the only sound heard, besides Sirius soft snore, was of Mrs. Weasley's clock, in the kitchen. All of the arms in it pointed toward "Home".
Harry Potter woke up with a gasp. He sat straight up on the couch, hair damp with sweat, glasses askew on his face, his scar burning. Something was wrong.
"Professor Craine" he whispered so low, it was barely audible, but Sirius heard it.
"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked as he sat up as well, blinking several times in order to focus.
"I just had a bad dream, Sirius" Harry tried to lie, but to no avail. He didn't want his godfather to worry, but that was already showing in his eyes, and Sirius could read them as easy as he could the Daily Prophet.
"You're even a worse liar than your father was" Sirius said "He always got away with trouble, but when the matter was serious..." he looked at Harry. The boy was pale "Harry, what is it?".
"It's Professor Craine" he said. Sirius' heart dropped to his stomach.
At the very moment, the fireplace burst into green flames and Dumbledore's face appeared. The two wizards turned to it immediately, and ran in a very clumsy way in order to get closer. As Dumbledore saw their faces, the faint smile upon his face gave place to a worried glance.
"I would just like to tell you that Professor Craine is doing just fine, but why do I have the feeling you are about to tell me otherwise?"
Harry looked at Sirius, who nodded encouragingly to him.
"I had a dream, sir… Professor Craine… she was…" he took in a breath and felt a bit surprised to find his throat in a knot "She was dead, sir"
Sirius could swear he saw Dumbledore's sky-blue eyes turn darker, as his expression fell. Sirius looked from one to the other.
"She is, in a way, Harry" Dumbledore tried to explain, trying not to pay attention to the expression of pure horror upon Sirius' face "Professor Craine is different now and I guess you could say that a part of her died, but another one has been born" he said, but his voice faltered.
"I hate metaphors" Sirius barked under his breath as he sat down on the floor and passed his hands over his hair "Did you see anything else in your dream?" Sirius asked, trying to stay calm.
"No, but my scar burned" Harry confessed.
Sirius looked at Dumbledore.
"I'll take care of everything. Don't worry. It won't take long before you're all back to Hogwarts" Dumbledore said, with a stern look upon his face.
"But… what about " Sirius started but Dumbledore interrupted.
"I can assure you Moira is up and about, and in perfect health, and will remain that way. But keep me posted about your dreams, Harry" and before either of them could ask anything else, Dumbledore's head disappeared in the green flames.
They remained in silence. Harry sat down beside Sirius, feeling better that his teacher was safe, but still he felt as if something was wrong. He looked at his godfather, and his suspicion turned to fact.
"What …"
"He knows, Harry" Sirius interrupted as he turned his pale face toward his godson "That is what it meant. Voldemort knows"
&&&
Remus Lupin knocked on the door twice and still got no answer. He managed to get the tray with food on one arm as he opened the door to Moira's room.
"Moira?" he called as he entered the dimly lit chamber. The bed was unmade, and the door to the bathroom was ajar "Moira, can you hear me?" Still no answer.
Lupin put the tray down on the center table between the couch and the fireplace. He pulled out his wand and moved to the bathroom. His steps moved faster each time he called her name and didn't hear her reply. He searched everywhere and there was not a single sign of her.
He dashed out of the room, screaming Justine and Moody's name through the halls.
"What the hell!" Justine yelled as she walked out of the staff's classroom, red eyes from lack of sleep, hair all over the place, but fully dressed and armed. As she saw Lupin's pale face, she knew exactly what had happened "Where would she go?"
"I don't know" he said as he heard Moody's steps coming to meet them "I can't think… how could I leave her alone?"
"It was about time" Moody said as he passed the two and, without stopping, made his way toward the staircases. Lupin and Justine had to run a bit to catch up "I was beginning to worry. She was taking everything too well"
"You knew this would happen?" Lupin asked.
"It was bound to" Moody replied "Curiosity comes hand in hand with fear. She has to see for herself where she is and so on and so forth" Moody said, impatiently.
&&&
"Beautiful isn't it?" a male voice asked, making Moira turn around on her heels "A view like this one takes anyone's breath away"
Ethan Leery took a few steps toward Moira, who watched his every move. Then, as he reached her side, he turned to see what she was seeing: Hogwarts castle. Moira stood tall beside Ethan, a clean black dress on, hair hanging loose almost to her lower back, and no shoes on her feet. The Auror noticed that detail.
"Connection with Mother Nature, huh?" he asked in his hoarse voice as he turned his clear eyes toward hers. He smiled "Your eyes are already changing color" he said.
Moira remained silent as she turned from him and continued her walk. But Ethan's footsteps followed her.
"What do you want?" she asked in a very husky voice, as if she had never used it before, or as if she had screamed for hours. The second one was truer.
"Progress, Moira! You're not longer speaking in parseltongue"
"Yes" she hissed, still not paying any attention to Ethan, but apparently looking for something. Occasionally she would shut her eyes and smell the air, fell the grass beneath her feet.
"There" Ethan said and pointed to the school's gates that were very far from where they stood, but in the direction Moira was heading. She turned to Ethan "Your home is that way"
"MOIRA!" Justine screamed as she saw the two wizards talking. She ran to meet them, Moody and Lupin by her side "For Merlin's sake, woman, we were looking all over for you"
"It's really alright. Miss Craine was just looking for her way home" Ethan said to a very puzzled Moody "You see, usually, when a transfer like this happens, the witch or wizard turns very hostile and dangerous and that is what we feared would happen to Moira" he explained as Moira's face turned angry and nobody noticed but Lupin "But the most interesting thing happened. She is looking for her inner self instead of publicly demonstrating her powers. Without knowing who she is, she can't know how much power is in her hands and…"
Moira walked passed them, in the direction of the gates. They started to follow, all but Lupin, and as she heard their footsteps, she turned on her heels.
"STOP IT!" she yelled and they stopped immediately. They could swear the air had stopped moving "Stop treating me as if I'm a ticking bomb! If you don't want anyone hurt, leave - me - alone!"
"We can't, Moira. The times are very dangerous and you're a target, and…" Justine replied.
"I know that" she said in her husky voice "Someone with red snake-like eyes is after me" Moira went quiet as she saw the man who called himself her father leave the castle and walk in their direction "Keep away from me… all of you".
Then her eyes found Lupin's. Justine saw how they were staring at each other and just knew she was seeing his thoughts. Then Moira changed direction and moved to meet Lupin, who led her inside the castle, once more. Moody nodded and Ethan's jaw just dropped.
Dumbledore, who was by the Great Hall entrance, stood still as she passed him, but followed both professors with his eyes. Soon enough the others were by his side.
"Albus, you have to do something" Ethan said as Justine and Moody went up the stairs to meet them.
"Yes, I do" Dumbledore said as he looked at the other wizards "Voldemort knows Moira has survived" he said simply "He knows of it and it's not pleased. Come gentlemen" the Headmaster said "and lady" he added as he looked at Justine "It's time to review everything that has been going on and put an end to all this"
"What about them?" Justine asked.
"I expect Professor Lupin will be joining us soon" Dumbledore said as he walked "Moira will be safe. I know it"
Justine looked at Moody and then at Ethan. Who was she to worry if Moira's own father apparently didn't.
"I'll find Abigail" Justine said "She can help us"
&&&
"Here" Lupin showed a secret passageway that seemed to be blocked for a very long time "Just follow the tunnel and you'll end up in a hollow tree, near your house". Moira looked at him with a strange look "Don't worry. No one knows about this one. Not even the Weasley's twins"
"Who?" Moira asked.
"Students of yours. Of ours" he looked at her and Moira didn't like that look one bit. It seemed as if he was feeling sad, or missing something "You'll remember them. Anyway, just follow it. When everything is over, I'll shut this one down and replace the spell. Don't worry"
Moira looked at him again and vanished in the shadows. The passageway closed behind her and Lupin remained at the spot, looking at the door that was no longer opened.
&&&
"You'll just have to wait" she said "I don't think I never had to deal with someone so stubborn as you! Now drink this or I'll have to tell your students what color is your underwear"
Severus Snape sat impatiently in his hospital bed, as Poppy shoved a spoon full of some sort of syrup down his throat. He hated being sick. He hated being treated like a child. He hated being helpless. But what Snape hated the most was…
"Are you sure you don't..."
"No" he interrupted bitterly "I don't remember anything".
"It should come back to you when you get stronger" Poppy said as she moved toward the window "You lost a tremendous amount of blood and if Abigail hadn't found you when she did, I don't think you would be here today"
"Great" Severus thought "Now I'll have to thank her for saving my life. This can't get worse"
"Moira came by to see you when you were in a coma" Poppy said cheerfully "She was the one who woke you up from it. It must have been some powerful spell she used"
Snape closed his eyes. Moira. Where was she? A flash came back to him. Moira was close to him, he could smell her hair, but something was wrong. She had a very different look in her eyes. Had she been with him when he was attacked?
"I think she is a fine young woman" Poppy said, making Snape open his eyes again, and purse his lips "I also think you've been alone for too long"
"You think too much" he said as he stood up. Poppy hastily made her way around the bed, in order to help him, but he didn't need any help. He moved as fast as he could, limping a bit, toward the bathroom. As soon as he left it, fully clothed in his usual black garments, he made for the door.
"Severus, you can't leave yet. You're not strong enough" Poppy exclaimed as she followed him through the hospital hallway, causing healers to frown at him, but he didn't listen. He was needed at Hogwarts, and there was nothing she could say that would change his mind.
&&&
Even after many years with its doors closed, Dumbledore Manor looked exactly as she had last remembered. The garden was well kept, the windows were washed, and the paint was not pealing. She opened the door carefully, feeling as if she would hear something or someone inside. She wanted to, but there was nothing but silence, and the scent of times that won't come back. Slowly, she entered the living room; the place that once held small but cozy dinner parties, now had broken chairs, empty frames fallen from the walls or hanging crooked on them. Signs of struggle, she thought. She picked one empty frame up. Its occupant had left years ago. Lucky him.
Then, something made her look above, toward the top of the staircase that led to the bedrooms. In careful steps, she made her way up. There were several doors on a long corridor, but only one was opened.
"You're a tough witch to kill indeed" the voice echoed in the dark "But I think I can manage"
She stopped before the master bedroom. The bed was made, but the covers and pillows showed someone had lied down on top of them. Her hand traveled to her chest as her breaths increased their rhythm: the curtains around the four-poster bed were all drawn but the ones that faced the entrance to the room.
"I died here" a feminine voice echoed behind her. She turned to find almond shaped chocolate brown eyes looking at the bed.
"A little bit of all of us did" Chloe answered as she saw the younger witch take steps closer to her, her eyes not blinking "Your mother died here".
For a moment, the two witches, from two different generations, stood in silence. Their eyes looked at the bed and saw what was no longer there: the dead body of Tsarina Craine Dumbledore.
"I saw it" the younger witch said in a husky voice "Why?"
"Because you can also do great things, Moira" she said.
"Then why didn't I stop it?" Moira asked as her eyes started to shine.
"Because she didn't want you to" she took Moira's shoulders in her hands and looked deeply into her eyes "Do you want a chance to get him back for what he did?"
"More than anything" Moira answered, revenge visible in her eyes, in every word that left her lips.
"I can help you remember, teach you to control your powers. I can help you become the sorceress your mother wanted you to be" she said, without doubt on her face "That is your inheritance" she raised her chin "It's time for you to claim it"
&&&
"Call the children back" Abigail said as her eyes traveled through an open window at Dumbledore's office "She's safe" she turned to them with a big smile upon her face "Moira is with my mother now. She's safe and will be soon ready to come back to us" tears escaped her eyes, but she pushed them away as she walked across the room and hugged Remus, who was also smiling in relief.
Justine looked from Abby, to Ethan, who was holding back a smile, to Moody, who was doing exactly the same thing.
"I don't know about you lot, but I can't wait until Fudge gets here and tries to take her away"
The three of them burst out laughing. Dumbledore cleaned his throat loudly, and the laughter died out. Justine looked at the Headmaster and found a man with relief on his face and a hint of a smile hidden in his features. Yes, Cornelius Fudge would have a great surprise.
"Very good, very good, but are you sure it's safe for Chloe to help Moira?" Ethan asked "She doesn't have the absolute control of her powers yet"
"Yet" Aberforth said as his blue eyes found Ethan's "My wife knows more than she lets on" she looked at his daughter "Merlin, this whole family does!"
"I'll tend to the letters" McGonagall said with a big smile upon her face "I never thought I'd say this, but I actually miss the children"
"I'll send the Aurors back, but I'll keep guard once the children return" Moody said and looked at Justine "Are you up for it?".
"Absolutely!" she replied.
"You still think the students are involved in this so called ancient evil?" Aberforth asked.
"Not the students, but a student" he looked at them "But leave that to me. What else do we need to find out?"
"Who attacked Snape" Justine said "An Auror got into the castle saying Tonks had sent him, only I found out later, she hadn't. Turns out this Auror turned up at the Ministry with a huge bump on his head and no recollection of what had happened"
"Even with Polyjuice potion, the gates have powerful spells upon them" Flitwick said "They would recognize evil intruders"
"But not someone from within, not that a Hogwarts professor would do such a thing" Moody looked at Dumbledore. A Death Eater already taught, pretending to be Moody, and Quirrel too, while carrying the Dark Lord on his own head.
"What about some kid's parent" Justine continued "And Snape tried to keep them out. I was the one who let him in" she said, her voice showing the heavy weight of guilt.
"An easy mistake that, given the circumstances, any of us could have made" Dumbledore said "And then…"
"Then I was leading Ethan, Alastor, Snape and the phony Auror to your office, when Snape told me he had something to attend to" she widened her eyes.
"He knew" Lupin concluded "Severus knew the Auror was an impostor"
"Did I?" a deep voice came from the door. Severus Snape stood tall as his eyes searched the room. Beside him, a very tired Poppy was trying to get her breath back.
"Sir… I tried… but he… wouldn't listen" she spoke in breaths as she sat down next to Flitwick, who conjured a goblet of cool water, and handed to her.
His eyes found Abigail's blue ones. She was smiling and that action alone lit up the room. He moved his gaze to Dumbledore, who also showed how much he was glad that the Potion Master was back on his feet. However, there was one person missing in the room, and that was the only one he wanted to meet.
"I'm glad you can join us once more, Severus" Dumbledore said and Snape nodded curtly "Now, where were we?"
"Severus" Lupin called.
"Don't waste your breath, Lupin" Snape interrupted "I don't have any recollection of what happened"
"Of course he doesn't" Moody said as he stood up "Do you all honestly think that a stunt like that would leave loose ends?"
"I saw it" Abby said softly, the smile long gone from her face "I saw your attack moments before it happened. That is why I went looking for you"
Snape frowned, as did all the others.
"Abby, for Morgana's sake!" Aberforth urged.
"I'm not sure about what I saw... I mean, all I saw was…" she bit her lips and turned her eyes to Lupin.
"Moira" he continued "She saw Moira" Dumbledore's lips parted as Snape stopped breathing for a second "Abigail had a vision where Moira was hurt. After I found her, and took her to safety, Abby also saw what had happened to Severus"
"Impossible!" Justine said "She'd never hurt any of us"
"But when she entered the Great Hall, she took responsibility for his injuries" Ethan said "How? Why?"
"But she wasn't anywhere near Severus" Lupin said, urgency in his voice "She was with me when Abigail saw him, and …" he went silent. He couldn't betray her trust and expose her feelings for the man "There is just no way she could have hurt him. This has to have been misinterpreted. That is possible, isn't it?" he looked at Abigail, who nodded.
"Possible, however unlikely. I'll need to talk to Moira when she comes back, though" Abby said.
All eyes turned to Dumbledore, who had his fixed on Snape. Snape was clearly lost in thought. He tried to remember what had happened, but all he could remember was her body against his, her lips on his, and a very different look in her eyes. That witch was going to drive him mad, and there was no way he would tell all of the staff that the last thing he remembered was kissing the Headmaster's daughter.
"She was framed" Moody broke the silence "She has to have been framed" he paced the room.
"The transfer caused the tremor" Ethan said "The tremor caused Snape's injuries, or was planned to do so" he looked at Dumbledore "We find that fake Auror, we get the culprit"
"Yes, but the question is, how do we get him?" Sprout asked
"I recommend patience and a small dose of pressure" Moody replied with a wicked smile. The plan was formed and all he needed was time to put it into action.
&&&
Sirius was clearly out of place at the Weasley's table. Harry had been going to stay at the Burrow for so long that he was almost part of the family, something that caused mixed feelings in Sirius' heart. As he ate, he watched the small talk between the red heads and Harry. Arthur was in deep conversation with Percy about school and Head Boy duty, while Fred and George tried to talk their mother into letting them go to Diagon Alley for a little "supply shopping". While that took place, Harry, Ron and Ginny remembered past events, none of which Sirius had participated on.
"Are you not hungry?" Molly asked and had to repeat the question in order to get Sirius' attention.
"Not really" he said as he rose to his feet and moved to wash his plate.
"Don't worry about that" Molly said as she took the plate from Sirius' hand.
He just stood there, watching the family. Harry might not have had the chance to really meet his parents, but he found great people to take the job. He smiled a sad smile and moved toward the garden.
The sound in the house was of laughter and celebration, as the letters from Hogwarts were delivered right after dinnertime. The students were to come back by the beginning of the following week, and they couldn't be happier about it. Sirius was relieved, since that meant that all was well, or was pretty close to being that way.
The smell of fresh rosemary got carried in the soft wind that messed Sirius' hair up. He took a few steps away from the house, and lied down on the grass. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he looked at the stars above him. It sure was a beautiful night, and a faint smile grew upon his face. He missed looking at the sky. Movements made him turn his head, and look beside him. Harry was lying on his right side. The sky reflected on his glasses. Beside the boy, Ginny repeated the action, her flaming red hair fanned on the ground.
"That is the Orion constellation" Harry said.
"It's not" she replied in a mocking tone "What is your grade in Astronomy again?" Harry snorted and they went on, arguing about the names of the stars, and grades, and how much girls are smarter than boys. He smiled silently as he let this sight remind him of James and Lily.
While in Azkaban, he thought of nothing but them, and Remus, Moira, Harry, and of course, killing Peter. When he left, all he could think of was taking care of Harry, but, once again, that didn't happen. He tried to keep him safe, even from afar, tried to keep in touch, but nothing compared to this: to sharing meals, and having conversations. Now, everything was different: he was free. Now, Sirius Black was not only a professor at Hogwarts, but a godfather not to the Boy Who Lived, but to his best friend's son. And, this time, he was sticking around.
&&&
Liam Laois was being taken care of by a Healer. He had arrived at Malfoy Manor in such a state that reminded Draco of a train rack. He couldn't believe the man was still breathing. He hated having Liam at his house, he despised the man almost as much as he hated the man's son, Iago. At first, Draco thought they were just a couple of pure blooded wizards who wanted the same things he did, but he was finding out, little by little, that he had been wrong.
Draco was not stupid, no matter what Gryffindors thought. He had seen the way his father, his aunt, and Liam talked about what went on at Hogwarts. He had heard the whispers, seen the late night meetings, even the way his mother was acting different. He knew for a fact that something really bad had happened, and he didn't really care. But what Draco didn't like was that he was being left out of it. He knew his cousin, Megan, was trying to find out about things as well, but she was as far away from all of it as he was. They both tried even harder to find out things when they saw Liam be carried into the house, nights after Halloween. Maeve wouldn't answer her daughters questions about what had happened, and all they heard was:
"Let's just say I was right" Narcissa had said with an evil smile upon her features.
Now, as they entered King's Cross station, they looked around for their friends. Draco bid his parents good-bye and moved to enter the train with Crabbe and Goyle, followed closely by Iago, who wasn't feeling too well and walked a few steps slower. Megan did the same and entered the train, looking for Neville.
"What now?" Maeve asked, her eyes searching the crowd.
"We wait for another opportunity" Lucius said "There are still things in motion, let's just hope they remain that way" Narcissa snorted.
"I told you she was a tough witch to kill, and you didn't listen" she spoke in hardly more than a whisper "Maybe the Dark Lord can listen better than the two of you" she said as she narrowed her eyes at her husband.
"Take good care of her, ok?" Sirius asked Mr. Weasley as he handed him the keys to his motorcycle.
"If you need her, just let me know" Arthur replied with a satisfied smile upon his face. He loved Muggles and having a go at Sirius motorcycle was in his plans, but not in his wife's, who took the keys from him.
"Don't worry. If you need it, we'll send it through someone else"
Mrs. Weasley hugged them all good-bye, and they entered the train. Ron, Hermione, Harry, Ginny and Sirius joined Neville and Megan in a compartment.
"This is so weird" Sirius said as he sat down "I haven't been here for such a long time and yet…"
"It feels as if it was yesterday" Harry completed and Sirius nodded.
"Harry" Neville called but before he could go on, he saw Sirius sitting next to Harry "Oh… hello… I just"
"It's ok, Neville. He won't tell, will you?" Megan asked, her gray eyes finding Sirius'. Not a trace of fear in them.
"Not a word" Sirius whispered and Megan smiled.
"Oh… ok then… Anyway, Megan told me some things I think you should hear, Harry" Neville went on.
And Megan retold what she had seen during their untimely vacation. Sirius didn't blink and Hermione had her eyes really wide.
"Liam is definitely involved in this" Sirius said as Megan told the story "Look, what I'm about to tell you has to remain a secret. Dumbledore might not like me telling you, but I think you ought to know". The kids were all looking at him, hearts racing "Liam Laois was one of the Death Eaters in Hogsmeade when Harry was attacked. Moira took care of him at the time, but his family is deep down into the Dark Arts for that to be the end of story"
"You think they are up to no good at Hogwarts?" Ron asked and Sirius smiled at his choice of words.
"Yes, Ron, and I'm not the only one that thinks so. Here's what I want you to do: be extremely careful. If you hear or see anything strange, go straight to Dumbledore or any of us, understand?" they all nodded.
The rest of the train trip was filled with laughter, sweets, and Sirius telling stories of his school days. Malfoy didn't dare bother them when a Professor was in Harry's compartment, but a few seventh year girls joined them for a bit, just to drool over their good looking teacher.
As the site of Hogsmeade appeared through the windows, cheers were heard all through the train. It didn't take long for the corridors to be filled with students trying to get out. Megan stayed behind, pulling her Gryffindor robes around her, her eyes on the night sky outside.
"A sickle for your thoughts" Sirius said at the door. Megan turned. They were alone.
"Just being silly" she said and, for the first time since Sirius had met the girl, she saw an eleven year old child in front of him and not a girl who was forced to grow up too fast.
"You know your mother loves you, right?" Sirius asked. Remus was so much better at this kind of thing than he was. Megan hesitated but nodded.
"I know that if she wanted to hurt Professor Craine she could, and that's wrong, and that Professor Craine is right to want to get even, but I don't want my mom to get hurt, and…"
"Megan, Megan" Sirius called as he knelt down to one knee and took her little shoulders in his hands "The fight between Professor Craine and your mom is theirs and theirs alone. It will do you no good in getting in the way, understand? Sometimes adults are just… stupid" Megan smiled "You know too much about it already. Don't take sides, Megan. Not while you don't have to"
They stared at each other for a moment and then she blinked and nodded. Sirius stood up once more and offered his hand for her to take. Megan took it and, together, they left the train. Many girls narrowed their jealous eyes at Megan, who just lifted her chin and smiled. Sirius shook his head before meeting his godson's friends.
"You can see the Orion constellation from here too, look" Harry said, in a clear mocking tone only to see Ginny widen her eyes at him. She was about to tell him off when she noticed the smile on his face.
"Git" she said as she punched his arm.
As they passed Malfoy, Hermione could have sworn she saw Draco narrow his eyes at Harry, but decided not to point that out.
&&&
The welcome back feast was probably the best they had tasted so far. Seeing Moody and Justine there, and Moira's empty seat, Harry knew that not all things were fine, but Dumbledore's smile was enough to convince him that, soon, they would be.
Although they weren't even close to the middle of the school year, the atmosphere was of holydays. The students couldn't be in a better mood, and almost didn't complain about homework. Well, not on the first day back. On the second, they were all back to normal, discussing the Potions essay, practicing spells and studying for Transfiguration. Everything was back to normal at Hogwarts, but Harry felt like something was missing.
Several Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons had passed with Lupin teaching solo, or with the occasional help from Justine. She didn't have the patience he did, so she usually just demonstrated some spells or hexes that were useful. But no sign of Moira. Snape was grumpier than usual and the door to her room, located next to the painting that was the entrance to Gryffindor's common room, remained closed and undisturbed.
"She's ok" Harry thought "She's going to come back. She didn't leave you. She wouldn't"
He didn't know exactly why he cared so much about her, but he did, and not seeing her around made him worry. That was a good bye letter she had written to him. She had said she wasn't going to be at Hogwarts when he returned, but he knew that had changed.
"I'm really sorry I couldn't stay to explain things to you. But know this: you aren't as lonely as you think you are" she had said in her letter. But explain what? Harry made a mental note to ask Sirius about it.
One more day was half over at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The sun was already low on the horizon, the classes were coming to an end, and the students welcomed the weekend. When night had finally fallen, the children and staff filled the Great Hall for another warm supper, when the big Oak doors flew open. Several students gasped in surprise as they turned their heads toward it. Some teachers had their wands in hand, but put them away as they saw who entered the room: Cornelius Fudge and about twenty Aurors.
Harry looked from them to Ron, to Hermione and all the way to Sirius. His godfather, however, was looking straight at Fudge, with an almost murderous look on his eyes. Remus caught Harry's eye and he understood that everything was under control. At the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy smirked at the surprise as he saw an enormous glass cage waiting outside the Hall.
"Where is she, Dumbledore?" Fudge asked, without hesitation.
"Good evening Cornelius. What a pleasant surprise" Dumbledore echoed sweetly through the Hall as he stood up "Where's who?"
"Your daughter, for Merlin's sake" Cornelius spat back, not caring one bit about his tone or the bad looks he was receiving "Don't make things worse for her, Dumbledore"
"Oh, Moira is quite fine, Cornelius. Thank you for your concern" a few kids laughed "Please, tell me, how can the visit of the Ministry of Magic make things bad for my daughter and a Professor in this school, I might add?"
Harry saw Justine exchange glances with Moody. They were on opposite ends of the staff table, on their feet and wands at the ready. She looked at the group of Aurors that had followed Fudge. Harry followed her lead and wasn't really surprised to see that they weren't really happy to be there.
"Dumbledore, don't play games with me!" Fudge barked, his face growing red "I've come to take her away. You know she is not safe and Azkaban is… "
"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" exclaimed Sirius as he, too, stood up.
Fudge took a few steps back, but no Auror pulled out their wands.
"Now, now, Sirius. Moira is not going anywhere, let alone Azkaban" Dumbledore said and Abby took Sirius's hand and pulled him down to his seat. Dumbledore turned to Fudge, his mocking tone gone from his voice "Moira Craine Dumbledore is perfectly safe and is remaining at this school for as long as she whishes"
"You can't tell me what to do!" Fudge spat back. Harry had never seen him so angry, so out of himself before. As they argued some more, Harry looked back at the staff table, and saw that Snape, for the first time, looked pink on the cheeks. It was as if he was dyeing to yell at some one but couldn't do so. Then, suddenly, Harry saw his expression soften, his lips part and his eyebrows go up on his forehead. That lasted for just one moment, before his expression became unreadable.
Harry followed his gaze and what he saw made his heart jump on his chest. At the doors to the Great Hall, standing still, looking positively beautiful, was Moira. She had her usual black dress on, her hair was put up on an elegant bun, and her face was radiant. She looked older and younger at the same time. It was as if she had matured overnight, as if power could be felt from her very presence, and yet, she didn't look tired as she did before, or worried. It was as if Moira had finally reached the right point for her to be.
She had her eyes at Fudge, but as Harry was about to stand up and go to her, she looked at him. Briefly, a smile filled her face, but she put her lips together and place on index finger before them, indicating for Harry to be quiet. He obeyed and looked around. No one, not even the Aurors, had noticed she was standing there. Harry smiled. She is supposed to be so dangerous and yet, no one saw her coming.
"Don't argue with me, Dumbledore. I'm taking her away and that is final!" Fudge spat.
"Then hurry up. I don't have all night" Moira suddenly spoke.
Gasps all over the Great Hall again. The Aurors, once again, didn't pull out their wands. Some students stood on tip toe to get a better look at her, as she entered the Hall, elegantly. Harry looked at his friends. They were all positively loving the argument and the fact that it was all about to get better. In the staff table, all, but Snape, had smiles upon their faces. Fudge's skin was the definition of pale.
"Well" she purred as she stopped, only steps away from the Minister "Do what you have to do, Minister, but be advised: I will not go quietly"
Fudge couldn't speak. He looked from one Auror to the next, but none showed support.
"Ah, Aurors. Strange profession, isn't it?" Moira asked as she looked around the room "They are the elite against Dark Wizardry, and yet, they choose not to go against me" she widened her eyes "There must be someone here worst than me, don't you think?"
Shy laughter filled the room, just as tension did the same.
"You… yo... you must" Fudge started but Moira cut him off.
"Now, now, Minister. Don't embarrass yourself. I've listened to everything you had to say. You see, I was standing right over there, by the glass cage you brought me. There's no need to repeat yourself" Fudge looked livid.
"How dare you?" was all that he could say.
"You'd be surprised at how much I dare, Minister" Moira hissed "But lucky for you, I have my heart and my mind very much in place. My father already gave you an answer and it is very rude of you not to listen to it" Moira said as she moved past Fudge and towards Dumbledore. She turned to face him once more. "You have no power at Hogwarts, Minister. Here, the rules are made by the Headmaster, and we must all abide by them. If he tells me I should go, than I'll go. Otherwise, I'm not moving"
"She's not moving, Cornelius" Dumbledore said.
"Not an inch" McGonagall found her voice and stood up as well. All the members of the staff table joined the move, and Harry followed. In a few moments, the majority of the students followed. Fudge looked around, his jaw on his chest, eyes blinking fast.
"How can you stand there and threaten me?" Fudge asked.
"Oh, we're not threatening you, Cornelius. See, I didn't bring a cage to put you into, did I?"
"She'll murder you in your sleep!" at this, Dumbledore stood up from his seat extremely fast, but Remus moved to toward him, gently holding his arm. Several students held their breath. Fudge ignored them "Think of the children, Dumbledore. For Merlin's sake, Harry Potter safety is in jeopardy. She was in league with You-Know-Who!"
At the moment those words left Fudge's lips, he knew he had made the biggest mistake of his life. He expected Moira to advance on him, to take his life right there, but she had her eyes fixed on him. The chaos that statement had brought into the room was quickly dying out. Draco Malfoy wasn't blinking and nor was the rest of the witches and wizards in the room. When the silence was thicker than ice, Moira spoke again.
"What did I ever do to you, Minister?" she asked in hardly more than a whisper, but that is was loud enough for all of them to hear "You know as well as every single person in this room that what you just said is a lie, then why say it?" Moira waited for an answer that didn't come "You know that Voldemort (the room hissed at the name) bewitched me when I was in school, and yet, I broke the spell and helped him fall. You know he did everything in his power to see that I wouldn't live through the power transfer, and yet, here I am. You know he killed my own mother, so how, please tell me, do you think I was ever in league with him!"
"Cornelius, I think it is time for you to leave" Dumbledore said, already by Moira's side.
"Sir" an Auror spoke. Moira looked at him, and recognized as the one that had hexed her and had been hit by Justine "Alastor Moody and Justine Lorcan will monitor her for you, sir" he took Fudge's arm and led him to the door "There's no reason for you to worry, Minister. They have everything under control"
It was as if Fudge allowed himself to be taken away. That Auror tried to save some dignity, but it was pretty doubtful there was any left in Cornelius Fudge. What had gone wrong? Why was he so crazy, so out of control? Was he under the Imperious Curse? Harry had thought about all possibilities in a matter of seconds, time that took for the Aurors to clear out of the Great Hall and cheer fill it again.
"There will be investigations as to what made our Minister act so… out of himself" Dumbledore said "Don't worry, now, help me to sing Happy Birthday to Professor Craine, since it was her birthday while we were all away"
The Hall broke into song, and Moira looked as red as Ron's hair. A few students stood up to congratulate her, as did several members of the staff. Sirius raised her from the ground, making her face go even redder. Snape didn't move away from his seat. Harry was the last one to go up to her as the Hall had resumed its usual activities.
"Happy Birthday, Professor" he said shyly as Moira shook his hand. Her hand was warm.
"Thank you Mr. Potter" she replied with a pretty smile, and kept her hand in hers, his eyes in hers.
"I thought you weren't going to be here when I got back" Harry said, the same mocking tone on his voice as his father had.
"Let's just say I changed my mind" she replied as she took a step closer to him "One time, I promised your mother I would look after you. I don't break promises, Potter"
Harry's eyes almost outgrew his glasses.
"What?" he whispered, not being able to exclaim.
Moira only looked at him and smiled thoughtfully.
"She also made me promise not to tell you more than this. Not breaking this one either. Have a good night" and she left for her place at the staff table, looking radiant and yet powerful, and leaving Harry behind, with even more questions than before.
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So sorry for taking so long. It's getting harder to find the time to write, but I promise I won't abandon this fic! Thank you for keeping up with me. I would like to thank Flora Fairfield, by editor and great friend for taking the time to read and comment this chapter. Your D/G is coming along, I promise! I would also like to ask those of you who leave me reviews (that are much appreciated, thank you) to sign them, to let me know who you are and how to reach you, ok? See you all on the next one.